Our latest magazine is here!
We are publishing this digital magazine having only recently heard the news that there will be no InnoTrans in April 2021. Instead, InnoTrans will take place again in September 2022. The InnoTrans organisers explained their decision saying there was not enough planning security to go ahead with the show and that they had made this decision in close communication with key players. The news sits amid steep rises in recorded coronavirus cases in Germany – the home of InnoTrans – and internationally, leading to renewed lockdown measures.
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One of the events that did take place for InnoTrans 2020 was its Convention, which went digital for the first time. And one of the areas of discussion was focused on restoring passenger confidence in rail travel during this pandemic. A study conducted by the Charité hospital in Berlin found there was no increased risk of catching the coronavirus on trains, but it is the perceived sense of safety that needs to be bolstered among passengers.
The other central theme was around climate change. Digitalising our railways, researching alternative traction power, moving forward with digital automatic coupling and digital interlocking, rolling out ETCS to increase capacity and help drive modal shift are all key towards bringing about a mobility that is better for our planet.
The plea from German transport minister to the rail industry was clear: we’ve got the money – you need to do the work.
In this issue you can hear the voices of major industry players, from Stadler, Alstom, Siemens Mobility, the German Railway Industry Association VDB, and representatives from SMEs.
Whether or not railway exhibitions will be able to go ahead next year remains uncertain. More and more events now have digital capabilities, allowing us to stay in touch. And we too will do our bit to promote the voice of the rail industry digitally – the only certain avenue there is at the moment!
We are publishing our first issue of 2021 in March. If you would like to be represented in our magazine or on our website, please contact Andrew Lush at [email protected]
