1. travel

British Section
Vol.19 No.4
Newsletter
Summer 2015
European Association of Railway Personnel
Association Européenne des Cheminots (AISBL)
International Association (A.R. 4.2.1985)
International Non-governmental Organisation with advisory status to the
Council of Europe (6.4.1977)
International Non-governmental Organisation with consultative status to
the UN (decision E/ 2002/ of 22.07.2002) and member of the
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Registered address: A.E.C (AISBL). - 25 Square de Meeus 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
AEC EUROPEAN BUREAU – elected at the General Assembly at Cluj Napoca
(RO), September 2014.
President: Nicolae Dutu (RO)).
Vice-President: Philip Worsfold B.Sc., C.Eng., M.I.C.E. (GB) 8 B Whitnage Road,
Sampford Peverell, Tiverton Devon EX16 7BU. E-mail: [email protected]
General Secretary: Arturo Alonso Sanchez (ES). Asst Secretary: Malgorzata
(Margaret) Boczek-Kwaczynska (PL).
Treasurer: Karl Eder (A). Asst Treasurer: Heinz Kâmmerer (A).
AEC BRITISH SECTION COMMITTEE
The committee, officers re-elected at the Annual General Meeting on 22nd April 2015
is as follows:
Honorary President:
Theo Steel (formerly Project Director ONE Railway) – until we find a new volunteer!
Honorary Vice-president:
Colin Charman,
Operations Manager
Eurostar Engineering Centre, Temple Mills,
Orient Way
London E10 5YA
Tel: +44(0)20 8988 4412 (NEW) E-mail: [email protected]
President:
Bob Clark, 52 Farcroft Road, POOLE, Dorset. BH1 2 3BQ.
Tel: +44(0)1202 462 912; +44 (0)7941 069 018 (mobile);
E-mail: [email protected]
Vice-president:
Patrick Rigby,
E-mail: [email protected]
Secretary:
Gerry Atkin, M.C.I.L.T., 6 Mallard Close, HERNE BAY, Kent. CT6 5RJ
Tel: +44(0)1227 363 352; E-mail: [email protected] (NEW)
Assistant Secretary:
Peter Davies, 24 Foxglove Drive, BIGGLESWADE, Beds. SG18 8SP
Tel: +44(0) 1767 317 683; E-mail: [email protected]
Visits Secretary:
John Woods.
Tel: +44 (0)7985 151 540
E-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer and Membership Secretary:
Bill Andrews, 32 Greet Road, LANCING, Sussex. BN15 9NS
Tel: +44(0)1903 521 850; E-mail: [email protected]
Recruitment Officer:
Nigel Hyde, Acorn Cottage, Lock Road, NORTH COATES, Grimsby,
Lincs. DN36 5UP
Tel: +44(0)7926 081 537; E-mail: [email protected]
Checker of Accounts:
Mike Hill
The British Section Newsletter is produced by a small team headed by Philip
Worsfold, who fulfils the non-committee role of Editor and Translator.
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A.E.C. BRITISH SECTION NEWSLETTER, Vol. 19 No. 4
SUMMER – 2015
The list of committee members is on page 2.
Contents
Editorial
Recruitment
Words from the President – Bob Clark
Minutes of Annual General Meeting
Transport and Travel News
- European Rail Timetable
- New FIP travel facilities provider
- Transport for London – changes
- London Bridge Station
- Status pass photos
- How to contact Rail Staff Travel
- France and Italy sign Lyon – Turin accord
- EU support for rail in Dublin area
- EU supports better transport connections
in Bucharest.
- EU support for intermodal terminal at
Tarragona
- Swiss Rail line blocked by Landslide
- Intercontinental freight train back in China
- Major expansion of German long distance
passenger services
- Train crash in Western Germany kills two
Rail strike in Germany
European Days and other events
European Days in Malaga (Torremolinos),
September-October 2015
Supplementary event – Imperial Towns of Morocco
Recent Events …
… and Things to Come
Christmas party 2015
Association Ties and Badges
Timetables
Young Buffers, Railway Study Association
REPTA
FEANDC
And for the future???
