1. Article: Bob and Alice in Rail Wonderland.
Like it or not, today’s public transport operations in Europe are an international affair
at many levels. The introduction of automated traffic control systems such as
ERTMS, ETCS for automatic train protection with GSM-R for train to shore
communications, the operation of passenger franchises and rail freight by foreign
companies and road vehicles and rail rolling stock supplied by overseas companies
bear testimony to that. The public transport road and rail industry in Europe, like
maritime, air and road transport did before, has finally left the old national focus
behind under European political involvement and re- orientated internationally,
admittedly sometimes not whole-heartedly in the initial stages. This has important
repercussions for today’s students of rail operations, even if that at the moment does
not appear a really relevant issue in your daily job.
The European Continent and Britain play a major role in the world of public transport
and need people with an internationally orientated spark driving them. As much as
that Britons manage or make policy in the foreign corporations that run buses, trams,
metro’s and trains here (e.g. Hong Kong’s MTR is s classic in that respect), the
Hitachi Rail Rolling Stock Manufacturers is a Japanese company led by a Briton,
headquartered and manufacturing in the UK, Japan and in Italy, many foreign
managers do their daily job in Britain. The British institutions for railway signalling,
traction and track engineering and rail operation thrive, with a very international
membership and their job-qualifications are internationally widely recognised.
A striking example of international concern is level crossing safety, certainly where it
concerns the most threatening variety of them all; a heavy road freight vehicle getting
hit by a train. Where at this moment virtually every network is eliminating the run of
the mill level crossing safety issues in co-operation with some success, one thing
keeps standing out; the rate at which heavy road transport vehicles still are involved in
collisions because of unforeseen problems they encounter on automatic level
crossings. After the 1968 Hixon accident in the UK one would have thought that a
heavy road haulier as a matter of routine talks to rail traffic control authorities about
traffic intentions, a matter of common sense. Yet this is not so: similar incidents still
happened thereafter (e.g. Kissimmee FL USA 1993, Domène F 2006, Tossiat F 2007,
Kerang NSW AUS 2007). The British problems with the reset-and-go scare after the
introduction of AWS/TPWS in 2002/03 were preceded by precursor incidents of great
similarity in Germany. The disastrous gas-tank wagon derailment with explosions and
fire at Viareggio in Italy due to a broken axle brought a raft of issues with UIC
standard freight-wagon axles and freight vehicle maintenance into the European
limelight, but it took that fire and its casualties to trigger international action. The
derailment and burning of a train that combined fuel and chemicals in its cargo at
Wetteren in Belgium last year was a smaller scale replay of the similar disaster at

2. Mississauga in Canada decades ago. It was the 2005 Hatfield derailment that suddenly
put forward issues with rolling contact fatigue on a surprisingly international scale.
The 1999 Eschede disaster in Germany was about overbridge piers hit by a derailing
train, something that also played a role in the equally destructive 1977 Granville
accident in Australia and at Lewisham St. John’s in the UK. Then why were these
more recent accidents allowed to happen? Because rail people did not take enough
note of what happens elsewhere in the world and so miss out on sensible measures
taken there? As a consequence people died!
On a more everyday scale, though, how do others deal with vandalism issues such as
fare-evasion and graffiti? Would a bit more interest in each others predicaments
perhaps have given the tools used elsewhere to prevent some of the accidents? Would
better insight in other operator’s solutions to combat vandalism issues generate better
services, save problems and funds?
Given that the operation of railways in Europe moved to a previously unknown level
of internationalization, it might be very useful for operations people to know how
their foreign employer is experienced by customers in the country of origin. What is
good about the quality of operations there and what is definitely better here at home.
One thing that never ceases to amaze us on the Continent, for instance, is the virtually
universal lack of skill to speedily clear problems for customers during service
disruption. Effective service recovery appears an unknown quantity; measures taken
are unclear, badly communicated and waiting times for people stuck in stations on
platforms are appalling. Only in Belgium did I once experience some pleasantly old-
fashioned and effective rail traffic controller work during a train failure, but the truth
is that e.g. the UK has become the fastest and most effective operator in such
circumstances. Obviously, at the time they had to!
On the other hand, as long as everything works fine the integration of main and local
services, the convenient public transport hubs and the high-frequency timetables with
tight connections operated with no-fuss through ticketing (especially in The
Netherlands and Switzerland) are eye-openers to anyone used to the situation in the
UK, especially away from London and other big cities. Never mind some really
impressive achievements on the rolling stock side, such as the twin-deck coaches, the
ever expanding local and light rail networks, high-quality bus lines completely on
their own roads with the buses switching traffic lights on intersections with the
normal roads. Things like the three-section double-articulated buses as in Utrecht.
How come that these big vehicles didn’t threaten cyclists’ welfare in the Utrecht
mediaeval city streets that single-articulated buses apparently did in London?

