IRJ at IRSE Aspect 2015 conference, London: Despite two rounds of trying to recruit a chief executive for the Shift2Rail railway research programme, the European Commission (EC) has yet to appoint anyone to this key role.
GERMAN Rail (DB) and the European Railway Industry Association (Unife) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance the International Railway Industry Standard (Iris) with the goal of improving the quality and reliability of products and better fulfilling customer requirements.
THREE new European Union (EU) railway research projects, which will form the preliminary work of the future core activities of the Shift2Rail joint technology initiative, were launched at an event held in Brussels last week.
IRJ and IRITS hosted the International Railway Summit 2015 in Barcelona on February 18-20, welcoming 80 delegates to the conference and parallel supplier-buyer matchmaking sessions. Keith Barrow and Kevin Smith pick out the highlights from this well-received event.
OSIRIS, a three-year research programme to identify means to improve energy efficiency in urban railway transport, concluded this week with participants hailing its success during the final conference in Brussels.
THREE European railway associations are calling for European Union transport ministers to take decisive action on the Fourth Railway Package and create a level playing field when they meet in Brussels on October 8.
IRJ at InnoTrans 2014: THE eight founding members of the Shift2Rail joint technology research initiative are expected to be announced next week, as leaders of the programme have told suppliers not to miss the opportunity to participate in the research projects that will define the future direction of the rail industry in Europe.
THE Council of the European Union (EU) has formally adopted the regulation establishing the Shift2Rail joint undertaking for railway research following a meeting in Luxembourg on June 16.
DR Lutz Bertling, president and COO of Bombardier Transportation, was elected chairman of the European Rail Industry Association (Unife) at its 23rd general assembly held in London on June 12.
While politicians continue to debate the Fourth Railway Package's proposals to streamline rolling stock certification in the EU, a research project intended to improve the efficiency of the actual testing and certification process concluded recently.
