Issue 3 2005

An overall view of maintenance

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

The task of Banverket, the Swedish National Rail Administration, to safeguard the state-owned railway infrastructure is performed with the aid of significant maintenance so as to ensure its operations achieve the transport policy goals set out by Sweden’s Government.

Maintenance is a link in securing a transport system for the general public and industry throughout Sweden that is both socio-economically effective and sustainable in the long term. Maintenance is a precondition for ensuring that the investments made will have the lifetime and outcomes that have been planned.

At present, extensive development work is in progress within Banverket aimed at increasing the efficiency of maintenance operations. In order to gain sufficient insight into the individual parts, it is necessary to shed light on how they are inter-linked to form a single entity. This entity is described in Banverket’s overall maintenance strategy.

It is also important that everyone involved in the management and direction of maintenance operations should share a common view of what is to be achieved.

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Tagged with: Banverket, Denmark, Track maintenance & engineering, Vivianne Karlsson

The start of a new century for Norwegian railways

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

Norwegian railway history is both long and eventful, as was evident in 2004 when we celebrated its 150th anniversary. Besides offering a chance for a nostalgic look back, the anniversary year also provided an excellent opportunity for looking forward. In actual fact, the year 2004 provided many causes for celebration.

We experienced growth in both passenger and freight traffic, and never before in the history of Norwegian railways has punctuality been better. Achieving an average punctuality rate in rail traffic of more than 90 per cent is a remarkable feat given how much of the Norwegian rail network is single track. (more…)

Tagged with: Jernbaneverket, Norway, Rail infrastructure, Safety, Steinar Killi

The Finnish-Russian joint rail project

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

A joint project between Finland and Russia will gradually shorten the journey time on the Helsinki-St. Petersburg line to approximately three hours.

Modernising the rail connection between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is one of the most important joint development projects between Finland and the Russian Federation. In the background is both countries’ desire to develop transport connections and make the necessary investments.

The project will be completed in stages. By 2008 the rapidly developing St. Petersburg region will be less than four hours by train from Helsinki. Ultimately the journey time will be reduced to three hours.

The new train connection will be considerably faster and more comfortable and have a high service level. It will provide a competitive alternative to road and air transport.

On the Finnish side the line will be used for mixed traffic.

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Tagged with: Finland, Finnish Rail Administration (RHK), Kari Ruohonen, Public Private Partnerships, Rail infrastructure, Russia

SJ prepares to defend its market share

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

An ambitious program of improved services is underway for Swedish State Railways as it squares up to face fierce competition from land, sea and air, including other rail operators in the regional market.

Sweden was the pioneer of the vertically-separated railway model that is now found throughout Europe. Banverket, the track authority, was split off from SJ, the railway operating company, in 1988. The idea was that Banverket would be like the roads authority, with operators paying for licences to run over the railways.

A crucial difference to the later British model was that, unlike Railtrack, Banverket was not expected to earn all its money from operators paying to use its tracks; it would instead be like the roads authority in that the state would pay to have an adequate rail network.

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Tagged with: Banverket, James Abbott, SJ, Sweden

CORADIA LIREX for Stockholm

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

From the LIREX Experimental to the CORADIA LIREX for Stockholm – how a new generation test vehicle became a series train.

In April 2002, SL (Stockholm’s Lokaltrafik), the authority for public transport in Stockholm, awarded ALSTOM a contract for 55 six-car CORADIA LIREX trains, with an option for 50 more. They will replace part of the Pendeltåg fleet operated by Citypendeln, which carries over 230,000 passengers daily. These trains have been developed from the LIREX Experimental train and adapted to fit the specific Swedish operating conditions. (more…)

Tagged with: Alstom, Carsten Fischer, Rolling stock, Sweden

Inside Swiss trains

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

The demands placed in Sweden on our vehicles of long-distance travel differ considerably from those in other countries. For instance, in our small yet densely populated country, dedicated high speed lines, with trains running at 300km/h or more, do not make sense.

Nevertheless, we have some new lines for fast-moving traffic, but these have mostly been aligned in tunnels to reconcile them with concerns of landscape protection. They allow a top speed of just 200km/h, this being a pre-condition for making our enhanced regular-interval timetable of the Rail 2000 scheme work.

This new system timetable, in operation since 12 December 2004, connects the cities in a half-hourly rhythm. In the stations of the big hubs, trains arrive shortly before 30 minutes and 60 minutes and depart a few minutes after, providing for smooth connections among themselves and with the regional and S-Bahn trains that are integrated into the system.

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Tagged with: Rolling stock, Swiss Federal Railways, Switzerland, Ueli Thalmann

Machine pool

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

For a company to survive in the hard-fought international railway technology market it must have access to modern, high-performance, reliable and economical machinery. However, high-performance machines are both very complex and expensive to purchase. The technical complexity determines the qualification and training needs of the operating and maintenance staff. The combination of staff training, maintenance facilities and the high purchasing costs mean only those companies with a good financial background can make investments of this size while avoiding irresponsible risks.

