Features & Analysis – Page 7
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In depthAlgeria: Urban projects back on track
Flush with higher revenues from oil and natural gas exports, Algeria has restarted extensions to the capital city’s metro and is unfreezing tram projects that had been put on ice. Christian Scasso reports.
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In depthSweden: Investment volte-face exposes fragility of EU rail vision
The decision last December by the incoming Swedish government to scale back radically the national high speed rail programme and remove the routes from the pan-European TEN-T network has raised profound questions about the country’s commitment to EU rail ambitions, as Nick Kingsley explains.
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In depthEuropean Policy: Making the case for cross-border rail
As part of the vision for a Single European Railway Area, a coalition of member states and European institutions is pushing to revitalise and expand cross-border passenger services as a key element in driving modal shift to rail and decarbonising the EU transport sector. Chris Jackson investigates.
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In depthWorld Speed Survey 2023: China retains the lead in post-pandemic recovery
After the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the world’s high speed railway services have returned to a more normal operating pattern, although many of the best timings have been eased slightly, finds Jeremy Hartill.
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In depthComment: Greek train crash highlights a tragic system failure
A horrific head-on collision at Evangelismos on the Athens – Thessaloniki main line raises many questions about investment in railway safety and the human factors implications facing front-line employees.
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In depthEgypt: Building a Suez Canal on rails
Siemens Mobility is playing a vital part in construction of a 2 000 km high speed network in Egypt. Siemens Mobility’s CEO for Turnkey, Middle East & Africa Léon Soulier outlines the company’s role, its partnerships, and the impact of this huge investment.
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In depthMorocco: High speed lines spearhead ONCF’s development programme
Christian Scasso assesses proposals to expand the Moroccan national network, including a further 1 300 km of high speed line.
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In depthHigh Speed: Keeping track of new line costs
Bane Nor and Civity have conducted econometric research into the factors influencing how far high speed rail project costs can be kept under control, with a view to learning lessons for future major rail schemes in Norway and elsewhere.
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In depthPoland: Airport scheme catalyses high speed network plan
Government plans to build a central airport and make it the hub of a revamped passenger network for Poland will require the construction of 1 981 km of new lines, almost half of which will be dedicated high speed corridors. Work on the Warszawa – Łódź route is due to start next year. Benjámin Zelki reports.
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In depthComment: Money alone is not enough
The Indian government is pouring money into rail investment in record quantities, but cash alone will not be enough to ensure that policymakers’ ambitious aims for railway development are achieved.
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In depthHigh Speed: The right speed for our planet
More than 1 500 delegates and exhibitors from around the world will be converging on Marrakech this week for the 11th UIC World Congress on High Speed Rail.
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In depthTechnology: Expanding the scope of condition monitoring tools
Swedish company Railway Metrics & Dynamics has developed a low-power monitoring unit initially aimed at addressing rolling stock faults such as wheel flats. Now, as CEO Jan Lindqvist explains, the company is exploring how infrastructure can be monitored more effectively as well.
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In depthUSA: Hurricane-resistant workshop inaugurated
A ‘storm-resilient’ depot has opened to serve New York City Transit’s Staten Island Railway.
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In depthFleet Management: DB invests to keep ICE fleet in trim
By 2030 Deutsche Bahn plans to spend around €2bn on new and expanded maintenance workshops to keep pace with its steadily expanding fleet of ICE trainsets. Murray Hughes investigates.
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In depthFrance: Developing concepts to revive rural lines
France’s policy of abandoning rural lines has been halted and the stage is set for a revival of lightly used or closed routes. Driven partly by efforts to decarbonise the economy, several low-cost operating and maintenance concepts are being developed with state support, reports Reinhard Christeller.
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In depthFrance: Start-ups energise the passenger market
Open access passenger operators have so far had limited success in penetrating the French market, but a medley of ambitious entrepreneurs is now tackling the task. Jérémie Anne reports.
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In depthComment: Stations really matter
The opening on January 25 of Long Island Rail Road’s deep-level hub at Grand Central Madison in New York encapsulates the challenges facing station developers, who must balance urban regeneration objectives with operational improvements to rail services. This is no simple task, argues our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
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In depthPortugal: National plan to boost rail’s market share
Ambitious plans to connect Portugal’s 10 largest cities by high speed rail form the centrepiece of a comprehensive railway development package unveiled by the Portuguese government late last year. To be completed by 2050, the plan also envisages new suburban corridors and a third bridge over the River Tagus. André Pires reports.
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In depthEurope: Authorising modifications — time to learn from experience
Practical experience suggests that changes to the vehicle authorisation process introduced in the EU’s Fourth Railway Package have clarified the requirements covering the approval of modifications to existing rolling stock deployed in more than one country.
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In depthSoutheast Asia: Rising costs force ASEAN nations to redefine Belt & Road projects
Ballooning costs and imprecise contract terms have led to significant changes to major projects and in some cases to renegotiation of terms. Toma Bačić investigates schemes in three ASEAN countries.