The Watford Conference 2010

Wednesday October 21st – Sunday 24th
Strasbourg, France

special conference theme:
"Cooperation / Competition"
The opening up of the European rail transport market introduces new competition and new challenges.
How do station and rolling stock designers react to this situation ?
Are there new needs for flexibility and adaptability ?
Does integrating the needs and requirements from various operators change the design,
and if yes, for the better or for the worse ?
How is the situation in countries outside Europe ?
How do cooperation / competition affect / have affected our design work?
How do we react?

The conference got a new organisational scheme:
consisted of a core programme and optional visits.
To minimize conference fee, standard of Hotel and train was reduced.
See Invitation and programme for details
(to be downloaded from left column)

highlights:
keynote speech, theme presentations and professional discussions
visit to Paris and Paris region stations i.e. Nord, Magenta,
Haussmann, St-Lazare, Est, Ermont-Eaubonne, Chelles, Massy
visit to train maintenance center of TGV East
visit to construction site of Paris St Lazare station
visit to TGV-Est-Stations i.e. Reims, Champagne-Ardenne
visit to Le Mans station (2010 La Vie du Rail prize for intermodality)
visit to Strasbourg station (2008 Brunel Award) and city

impressions (photographs by Joe Rago, Amtrak)

Conference Organisation:
Andreas Heym
Gares&Connexions / AREP
16, Avenue d’Ivry
75647 PARIS Cedex 13 - France

andreas.heym@arep.fr,
samira.difallah@arep.fr.