September 2020 | Volume 60 Issue 9

IRJ
www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

Innovations Showcase
International Railway Journal

Latest railway technologies revealed

Cybersecurity for railways = FlixTrain on post Covid plans

 September 2020 | Volume 60 Issue 9

IRJ
www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

Innovations Showcase
International Railway Journal

Latest railway technologies revealed

Cybersecurity for railways = FlixTrain on post Covid plans

 e m ar ks of B omb ard i e r I nc . or it s s u b s id i ar i e s .
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Contact us
Contents
September 2020 Volume 60 issue 9

News
Editorial offices
Post 46 Killigrew Street
Falmouth 4 This month
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8 News headlines

16
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16 Transit news
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18 Financial news
Kevin Smith
ks@railjournal.co.uk
22 World market analysis
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Associate Publisher
David Briginshaw
db@railjournal.co.uk
Germany
News & Features Writer
26 Pandemic pushes operators to the brink
David Burroughs Kevin Smith reports on the challenges ahead
32 FlixTrain returns to the rails

26
dburroughs@railjournal.co.uk
News & Features Writer Private operator still plans to expand business
Oliver Cuenca
36 Iconic Stuttgart 21 makes progress
ocuenca@railjournal.co.uk
Production Manager Complex project will finally be completed in 2025
Sue Morant 38 Learning the lessons of Rastatt
sm@railjournal.co.uk Guidelines put into practice following Auggen accident
IRJ Pro Account Manager
Chloe Pickering
cp@railjournal.co.uk

IRJ Insights 
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Cybersecurity
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IRJ September 2020 3

The return of the state
This month | Kevin Smith
run railway?
B
RITAIN’s Office for National
Statistics declared that Train
Operating Companies (TOCs)
were in state control on July 31.
The government’s Emergency
Measures Arrangement
(EMA), introduced in response
to the coronavirus pandemic,
replaced the franchise operators,
which are running the system
at no risk under a central contract.
The franchising system was
already on its last legs before
the crisis. However, the goal
posts have moved, and the
long-awaited Williams Review
might not now ever see the
light of day. The EMAs are set
to expire this month and
whether the government
persists with the arrangement
- it is currently pouring in
around £700m a month to
keep the network operational -
remains to be seen.
This is still an opportunity
to right the wrongs of the
recent past. The effective mix
of market competition on
profitable commuter and inter-
city services with a public
service obligation network that
offers a viable and sustainable
alternative to road transport
can offer Britain’s railway a
sustainable footing. It might
also encourage the private
companies that have turned
away to come back.
However, with usage still
low - around 20% of pre-crisis
levels with the government
only just rolling back its
dangerous message to avoid
public transport - the fear is
that the railway may not be
seen to justify further support
and miss out on the radical
overhaul it so badly needs.
Britain took a different path
from its European neighbours
when introducing privatisation.
There the state incumbent
railways remain. But with
these railways struggling with
similarly dramatic drops in
traffic and only partial recoveries,
some government decisions in
recent weeks to offer a crutch
to the embattled incumbents
have been criticised by their
would-be competitors which
are equally feeling the pinch.
Netherlands Railways (NS)
4
says that without government
subsidies it would have reported
a loss of É1.078bn in the first
half of 2020. It is engaging in
cost cutting measures worth
É1.4bn, including cutting up
to 2300 jobs, or 11.5% of its
workforce, to return to a
financially healthy position by
2025. However, five regional
operators have launched legal
proceedings against the award
to NS of a 15-year direct
award concession to operate
‘core network’ passenger
services - the heart of NS’
service - from the start of the
December 2024 timetable.
“
Not offering the same level of support
to other operators threatens to
unravel much of the progress that has
been made.
The Netherlands Federation
of Mobility Companies (FNM)
is pushing for greater competition
in the awarding of passenger
concessions. Meanwhile across
the border, Belgian National
Railways’ (SNCB) is requesting
a 10-year direct award contract
for the whole network, which
would prevent any tendering
of services for the foreseeable
future.
German Rail (DB) also
reported equally depressing
financial results, going from a
É757m profit in the first half of
2019, to a É1.8bn operating loss
in the first half of this year. Yet
the decision to award Siemens
a É1bn contract for new high-
speed trains on July 15 has left
prospective competitors
incensed for reinforcing DB’s
long-distance monpoly (p26).
Mofair has accused DB and
the government of trying to
“kill” the prospects for long-
distance competition. There
are also concerns over the extent
to which DB Regio will benefit
from a federal-state É5bn
compensation package after DB
received its own separate
É5bn capital injection from the
German government. Another
É3.6bn is planned for next
year while the railway’s debt
ceiling has been increased from
É25bn to É30bn.
Mofair says its members are
again at a disadvantage. It says
private competitors cannot
expect their shareholders to
pour in cash because unlike
the German government, DB’s
sole shareholder, they expect a
return on their investment.
Similar arguments surround
the apparent preferential
treatment by national
governments of state operators
hoping to revitalise Europe’s
night train network. Austrian
Federal Railways (ÖBB) is
seeking and securing direct
award subsidies for operating
overnight trains in certain
territories. However, private
competitors, including Sweden’s
Snälltåget, do not have access
to the same support.
Reinforcing the incumbent is
an understandable government
response to Covid-19. Doing
so to back rail as a sustainable
transport mode is a policy we
have been encouraging for years.
However, not offering the same
level of support to other operators
threatens to unravel much of
the progress that has been
made and damage the financial
viability of the sector. With less
competition, costs will go up.
The European Commission
is the check and the balance in
this process. It is up to the
commission to approve bailout
funds proposed by member
states and ensure they are
distributed fairly. While the
Fourth Railway Package’s
market pillar is not legally
binding until 2024, if the EC
wants a truly competitive rail
market to survive the crisis it
must act quickly.
The great caveat in all
of this is whether
passengers return.
In its bi-annual
report of the global
rail market (p20), SCI
Verkehr says it does
not expect patronage
to return to pre-crisis levels
before 2023, predicting a 35%
decline this year.
Both Mr Christian Schreyer,
CEO of Transdev North and
Central Europe, and Ms Anne
Mathieu, CEO of Keolis
Germany, report that traffic on
their regional services has
recovered to around 60% of
pre-crisis levels but no further.
They both say the next few
weeks are critical as schools
and universities return after
the summer break and if more
people decide to return to the
office. At 60% of previous
traffic and revenues, in a low
margin business, Schreyer says
net contracts are simply not
sustainable. Local public
transport authorities are also
under pressure to continue to
support public service
obligation contracts with very
little revenue coming in.
This is all against the
backdrop of rising Covid-19
infections in Europe in recent
weeks and whispers of the
worst possible scenario - a
second comprehensive
lockdown. The economic
consequences of this for the
railway as well as the wider
economy are unfathomable -
the public funds which have
propped up the sector so far
might not be available second
time around. We all hold our
breath.
ks@railjournal.co.uk
 News | extra

EC approves Alstom’s acquisition of Bombardier Transportation

T HE European Commission
(EC) has approved Alstom’s
bid to take over rival Bombardier
Transportation, a move which
will reinforce Alstom’s position
as the second largest railway
equipment manufacturer
behind CRRC.
The approval is subject to
conditions, including the
divestment of Bombardier
Transportation’s stake in the
V300 Zefiro high-speed train
and Alstom’s Coradia Polyvalent
platform.
“Thanks to the comprehensive
remedies offered to solve the
competition concerns in the
areas of very high-speed,
mainline trains and mainline
signalling, the commission has
been able to speedily review
and approve this transaction,”
says Ms Margrethe Vestager,
EU executive vice-president in
charge of competition policy.
“Thanks to these remedies, the
new company will also continue
to be challenged in its core
markets to the benefit of
European customers and
consumers.”
Alstom announced its plan
to acquire 100% of Bombardier
Transportation’s shares for
between É5.8 and É6.2bn in
February. Under the deal,
CDPQ, which currently holds
a 32.5% stake in Bombardier
Transportation, will become
Alstom’s largest shareholder
with around 18% of capital.
CDPQ will reinvest about É2bn
in Alstom plus an additional
É700m. Bouygues will remain
a shareholder in Alstom with
around 10% of capital.
The EC raised serious concerns
over aspects of the original
proposal. The EC said the
acquisition would have made
the merged entity the undisputed
market leader in high-speed
already large combined
position in mainline rolling
stock, particularly in France
and Germany. Regarding ETCS,
the EC feared the acquisition
would have made it more
difficult for other suppliers of
onboard units (OBUs) to interface
with the merged company’s
many installed signalling
systems (legacy OBUs) and fleet
of trains, the largest in the
European Economic Area (EEA).
The merger risked making the
combined company an
unavoidable supplier of legacy
OBUs in the Netherlands.
The investigation confirmed
that the proposed transaction
did not raise competition
concerns in any other markets,
particularly in mainline and
urban signalling, where
Bombardier’s position in the
EEA is very limited.
Alstom committed to sell
key product lines to assuage
the concerns raised by the EC
on the effect of its acquisition
of Bombardier Transportation
on the European rail market,
including:
= a transfer of Bombardier
Transportation’s contribution
to the V300 Zefiro high-speed
train and an offer of an IP
co-developed by Hitachi and
Bombardier Transportation for
use in future high-speed
tenders in Britain
= sale of Alstom’s Coradia
Polyvalent EMU and bi-mode
train platforms and its
Reichshoffen factory in France
= sale of Bombardier’s Talent
3 multiple unit platform and
dedicated production facilities
located at Bombardier’s
Hennigsdorf factory, and
= provide access to certain
interfaces and products for
some of Bombardier
Transportation’s signalling
OBUs and train control
management systems (TCMS).
The commission’s decision is
conditional upon full compliance
with the commitments. Alstom
and Bombardier said the
divestitures would comply with
all applicable social processes
and consultations with unions.
The transaction is subject to
further regulatory approvals in
several other jurisdictions and
closure conditions, but Alstom
says it expects completion in
the first half of 2021.
The deal could have faced a
four-month investigation with
or without conditions if the EC
had raised serious concerns. A
Alstom and Siemens’ attempted
merger in February 2019.
However, this deal is
different. The combination of
Alstom with Bombardier
Transportation is a smaller
transaction than the proposed
merger with Siemens, which
some analysts estimated would
have had a 70% share of the
rail equipment market. The deal
is also an acquisition rather
than a merger, with more
complementary rather than
competing elements - Bombardier
is a smaller player in high-speed
rolling stock, for example.
Nevertheless, Ms Maria
Leenen, CEO of rail market
analyst, SCI Verkehr, says the
approval is surprising in view
of the strong market presence
of the new company in
important vehicle segments
and countries and the critical
stance that the EU
Competition Commission still
took in the attempted Alstom-
Siemens deal.
“It is possible that the
governments of Germany and
France have been able to express
concern for jobs - particularly
at Bombardier - so maybe the
Commission has given in to
prevent anything worse from

Alstom to consider weak Bombardier Transportation results in takeover talks

trains and strengthened its licence to Hitachi for the train similar investigation thwarted happening,” Leenen says.

A LSTOM says it will “take into account

the consequences” of Bombardier
Transportation’s latest financial results in
takeover discussions after it reported an
adjusted Ebit second quarter loss of $US 383m.
Bombardier Transportation reported
revenues of $US 1.5bn in the second quarter,
reflecting a lower level of production as
key sites in Europe and North America
suspended operation due to Covid-19.
Adjusted Ebitda was negative $US 350m.
The company says the Ebit loss was
below expectations and reflects an extra
charge of $US 435m, largely relating to
some late-stage projects mainly in Britain
and Germany.
“Alstom remains convinced of the strong
strategic rationale for the acquisition of
Bombardier Transportation and is confident
in its ability to restore in the medium term
the profitability and commercial
performance of the business,” Alstom says.
“However, the quarterly announcement
points to unexpected and negative
developments regarding Bombardier
Transportation, which is currently facing
challenges, especially when compared to the
information available prior to the February
17 2020 announcement regarding Alstom’s
intended acquisition.” IRJ

6 IRJ September 2020

 News | headlines
European rail research partnership to succeed Shift2Rail British TOCs
reclassified as part
of public sector
B RITAIN’s Office for
National Statistics (ONS)
has concluded that Train
Operating Companies (TOCs),
which entered into emergency
measures agreements (EMAs)
with the British and Scottish
governments on April 1 as a
result of the coronavirus
pandemic, should be
reclassified as public non-
financial corporations.

Photo: SNCF
The ONS says it reached the

T
HE European Commission
(EC) is inviting expressions
of interest by October 1 from
private and public organisations
to become founding members
of a new European rail research
partnership to succeed Shift2Rail
(S2R).
The EC says the new
European Partnership on Rail
Research and Innovation will
have a long-term commitment
from the European Union and
its members “to deliver system-
focused solutions ready to
enter industrialisation,
deployment and operation.”
“This partnership will focus on
accelerating research, development
and demonstrations of innovative
technologies and operational
solutions to make rail more
attractive, enabled by
digitalisation and automation,”
the EC says.
The EC will consult with the
European Parliament and the
Economic and Social Committee
before putting the proposal to
the European Council to establish
the new rail partnership under
the EU’s new Horizon Europe
research programme.
The core membership will
comprise around 20 organisations
representing infrastructure
managers, passenger and
freight operators, suppliers,
and rail research centres.
Members will be expected to
contribute about É30m each, of
which 5% will go towards
running costs. The partnership
will also be able to access
various European programmes
such as the Connecting Europe
Facility, European Regional
Development Fund and the
Cohesion Fund for funding.
“A possible schedule could be
that the proposal will be
examined at the European
Council meeting at the end of
November, followed by around
six months of negotiations with
member states,” Mr Carlo
Borghini, executive director of
S2R, told IRJ. This would enable
the new partnership to be
established in the second half
of 2021.
“We want to build on the
results already achieved and
go to the next level of a system-
integrated approach,” Borghini
says. “This will include new
methods of operation based on
digitalisation, a strong focus on
freight, opportunities for high-
speed to compete with regional
flights, and better urban
connections.”
= S2R will provide up to É75.4m
in funding for 19 projects worth
a total of É147.7m under the 2020
call for proposals for research
and innovation (R&I) activities.
S2R members will undertake
eight projects worth É127.7m,
with S2R providing É55.4m in
funding. An additional 11 open
call projects worth É22m have
been approved, of which up to
É20m will be funded by S2R.
conclusion after reviewing the
classification against
international statistical
guidelines. Under the EMAs,
the normal franchise
arrangements have been
amended with almost all
revenue and cost risk
transferring to the government
while the TOCs have had
restrictions imposed on their
ability to borrow money. The
operators also cannot make
significant changes to fares or
staffing levels by more than
5% without government
agreement.
“The TOCs’ net borrowing
and debt will be included in
the relevant ONS public sector
finances series and their
workforces will be included in
the public sector employment
totals as soon as possible,” the
ONS says.
The assessment notes that
the main reason why train
services continue to operate is
to follow government policy to
maintain the services. Some of
the open-access operators not

Testing and development of digital automatic couplings launched

S
included in the EMA package
suspended services as passenger
numbers fell sharply due to
HIFT2RAIL (S2R) and a consortium led by German Rail (DB) have launched two connected
Covid-19 travel restrictions.
projects to develop and test digital automatic couplings (DAC) on freight wagons. Both projects
“This is a temporary
aim to select a single solution for use across Europe.
accounting change that reflects
The consortium includes DB, DB Cargo, SBB Cargo, Rail Cargo Austria and freight wagon leasers
the extent of government
Ermewa, GATX Rail Europe and VTG. The pilot project, awarded by the German Federal Ministry
involvement in running trains
of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), will run until December 2022 and BMVI will
during a national emergency,”
provide 13m for the project.
says Mr Paul Plummer, chief
With DAC, freight wagons and their power, data and compressed air lines are coupled together
executive of the Rail Delivery
automatically, removing the need for heavy physical work.
Group, which represents TOCs.
During the first stage of the project, 12 freight and tank wagons from DB Cargo and GATX will
“The Covid crisis presents a
be equipped with coupling prototypes from four different manufacturers. Tests will be undertaken
chance to move towards a new
to select the preferred coupling type.
way of running the railway
In the second stage, a demonstrator train consisting of 24 freight wagons will be equipped with
where contracts put customers
the selected coupling, before operating in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and other European
at the centre and the private
countries, which will include daily use in marshalling yards.
sector’s track record of
The results from the project will then be integrated into the European DAC Programme, which
attracting people to travel by
was approved by S2R’s governing board on July 23.
train in safety is harnessed.”

8 IRJ September 2020


India increases rail connections with Bangladesh
I
NDIA is increasing the
number of cross-border links
with neighbouring Bangladesh
in a bid to balance China’s
efforts to increase rail
connectivity with its southeast
Asian neighbours.
Work is underway on three
new rail links comprising
Haldibari - Chilahati,
Mahishashan - Shahbazar and
Agartala - Akhoura.
Reopening the Chilahati -
Amtrak releases plan to restore long-distance services
U
NITED States national
passenger rail operator
Amtrak has released criteria
for the restoration of regular
long-distance services
following an announcement
that most daily services would
be cut to three times a week
from October due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Amtrak has confirmed that
the return to daily services
along its routes will be
determined by three metrics,
with assessments according to
these benchmarks scheduled
to begin from February 15 2021:
= Covid-19-related
hospitalisation rates in areas
served by the long-distance
trains must be stable or falling
= the number of available seat
and room-miles booked in
February for operating
services in June 2021 must be
comparable with at least 90%
of tickets booked for those
services in June 2020, taking
into account the currently
reduced timetable, and
= projected network ridership
for autumn 2021 must be at
least 90% of figures estimated
in Amtrak’s 2021 financial year
operating plan.
IRJ September 2020
Haldibari line will allow
freight and passenger services
to operate from Bangladesh via
Siliguri to Darjeeling in India.
This will provide a route from
India’s landlocked northeastern
states and Bhutan and Nepal
to the Port of Mongla near
Khulna, the second busiest
seaport in Bangladesh.
There used to be seven
regular rail connections
between the countries. Four
Amtrak says calculations for
future demand and for its 2021
financial plan will account for
reduced availability of spaces
due to both reduced ridership,
caps on ticket sales and other
coronavirus-related social
distancing measures.
If all criteria are met by a
given route, services could be
restored to daily by May 2021.
Amtrak hopes that full
restoration of all services will
be achieved by the end of June
2021 but warns that it
currently lacks sufficient data
to confirm this.
The operator also notes that
plans to restore services
depend on sufficient federal
government support. It
estimates it will require $US
3.5bn in government funding
for the 2021 fiscal year
assuming a 50% network-wide
ridership level.
Amtrak has so far received
$US 1.02bn of government
support under the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and
Economic Security (Cares) Act.
This support is currently
scheduled to expire at the end
of September. An additional
$US 1.48bn was requested by
lines have since reopened,
including Gede - Darsana and
Petrapole - Benapole, which
carry both passengers and
freight, and the Singhbad -
Rohanpur and Radhikapur -
Birol freight lines.
Indian-funded rail bridges
have been completed over the
Titas and Bhoirab rivers and a
new rail link from Rajshahi,
Bangladesh, to Kolkata, India,
is planned.
Mr Bill Flynn, Amtrak’s CEO,
on May 25 to support the
operation of services across its
network. However, no
additional funding has been
forthcoming.
The long-distance service
reductions are scheduled to be
introduced in October and
Amtrak released its new
timetable on August 13.
Mr Roger Harris, Amtrak’s
executive vice-president and
chief marketing and revenue
officer, says that the cost-
cutting measures are part of a
pledge to Congress to reduce
costs by $US 500m. The
reductions should save $US
150m during the 2021 fiscal
year. Amtrak services made a
$US 500m annual loss before
the pandemic.
Amtrak reported an 81% fall
in demand for long distance
services in April and May
alone, reflecting a network-
wide 95% drop in ridership
compared with 2019.
Amtrak also attempted to
Photo: Stephen C Host
address concerns that the
service reductions could be
permanent by affirming its
commitment to its long-
distance trains.
In brief
Austria
The Ministry of Transport has
announced that infrastructure
access charges will be cut to
support rail freight flows
which are suffering as a result
of the Covid-19 pandemic. The
measure needs to be approved
by the European Commission,
which is preparing a legislative
initiative on the matter.
Azerbaijan
Alstom has launched
validation tests for the Prima
T8 AZ8A freight locomotives
on the Baku - Kars freight
corridor in Azerbaijan, which
was recently converted from
3kV dc to 25kV ac. The first T8
locomotive was delivered on
December 19 2018, from a
É288m order for 50 units
awarded to EKZ, a joint
venture of Alstom and
Transmashholding (TMH).
Britain
The government has allocated
£598m for electrification of the
Trans-Pennine main line
linking Manchester,
Huddersfield and Leeds. The
most congested section of the
route will be doubled from
two to four tracks. Most of the
line will be electrified, with
full electrification, digital
signalling and more multi-
tracking under consideration.
= HS2 Ltd has signed an
agreement with the UK Rail
Research and Innovation
Network (UKRRIN) to access
technologies produced by the
group’s research facilities.
China
Technical studies for the 77km
Ningbo - Zhoushan high-
speed line have been
completed following two years
of development. The line will
reduce Ningbo - Zhoushan
travel times from 1h 30min by
road to 30 minutes by rail.
Construction is expected to
start later this year.
Egypt
Egyptian National Railways
(ENR) has begun operation
with new passenger coaches
supplied by Transmashholding
under a É1bn contract from
2018. The trains will operate
on the Cairo - Alexandria and
Cairo - Asyut - Sohag lines.
9
RAIB confirms fatal Scottish derailment caused by landslip
News | headlines

