The INNOTRACK project (Innovative Track systems), launched in 2006, was a joint response by the major stakeholders in the rail sector – infrastructure managers (IMs), railway supply industry and research bodies – to further develop a cost-effective, high-performance track infrastructure by providing innovative solutions towards the significant reduction of both investment and maintenance related to infrastructure costs. UIC acted as a coordinator for this European project, divided into six related sub-projects.

Recently the railways have been facing new demands. Higher speeds and higher axle loads (often in combination), higher availability, fewer disturbances and reduced LCC are examples of the most predictable demands. At the same time, environmental demands and safety requirements must be fulfilled. Most railways also have many bottlenecks, at which the margin for disturbances is very slight. Thus the importance of railways will increase in the future if these emerging demands can be met.

The results of the INNOTRACK project will help the railways tackle these issues in the important area of track and substructure. This part represents 50 – 60% of the maintenance and renewal costs of a typical railway, which means that INNOTRACK’s output has a significant impact on the railways’ overall cost reduction. All these demands and challenges correspond to specific realities in everyday railway operations.

The output of INNOTRACK is like a toolbox with many innovative solutions. Some of these are defined as “highlights”. There are very technically oriented ones, while others are of a more general nature. INNOTRACK has shown for the first time that European track-related cost drivers and their root causes in the areas of substructure, track and switches & crossings are an international issue. Several implementation projects have therefore been proposed by UIC, since international cooperation is considered the most efficient way to address such issues.

141 technical deliverables constitute the complete results of the INNOTRACK project. To improve implementation, 16 deliverable guidelines have been produced. They focus on conclusions and practical applications so the results will be easier to implement. Clarity and straightforwardness are key concepts to this end. Of the deliverables there are also seven databases. Five of these are to be maintained by UIC.

The Concluding Technical Report is the “key” to achieving INNOTRACK’s results. To further promote dissemination and implementation, several activities were proposed at the last INNOTRACK Steering Committee meeting and carried out by UIC. Five training courses focusing on assisting the implementation of the project results have been proposed concerning:

• Minimum action rules and maintenance limits, on 19 and 20 October 2010 in Gothenburg (registration is available on the UIC website)
• Sub-grade improvements, on 15 and 16 February 2011 in Paris
• Recommendations on switches & crossings, pending
• Rail grade selection, pending
• Life cycle cost (LCC) calculations, pending

All public reports beyond 110 are now available at www.innotrack.eu

Protectrail is an integration project selected by the European Commission as part of the call for proposals under the 7th framework programme for research and development, addressing topic SEC-2009-2.2-01: “Integrated protection of rail transportation.” UIC has invested in this project to ensure the technology needs of UIC member railways are properly taken into account.

The kick off meeting will take place at UIC HQ on 6 October 2010 with the representatives of 29 partners from 12 different countries.

The project is led by Ansaldo STS Spa for a duration of 42 months and at a total cost of 21 million €. Six railways companies are involved in the consortium and act as end-users: LG (Lithuania), PKP PLK SA (Poland), RCA (Austria), SNCF (France), TCDD (Turkey) and ZSSK (Slovakia). The UIC Security Division is leading the dissemination subproject. The objective for us is to guarantee that the project results will satisfy user needs and fulfil railway requirements, and in particular that proposed solutions are feasible for implementation from an economical, organisational and operational perspective.

The objective of the project is to provide a viable, integrated set of railway security solutions by considering:

• The extent of the assets involved,
• The nature of the possible threats,
• The amount of technical requirements and operational constraints.

The main scientific and technological results expected from the project are as follows:

• Develop an exhaustive, common vision of current and future risks regarding many different assets, and examine and assess aspects pertaining to disparities,
• Implement asset-oriented integrated solutions (sub-mission level) based on mature technologies,
• Integrate the asset-oriented solutions and demonstrate a global architecture, including modularity and interoperability,
• Derive from these results a future design for homogeneous security.

The development of high speed railways around the world is characterised by two important trends. On the one hand, high speed is undergoing major expansion all over the world, both in terms of the construction of new lines and the development of new industrial products and technological achievements, etc. On the other hand, globalisation (information, production and marketing) of everything relating to transport, industry, business and knowledge, is leaving its mark on the relationship between countries and presenting us all with a real challenge.

