Recent News

The railway operations and infrastructures sections of the Hellenic Institute for Transport can be described in terms of the main areas of research activities that have taken place in it over the years. These activities and interests, in relation to railways, include the following fields:

• Railway Policies: The Institute has a long experience in research having to do with the formulation of railway policies both at national and international level. Some of the issues that have been dealt with include the integration of international railway corridors, the assessment of bottlenecks and the improvement of border crossing procedures and the overall improvement of railway operations. The issues examined include freight and passenger railway transport, as well as mixed traffic.
• ERTMS: The institute is initiating the development of an ERTMS certification laboratory. The objective of the laboratory will be to certify that the selected sub-systems are in compliance with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI). The subsets under consideration for certification are subset-076, subset-085 and subsets-110, 111, 112. Subset-076 is related to the sequence of checks that are related to the achievement of interoperability of the EVC (European Vital Computer). Subset-085 is related to the checks that are related to the interoperability of the trackside equipment and more specifically the Eurobalises. Subsets 110, 111 and 112 check the interoperability of the above subsystems and are performed in a simulated environment within a certified laboratory by a notified body.
• Infrastructure and interoperability: The achievement of interoperability and the application of the provisions of the European interoperability regulations to Greece. The Institute has performed a number of studies on behalf of the Greek railways on interoperability issues and this field has comprised one of the main fields of interest of the Institute over the years 200 – 2008. HIT has participated in numerous projects aiming to identify the areas and specific fields of the Greek railway network, impeding the achievement of interoperability, mainly having to do with infrastructure and signaling.
• Intermodality and freight transport operations: This is the area in which the HIT has a long and rich experience and this involves all modes of transport including of course the railways. Freight transport and logistics are considered in terms of: planning, operations, infrastructures, as well as policies that need to be followed.