All articles by Alexander Love
Alexander Love
Siemens Mobility joins a growing list of complainants against HS2
The UK high-speed railway project HS2 has recently received the latest of a series of legal challenges brought by railway stakeholders and members of the public, with the project stirring controversies since its inception. Luke Christou highlights some of the legal issues HS2 has seen.
Rail projects set for completion in 2021
This year is expected to see the realisation and conclusion of some high-profile rail projects around the world. These include the UK’s long-delayed Crossrail line, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Line 1, the Lagos-Ibadan railway in Nigeria and more. We profile these projects and assesses the status of their progress.
Inside Network Rail’s global warming action plan
Shortly after releasing its 2020-2050 Environmental Strategy, UK infrastructure manager Network Rail made history for becoming the first rail company in the world to set ambitious science-based targets to limit global warming within the framework of the Paris Agreement. But exactly how ambitious are these targets, and what is Network Rail’s plan to meet them?
Hop On For Our Planet: European rail pitches green credentials to Gen Z
European rail industry group Unife and leading rail supply companies have launched the Hop On For Our Planet campaign, which is encouraging Generation Z individuals (16-25 years old) to join the sector. We find out more about this campaign, and how it is looking to leverage Gen Z’s passion for the environment to attract more young people to work in rail.
New Rail Link: inside Switzerland’s largest-ever construction project
Almost 30 years after a high-speed rail link was voted for by the Swiss in a referendum, the final section of the New Rail Link – a high-speed rail link through the Alps – is set to open to rail traffic in December 2020. Here’s a closer look at this historic €21.3bn project, the milestones of which include the creation of the 35-mile-long Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Covid-19: could the pandemic bolster international rail travel?
A recent report from the UBS investment bank has found that the Covid-19 pandemic could accelerate the shift of passengers from air to rail, supercharging growth across the next decade. Could the rail industry be poised to take centre stage in international travel after the coronavirus crisis?
Inside DHL’s new rail freight service between China and Germany
DHL recently launched the fastest rail freight service running between Xi’an in China to Hamburg and Neuss in Germany. The line is expected to cut transit time from 17 to between ten and 12 days, and was built in an effort to strengthen trade between the EU and China, which is already estimated to be worth €1bn a day.
Sewage on the train tracks: will the rail industry clean up after itself?
In 2017, the UK Department for Transport and Network Rail’s former chief executive Mark Carne pledged to work with industry to eliminate the dumping of raw sewage on to train tracks by the end of 2019. But with the exemptions that have been provided there are still trains that are likely to run without self-contained toilets until 2023. How difficult is this retrofitting job, and why is it taking so long?