Within this context, high speed rail, like any other rail system, has always required a complete and detailed set of standards not only regarding technical and operational aspects but also commercial, environmental, safety, security and legal matters, etc.

The required standards have traditionally been developed at national level (or even within each railway) but more recently, due to the emergence of continental and transcontinental networks and given the global dimension of many of the components of any rail system, it has become necessary to adopt a set of common standards, procedures and rules, etc.

The many different bodies at global level (authorities, associations, etc.) have produced a long list of documents (mandatory or recommended) to be taken into account, for both existing and recently implemented railway systems.

The European Railway Agency and the International Union of Railways have proposed a joint discussion session focusing on the creation of a global framework for technical and operational standards for high speed rail systems, with the aim of explaining, outlining and clarifying the status and the purpose of the different levels of railway regulatory texts.

This event, taking the form of an educational workshop on high speed rail standards, will be held at UIC HQ. in Paris on 15 October 2010, and is expected to be attended by the different players involved in the design, development, approval and application of various rail standards and regulations.

The workshop should also serve as an opportunity for participants to reflect on how the entire process can be improved and identify the main areas and priorities.

Objectives

The main points of the programme will be as follows:

• Need for and objectives of the railway standards
• Different levels of responsibility and commitment
• Type and level of standard: technical (infrastructure, rolling stock, operations, etc.), commercial, legal, industrial, etc.
• Players involved in the railway standardisation process: design, development, approval and application
• The future of international (European, global) railway standards

Who is expected to attend the workshop?

The workshop will be attended by technical authorities, experts, and those who develop and use standards from:

• Railway companies
• Railway authorities
• International associations and bodies
• Supply industry
• Universities
• Research centres
• Notified bodies
• Consultants

The workshop will be held in English and the fee is 150 €.

The UIC World Congress on High Speed Rail to be held in Beijing from 7 – 9 December 2010 is being organised in close cooperation between the Chinese Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS), Ministry of Railways (MOR) and the International Union of Railways (UIC), with the Chinese Academy of Railway Sciences handling all logistical aspects.

The event, which is being held outside Europe for the first time, is expected to attract several thousand participants from around the world. For the past 8 months, the Scientific and Organisation Committees comprising representatives from UIC, MOR and CARS have been meeting to prepare the development and content of the event. They have been assisted by UIC National Delegates representing China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The next meetings are scheduled for September, October and November.

The theme of the congress is “High Speed Rail Spearheading Greener Transport”. Aside from the opening and closing ceremonies, two round tables will be held on High Speed Rail towards the Future and High Speed Rail Innovations. Several parallel sessions will be organised on many different aspects of High Speed Rail: Socio-economic Development, Resource-Saving, Network Planning, Operation and Management, Innovation in Rolling Stock and Innovation in Fixed Equipment, etc.

All information concerning general organisation, registration and call for papers can be found on the event’s dedicated website: http://www.uic-highspeed2010.com.cn/

The 32nd ASEAN Railway CEO Conference was held in Bali, Indonesia from 14 – 17 July 2010. The meeting, organised by Indonesian Railways, was attended by over 150 delegates including railway CEOs and delegates from Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, observers from UNESCAP, UIC and JR East, and rail supply industry representatives from GE Transportation, Bombardier, Siemens, Plasser Far East, Schaeffler, SMH Rail, Standard Car Truck, MTU and local industry.

UIC was represented by Mr Mukul Saran Mathur, Head of UIC Asia Regional Office in New Delhi. UIC explained to the delegates its role at global level along with its important activities and projects.

The delegates presented the latest railway developments in ASEAN.

Presentations were made by delegates on the following topics:

• potential rail freight market in Indonesia,
• commercial use of railway corridors in Malaysia,
• development of Vietnam’s high speed project,
• operation and maintenance of Bangkok Airport Rail Link,
• expansion of ICDs in Thailand,
• development of cargo business by KTMB (Malayan Railways)
• and other relevant issues pertaining to the maintenance of track, locomotives, signalling and marketing of services and organisation restructuring.

