News

SAVE THE DATE FOR CAPACITY4RAIL’S FINAL CONFERENCE, Madrid, 21-22 September 2017

On behalf of the FP7 EU-funded project Capacity4Rail, UIC has the pleasure to invite you to the Final conference that will be hosted by FFE in the “Palacio Fernán Nuñez” in Madrid, Spain on 21-22 September 2017.

Started in October 2013 and ending on 30 September 2017, the Capacity4Rail project is a 4-year collaborative R&D project co-funded by the European Commission within the FP7. Placed under the coordination of UIC, it brings together a wide range of stakeholders, in an ambitious partnership.

The Capacity4Rail (C4R) project aims at bringing today’s railway system to this future vision for 2030/2050.

With this vision, Capacity4Rail main scope has been to offer an affordable increase of capacity, availability and performance to the railway system, by developing a holistic view on the railway as a system of interacting technical components driven by customer demand.

This plan has been addressed by different ways:

  • A more efficient use of existing resources, by optimising operating strategies, enhancing traffic planning, improving transshipment procedures and improving automation and operational procedures to reduce the time needed to recover from traffic disruption.
  • A reduction of the non-operational capacity-consumers, through the design of resilient, reliable and low-maintenance infrastructure and vehicles, non-intrusive inspection, fast renewal and construction processes.
  • An increase of the performance of existing resources, through significant improvements of wagons maneuverability and equipment to answer freight customers’ needs for higher reliability and performance.

This public event is open for experts from all across Europe’s rail infrastructure industry and academia.

Conference highlights

Infrastructure

  • New reliable slab-track solutions targeted to the actual and expected railway use and much lower maintenance. Innovative concepts for resilient Switches&Crossings and ground-breaking methods for Very High Speed. Upgrading of infrastructure in order to meet new operation and market demands.

Freight

  • Innovations in wagons design, connectivity, terminal design and operations to meet the changing needs of the logistic market leading to the future freight train of 2030 and the vision for 2050.

Operations

  • Step-changes for strategic, tactical and operational planning to meet future challenges such as increased capacity, optimized management of emergencies, enhanced information sharing and greater levels of connection between rail and the other transportation modes.

Advanced monitoring

  • Innovative concepts, based on innovative sensors, low-current technologies, energy harvesting for power supply and wireless networks, for railway structural and operational monitoring developed to enhance the availability of the track, combined with automated maintenance forecasts and a prediction of the structural lifetime.

System Assessment and Migration to 2030/2050

  • Technical and economical assessment of technologies developed, roadmaps and migration scenarios, necessary to meet the target affordable, adaptable, automated, resilient and high capacity railway system for 2030/ 2050.

During the conference, the speakers will also be pleased to share and discuss their research results with the participants. Ample networking time will also be reserved between the sessions.

Programme:

Presentations:

Click on the icons below to download the presentations of the C4R final conference:

SP1 – Infrastructure

SP4 – Advanced Monitoring

SP2 – New concepts for efficient freight systems

SP3 – Operation for enhanced Capacity

SP5 – System assessment and migration to 2030/2050

Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking

Cedex

Practical information

Address of the venue:

Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles
Palacio de Fernán Nuñez
44 calle de Santa Isabel
28012 Madrid, Spain

List of hotels nearby the conference center:
How to get to FFE:

Access map to the venue:


Agenda for Technical Visit to Cedex:
How to access to CEDEX Assembly hall:

Registration
To register fill in the form below:

Title (Required)

Insert a valid email address (example: you@provider.com)

I will attend the workshop on 21 September 2017 (Required)
I will attend the networking dinner on 21 September 2017 (Required)
I will attend the technical visit on 22 September 2017 (Required)
Food preferences

For more information visit www.capacity4rail.eu or contact hassoun@uic.org

Capacity4Rail-invites you to an Interactive Workshop

A New Competitive, Reliable, Sustainable and Connected Rail Freight Transport

Brussels, 26 June 2017

This public event targets experts from railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, wagon keepers, wagon operators, European and National authorities, decision makers for traffics, railway manufacturing industry, rail freight stakeholders and academia across Europe.

The workshop will focus on innovations in wagon design, in connectivity, in terminal design and operations to match the changing needs of the logistics market in order to allow rail freight transport to find its right place in the supply chains.

The program will present design innovations for wagons and their integration and impact on various train types, the most recent solutions for on-train and train-to-ground connectivity leading to the future freight train of 2030 and a vision for 2050. Cost benefit analysis and possible roadmaps to integrate these innovations will be presented and time will be dedicated to exchanges with the audience.

