Technical Framework The Hejaz Railway was originally a narrow‐gauge line (1,050 mm). It was built around 1900–1908 under Abdul Hamid II. It stretched from Damascus (and beyond) toward Medina. The railway linked key parts of the Ottoman Empire. In the current revival plans among Turkey, Syria and Jordan the following technical issues are front and … Continue reading Revival of the Hejaz railway – an impulse for the region?
The European Commission has just announced a bold move to make zero‑emission heavy‑duty vehicles—like electric trucks and buses—exempt from road tolls and user charges until 30 June 2031, an extension from the previous cutoff of 31 December 2025. What’s changing? No more tolls, no more charges: The EU will waive toll and infrastructure fees for … Continue reading Green Highways Ahead: Why Zero‑Emission Trucks & Buses May Remain Toll‑Free
The recent Euronews article titled "The European Tube: Inside the project to launch a continent-wide rail system by 2040" introduces the ambitious Starline network, aiming to connect 39 European destinations with high-speed trains traveling at 300-400 km/h. This vision includes extending lines to the UK, Turkey, and Ukraine, promising significantly reduced travel times across the … Continue reading The European Tube: Visionary Innovation or Unrealistic Dream?
Traffic lights are a common sight on roads and intersections, and they play a crucial role in regulating the flow of traffic and preventing accidents. But have you ever wondered how these traffic lights work? In this blog post, we'll explore the basic mechanics of traffic lights and how they function to keep us safe … Continue reading Why traffic lights should not be seen as boring
Recently, the IAEA published their Report on Energy Technology 2023. They are analyzing both scenarios, the "Net Zero Emission by 2050" scenario as well as the "Announced Pledges Scenario". It is one of the few very comprehensive reports about the topic that I have read in recent years looking at a variety of aspects. The … Continue reading Rethinking energy usage for transportation
Indian railways is engaging in trials for hydrogen locomotives for some mountainous railway lines. According to this article, the objective is to get the trail running by December 2023, making it a first for this type of railway line and the respective altitude. The two candidates for the trial are the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and … Continue reading Branchlines in India seeking hydrogen traction
As written in a recent article in railjournal https://www.railjournal.com/in_depth/remed-works-to-revive-guatemalas-railway-network/, Guatemala is working again on the potentail of large scale revitalization and enlargement ideas - this time with private funding. Sometimes, private funding might become the enabler needed to kick-start such projects. However, having more stakeholders on board with additional interests, can also lead to worse … Continue reading Guatemala’s rail infrastructure soon back on track?
In recent weeks, two major new subsea railway tunnel projects have commenced: The Fehmarnbelt-Tunnel with a length of 18.1km, linking Germany to Denmark and the Ningbo-Zhoushan tunnel in eastern China with a length of 16km. But what is it all about these kind of challenging engineering works? Why building subsea railway tunnels Subsea railway tunnels … Continue reading A decade of subsea railway tunnels is looming
This very simple question was on the tip of my tongue for quite some time. Over the last days I had the chance to read some annual reports from airliens and yes, there are no surprises on what are the cost and revenue drivers. What however surpirsed me are the ratios. Airlines, like any other … Continue reading What drives airlines commercially?
When it comes to multinational companies, effective leadership is crucial for success. From the top executives down to the front-line employees, strong leadership is needed to drive the company forward and ensure its continued growth and success. However, when leadership is missing, the consequences can be severe, impacting the company from top to bottom.One of … Continue reading The Consequences of Missing Leadership in Multinational Companies: A Cautionary Tale
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