With its punishing gradients, sharp curves, and intensive freight traffic, the Brenner corridor between Germany and Italy poses daily challenges for the many operators that use the route. Erwin Reidinger looks at how significant investment in additional capacity will bring a step-change in performance on this vital transalpine artery.
THE integrated structure of railways in Germany and Austria does not contravene European legislation on liberalisation, according to European Court of Justice Advocate General Mr Niilo Jääskinen, who today delivered his opinions on infringement actions brought against several European Union (EU) member states by the European Commission (EC).
THE European Commission (EC) has authorised an Austrian government scheme to subsidise railfreight operations for five years from December.
AUSTRIAN Federal Railways (ÖBB) CEO Mr Christian Kern recently announced that ÖBB results for the first six months of 2012 are better than expected. If the economic situation remains stable he expects ÖBB to return to profit in 2012, a year earlier than previously predicted.
FOLLOWING his resignation as CEO of Austrian open-access passenger operator Westbahn at the beginning of June, Dr Stefan Wehinger has sold his shares in parent company Rail Holding to the other three shareholders.
HUNGARIAN freight operator Floyd took delivery on June 18 of the first of three former British Rail class 56 diesel locomotives, which will help support the operator's growing business in Hungary and further afield.
AFTER a three-year absence, passenger services between Villach, Austria, and Udine, Italy, were reinstated on June 10, thanks to a joint venture between the European Union and Italian autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
IRJ at Strategic Partnership 1520: RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) expects to issue a feasibility study for the proposed 1520mm-gauge line to Vienna by the end of this year.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has achieved considerable success in maintaining and even improving track quality while simultaneously reducing costs.
