This year’s edition of InnoTrans, the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology, reunited 2,242 companies, 17% more than the previous edition (2008), of which more than 50% were international exhibitors. All five display sections at the fair, Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction have registered significant growth. This year the overall amount of space occupied inside the halls and on the outdoor display site was 150,000 sq m. The total length of the railway tracks was of 3,500m, which hosted 121 vehicles, 30 more than in 2008. InnoTrans attracted over 100,000 visitors from 110 countries, 20% more than in 2008.
Over 50 products were showcased for the first time, being innovative products for the international railway system. Millions of euros worth of contracts were signed during this event. “Despite the recession and its impact on the industry, InnoTrans has grown in all the main areas compared with 2008, ranging from global enterprises to SMEs and national industry associations. There has been a significant increase in exhibitors from Asia and North America, while Canada and Brazil shared joint exhibition stands, a first for this event”, said Matthias Steckmann, Director Messe Berlin GmbH, at the opening of InnoTrans 2010.
Siim Kallas: by 2050, railway services will dominate the European transport market
Attending the opening ceremony at InnoTrans 2010, Siim Kallas, EC Vice-President in charge of transport, outlined the fact that the European railway space is fragmented compared to the one in China and the US. He added that the implementation of new railway projects and legislation is aimed at creating a single European market. Kallas assured that, by 2050, railway transport will dominate the transport market. “Railway transport meets requirements in terms of international competitiveness as an actual market. By 2050, rail transport will dominate the European market and we plan to expand the European railway network. Also, we have to invest in infrastructure and in traffic control systems. In order to do so, we need to attract the private sector and new investments. The policies for the business sector have to be improved, because we cannot talk about investments and projects without the private sector, which can’t wait forever. Therefore, we need to involve the private sector and it should benefit from public sector guarantees”, outlines Siim Kallas.
In regards to railway passenger transport, Kallas focused on regional transport, which “has always had a major role in attracting passengers. Regional transport is the best way to attract investments and to achieve regional competitiveness”, added Kallas. However, as far as the operators are concerned, tax policies should be improved, because “the operators pay to have access on the railway network. That is why the tax policy should be improved, in order to create competitiveness and to create a stable business environment”.
When asked about the activity and projects of German operator Deutsche Bahn, Kallas said that, in the future, DB may become the European operator. “As for the single European railway market, Deutsche Bahn has a great chance in becoming the European transport service provider, able to combine various modes of transport and services. Other large transport companies in Europe may also benefit from this opportunity”.
Within the next 4 years, EU member states should implement the legislation for market liberalisation and rail transport should be unified across Europe. In this context, creating a single market will facilitate the access of large transport providers who, by expanding their services and co-verage, will be able to compete for the position of true European market leader. “Our policies focus on sustainability and custo-mers. Our services and strategies will create competition. We want competition and we want to achieve added value. For Deutsche Bahn, taking over Arriva ensures a European platform that helps expand our services in this area”, said Rüdiger Grube, CEO Deutsche Bahn.
EARS: “railway transport globalization”
The European and Asian Railway Summit (EARS) held at InnoTrans 2010 focused on railway globalization. One of the main keynote speakers was RZD President Vladimir Yakunin, who said that, once the globalization sets, the world economy will grow due to a unified transport system and a safe communication at international level, the railway system being an essential aspect. “Governments face serious issues in terms of integrating the transport infrastructures into a single trans-national network, providing access to global transport corridors. Russia’s geographic position provides an important place for rail transport in the global economic system, as a bridge between Europe and Asia on the East-West and North-South axes”, said Yakunin during the summit.
RZD’s President also mentioned that the development perspectives for the East-West axis depend largely on the improvement of the technology used for the high-speed transport of large freight vo-lumes. “Due to the increase in customer demand and needs, the list of routes ne-cessary continues to grow. Together with the measures taken to optimize transport volumes on the East-West axis, one of RZD’s priorities is to develop an integrated rail infrastructure along the North-South international transport corridor. In order to achieve this potential, a direct rail link should be created between Russia and Iran and the Persian Gulf countries”, said Yakunin.
In order to implement new projects and create a single transport space, Yakunin presented the measures taken by RZD, the types of cooperation developed with other countries and the new transport products meant to attract customers on the Asia-Europe route. He also talked about the creation of a logistics terminal and the development of new services in this area. “By gradually solving the issues related to a stable infrastructure development, the elimination of administrative and legal barriers and the development of advantageous partnerships, rail transport will soon become the global supplier of transport services in the Eurasian region”, added Yakunin.
In regards to the globalization of the railway sector, DB CEO Rüdiger Grube said that “worldwide, the railway sector is going through a period of rebirth, due to major infrastructure projects such as the ones in the US, China, Russia and the Persian Gulf. Simultaneously, Europe is implementing the liberalisation of railway markets and the internalisation of transport companies”.
Romania at its second participation at InnoTrans
Romania participated at InnoTrans 2010 for the second consecutive time (following the 2008 edition), being represented by the Romanian Railway Industry Association (AIF), which reunited 7 companies: Atelierele CFR Griviţa, EXIMPROD Grup, CLUB FEROVIAR, INDA Craiova, REMAR Paşcani, SPIACT Craiova, VIO TOP. Other Romanian companies also attended this event: Astra Vagoane Călători, Azoma, ICPE SAERP, International Railway Systems and Remarul 16 Februarie. For the first time, Romania showcased railway rolling stock: Remarul 16 Februarie unveiled the refurbished 2300 HP diesel-electric locomotive and the refurbished 1360 HP diesel-hydraulic locomotive.
“Romania’s attendance at InnoTrans 2010 precedes the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, set for October 2010. I would also like to mention that a visit was made by the National SME Council, whose delegation was led by President Ovidiu Niculescu. This visit and Romania’s attendance at InnoTrans 2010 represent a landmark for the Romanian-German cooperation, especially in the transport sector. Romania’s attendance is carefully evaluated and appreciated by Germany”, stated for Railway Pro Valentin Panait from the Romanian Embassy in Berlin, during his visit at AIF’s exhibition stand. At InnoTrans 2010, Club Feroviar launched an analysis entitled “Romania – railway business opportunities”, which presents the current evolution of the railway sector. This analysis presents the projects currently underway and those yet to be implemented, projects that contribute to the development of the railway business sector and the national economy. Among the projects included in this document we can find the railway projects for Corridor IV estimated at EUR 3.3 Billion, the underground extension projects estimated at EUR 4.4 Billion and the projects designed to improve the signalling market over the next 5 years (around EUR 500 Million). The document also analyses the privatisation of freight operator CFR Marfă.
by Pamela Luică
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