Feature articles in the January 2014 issue of Railway Gazette International

'The Fourth Railway Package is our top priority'
Accelerating the Technical Pillar of the EU’s Fourth Railway Package is central to putting the rail sector onto a path to meet the objectives of the 2011 Transport White Paper, says CER Executive Director Libor Lochman
The long march to interoperability
The roll-out of ERTMS on all core corridors has been identified as a key priority in the revised Trans-European Networks programme, but much remains to be done to achieve a stable specification and genuine interoperability

Japan studies condition-based maintenance
JR East’s ‘smart maintenance’ concept envisages a switch from time-based interventions to a condition-based maintenance regime based on continuous monitoring of track condition using trains in revenue service
Metallurgical advances in rail steels Driven by developments in industrial production capability, hypereutectoid and bainitic steels represent the latest evolution in high performance rails, reports Dr Albert Jörg of Voestalpine

Anti-climb wheelsets
Experiments featuring a microscopic rib located towards the outside of a wheel tread have demonstrated a reduction in lateral forces when a train is negotiating a curve
Thameslink bogies start rolling out
Lighter weight and better curving performance are the key attributes of the SF 7000 bogies developed by Siemens for the Desiro City EMUs which will operate Thameslink services through the heart of London

Taking railways into the hinterland
Ridership is already flourishing on a new main line built to link Nanchang with Fuzhou and Putian in southeast China, opening up a mountainous region previously inaccessible by rail
Electrification to follow route realignment
Taiwan’s 166 km east coast railway between Hualien and Taitung has been extensively rebuilt, and electric trains are to be introduced over the course of this year
Looking to the future with more optimism
International funding has secured the future of the rail network in Montenegro, and reform has been taken further than in other Western Balkan countries

We asked a panel of senior executives what steps are needed to improve the accessibility to Asian rail markets for international suppliers

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