Summary of Dates
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The European web page is at: http://www.A-E-C.net (now updated)
AEC France is at www.aecfrance.eu/)
AEC Italy is at www.aecitalia.org
AEC Latvia is at www.ldz.lv/biedriba/
AEC Spain is at http://www.aec-es.net/
Poland is at www.aecpl.republika.pl (Private site, not officially recognised.)
AEC Austria is at www.aec-oesterreich.at.tf
AEC Romania is at www.aecaferom.xhost.ro
Due to security issues the British Section Website and the British Section
Facebook page are being closed down. The British Section Newsletter will still be
available on line on line at the French (in French and English) and European
websites. A new British section website is under consideration.
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A membership application form is attached to the e-mail and Web editions.
Recipients of the postal edition may receive copies from Philip Worsfold on
receipt of a C5 size standard second class stamped addressed envelope.
Other recruiting material is also available – see below.
EDITORIAL
Since the last edition, a number of active members have been pondering the future of
the section during our monthly reunions in London. The reason behind their angst
was the announcement by the treasurer that we were running out of money; largely
due to the ever increasing cost of postage; but also due to the cost of printing this
newsletter. We are now a small section. We have recently experienced a number of
increases in subscription – invoked actually because there was an expected increase
in our European capitation – that also due to dwindling funds. So far that increase
has not materialised, but with a modest membership, standing at only 47 at the
recent Annual General Meeting, an increase of 25 eurocents per member, won’t
make a huge difference. We considered various options. A further increase in
subscription was ruled out, since we felt you were paying enough already. The
possibility of becoming a sub-section of the Belgian section was also considered –
that would result in a slightly reduced subscription but would be exchange rate
dependent; and in any case, our section is technically large enough to stand alone
and there are already sections smaller than ours (albeit receiving some form of
subsidy). So we decided that we should aim to reduce our standing costs to equate
them or bring them below our annual income from subscriptions.
The majority of our members still receive the printed edition of the newsletter by post
– some receive it by e-mail as well, or opt for just the e-mailed edition, which is sent
as an attachment. At the AGM, we crystallised our thoughts into a plan of action.
Firstly, members are asked if they would be happy to forego the printed edition and
receive the e-mail edition only. If you would be happy with this arrangement, and
have not already done so, please let the editor know by e-mail –
[email protected] . It costs about £60 per quarter to print the newsletter
and the number printed is now such that reduced numbers will not make much
difference to that, but it now costs 68 pence per copy to send it out. So, it’s been
decided to reduce the frequency from 3-monthly to 4-monthly but maintaining or
increasing the size and hopefully the interest – subject to the size limits imposed by
the Post Office for the cheapest second class mail. Further, rather than send out
separate posted subscription reminders these will in future – commencing with this
issue – be sent out with the newsletter where there is no e-mail option. We hope that
we can rely on your continued support and be able to keep the section up and
running. These changes (apart from the immediate one previously referred to) will
take place from the September edition
There was a representative attendance at the AGM but no more people willing to
come forward to take on any of the officer posts. John Woods was happy to continue
the organisation, with help, of the monthly visits. Since Wednesdays were now
proving a problem for many of the ‘regulars’ on these visits, a further change was
suggested and agreed. Rather than working to a fixed ‘4rh Wednesday’ event, it was
decided to bring the regular slot forward into the third week of each month and
changing the day to Monday or Tuesday – to give greater flexibility and so as to have
a cluster of closely dated events, the monthly London reunion remaining on the
second Thursday of the month.
