All In depth articles – Page 14
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In depth
Australia: ARA targets modal shift
The Australasian Railway Association has launched a new strategy that it hopes will bring a greater share of Australia’s expanding freight market on to the country’s railway network.
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In depth
Smart maintenance: Locomotives find a new lease of life
The delicate economics of rail freight and rapidly changing regulatory conditions have seen the emergence of a healthy market across a swathe of eastern Europe focused on the overhaul, modernisation and life-extension of Soviet-era locomotives. Vladimir Waldin provides an overview.
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In depth
Europe: Harmonising rail capacity strategies
Development of a single European railway area is being hampered by nationally led approaches to the development of route utilisation strategies. Now a pan-European programme is underway to harmonise the planning and management of network capacity.
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In depth
Smart Maintenance: Digital depot takes shape
Due to accept its first trains in December, a depot now under construction near Augsburg is where TMH International will initially maintain two EMU fleets for operator Go-Ahead Bayern. Managing Director for Germany Klaus Hock explains the vision to Nick Kingsley.
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New Zealand: Funding boost drives rail revitalisation
Climate change concerns and a desire to encourage modal shift have unlocked government funding for rail, enabling KiwiRail to address a legacy of under-investment and build a stronger future.
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Comment: Automated reality
Automation of main line trains is slowly becoming a commercial reality, having been long established in the urban rail sector. However, mass adoption of driverless technology on mixed traffic railways still seems a long way off, with interim technology such as C-DAS offering many benefits in the meantime.
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In depth
Germany: Regional rail model called into question
Problems at Keolis and Abellio suggest that Germany’s long-standing model for contracting out the operation of regional and local rail services may no longer be fit for purpose. Murray Hughes investigates.
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In depth
India: Railway university bears fruit
Although developed by Indian Railways, the National Rail & Transportation Institute is intended to provide a university-level education and research facility for the country’s wider transport sector. Raghu Dayal explains.
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In depth
Europe: Mont Cenis base tunnel takes shape
The award of civil works contracts earlier this summer to build the 57 km base tunnel across the Franco-Italian border has given new impetus to plans to complete a high-capacity corridor between Lyon and Torino. Toma Bačić reports.
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Finland: a positive shock in the far north
As the Finnish rail market opens further to competition, national railway VR Group remains committed to growing its passenger and freight business despite the impact of the pandemic as its Senior Vice-President for Strategy & Corporate Development Ilkka Heiskanen explains to Nick Kingsley.
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In depth
Denmark: Getting the passengers back
With a substantial investment strategy in place and negotiations for a new operating contract underway, Denmark’s state passenger operator is positioning itself to drive modal shift in a post-Covid recovery, DSB Chief Executive Flemming Jensen tells Chris Jackson.
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In depth
Track Technology: On track to a greener future
Looking to reduce the environmental impact of railway infrastructure, Pandrol has been working to develop more sustainable track components, manufacturing processes and maintenance techniques.
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Track Technology: Mobile milling saves rail replacement
A compact milling machine can be used for quick interventions to remove rail defects before the damage becomes too severe.
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In depth
Track Technology: Designing slab track for a 360 km/h railway
A version of the Porr modular slab track laid on sections of the Berlin – München high speed line has been chosen for the initial phases of the UK’s HS2 project between London, Birmingham and Crewe.
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In depth
Comment: Look forward not back
As the Connecting Europe Express completes its tour of the continent in Paris on October 7, the rail industry must use the momentum generated by the EU’s Year of Rail to develop a competitive sector which is able to attract a new generation of users and staff, argues our Editor-in-Chief Chris Jackson.
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In depth
Freight: Medway takes on the trucks
Portuguese rail freight operator Medway was launched five years ago when MSC acquired the incumbent CP Carga. President Carlos Vasconcelos explains to Andre Pires that electrification, longer trains and a focus on intermodal traffic are key to future Iberian rail freight growth.
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In depth
Comment: Climate goals to trump profits
What does the future hold for Germany’s railways and for incumbent national railway holding group Deutsche Bahn in particular? Rail policy will be a critical item on the agenda of the next government, but significant challenges remain if ambitious targets for rail growth are to be met, argues our Consultant Editor Murray Hughes.
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In depth
North America: UP targets Texas markets
A relative latecomer to the region, Union Pacific is now the largest rail operator serving the Lone Star state, and is continuing to invest in capacity expansion to serve a rapidly changing industrial mix, as Dave Lustig explains.
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In depth
Freight: An intermodal gateway emerges in northeast Europe
Connected since July to the Polish border by a standard gauge link, the Kaunas Intermodal Terminal in Lithuania is set to become a strategic hub for the Baltic States as part of the wider Rail Baltica programme.
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In depth
Freight: CargoFlex enters the digital era
Fitted to intermodal trains in Switzerland, Voith’s CargoFlex autocoupler builds on experience in the passenger sector, and is now being upgraded with a full digital capability.