B RITAIN’s Rail Accident

Investigation Branch
(RAIB) has confirmed that the
06.38 service from Aberdeen to
Glasgow Queen Street, which
derailed near Stonehaven on
August 12 killing three people,
did so following a collision
with a landslip.
The ScotRail-operated InterCity
7 HST comprising four Mark 3
coaches and two power cars,
designated as 1T08, had nine

people onboard when it hit the
landslip at around 09.40. All
coaches subsequently derailed,
killing two crew members and
one passenger. The remaining
six survivors were later taken
to hospital.
After departing Stonehaven,
RAIB found that 1T08 was
instructed to stop by the
signaller at Carmont where the
signaller instructed the driver
to return to Aberdeen following
reports from the driver of a
northbound train of a landslip
between Carmont and
Laurencekirk, which had
obstructed its progress.
northbound track at Carmont
and travelled approximately
2.25km north towards Aberdeen
before hitting a separate landslip,
6.4km southwest of Stonehaven.
The train subsequently derailed,
and as the line curved to the
right, the train continued in
roughly a straight line for 91m
until it struck part of a bridge
parapet.
The leading power car
continued over the bridge and
fell from the railway down a
wooded embankment along
and second coaches came to
rest on their roofs, with the
first lying perpendicular to the
track and the second lying on
top of it. The fourth coach also
lay on the first coach but
remained upright and attached
to the rear power car, which
was derailed but also upright.
RAIB says it is collecting
evidence to identify the cause
and consequences of the accident.
“Fatal derailments are a rare
occurrence on Britain’s national
network,” says Mr Simon
Photo: RAIB
of rail accidents. “However,
landslips and other earthworks
failures remain a risk to trains
that needs to be constantly
managed, and this is becoming
even more challenging for the
rail industry due to the increasing
incidence of extreme weather
events.”
Network Rail says it will
now carry out an inspection of
high-risk trackside slopes
following a government
request to review its resilience
to and management of extreme

Swedish government approves night Trenitalia awards Ilsa HS fleet order

1T08 switched to the with the third coach. The first French, RAIB’s chief inspector weather.

trains to Brussels and Hamburg

T
HE Swedish government
has approved plans to
operate overnight services on
the Malmö - Brussels and
Stockholm - Hamburg routes,
instructing national transport
administrator Trafikverket to
procure the services by August
1 2022.
The government says the
need for such rail services is
growing as passengers become
more climate conscious and
look increasingly to travel by
train for business or leisure.
The government previously
announced an SKr 400m ($US
45.1m) investment to procure
the night train services, with
the exact annual investment
due to be announced in the
autumn budget.
A report by Trafikverket on
April 27 found an “appropriate
first step” to expand Sweden’s
overnight rail offer to continental
through Germany,” the
government says. “On the
other hand, it is possible
through Sweden and Denmark
and operators can run night
train traffic on commercial
grounds from the German
border. The government has
therefore instructed Trafikverket
to procure night train traffic to
the border between Denmark
and Germany.”
The services will operate for
four years, with an option for a
two-year extension.
Private operator Snälltåget
operates an open-access
service between Malmö and
Berlin, which is currently on
hold, but will be rerouted via
Hamburg and extended to
Stockholm when relaunched
next year. The service will
operate daily in June, July and
August 2021, and at weekends
in April, May and September.
T
RENITALIA has awarded Hitachi Rail and Bombardier
Transportation a contract to supply 23 Frecciarossa 1000 high-
speed trains for the new Intermodalidad de Levante (Ilsa) service
in Spain, a joint venture between Trenitalia and Operador
Ferroviario de Levante (OFL).
The contract is worth É797m, with Hitachi Rail and Bombardier
taking a 60% and 40% stake respectively. Bombardier’s share is
worth É319m.
Each 200m-long train will have capacity for around 460 passengers
and will be capable of commercial speeds of up to 360km/h. The
trains will feature state-of-the-art aerodynamics and energy
saving technologies, along with Wi-Fi, a bistro area and high
levels of comfort in all classes.
Ilsa will launch high-speed services on the Madrid - Barcelona,
Madrid - Valencia/Alicante and Madrid - Seville/Malaga/Grenada
lines on March 1 2022, after it was awarded one of three packages
to operate on the Spanish high-speed network by infrastructure
manager Adif in November 2019. Ilsa will compete with Renfe
and Rielsfera, a subsidiary of French National Railways (SNCF),
which will launch services under the new packages at Easter 2021.
Photo: Marco Stellini

Europe would be to procure a Snälltåget expects passenger

service to Germany and numbers on the route to grow
Belgium via Denmark. but warns its competitiveness
“There are no conditions to could be affected by the launch
procure night train traffic of a publicly-funded service.

10 IRJ September 2020

Making tracks available
In developing new perspectives for modern and cost-effective rail transport, Vossloh occupies a unique position
as a systems provider within the field of rail infrastructure. An intelligent combination of established rail technology
and digital solutions allows us to equip rail tracks for a high-performance future.

vossloh.com
 News | headlines In brief

Czechs push ahead with national ETCS rollout Germany

T
HE Czech Ministry of
Transport, together with
infrastructure manager SZ, has
announced an investment of
around Koruna 100bn ($US
4.5bn) to install ETCS on the
national network and fleets
over the next 20 years.
“In total, we are ready to
invest Koruna 5bn a year by
2040 to secure all railway lines
in the Czech Republic, at an
84bn,” says transport minister,
Mr Karel Havlícek. “We expect
a budget of about Koruna 23bn
over 10 years to equip all rolling
stock, around two billion a year.”
ETCS is currently installed
on about 225km of line, with
another 206km between
Breclav and Petrovice u
Karviné being tested. The
108km section between Prerov
and Ceská Trebová is due to be
preparation underway for
several other sections.
Havlícek confirmed that
from January 1 2025, trains not
equipped with ETCS will not
be allowed on selected
corridors.
In February, the European
Commission (EC) approved
É134m to support the
installation of ERTMS on
Czech rolling stock. The
The Association of German
Transport Companies (VDV)
and Allianz pro Schiene have
proposed reopening up to 238
disused or freight-only lines to
passenger services, covering
up to 4016km of infrastructure.
Around three million people
in 291 towns could benefit.
= The European Commission
has approved a É500m
scheme to support research,
development and innovation

RFI and Hitachi to CRRC Zhuzhou unveils 28.8MW six-

estimated total cost of Koruna equipped later this year, with scheme will run until 2022. in rail freight transport. The
scheme, which will run until

pilot satellite- section electric freight locomotive

the end of 2024, will have an
annual budget of É100m with

based ERTMS
direct grants of É25,000-É30m

I
available.

TALIAN Rail Network (RFI) International

and Hitachi have signed an Eurostar will launch the first
agreement to launch a pilot direct Amsterdam - Rotterdam
project for the Ersat EAV - London service on October
satellite signalling system on 26. Eurostar plans to operate
the Mediterranean corridor two London - Amsterdam
between Novara and Rho. round trips per day.

Ireland
Ersat EAV integrates ERTMS
with GPS and the Galileo
satellite navigation and The governments of Ireland

geolocation system and public
telecommunications networks.
The technology locates trains
via satellite and interfaces
with ERTMS. By using satellite
location and public networks,
the system is intended to bring
C
and Britain are launching a
feasibility study into a high-
RRC Zhuzhou has unveiled the first of its Shen 24 28.8MW speed line on the Belfast -
six-section electric locomotives at a ceremony attended by Dublin - Cork/Limerick TEN-
Chinese government officials and academics from the Chinese T corridor. The study is due to
Academy of Engineering. commence by November and
The 106m-long, 24-axle locomotive is part of an order of eight will develop high-level design
and operational proposals.

the benefits of ERTMS to lower
traffic regional lines with reduced
installation and operating costs
than conventional ERTMS.
RFI says the agreement will
enable the creation, validation
and certification of the Ersat
Italy
for mining company China Shenhua Energy.
The locomotives will haul 10,000-tonne coal trains along the
266km Shenmu - Shuozhou railway. The locomotives are capable
of top speeds of 120km/h and can manage gradients of up to Tunnelling has resumed on the
1.2% at capacity. Genoa Node element of Italy’s
The locomotive is based on the China Railways HXD1 two- É6.9bn Terzo Valico rail
section freight locomotive, but is designed to be safer and more project following a two-year
suspension of work.

Mongolia
system, to speed up the environmentally friendly.
commissioning process. The company is reported to be planning a further order of 12
ERTMS Level 2 is currently Shen 24 locomotives.

S
KL-Singapore HS agreement expected
being installed on the Novara - Ulaanbaatar Railway (UBTZ)
Rho line. The pilot system will has completed construction of
initially use GPS to determine the first 58.5km of the 414.6km
INGAPORE and Malaysia hope to come to an agreement on Tughrik 750bn ($US 263m)
train position, with this later
the future of the Kuala Lumpur - Singapore high-speed Talvin Tolgoi - Zumbayan
replaced with the Galileo system.
project by the end of the year, Singapore prime minister, Mr Lee 1520mm-gauge railway. The
Ersat promises to reduce the
Hsien Loong, says. new railway will connect with
installation and maintenance
“The Malaysian side has given us certain proposals on the the UBTZ’s central line and
costs of ERTMS by using a
changes, which we are studying carefully and we’ll discuss will transport coking coal from
satellite link to create ‘virtual
further with them,” Lee told reporters following a ceremony to Tavan-Tolgoi in southern
balises’ every 50m to allow
mark the official resumption of work on the 4km Johor Baru - Mongolia. The line is expected
signallers to track the position
Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. to carry its first train in December.

Switzerland
of trains. Base stations are
Lee said the basic need for the line, to increase business and
needed every 7km rather than
improve ties between the two cities, were still important, Uif
balises every 1.3km or less
Tusbju!Ujnft reported. The 15.4km Ceneri Base
under conventional ERTMS.
Malaysia’s former prime minister, Mr Mahathir Mohamad, had Tunnel under the Swiss Alps is
The agreement follows
threatened to scrap the high-speed project, which was a flagship due to be handed over to
testing and experimentation
scheme of his predecessor, Mr Najib Razak. In September 2018 Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
with the satellite technologies.
the governments agreed to suspend the project until May 2020 to on September 4, 14 years after
RFI completed initial testing of
allow time for a cost review. In June, the governments agreed to construction started, with
the Ersat system in Sardinia in
a further extension until December 31. operation due to begin by the
February 2017.

12 IRJ September 2020

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EMD® Joule keeps you rolling with
up to 2.4 megawatt hours of battery capacity.

+1 800-476-8769 • progressrail.com • @progressrail • @Progress_Rail

 Brightline
News | headlines
Pakistan approves Peshawar - Lahore - Karachi upgrade
drops Virgin
F

Photo: Shutterstock
LORIDA-based private
operator Brightline, which
has operated as Virgin Trains
USA since 2019, says it will
revert to its former name and
end its partnership with Virgin
Enterprises, following a
termination notice delivered
on July 29.
The operator, which has
suspended its Miami - West
Palm Beach service due to the
coronavirus pandemic, stated
that it will “change its name to
Brightline Trains LLC
following the expiration of the
applicable notice period for

P
AKISTAN’s Executive
Committee of the National
Economic Council (ECNEC)
has approved a $US 6.8bn
project to upgrade 2655km of
railway infrastructure on the
Peshawar - Lahore - Karachi
corridor and establish a dry
port at Havelian.
The Mainline-1 (ML-1) project
involves upgrading and track-
doubling the corridor, helping
to increase line speeds from
110km/h to 165km/h for
for freight. Capacity will also
increase from 34 to 171 trains
in each direction per day.
The project will be divided
into three packages. Work on
the first package covering the
Peshawar - Rawalpindi - Lahore
section is due to commence in
January 2021 and will conclude
in December 2024 at a cost of
$US 2.4bn. The second package,
which involves upgrading the
Lahore - Hyderabad section,
will start in January 2022 and
2026 at a cost of $US 2.7bn. The
third package, between
Hyderabad and Karachi, is
expected to cost $US 1.7bn.
China is expected to finance
90% of the project. Separate
financial agreements will be
reached for each stage, with
the Hyderabad - Karachi
section expected to be delivered
as a public-private partnership.
The government has
announced the formation of
the Mainline-1 Authority to
name changes under the
senior loan agreement.”
Brightline adds that Virgin
has no remaining equity
ownership or affiliation with
the company. Virgin plans to
dispute the notice.
The rebranding was part of
a 20-year licencing agreement
with Virgin agreed in
November 2018. The deal was
made in advance of a planned
initial public offering intended
to finance a 273km extension
to Orlando. The IPO was
scrapped in February 2019
following approval to raise

Botswana Railways launches coal trains to South Africa

passenger trains and 120km/h be completed in December oversee the project. $US 950m in loans as part of a

B
strategy to retain private

Israel announces
control of the company.
The coal was mined at Minergy’s Masama

Likit rail link plans

OTSWANA Railways (BR) exported the first

coal consignment by rail from the Masama
coal mine following a launch ceremony on July 17.
The 2650-tonne coal shipment was initially
transported 60km by road from the mine in
Mmamabula to the Tshele Hills rail siding in
Kgatleng, southern Botswana, which was
upgraded to support the loading of coal onto
freight trains.
The train consisted of 50 high-sided BHS
wagons, each carrying around 53 tonnes. It is
the first of three consignments ultimately
destined for delivery to a South African cement
I
coal mine, Botswana’s first privately-operated
coal mine, which began production in February
last year.
BR plans to begin construction of the 56km SRAEL’s Minister of
Mmamabula - Lephalale 1067mm-gauge freight Transport and Road Safety,
line in the second half of 2021. The line will Mrs Miri Regev, has
provide a more direct route between the coal announced plans to construct
field and Lephalale in Limpopo Province, South new rail and light rail
Africa, where it will connect with the existing connections to a planned
rail network. Planning for a 367km cross-border military intelligence campus in
Mosetse - Kazungula - Livingstone freight line Likit, northeast of Be’er Sheva,
between Botswana and Zambia is also Negev.
The main line would

China outlines ambitious long-term network expansion plans

manufacturer. underway.
connect to the existing

C
HINA National Railways
(CR) says it wants to extend
the rail network to 200,000km,
including around 70,000km of
high-speed lines, by 2035.
All cities with more than
200,000 residents will be
connected to the conventional
network, while cities with
more than 500,000 residents
will be served by the high-
speed network. The country’s
network of eight vertical and
eight horizontal corridors will
be further enhanced.
China has invested around
Yuan 800bn ($US 115bn) a year
in rail since 2016, with the
network reaching 141,000km at
the end of July. The high-speed
network is now 36,000km long,
connecting 94.7% of cities with
more than one million residents.
CR says rail is a strategic,
critical infrastructure and
forms the main artery of the
Chinese economy. CR says the
plan will produce a high-level,
modern railway by 2050.
China invested Yuan 325.8bn
in the network in the first half
of 2020, up Yuan 3.8bn (1.2%)
on the same period last year.
network at Goral junction
north of Be’er Sheva and run
eastwards to Likit. The light
rail connection will link Be’er
Sheva city centre with Likit.
The campus will open in
2026, with thousands of
military personnel expected to
commute daily from central
Israel. The new lines would
provide journey times of
around 1h 10min between
central Israel and the facility.

14 IRJ September 2020


China approves $US 68bn inter-city plan for Pearl River Delta
C
HINA’s National
Development and Reform
Commission (NRDC) has
approved a Yuan 474.1bn ($US
67.91bn) plan to develop inter-
city railway connections in the
Guangdong-Hong Kong-
Macau Greater Bay area of
southern China.
The plan comprises 13 new
line projects, which will add a
total of 775km to the railway
network, two track expansion
projects, and the redevelopment
of Guangzhou and Guangzhou
East stations.
The plan envisages that the
region will have 4700km of
railway infrastructure in
Prasa launches bid to acquire additional Afro locomotives
operation or under construction
P
ASSENGER Rail Agency of
South Africa (Prasa) has
presented a business case to
parliament to acquire the
remaining Afro 4000 and Afro
Dual locomotives built by
Vossloh Spain (now Stadler
Rail Valencia), which were
ordered but never delivered
after it was discovered they
exceeded the loading gauge on
part of the network.
The controversial Rand 2.5bn
($US 147m) deal, under which
Swifambo Rail contracted Vossloh
in 2013 to supply 20 Afro 4000
diesel-electric and 50 AfroDual
electro-diesel locomotives,
ground to a halt in South
Africa’s courts in November
2015 following allegations of
corruption.
Only 13 Afro 4000 locomotives
- a 1067mm-gauge version of
the Euro 4000 - were delivered
to South Africa before Prasa’s
Trafikverket completes ‘wasp’s
waist’ upgrade: Trafikverket has
completed a three-year upgrade
of the 2km railway between
Stockholm Central and Stockholm
Södra, one of the Swedish network’s
busiest sections. Work included
replacing bridges over the
Söderström River, connecting
Södermalm with Riddarholmen
last summer, and between
Riddarholmen and Tegelbacken
this summer. The project also
involved rebuilding the Älvsjö
freight railway and Stockholm
South station and the completion
of the City Line 6km tunnel
beneath central Stockholm in 2017.
IRJ September 2020
by 2025, expanding to 5700km
by 2035.
Work on seven new line
projects will start before 2022.
Construction on a project to
add a fifth and sixth track
between Guangzhou East and
Xintang (29km, Yuan 5.8bn)
and to redevelop Guangzhou
East station (Yuan 2.5bn) will
also start before 2022.
A further seven new line
projects, one track expansion
scheme and the redevelopment
of Guangzhou station (Yuan
18.3bn) are planned but with
no confirmed start date.
NRDC says the new projects
will improve integration with
existing high-speed, suburban
board launched legal proceedings
to challenge the procurement
process on the grounds of
collusion during the tendering
process.
Prasa, which is desperately
short of reliable power to haul
its Shosholoza Meyl long-
distance passenger trains, is
now lobbying to acquire 22
locomotives from Stadler.
Under the proposal Stadler,
which was paid Rand 1.8bn by
Swifambo, would supply
seven Afro 4000 and five
AfroDual locomotives that
were built but are still in Spain.
Stadler would build another
four AfroDual locomotives and
help Prasa recommission six of
the Afro 4000 locomotives that
have been idle since 2015.
The original deal drew
national media attention when
engineers from freight operator
Transnet, which shares track
railway networks as well as
transit services at major hubs
centred on Guangzhou,
Shenzhen and Zhuhai, on the
border with Macau, along with
Zhaoqing East and Pearl River
Delta Airport stations. The goal
is to offer journey times of one
hour between the major cities
in the Greater Bay Area and in
Guangdong province, and
three hours to other provincial
capitals.
Guangdong province will
organise and implement the
projects. The Guangdong-
Hong Kong-Macau Greater
Bay Area covers 56,000km²and
has a population of 72.65
million.
with Prasa, discovered that the
Afro 4000 locomotives were
too high to operate safely under
the country’s 3kV electrified
network with a minimum roof
clearance of just 10mm below
the contact wire.
The country’s rail safety
regulator banned the locomotives
from operating on the 3kV
network, pending an
investigation. Prasa mothballed
the locomotives in 2015 when
the court proceedings began,
and the contract was set aside
in 2017.
To cut its losses, Prasa,
which is now under
administration, elected to sell
13 Afro 4000s at auction, with
private operator Traxtion
purchasing seven of them. An
auction for the remaining six
locomotives was halted
pending the outcome of the
proposal before parliament.
In brief
end of the year. The tunnel is
the final section of the Zürich -
Milan New Alpine Rail Link
(Neat) corridor project.
= The Lötschberg Base Tunnel
will undergo a SFr 15m ($US
16m) emergency renovation by
BLS, starting this month,
following unexpected water
ingress earlier this year. Work
is expected to be completed by
mid-December.
Taiwan
Hyundai Rotem has competed
the assembly of the first two
class 900 EMUs from a contract
for 52 for Taiwan Railways
Administration (TRA), which
are expected to enter service in
January. The first batch was
due to be delivered this
month, but has since been
delayed until October.
Thailand
State Railway of Thailand
(SRT) has begun a feasibility
study for the 190km Baht
101.7bn ($US 3.2bn) Rayong -
Chanthaburi - Trat eastern
Phase II section of its high-
speed rail project. Work on the
study is expected to be
completed this month and will
be submitted to the Thai
cabinet next year. The study
will advise SRT in planning of
a public-private investment
plan due to launch in 2022
before tendering for
construction begins in 2024.
UAE
Etihad Rail has awarded a
contract for the manufacture,
supply and commissioning of
842 new freight wagons to
CRRC Yangtze. The new
wagons will more than triple
Etihad Rail’s fleet to more than
1000 units and multiply the
railway’s annual transport
capacity by eight times to 59
million tonnes.
United States
The Nevada State Board of
Finance has approved up to
$US 200m in state bonds for
Brightline’s privately-funded
$US 4.8bn high-speed line
between Las Vegas and
Southern California. The
funding will allow Brightline
to issue bonds worth up to
$US 800m, which can be used
to design, develop and build
facilities for the line. IRJ
15
Tender for 504 tram-trains worth €4bn launched
News | transit
S IX German and Austrian
urban transport operators
have issued a combined tender
worth up to É4bn for 504
tram-trains, with a goal of
saving up to É1m on each
vehicle. The tender also
includes maintenance of the
vehicles for up to 32 years.
The tender was launched by
Albtal Transport Company
(AVG), Karlsruhe Transport
Authority (VBK), Saarbahn, the
State of Salzburg, the Neckar-
Alb tram-train association, and
Upper Austria infrastructure
manager, Schiene OÖ. This
Crossrail opening delayed until first half of 2022
follows the signing of an
C ROSSRAIL Ltd says the
21km underground central
London section of the new
Elizabeth Line between
Paddington, Stratford and
Abbey Wood will not be ready
to open until the first half of
2022 and could cost an
additional £450m to complete -
the project was originally
scheduled to open in
December 2018.
The latest cost estimate is
£1.1bn more than the financing
package agreed in December
2018 and £450m above the
upper end of the range
announced in November 2019,
taking the total cost to £18bn.
The project was estimated to
cost £15.9bn in 2007 and cut to
£14.8bn in 2010 by the
government.
Crossrail cites three main
factors for the schedule delay:
= lower than planned
Austin city council approves $US 7bn
productivity in the completion
finance plan for Project Connect
A
USTIN city council and
Capital Metro have
unanimously approved a new
$US 7bn financial plan for the
construction of the Texan
capital’s Project Connect
transport system, following a
joint meeting on July 27.
Under the new plan, $US
3.15bn (45%) of total costs
would be funded through a
planned capital investment
grant (CIG) from the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA).
16
agreement in Karlsruhe on
March 11 2019 to jointly
procure tram-trains through
the VDV TramTrain project
with the aim of achieving
significant savings in
resources, lead times and costs.
The project, launched in July
2017, aims to ensure the future
viability of the Karlsruhe
model for tram-train systems
and potentially open it up to
new operators.
The full delivery of the order
is expected to take 10 years.
The project will start with
the development and approval
of a standard model, with the
Crossrail says it has a comprehensive plan to begin trial running at the
earliest opportunity.
and handover of the tunnel
shafts and portals which contain
many complex operating systems
= revision to the schedule for
handing over the 10 central
section stations to Transport
for London (TfL), and
= a pause of work during the
Covid-19 lockdown and
significant constraints due to a
50% reduction in workers on
sites.
The remaining $US 3.85bn will
be covered through an
additional 8.75 cent municipal
tax increase which must be
approved by voters in
November.
The new financial plan
reduces the cost of the system
by around $US 2.6bn from its
original $US 9.6bn price tag.
The budget cut includes
scrapping the 9.7km Gold Line
and deferring extensions to the
Orange Line.
The partners will jointly fund the development of a base model, before a
further five varations are developed.
costs shared by the partners,
resulting in major savings.
From this, five variants will be
produced that meet operator-
specific requirements. As
“Our focus remains on
opening the Elizabeth Line as
soon as possible,” says Mr
Mark Wild, Crossrail Ltd’s
chief executive. “We have a
comprehensive plan to
complete the railway and we
are striving to commence
intensive operational testing
for the Elizabeth Line, known
as trial running, at the earliest
Rheinbahn halts acceptance of LRVs
opportunity.”
R
HEINBAHN has stopped
accepting new Bombardier
Flexity HF6 LRVs for its
Düsseldorf light rail network
until further notice following
the discovery of
manufacturing defects.
The problems were
identified during welding of
the underframes for the high-
floor vehicles. Bombardier has
appointed an independent
technical supervisory authority
to provide a second opinion of
the steel samples, which will
determine the safety and
Saarbahn does not require any
modifications from the base
variant it will receive the first
vehicles, which are due to be
Hyundai Rotem
delivered in July 2024.
and Ulsan launch
hydrogen project
T
HE Korean city of Ulsan and
Hyundai Rotem signed a
memorandum of understanding
(MoU) on August 13 to
produce and test the country’s
first hydrogen-powered LRVs.
Hyundai Rotem is currently
working on a 70km/h
hydrogen LRV, capable of
travelling 150km on a single
charge using 95kW fuel cells,
and will be responsible for
infrastructure upgrades,
hydrogen charging stations
and operation.
The LRVs will be tested on a
disused 4.6km line serving Ulsan
Port. The objective is to
investigate the feasibility of
using the technology on Ulsan’s
planned Won 1.3 trillion ($US
1bn) 48.3km four-line LRT
network. The 25.3km first phase
is scheduled to open in 2027.
longevity of the vehicles and
whether any modifications are
required.
Rheinbahn received
authorisation to operate the
vehicles with passengers in
June. So far seven vehicles
have been delivered. However,
the plan to deliver a further
nine to enable Rheinbahn to
increase the frequency of U75
services from October are on
hold along with accelerated
delivery of the remaining 26
LRVs from the É167m
framework 2015 order.
IRJ September 2020

