Issue 3 2009

The Public Transport Authority in Denmark

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

The Public Transport Authority (Trafikstyrelsen) is an agency within the Danish Ministry of Transport and was established on 1 July 2003. Our competence has since been extended to include the fields of ferry services and transport authorities.

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Tagged with: Denmark, Martin Munk Hansen, Rail infrastructure, Regulation, Trafikstyrelsen

Our future is abroad

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

The goal for DSB (Danish State Railways) is that in the future 20% of our turnover shall be earned abroad – outside Denmark. The new company, DSBFirst, is an important step in reaching this goal.

On 11 January 2009, the first great border crossing passenger operation in Northern Europe, run by one single operator, started in the Øresund region covering the heavy passenger traffic in the greater Copenhagen area and the Malmoe region in southwestern Sweden. The winner was a new company – DSBFirst – a joint venture between DSB (70%) and Scotland based FirstGroup (30%). As of now, DSBFirst is the dominating operator of passenger trains in southern Sweden.

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Tagged with: Denmark, DSBFirst Group AB, Karsten Røn Andersen

Norway outlines plans for one of its biggest ever rail projects

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

In its proposed national transport plan for the period 2010-2019, the Norwegian government has identified construction of a new double-track line between Oslo central station and Ski as a priority. The planned 24km line has been named Follobanen (the Follo line) and up to 19km of it may be in a continuous tunnel. The earliest start date for construction is 2013, and the price is currently estimated at NOK 11.6 billion.

To emphasise the importance of the new line, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg travelled by suburban train from Oslo to Ski on 13 April 2009 to announce that the project would be a priority in the transport plan to be unveiled later that day. Mr Stoltenberg was accompanied by Kristin Halvorsen, Minister of Finance, and Liv Signe Navarsete, Minister of Transport and Communications. These three politicians lead the three parties that currently form Norway’s coalition government.

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Tagged with: Jernbaneverket, Norway, Rail infrastructure, Trude Isaksen

Finnish slab track study for Airport Line

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

During spring 2008, a study of a slab track system for the new Ring Rail Line was conducted in Vantaa, Finland interlinked with the railway planning phase. The study concentrated on the seven kilometre long double tunnel system which would go under the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport area. The main task was to investigate the suitability of a slab track system as an alternative for a traditional ballasted track from the given starting points and in Finnish conditions. It was expected through international experience that slab track would present advantages concerning future maintenance, tunnel safety and also savings in tunnel excavations. The study was made for Finnish Railway Administration by Pöyry Infra Ltd and VR-Track Ltd Railway Consulting department.

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Tagged with: Airport rail, Finland, Finnish Rail Administration (RHK), Markku Nummelin, Marko Nyby, Niko Tunninen, Pöyry Infra Ltd, Track systems, Tunnelling, Tuomo Viitala, VR-Track Ltd

Allegro – the best link between Helsinki and St. Petersburg

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

A high-speed rail service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg will start up next year when Allegro, a Finnish-Russian train, comes into service in the summer of 2010. VR’s goal is to make the Allegro the best link between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The number of passengers is expected to triple within five years.

This high-speed rail link is intended to shorten the journey time between Helsinki and St. Petersburg at first to three and a half hours and later to three hours, down from the current five and a half hours. All border-crossing formalities are being relocated onto the moving trains.

Passenger numbers on the Helsinki- St. Petersburg line are expected to triple within five years of the introduction of the high-speed service.

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Tagged with: Finland, High-speed rail, Rolling stock, Russia, Tapio Simos, VR Ltd

ERTMS: from Malaga to Warsaw and beyond

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

Over the past years, the UIC ERTMS World Conference has evolved into a key event for the ERTMS Community; a fact proven once more by its latest edition which took place in Malaga from 31 March to 2 April 2009.

Providing a platform for suppliers, railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and political institutions alike, the conference gave stakeholders a unique opportunity to express their views on current issues and challenges related to ERTMS.

This years’ conference took place not only at the right place, but also at the right time. Many countries have now been successfully implementing ERTMS, whilst recent statistics show that ERTMS is rapidly becoming a global standard.

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Tagged with: Conferences & events, ERTMS, ETCS, Michael Clausecker, UNIFE

Successful Public Private Partnerships in rail? Yes, we can!

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

At a time when the financial crisis dominates headlines around the world, speaking about increasing investments in rail infrastructure might seem risky or simply not timely. An even more challenging exercise is to speak about the use of public private partnerships (PPPs) in the railway sector, considering that rail PPPs are not widespread so far. However, the real challenge is to argue that rail PPPs are actually a way of riding out the crisis and can improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU.

