What happens until then? How do operations work? How are terminals being adapted? This and more was discussed during the podcast. You can find the podcast on Spotify, on our YouTube channel or watch it here below. This is a series of four podcasts recorded during RailTech Europe. The first one came out last week and the upcoming two will be published over the next two weeks.

There will be an extensive workshop programme across the three days of the event, too. Programme partner ProRail will be hosting several sessions, where the Dutch infrastructure manager will talking about data science, ERTMS CCS and zero-emission machinery, among other topics. Other companies giving presentations include Fugro, Ricardo Rail, CGI and Hardt Hyperloop.

Another highlight is the exhibition area, where dozens of companies from around the world will be present their latest products and innovations, such as Siemens Mobility, Thales and Vossloh. Curious about the floor plan? Click here.

The event’s so-called innovation square will feature the companies vying for this year’s innovation awards for the best products or services. There will be awards in four categories: digitalisation, infrastructure, technology & design and start-ups. The winners will be announced during the Innovation Award show on Tuesday evening.

Get a sneak preview of the event below:

The European Commission has officially designated 2021 as the European Year of Rail. During RailTech Europe, there is therefore a lot of attention for this initiative from Brussels. The first speaker to speak about this is Wim van de Camp, who was recently elected Dutch ambassador of the European Year of Railways.

During a RailTech Europe pre-event on March 29, he will kick off the Dutch side together with Railforum director Corina de Jongh, Justus Hartkamp from ProRail and Karin Haaksman from Unife. This preview will start at 1.30 pm, followed by a transfer at 2 pm to the official opening of the European Year of Rail in Lisbon in Portugal. You can register here, free of charge.

Main Stage

On the first day of the conference on March 30, Diederik Samsom, head of cabinet to climate commissioner Frans Timmermans, will explain the consequences of the Green Deal for the European rail freight sector, among other things. Later that day, Bart van der Spiegel of the Belgian rail operator Infrabel explains how carriers can save energy and thus costs by equipping trains with an energy meter.

Catherine Trautmann, the European coordinator of the North Sea-Baltic TEN-T corridor, tells more about the modal shift that this rail freight corridor should bring about.

On the second day of the conference, there will be a lot of attention for the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) with which the European rail sector wants to make the transition from an analogue to a digital train protection system. This also has major consequences for the rail freight sector. Partly because of the large investments involved in the conversion of locomotives. Other digital innovations for the rail freight sector are the automatic and digital linking of freight wagons. This is also being developed at an international level, program manager Mark Topal-Gökceli explains how this works.

Furthermore, a panel discussion will be held this day on how new technology can increase the competitiveness of the rail freight sector.

ProRail Stage

On the first day of the congress, the management of ProRail will be interviewed on its own stage about the future vision of the rail manager. Subsequently, a presentation is planned on the ProRail Stage about self-driving trains as a game changer for rail and thus also freight transport by rail. The train is already seen worldwide as the cleanest form of transport, yet the sector wants to go even further in this regard. How this works can be seen at 4 pm and belongs to ProRail. The day ends with a presentation on the introduction of 740 meter long freight trains.

On day two, there will be a round table discussion on this stage about the railway as a connecting factor. In addition to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Province of South Holland, Railforum, Wim van de Camp and Rijkswaterstaat, the CEO of DB Cargo Nederland, Nanouke van ‘t Riet, also takes part.

On the third and last conference day, ProRail Innovation Director Karel van Gils will explain how data-driven rail freight logistics are used in the port of Rotterdam. The railway manager also provides an insight into the operation on the Rotterdam Harbor Railway.

Tech Stage

On the third stage, the Tech Stage, research institute TNO will present its position paper on self-driving trains on 31 March. This states, among other things, that the rail sector should speed up the implementation of ATO (Automatic Train Operation). According to the research institute, it is the only way to compete with road, water and air transport. Subsequently, in an interview with Jacob Baseliyos of DB Cargo, participants learn more about the ATO tests that this rail freight operator has carried out. On this stage there will also be presentations about the challenges of ERTMS for railfreight and the potential of virtual coupling of trains.

Watch this short interview with COO Arie van Dijk about RailTech Europe. Registration for this event is free. 

Accelerate transition

The new structure will incorporate several administrative departments. This should make it easier for independent contractors to engage with Network Rail, and therefore help deliver a wider ranging ‘Open for Business’ programme. Network Rail says this restructure will accelerate its planned transition to ‘business as usual’ one year ahead of schedule, having completed the milestones set out by the Hansford review, a government backed report which was presented four years ago.

For several executives, the changes will take place as soon as next month. NR say the Rail Investment Centre of Excellence will support all aspects of management throughout the investment lifecycle and delivery of major projects, by working closely with Network Rail’s five devolved regional businesses, as well as supporting traditional operations, maintenance and renewals (OMR) activities. Bringing innovation and technical advance to the railway is fundamental, and this announcement will come as interesting news to the delegates at the forthcoming RailTech Europe at the end of the month.