As a niche supplier the Sersa Group has a large number of specialist machines and procedures that can be used throughout Europe, both in country-specific markets or for individual projects, as a complement to overall services in the sector of railway technology.

The economical use of these technologies is almost always dependent on the number of orders (shifts) and on the revenue which can be generated.

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Tagged with: Max Binder, Sersa Group, Track maintenance & engineering

Finalising the Swedish GSM-R project

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

Despite difficulties and eight years after its start, Banverket is about to finalise the Swedish GSM-R project SIR. Problems solved have included appeals against building permits for radio sites, interaction problems between phones and the Swedish GSM-R network and difficulties achieving full system functionality according to the EIRENE specifications.

When Banverket (The Swedish National Rail Administration) started the SIR (Swedish International Railway radio) project in 1997, it did so as the first railway operator in the world and was consequently a pioneer in the area.

The Swedish GSM-R network MobiSIR (Mobiles in SIR) is now practically built out with approximately 800 sites along the entire Swedish main-line railway network, which consists of almost 500 kilometres of railway (including tunnels) out of a total of approximately 10,000 kilometres. The remaining 2,500 kilometres are low traffic lines, due to be equipped with MobiSIR during 2006 and 2007. When this sub-project is completed, all communication for railway operations will run on MobiSIR. (more…)

Tagged with: Banverket, GSM-R, Kjell Ekberg, Sweden

The journey of ballastless track

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

When the new high speed line Nüremberg-Ingolstadt is opened for service in 2006, more than 800km of ballastless track will be in operation in Germany. The different systems have undergone extensive laboratory and field tests before implementation on grade, bridges and in tunnels. Available measurement results indicate the expected favourable structural behaviour and prove the low maintenance requirements.

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Tagged with: Günther Leykauf, Munich University of Technology, Track maintenance & engineering

The ÖBB life cycle cost

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

In a joint project, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the Institute for Railway Engineering and Transport Economy of the University of Technology, Graz and voestalpine Schienen GmbH have developed a (LCC) life cycle cost-based evaluation model for track components – rail profiles and steel grades.

Using this model, optimum fields of application and maintenance procedures of different rail profiles and steel grades are identified for various track conditions. Value to customers is achieved by providing assistance for railroaders in terms of minimal LCC based decisions for investment and maintenance.

From the ‘Track Strategy’ project of the Institute and ÖBB, a life cycle cost-based track maintenance system has emerged_1-3. The basic idea was to produce cost-effective strategies optimised in relation to life cycle costs, adapted to take account of actual measurement results and the present status of track. Within this project a number of different investment and maintenance options were evaluated from an economic perspective to define basic strategies.

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Tagged with: Dr. Peter Veit, Gregor Girsch, ÖBB, Track maintenance & engineering, University of Technology Graz, voestalpine Schienen GmbH

Continuous growth of the Spanish high speed network

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

The precedent Spanish government started an ambitious plan for the construction of new high speed lines and the upgrade of some existing ones. Now, the new government (which came into power midway through 2004), has decided to continue the project, albeit with some changes.

The frame for all actuation is called PEIT (Plan Español de Infraestructuras de Transporte) and was presented last December to local authorities and media as a draft in order to be discussed and agreed. At the end of discussions – and once all have agreed on possible modifications – this draft will become the definitive plan and will include real timing.

The purpose of the PEIT is to obtain a total network of 10,000km of lines at ‘height performances’, modifying today’s radial structure and placing 90 per cent of the Spanish population (excluding Balear and Canary Islands) at less than 50km of this network. The Plan not only involves railways, but also roads and motorways, airports, ports and some cases of mass transit and intermodality.

One of the aspects of the PEIT having special political and strategic importance is the many links with Portugal, now under discussion with the government of that country.

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Tagged with: High-speed rail, Ignacio Barrón de Angoiti, Spain, UIC

A vital instrument in asset management

Issue 3 2005 / 23 August 2005 /

In the last two years the roll-out of the innovative weigh-in-motion (WIM) system Quo Vadis has taken place on the Dutch rail network. This system, developed by ProRail, Baas R&D and NedTrain Consulting, has been installed in 38 locations, allowing the measurement of 80% of traffic movements and 96% of ton kilometres. Identification of trains is functioning well, using systems that are also used for traffic control purposes.

The development of Quo Vadis was initiated by the implementation of EU directive 2001/14 within The Netherlands₁. It has cost €3.5 million (excluding the NedTrain part). This directive specifies that the track access charge must be cost-related, which is why a mixture of train kilometres, tonne kilometres, stops and energy consumption was chosen as its basis. The choice of measuring locations is optimised using a calculation model, based upon the forthcoming timetable. Quo Vadis has been developed for measuring the loads of passing trains, which are a measure of the maintenance requirements of the superstructure₂. The superstructure (or track system) is one of the primary cost drivers in railway maintenance and renewal₃. The Quo Vadis measurements are quickly available; the operators can easily track their haulage and access charging online via the Internet.

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Tagged with: Delft University of Technology, Dr. Arjen Zoeteman, Gerlof den Buurman, ProRail, The Netherlands, Track maintenance & engineering