This ambitious view is shared by the European Commission (the executive arm of the European Union), which is keen for the private sector and private capital to be brought into projects as soon as possible.

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Tagged with: EIM, Michael Robson, Rail infrastructure

The Arlberg Railway – connecting Tyrol and Vorarlberg for 125 years

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

This year, the Arlberg Railway line celebrates its 125th anniversary. It is still very important for ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) and its customers as it is the only railway connection between the two Austrian provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Furthermore it is an imposing and interesting section of the Austrian western railway line between Bregenz, Zürich and Vienna.

Up to 90 trains use the twisting mountain section on peak days – every day approximately 4,000 passengers travel in the long-distance trains whilst enjoying the great view. In the section between Landeck (Tyrol) and Bludenz (Vorarlberg), which is 63km long, trains pass through a total of 14 tunnels and 20 galleries that serve as protection from falling rocks and avalanches. In recent years, ÖBB-Infrastruktur has invested large amounts of money in safety. In 2003, the 2.2km long Blisadona tunnel was built in the direct vicinity of the railway station of Langen – in the Arlberg Railway tunnel (with a length of 10.7km), the largest European road-railway safety project to be implemented at present. In addition, a larger number of railway stations along the line were modernised and equipped with a customer-friendly outfit. The railway line sees an additional landmark at present as the 100-year-old bridge near Landeck is replaced by a new steel arch bridge weighing 1,400 tonnes.

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Tagged with: Austria, ÖBB-Holding AG, Rail infrastructure, Rene Zumtobel, Tunnelling

Important Aylesbury depot work contributes to high-performance and passenger satisfaction

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

Chiltern Railways achieves one of the highest PPM scores among UK rail companies and in the last period they achieved the highest score ever in a four week period. So what does it take to make this railway so reliable? In part, this is due to the work that is carried out by the train maintenance team at Aylesbury Depot.

If you’ve ever been to Aylesbury Station you may have seen the depot in the distance and wondered what happened there. Inside lots of duties are undertaken including routine maintenance, ranging from a simple fuel point check, A up to B exams, heavy maintenance (engine, bogie, wheel set change), tyre turning and air conditioning maintenance.

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Tagged with: Chiltern Railways, Depots, Jenny Crook, Safety, United Kingdom

Rail freight – a bright future

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

2009 is the start of the next five year ‘Control Period’ for which the Office of Rail Regulation has set Network Rail operational and financial targets. It provides the opportunity to influence and comment on plans, efficiencies and general service quality relating to freight, and to any changes to passenger demands that might affect freight as well.

In April, Network Rail published its Business Plan and in particular the commitment to deliver a number of significant freight schemes.

Alongside the schemes already underway, including gauge clearance from Southampton, Network Rail will spend approximately £220 million on schemes to develop the Strategic Freight Network. Such projects include gauge clearing diversionary routes and infill sections, including the East Coast Main Line and the first stage of capacity works on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton corridor. Funds have also been allocated to enable longer trains to operate on key routes.

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Tagged with: Lord Tony Berkeley, Rail freight, Rail Freight Group, United Kingdom

Carrying out dynamic changes to secure future position

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

2008 was a year full of dynamic changes for Czech Railways, and now it is facing yet another period during which the speed and depth of changes will continue with unchanged momentum. Czech Railways can therefore be described, without exaggeration, as a company in the intermediate time of its transformation.

In 2008 new management joined the company. It was the first year of operation of the separate passenger and cargo transport corporations, and the years of further separation of infrastructure and transportation. The Czech Railways has transferred the functions of operator and infrastructure maintenance of the railway tracks to Správa železniční dopravní cesty (Railway Track Management), thus making yet another logical step towards its profiling as a ‘pure’ carrier operating in the ever more liberalised market.

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Tagged with: Aleš Ondruj, Czech Railways (Ceské Dráhy), Czech Republic, Rolling stock

Benchmarking ERTMS implementations

Issue 3 2009 / 15 May 2009 /

The ERTMS Benchmark project was launched in March 2008 by the UIC ERTMS Platform, with the objective of providing UIC members with a methodology and framework for an international economic evaluation and benchmark of ERTMS implementations, based on a life cycle model.

The Platform main objective is strongly focused on the development of managerial and technical strategies to foster a viable migration for ERTMS, compliant with the whole railway sector interests. The interchange of information between its Members and sharing of feedback from the current implementations are ongoing activities that, together with the dissemination of national implementation plans and strategies, form an essential part of each Platform meeting.

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Tagged with: ERTMS, ETCS, GSM-R, Paolo de Cicco, UIC