Features & Analysis – Page 39
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NewsNetwork expansion is in full swing
IRAN: Railway development is continuing apace, the intention being to provide rail connections between all major cities as soon as possible. The ultimate objective is to double the size of the current 8 300 route-km network, reports David Brice.
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NewsCoal Master Plan drives capacity investment
CAPACITY: With expenditure of A$1·3bn in the next financial year, infrastructure manager QR Network is delivering the largest capital investment programme in its history, but planning assessments suggest that much more capacity will be needed to meet projected demand in the next five years.
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NewsA fair market needs regulation
EUROPE: An EU study of progress with railway liberalisation was presented in Brussels on November 7, as part of a process to recast the legislation in the First Railway Package. But the weighting of the responses risks understating the need for further change, warn Monika Heiming and Jan Möllmann.
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NewsGetting ERTMS into service quicker
ITALY: Experience gained from the installation of ERTMS on two high speed lines has enabled infrastructure manager RFI to accelerate the commissioning of the Milano - Bologna line, which will carry its first passengers this month.
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NewsAmbitious vision will alter public perception
ROMANIA: The railway has been praised for the pace of reform in recent years as it has adapted smoothly to a competitive market. In an effort to maintain this momentum, AIF, the country’s railway association, took a pavilion at InnoTrans for the first time. Secretary-General Stefan Roseanu outlined a bright ...
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NewsDrowning in data and seeking a solution
MAINTENANCE: Train-mounted measurement systems and condition monitoring equipment are generating large quantities of data, posing a challenge for railways to collate and interpret the information in a meaningful way. Software which can harness this data more effectively will help to inform infrastructure maintenance decisions.
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NewsDB Netz uses satellites to locate track in three dimensions
GEOMETRY: Satellite surveying enhanced by reference points on the ground is now so accurate that it can be used to define the absolute position of track to± 10 mm accuracy, allowing contractors’ tamping and lining machines to produce track geometry within ±1 mm of optimised calculated values.
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NewsGetting to the point
RENEWALS: Faced with poor asset condition, cramped working conditions and limited access time, Tube Lines has adopted a new strategy for maintaining and upgrading turnouts on three of London Underground’s busiest lines.
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NewsMaking every second count
SWITZERLAND: SBB is focusing on making better use of reserves in train scheduling to add greater robustness to its integrated national timetable. Real-time management of train services to maintain connections and more detailed passenger information provision are at the heart of the ‘Co-Production’ concept.
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NewsKeep the railway affordable
PRICING: Whilst the rail sector was trying not to talk itself into recession, the underlying message from industry leaders at InnoTrans 2008 was the need to keep tight control on costs and prices. Peter Badcock reports from Berlin.
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NewsHurdles ahead in the race to rescue European freight
PARIS: A high-level conference on October 29 sought to assess progress towards a European freight-oriented network, but numerous obstacles lie ahead. Murray Hughes reports.
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NewsNo freight on Perpignan - Figueres?
SNCF’s Director, Freight, Luc Nadal, said on October 29 that the Perpignan – Figueres line now being built by concessionaire TP Ferro was not suitable for freight traffic - despite the fact that it was expressly designed as a mixed-traffic railway. Asked to explain why, Nadal cited three problems. First, ...
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NewsEuro 2012 deadline catalyses network upgrade
POLAND: The unexpected decision to name Poland as co- host of the UEFA European football championship in 2012 has focused attention on ensuring passenger services are able to meet the anticipated demand. A raft of improvements to inter-regional lines and major stations is now underway, as Ryszard Piech explains.
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NewsSlovenian Railways at the crossroads
SLOVENIA: Strategically placed at the intersection of two key international corridors, Slovenian Railways is well placed to act as a hub linking east and west, but it must face up to emerging competition in the lucrative freight market. Chris Jackson asked SZ Director-General Tomaz Schara about the challenges and opportunities ...
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NewsAmbitious upgrading plans take shape
SLOVENIA: Up to €9bn will be spent over the next 15 years to upgrade Slovenia's trunk rail corridors, under a programme being developed by the Ministry of Transport.
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NewsExploiting synergies in the wheelset market
EUROPE: The takeover of Valdunes by GHH Radsatz International this year has reshaped the competitive global market for wheels and axles, reports Dr Harry Hondius.
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NewsEurostar settles into its green depot
UK: Having successfully moved its maintenance facility across London ahead of the start of services on High Speed 1 last year, Eurostar is now working to ensure its Engineering Centre Temple Mills is an environmentally-responsible member of the local community. Nick Kingsley reports.
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NewsPoland prepares to take the high speed plunge
POLAND: An invitation to bid for a high speed line feasibility study is due to be issued by the end of the year, kicking off a process that could see a Y–shaped route enter service in 2019.
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News'We are very modest'
CZECH REPUBLIC: Meeting the requirements of EU legislation whilst continuing to develop passenger and freight operations across the Czech Republic is a tough task. Nick Kingsley met Vojtech Kocourek, Minister with responsibility for railways, in Praha to discuss railway restructuring, the future of regional lines and relations with Brussels.
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NewsThings are going to get better
SUSTAINABILITY: The world is starting to understand the challenge of climate change, and the public transport sector is demonstrating that it can help to change people's perceptions about the impact of their mobility choices, believes Heather Allen.