What would you like to see available first before the next volcanic cloud disruption
Visit our corporate site for more information on the products and services from Amadeus, Your technology partner
Latest News
27 Apr 2010
16 Apr 2010
Poll Results: Do you think the iPad will change the way we book travel?
Links
- Air Rail News airrail NEWS, is a key source of information for all those seeking up-to-date industry news on rail links to airports.
- Railway Gazette The publisher of news and business information for the world's railway industry: magazines, newsletter, directory, and on-line services.
- Air Rail Today Blog A.R.T is the International Air Rail Organisation's blog, with news, articles and comment on all things related to air rail links world-wide.
- InfraWeblogs.com InfraWeblogs.com is the weblog about infrastructure.
- EURAILmag - The magazine for European rail decision makers and customers EURAILmag delivers news and information on Europe’s railway industry, its product offerings and services.
- International Air Rail Organisation IARO spreads world-class best practice and good workable ideas among people interested in rail links to airports.
-
Intermodality and deregulation - Intermodes 2010 Brussels
During the first half of this year I have attended a few events, with many discussing the subject of intermodality. INTERMODES 2010 held in Brussels, reviewed the different means of transport and how today's innovation is helping us enjoy a near seamless journey. Long term investment is being made to ensure that when we arrive at our destination train station we move swiftly and easily to a "docking bay" where our onward journey is awaiting us. Many stations are going through massive refurbishment to include a quick transistion for the traveller from one to the other, Marseilles in the south of France is just one of them.
The hub can know take various forms depending on the onward journey - airport, bus terminal, taxi or pick up from friends and relatives, alot will depend on the final destination whether its for business or leisure. The president of the Association of Paneuropean Coach Terminals stated that over 300 million passengers are taking the bus for international long distance travel basically having a 7-12% market share of the international traveller. While we focus on the evolution of the high speed train, the international motorways are still being maintained to a high standard and offer a very attractive alternative. Whereas the travel times will be longer for the same distance the price of a ticket remains extremely competitive.
7 Apr 2010
-
European Rail Deregulation: Can we learn lessons from UK and Swedish Rail privatization?
On the 1st of January 2010 the European Railway market was opened up to competition allowing open access, i.e. all railway operators can compete with one another on international routes. Private companies are now able to operate trains across borders and pick up passengers outside their home country. The new EU liberalization model is very similar to that introduced during the British Rail privatization and also to liberalize the Swedish Rail market; so is it fair to say that we could make predictions of the outcome of European Railway deregulation by using the cases of the UK and Sweden?
British Rail privatization has been widely criticized; it did not show the improvements in punctuality and reliability that was hoped for and enhancements in customer service are questionable. You would think that train efficiency would improve due to the profit incentive but in Britain many of the passenger franchises hit financial trouble meaning they had no choice but to sign management contracts with the franchising authorities resulting in reduced incentive to innovate. The UK Rail franchising system is perhaps too complex and involves too many companies. Many sources believe that the privatization of the rail infrastructure management led to the deterioration of the track and was potentially the cause of a several fatal crashes. Sweden has taken a different approach to privatization but whether it is better or not is open to discussion.
5 Feb 2010
-
In times of a recession does bigger mean better?
In these difficult times of a recession, railways could look towards the airlines for some ideas on how to cut costs and take advantages of being part of a membership. In a recent article on Star Alliance http://is.gd/M8NZ the member airlines are taking advantage of being a larger group. Ordering blankets from one supplier as a group has its advantages of bargaining a lower price because there is a larger order. I've put this article under deregulation, where we would expect a certain amount of competitiveness throughout the next 2-3 years as cross border territories open up. However, why not look to create a bond in the early stages and find synergies between services - this will surely provide the end consumer with a better deal too.
2 Jun 2009
-
Deregulation: an opportunity to build partnerships
More and more business travellers say that a major factor in their choice of transport is not just speed but a journey that gets them to their destination feeling ready to charm and finesse clients rather than bite off their heads. This article from the Times Online http://is.gd/rCbE outlines once again the great opportunity there is for deregulation to provide the "open access" not only to compete, but for railways to build long term partnerships that will change the face of european travel. Re-using existing sales channels and integrating rail as a part of the journey (the total trip experience) rather than a fragmented piece of the puzzle will most probably accelerate modal shift.
1 May 2009