ISSN 0013-2845 March 2015
Railway Technology ETR Review INTERNATIONAL EDITION Special DB International
Transport solutions worldwide Foreword | Alexander Dobrindt
A message from the Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure
The world is growing closer to- di erences in technology and infrastructure to operational gether. More and more goods and procedures on either side of a border. The most important people are being moved throug- thing, however, is that rail networks must be made modern hout the world in shorter times, and e cient. In Germany, we have ramped up investment, over longer distances and over thereby ensuring that, over the next ve years, there will be a an increasing number of borders. record 28 billion euros available for the renewal and moder- The railways are a safe, economi- nization of the network. We need a strong and high-perfor- cal and environmentally friendly ming domestic market. This is one of the keys to success in means of transport and are cur- international competition. rently experiencing a renaissance. Given the need to tackle climate change, the rail mode will, The worldwide in the future, interconnection of The railways are the transport mode of the play an even rail services is also future – safe, economical and environmental- more impor- bringing China and ly friendly. We are only too happy to contrib- tant role on the Germany closer to- world‘s trans- gether. International ute the expertise of Deutsche Bahn AG and port markets – arteries are emer- the German rail industry to bring China and and it will do so ging and becoming Germany closer together. to an even grea- increasingly impor- ter extent when tant, not only in the passenger the scope for e ciency inherent in digitalization is exploited. sector but also, and above all, in With its wide range of services and its many years of interna- the freight sector. This is illustrated by the example of the tional experience, Deutsche Bahn AG has much to o er. The container trains that operate on a regular basis between German rail industry is highly productive and competitive. Germany and the People‘s Republic of China. Rail transport It provides technical solutions and a multiplicity of innova- only takes half the time required by maritime shipping – and tions. We look forward to partnerships that will enable us to is largely una ected by the weather and tides. The railways join forces to shape a worldwide market for the railways as a from China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland mode of transport with a promising future. and Germany are participating in the development of the Eurasian railway links. This route for the exchange of goods between Europe and Asia is an important project for all the countries involved. The potential inherent in the rail mode is still a long way from being exhausted. There are still major challenges to be tackled before it will be possible to exhaust the opportunities for growth in international rail transport. Barriers to cross- Alexander Dobrindt border rail transport have to be dismantled, ranging from Member of the German Bundestag
2 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Foreword | Dr. Rüdiger Grube
Railway needs intelligent mobility and logistics solutions
Around the world, we are witnessing a renaissance of the are experiencing in their local, railways. Large-scale social transformations such as increa- freight and high-speed transpor- sing demand for transportation, rising levels of urbanizati- tation services. on and demographic changes make an e cient rail system DB International has some 40 more important than ever. other bases around the world, At the same time, people‘s mobility needs are undergoing a which enables the company to of- fundamental change. Young people in particular want intel- fer its much sought-after experti- ligent, integrated and sustainable solutions for public trans- se, gathered over the course of 180 port services. years of railway history in Germany The railways of today, the 21st century, are already by far and Europe, to clients in every cor- the most energy-e cient, most environmentally friendly and ner of the globe. At the same time, the safest, most secure form the experienced profes- of transport. Many countries With their professional and sionals at DB Internati- have therefore opted to fo- intercultural expertise, our onal have full access to cus on trains as they increa- DB International employees the specialist knowledge se spending on their future and support of the entire transport infrastructures. o er a range of services that is DB Group. This is not only good news unparalleled in the world. In interdisciplinary and for the environment, but it cross-cultural teams, our also helps Deutsche Bahn AG in our mission to become the employees work side by side with world‘s leading mobility and logistics company by the year our clients on site and throughout 2020. the entire course of a project, bringing their professional A wholly owned DB AG subsidiary, DB International provi- knowledge to bear in elds ranging from planning to engi- des consultancy and engineering services to clients around neering and operations. It is for this reason that they are so the globe, working with them to develop innovative, cost- in demand as partners for the world‘s largest infrastructure e ective and long-term transport solutions at every step undertakings. along their relevant processes from planning to operations. The following pages give you, the reader, a chance to nd Since 1966, DB International has been involved in thousands out just how extensive DB International‘s range of services is, of projects in over a hundred di erent countries. and I am certain that you will nd much that will interest you. DB International has been active in China, home to the Yours sincerely, world‘s most extensive high-speed rail network, since 2004. Having contributed to 13 high-speed projects, its experts are partners in the country‘s herculean undertaking to expand this network still further. Similarly, in the Middle East, states and private sector com- panies are also investing huge gures in local and long-dis- tance public transport, plus in the creation of long-term rail freight infrastructure. Here, DB International once more has Dr. Rüdiger Grube a vital role to play in the transport revolution these countries Chairman and CEO of DB AG
www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 3
Contents ETR EISENBAHNTECHISCHE RUNDSCHAU
INTERNATIONAL EDITION
Special issue for DB International published 2015 Ī Interview The world relies on rail with Dieter Michell-Auli, Member of the Board of Managing Directors International Markets and Niko Warbano , Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of DB International GmbH. Page 6
Foreword 26 Integration of air and long-distance Alexander Dobrindt, MdB rail travel and inclusion of airports in Member of the German Bundestag cities’ transportation systems Page 2 Yuanfei SHI Peter Mnich
31 Maintenance to ensure the eet has Foreword a high level of operational reliability Dr. Rüdiger Grube and safety Chairman and CEO of DB AG Thorsten Koop Page 3 Erik Ei er Thomas Rath
Ī Publishing house 6 Interview The world relies on rail DVV Media Group | Eurailpress Niko Warbano Postbox 101609, D-20010 Hamburg Dieter Michell-Auli Nordkanalstrasse 36, D-20097 Hamburg www.eurailpress.de/etr 8 Europe’s open-access system as a Managing Director/CEO model for rail freight transport Martin Weber Ī TO THE COVER in Brazil Publishing Director Marc Giesen ISSN 0013-2845 March 2015 Detlev K. Suchanek Railway Technology Robert Wagner ETR Review +49 40 23714-228 | [email protected] INTERNATIONAL EDITION Wiebke Geldmacher Special DB International
Managing Editor Verkehrslösungen weltweit Dipl.-Volksw. Ursula Hahn 13 Ports and their hinterlands form a +49 6203 661 9620 | [email protected] vital part of the transport chain, but, unfortunately, they are often the Advertising Director Eurailpress Silke Härtel weakest link +49 40 23714-227 | [email protected] Frank Spörl Jan Henrik Wölbeling Marketing Director Markus Kukuk Picture credits: +49 40 23714-291 | [email protected] 17 Operational simulation: at rst Above: ICE 3 at Airport Station Frankfurt/ simulation, then implementation Main, Photo: DB AG/Heiner Müller Elsner Gra c/Layout TZ-Verlag & Print GmbH, Roßdorf Marc Andre Klemenz Below right: SAR Train at North-South- Günter Koch Line (CTW 100) Saudia Arabia, Print Photo: Georg Merdes L. N. Scha rath GmbH & Co. KG, Geldern 22 High quality of construction ensures Below middle: Namma Metro Bangalore, the planned period of use is Photo: Churumuri A publication of achieved Below left: Train in Yuncheng Station, Frank Weigelt Photo: Frank Schwonke DVV Media Group Judith Drescher Deutscher Verkehrs-Verlag www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 5 Interview
The world relies on rail
Niko Warbano and Dieter Michell-Auli discuss the global development of rail transport, DB International‘s target markets, the numerous projects in di erent countries, and Deutsche Bahn‘s good reputation.
Interviewer: DB International‘s activities or for pleasure, you can relax when taking Interviewer: Your company was founded span the globe. What major trends are the train. Also, journey times de nitely com- in 1966. Back then, your rst project was currently noticeable? pete with other modes of transport: trains in Brazil. What are your current projects? Warbano : Our planet‘s population is gro- have the key advantage that they take pas- Michell-Auli: We currently have over a hund- wing year by year, a fact which naturally has sengers directly from once central location red projects in a good forty countries on ve an impact on the demand for mobility, both to another. continents. for passenger and freight services. At the Between 2003 and 2014, we handled a lar- same time, environmental awareness is in- Interviewer: What target markets have ge number of engineering services for creasing, so there is also greater demand for you identi ed for your business? China‘s high-speed network in the elds of sustainable transport solutions. High-capa- Warbano : I rmly believe that the greatest construction management and supervisi- city systems capable of providing long-term potential for our company over the next few on. Now that the phase of network const- mobility for people and goods are particu- years will come from the Middle East and ruction has nished, other services are larly necessary in regions witnessing a rapid from Asia, which is currently the planet‘s lar- called for: the high mileage of the rst ge- increasing in transport volumes. gest growth market. Countries in these regi- neration of multiple units will generate a The railway is the sole means of satisfying ons are now investing tremendous sums in massive increase in heavy maintenance the demand for passenger transport: we will rail. We have been active in their markets for work as of 2017. Our expertise has been re- only bring the sheer transport chaos of me- many years, we have made an outstanding quested during work to prepare for this gacities under control if we make intelligent name for ourselves, and we have created a particular issue, and we have been contrac- use of train services. At the same time, rail solid foundation for our sales activities. ted to provide consultancy services to sup- freight transport is becoming increasingly Michell-Auli: For example, we opened a Chi- port the process of developing an upkeep important in economically prosperous regi- nese subsidiary in Beijing at the start of and maintenance plan. ons, particularly due to its role in connecting 2015. This is another important step for our Warbano : Our decision to open a base in seaports with their hinterlands. company, and we are con dent that our ser- India has also been rewarded: winning the In other words, while the reasons may vary vices and expertise will continue to give us contract for the Kochi Metro project was a greatly from country to country, the world as the edge over our competitors. Alongside great achievement for DB International. We a whole is becoming increasingly reliant on our activities in these two major market regi- serve as quality and security consultants for rail. ons, we are present wherever our know- the Kochi Metro, an elevated line covering ledge is in demand and rail services are 26 kilometers with 21 elevated stations and Interviewer: Across the globe, more and being established or expanded. a depot. more people now live in densely popula- ted urban centers. How does this a ect the market? Michell-Auli: Increased urbanization brings with it greater demand for rail-based trans- ̈ VITA ̈ VITA port solutions as roads simply cannot provi- de the capacities necessary for millions of Niko Warbano Dieter Michell-Auli motorists. Furthermore, scores of major ci- Chairman of the Board of Member of the Board of Managing ties are struggling with smog as it has a det- Managing Directors Directors International Markets rimental impact on the quality of life. For degree in engineering management. degree in engineering and production example, it leads to long-term higher health- He held a number of international po- technology. Following graduation, care costs. As a result, cities need local trans- sitions at Daimler over a 10-year period. he worked for SIEMENS in Germany port services in the form of trams and light His move to Deutsche Bahn AG took and China. Since June 2011, he has rail networks, i.e. these are of major impor- place in 2009. Since April 2010, he has been the Member of DB International tance for the market. been Head of International Business GmbH‘s Board of Managing Directors Warbano : Another topic is, of course, con- Development (non-EU). In addition, he International Markets. necting major cities with one another and became one of the Managing Directors with their surrounding regions. In Germany, of DB International GmbH in April 2010 we have witnessed how high-speed connec- and took over as Chairman of the Board tions have been gaining in importance for of Managing Directors in April 2011. years now. Whether you‘re traveling for work
6 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Interview
Niko Warbano (middle) and Dieter Michell-Auli (left) at the Berlin headquarters of DB International (Photo: JET-FOTO, Ralf Kranert)
In August 2014, we signed our rst Australi- rational safety by providing employee trai- gest mobility and logistics companies. an contract for technology consultancy ser- ning plus system- and structure-related con- These facts surely sway customers in your vices for Sydney‘s North West Rail Link sultancy services. favor, don‘t they? (NWRL). We‘re very proud to be contributing Our employees are also involved in logistics Warbano : Yes, de nitely. Deutsche Bahn to the biggest rail project Down Under and consulting. For example, we recently com- enjoys a fantastic reputation around the believe this project will result in other con- pleted an e ciency analysis of the port of world, and DB International‘s services carry tracts in Australia, because the country is Santos in Brazil. Here, DB International ex- the Deutsche Bahn „hallmark“, so to speak. also moving towards higher levels of rail perts studied the port‘s infrastructure, its As our business model also comprises pro- transport. connections to its hinterland and its logisti- jects in Germany, DB International‘s emplo- Michell-Auli: Our expertise is also in demand cal and administrative processes, identi ed yees get to work on large-scale, modern pro- in South Africa, where, since 2010, we have bottlenecks, and developed recommenda- jects in our domestic market and then been working on a project to upgrade gui- tions for improving performance. transfer this technical expertise to our pro- ding and safety technology for the Passen- Warbano : We have already mentioned the jects abroad. In return, these foreign con- ger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Our Middle East. This is one region where we are tacts give employees the opportunity to work here comprises the technological, - currently concentrating our project-related gather international and intercultural expe- nancial and contractual evaluation of bids activities, be it on the high-speed Al Hara- rience, something which then bene ts our and issues in project management, as well as main line in Saudi Arabia, Etihad Rail in the projects within Germany. To put it another supervision of service performance. United Arab Emirates or the construction of way: we are an engineering practice embed- As long ago as 2009, we started providing a transport network in Qatar. ded within one of the world‘s best service support services for the „Roadmap to Safety“ providers, something which makes us project of the company Transnet Freight Rail Interviewer: Germany has a long rail tradi- unique. ̇ (TFR). Here, our objective is to enhance ope- tion, and Deutsche Bahn is one of the lar- www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 7 Europe’s open-access system
Europe’s open-access system as a model for rail freight transport in Brazil
In the rail sector, competition is the only thing that can generate a substantial increase in passenger numbers and freight volumes. However, one essential ingredient is required for this – open access, which in turn requires action from politicians and government legislation. DB International joined forces with a customer to analyze market conditions in Brazil and develop a strategy to e ect the transition to non-discriminatory network access.