3. Knowledge of developments elsewhere in Europe and the world may not immediately
give you an advantage on your home territory. But if you have the intention of making
the most of your career, knowledge about developments elsewhere might just give
you the edge when a relevant position becomes available. Developing your own -and
judging other people’s- ideas about potential ways forward gets a lot more efficient if
you know about solutions tried out or at work elsewhere. Look for instance at the
presently emerging discussion about the use of double-deck rolling stock in Britain to
deal with incessant overcrowding, a solution widely used in Europe and North
America, is one of these issues. Another topic is the benefit (or not) of driverless
trains with Automatic Train Operation. Is it worth the investment?
Knowledge, quite simply, makes pieces of puzzles fall into place and consequently
will deepen your own level of efficiency in your job. Hearing from rail people abroad
cannot but re-direct your perception of what happens at home and whether that is the
best possible way of doing things or not. You will, for instance, find that the much
talked about need for integration of public transport (hardly anyone works or lives
within five minutes from a train platform) sparked off interesting developments with
operations (tram/trains) and ticketing (national/regional all-operator smart cards)
abroad. It first of all thoroughly benefitted the customer but at the same time made
back-office life for operators easier and more economical. You’ll experience how
issues with missing main transport links in crowded areas, overloading of passenger
rolling stock, pre- and post-trunk trip transport problems and station management are
being tackled. You’ll bring back insights just how that might improve the situation
where you work.
Together with other people we are looking for ways to exchange UK and Continental
public transport trainees on fact-finding trips to find out the facts, talk to people and
generally come home again looking with new eyes about possible solutions to
problems here. I think that it also would be an enjoyable experience to those who, like
us, are interested in public transport on a deeper level than it just being a job. Let us
know what you think, are you interested in a short and sharp course of this character?
It’s happening now, it’s there for you to see and take it in. To get inspired and be
better informed when ideas to tackle issues at work come up. Also; as a French
signalling engineer once put it when reading a paper in London, working on the
railway should be fun. Travelling abroad and looking behind the scenes there is fun.
You come back richer than you went out. That is fun!
Daniel Davis and Peter van der Mark, both with several decades of tourist travel, bus
and rail experience behind them, both at the sharp end as well as in staff management
positions, are in the final stages of setting up a week’s discovery trip in the UK and on
the Continent. The topics we try to find answers for are for instance: Who and what is
the industry that works on transport concepts and finds solutions? What works and
what not? Who are the manufacturers of transport equipment and who uses it with
what results? Who is who in the passenger and freight train operating world, running
trains where? How do these companies operate on their home turf? What is the
influence of political decisions on the health of public transport and on your job, what
is the role of governmental interference at home and abroad?

4. We also are looking for people with a story to tell and who are willing to share their
knowledge and experiences with an international audience of professional transport
students from all sections of the transport world in the UK and the Continent. Can we
please hear from you? At the same time, are you a transport professional who is
interested in a short trip, a week in October, within the UK and on the Continent to
broaden their knowledge horizons? Can we hear from you?
Please contact either myself or Mr Peter Vandermark at davisdaniel463@gmail.com
or peter.vandermark1@btinternet.com
Take the opportunity to find out!