Railways are the most environmentally friendly systems of transport with the potential of playing a key role in future mobility systems. However, railways are facing tough competition from other modes of transport.
Precisely therein lies the importance of conferences like the Railway Forum Berlin, which took place for the fifth time on 30 and 31 August 2017. Uwe Günther, CPO of Deutsche Bahn AG, captured its general thrust in a nutshell: ‘The Railway Forum is an excellent platform for a joint exchange of ideas on the current topics of digitisation, innovation and sustainability.’
This year the meeting was attended by 1,100 participants from managerial and technical positions of the rail supply industry, 140 key experts and executives of Deutsche Bahn AG and 135 exhibitors. Naturally, Plasser & Theurer was also present. Showcasing our latest products, we had our finger on the pulse of our time given the burning issues to be tackled by railways.
Our four priority exhibits were the new hybrid machines and their sustainable benefits regarding cost effectiveness and eco-friendliness, our industry 4.0 digital innovations, the services offered by the PMC Rail International Academy that open up completely new and urgently needed perspectives in rail-specific training and professional development, and lastly the range of services offered by Deutsche Plasser, one of the trailblazers of innovative and sustainable after-sales services in the German region.