INTRODUCTION 25 % of freight, but trains transport far more Marc Giesen Director Consulting, goods in other countries of a comparable DB International GmbH Mobility for people and goods is an impor- size: 81 % in Russia and 43 % in the USA (see [email protected] tant issue everywhere, and most certainly s-ge.com). in the fth-largest city in the world. Brazil’s export-oriented business sectors are cur- rently facing a major logistical challenge: PROJECT BACKGROUND how to e ciently transport goods manu- Robert Wagner Markets & Institutions Consultant factured in its interior to ports on its coast. In Germany, a range of companies operat- The country’s main seaports include Belem, ed the di erent regions’ rail services until the robert.wagner @db-international.de Paranagua, Rio Grande, Rio de Janeiro and early twentieth century. In rather much the Santos, while Manaus is a major inland port same manner, Brazil’s rail network was long on the banks of the Amazon (see 2014 CIA in the hand of a number of di erent com- World Fact Book). The country also has some panies. It was not until 1957 that these rms 4,100 airports, putting it in second place be- were fused to form the Rede Ferroviária Fed- Wiebke Geldmacher Junior Business Consultant hind the USA (13,500), and its 1.5 million km eral S.A. (RFFSA), a listed company, with the wiebke.geldmacher of roads represent the world’s fourth largest aim of securing greater e ciency and other @db-international.de road network. advantages that could not be delivered by a In contrast, Brazil’s rail system is relatively system made up of a myriad of small com- small, with some 29,000 km of track. This panies. RFFSA was responsible not just for puts it in tenth place in terms of track length, operating and maintaining the national rail lower in the international table than Ger- network, but it also provided train services many (no. 6) and France (no. 9). Looking at for passengers and freight alike. came so ine cient and expensive that the the modal split, rail services transport some However, the national rail company be- state was eventually either unable or unwill- ing to foot the bill anymore, so RFFSA was broken up between 1995 and 1999. The na- Modal split in the Brazilian freight transport tional network was subdivided into regional networks and lines. Following tenders, these were then handed over to di erent conces- Other Rail sion-holders together with the system’s roll- 17 % 25 % ing stock. Most licenses were initially grant- ed for a period of 30 years, with the option of subsequent extension. As a result, a domi- nant feature of Brazil’s modern rail system is the protectionist behavior of the current Road concession-holders, which ght to protect 58 % FIGURE 1: their exclusive usage rights. Due to the lack Information from Bra- zil’s transport ministry of rail-based alternatives, these companies’ (2012) tactics have resulted in transport services (Source: Ministério dos being transferred from rail to road. However, Transportes (2012)) road-based transport (particularly of bulk
8 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Europe’s open-access system
FIGURE 2: Changes in train-kilometer gures in Germany following the reform of the national rail system goods) over long distances, an inevitability sense of expectation among politicians and company with the good fortune to possess a in a country the size of Brazil, is by and large businesses that is, however, shaped purely rail connection to one of the present opera- economically unviable. This has led to com- by the interests of the party behind the in- tors’ networks and which was classi ed as a plaints by industrial and agricultural groups formation: the logistics and agricultural rail-dependent rm by the transport minis- over excessive transport costs to and from sectors are pinning their hopes on one day try can expect a certain level of basic service Brazil’s ports. The country’s central plateaus having high-capacity rail services as an alter- in terms of rail transport volumes. However, are ideal for agricultural production: one native form of transport. As things stand, any the lack of competition means that market » key crop is high-quality soy, which is grown in large quantities. Unfortunately, transport costs to ports make Brazilian soy so expen- FIGURE 3: Intermodal terminal in Anapolis connecting to the north-south route, the pilot route sive that it struggles to compete with other for operation under the open access system (Photo: Robert Wagner) countries’ produce on the international mar- ket. Other negative e ects are an overbur- dened road infrastructure and environmen- tal deterioration. Together, these problems have prompted the government to make reorganizing the Brazilian rail market one of it targets. Europe’s very similar history and its creation of liberalized rail transport markets played a key role in convincing the Brazil- ian transport ministry that the best solution would be to establish a similar “open access” system which gives di erent operators the right to use the country’s rail network.
THE PROJECT’S FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS AND MAIN TOPICS
Since 2012, industry publications in Brazil have run stories on the creation of an open access system modeled on the EU’s rail trans- port market. These reports have created a www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 9 Europe’s open-access system
part of transport-intensive industrial sectors in the introduction of open access. Routes whose operation has been “surren- dered” to mining companies such as VALE S.A. transport virtually no freight from an- other rm. The mining companies’ thinking is this: keep the line free so we can guarantee the maximum possible exibility for trans- porting our own goods. These lines have no xed timetables – the companies dispatch trains if and when they require. Any “out- sider’s” train would simply be a hindrance, so many of the concession-holders are unfa- vorably disposed towards open access. The expectations among Brazil’s politi- cians are clear: they want to promote rail transport, improve the modal split in favor of trains, and so take on the role of pioneers in South America. Unfortunately, they have few nancial means at their disposal, so they are forced to involve the private sector in their e orts towards achieving this goal. They are hoping for quick results: that way, they can FIGURE 4: The port of Itaqui just outside Sao Luis: unloading iron ore on a concession-holder’s quickly counteract the cost-related risks as- line (Photo: Robert Wagner) sociated with the undertaking’s early days, and so claim the open access project as a resounding success for the current govern- mechanisms function more or less like those they must be loaded within 6 hours, or else ment. in a monopoly: services are poor in terms of the companies face contractual nes. The Brasilia’s transport ministry and the con- price and quality. Companies in this position upshot of this is that employees for load- cession-holders are not the only players in report that scheduling accuracy for the col- ing wagons have to be on call around the this game: there are a number of other stake- lection of loaded wagons varies by 24 to 48 clock just in case a train arrives. Concession- holders. VALEC-Engenharia, Construções hours, and that they have di culties deter- holders are patently uninterested in provid- e Ferrovias S.A. (VALEC) is a state-run body mining when empty wagons would be avail- ing additional transport runs, which explains commissioned with the technical imple- able. Then, once wagons do actually turn up, why there is so much obvious interest on the mentation of open access. Previously, it was
FIGURE 5: A concession-holder’s marshaling yard at the port of Itaqui (Photo: Robert Wagner)
10 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Europe’s open-access system
involved in planning and constructing rail lines. By government decree, it is to focus its future activities on buying and reselling all available slots (train paths). This company is the client in the joint project with DB Inter- national. Empresa de Planejamento e Logística S.A. (EPL) is another government body that will, in the future, centrally plan transport plan- ning, thereby taking over the functions of VALEC. It will use studies of demand patterns to assess where new lines should be built and where the open access network should be expanded. In a rail transport market open to com- petition, a regulatory body is necessary to monitor safety standards and freedom from discrimination. Agência Nacional de Trans- portes Terrestres (ANTT) is already respon- sible for regulating all land-based modes of transport and will be responsible for the regulatory implementation of open access in the future. It is intended that the agency will assume duties pertaining to economic and safety regulations, similar to EBA (Eisen- bahn-Bundesamt) and BNetzA (Bundesnet- zagentur) in Germany. Other stakeholders in the open access system will be independent RUs (railway undertakings) and the independent infra- structure operators, which have yet to be established. The rst of these correspond to RUs in Germany. They have to meet certain requirements before they receive an RU li- cense, which serves as the basis of their ac- cess to the rail network. Then there are the independent infrastructure operators, and these represent a special case in Brazil. Due to money shortages, the state has decided that a “build and operate” process will be de- ployed for constructing the core of the open- access network, a north-south route in cen- tral Brazil and an east-west route from Mato Grosso to the port of Ilhéus. The scheme FIGURE 6: A new-build line near Anapolis that will be used to pilot the open access scheme functions like this: companies will bid to (Photo: Robert Wagner) construct a certain length of track and, once it is complete, they will be the infrastructure operators for 30 years. The construction and stakeholders with their various interests, in past and the tender for the construction and maintenance costs are amortized via the part conicting. The analysis led to the de- operation of the new (future) sections of sale of slots, and VALEC holds exclusive sales velopment of strategy options for VALEC’s line, Brazil will ultimately have an infrastruc- rights. In practice, therefore, VALEC will buy future brief for ensuring the quick launch of ture operation system like the one already in up 100 % of the slots from the infrastructure the open access system. The second phase is place in Europe, where a large number of in- operators and then market these to the RUs. currently underway: VALEC’s organization is frastructure operators are obliged to ensure It will therefore be the state that bears de- being adjusted to suit future tasks, and pro- non-discriminatory network access. These mand-related risks, while the construction cesses for on-the-ground implementation include companies such as DB Netz AG and clients have planning stability. are being drafted. ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Fer- The joint project between DB Internation- roviarias) in Spain. Interoperability standards al and VALEC runs for 9 months and com- will be de ned to ensure that technology prises two main phases. The analysis phase OUTLOOK AND can be transferred from one network to an- has already been concluded: it studied the FUTURE CHALLENGES other. Nevertheless, the RUs are required to framework conditions for introducing open know and follow the individual operation access and looked at legal and organiza- Due to the unfortunate consequences of regulations. tional issues in addition to the di erent how concessions were distributed in the There will be one major di erence: the www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 11 Europe’s open-access system
FIGURE 7: A new-build line near Anapolis that will be used to pilot the open access scheme (Photo: Robert Wagner)
preferred strategy will see VALEC trans- inatory processes to the rail infrastructure ing how they stand to bene t in economic formed into a kind of network management companies. terms if they open up their lines to external center. In other words, it will not only be re- However, it will only be possible to ap- RUs for a usage fee. sponsible for sales in the future, but it will ply this particular version of the system to also handle the planning and supervision of routes controlled by independent infrastruc- operations. Planning will above all comprise ture operators. The biggest challenge will the process of allocating lines and schedul- be integrating the concession-holders in CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK ing services so that each particular route has the open access system. They not only man- a consistent timetable free of conicts and age their routes, but they also use their own The introduction of an open access system discriminatory practices. Regarding super- trains on them, which creates ample oppor- will bene t the entire Brazilian economy. vision of operations, a network monitoring tunity for discriminatory practices. So far, le- The country’s political actors should there- center is under consideration. It will receive gal regulations merely stipulate that all free fore continue to pursue their current course live data from each infrastructure operator’s slots must be reported to VALEC and o ered of action and identify both a short- and a own operations center. A round-the-clock for sale. However, in real life it has already long-term solution. Any long-term solution team of VALEC dispatchers will monitor the become clear that the absence of a xed should focus above all on working to de- situation to ensure the timetable is followed timetable makes it di cult to prove just how velop a stable system that provides straight- in an e cient, discrimination-free manner. If many slots per day go unused and should, forward and transparent access to rail lines necessary, they will actively intervene in the therefore, be reported as available. As the and then letting concessions expire. In 2015, dispatching process. concession-holders’ routes are the only lines DB International will continue to support The current team of VALEC employees giving the private RUs access to seaports VALEC’s activities so that the foundations for tasked with implementing open access must during the rst few years of the open ac- non-discriminatory network access can be be trained to perform these tasks. DB Inter- cess system, it is extremely important that laid. ̇ national employees specializing in the elds the concession-holders be integrated in the of timetable planning and track allocation undertaking. Trains running to and from the Sources: processes will teach the team the necessary coast will not be able to bypass their lines https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- basics and use situations drawn from eve- until the core north-south corridor joins up factbook/geos/br.html http://www.s-ge.com/de/ le eld-private/ les/1672/ eld_ ryday work to go through these processes with the east-west line running to the port of blog_public_ les/7918 with the trainees. In addition, DB Interna- Ilhéus. As a result, the project organizers are tional’s employees will communicate their currently concentrating on winning the con- Further information: experiences and expertise on non-discrim- cession-holders over as partners by explain- http://valec.gov.br/
12 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Ports and their hinterlands
Ports and their hinterlands form a vital part of the transport chain, but, unfor- tunately, they are often the weakest link
Today, production processes encompass di erent steps spread around the world, resulting in a steep increase in transport volumes. Seaports play a key role in international supply networks. They serve as entry and exit points for global freight deliveries within cross-border transport chains, and they are at the same time hubs for their hinterlands.