The event will also address innovative designs and operations for marshalling yards and multimodal rail-road/sea terminals that have been elaborated, simulated and economically assessed, both for medium-term and prospective visions.

New terminal concepts for improved asset utilization and smoother transfers will be presented and discussed with the audience.

Join us, it will be a fantastic time for looking at the future scenarios of rail freight transport in 2030/2050 and of course to boost networking!

Programme

Click on the icon below to download the draft programme:

Presentations

Click on the icons below to download the presentations of the workshop:

Practical information

Address and access of the venue
Maison des Associations Internationales - Brussels

On behalf of the project partners we would like to invite you to the CAPACITY4RAIL Project Workshop & Training

to be held on 27 & 28 April 2017,
OLTIS Group Headquarters,
Dr. M. Horákové 27A , Olomouc, Czech Republic

This public event is open for experts from all across Europe’s rail infrastructure industry and academia, specifically targetting practitioners or experts coming from both railway industry and academia involved in one or more of the following areas:
o Operation and capacity planning
o Timetable design
o Traffic Management
o Strategic operation and infrastructure development
o Strategic investment planners
o Information systems and data management
o Control command and signalling
o Modelling and simulation of railway traffic?

The workshop will focus on planning & management of railway operations and will showcase the key outputs from the EC FP7 funded project CAPACITY4RAIL, namely:

“Operations for enhanced capacity” to achieve an automated, resilient, robust, adaptable and affordable railway system

Highlights of the workshop

It will offer an excellent opportunity to hear about the latest developments in advanced tools for railway planning, simulation of railway operations, railway traffic management and innovative data architectures to enable the digitalisation of railway systems.

Panel discussions with representatives of the main European railway industry and academia will be held in the context of the potential take up of these innovative solutions by the railways.

Join us, it will be a fantastic time for looking at the future scenarios of railways in 2030/2050 and of course to boost networking.

Venue
OLTIS Group Headquarters
Dr. M. Horákové 27A
779 00 Olomouc
Czech Republic
Tel +420 588 208 555
www.oltisgroup.com

Programme
To download the detailed programme, click on the icon below:

Workshop & Training - Digital operations - 27 & 28 April2017 - Detailed programme

Presentations:
To download the presentations, click on the icons below:

Digital operations for enhanced performance and capacity in European railways

The event is open to anyone wishing to attend and will attract experts from across Europe’s rail infrastructure industry.

The event will be used to showcase the key infrastructure outputs of the CAPACITY4RAIL Project, namely

New Concepts for railway infrastructure and operation: adaptable, automated, resilient and adaptable, automated, resilient and high-capacity

in the context of potential take up of innovative solutions by the railway infrastructure industry.

It will offer an excellent opportunity to hear about the latest developments in slab track, switches & crossings, predictive track maintenance, migration strategies for innovative track solutions 2030/2050 and provide a fantastic opportunity for networking.

Programme
Click on the icon below to download the programme

Programme

Address of the venue
FNTP - La Maison des Travaux Publics
3 rue de Berri,
75008 Paris

Registration
The workshop can accommodate 50 persons only and registrations will be accepted on a first come first served basis.

We are sorry, registration is closed.

Presentations

Welcome by host, Imrich Korpanec, EFRTC
Outline of the Workshop by Project Coordinator, Álvaro Andrés, UIC
New track concept generation, selection & design - Slab track concept, Amador Quintana, INECO
Effect of very high speed on track and bridges, Erica Calatozzo, SYSTRA
New approach to maintenance based on advanced sensors and monitoring technologies in S&C, Edd Stewart, The University of Birmingham
Understanding root causes of S&C defects and assessing effective remedies, Yann Bezin, University of Huddersfield
Monitoring technologies, strategies and sensors, Gunnar Baumann, Deutsche Bahn
Sustainable strategies for monitoring in slab track, Noemi Jimenez-Redondo, CEMOSA
Migration strategies for innovative track solutions 2030/2050, Burchard Ripke, Deutsche Bahn

As part of SP2 research, designing the rail freight system of the future, the CAPACITY4RAIL Consortium are conducting a comprehensive survey to understand the expected industry market up-take levels of our proposed designs, with regard to performance, operational, and technological characteristics.

Please use your in-depth knowledge, skills and experience in the sector to take part in our survey which should take no more than 20 minutes of your time:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LNGYJSR

The survey is private and confidential, no respondents will be identified individually, and the results will be used in an anonymous manner.