China-India tensions cloud Chinese
involvement in Indian metro projects
I
NDIA’s continuing border
hostilities with China have
led to uncertainty about the
future of several metro projects
involving Chinese companies.
Six Chinese companies are
involved in Mumbai projects
to build 337km of metro lines.
Of these, Shanghai Tunnel
Engineering, China Rail Tunnel
Group and Continental
Engineering are participating
in Line 3, while China Harbour
Engineering is building part of
Line 4 in a joint venture with
Tata Projects.
“Two Chinese firms had
been interested to supply rakes
[coaches] for the Jacob - Circle
- Wadala - Chembur monorail
project, but we have scrapped
the bidding process,” says Mr
B G Pawar, spokesman for
Mumbai Metro Rail
First Tokyo Metro series 17000 train unveiled: Tokyo Metro
presented the first of its new series 17000 trains on August 11.
The first 10-car train will enter service on the Yurakucho and
Fukutoshin lines in February 2021. Tokyo Metro plans to have
the rest of the fleet, comprising six 10-car trains and 15 eight-car
trains, in service by 2022. The new trains will replace series 7000
SkyTrain preferred bidder announced
trains that have been in service for about 45 years.
B
RITISH Columbia, Canada,
has selected the Acciona-
Ghella joint venture as the
preferred bidder for a $C 2.8bn
($US 2bn) contract to design
and construct a 5.7km
underground westward
extension to the Millennium
Line of the SkyTrain metro.
The contract includes the
construction of 5.2m internal
diameter twin tunnels and six
new stations. Construction is
planned to start this year, with
the line scheduled to open in
2025.
The new line will connect
IRJ September 2020
Development Authority
(MMRDA). “As for the
Chinese involvement in other
lines, we will abide by the
instructions of IR, which we
are awaiting.”
A review of other projects
could be tricky. For example,
four tunnel boring machines
ordered from China for
Bangalore’s Namma Metro
have already arrived, while
CRCC Nanjing Puzhen is
shipping 204 metro cars
required for Phase II.
At the same time, officials of
the Bangalore Metro Rail
Corporation (BMRCL)
expressed apprehension that a
$US 335m loan for Phase II,
signed last year by BMRCL
and the Beijing-based Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB), might not go through.
VCC-Clark to a new station at
the intersection of Broadway
and Arbutus, offering a
journey time of 11 minutes.
The extension will interchange
with the Canada Line at
Broadway City Hall.
The Transportation
Investment Corporation (TI
Corp) will lead the design-
build-finance project. The BC
government will provide
funding of $C 1.82bn, with $C
888.4m provided by the
Canadian federal government,
and $C 99.8m from Vancouver
City Council.
In brief
Cairo
Cairo Metro inaugurated the
7km Phase 4B section of Line 3
on August 17, extending Line
3 east on an elevated line from
El-Shams Club to Adly Mansour.
Copenhagen
A new metro line has been
proposed to serve a planned
artificial island in Copenhagen
harbour and provide extra
services through the centre of
the city. Lynetteholmen Island
will have space for 35,000 new
homes and construction of the
island will begin in 2022.
Gold Coast
The government of the
Australian state of Queensland
and Gold Coast city council
will equally co-fund a $A 7m
($US 5m) business case for a
13km extension to the Gold
Coast Light Rail line (G:link).
The extension, known as Stage
4, will extend the light rail line
from Burleigh Heads to Gold
Coast Airport at Tugun, at the
southern tip of the Gold Coast.
Kunming
CRRC Zhuzhou Electric
Locomotive has rolled out its
first super capacitor-powered
LRV, which is also designed
for automatic operation. The
LRV will operate on a line
serving Kunming Changshui
International Airport, and is
designed to run for up to 5km
on a single charge. The seven-
section bi-directional vehicle
will be able to accommodate a
maximum of 500 passengers.
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg in the state of
Baden Württemberg has
established a special purpose
organisation to design and
build a new ƒ250m 28km light
rail network, which will use
8km of disused railway.
Detailed planning will begin
in 2021 with a target opening
date of 2030.
New York
Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA) has awarded
a $US 233m contract to Wabtec
for 25 MotivePower R255
hybrid battery-diesel
locomotives for use on NYC
Transit (NYCT) work trains,
with an option for up to 45
additional units. The
locomotives will be delivered
before 2025.
Porto
Porto has awarded two
contracts worth a combined
É288m for the construction of
two new light rail lines to a
consortium of Ferrovial
Construction and Alberto
Couto Alves. The projects
comprise a 3.15km É106m
double-track light rail
extension to the existing Line
D (Yellow Line) and a new
3.1km É181m underground
Line G (Pink Line). Work will
begin later this year.
Seoul
The first phase of the 4.7km
eastern extension of Line 5
opened on August 7,
connecting Hanam in
Gyeonggi Province to the
metro network for the first
time.
Shenzhen
Shenzhen Metro opened two
new lines with a total length of
78km on August 18, bringing
the network’s length to 373km.
The 49km Line 6 runs
northwest from the city centre
to Songgang. The 29.3km
north-south Line 10 opened on
the same day. Shenzhen city
government has awarded
MTR Consulting and the
China Railway Electrification
Bureau (EEB) a public-private
partnership (PPP) contract to
construct, finance and operate
the 22.4km Line 13 project.
Singapore
SMRT, Singapore, and
Malaysian public transport
operator Prasarana have
signed a joint venture
agreement to form RTS
Operations, which will operate
the cross-border Johor Bahru -
Singapore light metro system
when it opens at the end of
2026.
Xiamen
The first of a fleet of 10 trains
powered by permanent
magnet synchronous traction
motors has entered service on
Xiamen Metro’s 41.6km Line 2.
The trains are manufactured
by CRRC Tangshan, while the
permanent magnet synchronous
traction system is produced by
CRRC Times Electric. IRJ
17
 News | financial
Strikes and pandemic plunge SNCF into €2.4bn first half net loss
F RENCH National Railways
(SNCF) reported a 2020
first-half net loss of É2.4bn,
compared with a 2019 first-half
net profit of É20m, due to
strikes and the coronavirus
pandemic.
First-half revenue plunged
by 21% to É14.1bn resulting
from strikes against pension
reforms which cost É275m,
and government-imposed
travel restrictions to combat
Covid-19, which started on
March 17, and cost É3.9bn in
lost revenue.
Following the January
strikes, SNCF achieved a 4%
increase in TER regional
passenger traffic and 6%
growth in TGV patronage.
However, growth came to an
abrupt end in March with the
start of the national lockdown.
In April, SNCF cut rail
capacity to 7% of normal for
TGV services, 34% for Paris
Transilien commuter services,
and 16% for TER, while only
8% of Eurostar and Thalys
trains ran. Around 70% of
freight trains continued to
operate.
Passenger services started to
resume in May, but with lower
train occupancy levels. SNCF
introduced promotions in June
to stimulate passenger traffic.
Class 1s report shrinking Q2 revenue
N ORTH American Class 1
railways have reported a
difficult second quarter, as the
effects of the coronavirus
pandemic caused a reduction
in freight traffic. However, the
railways remain confident as
the economy begins its
recovery.
Union Pacific (UP) reported
net income of $US 1.1bn, down
from $US 1.6bn last year.
Operating revenue was $US
4.2bn, down 24% compared
with 2019, while revenue
wagonloads fell by 20%.
UP suffered a 20% volume
decline due to the impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic and
expects full year wagon
volumes to be down by
around 10% compared with
2019.
Canadian Pacific (CP)
announced second-quarter
revenues of $US 1.79bn, down
18
As of June 30, Transilien was
running 98% of timetabled
services, TER 87%, and TGV
70%, while rail freight was
running nearly 85% of normal
services.
SNCF will launch a
passenger traffic recovery plan
this month, focussing on
adapting fares and digital tools
to reflect new passenger
behaviour patterns such as
working from home.
To limit the fallout from the
pandemic, SNCF expanded its
cost cutting action plan in
9% from $US 1.98bn year-on-
year, with an operating ratio of
57%.
CSX announced second
quarter net earnings of $US 499m,
down from $US 870m. Revenue
decreased 26% to $US 2.26bn,
primarily due to the pandemic.
Expenses fell 19% to $US
1.43bn, while operating income
declined 37% to $US 828m.
Canadian National (CN)
reported revenue of $C 3.2bn
($US 2.39bn), a 19% decrease
from $C 3.2bn in the second
quarter.
Kansas City Southern (KCS)
reported a 23% drop in second
quarter revenues to $US
547.9m. Overall, freight
volumes were down 21% year-
on-year. Operating income was
$US 180.4m and KCS reported
an operating ratio of 67.1%.
Second quarter net income was
$US 110.3m.
April. At the end of June, this
plan had already cut costs by
É350m, reduced investment by
É130m, and saved É600m
from activating cash flow
levers. “The plan’s impact will
continue into H2 2020,
improving liquidity by É1.8bn
over the full year,” SNCF says.
“This unprecedented effort will
have no impact on jobs in the
rail sector proper, nor will it
affect essential investment in
the network or in rail
operations.” As a result, first
half investment fell from
NS reports significant loss in first half
N ETHERLANDS Railways
(NS) says it would have
recorded a É1.078bn loss in the
first half of 2020 if it wasn’t for
government support as
passenger numbers plummeted.
Instead, NS reported a É185m
first half net loss on August 14
compared with a 2019 first half
profit of É96m. The loss, the
first in several years, was the
result of a É52m loss in
performance and tax.
NS’ turnover in the
Netherlands declined by É188m
from É1.58bn in 2019 to É1.4bn
in 2020. Passenger revenue
dropped by É467m due to
Covid-19, while turnover from
other activities fell by É72m.
Passenger traffic dropped to
10% of normal in March after
the government introduced
measures to combat the spread
of Covid-19. Volumes have
since recovered to around 40%
É4.3bn in 2019 to É3.7bn in
2020.
“It is still difficult to judge
the long-term financial impact
of the Covid-19 pandemic with
any degree of precision, given
the high level of uncertainty
about how and when the crisis
will end, and what the
economic fallout will be,”
SNCF says.
SNCF says it hopes to reach
an agreement with the
government before the end of
the year to define a financial
support package.
of normal after these measures
were partially lifted. However,
NS has urged the Dutch
government to arrange further
support for the public
transport sector.
NS says it wants to recover
financially by 2025 in time for
the start of the 2025-2040 core
network concession. NS
estimates lost turnover of
about É4.7bn over the next
four years and plans to cut
costs by É1.4bn.
“Due to different travel
behaviour and the economic
downturn, it is expected that
recovery of passenger transport
will not be achieved before
2024,” says outgoing NS CEO,
Mr Roger van Boxtel. “Meanwhile,
permanent costs continue. The
Dutch public transport sector
has to adapt to the new situation.
However, it will not make it
without further support.”
IRJ September 2020
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 News | financial

Three nine-year regional tenders for Hauts-de-France launched

H AUTS-de-France regional valued at É155m, covers a

Photo: Shutterstock/Takashi Images

council has begun
tendering for three nine-year
contracts to operate three
regional rail concessions.
The first concession covers
services operating on lines
radiating from Amiens to
Abancourt, Rouen, Abbeville,
Albert, Saint-Quentin, Laon,
Compiègne, and Creil, as well
as well as the Creil - Beauvais,
Beauvais - Le Tréport and Laon
- Hirson lines. The contract
will run from mid-December
2023 at the latest, and will
cover a network with an
estimated annual traffic
volume of 3.4 million train-km.
The concession is also expected
to include an option for the
management and operation of
the currently closed Abbeville -
Le Tréport line.
network centred on Saint-Pol-
sur-Ternoise, specifically lines
running to Étaples, Béthune
and Arras with a combined
traffic volume of around
600,000 train-km per year.
Services should begin no later
than mid-July 2024, and two
options for the construction of
a maintenance workshop and
the provision of regular bus
services on the route to
The contract includes services radiating from Amiens.
Béthuneare are expected to be
included.
A third is for the Beauvais - Rolling stock will be provided provide services including
Paris Gare du Nord line, by Hauts-de-France through a security, fraud prevention, fare
valued at É228m, which will recent procurement from French collection and marketing, as
start from mid-July 2024, and National Railways (SNCF). well as providing sufficient
will encompass 900,000 train- However, additional financial asset and infrastructure
km per year. Bidders are invited support may be provided for maintenance necessary for
to submit a second offer outlining investment in extra stock if operation.
proposals to reduce end-to-end deemed appropriate. Contracts would then be
journey times for selected Successful bidders for all finalised by mid-2022 to allow

Plan to save Latvian Railways’ rail freight business launched $US 1bn ADB
The second concession, services to under one hour. three concessions must also the new operators to mobilise.

L ATVIAN Railways (LDz) has drawn up a
new business model in a bid to halt a
continuing steep decline in freight traffic and to
modernise passenger stations and lines.
LDz says rail freight traffic dropped to the
lowest level for decades in 2019, “substantially
reducing the company’s income, affecting the
company’s financial situation and posing a
significant threat to the company’s overall
stability.” The downward trend is continuing in
the first half of 2020.
“Given the current geopolitical trends and the
declining demand for fossil fuels in Europe, the
volumes of the most frequently shipped goods -
coal and oil products - are not likely to recover
in the coming years,” LDz says.
The new business model will expand the
company’s range of freight services substantially
and see LDz become a full-scale provider of
foresees an expansion into freight forwarding, loan for Delhi -
Meerut project
I
including by sea and road transport, and
warehousing services, coupled with a drive to
increase efficiency, reduce operating costs, and
NDIA’s National Capital
improve productivity.
Region Transport Corporation
“By expanding into new markets and
(NCRTC) has been awarded a
developing new competitive services with high
$US 1bn loan by the Asian
added value, it is possible to partly and
Development Bank (ADB) to
gradually replace the declining transit flows of
support construction of the
fossil fuels through Latvia with other types of
82km Delhi - Meerut Regional
freight, even though we are aware that the new
Rapid Transit System (RRTS).
types of freight will not restore freight transport
The Delhi - Meerut line,
volumes to the former amounts,” says LDz
which is projected to cost $US
chairman, Mr Maris Kleinbergs.
3.94bn, will reduce journey
In addition, LDz has revised its investment
times to less than 60 minutes
plans to include the construction and
and carry an estimated
modernisation of 48 stations, and the complete
ridership of around 800,000
upgrade of infrastructure on four electrified
passengers per day when it
lines radiating from the capital of Riga to
opens in 2025.

Philippines awards North-South Commuter Railway contracts

third-party logistics (3PL) services. The plan also Tukums II, Skulte, Krustpils and Jelgava.
ADB financing will be

P
HILIPPINES National
Railway (PNR) has
awarded the first two
engineering and construction
contracts for Clark Phase 2 of
its North-South Commuter
Railway Project (NSCR),
following a virtual signing
ceremony on August 1.
Contract Package 4 was
awarded to a partnership of
EEI and Acciona Construction
Philippines, and Contract
Package 5 was awarded to
Posco, Korea. The two
contracts cover infrastructure
on the final 8km stretch of the
53km Clark Phase 2 section
between Mabalacat, Pampanga
and an underground station
serving Clark International
Airport.
Package 4 covers the
engineering and construction
of approximately 6.3km of
main line and 1.6km of depot
access line, as well as the
construction of the Clark
Airport station.
Package 5 covers the
engineering and construction
of the NSCR Clark Depot in
Mabalacat, which will cover
approximately 33 hectares, and
includes the operations control
centre (OCC), stabling points,
workshops, training centre and
other buildings.
The following contracts have
not yet been awarded although
bids have been submitted by
11 local and international
companies:
= package 1 covering work on
17km of railway including
Calumpit and Apalit stations
= package 2 covering work on
16km including San Fernando
station, and
= package 3 covering 12km
including Angeles station.
combined with $US 1.89bn of
funding from the Indian
government and $US 1bn from
co-financiers.
Construction of the project
will be carried out by Heavy
Civil Infrastructure, a
subsidiary of L&T Construction,
under two contracts awarded
in April.
A further contract worth Rs
25.77bn ($US 344.4m) for 40
trains for the line was awarded
by NCRTC to Bombardier in
May, comprising 30 six-car
regional commuter trains and
10 three-car intra-city trains
together with 15 years of
maintenance.

20 IRJ September 2020

 In brief

Kazakhstan Railways to sell Tulpar Austria Croatia

plant while expanding night train fleet
K
AZAKHSTAN Railways
(KTZ) has launched a
tender to sell the Tulpar Wagon
Building Plant, with the winning
bidder expected to supply and
maintain overnight trains for
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) Croatian Railways (HZ)
has been granted permission subsidiary HZ Infrastructure
to purchase an additional 20 will launch a construction
in and purchase of the Tulpar
seven-car Nightjet trains plus tender for track doubling on
locomotives for around É500m.
manufacturing site. Under the
the 44km Hrvatski Leskovac -
control and support of the
The new order will take ÖBB’s Karlovac line this month. The
strategic partner, Tulpar Wagon
total fleet of new Nightjet Kunas 2.3bn ($US 361.3m)
Building Plant will then sign
vehicles to 231 sleeping cars, project will primarily be
an agreement to supply a
couchettes, and seated vehicles. financed through a European

Bangladesh
KTZ. minimum of 26 trains consisting
Union Cohesion Fund grant.

