Features & Analysis – Page 15
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Rail Business UKViewpoint: Passenger experience must be protected if ticket offices close
If the proposed closure of station ticket offices in England is not purely about cost-cutting, then carefully considered customer-centric interventions will be needed to make it work, argues David Watts, Managing Director of human-centred design agency Mima.
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In depthInternational expertise sought to support Poland’s CPK rail programme
With the first construction contracts to be let shortly and orders for more than 100 high speed trains to follow, Marcin Horała, Secretary of State at Poland’s Ministry of Infrastructure, explains how international expertise will be needed to support the CPK programme.
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In depthIreland: Building confidence to secure a positive future
After five years as Chief Executive of Iarnród Eireann, Jim Meade sees bright prospects for Ireland’s national railway. Passengers are returning after the coronavirus pandemic, and the government has identified a valuable role for rail in its move to a more sustainable transport mix, he tells Tony Miles.
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In depthTrain Control: Say goodbye to lineside hardware with satellites and digital comms
A marriage of satellite communications with fully digital train control could eliminate lineside signals and related equipment, achieving huge savings and making the rail mode more affordable. Preliminary trials are already in progress.
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In depthPoland: Making the strategic case for the CPK rail programme
The Centralny Port Komunikacyjny transport investment programme will improve connectivity in Poland and beyond, Marcin Horała, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure, tells Railway Gazette International.
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In depthSpace Technology: European aerospace bodies see rail opportunities
European aerospace organisations ESA and EUSPA are developing dedicated initiatives aimed at facilitating the use of satellite technology in rail applications, with ERTMS a particular focus. Nick Kingsley reports.
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In depthIndia: Vande Bharat fleet can take on the airlines
A high tax burden and challenging macroeconomic conditions mean that India’s domestic aviation market has not seen the boom expected a decade ago. Indian Railways‘ investment in a new generation of premium inter-city trains can help rail to seize the advantage, as Chitresh Shrivastva* explains.
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In depthFreight: Getting more cars on the rails
The introduction of new wagon types and schemes to encourage private investment are helping to increase IR’s share of the movement of finished vehicles for India’s growing automotive sector. Raghu Dayal investigates.
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In depthIndia: Mission 100% nears completion
The energisation of more than 6 500 route-km in the 2022-23 financial year has brought the electrified proportion of Indian Railways’ broad gauge network to over 90%, with the remainder on course to be wired during 2023-24.
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In depthSouth Asia: Rail wins market share in cross-border trade
Shipment of cargo by rail across the India-Bangladesh border has more than doubled since 2019-20.
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In depthIndia: Kashmir link nears completion
The long-planned railway connection to Kashmir is on course to open throughout by the end of this year, after 30 years of mixed progress which has seen the estimated cost spiral to almost Rs400bn. Raghu Dayal reports.
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Urban In DepthComment: Bright light in Barcelona
The UITP summit in Barcelona emphasised the importance of public transport in supporting cities, the economy and the planet, while addressing the challenges of climate change and post-covid travel patterns. Chris Jackson reflects on the conference as a platform for collaboration to secure the future of public transport.
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In depthTechnology: Putting rail at the heart of digital mobility
Rail and metro can be at the heart of a truly intermodal digital mobility landscape that can decongest cities worldwide, but more ambition and political intervention is needed to make this vision a reality.
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In depthVietnam: Urban links close to completion in two cities
Despite rapid strides being made by the Vietnamese economy, construction of urban rail links and metro lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has been delayed far beyond the original completion dates. Peter Janssen reports.
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In depthFrance: Making the switch to digital tickets in Ile-de-France
Public transport in the Ile-de-France area is switching to digital ticketing, reports Jérémie Anne.
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In depthUzbekistan: UTY strengthens its role as a regional hub
Sitting astride the Eurasian landbridge corridors, Uzbekistan has been steadily modernising its ex-Soviet rail network to handle growing volumes of freight and faster passenger trains. Further expansion is now in prospect, as Vladimir Waldin explains.
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In depthInterview: Creating a sustainable global player
Giuseppe Marino rejoined Hitachi Rail as Group CEO at the start of April. In his first interview with the railway trade press, he reflects on the company’s strategic challenges in the evolving rail market and outlines his priorities to Nick Kingsley.
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In depthComment: Member states hold key to a Single European Railway Area
The European Commission has bold plans to create a Single European Railway Area, but these ambitious aims remain firmly dependent on cooperation from member states across the Eurozone, suggests our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
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In depthHigh Speed: The Chinese network is still expanding
More sections of China’s rapidly growing high speed network are due to open this year. Toma Bačić reports.
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Metro Report InternationalAutomation: Seizing the opportunities for metro modernisation
An increasing trend towards the automation and digitalisation of metro networks will be a focus for discussion at the forthcoming UITP Global Public Transport Summit, being held in Barcelona on June 4-7 under the theme ‘Bright Light of the City’.