The very latest in railway and tunnelling technologies will be on show at EXPO Ferroviaria 2012 and INTERtunnel 2012, two trade fairs that will be held in Turin’s Lingotto Fiere exhibition complex from March 27-29. With many innovations expected to be on display by top companies, this major combined event is expected to attract senior managers, engineers and buyers from all parts of the railway, construction and public infrastructure sectors from Italy and beyond.
Taking part in the fifth EXPO Ferroviaria show will be leading suppliers of railway products, systems and services in all main sectors of the market – rolling stock construction and maintenance, the many aspects of rail infrastructure, rail vehicle interiors, and technologies aimed at improving the experiences of passengers. Italy’s fourth INTERtunnel exhibition will bring together companies supplying equipment and materials for the construction and safe operation of tunnels and underground spaces. Both shows will be supported by a strong programme of conferences and seminars aimed at increasing participants’ understanding of current policy issues and technological trends.
Investments in infrastructure linked to transport may well play a crucial role in sustaining economic recovery, given that they are extremely long term investments. An example of this is the Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (Italian State Railways Group) 2011-2015 Industrial Plan, which includes all the major works throughout the country that will be completed over the next three years, both on conventional and high-speed/high-capacity (AV/AC) lines. Among them are completion of AV stations at Turin Porta Susa, Firenze Belfiore, Bologna Centrale, Roma Tiburtina and Napoli Afragola, Reggio Emilia and the FV Vesuvio Est, several track doubling projects, improvements to rail hubs serving major cities and the continuing installation of state-of-the-art train control systems. The plan foresaw total investments in the national network of €27 billion over its five-year period.
This sets the scene for exhibitors at EXPO Ferroviaria and INTERtunnel, where they will present their capabilities and competences as essential to a future beyond the current economic context. Both of these well established events have always been well supported by their respective industries and next year’s exhibitions will be no exception. Already more than 260 companies have joined the list of participants, with Czech Republic, France, Germany and Switzerland among countries well represented alongside many Italian firms.
Exhibitors at the two shows acknowledge the business opportunities offered by future developments in the Italian railway system. In the infrastructure sector, leading companies in track construction and maintenance sector such as the multinationals Matisa and Plasser & Theurer and Servizi Ferroviari Integrati from Italy will be exhibiting. Presenting track products will be the Swiss company Schwihag and Vossloh Fastening Systems from Germany and the Schweizer Electronic group will be showing the latest developments in railway personnel safety systems. As far as communication control and technology is concerned, the latest innovations will be presented by Ansaldo STS, Thales Italia and the Austrian firm Frauscher Sensortechnik. To meet the specific needs of this sector, an entire area of EXPO Ferroviaria within Lingotto Fiere’s Hall 2 will be dedicated to the technology of railway infrastructure, including an On Track Display. Here, sections of track laid in the hall will enable exhibitors to display machines, tools and other related products in a true railway setting.
Developments in rolling stock will also feature prominently at EXPO Ferroviaria, thanks to the presence of many of the market’s most successful suppliers. Alstom Ferroviaria, Ansaldobreda, Bombardier Transportation, Siemens and Vossloh are among exhibitors from this sector, together with relatively new entrants such as Voith Turbo Lokomotivtechnik and companies which have won valuable business in Italy, like the Inekon Group from the Czech Republic and PESA of Poland. They will be joined by numerous companies meeting the diverse needs of the rolling stock market, ranging from train door systems to interior fittings like seats, plus diagnostic and maintenance systems.
Among exhibitors at INTERtunnel will be prominent suppliers of tunnel construction equipment like SELI, materials manufacturers that include BASF Construction Chemicals and Mapei, and electrical specialists such as FEMI-CZ. Lighting systems from Grechi Illuminzione and safety technologies from Distelco and RAET will further add to the diversity of products on display.
A development that will enhance the appeal of INTERtunnel 2012 to industry professionals will be an IATT (Italian Association for Trenchless Technology) workshop for engineers and designers, offering information and tools that are essential for using trenchless technology (such as micro-tunnelling and directional laying systems) while illustrating aspects of technological innovation, the economic and environmental advantages as well as the areas of application. This will be just one of several supporting events during the two exhibitions.
Both EXPO Ferroviaria and INTERtunnel boast the patronage of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and are supported by the Piedmont Region, as well as by Infra.TO – Infrastructure for Mobility – the company managing Turin city’s infrastructure. EXPO Ferroviaria further benefits from the support of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, Italian College of Railway Engineers (CIFI), Turin’s Transport Group GTT and the ASSTRA public transport association. INTERtunnel is also supported by the Italian Tunnelling Society (SIG), organiser of an accompanying conference "The Turin-Lyon rail link", and by IATT – the Italian Association for Trenchless Technology.
Further information and updates on both exhibitions, including details of supporting conferences, seminars and technical visits, are available on the show websites:
www.expoferroviaria.com
www.intertunnel.com
EXPO Ferroviaria and INTERtunnel are organised by Mack Brooks Exhibitions, world leader for exhibitions of railway and tunnelling technology. These include SIFER in Lille, France, Railtex and Infrarail in the UK and Exporail in Moscow, Russia, and in India. The company also runs an INTERtunnel show dedicated to the Russian tunnel industry in Moscow every year.
