Issue 3 2006

A decisive moment for Danish rail tracks

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

Infrastructure matters; the statement has gained increased significance for the users, owners and operators on the Danish tracks.After years of neglecting both track renewal and signal system, Denmark is now at a crossroad: either passengers must become accustomed to new, but lower standards, or the Danish politicians must get used to the idea that renewal and maintenance is a costly business which grows exceedingly more expensive for each year the work is postponed.The infrastructure needs action and realistic planning, and the owner, the Danish state, needs to take some active decisions based on realistic expectations.

For some, the wake up call came in August 2005. From delivering the foundation for a general speed of 180km/h, comfortable for a country the size of Denmark, the trains were obliged for several months to travel at 120km/h between Denmark’s two largest cities – Copenhagen and Aarhus, adding at least half an hour to the travel time. The reason was a series of almost a hundred rail joints bending around the limits of the allowed standards. For me this was just another proof of the challenges that the Danish infrastructure is facing. As an eye opener this made a lot of people understand how pivotal the infrastructure is for a well functioning train system. (more…)

Tagged with: Banedanmark, Denmark, Jesper Hansen, Rail infrastructure

Danish rail tracks – demanding more

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

Approximately 2,700 trains are in operation on the Danish tracks every day.They make use of over 3,240km of tracks, cross 2,342 bridges and intersect with roads at numerous points. The technology involved is mostly of the standard proven type,with a general inclination towards high quality.This is not a land of cutting edge solutions – but this may change in years to come when larger renewal plans are implemented.

The Danish Rail Tracks is, like in most of Europe, a mix of older material and generations of upgrades. The major concern lately is that track joints have been generating problems, not holding inside their tolerances and thus giving way to speed limitations. The existence of rail joints is due to the fact that the overall control system in Denmark is based on electrically separated blocks. Other block systems are in use such as axel counters, but there is no radio or GPS based system currently in use. (more…)

Tagged with: Banedanmark, Denmark, Eigil Sabroe, Track systems

A direct approach to a direct line

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

The major Finnish railway direct line project from Kerava to Lahti will be completed on 3 September 2006.The direct line is the most important railway project in Finland for over two decades and new technical solutions have been introduced with the guidance of the Finnish Rail Administration (RHK),who is responsible for the project.

The Kerava to Lahti direct line is part of the ‘Nordic Triangle’ which is one of the 14 primary TEN projects. The Nordic Triangle is a transport system of different modes which links the capital cities of the Nordic countries to each other and provides connections between the EU and Russia. The direct line will increase rail capacity to eastern Finland and Russia and reduce the traveling time from Helsinki to Lahti from 82 minutes to 44 minutes. The traveling distance is reduced by 26km. (more…)

Tagged with: Finland, Juha Kansonen, Rail infrastructure, RHK

Productive construction activities

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

A second pair of tracks through the western suburbs of Oslo is currently under construction to remove the biggest bottleneck on the Norwegian rail network. The first phase was completed in August 2005.

The 19.5km section on the Drammen line is the National Rail Administration’s principal investment project this decade.With a total cost of approximately NOK 7 billion, it is currently the largest single on-shore infrastructure project in Norway. (more…)

Tagged with: Jernbaneverket, Jon Frøisland, Norway, Rail infrastructure

The Nordic rolling stock market

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

A steady succession of small rolling stock orders is keeping interest alive in the Nordic market.A decade ago, the Nordic countries were seen as a beacon of hope by Europe’s rolling stock manufacturers,with some large replacement orders coming up.

But those orders are now behind us, with the Italian manufacturer Ansaldo-Breda winning many of them at competitive prices. Finland, Norway and Denmark (this article excludes Sweden) all boast modern fleets and the orders coming up are tending to be in niche areas of the market. (more…)

Tagged with: Denmark, Finland, James Abbott, Rolling stock, Siemens, Talgo

Regina – a success story

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

In 1994 at the KTH (Swedish Royal Institute of Technology) in Stockholm, an interdisciplinary project group was set up to develop the regional rail vehicle concept of the future as part of an overall concept designed to improve the operational efficiency of rail transport services in Sweden.

The initial impetus came from the need to meet the increasing demands of passengers and operators for a more comfortable and more economic vehicle for Sweden’s regional services. In view of the varying levels of passenger volume throughout the day, the operator must be capable of responding with a vehicle that can be deployed flexibly to meet the change in demand. In this respect, the trains should have high acceleration, operate at high cruising speeds and provide high standards of comfort for business travellers. The institute completed its survey in 1996 and submitted its report. The findings indicated that the vehicle should be a multiple unit that could be assembled into flexibly sized units. The use of wider carbodies that would permit a 2+3 seating arrangement would ultimately result in higher carrying capacities.

