List view / Grid view
12 December 2009 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor
One of the biggest public transport projects in the world has started in London. Crossrail will provide welcome work at a time when other parts of the construction sector are experiencing a downturn. London is the poor relation amongst European cities when it comes to cross-city suburban rail links. While…
12 December 2009 | By Dirk Diederich, General Manager for Project Business, Rhomberg Bahntechnik GmbH
The North Access Section to the Brenner Tunnel is particularly important to rail transport within Europe as part of the TEN 1 - Axis Berlin-Palermo in a north-south direction and as the main east-west traffic artery in the junction with the Lower Inn rail link. Security, in particular, is a…
12 December 2009 | By Jean-Pierre Audoux, Director General, French Railway Industry Association (FIF)
The environment of the French Railway Industry Association (FIF) members today has become much more complex than it was in the 80s and 90s, because France, like every European country, is currently in a long-term transition phase of its railway system. The end of the 90s marked the transition towards…
12 December 2009 | By Sebastien Gourgouillat, Head of Sustainability and Performance, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF)
Enhancing and developing the national rail network to promote rail transport in line with the principles of sustainable development, is the objective set out in the opening lines of the Act establishing Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) in 1997.
26 September 2009 | By Per Thorstenson, President of Arlanda Express and CEO of A-Train AB
Arlanda Express, the Swedish high-speed train between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm City, reported its best financial results ever for 2008. The company is now investing in refurbishing its trains to increase capacity for seated passengers by at least 20%.
26 September 2009 | By Per Rydberg, Project Manager for the Hallandsås Ridge tunnel, Banverket
Construction of a tunnel through the Hallandsås Ridge in southwest Sweden has given rise to many emotions over the years and the project has suffered several setbacks. Yet because of, or perhaps thanks to, its history, the tunnel is now one of Sweden's most well-planned construction projects. Today, the project…
26 September 2009 | By Claes Broström, Vice President of Fleet Management, Swedish Railways, SJ AB
SJ has been on quite a journey following its conversion to a limited-liability company. In 2002, SJ was an inefficient company on the verge of bankruptcy. Since then, the company has undergone tremendous change and is now market-focused. SJ has identified various customer groups and their needs and then developed…
26 September 2009 | By Claes Ulveryd, Fleet Manager, Skånetrafiken
Approximately seven years ago, Skånetrafiken began thinking of renewal and completion of its Pågatågen rolling stock. Pågatågen is the name of the regional train service in Skåne - the southernmost county of Sweden. The service is presently performed with 26 X11 EMUs, an ASEA/ABB/ADTranz/Bombardier construction from the 70s, which has…
26 September 2009 | By Santiago Cobo Diego, Director of the Madrid-Levante High-Speed Line, Adif
A double track of UIC European gage designed for maximum speeds of 350km/h will soon link the centre of Spain with the Mediterranean Sea and the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The total length of the line is 940km - with a forecasted investment of €12.365 million - and will…
26 September 2009 | By Fernando Ribeiro Vendas, Head of Signalling and Telecommunications, Engineering Department, RAVE
The de-grouping from the value chain which underlies the proposed business model for the high-speed network (HSN) project in Portugal led to a single international public tender request in the form of a PPP (public-private partnership), under the name of ‘HSN Signalling and Telecommunication Concession (HSN S&T Concession)'. The aim…
26 September 2009 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor
In July the British government announced a major programme of railway electrification, taking in the Great Western main line from London to Bristol and Swansea. To many Continental European readers, it must seem astonishing that such an important artery on the British rail network is still diesel worked.
26 September 2009 | By Åsa Torstensson, Minister for Communications, Ministry of Enterprise, Energy & Communications, Sweden
Growth of population, urbanisation, trade and economics as well as the environmental and climatic challenges calls for sustainable and efficient transportation solutions. Development of the railway is essential to meet these demands. We have to improve efficiency, quality and maintenance of existing systems as well as invest in new infrastructure,…
26 September 2009 | By Tilo Brandis, President and CEO, RAIL.ONE GmbH
Since March 2008, Tilo Brandis has been President and CEO of RAIL.ONE GmbH. After his studies at various universities in Europe and at Harvard Business School, Brandis began his career at HBS Consulting Partners as a Project Manager and Management Consultant...
26 September 2009 | By Alf Karlsson, Head of the Infrastructure Department and Manager of the Handover Subproject, Botniabanan AB and Jan Bergman, Communications Manager, Botniabanan AB
The Bothnia line consists of 190km of new railway, with 140 bridges and 25km of tunnels. Botniabanan AB has been commissioned by the Swedish government to build the Bothnia Line, a railway running from Nyland, north of Kramfors, via Örnsköldsvik to Umeå. Ground-breaking for the project took place on 14…
26 September 2009 | By Gunnar Alexandersson, Senior Policy Adviser, ASTOC
The Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies (ASTOC) acts on behalf of Sweden's train operators. It seeks to represent the interests of commercial rail traffic in its dealing with the Government and Parliament, authorities, business principals, the media and other bodies. ASTOC also assists in increasing the rail industry's know-how…