1. INTRODUCTION third-largest city in the world. In 2013, total Frank Spörl Director Logistics Consulting, transshipment volumes came to 114 mil- DB International GmbH A port’s hinterland is the catchment area lion tons of freight. This represents growth [email protected] which serves as both the origin and desti- of over 9 % on the previous year’s gure of nation of goods traded through the docks. 104.5 million tons. The increase in container- A port’s importance is often reduced merely ized freight was somewhat lower, at about to the capacity of its transshipment facilities: 8.8 %, totaling 3.45 million TEU following longer quays, new crane bridges and larger, 3.17 million TEU in 2012 (all data sourced Jan Henrik Wölbeling Senior Consultant in Logistics faster container transshipment facilities are from http://www.portodesantos.com.br). Consulting, Project Manager at viewed as proof of excellence. This, how- The port’s docks are located on both sides DB International GmbH ever, is a gross oversimpli cation of a highly of an estuary, cover some 780 hectares, and jan.henrik.woelbeling complex system. Even after substantial in- have a quay wall approximately 13 km long. @db-international.de vestments in technological upgrades, many They are mostly used for transshipping con- transport chains fail to become substantially tainers and a wide range of bulk commodi- faster if infrastructural bottlenecks outside ties (fertilizers and agricultural products). the transshipment terminal impede the dis- As it is immediately surrounded by built- lane arterial road are all that separates resi- tribution of goods, or of administrative and up areas of the city of Santos, the port can- dential areas from the quays ( gure 1). other management processes do not keep not expand its transshipment facilities. A Over time, the terminals within the port pace with today’s requirements in terms of corridor containing rail tracks and a multi- have exhausted every possible means of » speed and reliability. In 2012, DB International’s logistics ex- FIGURE 1: Freight train at the port of Santos (Photo: Jan Henrik Wölbeling) perts conducted a study of the port in San- tos, Brazil, to assess its capacities. They grad- ed its transshipment facilities, its seaward and landward infrastructural connections, and its administrative processes. The following report details the factors identi ed by this assessment and describes their impact on the transport chain. Positing a theoretical transshipment terminal in the hinterland, it then outlines functions and means by which e ciency can be increased by dividing duties between the port in San- tos and this transshipment terminal.
2. THE PORT OF SANTOS
“Porto de Santos” is located in the epony- mous city in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, and it is some 70 km from São Paulo, the www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 13 Ports and their hinterlands
acquiring additional transshipment and er di cult to access. The São Paulo plateau the rail options is used is unimportant in this storage capacities. As a result, the layout of rises immediately outside of Santos, with the regard. berths and facilities for unloading containers land climbing from sea level to about 800 m The issues relating to these infrastructure do not meet the requirements of or have the in just a few kilometers. Heavy freight trains connections were just two of the total of 25 size expected of a modern transshipment cannot manage such a pronounced change di erent factors that were analyzed when base. in elevation without assistance, and there assessing the capacity levels of the port of are two options for doing so. No. 1: a 45 km Santos. They are, however, at the same time > Su ciently deep water (16.5 m) for the rail line with a gentle incline climbs up to the largest stumbling block for transporta- largest container ships the plateau. No. 2: trains are broken up into tion to and from Santos. Every increase in > Adequate and rectilinear arrangement smaller groups of wagons, and a funicular the port’s freight capacity adds more tra c of space with enough backreach (over hauls them up to the plateau over a distance to routes that are already extremely busy 450 m, or better 600 m) for e cient pro- of 10 km. Both options take some 4 hours to and which require vehicles to move freely so cesses, with possibility of expansion complete for a block train of 1,050 m. they can function well. The following table > High-capacity connections to various The road infrastructure poses similar com- (no. 1) provides an overview of the factors modes of transport for access to hinter- plications. There are two main freeways: the covered by the survey. land (road, rail, inland waterways) Rodovia dos Imigrantes ( gure 3) and the One important variable in container trans- Rodovia Anchieta. Both routes have to cope portation is dwell time – the average period On the right bank of the Baia de Santos are with a change in elevation of some 800 me- of time a container remains in a port. Dwell the two long-established Tecondi and Rodri- ters over their nal, winding stretch of 10 times at the terminals in Santos are noticea- mar terminals. The Brasil terminal, operated km to the coast. The motorways have three bly high, averaging between 10 and 17 days. by APM, opened immediately adjacent to lanes in each direction and are largely built This contrasts with 6.4 days at CTA Hamburg. them in 2013. Following an extensive, ex- on pylons or run through tunnels. This dif- There are two reasons for these long periods: pensive soil restoration program, the Brasil cult topography makes it virtually impos- a) the slow completion of customs process- Terminal Portuário (BTP) terminal was built sible to increase their capacities and, moreo- es, and b) the container-based calculation on a former APM dumping site. The Em- ver, trucks bound for the port of Santos are of demurrage fees. At Santos, customs o c- braport terminal recently opened opposite prohibited from using the steep sections of ers takes an average of no less than 7 days these facilities, on the left bank of the port’s the Rodovia dos Imigrantes. to inspect and release imported goods if all channel. In contrast to the two old terminals, Only by making greater use of rail facili- documents are correct and signed. no rail connection is envisioned for the two ties, with their capacity to transport large Demurrage at Santos is a major source of newest terminals at Santos, the facilities quantities of freight, will be possible to even revenue, so the terminal operators bene t which are the most modern in terms of lo- attempt to increase the port’s transshipment greatly if containers with high-value freight gistical capacities (Figure 2). levels while at the same time reducing road have long dwell times within the port’s ter- When it comes to transportation, the to- tra c congestion and improving the qual- minals. This contrasts with the European pography of the region renders the port rath- ity of life for the citizens of Santos. Which of system, which bases demurrage on a con-
FIGURE 2: Map of Santos indicating terminals’ positions (Source: Jan Henrik Wölbeling)
14 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Ports and their hinterlands
Terminals Seaside access Road Access Rail access Processe and IT Quay factors Channel dimensions Close acces to roads of Direct terminal access Operation Berth Vessel Maneuvering national importance Separation of freight and Scheduled berthing Area Layout Tracking System VMTS Tra c management to passenger transport Pilot performance Area Back Reach regulate freight ows Hinterland infrastructure Dwell time Expansion Area Hinterland terminals with Port Authority Crane Equipment direct rail access Customs clearance procedures Appropriate hinterland Administration terminal network Customs declaration process steps Transit procedures Legal Framework Paperless procedures /electronic signature Communication and information platform
TABLE 1: Investigated factors in uencing performance enhancement at the port of Santos
tainer’s size (20 or 40 foot), giving rise to a points. Hinterland terminals with around- the freight according to destination and situation in which operators are concerned the-clock hours complement seaports in the handle reloading onto the necessary modes with cutting containers’ dwell times to the following ways: of transport. This would help reduce truck absolute minimum so that container turno- numbers and tra c jams in the city as there ver is high. In response to this fact, the work > A gathering point for local transport would be fewer vehicles looking for parking entailed in cargo handling is frequently di- services heading towards seaports via and being forced to wait before completing vided between the seaport and a hinterland motorways and main rail lines; low wait- their deliveries. Instead, this would all be re- terminal. Longer dwell times would encour- ing and idle periods when collecting and located to a large terminal on the plateau. age the terminal operators to ll up the lim- delivering freight Deliveries to and from the port’s terminals, ited space for containers with “long-timers”, > Spreading transport services through- i.e. through the city, would only be permit- thereby increasing the number of lifting op- out the region surrounding the seaport’s ted in slots in line with tra c management erations (e.g. sorting activities). Such practic- hinterland terminal procedures which use the ships’ calls for es would also reduce the availability of stor- > Regional hub for logistics services and orientation. Specialized drivers would know age space for other activities, i.e. reducing a customers precisely when and where they are to deliver ship’s idle time by loading freight into export > Providing empty containers plus other their loads. containers before the ship docks. In Europe, services such as repairs, cleaning, stu - trucks, trains and barges transport freight ing (loading) and stripping (unloading/ to hinterland terminals, which is where cus- reloading), re lling 4. RESULTS toms activities are performed and freight > Taking on administrative processes to re- then released to the end customer. For the duce workload at seaport While intermodal transport connecting most part, customs o cers actually inspect > Storage space for equipment seaports, inland ports and their respective goods only if conducting spot checks. How- > Transshipment tracks of full train length hinterlands bene ts from the wide-ranging ever, certain types of freight require manda- e ects of globalization, this process also tory inspections. Cooperation between seaports and hinter- poses considerable challenges for ports. While the customs o cers are doing their land terminals is growing in importance. In today’s world, using traditional forms of work, they are also preparing the necessary Seaports have a direct inuence on the transport on rail routes and inland water- documents in electronic form in real time. hinterland terminals, thereby generating ways no longer seems productive. Transport Brazil intends to follow suit and is in the pro- additional space and streamlining their pro- chains must be concentrated along suitable cess of planning a similar system. Before the cesses. In return, the operators of hinterland corridors and use the form of transport best project, up to 18 approval forms had to be terminals pro t as their facilities enjoy high- suited to their speci c conditions. Emphasis obtained before a container could be im- er and more stable levels of utilization. Here must be placed on the fact that competing ported to the country. again, it is necessary to expand communica- companies and systems must actually work tion and ensure the holistic integration of together, not against one another, to devel- ports into existing plans as discussed above. op broadly acceptable solutions. All involved 3. HINTERLAND IN BRAZIL This is the only way to generate synergy ef- parties must understand that they have an fects and ensure that both sides pro t from integral role to play – this will enable them As things currently stand, hinterland regions their cooperation. to deploy their strengths in a way that maxi- in Brazil have poor rail connections, and With regard to the port of Santos in par- mizes bene ts. trucks are often the rst choice for transport- ticular, an additional transshipment terminal Even without investments in transship- ing freight. Any rail lines that do exist are sin- on the plateau could help ameliorate condi- ment technology, the infrastructure of the gle-track routes. However, hinterland termi- tions. Unsorted shuttle deliveries from the port of Santos can achieve some growth in nals require high-capacity rail connections. port could use designated high-capacity cor- freight handling volumes. The seaport termi- Today, container terminals and inland ports ridors prioritized for them on uphill routes. nals’ link to the city’s hinterland represents do more than merely serve as transshipment The transshipment terminal would then sort the main challenge, as pressure on them can » www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 15 Ports and their hinterlands
FIGURE 3: Caravans of trucks on the uphill section of the Rodovia dos Imigrantes (Photo: Femke Grabbert)
be eased by connecting them with hinter- improvements are undertaken, then the en- en even while the project was still underway. land terminals. Simpler customs procedures tire transport chain and its accompanying Organizational changes to administrative and the use of electronic documents would processes must be taken into consideration. processes are currently under discussion. improve the terminals’ storage capacities as The interaction between di erent factors at However, further measures, above all infra- they would substantially reduce containers’ the port and the hinterland should be sup- structural measures, require higher levels of average dwell times. ported by establishing partnerships and en- investment, and their implementation will The BTP and Embraport terminals have couraging cooperation. This will secure the therefore be a gradual process over the com- increased transshipment capacities still fur- port’s long-term performance capacities and ing years. ̇ ther and have boosted the port’s through- safeguard supply processes in its hinterland. put capacities considerably. Less positive is the way road transport is favored as the means of connecting the port with its hin- terland: the road infrastructure to and from 5. OUTLOOK Santos had already reached its maximum capacity in 2011, but additional deliveries to Centro Nave, the client, was very pleased Publications: and from BTP and Embraport have further with the analysis. A number of national – Barth, M.; Filippi, W. (2007): Kombinierter Güterverkehr exacerbated the situation. media outlets in Brazil discussed the nal (KV) – Perspektiven der technischen, ökonomischen und ordnungspolitischen Bedingungen; in WGM 71 Overall, the case of the port of Santos report, and the recommended measures re- “Verkehrsgeographische Forschungen”, pages 13-24 makes it clear that adding to capacities does ceived great attention. – DB International GmbH (2011): Performance analysis of the Port of Santos. Unpublished nal report for a pro- not necessarily improve the performance At present, the greatest progress has been ject. of the supply chain. Within this context, made in relation to the issue of IT/network- – Wölbeling, J (2007): Gemeinsame Anstrengungen nötig. Hafen und Hinterland – Tendenzen im intermodalen the logistics experts from DB International ing, and some initial steps towards simplify- Güterverkehr. – In: Internationales Verkehrswesen 59, p. emphasize that whenever infrastructural ing and standardizing documents were tak- 348-350.