We in Britain have also had a General Election and elections for local council. In the
former, the Conservatives surprised everyone by achieving an overall majority of
parliamentary seats – albeit slight, which they claim gives them a national mandate –
failing to point out that, actually, sixty seven per cent of those who voted did not vote
Conservative. Another nonsense of our first past the post voting system was that,
despite obtaining four times as many votes as the Scottish Nationalists (SNP),
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the U.K. independence Party (UKIP) only achieved one parliamentary seat to the
SNP’s 54 – almost sweeping the board in Scotland. There were quite a few English
voters who would have voted for them, had they had the chance! But for once, ‘first
past the post’ denied the most anti-European group more than a token – thank
goodness. Nevertheless, we are now promised a referendum in 2016 over whether
Britain should remain in the European Union. I fear the possibility of a ‘yes’ vote and
for the future of a much weakened nation, which, if it leaves the union, will realise its
mistake all too soon as it is ostracised by the rest of the European nations. I don’t
think they are likely to agree to including it in a ‘free trade area’, as the government
expects. Sadly, Britain now looks no further than its own short term financial
interests; but still regards itself as a great diplomatic power.
Bill Andrews had concerns about the website (in practice a blog) and the Facebook
page, since in their present form, they were vulnerable to security breaches. Neither
have evoked much interest, so it was decided to shut them down and consider more
precisely what we wanted of a website before taking any more action.
Philip Worsfold
[The views expressed above are personal and not necessarily those of the AEC British section committee.]
Recruitment
Now that Nigel Hyde is Recruitment Officer, any ideas you have should now be
channelled through him. Please note his corrected e-mail address on page 2.
We also have available a recruitment leaflet and a ‘PowerPoint’ presentation to aid
recruitment. This can be multilingual, within limits, for use by any national section, if
required. Both have been updated during the last few weeks. Should members wish
to use either as aids to recruiting new members; or require back numbers of the
newsletter, please let the Editor, Philip Worsfold, know and they can be forwarded as
e-mail attachments.
Enquiries about membership should be addressed to Bill Andrews.
The addresses and phone numbers are given on page 2.
THE PRESIDENT’S SLOT
It’s 7th May – Election Day – and I am sitting in the a little part of Scotland that is not
well served with internet reception, so I hope that I have found a hotspot to send this
to you.
[Yes he did – Ed]
CAN WE SEE BEYOND OUR SHORES...THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS.......
......... (OR DO WE REALLY WANT TO?)
Today I was in Oban, sometimes referred to as the "Charing Cross" of the Highlands
and because you can catch connections to many places from here not just the
(Scottish) Islands but all the towns and cities of Scotland and places beyond by rail –
London, Brussels and Paris for example. By the time you read this these islands will
have a new government and the uncertainty may be over (or not!) for another 5
years. Whatever the outcome of the election no one can be suffering as much as the
people of Nepal devastated by a major earthquake and over 6000 deaths (so far)
along with thousands missing. It was heartening to see the world react to this
disaster but another very different disaster occurs frequently (is occurring daily NOW
– Ed) off the shorelines of Mediterranean Europe – one that invokes a totally different
reaction; that of disdain and rejection. Why do we have this situation when we all
know disaster has many faces some natural, some man made, some caused by war
and genocide, political ineptitude, greedy individuals who have no hesitation in asset
stripping the natural wealth of a nation for profit. They put nothing back for the
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people of these poor nations rich in natural resources but poor in infrastructure,
causing poverty and deprivation as the land has become unproductive due to
deforestation, as peoples of the wealthier nations requirements become more
materialistic. At the same time the greed and selfishness of the industrialised world
manifests itself in the "I'm alright Jack, stuff you" attitude to the boat people from
Africa. [or for that matter, the same sort of attitude to an ethnic minority group from
Myanmar, by some of the richer nations of south-east Asia - Ed]. Political posturing
against immigrants by the brain dead, morally corrupt far right parties throughout
Europe [and the world] seem to block out the historical facts that for most of our
common history migration has been a part of the history of civilisation. Some would
have us believe that we don't necessarily need migrants and want insularity as the
norm. That our islands as we know them today were made by immigration is
conveniently ignored by a certain drinker of beer and others of the far right for
promulgation of hatred toward those in need. We ourselves have been emigrants
and this was brought to mind as I crossed the bridge over the Atlantic onto Seil
island, where the next land is far across the sea and which welcomed our oppressed
displaced (sometimes forcefully) and impoverished people who suffered at the hands
of heartless landowners and occupational armies. Today we have become migrants
ourselves by virtue of the free movement throughout the EU, mostly to Spain where
some Britons are doing there what we accuse the migrants arriving here from poorer
European countries, including Spain itself, of doing - overburdening the health and
welfare services, though we call these migrants EX PATS! No-one can say they had
to leave here for the same reasons as the tragic boat peoples of the world; but they
have one thing in common – a desire for a better way of life. So take pride in the fact
we as an island have always stood up for freedom and liberty as the anniversaries
this year prove to the people of the world that true humanitarianism is still alive here.
