V4+9 Cross-Border InnoRail Section

The objective of the InnoRail conference series is to realise a real professional exchange within and between the different railway professional areas, common thinking about the development opportunities of the European railway traffic. The talks at the event will pave the way for this: getting to know the latest research results, the already applied innovative procedures, technologies, machinery, vehicles and the results achieved will encourage the audience to think in a new way, and will bring about a change in their attitude as well. The V4+9 section (the project) is a smaller unit of this, it is organised for the representatives of the railways facing similar challenges. This project serves the same purpose as the InnoRail conference, but it encourages a professional exchange of ideas and intensive cooperation between the countries of our region that have similar railway capabilities and challenges. For the professionals in our region the examples from Western Europe often seem to be too distant and elusive to be able to directly benefit from them. They are necessary and important because they set the target. But as the experiences, tasks and challenges in the countries of our region are similar, they can be put into practice sooner and with greater probability, therefore mutual benefits can be taken for granted. During the preparatory phase – with the help of our project partners and the identified railway professional organisations – we will contact the national railway companies in the following countries: Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania. We identify the concrete questions that they expect answers to from their colleagues in the other countries, what information would assist them to realise their projects, and how could planning and implementation take place in a modern, passenger-friendly, quality but also in a cost effective and environment friendly way. On the one hand we will ask the presenters to provide answers to the above questions. In the case of problems involving multiple actors we will organise round-table or panel discussions. On the other hand we will ask presenters to take the audience through a project which will teach them a useful lesson or will be interesting. Some of the talks will cover the planned high-speed connection between the V4 countries, the Budapest-Cluj high-speed connection and the reconstruction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line. This two-day event will devote some 20 presentations and 3-4 round-table and panel discussions to the topics mentioned above. Regarding the invitations, we will pay special attention to the following: If several experts comply with the conditions of participation, then the youngest of them shoud be delegated. Our experience suggests that the thinking of young professionals is more flexible, they are more receptive to novel knowledge and technologies, the use them with greater ease, they are more open to innovation. Thus – in addition to the number of experts contacted – this circumstance also guarantees that we can bring about a change in the attitude and thinking of the target gropup, they will acquire a really new thinking and skills. To achieve this objective, we will contact the technical universities in all the target countries that have a railway faculty or department, and will offer to invite a talented young PhD student, whose costs we will cover. Our programme will provide economic advantages for the V4 countries in the region through the acquired information and connections. Their products and services can find a market in the countries of the Western Balkans, since we have a more up-to-date railway, knowledge and well-trained and experienced professionals.