List view / Grid view
15 February 2008 | By Wolfgang Tiefensee, German Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs
The quality of life in our urban and rural areas is directly related to the quality of local public transport. Local public transport in Germany is indispensable, for ecological reasons and to ensure mobility for everyone. This is true of both conurbations, with their dense networks of rapid transit systems,…
15 February 2008 | By Dr. Tobias Heinemann, Chief Executive Officer, S-Bahn Berlin GmbH and Felix Pohl, Head of Marketing Department, S-Bahn Berlin GmbH
Since 1924, S-Bahn Berlin has been the backbone of mobility in Berlin. Up until the mid 1940s, the Berlin S-Bahn network had become one of the biggest urban rapid rail transport systems in Europe. The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, however, abruptly ripped the unified and closed rapid…
15 February 2008 | By Herbert Dombrowsky, CEO, VAG Nuremberg and Rainer Müller, Managing Director, VAG Nuremberg
After more than 125 years of operating a mass transit system, Nuremberg can boast a long tradition of quality public transportation. What began in 1881 with just a few horse-drawn carriages, is now a modern company with a vast route network. Today, VAG Nuremberg looks to the future, investing in…
15 February 2008 | By Fotis Karamitsos, Director Logistics, Innovation, Co-Modality & Maritime Transport, DG Transport and Energy, European Commission
With the majority of European Union citizens living in urban areas, the challenges of urban mobility are a key concern for the European Commission. However, growing transport demands may negatively affect our quality of life and our economy. Cities all across Europe face similar problems of congestion, road safety, security,…
15 February 2008 | By Dr. Haukur Ingason, Fire Protection Researcher, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden
Fire incidents in trains can be divided into two main groups: those we can manage and those we cannot. For example, if a burning train comes to a stop inside a tunnel, the situation may become very difficult to manage, both for the tunnel operators and fire services. Such scenarios…
15 February 2008 | By Gilles de Chantérac, Chairman, Calypso Networks Association
Currently, only 10% of transport cards are micro-processor cards. However, this proportion has started to grow and will continue to increase if the transport market wants to provide the most secure solutions for fare management. Calypso cards account for 85% of those used today – outside the SONY FELICA non-standard…
15 February 2008 | By Svend Tøfting, Chairman, North Denmark Region, ITS Denmark
If more passengers are to use public transport, it is necessary to use ITS in a targeted way. In this article I will write about implemented and planned projects in the North Denmark Region and in the region’s capital, Aalborg. Public transport in Denmark is currently under pressure to perform.…
15 February 2008 | By Serge Lagrange, Metro Operations Director, RATP
Several metro networks are progressively introducing platform screen doors, set-up at the edge of platforms to prevent passengers falling on the tracks. Platform screens remove the risk of accidental falls and prevent suicide attempts. Platform screens also improve the general sense of safety of the passengers waiting at platforms. In…
15 February 2008 | By Henrik Virro, Project Manager for CCTV & Security, SL
Everyday more than 700,000 people travel with SL – Stockholm's public transportation company. SL is the head principal for land-based public transportation (commuter trains, light rail, buses and metro) within the Stockholm region. This means that SL doesn't operate any trains or buses themselves, instead they engage transportation companies such…