Throughout the centuries of history compassion has shaped the image of our island I
hope it will continue to do so long into the future. Don't let the isolationism of the
right destroy the historical uniqueness formed by the integration of the generations of
newcomers to this land. The railway family proves that we can mingle and thrive. It’s
not easy at times but achievable with determination. The foundation of the AEC
arose out of a war in Europe that brought the devastating destruction and loss of life
we still see in the Middle East today. Hopefully we shall never see such destruction
over a sustained period again. We should remember the past and learn from it. We
have to keep telling the story. Some of those who remember most vividly the details
of the awful horror are still alive today and able to tell us of their thoughts 70 years or
more later. But they will none of them be with us much longer. To forget their story
would be a travesty and a vital lesson lost forever. We can live in togetherness or we
can pull apart the peace we have become increasingly used to. Remember manmade disasters can be prevented but natural disasters cannot; but again together we
can help whenever possible by pulling together for the greater good of society.
Learning the truth about the past is part of the way forward to the kind of world our
parents and grandparents fought for but could only dream about. So lets look to the
future, REMEMBER the past and DON'T FORGET TO LEARN FROM IT.
Dedicated to the memory of all who lost their life or loved ones at the behest of mans
inhumanity to fellow men through war, famine, natural disaster and GENOCIDE, and
also to the survivors for their stories.
Best regards from Tarbert.
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ASSOCIATION EUROPÉENNE DES CHEMINOTS, BRITISH SECTION
MINUTES OF THE 2015 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held at the ROYAL
OAK, 44, Tabard Street, London SE1 4JU on Thursday 23rd April 2015,
commencing at 14h00.
Present: Bob Clark (British section President) – (BC), Bill Andrews (Treasurer –
(BA), John Batts, David King, Jenny Worsfold – (JW), John Hayward – (JH)
The European Vice-president, Philip Worsfold – (P W) also attended and acted as
minutes secretary in the absence of the secretary.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6
7.
8,
Opening remarks and Apologies for absence.
The chairman, President Bob Clark welcomed members and thanked them
for attending. The minutes secretary announced the apologies for absence
from:
Colin Charman, Gerry Atkin (Secretary), Peter Davies (Asst Secretary), John
Woods (Visits officer), Patrick Rigby (Vice-president) Nigel Hyde (Recruitment
Officer), John Roberts (e-mail sent before the meeting but received
afterwards)
Minutes of the 26th Annual General meeting of 24th April 2014.
PW summarised the minutes of the 2014 AGM which had been printed in the
Newsletter for June 2014.)
Matters Arising.
PW explained the current situation regarding the Italian section and the
arrangements made to pay the 2015 capitation in Cologne.
Correspondence.
Most of the relevant correspondence centred upon the items covered in item
3 above.
President’s Report.
BC reported briefly on the year’s events
Reports from Officers.
Secretary
Recruitment Secretary
There were no reports since nether of these officers were present.
Treasurer’s Report and Accounts. Membership at 31st March 2014.
BA presented the balance sheet*. There were one or two queries concerning
the continued membership of one or two persons. These would be clarified
(Action BA). The Treasurer announced that there had been one new member
and six resignations in the past twelve month, bringing the membership at 31st
March to 47. BA was willing to continue as Treasurer for one further year
only and wished to relinquish the post of webmaster.
The British section website.