Fundamental catalyst

Implementing structural changes should not negatively affect existing projects, such as the East Coast Main Line upgrade. According to Stuart Calvert, who has been appointed as director of the Rail Investment Centre of Excellence, it will provide support to help deliver projects quicker, more efficiently and at lower cost. “Fundamentally, an effective Centre of Excellence is a catalyst, supporting and accelerating continuous improvement of investment management in the regions, by looking at new technology, innovation and smarter ways of working”, he said.

The Centre, say Network Rail, will streamline certain management processes, in line with their ‘Open for Business’ programme. David Ollerhead, programme director for Open for Business, said that it will make it easier for other organisations to invest in and build on the railway. “By definition, all programmes have a beginning, middle and end. We’ve made good progress on our journey to become more efficient and more customer-focussed. We’ve also laid the foundations for our route and regional businesses to continue that success.”

Network Rail and RailFreight Live

Since its inception in July 2017, say Network Rail, the Open for Business programme has established new business development teams in the routes and regions to work closely with third party funders, overhauled 400 of its most difficult and restrictive standards whilst introducing a ‘standards challenge’ process, which has produced multi-million pound savings, and regularly published a pipeline of schemes for other organisations to invest in. 

The announcement comes on the back of the recently adopted Project Speed – a government-led initiative to streamline economic investment and stimulate growth.  Network Rail says it has overhauled how it works with other organisations to make it easier for customers and suppliers to engage with agency, and bring new players into the market. Putting the spotlight on freight, Network Rail’s director of freight, Charleen Wallace, will be the main guest on this week’s RailFreight Live (Friday, 1200UK, 1300CET) as our weekly broadcast focusses on the UK scene. 

Catherine Trautmann makes these statements in a video interview in the run-up to RailTech Europe. There she will give a presentation on the important developments in this international freight corridor on 30 March. The North Sea-Baltic rail corridor connects Eastern and Western Europe and runs from Belgium and the Netherlands via Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to Estonia.

Interconnectivity

According to Trautmann, interconnectivity between different countries is an important aspect that is currently being worked on. The introduction of the European safety system ERTMS will make it easier for trains to cross the border, because there is no need to change signaling systems. “I am working with my colleague coordinator to close the ERTMS gap. Steps must be taken to implement this system in Berlin and Warsaw.” She also names the Rail Baltica project as a major step in increasing interoperability between the various EU countries on the rail corridor.

Rail Baltica

Rail Baltica is the largest rail project in the history of the Baltic States. With the application of the standard European track width of 1,435 millimeters and ERTMS, the railway is the missing link on the North Sea-Baltic rail corridor.

The completely new 870-kilometre rail link will connect Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and, indirectly, Finland. Rail Baltica consists of an electrified track, which both freight and passenger trains can use. Passenger trains and freight trains will be able to run on this high-speed line from 2026.

In addition to three multimodal terminals in the Baltic States, seven new passenger stations will be added to the route in Talinn, Pärnu, Riga Central, Riga Airport, Panevėžys, Kauas and Vilnius respectively. The project is partly financed from the European Connecting European Facility (CEF) fund with the aim of better connecting European countries.

Rail corridor priorities

According to Trautmann, promoting interoperability, removing obstacles to long freight trains and better connecting the cities on the route with a high-speed connection are “top priorities” of the work on the North Sea-Baltic rail corridor. “This is an opportunity and the regulations of the TEN-T networks are very useful for this. We hope that by 2030 we will have completed all projects in the corridor.”

She points out that digitisation plays an important role in the Rail Baltica project. “Customers want to know where their goods are and when they will arrive. Digitalisation and innovative systems will ensure that the tracing of goods offers great advantages for customers.” Because Rail Baltica is constructing completely new railway lines, she believes it is easier to include innovative solutions in the implementation from the start.

European Year of Rail

According to her, the European Year of Rail is important because ‘it shows what rail has to offer’. “It changes the perception of the railways because knowledge is shared about its benefits. In addition to the good performance of the rail, it is a compatible transport system in fighting climate change. It is a sustainable means of transport, but it also has social benefits.”

In addition to the various projects in the corridor, work is being done at European level on proper diversion routes for maintenance work or accidents. “We must have diversion routes that ensure that freight transport does not come to a standstill. Predictable and reliable transport is one of the results we hope to achieve in the Year of the Rail.”

European Railway Award

Trautmann was born in 1951 in Strasbourg, France, and has had a long political career. Between 1997 and 2000, she was Minister of Culture in France and between 1989 and 1997 and 2004 and 2014 she was a Member of the European Parliament. She was also mayor of Strasbourg and president of the port of Strasbourg for a number of years. In 2014 she was appointed by the European Commission as coordinator of the North-Sea Baltic TEN-T rail corridor. In 2019 Trautmann won the European Railway Award for her efforts in international rail transport.

Catherine Trautmann will give a presentation on March 30 during RailTech Europe, which will be devoted to the European Year of Rail 2021 on that day. Also Elisabeth Werner, Director Land Transport of the European Commission, Florian Böhn, Head of Rail at the German Ministry of Transport, and ProRail CEO John Voppen will give a presentation on this day. Visit the event website for more information.

Watch the video interview here: