Conference Programme
Market developments and future technologies
In keeping with the motto “Public Transport. Freight Traffic. Valuable Talks.“ the programme of the #rail2009 congress on transport policies is clearly structured over three theme days with different focal points. Whilst the first day is reserved for European talks, the second day will be focussing on dealing with those subjects particularly relevant to operations. Transport companies, regional rail operators and client bodies will be demonstrating their positions on the future of bus and rail in their own congress forums. Finally, the third day will be taking a closer look at the industry’s company initiatives and technological innovations. Altogether nine congress forums will be offering the ideal opportunities for direct talks with experts from industry, science and research, and politics.

The forum programmes can be found under the relevant congress dates.

The complete forum programme for download.


Mobile Europe – Monday, 09.11.2009

11am – 12.30pm
The Europa Bahn Ltd – Does liberalisation mean the end for national railway systems?

Moderation: Jörg Schönenborn, (Chief Editor WDR)

With the EU-wide market opening for transnational passenger transport by rail, all rail companies can take part in national invitationsto tender from the start of 2010. The increasing internationalisation presents the once-national railways with major challenges – especially as the growth potential in the domestic market will be fully exploited in the foreseeable future. In the international opening forum leading rail chiefs and top representatives from the rail industry, the EU and associations will discuss market strategies and prospects for competition in Europe.

Johann Friedrich Colsman, Member of the Cabinet of Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission Responsible for Transport
Dr. Rüdiger Grube, Chairman Management Board Deutsche Bahn AG
Lutz Lienenkämper, Minister for Building and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Dr. Johannes Ludewig, General Director Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER)
Wladimir Jakunin, President Russian Railways (RZD)


2pm – 3pm
European cities in competition – Mobility as a crucial location factor

Moderation: Martin von Mauschwitz (Presenter WDR Television)

Be it Istanbul, Amsterdam or the Ruhr area: In competition for residents, investors or even tourists, the European metropolitan regions have long recognised the crucial importance of mobility as a location factor. Yet in many places the transport infrastructure is overloaded. Traffic jams shape the view of blocked cities and congested urban areas, which threaten to bring the cities to gridlock. The forum puts effective concepts for integrated traffic solutions in the spotlight and considers the prospects of public local transport as a top performer in modern urban mobility.

Hanns-Ludwig Brauser, Managing Director Wirtschaftsförderung metropoleruhr
Gido ten Dolle, Head of Randstad Brussels Office
Jürgen Fenske, President Association of German Transport Companies (VDV)
Dr. Jörg Schneppendahl, CEO Siemens Mobility Complete Transportation
Anton Valk, CEO NedRailways


4pm – 5pm
The seaports with potential – Is the inland in danger of turning into a bottleneck?

Moderation: Lutz Lauenroth (Deputy Chief Editor DVZ)

As important interfaces for international freight transport, German seaports have experienced rapid growth in the past few years. As a result of the worldwide economic crash and the drop in stock turnover, this development has ceased – but only temporarily. In the long term the ports must be prepared for further growth and continue to press ahead with their expansion plans.
In the forum port operators, logisticians and rail entrepreneurs will map out their requests for policy. After all, current capacity bottlenecks must not impede the upturn after the crisis.

Rüdiger Beckmann, Sales Manager JadeWeserPort Logistics Zone GmbH
Alan J. Gibson, Managing Director ERS Railways
Emile Hoogsteden, Director Containers Breakbulk & Logistics Port of Rotterdam
Dr. Sebastian Jürgens, Management Board of the business unit Intermodal Hamburger Hafen and Logistik AG
Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Management Board Transport and Logistics DB Mobility
Logistics AG
Erich Staake, Chairman of the Management Board Duisburger Hafen AG


Markets & Competition  – Tuesday, 10.11.2009

11am – 12pm
Competition in regional rail transport – Are service and quality falling by the wayside?

Moderation: Steffi Neu (WDR)

The competition in local rail transport is gaining momentum. Increasingly more networks are contracted out nationwide, and the market share of private operators is increasing.
However, the conditions for corporate competition are currently more difficult. Participants on the podium will discuss what effect the framework conditions in a predominantly cost-focused competition have on the activities and the economic considerations of the transport companies. One of the questions here is at which level quality and service, parameters much sought-after by passengers, can be realised.

Wolfgang Dirksen, Managing Director BeNex GmbH
Hans Leister, Managing Director Keolis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Shaun M. Mills, Chairman of the Management Abellio GmbH
Frank Sennhenn, Chairman of the Management Board DB Regio AG
Dr. Axel Sondermann, Managing Director Veolia Verkehr GmbH


2pm – 3pm
Station, networks, energy – Are fixed costs becoming a trap?