BA explained the details of the website and highlighted certain security issues
relating both to it and to the Facebook page. In view of his concerns and his
desire to resign as webmaster, it was decided to close down the website and
Facebook page (p – JW, s JH – unanimous). We would reconsider what we
wanted of a website before considering the style and format of any
replacement site. The post of webmaster was abolished for the time being. (p
JH s BA – unanimous). Discussion continued concerning the future of the
British section and this is minuted under ‘Any other Business’.
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9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
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Election of Officers for a period of one year, from 15th May 2015.
Vice President
Patrick Rigby
Secretary
Gerry Atkin
Asst Secretary
Peter Davies
Treasurer
Bill Andrews
Webmaster
post abolished
Recruitment officer Nigel Hyde
Events officer
John Woods
The President was re-elected last year for a period of 4 years to 2018. All the
present incumbents had indicated that they were willing to continue if reelected. There were no other candidates so they were automatically reelected en bloc, as above.
Appointment of Checker of Accounts
Mike Hill was re-appointed by acclaim as checker of accounts.
Nomination of delegates for European Administrative Council.
(meetings in Cologne, June 5th 2015 and Torremolinos on 27th
September)
The meeting in Cologne will not be quorate but is required under the
European Statutes. Patrick Rigby will be present and represent the British
section. Other sections – Austria, Belgium, and Germany will also be
represented and Vice-President Philip Worsfold will chair the meeting.
Patrick Rigby will also be present at the September meeting in Torremolinos,
possible also Bob Clark. These two will represent the British section..
Nomination of delegates to Congress. (New Belgian law.)
Not required this year.
The situation regarding the Italian section.
Covered in item 3 above.
Dates and Venues for forthcoming European Days.
At present there are no further events organised beyond that in Torremolinos
in September 2015.
Events Programme.
Future events include a river trip on the Thames in July. Details of further
events will be announced in the Newsletter. Several members were finding
that the 4th Wednesday was proving difficult. John Woods had proposed in
writing that this should be changed to the 3rd Monday or Tuesday, to cluster
meetings and give greater flexibility. The proposal was accepted by acclaim.
Any Other Business
The future of the British section.
In the light of falling revenues, the ability to continue with a printed newsletter
sent by post was diminishing. Members had been considering the future for
some time in informal discussion. John Woods had put on paper the possible
options considered.
a. Increase the subscription to £12 or 13.
b. Become a sub-section of the Belgian section.
Neither of these were seen as realistic, but BA suggested that economies in
postage costs (the principal cost) could be made by reducing the frequency of
the newsletter and by including subscription reminders with it, where sending
by e-mail was not otherwise possible. BC suggested a ‘Hardship fund’ but
this was ruled out. After discussion as to whether the newsletter should be
issued twice or three times a year, the four-monthly option was agreed by
acclaim, with subscription reminders being included at the same time.
Otherwise members would receive their newsletters and subscription
reminder by e-mail only. Other members who attended meetings on a regular
basis could receive by hand copies of the printed edition of the newsletter.
Hence from the next volume of the newsletter, commencing with the Autumn
edition in September 2015, the frequency would be reduced to three times a
year, [possibly with increased content – Editor]
17. Proposed date and venue for 2016 Annual General Meeting
After consultation with the members present and the hotel management, the
date of the date and venue of the next Annual General Meeting was fixed as
Friday 22nd April 2016 at the Royal Oak 44, Tabard Street,
London. SE1 4JU
TRAVEL NEWS
EUROPEAN RAIL TIMETABLE
The monthly and quarterly editions of ERT are now also available from
 Oundle News, Oundle Northamptonshire, UK.
 Stanfords, Long Acre London and Corn Street Bristol, UK
(www.stanfords.co.uk).
 GVE-Verlag/BahnBuchShop, Bahnhof Berlin-Lichtenberg
(www.bahnbuchshop.de).
 Fahrplancenter, Winterthur Switzerland (www.fahrplancenter.com).
 Blackwell's Bookshop, Broad Street Oxford UK.
The quarterly edition is also available from:
 Ian Allan Bookshops, London Waterloo, Manchester and Birmingham.
Cardiff has closed.
