International Railroad Discussion > Open Access

As alluded in a previous thread, I'd like to start a discussion on the concept of Open Access as it is being implemented in Europe.

SOO6617 started describing how it is going from a business perspective. Some additional good background can be found in an article from Railway Age:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_7_205/ai_n6147112

A fast summary might be that only six countries have made significant progress in implementing Open Access, those being the UK, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland (which is implementing many things despite not being an EU member). Italy has also made significant progress, but is not quite in the top category.

What I'd like to know is how this works from a practical operating standpoint. If I am an Open Access operator and I have a train to run from A to B, how does it happen? How does it get scheduled? Who operates it? What happens when a line is approaching capacity, especially a bottleneck line like (say) the Simplon Tunnel?

One interesting take on how the whole privatization situation may be changed in the UK comes from this link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_031105-07.hcsp

Another, clearly anti-Open Access, take appears on this web site:

<http://www.railway-technical.com/finance.html#Open-Access&gt;

Thanks to anyone that can provide insight, including pointers to other information sites in any language.

Maltby Turn, over...

bn2189 Wrote:

<snipped>

>
> What I'd like to know is how this works from a
> practical operating standpoint. If I am an Open
> Access operator and I have a train to run from A
> to B, how does it happen? How does it get
> scheduled? Who operates it? What happens when a
> line is approaching capacity, especially a
> bottleneck line like (say) the Simplon Tunnel?

For Mainland Europe start here.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/rail/index_en.html

and see here for Switzerland

http://www.bav.admin.ch/intro/bav.cfm

and on this page look at the information on the transport section in the middle of the page.

http://www.are.admin.ch/are/en/service/sitemap/index.html

and also here-

http://www.alptransit.ch/pages/e/aktuell/index.php

>
> One interesting take on how the whole
> privatization situation may be changed in the UK
> comes from this link:
>
> http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways
> /documents/page/dft_railways_031105-07.hcsp
>
> Another, clearly anti-Open Access, take appears on
> this web site:
>
>
> <http://www.railway-technical.com/finance.html#
> Open-Access>
>

For a different point of view on the UK see this website

http://www.rfg.org.uk/


> Thanks to anyone that can provide insight,
> including pointers to other information sites in
> any language.
>
> Maltby Turn, over...


Start here when you have new questions I will have more answers, I am really into this subject.

JFB

JFB & Others,

I have finally had some time to really look through all those good links. There's a lot to learn about this!

I still don't see answers to my key questions about operating, especially with respect to international routes. Who determines how many slots there are on a given line? Is there some kind of speed restriction on a given slot (e.g. do freights have a minimum operating speed to get a slot)? If a train were to be scheduled from somewhere in Germany to somewhere in Italy, would it require three separate applications for operation in each country?

I realize that dispatching works a bit differently in Europe than the centralized centers we are used to in the US, but this only adds to this question: How do the dispatchers/operators know what is coming when it is one of these Open Access trains?

Thanks in advance...

Maltby Turn out.

bn2189 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JFB & Others,
>
> I have finally had some time to really look
> through all those good links. There's a lot to
> learn about this!
>
> I still don't see answers to my key questions
> about operating, especially with respect to
> international routes. Who determines how many
> slots there are on a given line? Is there some
> kind of speed restriction on a given slot (e.g. do
> freights have a minimum operating speed to get a
> slot)? If a train were to be scheduled from
> somewhere in Germany to somewhere in Italy, would
> it require three separate applications for
> operation in each country?

Let me start with Germany, once you have a customer and you have a proposed timetable,
you would then contact the Network Operator, in the case of Germany this is DB Netz. You would lay out the Traction (Locomotive) you intend to use, the freight cars, train length, and the proposed schedule that you want. Then DB Netz would run this through their system timetable and would probably come back with changes. There would be negotiations, and eventually a schedule would be agreed, maybe. This would get your train to Switzerland, most likely at Basle or Schaffhausen depending on where you are coming from. Then you begin again with with SBB Netz. And then on to RFI in Italy. In each case you would need a separate set of licenses for each country. Most of the Train Operating Companies have a separate subsidiary for each Country they serve. Between each of the National Railway Companies it is a case of Quid Pro Quo, if you recognize my qualifications to operate in your country, I will recognize your right to operate in mine. It isn't that easy for the new independent companies.

>
> I realize that dispatching works a bit differently
> in Europe than the centralized centers we are used
> to in the US, but this only adds to this question:
> How do the dispatchers/operators know what is
> coming when it is one of these Open Access
> trains?

Unlike in the US you don't decide to operate a freight train on a few hours or even a few days notice, unless you are the US Army. Most schedules are set at least a month or so in advance and you have to work around the passenger trains which are normally scheduled even further in advance. Unless you are the National Operator running on your own tracks you don't want to be running behind schedule. Your company will pay penalties for any delays you cause to other operators. There is such a thing as a provisional schedule, one that an operator has the right to operate, but he might run or not depending on demand. Usually only the National Operators can afford to have these.
Regarding Dispatching most European countries have similar arrangements to ours,
some are as modern or more so than ours, some very much less than ours. When I say less so than ours I am refering to manned towers which are still very common in the UK, this is very labor intensive, and leads to secondary mainlines being closed on the overnight shift to save costs which causes big problems for freight. One big difference is that no one uses anything resembling our Track Warrants, all use more rigid systems, normally backed with some form of what we call ATC. With regards to schedules, each Dispatcher will receive a complete schedule of all trains that will operate on his territory each day.
If you understand German may I suggest you visit the German counterpart to Trainorders- "Drehscheibe" German for Turntable, there are interesting dicussions on German Rail Operations going on, along with photographs much like you find on here.
http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/

Also on the title page of this website see the section labeled "Aktuelle News aus den Drehscheibe Redaktion", click on this title and you will be taken to a section with Operating plans for various German locomotives and Multiple Unit Trains, and also
the Freight Train Schedules for several important Freight Nodes equivalent to Rochelle, IL or Fostoria, OH. These are labeled "Ubersicht". If you enjoy watching Freight Trains
these are the places to visit in Germany.

Finally if you want to know what it will cost to operate your freight train in Germany, explore this part of the DB website;

http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/geschaefte/infrastruktur__schiene/fahrweg/netzzugang/netzzugang__zks.html

for Germany it is tough but to get an idea look at the little section covering the small amount of DB trackage in Switzerland, they simply quote rates for various types of equipment times distance operated.

For Switzerland it is easier, go to the SBB website
http://www/sbb.ch/

Choose English "en"

Click on "Infrastructure" and then on "Train Path Sales Agency"

>
> Thanks in advance...
>
> Maltby Turn out.

JFB,

I appreciate the links; the German site is especially useful on a lot of levels.

I guess this is better than the monopolies that have existed, but it is far from simple!

Maltby Turn out.