16 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Operational simulation
Operational simulation: at rst simulation, then implementation
It is in the interests of both the operating company and the orderer to transport more passengers and freight by rail. The fundamental aim is e cient transportation, which is supported by the key factors of increasing revenue by increasing capacity and reducing expenses by designing facilities that meet demands. These two factors can be evaluated, combined and optimized by means of operational simulations.
1. WHY RUN AN OPERATIONAL network-wide consequences of delays. The Dr.-Ing. Marc Andre Klemenz Director International Projects; SIMULATION AT ALL? operational simulation also shows whether Competence Manager Transporta- the timetable is capable of reducing these tion and Operational Consulting, The point of an operational simulation is to delays with the help of travel time additions. OU Engineering Americas and analyze the correlation between the time- If that is not possible, a change to the time- Southern Germany, DB International GmbH table and infrastructure during a normal table or infrastructure is a possible solution. marc-andre.klemenz day’s operation. In addition, an operational Operational infrastructure design with the @db-international.de simulation allows the operating systems, help of the operational simulation makes it operating procedures, operational safety possible in advance of a construction meas- Günter Koch and rolling stock technology to be analyzed, ure to assess the design of track systems, Manager Tram/Metro Competence Center, designed and optimized. Typical scenarios identify their bene ts and compare di erent DB International GmbH where an operational simulation is used in- alternatives in order to nd the best con- guenter.koch clude: struction solution. @db-international.de The operational simulation is useful when > Timetable creation searching for spare capacity and bottlenecks > Capacity planning in the infrastructure and operations, exam- > Infrastructure design ining alternatives and de ning solutions. in secondary delays on this central section. > Construction operations planning Some practical examples explain how the When individual trains are delayed, delays > Analysis of operational quality DB International specialists approach an op- of subsequent trains often cannot be avoid- > Development of scheduling strategies erational simulation. ed due to the high frequency at which the > Development of incident management trains run. In order to be able to ensure that strategies the transportation network copes with the 2. OPTIMIZATION OF S BAHN URBAN requirements of today’s high frequencies By creating timetables, the basis of any oper- RAIL SYSTEMS BY MEANS OF OP and that the required quality is provided, ational simulation, train paths can be deter- ERATIONAL SIMULATION: EXAMINA continuous monitoring and analysis of op- mined along their entire length. Travel times, TION OF RAIL OPERATIONS ON THE erations is required together with rapid im- occupation of blocks and conicts with oth- CENTRAL SECTION OF LINE IN THE plementation of the necessary optimization er trains can be calculated regionally as well MUNICH S BAHN NETWORK measures in order to ensure lasting opera- as throughout the network. Hold-ups and tional stability. delays occur repeatedly during a normal day 2.1. INITIAL SITUATION AND OBJECTIVES Within the framework of a joint project of operation in any network. Both minor and of DB Netz and DB Regio, DB International major disruptions cause delays. Every day is The Munich S-Bahn urban rail network is one analyzed operations in the Munich S-Bahn di erent. By testing the operational quality, of the busiest S-Bahn networks in Germany. urban rail network. The objective was to we examine whether the theoretical time- It has seven branches in the west and ve in model and simulate the operations of the table created works well in everyday opera- the east. The eastern and western branches Munich S-Bahn in order to achieve a better tions. Days a ected by faults can be simulat- are connected to each other by the central understanding of the system in terms of the ed and analyzed with regard to how delays section of line. With up to 30 trains per hour responses and cause-and-e ect relation- develop and the resulting e ect on punctu- and direction, this central section of the ships. To this end, various planned measures ality and passengers making their connec- Munich S-Bahn system between Pasing and to improve punctuality and the scheduling tions. The simulation takes into account all Ostbahnhof is one of the busiest sections of measures used in operations management of the interactions between the timetable, line in Europe in terms of the frequency of to handle di erent disruption situations the infrastructure and the vehicles. Train the trains using it. were to be examined to ascertain their ef- operations are analyzed in a real-time simu- Even slight delays of individual trains on fectiveness and identify any potential for lation in order to be able to examine the the outer branches of the network result improvement. » www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 17 Operational simulation
ties of metropolitan tra c in which all lines converge on a central section of line. By means of standardized incident man- agement strategies, the disruption manage- ment decision-making process is acceler- ated. In order to minimize the consequences of failures (e.g. extended stopping time due to an emergency doctor’s intervention) and, in the case of a di use disruption situation, to relieve the network and stabilize the sys- tem, the Munich S-Bahn has developed spe- cial programs that complement the incident management strategies. Up to now it has only been possible to as- sess the impact of these operational meas- ures on the basis of experience. For typical disruption scenarios, the simulation is in- tended to make a robust contribution to the evaluation of the e ectiveness of scheduling measures and their e ect on punctuality in the system and total delay time.
Impact of train reinforcements FIGURE 1: Munich S-Bahn urban rail system: The S3 (ET423) to Deisenhofen leaves the tunnel In order to adjust the amount of space avail- of the central section of line heading for Ostbahnhof (Photo: DB AG/Uwe Miethe) able to suit demand depending on the time of day, the length of trains can be changed 2.2. METHODOLOGY tion largely come to a complete halt, which by means of reinforcement processes (short/ has signi cant consequences – including on full/long train). This reinforcement is done Based on the detailed (microscopic) mod- the branches of the network leading to the at the beginning of the day’s two peak pe- eling of the rail infrastructure of the Munich location of the intervention. If the duration of riods at Pasing and Ostbahnhof (and also S-Bahn network, the timetable for an aver- the emergency doctor’s intervention can be elsewhere) on trains heading into the center age working day in the year 2013 was repre- reduced, the time required before resump- of the city. Since these stations are also key sented in the RailSys simulation model [1]. tion of normal operations and the number points at which tra c enters the central sec- In the next step, current delay data (stop- of delayed trains can also be reduced. With- tion of line, train reinforcements not carried ping times exceeded and delays in entering out systematic modeling and simulation, out in accordance with the planned sched- the part of the network under examination) however, it is di cult to assess the positive ule result in secondary delays throughout from the Munich control center was imple- impact on punctuality in the system. the Munich S-Bahn network. In the opera- mented in the model in order represent tional simulation, it was investigated what the “background noise” of “normal” minor Impact of optimizing the procedure prior the impact on punctuality and total delay delays that occur on an everyday basis. The to the train setting o time would be if these train reinforcement resulting calibrated timetable served as the During peak periods, train operations are processes were dispensed with. basic version and as the basis for compari- extremely vulnerable to delays due to the son for the subsequent investigations and high frequency of the trains. Delays often Impact of reducing the delays of trains scenarios. occur when stopping times are exceeded on entering from the outer branches of the On the basis of the system model, various the central section of line. This generally oc- network operational statuses and disruption scenari- curs as a result of passengers’ behavior. The Delays on the outer branches of individual os were simulated. A total of over 4,000 days Munich S-Bahn München therefore wants to lines generally result in secondary delays of operation and around 60 di erent vari- reduce the time between the doors closing when the lines converge into the central ants were simulated. and the train setting o , which is one of the section of the network. The impact of these components of the stopping time, by using delays on the operational stability of the optimized technologies and procedures. central section, particularly as a result of the 2.3. INVESTIGATION VARIANTS Furthermore, the door-opening time – and combination of di erent lines with di erent thus the (minimum) stopping time – at the delays, is currently almost impossible to es- E ect of extended stopping times as a stations in the central section of line is to timate. The idea was to use the operational result of interventions by emergency be reduced by opening the doors centrally. simulation to examine whether and how doctors In the operational simulation it was investi- punctuality could be improved in the entire Although emergency doctors have to be gated whether the time thus gained could system by reducing the delays of trains en- called to the platform or the trains quite of- be used to reduce delays. tering the area on selected lines. ten, this happens at irregular intervals. Their distribution over time cannot be planned. Impact of measures to handle disruptions 2.4. RESULTS Emergency doctors’ interventions last for an The Munich S-Bahn has developed incident average of around 15 minutes. During this management strategies for dealing appro- Based on the results of the simulation, the period, rail operations in the relevant direc- priately with disruptions and the peculiari- ndings were essentially as follows:
18 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Operational simulation
FIGURE 2: Planned network for the Doha Metro (Source: www.qr.com.qa, 13.11.14)
> The relief measure selected should be lieve the network in the initial stage of the A period with the highest tra c density made dependent on the time when the disruption. was simulated. This necessitated the crea- disruption occurs. tion of conict-free timetables throughout > The more trains that are released from the network for a period of around four the central section after a disruption, the 3. OPERATIONAL SIMULATION FOR hours. The result was that the travel times better the punctuality and the lower the THE SIZING OF THE POWER SUPPLY: were veri ed for further calculations and the total delay time. DOHA METRO, QATAR vehicle requirements were determined by > The earlier relief measures are taken af- calculating the vehicle runs. ter the start of the disruption, the better An integrated rail system is to be construct- In order to make enough space for the the punctuality and the lower the total ed for the public transportation system in power supply systems at the metro stations, delay time. Doha. An 85-kilometer metro network is to the required construction volume and the > Each e ective measure increases punc- be constructed in the rst phase of develop- layout of the direct-current substations had tuality and reduces the total delay time. ment. The line layout and the con guration to be determined. To answer these ques- > A quick resolution of the bottleneck to and standard of the network have been de- tions, a simulation model was created in avoid congestion reduces the increase veloped in di erent design phases. Worthy OpenTrack. OpenTrack is a research project in delays. of particular mention are the detailed inves- carried out at the Institute for Transport > The longer the blocking time, the more tigations carried out to determine the most Planning and Systems (IVT) at ETH Zurich e ective the relief measures are. suitable form of power supply for the new on the subject of the interactive operational > The measure selected depends on the metro system. Thus, in addition to the DC simulation of rail networks. location of the disruption. voltage of 750 V that is usual for metro sys- The required traction current consumption > Every measure that reduces the delays of tems, an alternative of 25 kV 50 Hz AC volt- was calculated with the help of a computer trains entering the central section results age was also considered. The traction cur- simulation taking all trains in the network into in a reduction in delays in the central rent network must have enough capacity to account. The OpenPowerNet program was section. supply the huge amount of energy required used for this, which builds on the operations to operate the trains. This is calculated based program created by OpenTrack. On the basis of these ndings, the following on energy consumption, which depends on A timetable and the vehicles deployed statement of principle can be made: the timetable, level of vehicle occupation, were obtained for each metro line in the What is critical to the stabilization of an S- track infrastructure and times of day. To this Qatar Integrated Railways Project Network Bahn system is not so much the type of relief end, a model was created based on the im- (phase 3). Together with the model for the measure as how quickly it is initiated to re- ported infrastructure data. infrastructure and the vehicle dynamics, the » www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 19 Operational simulation
busiest point, with trains from four or ve lines running every 10 minutes, intervals between tram-trains/streetcars will be as short as 90 seconds. In accordance with the German BOStrab regulations on the construction and op- eration of streetcar systems, a train control system is required in the tunnel. DB Interna- tional carried out an operational study that demonstrated the fundamental capability of the tunnel to meet requirements and gave consideration to the signaling con- cept required in the tunnel. With an operational simulation of daily operations taking into account a large number of disruptive inuences, the follow- ing central questions were to be answered: FIGURE 3: Overview of the model with input and output parameters > Is the envisaged concept for the lines also viable when operations are disrupt- ed? > What happens when there are delays and resulting changes to the sequences of the vehicles from the di erent lines at the underground junction under Markt- platz? > Will delays just continue to build up in the system, or can delays be reduced again as time goes on?