The tender comes after a
joint venture between Talgo
and KTZ to manufacture 420
coaches at Tulpar ended in 2019.
The competition is being
facilitated by DB Engineering
and Consulting, under its
long-term cooperation with
KTZ to introduce international
standards across the company,
France
of around 18 coaches each to
KTZ between 2022 and 2029.
Bangladesh Railways has
The maintenance aspect of
signed a Taka 6.58bn ($US Paris Transport Authority
the contract includes providing
77.7m) contract with a joint (RATP) has reported an Ebit of
É57m in the first six months of
technical support, maintenance,
venture of Korean companies
the year, declining by É190m
repairs, spare parts and overhauls
Sung Shin Rolling Stock
for 20 years, with an option for
Technology and Posco (77%) year-on-year. Overall
group net income fell by É214m
another 20 years.
International for the procurement
KTZ plans to conclude the
of 150 metre-gauge passenger to -É88m, a 170.1% fall year-on-
contract for the sale of Tulpar
coaches. year caused by the coronavirus

particularly in the passenger
division.
Britain
and the order for the coaches
pandemic and strikes in
in April 2021, with the
December and January.

KTZ will sign a strategic
agreement with the winning
Italy
maintenance contract expected
Hitachi has announced the
to be finalised by December
purchase of technology firm

Renewal of Vale concession approved

bidder, covering the investment
2021.
Perpetuum as part of plans to
advance its digital maintenance
capabilities. The deal is expected
to be completed later this year
following approval by anti-
trust authorities.
Infrastructure manager Italian
Rail Network (RFI) has issued
a call for tender for a É1.15bn
contract to design and build a
22.5km southern extension to
the Brenner Base Tunnel. IRJ

TSL–Trust Your Senses to a Proven Partner

www.tsl - escha.com

ALL-ROUNDER FOR THE DOOR AREA

due to visual and acoustic signaling.

B RAZIL’s Federal Audit

Court (TCU) has
authorised early renewals for
the concession contracts for
the Carajás Railway (EFC)
and Vitoria-Minas Railway
(EFVM), which are currently
held by Brazilian company
Vale.
The draft addendum of the
updated contracts will now
be sent back to the National
Land Transport Agency
(ANTT), which will analyse
the recommendations and
include the determinations
made by the TCU’s reporting
minister, Mr Bruno Dantas.
The new contracts include
investments of Reais 8.5bn
($US 1.5bn) in EFVM and
Reais 9.8bn in EFC over the
30 years of the concession,
which will run until 2057.
Reais 2.8bn will be
allocated for the acquisition of
a new fleet for both railways,
and another Reais 370m will
SPACE AND TIME SAVING ASSEMBLY
due to combined installation.
be reserved for work to resolve
urban conflicts in 55
municipalities. An additional
Reais 11.3bn will be invested
in maintaining operation
during the term of the new
contracts.
Vale will pay the
government a fee worth
approximately Reais 2.2bn for
both railways.
The contract extension
provides for the use of a
cross-investment mechanism
for the first time which will
be used for the construction
of the Central-West
Integration Railway (Fico).
Reais 2.73bn is allocated for
Vale to build the stretch
TSL – Signal light SLR120 in combination
between Mara Rosa, Goiás,
and Água Boa, Mato Grosso. with acoustic warning panel WM87

IRJ September 2020 21

Maria Leenen
operators will invest around
É20bn in new rolling stock in
2024 which is about the same
as in 2019.
High investment costs and
the resulting project delays
and cancellations will lead to
the infrastructure industry
only having a marginal annual
growth rate of 0.2% between
2019 and 2024. Trackside
system technology is also
affected by this development
and will only grow by 0.7%.
Due to numerous upgrade
measures and the more
comprehensive deployment of
ETCS and ATO, the signalling
and train control sector has a
higher growth potential which
is especially geared towards
increasing the capacity of
existing routes. In Europe, the
importance of ETCS will grow
strongly in the coming years.
On the one hand, the expansion
of international European
corridor routes will be
accelerated, while on the other
hand, complete networks are
being converted to ETCS,
especially in smaller countries.
A current example is the decision
CRRC
Alstom Bombardier3
Siemens Mobility
Alstom
Bombardier
Wabtec
Hitachi Rail
Transmashholding
Knorr Bremse
Stadler Rail
Greenbrier
Figure 3: Top-10 railway suppliers by rail turnover in 20191 (€ billion2)
0 5
1 Revenue partly estimated. Financial years ending in the first half of 2019 have been
assigned to the year 2019.
2 Foreign currencies have been converted with the average yearly exchange rate of the
reporting period.
3 Combined revenues of Alstom and Bombardier to demonstrate their position after the
merger.
IRJ September 2020
Andreas Wolf
to convert the entire Czech
railway network of around
9000km and approximately
3000 vehicles to ETCS. A decisive
driver in this case was the
increase in safety offered by
the system.
The rolling stock industry
shows the strongest rate of
growth which is expected to
increase by 3.2%. The market
for high-speed trains, EMUs and
diesel and hybrid multiple units
is growing disproportionately
strongly. The aftersales market
in these segments is growing
strongly due to increasing
inventories, while larger
procurement projects are being
maintained despite the Covid-
19 crisis
Climate protection will be the
most important driver for the
IN THE END
rail industry in the coming
years. The European
Commission’s Green Deal
climate protection programme
IT‘S RAWIE.
specifies a 90% reduction in
transport-related CO2 emissions Franz Rawie developed the shock-absorbing
by 2050 compared with 1990,
while environmental protection
friction buffer stop in 1906 and patented it.
is also becoming noticeably Today, customized and handmade RAWIE
more important in other regions
buffer stops ensure high safety standards in
rail transport across the world.
10 15 20
R AW I E . D E
23
09:46
 News | analysis
of the world. The prerequisite
for lower transport emissions
is a significant shift of passenger
and freight traffic to rail,
which will require an extensive
expansion of rail infrastructure
and capacity. As a result of
governments taking a stake in
airlines in the wake of the
Covid-19 crisis in Europe, several
airlines have already announced
their intention to abandon
national short-haul flights and
improve their links with rail
transport. This will encourage
the procurement of further
high-speed and long-distance
trains in the coming years.
However, the railways also
want to become more
environmentally friendly. Here
the industry is facing a massive
challenge: up to 100,000 diesel
locomotives and more than
10,000 diesel multiple units
worldwide will have to be
replaced in the long term by
the electrification of lines or
introduction of vehicles with
alternative drive technologies
such as battery or hydrogen.
Europe is leading the way in
this development.
Alstom-Bombardier
With the recently approved
takeover of Bombardier
Transportation by Alstom (p6),
the competitive landscape in
Europe, but also worldwide,
will change massively.
The merger creates the world’s
0 10
China
United States
Russia
Germany
India
France
Britain
Japan
Italy
Canada
Figure 6: Top-10 worldwide railway markets for OEM and after-sales in 2019 (€ billion)
24
second largest manufacturer of
railway technologies behind
Chinese manufacturer CRRC
which specialises in rolling
stock. Outside of China,
Market volume (€ billion)
Alstom/Bombardier have a
combined turnover of É17bn
(cumulated revenue from
2019) which is about double
the revenue of the next largest
manufacturer Siemens Mobility.
Against the background of a
stagnating Chinese market, it
remains a challenge for the
market leader CRRC to continue
to grow in foreign markets.
The sales share of CRRC’s
non-Chinese business has been
relatively stable for several
years at around 10% but is no
longer growing significantly.
Market volume (€ billion)
The further development of
the US business, where CRRC
has already won orders worth
more than É2bn, is highly
uncertain due to political
tensions.
In Europe, the company has
so far only been able to gain a
foothold with smaller orders
for specialised vehicles. But
this situation will change with
the takeover of Vossloh’s
German-based locomotive
plant. For the first time, CRRC
now has a production facility
in Central Europe.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
all manufacturers are under
increasing pressure to reduce
their fixed and one-off costs
and to leverage optimisation
potential through synergies.
20
O
60 6%
Growth rate (CAGR in %)
40 4%
20 2%
0 0%
High-speed rail Conventional rail Urban rail
Figure 4: Worldwide market development by rail mode 2019 to 2024
(€ billion; CAGR in %)
125 3% SALES TYPE
100
Growth rate (CAGR in %)
2%
75
50
1%
25
0 0%
OEM After-Sales
Figure 5: Worldwide market development 2019 to 2024 (€ billion;
6
CAGR in %)
The pandemic, together SCI Verkehr expects a
with the deteriorating negative market development
economic situation and the in Africa/Middle East and the
supply of raw materials, is Commonwealth of Independent
having a particular influence on States (CIS) during the next
the development of regional five years.
railway technology markets. South America, with its lead
market Brazil which is
30 40 particularly affected by Covid-
19, is growing at 1.3% which is
a lower rate than for the
worldwide market. However,
South America already had to
accept a significant reduction
in market volume in 2019 due
to a low number of deliveries
and reduced investment in
infrastructure.
The strongest growth is
expected in Australia/Pacific,
Western Europe, Asia and
Eastern Europe.
In total, the top five largest
railway markets accounted for
53% of the worldwide market
volume for railway technology
in 2019. Newly included in the
top five of the largest rail
markets is India, which has
ousted France from fifth position
and will grow significantly in
the long term despite current
Covid-19 crisis. IRJ
IRJ September 2020
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Pandemic pushes German
Germany | Covid-19

operators to the brink

Photo: DB AG/Oliver Lange

A sign of the times. Face coverings are mandatory
on German public transport, where loadings
remain around 60% of pre-lockdown levels.

Germany’s Covid-19 lockdown resulted in passenger rail use falling to around 10% of normal levels in much of

S
March and April, causing economic devastation to the sector. As operators embark on their respective
recoveries, Kevin Smith analyses the impact of the crisis and its implications for the future of the market.
TANDING proudly, and roughly
1.5m apart, Germany’s federal
minister for transport and the
heads of German Rail (DB) and
Siemens, enthusiastically announced a
É1bn order for 30 high-speed ICE trains
on July 15.
The minister for transport and digital
infrastructure, Mr Andreas Scheuer,
praised the investment for providing a
“turbo boost” to the German economy
during the era of coronavirus. He said
the order reinforces the German
government’s longer-term commitment
to sustainable transport. The new trains
will offer 25,000 additional seats and
support a 30-minute service frequency
between major cities as DB expands its
ICE fleet to 411 trains by 2026.
“With investments in our entire fleet
of É12bn by 2026, of which É8.5bn is in
long-distance traffic alone, with massive
expansion and consistent modernisation
of the railways, we are jointly creating
the conditions for a substantial shift to
climate-friendly rail transport,” said DB
CEO, Dr Richard Lutz.
Although the tender was announced
in October 2019, critics have questioned
the timing of the contract award. An
equivalent private company, they say,
simply would not make such a huge
investment in assets at the height of the
largest crisis in living memory.
Indeed, DB, along with all public
transport operators, suffered a crash in
traffic after the coronavirus lockdown
was instituted across Germany on
March 22. DB introduced only minor
adjustments to the long-distance
domestic timetable, operating 70-90% of
its usual services while it was carrying
less than 10% of normal passengers. In
contrast, its largest long-distance
competitor, FlixTrain, was forced to
suspend all services on March 20 until
July 23 (p32).
There have been mixed messages
about the rationale for this policy - DB
said it was following government
instructions to maintain the service to
prevent overcrowding, something the
government has consistently denied.
While they might continue to agree to
disagree, this is one certainty: the
damage done to DB’s finances is
unprecedented.
“Covid has pushed us into the red -
from an operating profit of É757m in
the first half of 2019 to an operating loss
of É1.8bn in the first half of 2020,” DB’s
CFO, Dr Levin Holle, said on July 30.
“Our rail business is fixed-cost heavy,
so when people stop travelling and
revenues fall, that has an almost direct
impact on our bottom line. Our group

26 IRJ September 2020

revenues fell roughly 12% to É19.4bn in
the first half of 2020.”
While the outlook is uncertain, overall
DB is predicting a É3.5bn loss by the end
of the year with sales dropping to É38.5bn.
Long Distance reported an overall 44%
drop in volumes in the first half with
told IRJ. “What is a little frightening is
that it has frozen at this level. We had a
strong recovery in May and we still saw
a bit of recovery in June and then not a
lot has happened. It is a little different
from state to state, passenger numbers
are lower in the south where Covid was

“ Our rail business is fixed-cost heavy, so when people

stop travelling and revenues fall, that has an almost direct
impact on our bottom line. Levin Holle, DB

passenger numbers recovering to stronger, like in Bavaria, we are still

around half of their previous levels in
July. DB Cargo experienced a 13% drop
in volumes in the first six months of the
year while regional operator DB Regio
witnessed a 41% fall compared with the
first half of 2019.
DB Regio’s situation is mirrored by its
competitors in the regional market.
Transdev, Germany’s largest private rail
and bus operator, which operates 23 rail
contracts in six federal states, covering
more than 45 million train-km per year,
experienced a 90% decline in passengers
during the lockdown. Keolis, which
operates four contracts in North-Rhine
Westphalia and a cross-border service to
the Netherlands accounting for 16.5
million train-km per annum, reported a
similar fall.
“On average we are back to around
50-60% of pre-crisis,” Mr Christian
Schreyer, president and CEO of
Transdev North and Central Europe,
around 50%, whereas in the eastern
parts of Germany, such as Saxony, we
are at 70-80% of ridership.”
Mr Thomas Prechtl, CEO of Bavaria
Railway Authority (BEG), which
oversees a network of roughly 6000km
and traffic approaching 130 million
train-km per year across 35 separate
contracts, likens the impact of Covid-19
to driving a car at 180km/h into a brick
wall. “We lost 80-90% of our passengers
year-on-year, so the trains were nearly
empty, but at the same time we tried to
maximise the available capacity by
running 60-70% of the trains,” Prechtl
says. “This is to ensure the transport of
people who must travel by train could
do so at a safe distance.”
Mr Dirk Gründler, personal assistant
to the board director and head of the in-
house legal team at BEG, says regular
talks and meetings were held with the
operators in the early days of the
Photo: DB AG/Pablo Castagnola

Germany’s transport minister, Andreas Scheur (left) and DB CEO, Richard Lutz (right), say
government support for DB will encourage a shift to “climate friendly” rail transport.

IRJ September 2020 27

 Germany | Covid-19
pandemic to establish a stable timetable,
which the operators guaranteed to
maintain for the duration of the crisis.
In turn, BEG guaranteed that it would
continue to pay normal fees without the
penalties for late running or not
meeting the contractually agreed level
of service.
“Our greatest fear at this time was if
employees were to become ill,” Prechtl
says. “If that happened some of the
trains would not be able to operate. We
were successful in doing this. Traffic
was stable and after Easter we increased
traffic back to the normal level.”
Prechtl says the total losses incurred
is a “very big sum.” With operators
suffering from a lack of liquidity due to
the fall in ticket revenues, BEG
continued to pay regular monthly
instalments at the same level as before
despite the reduction in service level.
This would normally result in a
reduction in the payment, or a penalty
for the operator.
Indeed, nearly all of Bavaria’s
contracts are operated on a net contract
basis, whereby the operator takes on the
risk of operating the service and
receives income from ticket sales and
other commercial ventures. Six of
Transdev’s 23 contracts in Germany are
operated on this basis, and their
continuing viability is a concern to
Schreyer.
“The margins are low in our business
and if you have a net contract with 60-
Transdev operates 23 contracts in Germany. However, CEO for Northern and Central Europe, Christian Schreyer, fears for their future viability.
28
70%, you are just dead,” says Schreyer,
who is also president of Mofair, which
represents private and independent rail
operators in Germany. “If you have less
passengers on a lasting basis you must
take out capacity or renegotiate the
contract otherwise you will not survive.”
Cut costs
In contrast, all of Keolis Germany’s
contracts are concessions, whereby the
operator is paid a set fee by the
transport authority to deliver the
service. CEO, Ms Anne Mathieu, says
the company can live with the current
arrangement, although she says the
operator has looked to cut costs where
possible, including a non-essential
worker hire freeze.
Mathieu says Keolis reduced its offer
in coordination with the local public
transport authorities and ministries of
transport to around 65% of previous
levels during the crisis and passenger
numbers have since recovered to an
average of 65%.
This close coordination has continued
since the lockdown was lifted. Mathieu
says ‘Focus Bahn’ meetings, which
previously considered employment
issues, now discuss the consequences
and recovery from the pandemic, and
how they might bring passengers back.
Mathieu says Keolis’ approach to
encouraging a return has been to inform
passengers of the situation, what
instructions they should follow, and as
restrictions have been lifted, to offer
reassurance that travelling by train is safe.
Safety is also reinforced by the legal
requirement for German public
transport passengers to wear face
coverings with fines for passengers who
do not conform. A national campaign to
support the measure is underway and
is backed by the roughly 600 members
of the Association of German Transport
Companies (VDV).
“Keolis Germany conducted a survey
of our passengers to try and understand
what they were worried about,”
Mathieu says. “We could see that most
passengers left public transport during
the lockdown but that 86% want to
come back. Already two-thirds feel safe
on the train and at the station, but the
biggest worry is about other passengers
not wearing masks.”
Another campaign recently launched
by VDV is the #BesserWeiter initiative
to convince the public that trains and
buses are safe and that they should
return to using them but only while
wearing a mask. As part of the
campaign, VDV has also launched a
‘bus and train trust index’ to measure
the mood of the public using public
transport in Germany in monthly
representative surveys.
BEG is also using a variety of
techniques and campaigns to encourage
Bavarians to return to the train.
However, Gründler admits there is still
Photo: Transdev/Holger Jacoby
IRJ September 2020
“ We could see that
most passengers left
public transport during
the lockdown but that
86% want to come
back. Already two-
thirds feel safe on the
train and at the
station. Anne Mathieu
some way to go. “We don’t have to tell
their minds, we have to bring it to their
heart,” he says.
Schreyer and Mathieu say a major test
of whether the current ridership figure
will further recover is expected this
month. The end of the summer holidays
and the return of schools and
universities should normally result in a
surge in public transport use in
Germany. Many people who have been
working at home since March are likely
to be encouraged to return to the office
as Germany attempts to return to
something approaching normal.
This month the federal states should
begin accepting applications for
compensation promised to transport
companies for lost revenues
experienced between March 1 and
August 31. The European Commission
(EC) approved a É6bn scheme from the
German government to support local
and regional public transport operators
on August 10. In reality, it is a É5bn
programme, with the federal
government contributing É2.5bn and
the states É2.5bn.
Schreyer says this figure is calculated
on the assumption that the operators
will return to 90% of their previous
revenues by the end of the year. The
federal funds will account for
approximately 50% of lost income. It
could be 100% but this depends on how
the states will distribute their É2.5bn
share, with different states taking
different approaches.
In Bavaria the compensation
programme will supersede the regular
instalment payments offered by BEG
IRJ September 2020
Prechtl says the process has two phases.
The first phase comprised an application
“ Oen the
little things
provide the
for the refund from the government by
August 31. In the second phase, BEG is greatesst
accepting applications for compensation
up to September 30, at which point
teams at the authority will go to work
benefits.s
to check the losses against gains from Han® 1A - Com ,
the agreed limitations of service during
the lockdown to calculate what they rrob
obust e.
might be owed. He estimates that the
state will have É387m available, which
the Bavarian state government will
match, taking the total to É774m, which
should cover up to 90% of an operator’s
losses. He expects the process to
conclude by September 30 2021. Space -saving in
ind dus all
Whether other states take the same connectors fo
orr rrail
ailway vehicles
approach remains to be seen. For
example, Schreyer says Saxony, which
Compact and lightweight:
also has a lot of net contracts, has not
EN 45545 -2, R22-24, HL1-3,
yet stated whether they will use their
IEC 61373 - Cat.2, IP20 / IP65
part of the funding to help the private
operators. Transmits data, signals
“If this process is not fair, it will be and power
tough for us,” Schreyer says. “We are
concerned right now that a big portion
Highly versatile: Door
of these funds will go to municipal
systems, lighting, loud -
transport companies in cities which
speakers, wipers and more
have not been able to reduce costs
during the crisis. Will there be any One Range. No Limits:
money in the end for private operators? www.HARTING.com/ /co
compact-
We don’t know yet.” connector-railway
There are also questions over how or
whether DB will benefit from this fund.
DB Regio could receive up to É800m
and is potentially the biggest single
beneficiary. However, the government
said DB will receive its own separate
É5bn capital increase from the
government due to the coronavirus
29
 Germany | Covid-19