Moderation: Tom Hegermann (WDR)
While funds for local public transport are constantly going down, the fixed costs for client bodies keep increasing. Cost drivers in particular are the permanently increasing energy costs and rising track and station prices; these represent additional burdens amounting to millions. The local authorities are under increasing cost pressure and must pass this on: to the operators as well as the passengers. How to deliver a market-driven and practice-orientated tender policy that assures the success of the rail reform and quality competition will be discussed in the forum.

Stefan Garber, Management Board Deutsche Bahn AG
Dr. Iris Henseler-Unger, Vice-President Federal Network Agency
Martin Husmann, Management Board Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr AöR (VRR)
Klaus Rüdiger Malter, Managing Director Nahverkehrsservice Sachsen Anhalt GmbH
Winfried Stork, Governor Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL)
Bernhard Wewers, President Federal Association of local transport association

4pm – 5pm
Be it a competition or a co-operation – The passenger must come out ahead!

Moderation: Jürgen Mayer (WDR)

About 370 public and 6,000 private companies are involved in city traffic in Germany. They are forced to offer a range of products in line with demand under increasingly difficult conditions, growing competition pressure and increasing demands from passengers.
Against this background the forum highlights the future development of local public transport markets. The consequences of the inhouse allocation of contracts, which continues to be possible according the EU ordinance, will be discussed alongside tried and tested business and financial models and the scope for corporate innovation in the city transportation of the future.

Folkert Kiepe, Deputy Mayor German Association of Cities
Herbert König, Chairman of the Management Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG)
Walter Reinarz, Management Board Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB)
Hermann Graf von der Schulenburg, Chairman of the Management DB Stadtverkehr GmbH
Dr. Klaus Vorgang, Management Board Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr AöR (VRR)


Innovation & The future – Wednesday, 11 November 2009

11am – 12pm
So much for Silent Night – Can someone turn that train noise down?

Moderation: Jens Olesen (WDR)

Residents living near railway tracks can tell you a thing or two about how their sleep is robbed night after night by seemingly endless freight transport. Numerous action groups nationwide are making their voices increasingly heard with their demands on policy and business: innovative solutions must be found to reduce and prevent the noise. Intense communication between action groups, scientists, politicians and experts from the rail industry concerns the search for concepts which allow effective noise protection cost-effectively and as quickly as possible.

Gert Bork, Spokesman Citizens Initiative “Betuwe-line – not this way”
Joachim Kettner, Head of Environment Centre Deutsche Bahn AG
Dr. Jens Klocksin, Head of division environmental protection of the rail sector, Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs
Günter Kozlowski, State Secretary Ministry for Building and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Prof. Kay Mitusch, Institute of Economics and Political Sciences, Karlsruhe University
Dr. Dominik Suter, CEO Josef Meyer Transport Technology AG
Sibylla Windelberg, Chairwoman National Association against Rail Noise

2pm – 3pm
Rail, road, water – Where to put the meagre funds for our infrastructure?

Moderation: Eberhard Krummheuer (Handelsblatt)

An efficient infrastructure is an essential basis for economic growth. Therefore, investments in streets, water and railways are among the main measures in the federal government’s current economic stimulus plan. This financial aid only adds to the high expectations for investment with all transport carriers. It is not just the rail associations that have long ago positioned themselves for a hard battle for the allocation of resources. In a debate on the podium the representatives of the various carriers will number and justify their financial demands.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen, Director of the Institute for Logistics, Transport and Environment Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML)
Dirk Flege, Managing Director Allianz Pro Schiene e.V.
Jens Hohls, Member of the Executive Committee Bundesverband Öffentlicher Binnenhäfen e.V. (BÖB)
Wolfgang Rose, Chairman Auto Club Europa e.V.
Torsten Schein, Head of infrastructure planning and projects DB Netz AG
Dr. Wilhelm Schmidt-Freitag, Managing Director Nahverkehr Rheinland GmbH (NVR)
Oliver Wolff, Head of department Key Questions on mobility, Ministry for Building and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

4pm – 5pm
Yesterday’s concepts, concepts for tomorrow – The renaissance of bus and tramway?

Moderation: Judith Schulte-Loh (WDR, arte)

Bus and rail mobilise people in the cities. Opinions differ regarding the best concepts and suitable means of transport for a sustainable, needs-tailored and economic means of city transport. Are underground rail projects still up to date, could tramways solve transport problems or do buses take pole position thanks to environmentallyfriendly drive technology? Participants in the forum will closely examine the transport situation in German cities, discuss vehicle concepts and devise scenarios for the urban mobility of tomorrow.

Dr. Ansgar Brockmeyer, Head of Public Transit Siemens Mobility
Peter Hofmann, Member of the Management Board finance and controlling, Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB)
Krzysztof Olszewski, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Solaris Bus & Coach
Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of the City of Dortmund
Prof. Dr. Hermann Zemlin, Karlsruhe University

Program, PDF ( 2.35MB ) »