 Treinreiswinkel, Netherlands (www.treinreiswinkel.nl).
 WH Smith Paris, 248 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, France.
 La Librairie du Voyage, Rennes, France (www.librairie-voyage.com).
 Voyages SNCF Travel Centre, 193 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9EU.
 Travel Bookshop Pied à Terre, Amsterdam, Netherlands
(www.piedaterre.nl)
 Treinwebshop.nl, Netherlands (www.treinwebshop.nl)
 Freytag
&
Berndt,
Reisebuchhandlung,
Wien,
Austria
(www.freytagberndt.com).
NEW FIP TRAVEL PROVIDER FOR RAIL STAFF TRAVEL
RSTL has appointed a new supplier to manage the sales of European FIP fares for
active and retired rail staff travel facilities holders. International Rail Ltd tooK over
this invaluable service from 1 April 2015. International Rail Ltd are based in
Hampshire and have over 20 years’ experience in rail bookings in global markets.
Over that period they have developed close relationships with many European and
international rail companies and pride themselves on giving their customers a
premium service. They have a team of highly experienced Rail Travel experts and
are at the cutting edge of rail technology. They have all the tools you need to plan
and book your European rail travel as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
In particular, they have launched a bespoke website through which you can just
make an enquiry, or buy tickets. Go to www.bookmyrst.co.uk .
There is also a dedicated phone line, 0871 559 1075*.
(* Calls to this number will be charged at up to 10p per minute. Mobile and other
providers' charges may vary.)
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Please note that IRL booking fees are currently paid by RSTL on behalf of active and
retired rail staff travel facilities holders (FIP card holders).
Since IRL can book so much more than just FIP travel, they are delighted to make
two introductory offers to entitled rail staff on some other products, as follows:
Discounts
Australia rail passes
Spain rail passes
USA rail passes
5% discount
5% discount
5% discount
Fees waived
Any other non-FIP travel bought online will be exempt of booking fees
There will be other regular offers and discounts against non-FIP fares in future.
Process simplified
There will be no need to fill in an RSTL form to use IRL’s services – just phone or use
the website, or email [email protected] .
The response has been heavy and there have been delays, partly due to the backlog
inherited from the former provider; but we are assured that IRL has engaged more
staff to cater for the larger than anticipated demand
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON CHANGES FROM 2 JANUARY 2015 (AFFECTING
SAFEGUARDED STAFF ONLY)
With effect from 2 January 2015, it is no longer be possible to buy privilege rate
paper single and return tickets to TfL destinations (London Underground, DLR and
most London Overground stations) at London Underground ticket offices. You can
either still buy these at ANY National Rail mainline station*, or you can get the priv
discount set on an Oyster Card (using form 1519) to pay as you go at priv rate.
Remember pay as you go fares on Oyster are always cheaper than cash fares.
See our FAQs for more information.
[* This is an amendment following complaints concerning ther restricted
service originally proposed – Ed]
LONDON BRIDGE STATION: TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS 12.1.201531.8.2016
Please go to our News and Offers page for full details of the temporary arrangements
affecting London Bridge station in 2015-16.
STATUS PASS RENEWAL: NEW PHOTOS
We have started to collect new photos for the Status Pass renewal which will be
carried out in Autumn 2015. The reason for starting this process early is because a
large number of people need to use the online upload facility (see link at left), so
we're therefore trying to "stagger" the process. [New photographs need to be of
Passport quality and must be originals, not scanned. Alternatively you can
send a paper passport quality photo by post – Ed]
How to contact Rail Staff Travel
Tel: 0800 652 1700
Email: [email protected]
Postal address: Rail Staff Travel, PO Box 72071, London EC1P 1JD
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FRANCE AND ITALY SIGN LYON – TURIN ACCORD
by Marco Chiandoni
FRENCH president Mr François Hollande, French secretary of state for transport Mr
Alain Vidalies and Italian infrastructure and transport minister Mr Maurizio Lupi
signed an agreement to go ahead with a new €26bn railway linking Lyon and Turin
during an international summit in Paris on February 24.