“ All normal shareholders expect a

return one day on their
investment. The taxpayer does
not have the same expectation.
Christian Schreyer, Transdev

losses, which is set to be followed by up
to É3.6bn next year. The company’s
debt ceiling has also been increased to
É30bn from É25bn previously.
Mofair believes that using taxpayers’
money in such a way could have serious
implications for future competition by
providing DB with an unfair competitive
advantage. They argue that covering
losses incurred by DB Long Distance is
the equivalent of a direct award and
that FlixTrain or other competitors
should have had the opportunity to fill
this gap.
For commuter and regional services,
the government argues that the cash
injection is equivalent to a private
company increasing capital into its
business. However, Mofair does not feel
that DB should be able to benefit twice.
“It is a little bit strange when the CFO
of DB says that we are steering through
the crisis while talking about the new
trains for DB Long Distance and not
adding where the money came from,”
says Dr Matthias Stoffregen, Mofair’s
managing director. “It comes directly
from the state, which is state aid that
other competitors do not get. It is a
really huge problem that questions the
principle of competition in German rail
generally.”
“They are using taxpayer’s money
but are saying to the private operators
to ask their shareholders for the same
capital increase, where their shareholder
is not a taxpayer and doesn’t have
unlimited funds,” Schreyer says. “All
normal shareholders expect a return
one day on their investment. The
taxpayer does not have the same
expectation. This is why this comment
is so arrogant and has made us really
furious. It shows the mindset of DB
currently.”
Dipl-Pol Oliver Mietzsch, executive
director of Greater Leipzig Transport
Authority (ZVNL), shares the concern
that the capital injection could potentially
distort future competition. He says
ZVNL has appointed the consultancy
KZV, which has a good handle on DB’s
finances, to monitor how the É5bn will
be redistributed throughout the
company, although it is too early to say
what the outcome will be.
Stoffregen says the European
Commission is also closely engaged in
the process and could yet rule against it
if it is deemed to offer an unfair advantage
to DB. “The federal government must
not do the capital increase before the
commission has allowed it,” he says.
“That is forbidden by European law.”
Another area where Mofair feels that
DB is distorting the market is the use of
its recently-established low-cost carrier,
Regional Transport Start Germany, to
compete in tenders where it is looking
to regain market share, already winning
back one contract from Transdev in
Saxony.
In addition, it has been common in
recent tenders for three, two, or sometimes
only one bidder to come forward
compared with five or six for previous
contracts.
Mietzsch says Start was founded to
help DB compete more effectively
because it discounts overheads that its
competitors don’t have, such as the
large blue-collar workforce. However,
he says the reduction in bidders
competing for contracts is not a
consequence of the pandemic but an
overall trend in the market.
“The parent companies of both the
private and the state-owned operators
like Abellio are in difficulty because
they do not make too much money in
the German regional rail market,”
Mietzsch says. “For 5-6% margins, they
are asking themselves whether they
need to do all of this work? There is an
argument that we have gained all of the
possible gains in the competition
process - we the authorities but also the
companies, so there is not much left to
get any more money out of it.”
This view is shared by Prechtl and
Gründler. They believe that several firms
could withdraw from the market
altogether. Takeovers and mergers of
smaller players are also likely as operators
seek synergies between contracts to
drive efficiency improvements.
Reforms
They also believe that several reforms
are possible, which could support
participants which do not have the
backing of the state, potentially
reinvigorating the market.
For example, in Bavaria the state
currently guarantees the finance of new
trains, providing an equal opportunity
to all bidders. This is a unique
arrangement, but other states have
similar initiatives - Baden Württemberg
for example owns the trains which are
rented to the operator. Similar
guarantees could be offered in other
areas where operators take on risk or
are exposed to large costs, such as train
maintenance. Many of the operators are

30 IRJ September 2020

expected to renegotiate contracts
sometimes agreed 12-15 years ago so
the terms are more favourable.
“The way we have organised
competition in public transport in
Germany has been good, but it is not
perfect,” Gründler says. “We have some
problems. We thought this before but
maybe now we need to think a little bit
“
Maybe now we need to think a little bit faster to resolve
these issues and stabilise future competition because the
problems are increasing, and the need is really urgent.
Dirk Gründler, BEG
faster to resolve these issues and
stabilise future competition because the
problems are increasing, and the need is
really urgent.”
The problem for BEG and other
authorities to introduce reforms could
be a lack of capacity to innovate. A
significant proportion of BEG’s staff
IRJ September 2020
will be taken up with the compensation
process, limiting their ability to come
up with and institute new ideas.
Nevertheless, Gründler feels the
pandemic offers an opportunity to reset.
If passenger numbers remain down in
the medium-term, he says this is a
chance for the rail operators and
authorities to focus on offering a higher
quality and more reliable service, which
will strengthen the sector in the long
term, ultimately encouraging both old
and new passengers to use the train.
Likewise, Mathieu says that as well as
safety, the pandemic is forcing Keolis to
rethink how it might attract passengers
to use its services. “We have to put
ourselves in their position and really
rethink what our offer is,” she says.
“For me this is positive.”
Mathieu says it could be an opportunity
to accelerate digitalisation projects, an
area where she says there is room for
improvement in Germany. “Other
countries might be more advanced, but
the pandemic is pushing us in this
direction,” she says. “Things like
buying your ticket with a card and
making this a contactless payment will
be accelerated by the pandemic.”
The big question that no one yet has
the answer to is what happens next.
With coronavirus cases on the rise again
in Europe as IRJ went to press, there are
growing concerns about the prospect of
a second wave and what this might do
to rail businesses if the unthinkable
happens: a second comprehensive
lockdown.
This would cast doubt on whether
third party and private operators are
able to continue to operate on a risk
basis, let alone compete for future
contracts. The German market is
seemingly facing its biggest challenge
since it was conceived in the mid-1990s.
“We are waiting to see what
happens,” Mathieu says. IRJ
31
Germany’s open-access operator revam
Germany | FlixTrain

FlixTrain rein

Flixtrain, Germany largest open-access long-distance passenger operator, started to reintroduce train services
on July 23 following a four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. As FlixTrain’s managing

F
director, Fabian Stenger, explains to David Briginshaw, passengers are returning, and the company intends to
resume its expansion plans next year.
LIXTRAIN, in common with
Europe’s other open-access long-
distance train operators, was
forced to suspend operations when the
coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this
year. The company shut down its three-
line network in Germany on March 19,
but it was not until July that it felt
confident enough to start running trains
again.
Two routes, Cologne - Berlin and
Cologne - Hamburg, restarted on July
23, but at a lower frequency than before.
“We were cautious in the beginning, but
after a couple of weeks we decided to
increase capacity and almost doubled
the number of journeys,” Mr Fabian
Stenger, FlixTrain’s managing director
told IRJ. Stenger says he is “happy with
the restart” and that FlixTrain is currently
performing above the market average in
terms of load factor.
Stenger says adapting to the new
normal during Covid-19 has been a
tough challenge for all modes of
transport in Germany. “There is close
contact with the government on how to
operate safely and the same measures
have been agreed for all carriers in
Germany,” Stenger says.
For FlixTrain, these measures include:
= mandatory face masks for all
passengers and staff
= cleaning and disinfecting trains
throughout, before and after each
journey
= providing every passenger with an
assigned seat, meaning passengers can
board the train through the correct door
and nobody needs to stand in the aisles
= contactless check-in
= continuous supply of fresh air, and
= load indicators for each train on its
website.
Passengers are given the current
safety instructions together with their
booking confirmation. Train crew also
inform passengers of all hygiene
measures when boarding.
Stenger says these measures have
enabled FlixTrain to maintain capacity

32 IRJ September 2020


mped and ready to grow
ntroduced limited services on the Cologne - Berlin and Cologne - Hamburg routes on July 23. Photo: Keith Fender
on its trains. “Compared with German
Rail (DB), we can’t overbook a train
because every passenger is assigned a
seat so we can carry the same number
of passengers as before,” Stenger told IRJ.
“It is hard to say what the additional
cost is, but it is an investment from our
side, and we are happy to start up again.”
German operators have benefited
from a positive attitude to the use of
public transport, partly due to a much
lower incidence of Covid-19 in Germany
than in other European countries. Indeed,
while most of Europe’s incumbent
national rail operators cut back services
drastically during national lockdowns,
DB continued virtually as normal.
However, FlixMobility, FlixTrain’s
parent company, is unhappy with the
German government’s planned state-
aid package to DB to offset the effects of
the coronavirus pandemic which it
believes will give DB, which has a 99%
IRJ September 2020
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share of the long-distance rail market in
Germany, an even greater advantage
over private operators.
FlixBus founder and CEO, Mr André
Schwämmlein, wrote to the European www.robel.com
commissioner for competition, Ms
Margrethe Vestager, on July 7 calling for Plasser UK
measures to balance competition in the Contact: ROBEL’s UK Agent
German rail market. Schwämmlein is Plasser UK Ltd.
particularly concerned about the É11bn Manor Road, West Ealing, London
in state aid which DB was promised last Tel: Main Office +44 (0) 208998 4781
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autumn as part of Germany’s climate
package and an increase in its debt
ceiling from É25bn to É30bn.
“DB seems to be incessantly using
crisis situations to strengthen its
competitive advantage,” Schwämmlein
says. “Such a pattern could set a
dangerous precedent in the EU, turning
back the clock on decades-long efforts
and preventing other private rail
services to launch competitive offers
across Europe in the foreseeable future.”
 Germany | FlixTrain
In order to maintain fair competition
in the German rail market, FlixMobility
would like to see non-discriminatory
access to DB’s distribution channels
such as the DB Navigator app and
website.
“Consumers are still being misled,
thinking this is a comprehensive
overview of journeys, but there is not
always full transparency and consumers
are not able to buy FlixTrain tickets
directly via bahn.de,” Stenger says.
FlixMobility also wants a reduction in
train access charges for commercial
operators, fair access to train paths,
maintenance and train stabling facilities,
and a ban on aggressive price dumping
by DB.
“It is a tough time for everyone, and
we are not against some kind of state
aid for the incumbent,” Stenger told IRJ.
“DB received huge financial support
last year, and with Covid-19 another
package is coming to the table. We are
talking about billions of euros, but there
is no transparency on how DB will use
the money.
“State aid should not endanger fair
competition. There is far more competition
in air transport than rail, but the
German government placed a lot more
conditions on Lufthansa than it has on
DB. We are a private company and we
had to cease our operation whereas DB
continued with virtually the same
capacity, so it is somewhat unfair when
the incumbent gets government support
and we do not.
34
“There are anti-trust authorities we
can appeal to in Germany, but in the
end it is a political decision. We want to
maintain fair competition in the German
train market. We are talking to a lot of
German politicians, but DB is a state-
owned company.”
While FlixTrain ramped up services
on its two reopened routes in Germany
in August, Stenger says the company is
planning to reopen the third route
linking Berlin with Stuttgart, but it does
not have a set timing on when to do so.
“It’s a tricky question - I don’t have a
crystal ball,” he says. “We are more on
the conservative side at the moment and
looking at how to proceed for 2021.”
Nevertheless, Stenger says FlixTrain is
“looking for expansion in 2021.”
Expansion
FlixTrain’s growth has been rapid
since it entered the German long-distance
rail market in March 2018 when it took
over the operation of the former Hamburg-
Cologne Express (HKX) service linking
the two cities. The following month, the
company launched its second route
linking Berlin to Stuttgart with Leo
Express, Czech Republic, as the operator.
This revived the short-lived crowd-funded
Locomore service between the two cities.
FlixTrain added a second round trip on
the Berlin - Stuttgart route and stepped
up the frequency from five times per
week to daily in June 2018. The following
month, the Cologne - Hamburg service
Former compartment coaches were converted to
open saloons and refurbished for the relaunch.
was expanded to two round trips a day.
A third route, linking Berlin with
Cologne and running six days per week,
was launched in May 2019. FlixTrain
added seven new destinations to its
nationwide long-distance rail network
with the start of the new timetable on
December 15 2019, and the journey time
for Hamburg - Cologne services was cut
from a minimum of 4h 8min to just over
3h 30min.
FlixTrain planned to launch a new
Hamburg - Stuttgart service this spring
with up to three departures per day by
the summer. However, expansion plans
came to an abrupt halt with the spread
of coronavirus forcing the company to
suspend all services on March 19.
Up to that point, Stenger says traffic
was building up well. “We carried more
than 1 million passengers during our
first year of operation,” he says. “We were
very happy with the numbers which
were exceeding our expectations. We
are the first private long-distance
passenger rail network in Germany
competing with DB. We are aware that
it is an up-hill task and a long-term
investment.”
Last year, the company decided to
upgrade its rolling stock. FlixTrain’s
financial partner, Railpool, acquired
used compartment coaches which are
being converted to high-capacity vehicles
by Talbot Services in Aachen. Talbot
will also maintain the vehicles under
Railpool’s 15-year lease agreement with
FlixTrain.
IRJ September 2020
“ Rail is a long-term
investment for us. We
have slowed down a
little, but we still want
to expand
Fabian Stenger

The work involves more than 100
coaches and includes removing the
traditional compartments and converting
the coaches to open-plan saloons, fitting
new seats and modernising the toilets.
Power sockets and Wi-Fi have been
installed as well as an onboard
entertainment system. The refurbishment
should extend the life of the coaches by
15-20 years.
Train services are only being resumed
using the refurbished coaches. “We
have refurbished more coaches than we
currently have in service,” Stenger says.
“We are always looking at options to
add more coaches to the fleet, but the
number of second-hand vehicles is
limited, so we have also been looking at
owns FlixBus, has similar partnership
agreements with both train and bus
operators. “We may need additional Make room m
partners for specific routes, and we will
discuss this over the next couple of for your ideas
months about how we grow and
expand next year,” Stenger says.
FlixTrain was planning to become the
first open-access long-distance train
operator in France with services
radiating from Paris to Bordeaux,
Toulouse, Lyon, Nice (an overnight
train) and across the border to Brussels.
However, FlixTrain decided in April not
to proceed with plans to enter the
French market. DVC 1000 -P series
Stenger says one of the obstacles is
the “enormous” cost of track access Based on isolating amplifier technology, LEM

charges in France which reach É30/km

new vehicles.” The company had initial
talks with a number of train
manufacturers last year.
for high-speed services. This compares
with “the still very high” É10/km in
Germany and just É1.50/km in
makes the insulated voltage measurement of
1000 VRMS nominal more comp mpact, measuring
only 37 x 43 x 23.5mm. It mustt be mounted
on a printed board, for a total volume of only
7.. 4 cm3.
37

Operators
The restoration of services also coincided
with a switch in train operators following
the ending of agreements with
Sweden. “With fees at the current levels,
it is very challenging to offer customers
an affordable product similar to that
which FlixTrain successfully provides in
Germany,” the company told IRJ at the
DVC 1000 -P offers significant savings in terms
of space compared to a typicala sensor.
It delivers great overall accurac
cy, of +/- 1 % at
mperature leading

+25°C, with high stability in temper
to an overall accuracy of +/- 1.5% from - 40°C
to +85°C as operating temperaturature range.

FlixTrain’s two launch operators,
BahnTouristikExpress, in partnership
with Railroad Development
Corporation (RDC), and Leo Express.
“The current situation is a great
challenge for the entire mobility
industry, which includes our partner
companies,” Stenger explains. “Both
FlixTrain and RDC decided to terminate
their cooperation. Leo Express has
recently made entrepreneurial decisions
that have affected their cooperation
with FlixTrain and the re-start of
operations. Economically, we did not
come to an agreement and therefore we
had to decide to terminate our
cooperation. We regret that Leo Express
will not continue to be our partner.”
The two routes are now operated by
SVG and IGE. FlixMobility, which also
IRJ September 2020
time. “If French decision makers can It is ideally situated in industrial
al applications
but can also be used in traction on as it is fully
demonstrate a willingness to align with compliant with the International al Railway
other European markets and conditions Industry Standards ( IRIS).
improve, FlixTrain is open to
• 1000 V nominal voltage
reconsidering a French expansion.”
• PCB mounting
FlixTrain announced plans last
• Small dimensions & light weight (22g)
September to launch services in Sweden • - 40 to +85°C operation
from Stockholm to Gothenburg and • Fast response time of 10μs
0μs
Malmö this year. Despite the pandemic,
FlixTrain still plans to enter the Swedish www.lem.com
rail market due to the “excellent
situation for private operators.”
“Rail is a long-term investment for
us,” Stenger says. “We have slowed
down a little, but we still want to
expand. The question is what impact
Covid-19 will have on demand in the
future. We still expect to open new
routes in Germany and to start business
in Sweden next year.” IRJ
Iconic project makes progress
Germany | Stuttgart 21
despite growing costs
Despite stiff opposition, funding disputes, and delays, German Rail’s controversial and ambitious Stuttgart 21
T
project is now making steady progress. As David Briginshaw and Anitra Green report, the project will
radically alter the rail network in the Stuttgart area when it is finally completed in 2025.
HE ambitious project to replace
Stuttgart’s terminus station with
an underground through station
and build a new direct line to the city’s
airport and exhibition centre was
originally launched in 1994. However,
Stuttgart 21 has been dogged by
controversy since the outset due to
disagreements over funding and
mounting opposition from politicians
and local residents who questioned the
project’s value for money in the face of
rising costs and the destruction of
landmark buildings in the city centre.
The cost of the project was originally
estimated at around É2.5bn, but by
2009 this had risen to É4.5bn with
funding split between the state of
Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart city
council, Stuttgart Transport Association
(VVS), Stuttgart Airport and German
Rail (DB). However, costs continued to
mount with DB blaming a building
boom for higher-than-expected prices
from contractors.
Nevertheless, DB was determined to
push ahead and started work in 2010.
This only enflamed opposition further
leading to violent protests. It was only
after a referendum in 2011, which
backed the project, that work could
finally get going properly.
There are still some
protests, but they are far
less serious than before
thanks to a public
relations campaign
that includes
guided tours
36
round the building sites and a multimedia
exhibition in the station’s iconic square
tower.
Even so, costs continued to rise, with
the total cost officially estimated at É6.5bn
in March 2013. On January 26 2018,
DB’s Supervisory Board approved
a financing framework of É8.2bn for
Stuttgart 21, which includes a É495m
risk buffer. Stuttgart 21 is being
financed by DB, the German federal
government, the European Union, the
state of Baden-Württemberg, the City of
Stuttgart, Stuttgart Airport and VVS.
Construction is also taking far longer
than expected. Stuttgart 21 should have
completed by last year. However, the
completion date was first extended to
2022, and subsequently slipped to 2025.
Stuttgart 21 will be linked to a new
high-speed line being built from
Wendlingen, to the east of the city, to
Ulm, which will effectively extend the
Mannheim - Stuttgart high-speed line to
Ulm en route to Munich when it opens
in 2022. DB expects more than 10 million
long-distance passengers a year to
benefit from the Stuttgart - Ulm project.
The cost of the Wendlingen - Ulm line
section is budgeted at É3.7bn as of
December 2017, with DB funding É141m,
Baden-Württemberg É950m and the
German government and the EU the
remaining É2.6bn.
Both projects are being
managed by DB Project
Stuttgart-Ulm,
which was set up in 2013. In total, DB
is building five new stations, 120km of
tunnels and 81 bridges. The new
through main station in Stuttgart will
also mean that there are many new
direct links for regional traffic, which
will take the pressure off Stuttgart’s S-
Bahn network, already operating at its
limit.
The core of the Stuttgart 21 project is
the new eight-track underground
station for through trains. The new
station will run along the side of the
existing main station building, at an
angle of 90o°to the existing terminus
station. The historic station building
with its tower is being retained, and
DB is investing É200m in the É250m
renovation scheme. Supports have
been inserted beneath the building to
allow the new station platforms and
track to be constructed.
Meanwhile work is in progress on
constructing new lines forming a circle
around the city centre,
mostly in tunnels,
and including
the new
Mitternacht
S-Bahn
station. On
July 20 the
project
partners
IRJ September 2020

celebrated the start of the main
construction work for the rail
connection at the airport and the city’s
main exhibition centre.
Once the new main station opens in
2025, the existing terminus station will
close and the whole area, in the heart of
the city, will be free for redevelopment.
Out of the total of about 100 hectares, 20
hectares will be reserved for parks and
green areas. Two new districts will be
created - the Europaviertel and
Rosenstein - under a framework plan
developed in 1997.
Construction
Stuttgart 21 is underway at eight
construction sites. To the north, tunnels
are being built to provide better
connections to Feuerbach and Bad
Cannstatt. To the south, the Filder tunnel
will provide a direct line to Stuttgart
airport and the exhibition centre, as
well as a better connection with the
Gäubahn line to Boblingen. From the
airport, a new line is being constructed
parallel to the existing highway to
Wendlingen am Neckar as part of the
new Stuttgart - Ulm high-speed line.
Since travelling times to the airport
will be considerably shorter for both
long-distance and regional passengers,
a substantial shift from road to rail is
expected, especially for travellers from
other regions. For example, a trip by
rail from Stuttgart main station to the
airport will take only 8 minutes instead
of 27 minutes today, from Ulm 30 minutes
instead of 1h 35min, from Rottweil 59
minutes instead of 2h 2min, and from
Tübingen 35 minutes instead of 65.
The Stuttgart 21 partners have also
agreed on a pilot project to introduce a
digital signalling and train control
system, which would make Stuttgart
the first city in Germany to introduce
such a system. By 2025, all lines in the
Stuttgart 21
Stuttgart 21 project as well as the greater
Total route length: 57km
High-speed lines: 20km
Tunnels: 33km
Bridges: 44
Passenger stations: 3
Park and ride station: 1
Planned commissioning: December 2025
Stuttgart - Ulm
Total route length: 59.6km
Tunnels: 30.4km
Maximum speed: 250km/h
Railway overpasses: 17
Road bridges: 20
Planned commissioning: December 2022
IRJ September 2020
Stuttgart
up!Nbooifjn
Stuttgart Neckarpark
Main Station
Unterturkheim
Oberturkheim
Airport/Exhibition Centre
Filderstadt
IRJ
part of the S-Bahn network will be
equipped with ETCS, digital signalboxes
and highly automated operation.
The first phase will involve equipping
the lines radiating from Stuttgart to
Feuerbach, Bad Cannstatt, and Sommerrain
to the north, Untertürkheim to the east,
Filderstadt-Bernhausen near the airport,
and Goldberg to the southwest. The
entire S-Bahn network will follow by
2030, including lines also used by long-
distance, regional and freight trains.
The 60km Wendlingen - Ulm line is
designed for 250km/h operation and is
being built in seven sections. Half of the
route consists of nine tunnels, otherwise
it runs parallel to the A8 highway. The
new line takes a more direct route than
the existing Stuttgart - Ulm main line,
crossing the Swabian Jura hills further
to the south.
Around 40 rail and road bridges are
being built. One of the two major
bridges crosses the Neckar river at
Wendlingen, and is 136m long at an
altitude of 271m above sea level. The
other, the 458m-long Fils Valley bridge
between Mühlhausen im Täle and
Wiesensteig is an even more imposing
structure. At an altitude of 485m, it is
one of the highest railway bridges in
Germany. The bridge connects the
Boßler tunnel with the Steinbühl tunnel
directly. “This rare combination of
tunnel-bridge-tunnel is architecturally
and technically demanding,” says DB.
The existing railway bridge over the
River Danube in Ulm has already been
widened to accommodate four tracks
under a joint project called Neu-Ulm 21,
and was completed in 2007.
The highest point of the new line is at
Surface In tunnel
Existing main lines
Stuttgart 21 lines
under construction
N
Esslingen
Plochingen
up!Vmn!boe!
Nvojdi
Wendlingen
up!Vmn!
Kirkheim boe!
Nvojdi
750m, which means a climb of almost
500m on the 16km uphill section from
Wendlingen towards Ulm. This is too
steep for heavy freight trains, so the
new line will be restricted to trains
weighing a maximum of 1500 tonnes.
According to DB, the shell of the new
Wendlingen - Ulm line is 90% complete.
More than 60km of tunnel bores have
been completed. Equipping the line is
also making good progress with 37km
of track already laid and 800 catenary
masts erected.
Completion of the two projects will
have many benefits. The high-speed
line will open in 2022 and will be used
by two or three high-speed passenger
trains per hour. The non-stop trip from
Stuttgart to Ulm will take 30 minutes,
compared with 58 minutes today. The
line will also be used by regional trains
which will stop at a new station being
built at Merklingen, though this is not
actually part of the main project and
was planned and financed separately.
Regional trains will take 41 minutes to
complete the journey.
Stuttgart’s main station can currently
handle a maximum of 35 trains per
hour today, but with the start of the
new timetable in December 2025, the
new through station will have capacity
for 42 long-distance and regional trains
between 07.00 and 08.00.
The new lines leading to the new
main station will also permit much
higher speeds, with a maximum of
160km/h. In future it will be possible to
approach the station at speeds of up to
100km/h, whereas trains today are
restricted to 20km/h, which will help to
reduce journey times. IRJ
37
 Learning the lessons of Rastatt
Germany | incident management

