Within the first year of Bolsonaro’s presidency in Brazil, it became apparent that he seeks to pursue a pro-resource and pro-industry course. This is reflected by increased investment plans in mining and agricultural usage of land in the amazon rainforest. Creating large amounts of produce for export of course requires affordable capacity for transport. It … Continue reading Mapping out the Brazilian Railway system
A topic that has intrigued me throughout my life so far is the topic of procurement. Not because I think it is very attractive or sexy, but because it can enable or be a show-stopper to implement great ideas. Two weeks ago, I had, with a variety of customers, colleagues and friends in various settings … Continue reading Procurement: Overview
We all wanted to have a solid and fast ERTMS deployment across Europe, but so far the project is not gaining speed and only a few projects could be deployed. What did go wrong and how can we redesign the approach to faster reach our common objectives? To cut it short, in my opinion, there … Continue reading Redesign ERTMS deployment across Europe
This fall, the Swiss transport authority (Bundesamt für Verkehr -BAV) announced the plans to invest heavily in railway infrastructure until 2035. Over 200 Projects and 11.5 bn CHF will be invested in tunnels, concrete and steel across the country. Last Sunday, an NZZ article (in German) has allowed an alternative view on the intended infrastructure … Continue reading Investing in concrete or intelligence
As a child, I instantly recognized the difference between trains in the US and Europe. The rolling stock in the USA stood out due to their bad condition, their perceived age and their perceived inconvenience for passengers. It seemed to me, that the trains there are at least 15-20 years older then comparable counterparts in … Continue reading Why the US is overpaying for Rolling Stock
When reading (and also ordering) the map on the future of railways in SEA (see also Mapping out the future of railways in Southeast Asia ) made by James Clark, I was keen to do something similar for Africa. With the rise of Chinese Investments in Africa, more projects which seemed to be once very visionary have … Continue reading Mapping out the future of Railways in Africa
After I had a look at what is happening in Nigeria regarding railways over the summer, I saw that Nigeria is on the brink of a new railway era. Now I thought why not go a step further and build a little map showing the situation and next development. To digest the infos, that I … Continue reading Snapshot on Railways in Nigeria
Last week, James Clark published a really cool map condensing all the current and proposed railway projects in Southeast Asia. You can find the map under this link. He used multiple sources and published masterplans to come up with a condensed view on where what might be built. The map clearly shows that China … Continue reading Mapping out the future of railways in Southeast Asia
In yesterday's announcement, the open access operator Leo Express confirmed that they seek to expand their operations beyond the Czech Republic towards Poland and even Germany. As explained in the IRJ article the rolling stock could come from CRRC as they signed an agreement with Leo Express for 3 EMUs and 27 options. After the … Continue reading CRRC is coming closer to Western Europe
At this year's Innotrans in Berlin, Stadler presented their new sleeping coach for Azerbaijan. The train shows, that even now there is a potential to compete air travel with a very comfortable and luxurious car. The beds and amenities appear to be very comfortable, each cabin equipped with its own shower and toilet. If it … Continue reading More luxurious overnight travel to counter air travel
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