OpenTrack, a software application that was developed to answer questions like this, was used for the operational simulation. The area under study extended beyond the tunnel section to include the adjacent streetcar sections of line up to the nearest node. The inuence of trains or streetcars FIGURE 4: Excerpts from the processed simulation results turning o at the track crossings was thus taken into account in the operational simu- lation. The locations of the stations, switches, train movements were simulated. A traction 4. OPERATIONAL SIMULATION TO signals and track vacancy detection equip- current simulation followed on the basis of DETERMINE THE CAPACITY OF A ment were shown accurately in the simula- this for the peak period under normal condi- COMPLEX LIGHT RAIL TUNNEL IN tion model. tions for traction current supply. KARLSRUHE, GERMANY A further basis for the operational simu- lation was the timetable, based on the of- The city of Karlsruhe is a pioneer in light rail cially approved concept for the lines. The FIGURE 5: Visualization of a future under- and the shared use of lines in the center of departure times were continuously updated ground station (Source: KASIG) the city by both tram-trains and streetcars. based on the ndings from the study exam- As more and more light-rail lines have been ining the capability of the tunnel to meet added and the frequency of the trains has requirements. The simulation period lasted increased, the transportation facilities have six hours, the rst two of which were for the begun to reach the limits of their capac- simulation of peak-time operations. The ra- ity. In the Karlsruhe “combination solution”, tio of peak to o -peak periods of 1:2 reect- part of the streetcar network in the center ed the interactions in the study very well. of the city is being laid in a tunnel in order The light-rail vehicle GT8 100C/2S was to relieve tra c congestion. The tunnel runs used as the reference vehicle for the simula- from east to west for around 2.2 kilometers tion. This older dual-system vehicle type was with four underground stations and also used intentionally because it represents an has a north-south branch of around one unfavorable case. Shorter travel times are kilometer with three further stations. Under possible with more modern low-oor vehi- the Marktplatz square in the city center cles with better acceleration. This would in there will be a level junction at level -2, e ect increase the capacity of the tunnel. around 17 meters below the surface. At the The exact dynamic characteristics of the se-
20 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Operational simulation
FIGURE 6: Excerpt from the graphi- cal timetable with the gaps in the timetable indicated
ated shows operations for an hour during the peak period at intervals of 12 minutes and has been exhibited for the Karlsruhe combination solution at the information pavilion of Karlsruher Schieneninfrastruktur- Gesellschaft (KASIG) since August 2010. On the large screen you can see the light-rail trains as they go into the tunnel under Kai- serstraße and into the southern branch of the tunnel under Ettlinger Straße, stop at the stations and then leave the tunnel again. What’s unusual about this is that it repre- sents a real timetable created using scienti c methods rather than some ideal situation. During the creation of the simulation, many suggestions for improvements were made, for example regarding the position- ing of the signals or the quality require- FIGURE 7: Screenshot of the video from the simulation ments in terms of operations management, in order to permit conict-free train opera- tions. lected vehicle were included in the model so city center and 18 seconds for the stations or that the train journeys could be simulated stops above ground outside the city center. with precision on the basis of the infrastruc- The operational simulation included 30 5. SUMMARY ture data. di erent delay scenarios with random distri- In order to investigate “disrupted opera- bution of the delays. The results showed that The operational simulation ensures the in- tions”, the delays on entry into the section operations can continue and remain stable frastructure is con gured to optimum e ect under study, and thus the inuence of op- in the light-rail tunnel under the speci ed and also shows that the infrastructure can be erational disruptions originating outside circumstances. expected to cope over the long term. that section, were taken into account in the In the selected projects, DB International operational simulation. was involved at key points during the opera- The delay on entry was determined ran- 4.1. RESULTS OF THE OPERATIONAL tional planning for the public transportation domly in each simulation run for each train SIMULATION network. The company’s experts can draw on the basis of a distribution speci ed in on their experience of timetable creation, advance. These delay distributions were rep- In order to demonstrate clearly to local poli- the design of transportation facilities and resented for each entry station on the basis ticians and citizens that the operational con- control and command technology that they of current operational data. The stopping cept meets requirements, DB International have gathered in projects carried out in a va- times were assumed to be constant in this presented operations graphically. It was riety of locations. Moreover, the use of Open- scenario. After consultation with the local possible to run this simulation in OpenTrack Track in addition to RailSys for operational transportation operators, 30 seconds was as- and thus create a video of the movements of simulation allows operations to be present- sumed for the underground stations in the the trains along their routes. The video cre- ed to the public in a digestible form. ̇ www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 21 Quality of construction
High quality of construction ensures the planned period of use is achieved
Transportation facilities are made t for the requirements of the future. The quality of construction determines both the subsequently required maintenance e ort and the service life. It goes without saying that sustain- able construction principles are adhered to. Construction supervision makes a decisive contribution to all that.
THE PORTFOLIO OF CONSTRUCTION supervision, construction surveying and Frank Weigelt Head of Team of Experts SUPERVISION SERVICES AT DB INTER waste management to geotechnical and hy- Construction Supervision, OU NATIONAL drogeological checks in environmental con- Engineering Near and Middle East struction supervision. and Northern Germany of Historically, traditional local construction Interdisciplinary construction supervision DB International GmbH supervision teams covered the great major- is becoming increasingly important. Both IT- Frank.Weigelt @db-international.de ity of the far-reaching range of services in- based design review in an electronic design volved in this connection in the construction ow management system and reporting as of all buildings and equipment for all modes well as the documentation of commission- Judith Drescher of transport. ing on the basis of the administrative regula- Technical Assistant of Head of Team of Experts Construction Supervision, The construction supervision team initi- tion for the commissioning of structural sub- OU Engineering Near and Middle ates the measures required for correct and systems or the grouping of the documents East and Northern Germany of DB proper execution or provides the contrac- for certi cation on the basis of the technical International GmbH tually agreed technical supervision services speci cations for interoperability (TSIs) or Judith.Drescher and rail operations services, including safety the Trans-European Interoperability Regula- @db-international.de supervision for civil engineering structures, tion are included in this. transportation facilities and technical equip- ment. The planning of construction opera- technology standards for which Deutsche tions also comes under construction super- CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION IN Bahn and German transportation systems vision. The management of subsequent GERMANY are known throughout the world. Thanks to work, documentation of the course of con- their experience in international projects, struction, acceptance of services provided The foundation of the successful interna- our specialists develop into valued parters and construction invoicing complete the tional business of DB International remains of their domestic and international clients picture in terms of the services o ered. the continuous and varied project work for for both their professional and intercultural In a second eld of activities, namely ac- all modes of passenger and freight trans- skills. companying construction supervision, the portation in Germany. This is how our em- DB International provides construction su- services range, for example, from welding ployees maintain the high engineering and pervision services for almost any kind of pro- ject in the transportation sector, regardless of the order volume or mode of transport. FIGURE 1: The TEN and an overview of the VDE 8 route (Source: designhaus berlin) The construction supervisors have been in- volved in virtually all of Deutsche Bahn’s ex- pansion and new construction projects and have supervised construction work in the S- Bahn urban rail networks and light-rail pro- jects in Karlsruhe, Heilbronn and Kassel, the modernization of depots and maintenance facilities and the construction of parts of the logistics infrastructure. The requirements of these projects do, of course, vary greatly. The major projects with their long durations and high levels of complexity almost always demand coordination across di erent dis- ciplines as well as interdisciplinary support processes. DB International provides not just the specialist construction supervisors and further experts but often also takes on the management of construction supervision
22 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Quality of construction
FIGURE 2: Western end of Landsberg station (looking toward Bitter- FIGURE 3: Erfurt Main Station (Photo: Frank Kniestedt) feld) (Photo: Jürgen Dietzsch)
FIGURE 4: due to the particular challenges involved Construction phases in and the expertise at its disposal. the upgrading of the One such major project is Germany Unity Halle rail node Project No. 8: Nuremberg–Erfurt–Leipzig/ (Source: designhaus Halle–Berlin (VDE 8). As part of the Trans- berlin) European Network (TEN), the route will han- dle the increasing ows of passengers and freight between Scandinavia and southern Europe. The international importance of the eastern north-south axis in Germany brings with it associated requirements in terms of the technical interoperability of the route. The European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 is used for train control, and the Global System for Mobile Communication – Rail (GSM-R) is used for telecommunications. The Erfurt node is an important link be- meeting the operational requirements, the The line between Nuremberg and Berlin is tween the new sections 8.1 and 8.2. From challenges for the construction supervision subdivided as follows: 2008 until 2017, DB International is provid- team consist of connecting the freight sta- ing construction supervision services and tion, on which construction started in 2012, > The upgraded section 8.1 Nuremberg– is responsible for the ful llment of 20 con- and the modernized train composition facil- Ebensfeld (82 km long) struction and equipment contracts on budg- ity in accordance with the quality require- > The new section 8.1 Ebensfeld–Erfurt et, on schedule and in accordance with qual- ments. For the planned increase of the entry, (107 km long) ity requirements. The construction measures exit and through speeds to up to 160 km/h, > The new section 8.2 Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle to integrate the new sections of line from the station will be completely transformed (123 km long) Leipzig/Halle and Nuremberg cover around on the basis of the optimized track plan. > The upgraded section 8.3 Leipzig/Halle– 12 kilometers in the surrounding area of Here too, the construction supervision ser- Berlin (187 km long) and through Erfurt. On the integrating line vice package includes construction man- from the direction of Leipzig/Halle alone, agement and, in addition to conventional The upgraded section Leipzig/Halle–Berlin 25 kilometers of new track are being laid construction supervision of all aspects, the (VDE 8.3) went into operation in May 2006 with 76 switches. The overhead line system review of all designs/plans, compilation of when Berlin Main Station was opened. In and control and command technology are TSI documents, construction site logistics, order to raise the speed on the line to 200 also included in this. The line into the Erfurt geotechnical engineering and surveying, km/h, the 15-kilometer section between node from the west has been upgraded from health and safety coordination, invoicing Halle and Bitterfeld was upgraded with ef- three tracks to ve for the integration of the and, nally, the creation of the commission- fect from 1 August 2012 using a new con- Nuremberg–Erfurt line.. ing dossier. struction of slab track (type Bögl); the 18 The Halle node is connected to the new A variety of interfaces have to be taken switches are now of the type Rheda 2000. section 8.2 Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle. The upgrad- into account given that there is construction DB International was responsible for con- ing and development of the node involves a work involved on around 50 bridges and in- struction supervision 24 hours a day, seven corridor through the city with a total length tersections in the course of the entire project. days a week while the line was completely of 9 kilometers. The work on the four sepa- In coordinating construction operations, the closed for the construction work. The line rate sections is being carried out between experts have to ensure that not just rail traf- was opened again on schedule on 29 June 2013 to 2022 while rail operations continue. c but also road tra c can continue largely 2013. In addition to adhering to the schedule and without restrictions during the construction » www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 23 Quality of construction
