As in the last four years, and in the frame of the UIC Intercity and High-Speed Committee, the 2017 edition of the II Level of the Training High Speed Systems took place in Madrid from 13 – 17 November at the Spanish Railway Foundation Headquarters.
This year’s session received a special visit by Mr Juan Alfaro, President of Renfe Operadora, who highlighted the importance of the High Speed in Spain as an agent for the development of the Spanish railway industry and backbone for the territorial cohesion of the country in the last 25 years.
As in previous editions, the participants had the opportunity to visit strategic points on the Spanish High-Speed System, which is the longest one in Europe with almost 3,000 km of lines in operation (2,938 km).
This training session examined the main principles of High Speed Rail as a complex system and looked at the many different approaches of this innovative transport system by establishing an overview of its development across the world.
During the training, and on an alternating basis with the different theoretical sessions, students have been divided into groups to develop and discuss a real example of a project by assuming a particular role regarding the planning of a High-Speed System. To that aim they had the help of the High Speed Planner, a didactical tool especially designed for the II level of the UIC High Speed Training.
This event is becoming increasingly important for decision-makers and all those professionally involved in high speed rail projects, with the aim of becoming familiar with all the aspects and implications involving any of these systems.
The 2017 edition attracted participants from nations as far as Chile, Japan, Korea or Thailand and also from Italy and Spain working for railway companies, ministries, advisory bodies, agencies or associations.
Over the five days, the lectures, given by experts coming from different countries, examined all the elements that make up high speed systems (as well as all the different types of systems included in this category), and gauged their impact impartially and objectively from a technical, economic, political and social standpoint.
The training session was organised by the UIC Passenger Department team, under the coordination of Michel Leboeuf, Honorary President of the High Speed Committee, and the team of the Spanish Railway Foundation.