Russian Railways Vice President Vadim Morozov said in his speech that the Mongolian government’s decision in 2009 to transfer a stake in Ulan Bator Railway to the beneficial ownership of Russian Railways represented an important step in work to improve the efficiency of Ulan Bator Railway.

“Russian Railways rigorously fulfills all its obligations in terms of technical support for the Ulan Bator Railway. At the end of 2009, Russian and Mongolian specialists finished work ahead of schedule on laying 108 km of continuous welded rail track on the Mandal – Davaany line, which will allow train speeds to be increased to 120 km/h”, Vadim Morozov said.

Since 2007, 1,350 goods wagons have been delivered to Mongolia, 20 locomotives have been leased, and materials for repair work have been delivered.

“As a result of efforts to stabilize the financial situation of Ulan Bator Railway, we achieved significant positive results for the first time in the first half of 2010. By increasing freight flows by 20% and passenger turnover by 16.8% in this period, year-on-year, the company managed to generate a profit of 4.3 million dollars. The goal now is to develop this trend, and to end 2010 with a net profit”, Vadim Morozov said.

The Russian Railways first vice president noted that last year, on the company’s initiative, Russian engineering companies carried out a full inspection of the current state of the Ulan Bator Railway network, and found there to be a high level of wear and tear, insufficient carrying capacity of infrastructure, and significant degradation of rolling stock.

To carry out a large-scale project to modernize Mongolia’s existing infrastructure and build rail lines to potential natural deposits, Russian Railways and the Mongolian government created the Russian-Mongolian joint venture Infrastructure Development in May 2009. The purpose of the venture is to provide an effective platform for attracting investment in the development of Mongolia’s railway network.

The Russian Railways vice president said that in line with the strategy, investment in the modernization of the existing Ulan Bator Railway network is estimated at 1.7 billion dollars, along with 1.8 billion dollars for the construction of a new rail line to the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine, and $500 million dollars for the modernization and purchase of rolling stock up to 2015.

The scheme for creating the Infrastructure Development company’s equity capital, with the contribution of Russian Railways financial resources and the granting by Mongolia of rights to develop the mine, will enable an integrated approach to railway infrastructure and mining development. Analysts from Boston Consulting Group, along with several other international experts, have recognized this scheme to be effective.

In January, U.S. President Obama announced that North Carolina was awarded $545 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to continue its development of high-speed intercity rail. On 12 July, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State of North Carolina have finalized a grant agreement for $20.3 million, the first installment of the $545 million awarded to the state.

“President Obama’s bold vision for high-speed rail is a game changer for U.S. transportation,” said Secretary LaHood. “We’re improving North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure while putting people back to work. That’s a win for everyone.”

“North Carolina has planned well and is set to build a world-class transportation network that will link the Tar Heel State to Washington, D.C. and the Northeast through high-speed rail,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.

On 21 July Eurotunnel celebrated the passage of 250 million people through the Channel Tunnel since commercial services began, 16 years ago, in June 1994. This significant number (equivalent to half the population of the European Union!), includes car and coach passengers on board Passenger Shuttles, truck drivers and their companions travelling on Truck Shuttles and passengers on Eurostar trains between London, Paris and Brussels. 58% of the 250 million people are customers on Eurotunnel Shuttles. On average, since 1994, 43,000 people have passed through the Channel Tunnel every day.

Jo Willacy, Eurotunnel Commercial Director, said: “The Channel Tunnel is now a vital link between Great Britain and the Continent. It is a reliable route for people and goods, which has become indispensable in Europe: 250 million people travelling through is proof enough of that. Eurotunnel works hard to maintain the quality of its transport system every day, adapting services to customers’ needs, improving reliability and respect for the environment: so we know we are ready to welcome the next 250 million”.

Eurostar saw passenger numbers rise by 6% to 4.6 million and revenues increase by 18% to £404 million during the first half of 2010. This growth is due in part to the impact of the ash cloud disruption (Eurostar put on 70 extra trains and carried 100,000 more passengers than were scheduled to travel at that time) but also reflects a strengthening of the business market and an underlying increase in both business and leisure travellers during the period.

There has been a notable increase in the number of passengers choosing Eurostar and high speed rail as an alternative to short haul air travel in Europe. Shorter journey times to the South of France, Germany and the Netherlands are prompting customers to take advantage of the ease and comfort of city centre to city centre travel.