work, which will go on for years. This is dem- contracts are awarded. The environmental onstrated, for example, by the photographs experts of DB International take this into of the rst slide-in bridge over the A3 mo- account and pass on their knowledge and torway by Erlangen for the upgrading of the experience to clients and contractors during line to a four-track line between Nuremberg the project. and Ebensfeld in the spring of 2014. Globalization and the associated require- Further current major projects in Germany ments of the markets mean that intelligent are the new Stuttgart-Ulm construction pro- new solutions are needed for both passen- ject, which involves converting Stuttgart gers and freight. The importance of rail as a Main Station to an underground station mode of transport is continuously increasing (Stuttgart 21 project), and the upgrading of internationally. The amount of construction the Hanau–Nantenbach–Würzburg section, taking place all over the world is increasing, which is one of the busiest routes in the DB and DB International is facing up to the asso- FIGURE 5: Slide-in bridge over the motorway by Erlangen, April 10, 2014 (Photo: Toralf Bohn) network with around 240 trains a day. ciated challenges with its experienced con- struction supervisors and specialists in many SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION di erent projects. Hundreds of projects have been implemented since 1966, starting with Construction these days is about more than construction supervision for the metro pro- just constructing buildings and transporta- ject in São Paulo, Brazil in the 1970s and go- tion facilities in accordance with the plans. In ing right up to the present day with projects all DB International projects, environmental in China, Saudi Arabia or Mongolia. considerations play a highly important role both during design and planning and, in Development of the high-speed rail net- particular, in construction supervision dur- work in China ing the construction phase. Two fundamental Our experts have been helping develop the rules here are that the construction measures high-speed rail network in China, o ering should take up as little space as possible and consulting and training services since 2003. that the impact on the surrounding ora and The company’s construction supervisors fauna should be minimized as far as possible. have been on-site locally since construction FIGURE 6: Datong–Xi’ang high-speed line, Specially trained employees take on the as- activities started on the rst routes. Together training of Chinese construction supervisors pects of construction supervision a ected by with their Chinese colleagues, they have so while aligning a segment of slab track of the the waste legislation, which includes ensuring far supervised the construction of hundreds type CRTRS 1 (Rheda 2000 China) (Photo: Bernd Fischer) compliance with Germany’s strict regulations of kilometers of track in 11 construction on the obligations of the producer of waste. phases of eight high-speed lines as well as The electronic consignment-note procedure civil engineering works and rail installations required for this in the soil and recycling con- ( gure 6). Methods that were previously cept to categorize the building materials, de- unusual in railway construction in China are pending on whether they are to be reused or being used, such as the incremental launch disposed of, is clear to all involved. method of bridge-building using steel con- The services involved in environmental tinuous girder ( gure 7). construction supervision are subdivided as Our construction supervisors will be in- in the environmental guidelines of the Fed- volved in batch 1 (Yunnan section) of the eral Railway Authority (EBA) into nature and Shanghai–Kunming line until 2016. Speeds of species protection, soil protection, emissions up to 350 km/h will then be possible on the FIGURE 7: Datong–Xi’ang high-speed line, control and water protection. Consequently, 95-kilometer two-track line. Construction will batch 4, bridge-building with steel con- experts have been drawn together in DB In- be supervised by the Huatie/DB International tinuous girder using the incremental launch ternational from a wide variety of di erent joint venture and will include the four bridges method, May 2, 2013 (Photo: Sven Hertwig) specialisms in the elds of environmental to be built on this section of the line. In or- FIGURE 8: The Zhanyi bridge (total length protection, geoengineering and geodesy, der to avoid impairing rail tra c on the main 1768 m; span 128 m) is rotated into place on who also take on the speci c tasks involved routes, parts of which are four-track lines, the September 10, 2014. The cantilevers reach in construction supervision, together with bridges are constructed parallel to the line their nal position at 25.3° others where applicable. and then rotated into position while rail op- (Photo: JV Huatie/DB International) erations continue on the relevant lines, which CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION is an unusual construction method ( gure 8). AROUND THE WORLD Freight transportation route in Mongolia Construction supervisors involved in in- DB International has been providing con- ternational projects con rm that environ- struction supervision services in Mongolia mental considerations are being given in- since September 2013. The railway company creasingly more weight in projects around Mongolyn Tömör Zam is building a single- the world. Sustainable construction and its track, 225-kilometer long non-electri ed supervision and monitoring are becoming coal transportation line from the coal mines an increasingly important criterion when by Ukhaa Khudag to Gashuun Sukhait on
24 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Quality of construction
FIGURE 9: Bridge on the line in Mongolia FIGURE 10: Construction supervisor Abdelmoula Benabida measures (Photo: Thomas Rath) the track gauge with the Chinese construction contractor (Photo: Dr.-Ing. Ali Akbar Elahwiesy) the Chinese border. Up to now, hundreds into operation for the Hajj in November has a total length of 450 kilometers ( gure of trucks have transported the coal on a dirt 2010, it was the rst mass transit rail system 12). Slab track is used along most of the line. road across the desert for further process- on the Arabian peninsula. The raised track As part of the process, the local rail sta are ing. The schedule is ambitious: the rst coal except for the area around the depot and being given training so that they can sub- trains are expected to be running after a the operations control center and the cli- sequently maintain the line. The client, the construction period of only two years. matic conditions placed particular demands Saudi Railways Organization, has commis- The members of the construction supervi- on the construction team. The construction sioned DB International to handle project sion team are working on the construction supervisors also made a not insigni cant management and review the designs/plans. site in the southern Gobi Desert. At rst contribution to making sure that test opera- glance, constructing the line appears to be tions could begin on schedule in the sum- CONCLUSION a relatively simple task, but there are peculi- mer ( gures 10+11). arities involved. In the middle of the desert, A second, very extensive project is the Har- The company’s construction supervisors a railway embankment is being created, in- amain High Speed Rail Project, the rst high- have contributed to the success of many terspersed with elevated sections of line. It is speed line on the Arabian peninsula. With a projects in all ve of the world’s continents hard to imagine, but in the dry season in the top speed of up to 320 km/h, the trains will since 1996, working on everything from desert, large bridge structures like this have bring pilgrims and visitors to the two holy tram and LRT systems to magnetic levita- to be built to let ash oods drain away after cities of Mecca and Medina quickly and com- tion lines, from industrial railways to an heavy rain ( gure 9). However, these struc- fortably and also connect the international ultra-modern logistics center that serves as tures also allow wild animals and Mongolian airport and the city of Jeddah on the Red an intermodal hub. They have been respon- farmers’ herds of camels to pass through. Sea, which is Saudi Arabia’s most important sible for the construction of tracks, civil en- port city. It bene ts both business travelers gineering and superstructure works, for the Construction supervision in Saudi Arabia and tourism. The construction supervision implementation of technical rail and build- DB International has been actively involved experts check all supplies and services and ing systems and for the best possible level in the development of passenger and freight supervise the construction of the tracks and of nature conservation, completing their transportation rail links in the Middle East the installation of all rail systems along the projects on schedule and in accordance with for many years. When the Mecca Metro went electri ed, two-track, high-speed line, which the required quality. ̇
FIGURE 11: Raised track of the Mecca Metro FIGURE 12: Rail-laying on the slab track, October 22, 2014 (Photo: Dr.-Ing. Ali Akbar Elahwiesy) (Photo: Ralf Ho meister)
www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 25 Integration of air and long-distance rail travel
Integration of air and long-distance rail travel and inclusion of airports in cities’ transportation systems
As a result of the successful development of the Chinese economy in recent years, China has been able to – and has had to – invest in a modern, e ective, high-capacity transportation infrastructure. However, an improvement of e ectiveness cannot be achieved just by upgrading or building new infrastructure and systems for each mode of transport; they also have to be well interlinked.
1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON China is the only country in the world to Dr.-Ing. Yuanfei SHI Representative for China THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN have a program for the short-, medium- and Modern Railways CHINA long-term development of the transporta- [email protected] tion system as a whole. The construction and China’s economy has been growing at a upgrading of the transportation infrastruc- signi cant rate for years now, and this is ture, as set out in ve-year programs, has expected to continue in the coming years. always been ad-hered to so far. The nancial From the current perspective, China can also resources for this are available thanks to Chi- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Mnich Senior Expert Adviser be expected to be politically stable in both na’s currency reserves. Technische Universität Berlin, the medium and long term. However, China As a result of the restructuring of the trans- Modern Railways di ers from other countries in a number of portation system in China and the transfer of [email protected] ways that are worth mentioning here. The responsibility for rail transportation policy upgrading and construction of new trans- planning to the Chinese Ministry of Trans- portation infrastructure is seen as being an portation and Communications (in March essential foundation for lasting economic 2013), which is now responsible for road, air, development and is therefore an important water and rail transportation, the chances issue for China’s central government. The in- are good that the di erent transportation 2. TRANSPORTATION SITUATION tegrative interlinking of rail and air is thus a systems can be integrated. AS A WHOLE IN CHINA key component of transportation policy. As in countries all over the world, roads account for a high proportion of all trans- portation in China ( gure 1). However, the FIGURE 1: Overall transportation situation, long-distance passenger transportation in China, relatively high percentage of long distances modal split in 2013 accounted for by rail travel compared to road and air travel is worthy of note. One reason for this is that the Chinese central govern- ment began to make huge investments in rail (high-speed and inter-city (IC) rail travel) at an early stage, and particularly in the last 15 years or so ( gure 2). In China there are 246 cities with a popu- lation of over a million, whereas in Europe there are only 25. Around 70 of the popula- tion of Europe lives in urban areas, and Chi- na will also reach this level of urbanization in the medium to long term. In view of the rapid growth of Chinese cities, the focus fol- lowing the upgrading of the high-speed/in- ter-city network since the 12th ve-year plan (2011-2015) will turn to a greater extent to the development of the urban rail network ( gure 3). The information on the development
26 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Integration of air and long-distance rail travel
of the transportation system as a whole is given for the years from 2011 to 2015 (12th ve-year plan). The basic data comes from 2010 and is complemented by forecasts until 2015. The medium-term picture in terms of road, rail and air travel shows that road travel and air travel double every ve years or so, while long-distance rail travel doubles every ve to seven years. Urban rail travel also doubles roughly every ve years. However, the highest rates of increase in transportation volume can be seen in air travel. Consequently, the development of air travel, the airports and the catchment areas of the airports was investigated with a view to improving the interlinking of rail and air FIGURE 2: Investments in road, rail and air transportation; Five-year plans 2001 – 2015 travel at the cities’ main transportation hubs by means of conventional and/or new types of rail systems or directly by means of high- speed/inter-city rail systems. There are only a few airports on high- speed/inter-city rail routes (Hongqiao Air- port with the new high-speed/inter-city rail station is one of them), so an investigation was conducted into the urban rail systems in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing. The links to the airports were discussed and assessed in terms of design, planning, engineering and operations with a view to making gen- eral statements about them. Relevant pa- rameters were obtained, such as distances between the city centers and the airports ranging from around 12 to 65 kilometers, desired attractive travel times of 8 and 41 minutes and target train frequencies of 10 or 15 minutes. Express links from the main transportation hubs should be given par- FIGURE 3: Investments in urban rail transportation; 11th and 12th ve-year plan and long-term ticular priority [5]. As a result, suggestions for » plan until 2050
