Environment - Articles and news items

SJ is back on track

Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 26 September 2007 /

From the threat of bankruptcy to the position of a profitable travel company in just a few years, SJ is now crowning themselves as the most efficient and profitable train company in Europe. But with Sweden’s old rail infrastructure still in use means that SJ is struggling to keep up with the European standard of high-speed trains. Nevertheless, the increase of passenger numbers shows that the Swedish people have made a conscious choice for the environment. In an interview for the European Railway Review Claes Broström, Vice President of Fleet Management at SJ explains past, present and future investments.

Only a few years ago, SJ was in a deep financial crisis. Since then, the government owned passenger train operator, a former Government enterprise agency, has managed to turn around the results with the aid of hard cutbacks and a comprehensive change in its programme. Today, an average of 100,000 journeys are made with SJ every day from 200 locations nationwide, and SJ has 90% of the market for train journeys exceeding 100 kilometres. (more…)

Portuguese high-speed network is fast approaching

Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 26 September 2007 /

RAVE is a company that develops and co-ordinates the projects and studies that are necessary to facilitate decision-making in the context of planning, constructing, financing and operating a high-speed rail network that is to be established in continental Portugal along with its planned connections to the high-speed railway network in Spain.

RAVE was founded in 2000 with a corporate capital of €2,500,000, which was wholly subscribed by its two shareholders, the Portuguese State and REFER – the Portuguese national railway system.

In addition to its activities in Portugal, in partnership with ADIF – a Spanish Railway Infrastructure Management company, RAVE is a 50% shareholder in AVEP – Alta Velocidade Espanha-Portugal [High Speed Spain-Portugal], a European economic interest grouping created in order to study rail links between the two countries. AVEP is responsible for co-ordinating market research studies and defining routes and other technical aspects of the trans-crossing sections of this railway system, and also co-ordinates applications and procedures for obtaining EU funding for the project. (more…)

Norway’s fastest growing region invests in rail

Issue 3 2007, Past issues / 6 June 2007 /

Stavanger, on the west coast of Norway, is the country’s oil capital. The city and the surrounding Jæren region have consistently enjoyed the fastest population growth in Norway since the oil boom started in the early 1970s. The Jæren line from Egersund to Stavanger is a continuation of the Sørland line linking Oslo with the south of the country. Extensive modernisation of the rail system in Jæren is now under way, with well over NOK 2bn due to be invested over the next few years.

After many years of stagnation in local services, a new timetable offering many more departures was introduced in 1992. This was well received by the market, and traffic has increased fourfold from 1992 to date. The current single-track line is now operating at full capacity, making further increases in traffic impossible. Construction of a double-track line between Sandnes and Stavanger is therefore under way and scheduled for completion in 2010. In future, the line will be the region’s main public transport artery. Double-tracking will facilitate a doubling of the number of trains between Bryne and Stavanger. (more…)

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to receive railway link

Issue 3 2007, Past issues / 6 June 2007 /

The planning of Finland’s first airport line is well under way and construction is scheduled to begin in 2008 on the outskirts of Helsinki. A working group has recommended that the line will be constructed with normal state budget funds. The project is expected to cost approximately €420 million (at the May 2006 cost level).

The 18km line in Vantaa will offer a rail link to the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, plus making it possible to build new residential areas and workplaces along good traffic connections.

The airport line, which in the master plan stage was called the Marja Line, has been renamed the Ring Rail Line, since it will run between the main line to the north and the Martinlaakso commuter line via the airport. The Ring Rail Line will form an urban rail loop that will make it possible to use commuter trains more efficiently. Plans call for services to operate at 10-minute intervals in both directions on the new line. The fastest journey time from the centre of Helsinki to the airport will be approximately half an hour. (more…)

Understanding the Norwegian challenges with climate change

Issue 3 2007, Past issues / 6 June 2007 /

In an interview for the European Railway Review, Mr. Trond Børsting, a Civil Engineer in Construction at the Norwegian Technical School of Civil Engineering, explains that Jernbaneverket (the Norwegian National Rail Administration) will be placed under greater strain because the future is likely to bring increased precipitation which has forced them to conduct an extensive inventory of areas prone to landslides. Jernbaneverket is also working closely with the Norwegian Meteorological Institute to establish additional weather stations which will provide more reliable forecasts.

In recent years, Norwegian railways have suffered a number of bad landslides and derailments. Fortunately no lives were lost in these accidents, but they provided a reminder of how vulnerable the railway can be at the mercy of nature. It is impossible to guarantee that accidents will never happen, but Jernbaneverket is now devoting more resources to obtaining a better knowledge of ground conditions, landslide-prone areas and the consequences of increased precipitation. (more…)