The number of international passengers is also on the increase as visitors from the US and Australia, in particular, see travelling by Eurostar as an integral part of their European tour. June reported a very strong performance in international sales revenues which were up 24% in comparison to the same period last year.

Following the refurbishment of its entire fleet starting in early 2008, Thalys intends to give train buffs, collectors of rare objects, travel enthusiasts, or indeed anyone else the opportunity to purchase some of the original fittings which have made the service a success story since 1996.

Thalys will be putting 120 items up for auction on a dedicated eBay store including: 10 Comfort 2 seats, 10 single Comfort 1 seats, 20 Cobra table lamps, 10 Comfort 1 tables with lamps, 20 dustbins and 50 Comfort 1 headrests.

Between 25 August and 18 September, Internet users can bid on www.thalys.com/renovation to get their hands on one of these collectors’ items. The floor price for each item is 1 euro with all proceeds going to UNICEF.

On 27 June, Deutsche Bahn began celebrating the 175th anniversary of the first railway in Germany. On the occasion of the jubilee year, DB is organising a programme of events which will tour the country, with the public invited to join in the festivities. A discounted rail pass valid for travel within Germany – “DB on Tour” – is also on offer. Between June and November celebrations will be held in the railway stations of 16 cities, and will include music, games, raffles and information stands, etc.

In a statement, DB AG CEO Dr. Rüdiger Grube said: “For 175 years the railways have brought people closer together. Therefore in this jubilee year we invite everybody to come and celebrate with us in railway stations.” (Source: DB)

Swiss rail freight operator SBB Cargo and intermodal operator Hupac are to jointly launch an independent, neutral company to handle transalpine transit freight between Germany and Italy.

The new train operating company will be established as of the beginning of 2011. It will focus on block and intermodal trains on the north-south corridor between Germany and Italy. The shareholders in the new company will be SBB Cargo (75 %) and Hupac (25 %), with further partners potentially joining later. (Source: SBB)

Michail Stahlhut appointed Director of SBB Cargo International

Michail Stahlhut, 44, has been appointed Director of the new company SBB Cargo International. He will be in charge of developing the new north-south subsidiary of SBB Cargo and Hupac. He has a wealth of experience in rail freight operations. Since 2006 he has been a member of the board of Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG. Following the acquisition of shares by Arriva, he became Technical Director of the company Arriva Deutschland GmbH. (Source: SBB Cargo)

The deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) continues to be high on the agendas of almost all European and international organisations and associations in the railway business.

As you will know, the current challenge is to migrate from around 20 different legacy control-command systems in Europe to a single solution – ERTMS! Key factors in facilitating the above-mentioned migration and implementation are the life cycle costs of this new automatic European control system. The railway sector has supported developments in the field of ERTMS from the outset, and has remained involved in the implementation of the system.

On this occasion, UIC will present some intermediate results of the study “UIC ERTMS Benchmark on Costs” that has been prepared by a dedicated UIC working group of 21 members from 14 European countries starting in 2008. In total, 20 LCC cases in 3 different benchmark pools (ERTMS/ETCS Level 1 infrastructure, ERTMS/ETCS Level 2 infrastructure and ERTMS/ETCS On-board) have been examined. The experiences of various European railways will serve as a basis for a fruitful discussion.

This workshop will be an opportunity for major players (EC, ERA, CER, EIM, NoBos, UIC and UNIFE) to meet and discuss economic models, cost databases and data gathering, and share their direct experience and activity outcomes on the subject around the same table.

Provisional Programme:

• 10:45 Welcome
• 11:00 Opening remarks by UIC – Emilio Maestrini, Director of Rail System Department
• 11:15 European Railway Agency – Marcel Verslype, Director General (guest speaker)
• 11:45 European Commission – Karel Vinck, ERTMS Coordinator
• 12:15 Presentation of UIC Study “ERTMS Benchmark on Costs” – Rail System Department
• 14:00 UNIFE
• 14:30 Representative of Notified Bodies – Jean Marc Dupas, Chairman of NB Rail
• 15:00 Debate
• 16:00 –16.30 Conclusions

Online registration at http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article2579