The results will inform a catalogue of rail freight systems to meet the requirements and expectations for 2030/2050. The catalogue will consolidate all the rail freight system designs developed and identify the technological innovation required to meet the White Paper goals.

Deadline: Monday 19th December 2016

Thank you in advance.

To be held on 3 November 2016, the second dissemination workshop will be the opportunity to promote the project’s achievements at 36 months of activity.

At this stage, most of the work on innovation development will be completed and the project will enter the demonstration and assessment phase.

Workshop highlights:
• The new slab track concepts
• The new concepts for high speed
• The materials and monitoring for innovative Switches and Crossings
• Innovative wagons for freight
• Optimisation of terminal operations
• Ubiquitous data for railway operations
• Innovative sensors and monitoring strategies
• Multicriteria assessment strategy
• Recommendations to achieve the project’s vision for the Railway System of 2050…

Ample time will be reserved for discussion and exchange with the project partners.

Programme and useful information

Capacity4Rail - 2nd Dissemination Workshop Draft Agenda

Venue

Adress of the venue:
Maison Grand Place
19 Grand Place
B-1000 Brussels

Map:

Online Registration
We’re sorry, registration is closed!

Presentations

CapacityRail - Project overview
Alvaro Andres - UIC
Update on Modular integrated design of new concepts for infrastructure
Pierre-Etienne Gautier - SYSTRA
Update on Track for very high speed
Miguel Rodriguez Plaza - ADIF
Innovative concepts and designs for resilient S&Cs
Dr Arne Nissen - Trafikverket
SP2 New Concepts for Efficient Freight systems - WP2.2 Novel Rail Freight vehicles
Armand Toubol - NewOpera
SP2 New Concepts for Efficient Freight systems - WP2.3 Co-modal Transhipment and Interchange Logistics
Stefano Ricci - Sapienza Universita di Roma (DICEA)
Catalogue of Specification for Future Rail Freight
Dr Dewan ISLAM - NewRail (Newcastle University)
Operations for Enhanced Capacity: An overview
Egidio Quaglietta - Network Rail
Simulation and models - Demonstrator optimized timetabling
Magnus Wahlborg - Trafikverket
Update on the work of SP4 Advanced Monitoring
Gunnar Baumann - DB Netz AG, Noemi Jimenez Redondo - CEMOSA, Edd Stewart - Univ. of Birmingham
Update on System assessment and migration
SP5 partners and Jonathan Paragreen - Univ. of Sheffield

The Capacity4Rail project will be showcased from 20 to 22 September 2016 at InnoTrans 2016 (Oltis Group, Hall 4.1, Stand 312 and University of Birmigham, Hall 7.1c, Stand 305).

Do not hesitate to visit the stands of OLTIS and University of Birmigham to learn more about the on-going research activities and attend live presentations of Capacity4Rail.

We look forward to seeing you at Stand 312 in Hall 4.1 or at Stand 305 in Hall 7.1c

C4R to hold its dissemination workshop #1 – 10-11 June 2015, UIC HQ, Paris

Capacity4Rail will hold its first dissemination workshop on 10-11 June 2015, at UIC headquarters, in Paris. Please see details and register on our website “News” section at www.capacity4rail.eu. It will include the following topics:

• Building a vision for the 2030 and 2050 railway
• Requirements for an efficient freight system
• Capacity4Rail roadmap and key aspects
• Current progress
• Next steps and perspectives …

Ample time will be reserved for discussion and exchange with the project partners

See "Workshop 2015" for details and on-line registration.

For more information on the workshop, please contact: dekeyzer@uic.org

Entering its second year, the project has already produced significant achievements and, through a roadmap and a vision, set up a firm basis for future developments towards the railway of 2050.

Chaired by its Coordinator Laurent Schmitt (UIC), the meeting was therefore shared between a General Assembly and a plenary session.

Pierre-Etienne Gautier for Infrastructure, Tomas Arvidsson for "Freight", Meena Dasigi for “Capacity and Operation”, Burchard Ripke for “Advanced Monitoring” and “Migration” successively took the floor to highlight the main technical achievements and the forecoming developments of their respective sub-projects.

C4R Partner representatives attending the 2nd General Assembly and Plenary Meeting, UIC HQ, Paris, 25 Nov. 2014

Taking stock of the work done, the meeting also listed the forthcoming tasks, and highlighted those that need to be finalised soon to meet the European Commission’s requirements.

Concluding a very positive meeting, the Coordinator stated that the project is now entering a period where interaction and communication between the partners will be crucial to progress towards the common 2050 vision in a complex system approach.

Submitted deliverables approved by the EU Commission will be available online in the Public Reports section.