"We can now say the Lyon – Turin railway is not just in the pipeline, but has been
launched," Hollande says. "It will take time to come to fruition but there are, as of
today, no brakes on the project and no obstacles lying in the way of its completion."
This agreement follows the approval of the project by the Italian Interministerial
Committee for Economic Planning (CIPE) on February 20, paving the way for an
application for TEN-T funding from the European Union (EU). The French and Italian
governments hope to secure up to 40% of the funding required for the project from
EU sources.
The two countries have created a new company to manage the project, Euralpine
Tunnel Lyon – Turin (TELT), which is a 50:50 joint venture between Italian State
Railways (FS) and the French state. Former president of erstwhile French
infrastructure, French Rail Network (RFF) manager Mr Hubert du Mesnil has been
appointed president of TELT, which held its first meeting in Paris on February 23rd in
the presence of Italian State Railways (FS) CEO Mr Michele Elia and Mr François
Poupard, head of the French General Directorate for Infrastructure, Transport and
the Sea (DGITM). TELT assumes the role of the former Lyon Turin Railway (LTF)
committee.
The 140km line will have 87km of tunnels including a 57km twin-bore base tunnel
between St Jean de Maurienne, France, and Chiomonte in Italy. The cross-border
section extends for 18.1km on the Italian side, 12.5km of which will be in the base
tunnel. Beyond the Italian portal, there will be a 3km link to the existing line at
Bussoleno, including a 2.1km tunnel and a new station at Susa.
France and Italy will seek to co-finance the €8.5bn base tunnel through the EU's
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for 2014-2020, with up to €3.4bn coming from the
EU, €2.2bn from the French government and €2.9bn from Italy. The deadline for
submitting the application for CEF funding is February 26.
The line is expected to open in 2028, reducing Lyon – Turin journey times from
3h 30min to 1h 47min.
TEN-T : EU TO SUPPORT RAIL TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DUBLIN
AREA
Brussels, 5 March 2015
The EU's TEN-T Programme will co-finance with over €1 million studies for the
introduction of a centralised rail traffic control (CTC) in the Dublin area. The
new system will contribute to faster and safer rail traffic, and bring a positive
impact to the entire railway connections between Ireland, the UK and
continental Europe.
The project aims to prepare the integration of CTC to monitor and manage train
movements and improve the overall rail efficiency in Ireland's capital region. It will
replace the existing obsolete equipment with the view to improve rail control,
management and safety.
The project will significantly contribute to the improvement of Dublin's underground
system. When completed, it will enable a radical capacity increase on public
transport routes in the Greater Dublin Area. It will also have a great impact on Irish
public transport development, by connecting it with the UK via the cities of Belfast,
Dublin and Cork.
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The project was selected for EU funding with the assistance of external experts
under the TEN-T Multi-Annual Call 2013 , priority projects. Its implementation will be
monitored by INEA , the European Commission's Innovation and Networks
Executive Agency.
The project is to be completed by December 2015.
More information
Project: 2013-IE-26018-S
TEN-T: EU TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER TRANSPORT
CONNECTIONS NEAR BUCHAREST
Brussels, 5 March 2015
The EU's TEN-T Programme will co-finance with almost €1 million studies on the
development of better freight and passenger transport connections between the
Bucharest airport, the main railway lines and the Romanian motorway network.
This project features feasibility, legal and environmental studies preparing the
design of a new connection between Bucharest's Henri Coanda Airport, the
Brasov-Bucharest-Slobozia-Constanta railway line and the Romanian motorway
network.
The studies are part of a larger project which covers the construction of a
multimodal hub for freight and passenger transport in Bucharest-Ilfov region
near the town of Otopeni, at the crossroads of the motorway linking Constanta
(Romania) and Budapest (Hungary) and the railway line between Constanta and
Nürnberg/Dresden (Germany).
The project was selected for EU funding with the assistance of external experts
under the TEN-T Annual Call 2013 , priority projects. Its implementation will be
monitored by INEA , the European Commission's Innovation and Networks Executive
Agency.
