September’s issue of Railway Engineering takes you on a trip through time, from the development of projects for the new Ethiopian rail network to an example of Italian efficiency with La Ferroviaria Italiana, a fine example of a network which has gone from being a local network to a public transport holding.

Our journey begins on a trip to uncover a country, Ethiopia, which has survived numerous wars, from WWII to the war against Somalia and the Eritrean War of Independence: after almost a century of turbulence a glimmer of hope can be seen for real economic reconstruction.

For our “Focus On” column we met up with the CEO of Chemin de Fer Djibouto-Ethiopien (CDE), Engineer Ato Thium Tekle Ghebrai for an analysis of the current situation of the Ethiopian rail system and to gain more details on possible developments to modernize the line.

Our report would not be complete without a meeting with Engineer Getachew Betru, CEO and General Manager of the Ethiopian Railways Corporation, the company established in 2007 which received the mandate to develop and build a new national rail network and provide freight and passenger services.

Coming back to Italy, we were met by Engineer Mario Banelli, Operating Manager of La Ferroviaria Italiana, a reality in Tuscany which brings together different companies running local public transport by road and rail and take care of the infrastructures. A company undergoing evolution and always characterized by innovative decisions, from electrification of the lines, to integration of the road and rail services, to company reorganization.

Finally we have for you an interesting chat with Engineer Alberto Chiovelli, Manager of the Agenzia Nationale per la Sicurezza Ferroviaria (Italian National Safety Authority) to take a detailed look at the fundamental role held by ANSF in the overall panorama of Italian railways and to explain the fundamental principles driving it. The establishment of the ANFS is considered a momentous development, an evolution in Italian rail transport, both for the new boundary marked between the relevant safety principles on safety and operating prescriptions as well as for the redistribution of competences between all the subjects present in the world of the railways, some of which are totally new.

So we shall leave you to read the new September issue, packed with exclusive interviews and interesting insights and invite you to take a look at our brand new web portal at  www.railwayengineering.it,

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