The accident at Auggen on April 2 closed the Rhine-Alpine

corridor for six days. Photo: Patrick Seeger/dpa/Alamy Live News

Developed following the Rastatt incident in 2017, the ICM Handbook is designed to improve responses to
disruptions along the Rail Freight Corridor network. Christiane Warnecke and Alessandro Fattorini from the

T
Rhine-Alpine Rail Freight Corridor talk with David Burroughs about how guidelines from the handbook and
other lessons learned from the Rastatt incident were put into practice following an accident at Auggen in April.
HE Rastatt tunnel collapse in August
2017 caused one of the biggest
disruptions to rail traffic in Europe’s
recent history, halting services along the
route for seven weeks before the line
was repaired and reopened in October
2017. A study carried out by Hanseatic
Transport Consultancy (HTC) on behalf
of the European Rail Freight Association
(Erfa), Network of European Railways
(NEE), and the International Union for
Road-Rail Combined Transport (UIRR),
calculated that the total losses stemming
directly from the incident reached
É2.048bn.
Following the disaster, DB Networks,
SBB Infrastructure and RFC Rhine-Alpine
launched a series of workshops to
develop a blueprint covering the future
response to similar incidents and to
identify options for strengthening the
existing disaster management process.
This led to the development of the
Handbook for International Contingency
Management (ICM), which was
accepted by the Rail Net Europe (RNE)
general assembly in May 2018 and by
the Platform of Rail Infrastructure
Managers in Europe (Prime) in June
2018. It was also confirmed and supported
by the transport ministries of Rail
Freight Corridor (RFC) Rhine-Alpine
and RFC North Sea-Mediterranean in
May 2018. The ICM was first used by
corridors RFC Mediterranean in France
and RFC Scandinavian-Mediterranean
in Denmark in 2019, with the handbook
also used during an incident in
northern Germany in August.
The first test of whether the RFC Rhine-
Alpine and the related infrastructure
managers (IMs) had learned the lessons
of Rastatt came at 19.50 on April 2, when
a BLS Cargo locomotive hauling an SBB
Cargo International rolling-road service
derailed after colliding with a 140-tonne
concrete bridge section at Auggen on
the Karlsruhe - Basle main line, about
20km north of Basle. The locomotive
driver was killed, with several lorry
drivers travelling on the train also injured.
The road bridge was scheduled to be
demolished as part of the project to
expand the line to four tracks, says
Rhine-Alpine corridor manager, Mr
Alessandro Fattorini, and an investigation
is currently underway into how the
concrete block came to be on the track.
Fattorini was notified of the accident
by BLS around 21.30, and immediately
contacted the German traffic control
centre to clarify whether the ICM
process would be triggered. Following
the technical specifications and analysis
conducted by German IM DB Networks, it
was announced around 01.30 on April 3
that the incident was an international
disruption under the ICM, triggering
the ICM international contingency
process on RFC Rhine-Alpine for the
first time.
“This is triggered when the leading
IM figures that it will take longer than
three days to resolve an incident,” says
corridor managing director, Ms Christiane
Warnecke. “Another condition is that
traffic is seriously affected. It could be
that only one track is affected and most
traffic could still run, and then the ICM
process would not be initiated. In this
case DB Networks found it would take
longer than three days and traffic
would be strongly affected, so they
started the ICM processes.”

38 IRJ September 2020

 The first call between the incident
managers from the affected IMs was
organised for 10.00 on April 3, with a
separate process launched for the
communications managers.
“Before 10.00, we had several
coordination calls with the leading
infrastructure manager, which in this
case was DB Networks, to better
understand what had happened and to
better organise the information flow
during the calls with the incident
managers and with the communications
managers,” Fattorini says.
The associated IMs - ProRail, Infrabel,
SBB Infrastructure, and Italian Rail
Network (RFI) - participated in the ICM
coordination processes, along with
French National Railways (SNCF),
Luxembourg National Railways (CFL)
and Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB)
and the neighbouring RFCs, NSMed (2)
and RFC ScanMed (3).
The initial calls were used by the leading
IM, DB Networks, to inform attendees
what had happened and to offer a
forecast of how long the incident could
last and what services could be affected.
All participants coordinated on re-routing
possibilities for freight trains, using the
re-routing scenarios developed after Rastatt.
These routes, reviewed in January 2020
and openly available on the corridor’s
website, give an off-the-shelf view of
which services could operate on which
diversionary lines, depending on the
weight, train length, and profile.
DB Networks was able to meet all
requests for capacity on re-routing lines
in Germany, where rail freight mostly
used the route via Stuttgart/Singen.
These re-routings were closely
coordinated between DB Networks and
SBB Infrastructure. Several freight trains
were also redirected via France and the
Brenner route.
The situation was eased by the
coronavirus pandemic, which had
caused many passenger services and
some freight services to come to a halt,
reducing pressure on capacity. However,
there was a drawback, as it meant many
trains were filling the limited stabling
areas available to hold services waiting
to pass the incident.
In order to facilitate this, the online
“Park or Run” tool developed by Rail
Net Europe in connection with the Train
Information System (TIS) was used.
“In Switzerland the big issue was that
a lot of the stabling capacity was taken
by passenger trains, because due to the
lockdown there was a very big restriction
in Switzerland,” Fattorini says.
The Park or Run tool has been used
by several IMs on RFC Rhine-Alpine
IRJ September 2020
since January 2018. In order to facilitate
communication, the tool helps dispatchers
to identify and agree on the handling of
the trains directly affected by the
interruption.
The tool also allows online
communication with affected IMs about
which trains may run as planned and
which should be held and where, and
helps to speed up border processes in
daily business and minimise track
occupation times in marshalling yards.
“We had some problems in the northern
part of the corridor but everything was
managed very well due to this tool,”
Fattorini says. “We are reflecting on the
lessons learned within the ICM processes
and what is foreseen in the handbook.
So we have to tackle these issues and
come up with a proposal of how it will
be better handled in the future.”
Cross-border management
This was echoed by Mr Marcel Theis,
COO and member of the executive
board at SBB Cargo International, who
said the process of managing and creating
cross-border train paths needed to be
improved during incidents.
SBB Infrastructure created a timetable
showing which trains were allocated to
different train paths in Switzerland,
which could then be cross referenced
with train paths in Germany.
“What is needed for the future is
cross-border train paths in case of
incidents, otherwise we will not be able
to handle all the trains and we will get
into a mess at the border stations,”
Theis says. “For Auggen it was OK with
the dispatch table, but for bigger
incidents we see the necessity to have
these cross-border train paths
available.”
However, Theis says there was a
marked improvement in the IMs’
response between the Rastatt and
Auggen incidents. While it took more
than a day to get trains running
following Rastatt, Theis says SBB was
on a call with DB Networks at 23.00 on
April 2, with the first train running
again at 04.00 the next morning.
“This was one point where we said
this was really a learning curve from
Rastatt to now, there was good coordination
between the IMs, they coordinated their
telephone calls with all participants at
the table,” he says.
“We see the necessity to have one
coordinator at the coordinator level if
there are bigger incidents that take
longer but for Auggen, the coordination
between the IMs was really good. From
our point of view as an operator we
were better prepared because we also
had a learning curve and were able to
react very quickly to this broken line and
organise these new trains via Stuttgart.”
Warnecke agrees. “I think in terms of
available information and in terms of
the re-routing scenarios, and the very
quick reaction, it was a very strong
improvement,” she says.
While the Covid-19 pandemic eased
pressure by reducing traffic, it also
created additional challenges such as
staff working from home. Two simulations
were run following the implementation
of the ICM Handbook in 2018, followed
by an extended consultation to improve
responses, but these were run from
simulating the management of an
incident from the RFC headquarters.
“All participants from IMs and RFCs
were aware of their roles and the rules
during the whole process,” Fattorini
says. “The big challenge for me
personally… was having to coordinate
the process from the home office.
During the simulations all persons from
the RFC involved in the ICM
coordination were in our crisis room so
you can share information, you can ask
your colleague to take over, you can ask
‘can you write down something.’ This
was not possible in the home office
situation - which was very challenging.”
The line was reopened at 20.00 on
April 8, just under a week after the
accident occurred. The ICM process was
closed with a final teleconference to
notify to all impacted IMs and RFCs
when the line would reopen, along with
any final details from the leading IM.
A review process of the ICM Handbook
is currently ongoing at Rail Net Europe
until the end of 2020, with all interested
IM and RFC stakeholders involved in
the process. This will look at how the
handbook was implemented, what
processes were and weren’t followed, and
what might require adjustment for
further improving the International
Contingency Management processes at
IMs and with the support of RFCs. The
operators have also developed an ICM
Handbook to coordinate processes
between operators in an ICM case. The
first version of the handbook is supported
by a large number of European operators,
and was presented at a meeting of the
Railway Undertakings Dialogue forum
and Prime in January 2020.
“Every accident is different but I
think we can see that with very good
international cooperation and with the
good background from the simulations,
we can strongly improve the response
to big international incidents,” Fattorini
says. IRJ
39
 IRJ Insights | cybersecurity

Preparing to face the digital threat

Photo: Deutsche Bahn AG / Max Lautenschläger

Increasing digitalisation opens the railway up to a broad range of cybersecurity threats, both known
and unknown. David Burroughs looks at the dangers to the industry, how it is preparing and

T
what else is required to protect suppliers, operators and customers in this digital era.

HE railway industry is no stranger
to managing security in the physical
sense, but as trains increasingly
become digital hubs, communication
systems become ever more sophisticated
and corporate secrets are increasingly
stored on web-connected servers, the
dangers posed by a lack of digital security
are growing exponentially.
Cybersecurity is a subject that has
only recently become a major topic of
conversation among operators,
manufacturers and suppliers. But recent
incidents such as the data breaches at
Stadler and Spanish infrastructure
manager Adif have highlighted the risks
to the industry, while other incidents
such as the 2015 Ukraine power grid
cyberattack show the damaging impact
attacks can have on critical infrastructure.
The WannaCry attack that brought down
German Rail’s (DB) passenger information
displays as part of a larger attack that
spread around the world in May 2017
also highlights how rail can be caught
up in wider indiscriminate attacks.
Technology supplier Ensco Rail says it
has received numerous questions from
both freight and passenger operators
over the past 18 months asking it to
confirm that its products comply with
various cybersecurity standards,
highlighting how this has become a
major topic of concern. This is echoed
by cybersecurity analysts RazorSecure
which says it has been involved in more
conversations about cybersecurity over
the past 12 months than was previously
the norm.
But this awareness and discussion
must be translated into concrete action
if the industry is to remain ahead of the
game - or catch up with threats it has
fallen behind.
An alert issued on July 23 by the
United States’ National Security Agency
(NSA) and Cybersecurity and
Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
emphasised the growing risks, warning
that operational technology (OT)
infrastructure was becoming an
attractive target.
“Legacy OT assets that were not
designed to defend against malicious
cyber activities, combined with readily
available information that identifies OT
assets connected via the internet, are
creating a ‘perfect storm’ of easy access
to unsecured assets; use of common,
open-source information about devices;
and an extensive list of exploits
deployable via common exploit
frameworks,” the alert warned. “It is

40
important to note that while the behaviour
may not be technically advanced, it is
still a serious threat because the potential
impact to critical assets is so high.”
The state of cybersecurity in the rail
industry, and its ability to respond to
these threats, is very much a mixed bag
says RazorSecure CEO and founder, Mr
Alex Cowan.
“There are some companies that are
much further along the path, they’ve
been doing it for four or five years and
have quite a strong view on what good
cybersecurity looks like,” Cowan says.
“And there are others that are really
very much further behind and are
starting to take the first steps, but
maybe lack some of the maturity that
the others have developed through
starting a bit earlier.”
Data
The risks of not taking data protection
seriously include loss of intellectual
property, the theft of sensitive data, and
damage to high value systems and
infrastructure.
When it announced the attack on
May 7, Stadler said it had immediately
initiated the required security measures,
involved the responsible authorities and
launched a detailed investigation.
“Stadler’s internal surveillance services
found out that the company’s IT
network has been attacked by malware
which has most likely led to a data
leak,” the company said at the time.
Later that month, internal documents
stolen during the cyber-attack were
published online after the manufacturer
refused to give in to a $US 6m ransom
demand, to be paid in Bitcoin. “Stadler
is not and was at no time willing to
make payments to the blackmailers and
has not entered into the negotiations,”
the company told IRJ after 4GB of
information was published, along with
a list of files the hackers had accessed
and could potentially have extracted.
The attack on Adif appears to have
followed a similar pattern, with hackers
claiming to have taken 800GB of data
including correspondence and contracts.
In a message posted to a leak site
related to REvil ransomware, they
threatened to publish the data if Adif
did not make contact.
“Simultaneously with the publication,
the third attack will follow,” the message
read. “We will continue to download
your data until you contact us.”
Adif confirmed to IRJ that a cyberattack
using ransomware software had been
controlled by its internal security services.
“The infrastructure has not been
affected at any time, and the correct
functioning of all its services has been EN 45545 CERTIFIED
guaranteed,” the company says. “Adif,
aware of being the manager of a critical
infrastructure such as the exploitation of
the railway network, considers
cybersecurity as one of the pillars of
comprehensive security.”
These are not isolated incidents, with
the 2020 IBM Dptu!pg!b!Ebub!Csfbdi
Sfqpsu finding that the average data
breach in the transport industry cost
$US 3.58m, up from $US 2.9m in 2015.
The average time to identify and contain
a breach in the industry was 275 days.
Mr Brett Callow, a Canadian-based
threat analyst with New Zealand
cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, says it is a
common misconception that ransomware
attacks are instantaneous. “People think
you open an email attachment and your
files immediately start being encrypted
but that’s not how it works,” he says.
“The deployment of the ransomware
and the encryption of the files is very
much the last stage in an attack. They
will have had access to the network for
days, weeks or possibly even months
prior to starting to encrypt the files and
they’ll have used that time to spread
laterally through the network to collect
credentials and steal data.”
Callow says there has been an increase ible
in hackers stealing data from companies
Flex tion
instead of just encrypting it. This comes Solu
despite the increased risks, as there is a
greater chance that a company may
notice the unusual activity and stop it INSTA LL SA FE T Y
before the hackers have the opportunity
to encrypt the data, leaving them ®
empty handed.
Callow says there are things companies
ArmaFlex Rail
can do to protect their data in order to The world‘s first flexible,
stop most attacks, or at least limit their closed-cell insulation to
scope: meet EN 455 45 fire pro-
= use multi-factor authentication
everywhere it can be used, including on
tection requ
uirrements.
internal administration accounts
= limit admin rights
= disable remote desktop protocol (RDP)
if not needed and lock it down if it is,
and secure other remote access solutions w w w.arm
macell.com
= segment networks
= patch in a timely manner
= disable PowerShell, a cross-platform
task automation and configuration
management framework, when not
needed
= continuously conduct security
awareness training, and
= assume that perimeters will be
breached and ensure the tools and
processes are in place to monitor for
indications of compromise.
Image: Shutterstock/SkillUp
ArmaFlexx®
 IRJ Insights | cybersecurity
“If you understand what typical activity
looks like on your internal network you
can spot things that may be abnormal,”
Callow says. “Companies need to have
the tools and processes in place to
enable them to do that.”
Staff play a critical role in ensuring
these tools and processes are followed.
This was highlighted by a recent incident
at Twitter, where multiple major accounts
including those of Barack Obama and
Elon Musk were compromised and
used to promote a bitcoin scam.
The attack was made possible after
the alleged United States-based hacker,
17-year-old Graham Ivan Clark, phoned
an information technology employee at
Twitter and convinced him that he was a
colleague who needed login credentials
to access the company’s customer
support platform. Clark now faces 30
felonies for the attack.
Operational Technology
As OT and IT systems become ever
more closely connected, the threat of
cyberattacks being used against this
infrastructure continue to grow. Innovative
solutions such as autonomous controls
for safety critical systems, Internet of
Things (IoT)-connected sensors and
real-time communication services have
all introduced additional attack vectors
that can expand an attacker’s footprint
and increase vulnerability.
These new capabilities often require
integration into dated architectures and
are often reliant upon legacy support
systems which can be inherently less
secure. Trains are also much more
digitalised today than even a few years
ago, with more than 100 Internet Protocol
(IP) connected systems and up to 10-
times as many processors onboard as
previous models.
“Part of the challenge [operators and
manufacturers] run into is that this
adds a lot of additional risk,” Cowan
says. “It means that you have an onboard
network that itself needs to be secured,
you have lots of different systems
running a lot of different software on
board as well. But there are a lot of
existing suppliers that haven’t really
considered how they will maintain and
manage that software over the whole
life of an asset. That’s probably the
biggest gap I see in the industry today.”
This complexity can pose real challenges
to operators trying to protect their fleets,
especially if they’re not aware of just
how extensively connected they are and
what systems need protecting.
“The thing that I find quite extraordinary
42
W
Keeping operational technology secure
ITH critical infrastructure such
as rail coming under increased
pressure, the United States’
National Security Agency (NSA) and
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency (CISA) recommends
developing an OT resilience plan that
allows organisations to:
= immediately disconnect systems
from the internet that do not need
internet connectivity for safe and
reliable operations, and ensure that
compensating controls are in place
where connectivity cannot be removed
= plan for continued manual operation
should the Industrial Control Systems
(ICS) become unavailable or need to be
deactivated due to hostile takeover
= remove additional functionality that
could induce risk and attack surface area
= identify system and operational
dependencies
= restore OT devices and services in a
timely manner, and assign roles and
responsibilities for OT network and
device restoration
= back-up “gold copy” resources such
is when you listen to train manufacturers
and operators, and they openly admit
that a lot of operators don’t know what is
installed on their train,” says RazorSecure
executive chairman, Mr Robert Brown.
“They might know 90% of it, but 10%
they don’t know. With cybersecurity,
unless you know what assets you’re
trying to protect, how do you protect
them? I think that is really quite a
glaring example of how the industry
needs to catch up.”
The way this can pose added risks are
varied and numerous. RazorSecure has
seen multiple instances where devices
lack basic passwords or encryption, and
there have also been instances where
protected devices have been openly
available for sale on Ebay. This can pose
a major security risk as hackers can use
these to decompile the inbuilt software
that will allow them to discover
vulnerabilities or loopholes to enable
future attacks.
FRMCS
One of the most important digital
systems currently under development
across the railway industry is the Future
Railway Mobile Communication System
(FRMCS), a successor to GSM-R that
will provide wireless train radio voice
applications and ETCS data communication
between the train and the network.
as firmware, software, service contracts,
product licenses, product keys and
configuration information, and verify
that all gold copy resources are stored
off-network and store at least one copy
in a locked tamperproof environment
such as a locked safe, and
= test and validate data backups and
processes in the event of data loss due
to malicious cyber activity.
Before an incident, organisations
should develop a well-exercised
incident response plan:
= conduct a table top exercise,
including executive personnel, to test
the existing incident response plan
= include public affairs and legal teams
in the exercise in addition to IT, OT,
and executive management
= discuss key decision points in the
response plan and identify who has the
authority to make key decisions under
what circumstances, and
= partner with third parties for support,
and review service contracts and
government services for emergency
incident response and recovery support.
While GSM-R is a 2G-based system,
FRMCS is an IP-based system that will
use 5G. “We all know that IP is a good
entry door for cyberattacks, unfortunately,”
says Mr Jean-Michel Evanghelou, head
of telecoms at the International Union
of Railways (UIC), which is leading the
FRMCS project.
The most likely threat against
FRMCS is a Denial-of-Service (DoS)
attack, Evanghelou says. A DoS is
designed to shut down a machine or
network, making it inaccessible to its
intended users. This is usually achieved
by flooding the target with traffic, or
sending it information that triggers a
crash. While this is not likely to affect
the safety of the railway due to the
failsafe systems in place, it would more
than likely result in a lack of service.
In order to protect against this, the
UIC is looking to bake countermeasures
into FRMCS. As part of the technological
jump from 2G to 5G, a new Telecom
On-Board Architecture (Toba) is being
developed to manage telecommunication
between the train and the network. “In
the design of Toba, particularly speaking
of FRMCS, we will have some level of
cybersecurity protection,” Evanghelou
says. “And we are starting to decide
what kind of protection level we will
put into the system.
“What we are looking at is having a
double layer of protection, not only
protection at the communication layer,
which is very important, but also
additional protection at the application
layer, the objective being that when we
start to put the first FRMCS products in
place that these products are embedded
with these levels of protection.”
Critical time
Evanghelou explains that it is always
more difficult to add protection to an
existing system than to design one with
protection embedded from the start,
which is why the development of the
FRMCS standard has come at a critical
time.
This is not to say that GSM-R is not
secure, despite cybersecurity not being
a major topic of concern when it was
developed around 2000. In fact, the
system’s core basic design means it is
less impregnable than newer IP-based
systems with the biggest vulnerability
coming from the IP-based networks it
connects with.
“There is always a weakness point when
you introduce GSM-R into the IP network
of a company,” Evanghelou says. “The
good thing now is that the work we are
doing with FRMCS will be applied to
Shaping the future of mobility
with digital technologies
The future of mobility is being driven by the need for an efficient way of transport –
whether by road or rail. With our customer in focus, we are providing future-orientated
solutions that drive the mobility market.
voith.com
the existing GSM-R network. What we
are being pushed to look at for the
future for FRMCS has also pushed us to
increase the level of protection of GSM-R.”
A number of suppliers across the
industry are working with the UIC on
the development of FRMCS, including
the cybersecurity development. For this,
Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management
(C-SCRM) is critical, especially for those
suppliers providing technology that is
safety critical in nature or involves
proprietary information.
“Managing the risks associated with
the supply chain requires suppliers to
adhere to standards and best practices and
participate in vulnerability testing with
proof of successful defence mechanisms
including attack sensing and warning,”
says Mr Ruben Peña, director,
government surface transportation at
Ensco Rail.
“Appropriate incident response
measures must be in place throughout
the supply chain to contain the
problem, communicate effectively with
internal and external customers,
conduct the necessary forensics, and
ultimately determine the root cause and
preventative action.”
The way a security flaw can propagate
through the supply chain was highlighted
by a collection of vulnerabilities called
Ripple20. The 19 hackable bugs were
identified by Israeli security firm JSOF
in code sold by a small Ohio-based
company called Treck, which provides
software used in IoT devices. JSOF
found that a piece of code carrying the
bug, which was designed to handle the
ubiquitous TCP-IP protocol that connects
the device to networks and the internet,
was installed in devices from more than
10 different manufacturers, including
HP, Intel, Caterpillar and Schneider
Electric.
Rail is exposed because the affected
devices range from power supply systems
in data centres to the programmable
logic controllers used in power grids
and manufacturing.
JSOF began contacting the affected
manufacturers in February. Schneider
Electric put out a security bulletin on
June 16, followed by a security notification
on June 23 and a subsequent patch for
some of the vulnerabilities.
“Customers should immediately ensure
they have implemented cybersecurity
best practices across their operations to
protect themselves from possible
exploitation of these vulnerabilities,”
 IRJ Insights | cybersecurity
the security notification says. “Where
appropriate, this includes locating their
industrial systems and remotely
accessible devices behind firewalls;
installing physical controls to prevent
unauthorised access; preventing
mission-critical systems and devices
from being accessed from outside
networks; and following remediation
and general security recommendations.”
Risks
With the risk of not taking cybersecurity
seriously seemingly so obvious and
costly, it would appear logical to embed
the highest level of protection possible
into systems and fleets. But Brown says
it comes down to a simple calculation:
money.
With existing fleets, the operator may
not have the funding available to install
a new cybersecurity system across its
trains while with new orders, it depends
on whether the company placing the
order has included it as a condition
when writing the specifications. Building
cybersecurity into the fleet may increase
the attractiveness of a bid, but it could
also add in major new costs that could
result in a lower cost competitor
providing less security if it is not
specified specifically by the tender.
Brown also points out that there is
currently a gap between the tenders
and specifications being written now,
which generally include cybersecurity,
and new trains being delivered that
may have been tendered five years ago
when cybersecurity was less of a
concern. During a recent cybersecurity
New trains are increasingly becoming digital hubs, but each new technology introduced poses
another challenge to digital security. Photo: Transport for London
44
summit in London, a group of
cybersecurity experts demonstrated
how they were able to expose the
vulnerabilities of a control system of a
train that had recently been delivered.
“They were able to gain access to the
Train Control and Management System
(TCMS) and essentially had full privileged
access, including to the braking system,”
Cowan says. The hackers were also able
to demonstrate how they could use the
access to one train to then gain access to
another train’s TCMS. “There is potentially
a very serious event that could occur as
a result,” Cowan continues. “They’re
not saying that people are in that
system today, but they demonstrated
that it could be done on a live train that
is out running around Britain today.”
Standards to protect against this have
already been introduced for some
sectors of the industry, including the
United States’ National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) SP
800-171 as well as accreditation with the
International Organisation for
Standardisation/International
Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC)
27001 standard. Other standards such
as the Cenelec TS50701 Cyber Security
Technical Specification for the EU rail
industry will be published in June 2021.
This will help to standardise
cybersecurity requirements for rolling
stock, signalling and infrastructure, and
is designed to become an EN standard
that will be used globally.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority’s (WMATA) senior director of
cybersecurity and chief information
security officer (CISO), Mr Kyle Malo,
says meeting these standards will soon
become a requirement, meaning
suppliers should look to conform now.
Malo, who was previously CISO at
the FBI, says there are two ways a hacker
can use the supply chain to compromise
a railway. The first is through intentional
interference in the supply chain, in
order to compromise products and
embed sleeper malware than can be
activated once these components have
been installed. The second is through
exploiting simple weaknesses that have
not been identified and fixed.
“The result is the same for us, and
that is compromise,” Malo says. “I’m
worried about customer safety, I’m
worried about our customer’s personal
information and their credit card
information, and obviously reputation.
The conversation I have within our
organisation is what happens the day
after a cyberattack, what happens to our
ridership levels, what does that mean to
our revenue.”
This also has major follow-on
implications for a supplier if their
products are found to be the source of
the breach.
“If I’m going to follow a NIST
framework and I have to certify that in
order to get hundreds of millions of
dollars in federal funding, I can tell you
that things like the supply chain and
how we secure the technology we’re
buying is not just something we like to
do, it’s now something that we have to
do,” Malo says.
Partnerships
Rail is not alone in its fight against
cyberattacks, and it is one area where it
can look to build partnerships with
both the private and public sectors to
share information, learn from previous
attacks and gain an early understanding
of how it could be at risk from future
attacks.
Looking at the state of the industry
and the wide range of risks posed, the
task of protecting the entire rail sector
might seem daunting and unachievable.
Cowan disagrees.“I don’t think it’s too
big, and I don’t think it can be too big,”
he says. “There’s a long way to go, and
there’s a mix of challenges. In terms of
actually delivering and securing the
entire rail industry, there are still many
years of work ahead. But I don’t think
it’s an impossible task. I think it just
requires a lot more effort and
dedication in order to get there. I think
the industry will get there, it’s just a
question of timing and money.” IRJ
 Unmatched fleet VISIBILITY

