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Rail Articles

The clue to an ETCS-only access

1 August 2008 | By Jan Richard, Business Unit ‘Train Control Systems’, SBB

Today, railway networks and their infrastructure managers, as well as the railway undertakings, are facing the crucial challenge of migrating their signalling and train control systems towards the common European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), while perhaps also maintaining conventional and mixed traffic operations. The basic concept of ERTMS, namely…

High levels of mechanisation in Swiss track maintenance

1 August 2008 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor

SBB is minimising the amount of time track is tied up with maintenance, by automating inspection systems and adopting standard components that can be installed rapidly. Global Railway Review’s Technical Editor, James Abbott, talks to Daniel Wyder, SBB’s Head of Asset Management for Track.

Positive prospects for BLS Cargo in 2008 and beyond

1 August 2008 | By Dr. Dirk Stahl, CEO, BLS Cargo AS

With the new Lötschberg Base Tunnel as an established business model and an investment in 10 new multi-system locomotives, BLS Cargo is preparing for future growth. Dr. Dirk Stahl, CEO, looks at the prospects for the company in 2008 and beyond.

The focus is on overcoming barriers and linking Europe

1 August 2008 | By Dr. Georg-Michael Vavrovsky, Member of the Board of Management, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG

With an average yearly investment volume of approximately €1.2 billion in new projects and the development of existing projects, plus approximately €500 million in the existing network, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG is the force behind track developments in Austria.

railjet – redefining European rail travel standards

1 August 2008 | By Gabriele Lutter, Member of the Board of Management, ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG

Austrian Federal Railways are preparing to take delivery of the first of 67 railjet train sets – which will prove to be faster, more modern and more comfortable than any other train service currently operating on the Austrian rail network. They will be able to operate at 230km/h, meaning that…

Under Sleeper Pads: improving track quality while reducing operational costs

1 August 2008 | By Harald Loy, System Engineer, Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH

More traffic, increasing axle loads and higher speeds are just some of the ongoing technical and economic challenges railway operators and track managers around the world are faced with today. Under Sleeper Pads (USP) have been proven to extend the service life of the track superstructure and help to reduce…

Productively taking giant steps forward

1 August 2008 | By Michele Mario Elia, Chief Executive Officer, RFI

Michele Mario Elia, Chief Executive Officer of RFI – the Italian Railway Network company, and wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato SpA since September 2006, is a railway veteran who knows how to combine hard work with good humour. In an interview for Global Railway Review, Mr. Elia discusses…

Successfully overcoming organisational and operational challenges

1 August 2008 | By Vincenzo Soprano, Chief Executive Officer, Trenitalia

Vincenzo Soprano is Chief Executive Officer of Trenitalia – the Italian Railway Transport company, and wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato SpA since September 2006. Speaking for Global Railway Review, Mr. Soprano describes the situation of Trenitalia and general railway transport in Italy.

Design & supervision – important elements of railway investments

1 August 2008 | By Jakub Wójcicki, Director of Supervisions Department for Roads & Rails, ARCADIS Profil

The rapid development of road and railway transport is a regular subject of public debate in Poland, in particular in the view of the EURO 2012 organisation. It is worth noticing that from 2007 to 2013, the Polish Railway Authority, PKP PLK, plans to carry out a number of major…

Working towards an ERTMS maintenance regime

1 August 2008 | By Rob Redeker, Senior Technical Consultant, Strukton Rail Consult

The implementation of ERTMS will have a serious impact on the maintenance processes of Rail Infrastructure Managers, Carriers and Maintenance Contractors. A pro-active attitude of the involved parties can minimise teething troubles and contribute to the success of the Europe-wide introduction of ERTMS. Clear agreements as to the procedures and…

Large station projects and developments in the Netherlands

1 August 2008 | By Patrick Buck, Director of Infrastructure Projects, ProRail

Passenger traffic in the Netherlands has grown by approximately 3% over recent years and it is expected to continue increasing in the foreseeable future. There are many stations in the Netherlands, a large proportion of which were built after the Second World War and they lack the capacity to cope…

Velaro E conquers high-speed in Spain

1 August 2008 | By Jürgen Model, General Manager for High-Speed Trains in Spain and Portugal and Angel Pérez-Cerezo, Member of Project Management for Velaro E, Siemens AG

How the Velaro E has met the challenging requirements of the high-speed service in Spain, with a focus on reliability, safety and passenger appeal.

Crime reduction commitment from First Capital Connect

1 August 2008 | By Tony Holland, Crime Prevention Manager, First Capital Connect

With First Capital Connect’s new CCTV control centre now in operation, Tony Holland, Crime Prevention Manager, outlines how it will help them further increase security and reduce crime on the Network.

Rail safety initiatives on the right track

1 August 2008 | By Mr. Julian Lindfield, Director of Safety & Compliance, Network Rail

As Network Rail carries out its ambitious plans for Britain’s growing railway, keeping the railway safe remains one of the top priorities. Indeed, there is no other form of transport safer than rail and Network Rail is determined to maintain this record – not only for passengers, but for the…

Achieving a successful GSM-R radio plan

1 August 2008 | By Robert Sarfati, Chairman of the UIC ERTMS/GSM-R Operators Group and Director Consultant in charge of ERTMS Systems, SYSTRA and Lovan Pushparatnam, Senior Telecommunications Engineer, SYSTRA

Railways across Europe and in other parts of the world are replacing their analogue operational radio communications networks by a digital system called GSM-R. This is an enhanced version of the hugely successful public cellular radio standard, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) which has additional features to meet the…