Issue 5 2006

Botniabanan – a Swedish pioneer project

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

The goal of the Bothnia line in northern Sweden is to create a railway of national importance and which will be an integrated part of the European railway network. After seven years of construction, the project has reached the halfway point and could one day form the first phase of a new line all the way to Finland.

The existing trunk line section in the region is more than 100 years old and was, for defense reasons (i.e. the Russian bear threat), located approximately 40km off the coast. The old line has become unattractive for passenger traffic and is today used as a heavy load freight line. It has now reached it’s capacity limit, and as such become gradually less competitive. The curves and slopes of the old line prevent access of fast heavy freight trains.

The Bothnia line will enhance the efficiency of the whole transportation system to and from the northern half of Sweden for freight traffic, contribute to regional cooperation and balance through the introduction of passenger traffic in the densely populated coastal areas and bring environmental benefits by transferring transport work from road traffic. In the future, the project also opens up possibilities for transport exchange with western Russia. (more…)

Tagged with: Botniabanan AB, ERTMS, Lennart Westberg, Rail infrastructure, Sweden

A Swedish sustainable society

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

The Citytunnel in Malmö is an extensive project. To construct 17km of twin-track railway, 6km of which lie beneath central Malmö, more than 400,000m3 of concrete will be required.

But the Citytunnel is not just one of Sweden’s largest ever infrastructure projects. It is also a pioneering project in terms of dealing with the environment as well as in terms of the relationship between client and contractors.

On 8 March last year, Sweden’s Prime Minister, Göran Persson, pushed the button that marked the start of construction of the Citytunnel. Now, more than a year and a half later, work at several sites has gone 25m down into Malmö’s limestone and casting of the permanent structures, such as stations, cut-and-cover tunnels, and bridges has progressed. But a massive challenge remains – to bore the two parallel tunnels under central Malmö.

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Tagged with: Henrik Christensen, Sweden, The Citytunnel Project, Tunnelling

SJ wins traffic from air and road

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

Sweden’s state railway has won market share from airlines and buses. But it is not resting on its laurels, SJ Chief Executive Jan Forsberg told European Railway Review in an interview.

Running passenger railways in Sweden is not an easy business. With a population of just nine million and some very difficult topography, parts of this country are far from ideal for railways. Aircraft can fly over the difficult terrain, and there is stiff competition from luxury express coaches and cars on the roads. And yet SJ (Swedish State Railways) has managed to win business from these rival modes in recent years. Traffic volumes in the inter-city rail sector were up 12% in the first six months of 2006, an impressive turnaround considering that four years ago SJ was close to bankruptcy.

How has this trick been pulled off? ‘We have refurbished our inter-city trains and improved the services on board; we have enhanced the marketing of the services and improved the punctuality’ explains Jan Forsberg, SJ’s Chief Executive.

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Tagged with: James Abbott, Jan Forsberg, SJ

Level crossings – OLA model cooperation

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

Covering 440,000km2, Sweden is a relatively large country – approximately the size and shape of California. However, the population is only nine million, which means a density of 20 persons per km2. Approximately 90% of the population lives in the southern third of the country.

Sweden is located on the same latitude as Alaska and has a cold climate. It does, however, have four seasons since it is tempered by the warm Gulf Stream running through the North Atlantic Ocean. The northern part of the country is located above the Arctic Circle. A large proportion of the country is covered by coniferous forest. (more…)

Tagged with: Banverket, Level crossings, Olle Mornell, Safety, Sweden

The Figueras-Perpignan High-Speed Line

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

Historically, the Pyrenees have acted as a natural barrier for the communications between France and Spain, concentrating them at both extremes of the mountain range, through the coastal plains. The increasing cross-border traffic flow has produced consequent traffic congestion.

In 1992, the governments of France and Spain started detailed discussions in order to create a competitive rail link connection between both countries. Encouraged by the projected growth in traffic the governments signed an accord (‘The Madrid Agreement’) on 10 October 1995, with the intention of developing a double tracked, standard gauge, High-Speed Link through the Pyrenees linking Perpignan (France) with Figueras (Spain).

The rail link known as the ‘International Section’ will cover a distance of approximately 44.4km, including the 8.2km double-bore Perthus tunnel through the Pyrenees. The link forms and will became part of the ‘Ligne à Grande Vitesse sud-Européenne’, which features in the list of priority projects adopted by the European Council at the Essen and Corfu summits. The new high-speed line will be constructed under the European standard gauge, with twin tracks that will carry passengers and freight.

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Tagged with: France, High-speed rail, Ramon Conde, Spain, TP Ferro

Italy’s rolling stock commitment continues

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

Trenitalia, the transportation company of the Ferrovie dello Stato (State Railways) Group, has been pursuing ambitious investment programmes for a number of years now, with the dual goal of modernising its fleet while guaranteeing its passengers increasingly elevated standards of comfort and safety.