End-to-end IoT PLATFORM

Actionable INTELLIGENCE

Predictive ANALYTICS

Greater fleet OPTIMIZATION

TR ACK SMARTER
The End-to-End Platform for Global Fleet Visibility

amsteddigital.com
IRJ 2020 Innovations showcase

Latest rail industry innovations revealed

The global railway supply industry continues to push the boundaries of innovation. To bridge the gap left
by the postponement of trade shows where many of the latest products and services are revealed for
the first time, we present IRJ 2020 Innovations Showcase. In the second of a two-part series,
Oliver Cuenca looks at some of the latest innovations in rail.

Bombardier retrofits AGC fleets for electric power IVU Traffic

B Technologies
integrates path
OMBARDIER is developing
batteries for retrofitting of

management
its Autorail à Grande Capacité

(AGC) multiple-unit trains, as
part of an effort to improve the
environmental impact of the
vehicles.
The project aims to convert
at least 50 dual-mode electro-
diesel AGCs to electric as part
of a complementary service
included as part of the trains’
necessary mid-life overhaul.
The trains’ existing diesel packs
will be replaced by four battery
units, as well as a high-power
charger to transfer energy
between the battery, traction
equipment and pantograph.
The batteries will complement
weak catenary power supply
during acceleration and
improve operational robustness,
and prevent the unnecessary
replacement of existing rolling
stock fleets while reducing
their environmental impact in
line with plans to eliminate all
diesel trains by 2035. The
conversion to electric also
reduces energy costs in AGCs
compared with diesel-fuelled
incorporation of regenerative
braking, offering 15% higher
peak power.
= A Bombardier-led Shift2Rail
initiative, for the development
of the technology to operate
multiple traction units
simultaneously via LTE radio
communication will enable the
operation of up to 1500m long
freight trains, doubling the
capacity of European freight
trains and significantly
improving the productivity
and competitiveness of rail
I
VU Traffic Technologies will
include integrated train path
management in its IVU.rail
software in the near future,
using the upcoming European
TAF/TAP TSI standard.
The software will allow
planners to import the latest
train path planned and
published by the network
operator into IVU.rail’s
planning environment, and
The initiative is currently
incorporate it into timetable
developing a model capable of
planning and vehicle
controlling three locomotives
scheduling.
in a 700m-long mixed train.
It also enables planners to
Later versions will include
analyse train path changes
radio technologies such as 5G
before transferring them to the
and FRMCS.
scheduled trains.
The initiative is part of the
In addition, integrated
EU-funded FFL4E project,
conflict management makes
which previously
planners aware of technical
demonstrated the technology
conflicts between a train and a
with a 500m, 3500-tonne train
scheduled train path, such as
in push-pull configuration
formation restrictions,
with 39 fully-loaded Fal-
maximum weight and other
wagons controlled through

SAB Bröckskes provides high-flexibility rail cable

counterparts, and allows the infrastructure requirements.
freight on the continent. GSM-R.
Using the future TAF/TAP

T
HE new SAB RailLine 560 halogen-free flexible
cable is capable of withstanding heavy weather
conditions and is resistant to mechanical stress.
It is ideal for use in door control systems,
bogies or as jumper cables or sensor cables for
the wheelset. In addition, the cable has high
TSI standard and integrating it
with the actual planning
flame protection and is non-toxic, as well as process, IVU.rail will ensure
resistant to oil, fuel, UV and ozone. consistent planning
The RailLine 560 is available as control cable information, from journeys
with a nominal voltage of 300/500V, as a and vehicle schedules to
screened version or as paired data cable, or disruption management and
designed for a nominal voltage of 0.6/1kV. day-to-day operation.

Sinclair Technologies offers rugged Colas Rail start-stop saves fuel

antennas for safety applications
S
INCLAIR Technologies’
SD242 series of rugged
antennas are well suited for
public safety applications.
The 2-bay exposed dipole
antenna is designed for
applications where moderate
gain is required, and Passive
Intermodulation interference
(PIM) is a consideration.
C
OLAS Rail’s Ramfer savings and reduced air
Ecostop start-stop module pollution, with an average
It provides coverage from
can be integrated into any reduction of 15,000 litres of
118 to 225MHz in three sub-
diesel rail vehicle, and enables fuel and 39 tonnes of CO2
bands, and the 138-174MHz
the engine to be put on emitted per year, per vehicle.
band is for private mobile
standby during idle periods of In addition, the system is
networks and public safety. Key
waiting and parking. equipped with a telematic
features include 5dBd gain
The system stops the engine module that generates and
with bi-directional pattern,
when the vehicle is idling and transmits data to
300W power handling and a
the brake is applied, allowing communicate the current
universal mount which enables
for significant fuel cost status of the system.
top or side mounting.

46 IRJ September 2020

Huber+Suhner antennas improve
operational planning
H UBER+Suhner has extended
the capabilities of its rail
rooftop antennas with the
launch of its Sencity Rail Mimo
embedded dual-band GNSS-
receiving antenna.
The rooftop antenna supports
both upper and lower GNSS
bands, and enables train
operators to improve their geo-
spatial positioning and time
precision of their operations to
pin-point accuracy for
applications including
autonomous trains. The
antenna provides greater
transparency of movement on
tracks, enabling improvements
to operational planning on busy
lines, as well as significantly
improving the viability of
automated operation.
The antenna’s robust design
meets the stringent EN 50155
Battery power supply keeps trains
railway standard and is fire
running during outages
H
ITACHI ABB Power Grids
is developing a new
system in partnership with
energy storage operator
Zenobe Energy which will
enable the powering of 25kV
ac overhead lines through
energy stored in batteries.
The technology, which
couples Zenobe’s batteries
with Hitachi’s Static Frequency
Converter (SFC) system, will
be used on the British rail
network in its first application
in the country. The first planned
applications will be to provide
IRJ September 2020
retardant. Additionally, the
antenna’s GNSS port on the
antenna supports a range of
satellite constellations,
including GPS, Galileo, BeiDou
and Glonass. The GNSS port is
also complemented by two
broadband mobile and Wi-Fi
compatible ports which can be
deployed for a variety of
different train to ground
services.
= Huber+Suhner has also
launched its new Sencity PTC
antenna which offers an ultra-
narrow bandwidth, supporting
the very high frequency PTC
band of 220MHz. Operators
can select a standalone PTC
antenna or have the option of
an embedded multi-band
GNSS receiving antenna to
support upper GNSS bands on
GPS, Galileo, DeiDou and
Glonass constellations.
24/7 traction power to depots,
providing a cost-effective
alternative power supply
which will remain accessible
at times when power is
normally unavailable.
In addition, the technology
could also be used in future to
provide power to sections of
track where electrification is
currently undergoing
maintenance and upgrading,
providing significantly
decreased disruption, greater
efficiency and enabling longer
work times.
ZF offers flexibility with EcoMet
Z
F has developed a range of
products for rail vehicles
including EcoMet, a modular
gearbox for metro trains which
allows easy adaptation to the
needs of individual clients.
The gearbox is easily
modifiable, providing
reductions in development
times and manufacturing costs
while still benefitting from
high performance. The gearbox
can operate variable centre
distance of 350mm to 370mm,
and ratios within a single,
noise-optimised housing. It is
designed for a maximum load
of 17 tonnes and a top speed of
120km/h at a maximum
engine speed of about
6000rpm. In addition, the
gearbox is easily adaptable to
incorporate digital
functionality, including
comprehensive monitoring
systems such as the ZF
connect@rail system.
ZF’s EcoWorld is a compact,
powerful and cost-efficient
DMU system which offers a
drive power maximum of
600kW and an input torque of
2500Nm. It features a revised
and extended powershift
transmission, and a reversing
gear with two shift positions
directly integrated into the
transmission. Thanks to a new
drive system that can be
combined with a range of axle
ratios, the transmission is
suitable for both slow-speed
and fast long-distance
operation. Equipped with an
optional advanced coasting
function, the transmission
allows additional fuel savings
of 5% depending on route,
engine type and load
condition. EcoWorld can be
fitted in existing trains to
prolong the vehicle’s service
life and significantly reduce
operating costs.
47
IRJ 2020 Innovations showcase
Knorr-Bremse
iCOM improves
efficiency
K NORR-BREMSE’s iCOM
toolkit features a range of
digital applications to assist
the operation and maintenance
of fleets.
These functions enable
advanced service models to
increase availability within an
agreed timeframe and provide
a more stable cost framework to
facilitate planning. Additionally,
Progress Rail develops battery-powered shunter: The new EMD Joule battery-powered shunting
driver advisory systems like
Leader provide predictive
support to drivers, allowing locomotive, developed in collaboration with Vale, Brazil, has a nominal power of up to 2.2MW and
for improved energy efficiency an operating time of up to 24 hours, depending on charging and use. It is equipped with a
and reduced maintenance costs 1.9MWh-capacity lithium-ion battery pack, with options to expand this to 2.4MWh. The shunter
and environmental impact. will undergo trials later this year and is expected to begin full service at Vale’s Tubarão rail yard

Siemens and Ballard develop hydrogen trains

For light rail, features include soon after. Progress Rail plans to release the locomotive globally from early 2021.
maintenance optimisation,

continuous performance
monitoring and energy
optimisation of HVAC
systems.
iCom is part of a portfolio
which includes optimisation
algorithms for energy-efficient
driving styles, assistance systems
with obstacle detection and
collision avoidance,
reproducible braking distance
functionalities and ATO
systems for freight train
operation.
S
IEMENS Mobility is currently developing a
modular hydrogen fuel cell drive for its Mireo
Plus H regional train platform, which will
subsequently be integrated into other platforms.
The É12m project, in partnership with Canadian
fuel cell producer Ballard Power Systems and
the Rhine-Westphalian Technical University in
Aachen (RWTH), plans to produce a usable fuel
cell drive by 2021, with a planned range of
600km-900km in two or three-car trains.
The fuel cell trains should perform to the
same level as electric trains, emitting no CO2
and have low maintenance costs. The new
hydrogen fuel cell has a triple service life, 50%
higher power density and 5% better efficiency.
The hydrogen-powered Plus H trains will be
used on existing diesel routes and in regions
where hydrogen is cheaply available through
wind power and the chemicals industry.
The project is being funded by the German
federal Ministry for Transport and Digital
Infrastructure (BMVI) as part of its National
Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel
Cell Technology.

Taking maintenance to a higher level Adaptable communication technology

M ECHAN’s bogie lift
works in pairs to raise a
bogie frame to a comfortable
height for maintenance and
repairs to take place
underneath.
The lift grips the bogie securely
and lifts it to a desired height,
allowing maximum clearance
to give operators full access
when dismantling and
reassembling the unit.
Mechan’s bogie lift offers a
cost-effective, safe alternative
to traditional bogie rotators in
cases where there is no need
for the bogie to revolve.
The product was designed
for Siemens Mobility, but is
now commercially available.
N OKIA’s new 5G SA
solutions provide a
portfolio of services for all
entry points and connectivity
requirements.
Customers can utilise the
Nokia Digital Automation Cloud
(DAC), a compact, plug-and-
play system with automation
enablers which operates on
customisation available
through Nokia’s Modular
Private Wireless (MPW)
solution.
Nokia has conducted
multiple in-situ trials of the
technology in cooperation with
customers and mobile
operators since the first quarter
of 2020. In addition, the

Oelcheck 4.0 brings on-the-rail analyses

4.9G/LTE and 5G private company was awarded a

T
HE Oelcheck sample data
entry app provides a user-
friendly interface to monitor
the quality of locomotives’
operating fluid and lubricant,
ensuring higher levels of safety
and guaranteeing reliability.
The app allows users to record
sample data in three steps: scan
the QR code for the machine and
select the component, scan the
barcode of the sample, and the
app sends the sample data to
Oelcheck, with no need for
handwritten forms. The app also
offers encrypted communication
and storage.
The latest 4.0 update also
allows for easy retrieval of lab
reports, as well as the ability to
send sample photos and enter
data offline, meaning that
users no longer have to worry
about poor internet connections.
The app is available on iOS
and Android.
wireless networking standards.
DAC allows for on-site data
management and processing to
support real-time applications
for remote operations,
predictive maintenance and
smart manufacturing.
The services offer low
latency, strong security and
dependable QoS management,
and offer flexibility for
customers including full
control of multi-local networks
and easy scalability to suit all
operation sizes, with further
contract in December 2019 for
the implementation of 5G ATO
systems for the Hamburg S-
Bahn.
Nokia 5G SA will also
feature Ultra-Reliable Low-
Latency Communication
(URLLC), Time-Sensitive
Networking (TSN) in future
5G 3GPP releases (R16-18),
allowing for low latency and
ultra-high reliability on
mission-critical applications
such as ATO and intelligent
power management.