FIGURE 4: Airport links in Shanghai to Hong- qiao Airport and Pudong Airport Travel times by Transrapid maglev rail link and metro (U2) www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 27 Integration of air and long-distance rail travel
FIGURE 5: Nanjing airport link (type C-1 urban rail train)
improvements were obtained that serve as related, operational and technical investi- of the Changjiang Delta region (population: a model for the purpose of future planning. gations began with the analyses of tra c approx. 156 million) with an expected air If you consider that only very few of Chi- on the roads, in particular the roads to the tra c passenger volume in 2015 of around na’s 190 or so current airports have an ur- airports, as well as the entire urban rail net- 180 million passengers, almost 80 percent ban rail station, to the detriment of most of work, with a particular focus on the links of whom are domestic passengers, is of par- these airports’ attractiveness and usability, to the airports. As far as the high-speed/ ticular interest in terms of travel to and from the potential for improvement is clear. It is inter-city route network between the cities the airports by rail. worth mentioning here that China is cur- is concerned, particular attention was given rently planning around 50 new airports. Tak- to the main urban hubs (stations) of the ing into account the size of the country, the long-distance rail network. The focus here 3. CATCHMENT AREAS OF THE increasing volume of tra c and the fact that was on how these hubs of the long-distance AIRPORTS AND USAGE OF RAIL AND China as a whole is expected to reach the rail network are integrated in the urban rail AIR TRAVEL economic level of Western industrial coun- network (both in terms of the locality and tries some time around 2030, these plans transportation) and whether the airports On the basis of traditional transportation- seem reasonable. can be reached without changing and/ related investigations of the airport catch- An examination of the key transportation- or by means of express links (i.e. whether ment areas, these areas have a radius of related and economic data of the two re- there are at-tractive options). With regard around 100 to 200 km. The issue of the ac- gions in which the three cities are located to whether the airports have favorable rail cessibility and development potential of the indicates that they are the engines driving links (urban rail and high-speed/inter-city airports becomes particularly interesting the growth of the Chinese economy as a networks), the volumes of passengers at the when the catchment areas are a ected by whole. The key di erence is just that the airports and the relative percentages of do- new high-speed/inter-city lines, for example. Bohai Rim region, in particular the city of mestic and international passengers play an The new transportation links and the travel Beijing, is the political heart of China and, as important role, as do the prospects for the times from the point of departure to the the capital city, Beijing is central to all trans- development of the individual airports. The airport inuence the development poten- portation projects. The Changjiang Delta re- core rail network of the Changjiang Delta re- tial of the airports. Compared to the static gion, on the other hand, is primarily a center gion (Shanghai – Nanjing – Hangzhou) was radius model, an analysis that uses travel of nance, but it also includes one of China’s analyzed in detail for three key reasons. First: time-dependent distance measurements of most important industrial regions: the trian- The new, 300 km rail line between Shanghai the most important modes of transport al- gle formed by the three cities of Shanghai, and Nanjing, part of the new high-speed line lows the volume of tra c to and from the Nanjing and Hangzhou. Consequently, the from Shanghai to Beijing, with a total length airport to be ascertained more precisely. results of the investigation in terms of trans- of 1,300 kilometers and total travel time of Fundamental to this process is that the rail portation systems and operations in these around ve hours, is the busiest route in transportation infrastructure is incorporated two regions can be reliably applied to other China. Second: This route is a typical Chi- into the assessment of the potential of an regions and cities, provided speci c local cir- nese high-speed/inter-city link either with airport and is accorded some priority. The cumstances are taken into account. stops or without them (in the case of ex- distribution of the population in a region The central theme of all transportation- press services). Third: The core rail network generally largely reects the transportation
28 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Integration of air and long-distance rail travel
infrastructure and vice versa. Thus, the rail stopping at all intermediate stations and and technical design and layout of the lines in the surrounding area of the airports express services that do not stop) have been stations on the urban rail lines (see the or serving the airports directly have a deci- implemented. This increases the travel times Nanjing airport link). sive inuence on the development of the air- between the main station in the city center 2. If an airport link does not go directly to a ports themselves. Since this model of travel and the airport by around an hour. Due to rail hub, the rail system of the airport link time-dependent distance measurement the long travel times, these purely conserva- must be compatible with the rail system (where the travel time is calculated based on tive airport links are not very attractive. of the urban rail network; then there is the average speed achieved, not the maxi- This brief description of the transporta- the possibility of a link through to the rail mum speed) of the most important modes tion studies carried out indicates clearly that hubs (see the Beijing airport link). of transport is a decisive assessment param- when there is a lack of system planning in 3. If a check-in option is provided at a long- eter, the transportation examples from the order to interlink di erent transportation distance rail terminal, logistics concepts Changjing Delta region, the economic and systems, in this case rail and air, the bene ts have to be in place for passengers’ lug- transportation triangle formed by Shanghai, of high-speed rail system are either not seen gage. If they are not, signi cantly more Nan-jing and Hangzhou and the airport links or the travel times to the airport are too long time has to be allowed for the journey in Shanghai ( gure 4), Nanjing ( gure 5) and due to the fact that the urban rail services to (see the Hongqiao station, where there Beijing ( gure 6) in the Bohai Rim region the airports are based on unattractive oper- is a check-in option for Pudong). were examined. The key nding was that the ating concepts. 4. In the case of airport links directly from a catchment areas of the airports increase in In relation to the planning/design, tech- rail hub, it makes sense and is advisable size from around 100 kilometers for a jour- nical and operational aspects of transpor- to use new types of rail systems (pilot ney of roughly an hour to 90 minutes by car tation system planning, the problems that projects). Possible examples of this were to around 300 kilometers for a rail journey exist and the recommendations that can be the airport links in Nanjing (implement- of about an hour. If the airports are not on made are essentially as follows: ed with a conventional rail system) and high-speed/inter-city rail lines (e.g. Shang- Shanghai (part of the Transrapid high- hai Pudong Airport as opposed to Shang- 1. An urban rail line to and from the airport speed maglev line). Any kind of mag- hai Hongqiao Airport), it has to be asked must be planned as part of a system. In netic levitation system or people mover whether there are good, fast urban rail links other words, a mixed operating concept system can be used – systems with or (metro, light rail or other rail systems) to the (express services as well as services that without wheels, monorail systems or airports from the high-speed/inter-city rail stop at intermediate stations) should be sus-pension systems. stations. The selected examples in both re- included in the plans from the outset. 5. Before a new airport is constructed, gions show that only urban rail lines that do This has signi cant consequences for the either an express airport link service not have mixed operating concepts (trains track plan of the line and for the sizing should be included in the plans in addi- »
FIGURE 6: Urban rail transportation in Beijing with airport link (part of the network map)
www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 29 Integration of air and long-distance rail travel
FIGURE 7: Travel times by road, rail and air depending on the distance involved and market shares of high-speed rail travel and air travel (direct links, China 2020)
tion to a conventional urban rail service ideal for international journeys and domes- that allow all country-speci c, tra c-related with intermediate stops, or there should tic journeys of over 1,000 kilometers, while and operational factors (distance from cent- be a direct high-speed/inter-city rail link. high-speed/inter-city and regional rail ser- ers of business, network structure, etc.) to vices cover journeys of up to 1,000 kilome- be taken into account in terms of system Selected new high-speed/inter-city rail lines ters ( gure 7). If this approach is to work, the planning. It is important not just to obtain were taken into account in the studies of key thing is that rail journeys have to o er individual results in isolation but to discuss the transportation systems in the Bohai Rim attractive travel times. The prerequisite for and assess them, taking tra c-related, op- region in north-eastern China and in the this, however, is a good combination of the erational and economic factors into account Changjiang Delta region in central-eastern right operating concept (number of stops in a “whole system” approach. ̇ China. The potential for air passengers to involved in a journey) and the maximum switch to high-speed/inter-city rail travel, speed (a “reasonable” maximum speed in depending on the distances involved and operation rather than the maximum possi- taking into account travel time and travel ble speed!). Reference values here for a dis- costs, is as follows: tance of around 1,000 km (Wuhan–Guang- zhou) would be a travel time of around three References > Distances of up to 500 km: high-speed/ and a half hours, for a distance of 500 km [1] SHI, Yuanfei; MNICH, Peter: Ansätze integrierter inter-city rail potential of up to 100% (Xi’an–Zhengzhou) a travel time of around Verkehrs konzepte (Approaches to integrated transpor- tation concepts); Internationales Verkehrswesen (63) > Distances of 500 to 1,000 km: high- two hours and for a distance of 300 km 4/2011. speed/inter-city rail potential of up to (Shanghai–Nanjing) a travel time of around [2] MNICH, Peter; SHI, Yuanfei: Hochgeschwindigkeits- 50% one hour. verkehr und InterCity-Verkehr in China (High-speed and inter-city rail transportation in China), Jahrbuch des > Distances of up to 1,500 km: high-speed/ For airport links from urban rail networks, Bahnwesens 2011/12, DVV Media Verlag, Hamburg, De- inter-city rail potential of up to 30% mixed operating concepts should be select- cember 2011. [3] SHI, Yuanfei; MNICH, Peter: Stadtschienenverkehr in Chi- > Distances of greater than 1,500 km: low ed in order to provide direct, fast, attractive na (Urban rail trans-portation in China), Internationales high-speed/inter-city rail potential (un- links to and from the major transportation Verkehrswesen (64) 2/2012. [4] SHI, Yuanfei; MNICH, Peter: Hochgeschwindigkeits- der 20%) hubs in the city without the need to change verkehr in China – Weltweit Nr. 1 (High-speed rail trains. transportation in China – number one worldwide); Busi- The operational issues associated with the ness Guide Deutschland China 2013, Das Jahrbuch der deutsch-chinesischen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen, 6. Edi- 4. SUMMARY selected link should be investigated in detail tion, November 2012, Wegweiser GmbH Berlin. in the early stages of planning rail lines. This is [5] SHI, Yuanfei: Die verkehrliche und technisch-betriebli- che Bedeutung der Integration des Eisenbahn- und When air and rail travel are integrated, the the only way to ensure that there is su cient Luftverkehrs in China (The transportation-related and two modes of transport complement each scope to optimize the link subsequently. For technical and operational importance of integrating rail and air travel in China), TU Berlin dissertation; JOSEF other to optimum e ect and their respective this purpose there are various operational EUL VERLAG, Lohmar-Köln, May 2013, ISBN 978-3-8441- bene ts can be fully exploited. Air travel is simulation software applications available 0248-2.
30 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de Maintenance
Maintenance to ensure the eet has a high level of operational reliability and safety
In depots and maintenance facilities for passenger and freight rail vehicles, the traction units, multiple units and vehicle eet are maintained regularly and at the speci ed intervals all over the world using the required technical infrastructure. Modern methods are used to design these facilities.