In 2005 alone, the group spent 1 billion, 100 million Euro to modernise its fleet, placing in operation 39 new poly-voltage ETR 500 locomotives, 41 new E464 locomotives, 25 Vivalto cars and 91 Minuetto trains. And, starting from December of this year, an additional 12 new commuter trains shall be available.

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Tagged with: Emilio Maestrini, Italy, Rolling stock, Trenitalia

Modern bogie solutions

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

The bogies of railway vehicles have become a high-tech component nowadays. At Siemens, they are developed and manufactured for the whole company in a World Centre of Competence for bogies (CoC) in Graz/Austria, where the most modern technical methods are used in development and production.

With totally new bogie concepts and a system for onboard-condition maintenance (as opposed to widely practiced mileage-based maintenance) Siemens is positioning itself in the vanguard of technical development.

The requirements placed on the bogies of railway vehicles have changed tremendously in the past 10 years. Originally, bogies represented a design and production technology which, from today’s perspective, is considered to be outdated.

Service-proven types were constantly improved on the basis of field experience and new knowledge. Then they were manufactured in a more or less manual process. The necessary mechanical safety of the bogies was essentially guaranteed by oversizing and their operational reliability by fixed inspection intervals.

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Tagged with: Bogies, Hans Hödl, Siemens Transportation Systems

The EURO 4000: powerful, flexible and efficient

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

What is currently Europe’s most powerful diesel-electric locomotive is being presented by Vossloh Transportation Systems for the first time at InnoTrans 2006. Built by Valencia-based Vossloh España, the EURO 4000 is powered by a 16-cylinder two-stroke 3,178-kW engine from Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. (EMD), USA.

Flexibility, power and efficiency – these are the criteria to which the new locomotive has been engineered. Available in options for passenger or goods haulage, the EURO 4000 will operate on both national and international routes since it modifies to match all European signal systems. It is also fully fitted with the European Train Control System (ETCS). The associated homologation work will soon be completed. It is precisely this European cross-border traffic that is to become the main field of application for the EURO 4000, enabling rail operators to exploit electrified and non-electrified routes without having to change locomotives. (more…)

Tagged with: Ricardo Albelda, Rolling stock, Spain, Vossloh España

Investment in track monitoring increases

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

Keeping on top of the condition of your track can pay dividends in terms of improved ride and reduced maintenance bills. Modern monitoring equipment allows engineers to plan predictive maintenance.

Europe’s railways are stepping up spending on track testing and monitoring. Traditionally, track maintenance has been reactive: in this case, track is tamped and restored to good condition after quality has started to slip. The aim is to move to a proactive position, where engineers are intimately aware of track condition through continual testing and are able to maintain quality before it starts to slip.

The approach was pioneered in Japan, where the famous ‘Dr Yellow’ inspection trains travel the Shinkansen high-speed lines every night assessing infrastructure condition. The Japanese are proud that in four decades of operation no passenger has lost a life on the Shinkansen network – and perpetual good track quality has had a role to play in this enviable record.

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Tagged with: James Abbott, Track maintenance & engineering

New perspectives for the South Eastern Region

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

It is widely known that the railway sector in South Eastern Europe has to handle a lot of challenges since the break-up of former Yugoslavia. Not only do government bodies and railways in the region have to face and accept them, but also their counterparts in the neighbouring countries have to be attentive and are requested to take part in the processing of these challenges. Therefore, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Betrieb AG, as part of the ÖBB Group, plays an active role in the South East European region.

All over Europe, well operated rail corridors become more and more important for rail infrastructure managers as well as railway undertakings. In other words, rail corridors are going to be substantial lifelines for railway business. (more…)

Tagged with: Harald Hotz, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Betrieb AG, Rail infrastructure, Rolling stock, Slovenian Railways

Sustainable rail engineering

Issue 5 2006 / 15 September 2006 /

Today’s relentless pace of change is driving an ever growing demand for fast, safe and reliable travel. But resources are shrinking. Mike Jenkins, PB’s Director of Rail, explains why the world is turning to rail as the key element in an integrated transport solution.

As Chief Engineer of the original New York City subway, PB founder William Barclay Parsons helped launch the city’s subway system more than a century ago. Determined to bring to New York the best of subway design, General Parsons toured the European capitals in which rapid transit was either a reality or a proposal, returning with the belief in the desirability of electric traction rather than steam, a popular option at the time. He provided the city with the beginning of a transit system around which it could grow and thrive.

One hundred years later, PB continues to advance his vision, bringing together land use planning and urban development skills, and linking them with the company’s core business of transportation engineering to make communities better places to live, work and play.

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Tagged with: Mike Jenkins, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Rail infrastructure, United Kingdom