(more…)

Tagged with: Bombardier Transportation, Rolling stock, Sven Hornschuh, Sweden

Dynamic changes and positive growth

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

Czech Railways entered 2006 as a company driven by dynamic changes. Never in the history of the Czech Republic’s national railway carrier has the company experienced such tremendous dynamics, characterised by launches of new services, a massive modernisation of its fleet and infrastructure, and the primary focus on customers.

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Tagged with: Czech Railways (Ceské Dráhy), Czech Republic, Josef Bazala, Rail infrastructure

The beginning of the renaissance

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

Today, Serbian Railways cover the entire railway network in Serbia, and with approximately 22,000 employees and all available capacities, it is the biggest railway enterprise in the Balkans and one of the biggest in this part of Europe.

Serbian Railways possess approximately 12% of the entire state property in the Republic, and we were in first place concerning the value of capital in 2004.

The first railway line in Serbia was built in 1884 between Belgrade and Nis. Today, the Serbian railway network is 3,809km long with 276km of double-track lines. There are 1,247km of electrified tracks, while the main lines are 1,767km long. Currently, 5,536km of railway lines in Serbia are used for the traffic. Serbian Railways possess approximately 300 accurate motive power units, 220 passenger cars and 3,700 freight cars, although, according to the inventory, the number is notably bigger, but with a high per cent of immobilisation.

Serbian Railways maintain business relations with over 2,000 domestic enterprises, and several hundred thousand people depend directly or indirectly on the business and functioning of the railways.

(more…)

Tagged with: Milanko Šarancic, Rail infrastructure, Serbia, Serbian Railways

ERTMS strategy and planning in Sweden

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

The Swedish government has clearly indicated its commitment to railways as one of the most important means of transportation for the future. As a consequence, Banverket has been provided with resources to carry out an enhancement program needed to fulfil the transport policy objectives.

Banverket has the responsibility to develop the railway system with the objective to fulfil primary customer needs such as; increased availability, higher capacity, improved safety and better cost-efficiency.All activities shall be carried out within the scope of lowering environmental impact and stimulating regional area development.

The EU has through directives and technical standards for interoperability requiring the development of a common and harmonised railway train control system, ERTMS, to be implemented on TEN railway networks in Europe. Sweden has accordingly implemented these requirements in a new national railway legislation and also extended the application of the law to cover, not only the TEN lines, but the complete railway network in Sweden.

(more…)

Tagged with: Banverket, ERTMS, Sweden

The GSM-R system in Spain

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

GSM-R is a communication system for railway operations based on the standard ETSI GSM of public radio with additional railway features defined in the EIRENE (FRS, SRS) and MORANE specifications.These specifications have been developed by mandate of UIC and in collaboration with ETSI, to ensure interoperability between railway networks of different countries.

(more…)

Tagged with: ADIF, GSM-R, Luis Garcia Tassias, Spain

On the home straight

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

The UK’s first high speed railway,The Channel Tunnel Rail Link, is entering the final phase of construction. Dave Pointon, Managing Director of Union Railways, reviews progress and looks ahead to finishing the job in 2007.

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Tagged with: Dave Pointon, High-speed rail, Rail infrastructure, Union Railways, United Kingdom

Maintenance philosophy in a privatised market

Issue 3 2006 / 31 May 2006 /

Politically inspired developments in the rail infrastructure environment in the 1980s and 1990s have led to varying degrees of privatisation of construction and maintenance activities.

Firstly, politicians and taxpayers realised that they were paying substantial amounts of money for something which was not patently efficient. Secondly, the (European) political strategy to introduce competition into the rail transportation market meant that the primary role of the railways as train operating companies had to put infrastructure availability at arm’s length. Thirdly, it was recognised that privatisation would bring out the best qualities in the infra management side. That is the legal and financial ownership, making safe and dependable slots available for train operating companies, communicating with local government and guaranteeing system safety. It would also allow the dynamics and the detailed local knowledge of the marketplace to optimise production, productivity, direct response and innovation. It would make both infra management and the contractor accountable and transparent in the balance between costs and the product quality rendered.

These developments led to the formation of separate infra management companies with a firm goal of transparent and preferably cheaper pricing.

(more…)

Tagged with: Erland R.Tegelberg, Public Private Partnerships, Strukton Railinfra, Sweden, The Netherlands