1. DESIGNING DEPOTS AND Workshop) and Kapstadt (Salt River Work- Thorsten Koop Senior Project Director, MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AT shop). DB International GmbH DB INTER NATIONAL A consortium consisting of T.Y.Lin, DP thorsten.koop Architects, MVA (Systra), ARUP and DB In- @db-international.de The services to be provided in the main- ternational successfully completed the tenance process range from maintenance preliminary design for the extension of the during operation and repairs in the depots Kim Chuan Depot for the Land Transport Au- to maintenance with refurbishment and the thority of Singapore in October. The under- Erik Ei er Architect, Works and Superstruc- replacement of entire components of the ground stabling and maintenance facility for ture, DB International GmbH rolling stock in specialized maintenance fa- driverless MRT trains, which was designed erik.ei [email protected] cilities. in 2001 and 2002 with the involvement of As a result of the constant procurement of DB International and went into operation new trains, the rolling stock is modernized in 2009, is being extended and will be the more frequently these days. Thus, in addi- largest facility of its kind in the world. At the tion to extending and adapting the build- same time, Singapore’s largest bus depot is Thomas Rath Director Project Management, ings and technical equipment for the regular taking shape above ground for 550 rigid, ar- DB International GmbH maintenance and repair of the trains, it is ticulated and double-decker buses. [email protected] necessary increasingly often to build new In Germany, designing the new ICE facility facilities for new train generations. in Cologne for DB Fernverkehr AG, for which DB International’s teams of experts have DB International is the general contractor, many years’ worth of knowledge and ex- is currently the biggest challenge facing perience of upgrading and building new DB International’s engineers. It will be pos- eet and the new vehicle generation (ICx) for depots and maintenance facilities both for sible to maintain all of the vehicles of the ICE long-distance travel here in the future. » Deutsche Bahn and private-sector rail and public transportation companies. This in- FIGURE 1: 3D design for the modernization of the Salt River Workshop in Cape Town volves structuring and sizing the facilities (Source: PRASA/MDK Architects) and designing the buildings and technical equipment as well as implementation man- agement and transfer to the customer and also includes management and operational issues revolving around the maintenance process and the logistics of spare parts and fuels. The experienced gathered in design, plan- ning and project implementation in Ger- many is valued highly by DB International’s clients and partners throughout the world. For example, our vehicle and maintenance facility specialists are helping the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) with the redesign of two model facilities for the new vehicle generation for the public transporta- tion systems in Johannesburg (Braamfontein www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 31 For the development of a new generation of ICE facilities for Deutsche Bahn, these re- quirements have to be combined in a design process with modern, sustainable solutions for the supporting structure, the building envelope, the building services and integra- tion into the urban surroundings. In this pro- ject, the task is to reect the progressive na- ture of the DB Group in the building and set a standard. While taking into account cost e ectiveness, the architectural language FIGURE 2: Visualization model for the feasibility study (Source: Erik Ei er) needs to be compatible with modern work- places and production facilities, bring about process optimization in the workshop layout In order to address this demanding task, activity, requiring the designers to come up and be compatible with the Group’s commit- the design team is making use of building with intelligent solutions. Industrial build- ment to a sustainable approach. The design information modeling (BIM). ings are subject to huge cost pressures. needs to take into account the needs of the Consequently, the potential of industrial user, motivate the employees and encour- building projects is often not fully exploited. age communication. Finally, the solution 2. BIM IN THE ICE FACILITY PROJECT Yet it is still possible to meet the nancial must be a visible reection of the positive IN COLOGNE requirements of the developer without los- image of the DB Group with a high recogni- ing architectural quality, as many examples tion value. A modern industrial building from the present day show. It is the job of In December 2011, DB International won for Deutsche Bahn architects to meet the demands of the pre- a competitive tender for the construction of At one time, industrial building was the en- sent day to optimum e ect, to combine in- a new maintenance facility for the ICE/ICx gine behind the development of modern dustrial production processes with exible long-distance eet of DB Fernverkehr within architecture and was considered to point usability, the facilitation of communication, the framework of a feasibility study. In order the way forward in terms of aesthetic trends. appropriate use of space and aesthetic and to visualize the design idea for the customer, Economic and functional imperatives are of functional demands and to include all this in 3D technology was used. critical importance in this particular eld of the design. The requirements to be met by the project FIGURE 3: Space allocation concept for the feasibility study The design team received very positive feedback from DB Fernverkehr for its under- standing and implementation of the task involved in the project. DB International was commissioned with overseeing the de- sign of this cutting-edge maintenance facil- ity for Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance eet. DB Fernverkehr AG will be investing around 220 million euros, of which 60 million will be for the construction costs of the building. The list of technical designers in a nor- mal DB infrastructure project exceeds the number required for the technical design of conventional construction projects. How- ever, designing such an ultra-modern facil- ity requires a far greater number of di erent technical designs. Laying out a large num- ber of functional areas appropriately is a further particular challenge in this project, and it was only possible to do this using software-based generalized 3D cubes for the room allocation scheme in the design phase. In addition to the main function of a 443-meter long works hall with four main- tenance tracks and six di erent working levels, a four-story o ce and adminis- tration section is required with meeting rooms, a well-appointed visitor room and a canteen. An additional part of the build- ing has six di erent ancillary workshops,
32 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de a changing room with 750 lockers and a two-story technical section. Important functions such as the air-conditioning test- ing room, transformer rooms and the large storage units are located in another part of the building. Space has to be provided for the materials of the various maintenance processes – special automated lift systems for small parts, pallets and lattice boxes on narrow-aisle racking with a height of over 7 meters and appropriate oor storage space for large items and wheel sets. The facility is equipped with the latest machinery:
> Eight slewing cranes with longitudinal travel and a lifting capacity of 1.6 tonnes for replacing heavy and bulky parts on the roof of the long-distance trains, such FIGURE 4: Visualization of the ICE facility in Cologne (working model of the design) as the air-conditioning system (Source: DB International/Scholz & Friends) > Wheel-truck replacement apparatus for replacing complete wheel trucks and other heavy components on the under- plex facility, the fundamental requirements Building design: data structure side of vehicles. This also allows di cult were ascertained rst so as to get an under- and project processing maintenance work to be done standing of the scope of the design task. In For the purpose of design, a central build- > A special test facility for a wheel truck that addition to the usual conventional 2D de- ing model was created in which the archi- is linked logistically to the replacement sign, the extent to which the design process- tects do their design work. A team of eight apparatus carries out measurements on es could be improved had to be determined. architects is now working on the model in the wheel truck and adjustments to the It appeared to be very important to pro- parallel, and the most important three spe- suspension under a simulated load mote interdisciplinary cooperation between cialist designers, who deal with the structur- > The maintenance tracks have bridges to the various specialists and to be able to al design, machine technology and technical allow wheelsets to be replaced quickly make the current design statuses available building equipment, are included. and easily and for moving working plat- to all project participants in order to avoid Agreements were reached in advance on forms any loss of information. In addition, it was the workow to be adopted for working > Ultrasound hollow-shaft testing systems, necessary to show exibility and design dif- together. These included the level of detail air-conditioning workshop and other ferent versions. During this phase, a decision to be exchanged and the stipulation of uni- testing rooms and workshops had not yet been taken on the number of form parameters and naming conventions. maintenance tracks to be implemented and It is advisable to use the same software ap- For sustainable construction and opera- thus on how large the works hall had to be. plication, but this can generally only be en- tions, a dynamic building simulation was Three, four or six maintenance tracks were sured if the specialist designers come from run to design an ideal, e cient and sustain- under discussion. Thus, three designs had the same company. If di erent applications able power supply for the facility. In addi- to be produced in parallel in the rst design are used, exchange formats have to be speci- tion, there is a geothermal plant that uses phase. The design team therefore searched ed. It is advisable to transfer the data via an groundwater for heating purposes in the for a solution in order to be able to derive IFC interface (Industry Foundation Classes). winter and cooling purposes in the sum- three individual designs from a single design If this is done, more model information is mer. A photovoltaic plant provides renewa- with alternatives. Linking the design with a transferred than just the 3D building geom- ble energy to run the geothermal plant. The quantity structure and costs in the design etry consisting of the various construction re water tank is used to store heat, and this model turned out to be important because, elements. To avoid any discrepancies or in- energy is used in winter to de-ice the trains. when they are not linked, the quantities and consistencies, IFC-certi ed design software Further energy savings are made by using masses have to be added manually, which should be used. LED lighting in the o ce and social rooms can result in errors. Moreover, using this ef- Furthermore, to enable the design to as well as outside. cient methodology saves time when mak- progress, milestones have to be speci ed The design of the facade of the works hall ing subsequent changes to the design and for regular data exchange. Only in this way uses large polycarbonate plates. These t allows visualizations to be created quickly, can the current design information of other easily onto a xed, fair-faced concrete base. making it easier to present the ideas devel- disciplines be made available and the pro- The plates are in the various brand colors of oped to the customer and the partners in- gress of the design be reviewed and driven Deutsche Bahn and, thanks to their trans- volved in the project. forward. lucency, make considerable use of natural These requirements are met by using Specifying who is responsible for which daylight. A smart lighting control system building information modeling (BIM) and construction elements is a key decision in adds arti cial light, as required. BIM-capable 3D software, which has been the model, giving the design a huge boost used since the preliminary design phase in in terms of innovation. In a conventional de- Introduction to design the rst quarter of 2012 to realize the build- sign approach, the architect has to update In order to go about designing such a com- ing design. the 2D system with the design work of the » www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 33 Maintenance
other disciplines. In the BIM approach, on the other hand, once the areas of responsi- bility are de ned, all you have to do is man- age the importing of the 3D design data. The gure below indicates the amount of design content that is not associated with the actual construction of the building but is neverthe- less highly relevant to building design work ( gure 5). A further advantage of interdisciplinary 3D design is the fact that it is possible at any point in the 3D model to generate oor plans, sections and views and output them as conventional 2D views, thus saving a great deal of drawing work in the design phase. The designs of other disciplines are displayed at the same time. In the 3D design, collisions between the disciplines ( gure 6) can be seen easily and eliminated. Compared to a conventional 2D design, high-quality visualizations can be created with the 3D working model. These allow the ideas and solutions of the design team to be presented e ectively to the customer or used in public relations work. By transferring the 3D working model to a di erent applica- tion, it was possible, for example, to create light simulations to allow good use of day- FIGURE 5: BIM model with machine technology (above), technical building equipment (mid- light. dle) and structural design (below) In addition, all parameters and construc- tion elements can be analyzed in lists, for FIGURE 6: example for schedules of rooms or masses Collision of an ele- and quantities. This also improves the design ment of the technical quality ( gure 7). building equipment DB International is currently aiming to with the supporting structure bring together the key disciplines involved in building design nor just in a data model with exchange intervals but in a way that will allow them to carry out design work in paral- lel on a single model. The whole process thus comes very close to being visionary BIM de- sign ( gure 8).
Introduction to 5D The project team was able to test the link to FIGURE 7: BIM data model 5D design in detail during the design phase. The objective in working with the develop- ers of a market-leading software applica- tion for tendering, awarding contracts and invoicing in construction was to calculate costs reliably on the basis of the designed 3D construction elements and to create a simu- lation of the construction process.
Cost calculation To facilitate analysis, all 3D construction ele- ments were encoded and a naming conven- tion was implemented. The 3D design data was exported to a specially created le and then uploaded in the software for tender- ing, awarding contracts and invoicing. In the environment for tendering, awarding con- tracts and invoicing, the various construc-
34 ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 www.db-international.de tion elements were subdivided into selec- tion groups and allocated to corresponding items in the bid speci cations, in this case a cost calculation. Some of these groups were queried from the 3D model by means of programmed formulas. This step initially ap- pears to be very time-consuming, but it was very e cient for all the subsequent phases. This is because, once the construction ele- ments are linked with an item, the costs of any changes are calculated automatically. This signi cantly reduces the amount of ef- fort required for the changes that occur on an everyday basis during the design phase, in particular when compared to the manual FIGURE 8: Visualization of a color scheme (BIM working model, detailed designs) changes that were necessary previously. (Source: Kirill Gagarin) The fact that the masses and quantities for the items in the bid speci cations from the 3D model can be used is worth emphasiz- tion of tenders. All parties bene t from the it is used correctly, the 3D/5D technology ing. The tables can be sorted again quickly potential, resulting in a higher level of qual- can result in signi cant reductions in design on the basis of the required parameters ( g- ity and a lasting reduction in the time that e ort overall, and particularly when subse- ure 9). has to be invested. quent changes are made. The clients thus re- ceive visually innovative and resilient design Construction process model solutions. The creation of a construction process mod- 3. CONCLUSION Building information modeling methodol- el, in other words the linking of time and ogy will continue to be developed in order costs with the construction elements in ve It was the right decision to take this in- to realize what is still only a vision in the in- dimensions, is a powerful tool for the visu- novative approach to design for the project dustry: namely that it should be possible to alization of processes on the construction to construct the new ICE facility in Cologne. use the methodology right from the initial site. Even in the early phase, processes can Experience has shown that, despite the project idea to the ultimate dismantling of thus be visualized that previously existed in amount of advance e ort required, when the building. ̇ the form of Gant charts in seemingly endless designs. However, this is not to reject the tra- ditional schedule, which continues to be an FIGURE 9: Work ow for using 5D with software for tendering, awarding contracts and invoicing important project management tool and is still required as a basis for 5D design. The added value of 5D design obtained from linking costs and time lies in the out- put of a video lm showing the progress of construction. In an animation, the software for tendering, awarding contracts and in- voicing shows the progress of construction, provides a view of the conventional Gant chart and the current status of the item anal- ogously to the construction progress model and, in parallel with this, the costs involved up to this point. The quality of the construc- tion scheduling can thus be improved, and the construction supervisors can monitor progress more easily because they have an overview. DB International believes that the particu- lar bene ts of the 3D model created in the 5D workow are seen in tender preparation and the awarding of contracts to the com- panies that are to do the construction work. Because the 3D construction elements can be allocated to individual bid speci cations, the items can be visualized. This makes items clearer, and the allocation to bid speci ca- tions means that the tenders of the compa- nies competing for the work are comparable and that errors are avoided in the prepara- www.db-international.de ETR | SPECIAL | DB INTERNATIONAL | MARCH 2015 35 www.db-international.de
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