48 IRJ September 2020

Enabling real-time GPS tracking
S YNTONY’s GNSS SoftSpot
IoT receiver enables energy-
efficient real-time GPS tracking
of rail assets such as construction
tools, containers and materials.
Thanks to the use of secured
cloud software to compute
positions, any GPS chipset can
have its life extended 10-fold
without expensive increases in
battery capacity, enabling cost-
effective monitoring of assets
once deemed too expensive to
track. With GPS now in use in
most management centres,
implementation is easy and
inexpensive.
The Syntony SubWave GPS
Coverage Extension allows for
the monitoring of assets in
Rollon revamps entire product range
real-time even in tunnels
R
OLLON launched a project
in June to revamp its entire
product range starting with
Compact Rail, Elm and Robot
actuators, Plus System products,
and E-Smart and R-Smart.
All these products have been
technologically and aesthetically
renewed to increase performance
and opportunities for industrial
designers as well as offer
pleasant looking products that
can be integrated into the
factory design.
Compact Rail is a system of
rails with bearings in cold
drawn steel with induction
hardened and ground raceways
to manage misalignment. The
new version is reliable in dirty
environments, resistant to
corrosion and has a long life
due to induction hardened
IRJ September 2020
which are usually out of reach
of GPS signals using existing
telecommunication
infrastructure to boost signals.
The system, which combines
GPS with PTC solutions, was
first used on the Stockholm
metro in Sweden, and enables
operators to position their
teams and trains inside
tunnels, either in a defined
zone or at specific points.
Zone-based positioning is
intended to optimise rescue
action in the event of
emergencies. Continuous
location tracking, which
enables tracking of down to
2m of error, is designed for
improvements to management
on high-traffic lines.
raceways, solidity and sturdiness
guaranteed by the steel slider.
The new Plus version also
provides better performance,
thanks to double ball bearings
and new rails with convex
raceways which guarantee
greater rigidity with increased
load capacities up to +170% in
the axial direction and +65% in
the radial direction. The entire
Compact Rail range now offers
new steel sliders equipped
with self-centering raceway
cleaners, integrated lubrication
systems for the raceway cleaners
with a slow-release felt pad
for automatic lubrication, lateral
seals to protect the internal
components and a cover on
top to prevent accidental
alterations or tampering with
the radial ball bearing rollers.
Teltronic streamlines communications
T
ELTRONIC’s new RTP-800
is a radio system which
integrates single rack Tetra,
LTE and Wi-Fi for voice and
data communications.
The hardware allows for full
dedication to broadband
communications and comes
with an independent interface
that allows the transmission of
data without interfering with
mission critical functions, and
without additional equipment.
The new onboard equipment is
configured as a single hardware
platform that supports
Raising aerial platform standards
multiple configurations: Tetra
P
LATFORM Basket’s new
RR9/200 aerial work
platform is designed to be light,
compact and transportable on
road trailers with a maximum
weight of 3.5 tonnes.
The platform is equipped
with a two person basket and
is capable of lifting a 200kg
payload up to 9.5m, with a reach
of 4.7m. It is ideal for light
maintenance work on signalling,
lighting and power lines, as
well as the maintenance of
station infrastructure.
voice and data, Tetra voice
plus LTE data, or LTE MCPTT
and VoIP services for voice and
broadband data services.
Additionally, the RTP-800
provides massive data
transmission for signalling
applications including ETCS,
CBTC and PTC, as well as
onboard video and voice
services which work without
downtime. The equipment can
be integrated with other
subsystems such as the Train
Control Management System
(TCMS) and public address
systems.
The platform is designed for
use on both rail and road, and
is equipped with hydraulic
rotational tracks which allow
for ease of transition between
the two without the need for
special alignment manoeuvres.
The platform is equipped
with a 10.5kW diesel
endothermic engine, but can
also be equipped with lithium-
ion batteries for fully electric
operation for use in tunnels,
stations and other interior
environments.
49
IRJ 2020 Innovations showcase
Voith develops locomotive stop-start
T HE OnEfficiency.StopStart
system from Voith is
designed to reduce fuel
consumption and emissions by
automatically switching off
locomotive diesel engines
during long periods of idling.
At present, the average
locomotive spends more than
30% of its operating time
idling due to train formation
processes, bottlenecks and
loading and unloading periods.
The new solution, approved by
the German Federal Railway
Authority (EBA), enables
automatic engine shutdown
Powerpack from RailCare and
Molinari keeps freight movements
T
HE modular RailCare rCE
Powerpack is a power
supply system for freight
wagons, which provides cost-
effective temperature controls
for containers.
The system, developed by
RailCare in partnership with
Molinari Rail, consists of an
independent axle generator
that takes up the kinetic
energy of the wheel at speeds
in excess of 30km/h, converts
it into electrical energy and
stores it in eight high-
performance modular battery
packs. This enables logistics
companies to supply their
containers with cost-effective
energy even during
standstills, with potential
reductions in CO2 output of
up to 75%, and noise
reductions of 30 to 35%.
50
and restart, reducing idle times
by an average of 720 hours per
year, offering potential fuel
savings of up to 11,000 litres
per vehicle.
The system also monitors
the status of the engine and
auxiliary systems to avoid long
set-up times, enabling the
locomotive to be ready for
operation even in stop mode.
In addition, the number of
refuelling stops is significantly
reduced, and maintenance
intervals can be extended due
to the reduction in operating
hours.
The Powerpack’s adapter
frame fits on a 20-foot
container’s spigot positions,
and doesn’t require
complicated modifications to
be made to the wagon’s
structure. The system also
implements a loading
connection for the controlled
supply of temperature control
systems, as well as satellite-
based real-time remote
monitoring systems. The
wagons are fully
independent, with no cable
connections required, and
allow for easy cross-border
use without the need to adapt
for country-specific electrical
systems. RailCare is currently
equipping 80 container
wagons for Coop Group,
Switzerland, with rCE
Powerpacks.
Vossloh offers augmented reality rail
testing with Soniq Rail Explorer
Soniq uses both augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to find
V
and display rail defects.
OSSLOH’s Soniq Rail
Explorer is a rail tester that
offers high-performance
inspection capabilities
enhanced with augmented
reality (AR) and artificial
intelligence (AI) technologies.
Developed in collaboration
with the Fraunhofer Research
Institute, Soniq employs AI to
analyse serious rail defects and
AR to display results clearly
for operators. As well as
detecting any irregularities
inside the rail, the system also
detects squats, head-checks
and rail-base corrosion.
The data is permanently
saved for later analysis and
sent to the office via a SIM-
card module, thus assisting
asset management and
maintenance optimisation to
increase track availability.
Raw data collected during
rail inspections and displayed
Rail Movement Planner provides
using B-scans and camera
real-time train scheduling
R
AIL Movement Planner is
a real-time train
scheduling system which
offers smart management for
network operation centres.
The system enables traffic
controllers to predict future
delays and inefficiencies in
their networks through the
use of powerful algorithms
and heuristics, allowing
potential delays and
images document the rail’s
condition at the time of the
inspection. Integration with
Microsoft HoloLens enhances
the inspection data and shows
the operator a spatially
accurate virtual overlay
superimposed on the real rail.
The intelligent integration of
proven ultrasound technology
with existing infrastructure
enables easier interpretation
and classification of the data.
The learned algorithms option
allows serious rail defects to be
automatically identified and
reported.
Findings can be
incorporated into the
company’s digitalised process
chains to serve as evidence if
problems occur. Long-term
access to ultrasound data also
produces knowledge about
damage progression allowing
for optimised rail maintenance
measures.
inefficiencies to be resolved
within a few seconds.
Rail Movement Planner
offers better network
efficiency including improved
energy efficiency and fewer
delays, and more effective
automation, allowing for
standardised planning
processes and less variance in
the network, even in the
event of disruption.
IRJ September 2020
TMH AC unit kills bacteria and viruses
T
RANSMASHHOLDING
(TMH) has developed a new
air-conditioning unit which
includes a built-in air sanitiser
capable of reliably purifying
the air of bacteria and viruses
such as Covid-19 as it regulates
onboard temperatures.
The system, developed in
collaboration with Andreyev
Acoustics Institute, is equipped
with UV lamps which
eliminate pathogens before
returning the air to coaches.
The system also significantly
reduces the noise emitted
during operation by harnessing a
Strukton launches Wire Scan tool
set of proprietary assemblies
S TRUKTON Wire Scan
provides rail operators with
a high standard of contact wire
measurement technology for
use on electrified rail networks
including light rail.
Wire Scan provides
infrastructure managers with a
system to measure thickness,
height, stagger and dynamics
of the wires. Wire Scan uses
advanced scanning technology
to automatically and accurately
measure the position and
condition of overhead catenary,
reducing the need for manual,
physical inspections. Data is
then displayed via a GIS
interface. The system also enables
customised algorithms for
specific monitoring thresholds.
In addition, Strukton’s Poss
data monitoring and analysis
system uses non-intrusive
sensors and data loggers to
track the condition of a broad
range of infrastructure assets
such as points and track circuits.
The system allows for the
collection and analysis of data
on a broad range of parameters
including temperature, current,
impact, movement, humidity
and hydraulic pressure,
IRJ September 2020
located in the air ducts of a
vehicle, which blocks acoustic
radiation produced by the fans
while maintaining an
unobstructed flow of air.
During tests, noise levels
were found to have reduced by
around 10dBA compared with
previous versions of the product.
The new system will be
installed on the new metro
vehicles, locomotives, EMUs,
and other rolling stock
produced by TMH, and has
been validated for safety and
efficiency by the Russian
Scientific Research Institute of
Railway Hygiene.
making use of big data,
Internet of Things (IoT) and
machine learning technologies,
and complies with all
European Union (EU)
standards for EMC, safety and
ICT security.
Poss hardware is linked to
an advanced software
algorithm in which data is
analysed under the eyes of
maintenance experts. Smart
algorithms analyse and
interpret the data and report
on the root causes of failures.
The latest data is available
online via the PossOnline
digital platform, allowing
operators to optimise the
maintenance process and
enable maintenance work to be
carried out accurately and
efficiently. The predictive
strength of Poss means that
users only receive information
that they need, when they
need it. Technicians
immediately know where they
need to be, what the problem
is and how to solve it, and
asset managers immediately
obtain full insight into the
performance and condition of
their assets.
VTG unveils new Traigo management
system for rail freight fleet
T RAIGO is VTG’s platform
for digital rail freight
products including contract,
fleet and transport management
and wagon tracking.
The platform is a central hub
for fleet management, giving
users access 24/7 to
contractual information and
allowing them to call up the
data of wagons on hire in real
time. Recent features include
estimated time of arrival
services and the ability for
customers to check brake block
conversion status.
VTG’s FastTrack service
enables customers to book
short-term, flexible freight
train hire via Traigo, enabling
Ganser components offer reductions
in costs and pollution
G
ANSER, the developer of
the first Common Rail
Systems (CRS) for passenger
vehicles and large diesel
engines, offers two state-of-
the-art injector components:
the patented Poppet Valve and
the Wave Dynamics and
Dampening device (WDD),
which have been field-tested
on V16 GE 7FDL and Alco
locomotive engines.
The results of these trials
confirmed an injected quantity
deviation of less than 1%, and
a return fuel quantity below
10%, combined with zero static
leakage and a minimal dynamic
leakage. This results in reduced
parasitic losses and an efficient
usage of the pressurised fuel.
The poppet valve’s robustness
them to manage spikes in
demand or unplanned loads.
Short-term hire is now
available in Hamburg,
Rotterdam and Gothenberg,
and all container wagons are
fitted with VTG Connector
sensors, which allow customers
to track the status of all
transport data including
container temperature, shock
detection and positioning
through GPS/QZSS, Glonass,
Galileo, BeiDou and GSM
systems.
VTG plans to expand its
range of ports in future. In
addition, VTG will provide
traction in-house through its
subsidiary VTG Retrack.
enables highly accurate
multiple injections, while the
WDD dampens the
propagation of pressure
fluctuations. This offers 5-10%
fuel savings across the whole
duty cycle as well reductions
of 50-90% of black smoke, 60-
90% of CO2 and 20-50% of
NOx.
In micro pilot injectors for
dual-fuel locomotives, 98-
99.5% fuel substitution rates
are also enabled by the poppet
valve’s accurate switching
even at the smallest injection
quantities. The WDD and
injector-integrated
accumulators allow jumper
lines to be used instead of rails
to connect the injectors thereby
saving space. IRJ
51
 Rendezvous
September 2020
13-17—USA
AREMA Virtual Conference
8 AREMA, Maryland, USA.
https://conference.arema.org
22—Germany
Railway Forum - “Europe needs
a strong rail - even in turbulent
times” Virtual Conference
8 IPM, Hannover, Germany
www.railwayforumdigital.com
October 2020
5-7—Dubai, UAE
UITP/MENA Transport Congress
and Exhibition
8 UITP, Brussels, Belgium.
https://mena.uitp.org/uitp-mena
-congress-exhibition
12-15—Changsha, China
Maglev International Conference
8 Hunan Maglev Research,
Changsha, China.
www.maglev2020.com
14—Britain
Rail Freight Group Virtual
Conference
8 Waterfront, London, Britain.
https://bit.ly/3bSGNcD
19-20—Johannesburg, South
Africa
Have you got the tools to succeed?
Projects
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as well as the latest global rail tenders.
To find out more visit irjpro.com or contact
Chloe Pickering, cp@railjournal.com, +44 1326 313945
52
Africa Rail Conference &
Exhibition
8 Terrapinn, Bryanston, South
Africa.
www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/
africa-rail
20-22—Kyiv, Ukraine
Rail Expo
8 PromGruz, Dnipro, Ukraine.
https://railexpoua.com/en
21—Britain
Northern Transport and
Infrastructure Development
Virtual Conference
8 Waterfront, London, Britain.
https://bit.ly/3cUahbh
27-28—Sydney, Australia
RISSB Safety Conference
8 RISSB, Melbourne, Australia.
www.rissb.com.au/events/rissb-
rail-safety-conference-2020
28-30—Singapore
SITCE 2020
8 UITP, Brussels, Belgium.
www.uitp.org/events/sitce-2020
November 2020
10—Britain
UK Rail Station Development
and Regeneration Virtual
Conference
Fleet
8 Waterfront, London, Britain.
https://bit.ly/38mfRA4
10—Stockholm, Sweden
Scandinavian Rail Evolution
Conference
8 Rotatia Media, Ashford, Britain.
www.scandinavianrail.co.uk
10-12—Thailand
Asia Pacific Rail Virtual Conference
8 Terrapinn, Singapore.
www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/
asia-pacific-rail
16-18—Amsterdam, Netherlands
World Rail Festival
8 Terrapinn, London, Britain.
www.terrapinn.com/conference/
rail-festival
25—London, Britain
Rolling Stock Procurement Forum
8 Waterfront, London, Britain.
https://bit.ly/3g9cdPh
25-26—Bangkok, Thailand
Rail Asia Expo
8 AES, Bangkok, Thailand.
www.railasiaexpo.com
30-Dec 2 —Madrid, Spain
Rail Live Conference
8 Terrapinn, London, Britain.
www.terrapinn.com/conference/
rail-live
Tenders
30-Dec 2—Prague, Czech
Republic
International Railway Forum
8 Oltis, Olomouc, Czech
Republic.
https://irfc.eu/en
December 2020
1-3—Australia
AusRail 2020 Virtual – Live & On
Demand
8 Informa, Sydney, Australia.
www.ausrail.com
1-3—Karlsruhe, Germany
IT Trans International Conference
& Exhibition
8 UITP, Brussels, Belgium.
www.it-trans.org/en
9-10—Valenciennes, France
Rail Industry Meetings
8 ABE, Paris, France.
www.railindustrymeetings.com
14-15—London, Britain
ERTMS & ETCS – The Future of
Railway Signalling Conference
8 Waterfront, London, Britain.
https://bit.ly/2vtYWhS
February 2021
24-26—Berlin, Germany
International Railway Summit
8 IRITS, London, Britain.
www.irits.org
IRJ
PRO
IRJ September 2020
 Contacts | editorial
46 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3PP, UK
Tel +44 1326 313945
Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith MA
Consulting Editor/Associate Publisher
David Briginshaw CMILT
News & Features Writer David Burroughs
News & Features Writer Oliver Cuenca
Sales Executive Chloe Pickering
Market Analyst Oscar Sinclair
Production Manager Sue Morant
Fresh faces
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db@railjournal.co.uk
dburroughs@railjournal.co.uk
ocuenca@railjournal.co.uk
cp@railjournal.com
os@railjournal.co.uk
sm@railjournal.co.uk
The supervisory board of Keolis has appointed Ms
Marie-Ange Debon as executive chairwoman, effective
August 24. From 2008 to March 2020, Debon served as
deputy CEO of Suez Group, where she led the
international and French divisions. From 1998 to 2008,
she was deputy chief financial officer and then general
secretary of Thomson Group, now Technicolor.
Mr Benoit Gilson has been named as the CEO of Belgian
infrastructure manager Infrabel. He was previously a

Regional editors
Chile Ian Thomson Newman
Germany Keith Fender
Italy Marco Chiandoni
Japan Yoshihiko Sato
New Zealand Richard Worrall
Spain Ferran Torga
Switzerland Anitra Green
USA/Canada William C Vantuono
Correspondents
Argentina Jorge Waddell
Australia Tony Duboudin
Austria Erwin Reidinger
Brazil Renata Passos
Denmark Denis Bowers
France David Haydock
Hungary Ferenc Joo
Executive offices
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Poland Mykola Zasiadko
Ukraine Alexander Kava
spokesman responsible for the communication service
before becoming general manager, corporate and
public affairs. He replaces interim CEO Ms Ann
Billiau, who announced her departure in June.
Ms Lilia Krutonog has been appointed general director
of RZD Logistics subsidiary Far East Land Bridge
(FELB). Krutonog worked for 12 years at Austrian
Federal Railways (ÖBB) subsidiary Rail Cargo Group.
From 2018 to 2020, she was the general director for the
eastern division of CD Cargo.
Norfolk Southern (NS) has appointed Ms Cindy Sanborn
as executive vice-president and chief operating officer,
effective September 1. Sanborn succeeds Mr Michael
Wheeler, who will retire on October 1. Sanborn joins NS
from Union Pacific, where she most recently served as
vice president, network planning and formerly
oversaw all activities in the northern region.

Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) has appointed Mr Peter

88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005, USA Sturm as general director of its passenger transport
Tel +1 212 620 7200 Fax +1 212 633 1165 division. Sturm was previously head of DB
President & Chairman A J McGinnis
Engineering and Consulting’s Asia-Pacific Region,
Publisher, Rail Group Jonathan Chalon
and has more than 25 years’ management experience
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com
in various international rail companies.

Mr Hermann Lanfer has been elected as chairman of

the board of German multimodal freight operator
Kombiverkehr. Lanfer, who has been a member of
Contacts | advertising Kombiverkehr’s board of directors of since 2014,
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IRJ September 2020 53

Collaboration needed to generate modal shift
The last word | passenger experience
Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, sets out a five-point plan to make rail a more attractive option
than the private car for people travelling door-to-door.
H OW do I get from A to B?
At first glance, it’s quite a
simple question. But if you ask
yourself, ‘how do I get from A
to B efficiently?’ it becomes
more complex and people tend
to stick to what they know:
their own vehicle.
In the broader context of
optimising passenger flows in
transport networks, rail naturally
outperforms the use of private
cars as it requires less space
while providing more relative
capacity. But for many people,
using their own vehicle seems
to be more convenient.
So how do we break this
habit? The alternative must be
significantly better: more
comfortable, faster, cheaper,
and with fewer headaches. To
change people’s mindset,
political decision makers,
operators and the industry
need to jointly focus on five
key objectives.
Usually, every door-to-door
trip has a core section that
passengers want to bridge as
efficiently and as fast as
possible. A highly reliable rail
network with punctual trains
is the backbone that will
guarantee efficiency. However,
commuters also want to use
their time effectively while on
a train.
Today, being productive
remotely for work or leisure is
the reality and has been made
possible through broadband
access to the internet. Trains
must offer reliable broadband
if rail is to be the leading
transport mode in the future.
Operators and manufacturers
need to devise stable solutions
to ensure connectivity to the
internet at all times and under
all conditions. New train designs
should incorporate dedicated
spaces for those activities that
matter most to passengers. This
is a real competitive advantage
compared with airlines.
While fully automatic train
operation (ATO) has become
standard for metros, its
application on mainline railways
is still on the starting blocks.
Past successful implementations
54
of ATO over ETCS for example
will guide the way to make
this a standard in the future.
ATO benefits
But what is the real benefit of
ATO? Saving a train driver’s
salary? Definitely not if you
compare it with the rest of a
train’s running costs. Better
breaking and acceleration will
save energy, but the major
benefits are flexibility and
punctuality: reacting to changing
passenger demand more
quickly and dispatching trains
reliably regardless of schedules
and staff availability. Ultimately,
this results in higher train
frequencies, less waiting at
stations, fewer packed trains
and a better travel experience:
“ The pandemic has challenged us to
rethink the status quo and develop even
better solutions for passengers
Michael Peter
true demand-responsive
transport.
You are arriving at the main
station of a big city for the first
time, what’s your next move
as you need to catch another
train or bus that departs in 10
minutes? This is where
technology comes in. Digital
station solutions where the
operation control centres and
station management are
integrated offer remarkable
advantages to optimise
passenger flows. For passengers,
this means less stress and an
improved travel experience
through station guidance apps.
For operators, this means
running powerful software
that allows holistic station
management to reduce dwell
times and unplanned,
prolonged stops.
Trials with autonomous
vehicles (AV) are running all
over the world with promising
results. But, to leverage AVs to
solve the first and last mile
problem, they must be certified
and able to run safely under
real traffic conditions without a
driver, while vehicle utilisation
must be maximised to achieve
a solid business case.
What will make these
individual innovations actually
work as one system? It is
based on advanced technology
which puts the passenger at
the centre. Passengers need a
multimodal, intuitive and highly
reliable app on their smartphone.
This digital travel companion
comes up with the best option
of how to get from A to B,
with a single ticket available
for the entire journey, making
travel a seamless experience.
The user experience is key as it
creates acceptance, while
operators will have a secure
and broadly accepted app.
If we want to implement
these fundamental changes to
create a more attractive public
transport system, we need
collaboration from all transport
industry stakeholders. System
suppliers need to prioritise
and accelerate their innovation
and digitalisation efforts.
Together with their lead
customers, the industry needs
to complete existing proof of
concept projects to demonstrate
the applicability of these
innovations under real
conditions.
Achieving these solid reference
points for complex solutions
like ATO over ETCS or fully
autonomous buses will open
the door for further innovation
and funding. Most political
decision makers already have
sustainability and strengthening
rail transport at the top of
their agendas. They now need
to act consistently to lay the
foundations for future transport
systems by providing funds
and robust regulation, for
example for autonomous
driving or seamless ticketing.
Covid-19 has had a significant
impact on the use and
perception of public transport.
On the flipside, it can serve as
an accelerator for digitalisation
and change. The pandemic has
challenged us to rethink the
status quo and develop even
better solutions for passengers.
The time to act is now.
If we want to realise the
ambitious goals of carbon
neutrality, rail has to become
the number one transport
mode. To achieve this, we
need to increase passenger
traffic by offering a seamless
and convenient trip from the
first to the last mile. A strong
rail backbone plus AV feeder
systems and multimodal user
apps will relieve travel-related
stress and enable passengers
to focus on other aspects of
their life. Together, we can
transform the way we travel. IRJ
IRJ September 2020
H IG H P ER F OR M A NC E R A I L M I L L I NG T E C HNOL O G Y
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