The Capacity4Rail project will be showcased from 23 to 26 September 2014 at InnoTrans 2014 (UNIFE Stand 302 in Hall 4.2).

Do not hesitate to visit the UNIFE stand to learn more about the on-going research activities and objectives of Capacity4Rail.

We look forward to seeing you at Stand 302 in Hall 4.2.

The Capacity4Rail project, co-funded by the European Commission and addressing the issue of railway capacity, held its kick-off meeting on the 16th of October in Paris, in the presence of around 70 participants representing 46 European partners from 13 countries in Europe and Turkey.

Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General, gave the welcome address, explaining UIC’s increasingly important role in European Projects. UIC has been progressively recognised as a professional platform and a reliable contributor on behalf of its members, especially with regard to technical/research issues that benefit their interests. He emphasised the key role of coordination in this project that is a big challenge, given the large number of partners. In a complex and diversified world, there is a need for unity in the shape of a platform able to bring together various partners, and this is the basis of UIC.

Laurent Schmitt, Project Coordinator at UIC, presented the project’s background. Capacity is not only a railway issue, all modes of transports are facing capacity issues and share common constraints; therefore there is a need for complementarity and balanced split between them. There is also political will and an expectation from customers and public in favour of technical solutions for a better performing railway. There are different ways to address the issue: more resources and infrastructures, more efficient use of existing resources, improved performance of existing resources and reduction of capacity-killers, making the system more resilient and resistant, more reliable and available for operation.

The project will build on various past and ongoing research projects (for example the input of INNOTRACK for switches and crossings for future railways). The project will be structured into four Sub-Projects related to infrastructure: freight, operation, and advanced monitoring. A 5th transversal Sub-Project will give the project a system view and ensure the connection between the other Sub-Projects. The full sustainability of the developed solutions and innovations will be assessed and scenarios for a smooth migration of the system from its current to its future state will be evaluated.

The project challenges will concern the use of the existing know-how, the implementation of the result, the need to find timely low cost ways to add capacity, the rapid implementability at minimal cost. The coordination is of vital importance, to create an open and creative atmosphere, and to keep a multi-disciplinary system approach.

eNews articles

https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/562/article/uic-represented-in-its-role-as-coordinator-at-the-capacity4rail-c4r-project title="UIC represented in its role as coordinator at the Capacity4Rail C4R Project Final Conference in Madrid">UIC represented in its role as coordinator at the Capacity4Rail C4R Project Final Conference in Madrid
from eNews Nr 562 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/395/article/uic-participation-to-tra-4423 title="Participation of UIC in Transport Research Arena 2014">Participation of UIC in Transport Research Arena 2014
from eNews Nr 395 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/541/article/workshop-training-operations-for-enhanced-capacity-to-achieve-an-automated title="The EU funded Capacity4Rail project invites you to the workshop: “Digital operations for enhanced capacity”, Olomouc (Czech Republic), 27-28 April 2017">The EU funded Capacity4Rail project invites you to the workshop: “Digital operations for enhanced capacity”, Olomouc (Czech Republic), 27-28 April 2017
from eNews Nr 541 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/425/article/uic-s-work-on-improving-capacity title="UIC’s work on improving capacity of the railway system: General Assembly of the European funded project Capacity4Rail held on 25 November, Paris, UIC HQ">UIC’s work on improving capacity of the railway system: General Assembly of the European funded project Capacity4Rail held on 25 November, Paris, UIC HQ
from eNews Nr 425 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/347/article/capacity4rail-project-negotiation title="CAPACITY4RAIL project: negotiation in progress under UIC’s leadership">CAPACITY4RAIL project: negotiation in progress under UIC’s leadership
from eNews Nr 347 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/370/article/kick-off-meeting-and-general title="UIC’s work on improving the capacity of the railway system: official launch and General Assembly of the European Capacity4Rail Project at UIC HQ in Paris">UIC’s work on improving the capacity of the railway system: official launch and General Assembly of the European Capacity4Rail Project at UIC HQ in Paris
from eNews Nr 370 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/364/article/fp7-6th-call-grant-agreement title="FP7 6th Call: Grant Agreement signed for Capacity4Rail">FP7 6th Call: Grant Agreement signed for Capacity4Rail
from eNews Nr 364 - https://uic.org/com/uic-e-news/375/article/focus-on-a-few-key-research title="Focus on a few key research projects illustrating the different areas in which UIC can have a coordinating role">Focus on a few key research projects illustrating the different areas in which UIC can have a coordinating role
from eNews Nr 375 -