2008-10: Ronald Jorna of Mobycon writes on Validation (WP17)

Validation is currently taking place on the first phase of the FREIGHTWISE Framework (FWF). For this purpose three business cases of the FREIGHTWISE project have been investigated. On-site visits have been carried out by the validation team, comparing the architecture of the cases with the FREIGHTWISE Framework. Also, the business case partners were asked to complete a questionnaire. The results will be described in the first release of deliverable D17.2, mainly focusing on the completeness of the FREIGHTWISE Framework. This deliverable will be ready in November 2008.

2008-10: SNCB in Firing Line

BELGIUM: Early last month La Libre Belgique published excerpts from an interim report drawn up by the Audit Commission (Cour des Comptes) which said Belgian National Railways had broken European rules on public financing.

Specifically, the newspaper highlighted a sum of €426m forming part of a €510m government grant intended to provide SNCB's operating arm with an increase in capital, but the money, according to the report, had been used for commercial purposes. The newspaper reported that €244·8m had been granted on an unsecured basis to boost the funding of commercial passenger services, and a further €181·2m had been provided to the freight business B-Cargo as an internal loan. When official requests were made for a breakdown of SNCB's accounts, they were either ignored or only partially answered, according to the newspaper.

http://tinyurl.com/6ktxx6

2008-10: Latest Issue of FREIGHTWISE Newsletter

The latest issue of the FREIGHTWISE Newsletter has been uploaded to the FREIGHTWISE website.  Click the "Downloads" link at freightwise.info to view it.

It contains reports on a meeting between FREIGHTWISE and the US Department of Transport as well as news from the Business Cases and Work Packages.

2008-10: Trucks freed from Manchester congestion charge

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (Agma) has agreed to remove trucks from the city's congestion charging scheme, until its affects on transport operators can be properly studied.

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/article.htm?artid=20017584629&&src=rss

2008-10: BESTLOG Conference

If you come to the FREIGHTWISE conference in Prague on the 2nd of December 2008 then you may also want to attend the BESTLOG conference that is being held on the 3rd December, also in Prague. The BESTLOG project is: establishing an exchange platform for the improvement of supply chain management practice across Europe and at this conference they will report on their work, case studies and best practice in logistics in Europe. The first 50 registrants attend free.

The conference programme is here: http://www.bestlog.org/index.php?id=320

2008-10: DB flotation put on hold

GERMANY: The partial flotation of DB Mobility Logistics AG scheduled for October 27 has been postponed as a result of the turmoil in the global financial markets, which would have impacted on the potential value of the shares. Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück and DB Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn announced the decision in Berlin on October 9, but said that no new date would be set until the market environment improved sufficiently to ensure a successful flotation.

http://tinyurl.com/4yej4r

2008-10: Market reforms revitalise European rail freight

FREIGHT: Does competition between operators improve efficiency and is the separation of infrastructure from operations necessary to develop viable competition? Jeremy Drew compares the impact on customers of railway reforms in three European countries.

Jeremy Drew is an independent consultant advising on the reform and privatisation of railway operations around the world.

http://tinyurl.com/4j27ts

[Railway Gazette International]