IRS4, Paris, 2017

Delegates travelled on a new hybrid bus, courtesy of the Paris transport operator RATP, to its newly modernised Boulogne-Billancourt workshop, which maintains the trains of Paris Metro’s Line 9. The workshop, originally opened in 1934, went back into service in June 2015 following three years of refurbishment and modernisation. As a result of the modernisation, Line 9 has operated with nearly 70 five-carriage MF 01 trains since December 2016, providing travellers with improved service.

The 20-kilometre Line 9 is one of the busiest on the Paris metro network, linking 37 stations through the very heart of the city. RATP guided delegates around this vast workshop, which stretches over 14,000 m2 and houses 58 technicians who ensure that the trains run smoothly and efficiently.

Delegates then enjoyed a tour, hosted by French National Railways, SNCF, of 19th-century station, Gare Saint Lazare. The station went through a 15-year, €250 million renovation which was completed in 2012.

The refurbishment has offered larger capacity, greater convenience and improved information to 450,000 daily passengers as well as a significantly higher retail revenue for SNCF. Although travellers now need 25% less time to get to their trains, the 10,000 m² of new retail and service space, offering more than 80 shops and restaurants, mean that they spend 47% more time enjoying this famous station than before the renovation.

IRS3, Vienna, 2016

Delegates visited and enjoyed a presentation on Vienna’s striking new central station, the Hauptbahnhof, courtesy of ÖBB. Delegates were then taken on a guided tour of ÖBB’s newly constructed service centre at Matzleinsdorf, which brings together ÖBB’s servicing, maintenance and cleaning facilities.

The above evening delegates enjoyed a 30 minute presentation by Linsinger at Wien Westbahnhof (Vienna West Station). Linsinger demonstrated live their high performance rail milling train SF06-FFS.

IRS2, Barcelona, 2015

Delegates were given an update by Spanish infrastructure manager Adif on progress with Barcelona’s La Sagrera high-speed station, while Barcelona metro operator TMB offered a glimpse behind the scenes of Line 9, the city’s first fully-automated metro line.

IRS1, Berlin, 2013

Delegates were given a guided tour of the impressively refurbished glass and steel Berlin Central Station, courtesy of the German railway operator Deutsche Bahn. The visit also took in the 26 storey modern headquarters of DB, BahnTower, where presentations were given on DB’s ethos, structure and current international activities.