The project is to be completed by December 2015.
More information
Project: 2013-RO-91042-S
TEN-T : EU TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERMODAL ROADRAIL TERMINAL IN TARRAGONA
Brussels, 27 March 2015
The EU's TEN-T Programme will co-finance with over €1 million an engineering
study on an open terminal allowing the shift between rail and road cargo transport in
Tarragona, Spain. The study will prepare grounds for the construction of the terminal
after the permits are issued.
The new terminal will help reduce both freight transport costs and CO2 emissions, as
well as improve overall safety. It will have 115,000 loading units capacity per year,
equivalent to 8 trains per day and 2.3 million metric tonnes per year. The terminal will
contain access and siding tracks, an operation area with rail tracks under the gantry
crane and container zone, a container depot for dangerous and non-dangerous
goods, a check-in and office building, and a parking area for trucks and freight
containers.
The project will come up with the technical design, engineering studies and
submission of requests for administrative authorisations leading to the construction.
The project was selected for EU funding with the assistance of external experts
under the TEN-T Annual Call 2013 , priority 'Multimodal transport'. Its implementation
will be monitored by INEA , the European Commission's Innovation and Networks
Executive Agency.
12
The project is to be completed by December 2015.
More information
Project: 2013-ES-91023-S
The TEN-T Programme was established by the European Commission to
support the construction and upgrade of transport infrastructure across the
European Union.
The INEA is managing the technical and financial implementation of the TEN-T
programme.
SWISS RAIL ROUTE BLOCKED BY LANDSLIDE AFTER HEAVY RAIN
Berlin – May 3, 2015
A major railway route in Switzerland has been blocked by a landslide following
persistent rain that has swollen rivers in much of the Alpine country.
Switzerland's national railway said the line between the capital of Bern and the city of
Fribourg, part of the country's main Zurich-Geneva rail route, was shut down Sunday
afternoon (3rd May). It wasn't immediately clear when the line would reopen.
In Geneva, police closed several bridges across the swollen Arve river over the
weekend. Roads in the small town of St-Gingolph, on the border with France, were
covered in mud and gravel after the Morge river burst its banks.
INTERCONTINENTAL TEST FREIGHT TRAIN ARRIVES BACK IN CHINA
By Keith Fender
Beijing – February 27, 2015
A test train carrying containers from China to Spain has returned to its point or origin
this week. The train operated between Yiwu, in eastern China and around 190 miles
south of Shanghai, to Madrid, Spain.
The train, the world’s longest by distance travelled, left China on the outward leg on
Nov. 18, 2014, arriving in Madrid on Dec. 8. It was routed through China, then
Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus. Once in the European Union, German freight
operator DB Schenker provided locomotives all the way from the Polish border to
Madrid. Trans-Eurasia Logistics, which is a joint venture between Germany's DB and
Russian Railways, provided overall management of the train.
Because of differing track gauges the train used four separate sets of flat cars with
the containers trans-loaded three times. It ran on standard gauge track in China; from
Kazakhstan via Russia to the border of Poland and Belarus on 5-foot gauge; from
Poland to Spain on standard gauge again; and within Spain on 5-foot, 6-inch gauge.
Despite these transfers the 8,158-mile outward journey took just less than three
weeks.
Westbound, the train carried products made in China for sale in Europe, and on the
return trip it primarily carried food products, including Spanish specialities such as
wine, olive oil, and cured ham for sale in China.
The governor of Zhejiang province in China called this route the "21st century Silk
Road," referencing the historical trade route from Europe to China.
The Chinese government has invested heavily in rail infrastructure to improve rail
connections to neighbouring countries and is encouraging rail freight to destinations
further west in Europe and the Middle East. Regular freight services are expected to
begin on the China-Spain route late in 2015 – the 20-day rail journey is substantially
quicker than the seaborne alternative, which is around six weeks.
13
MAJOR EXPANSION COMING FOR GERMAN LONG-DISTANCE
PASSENGER TRAINS
By Keith Fender
Berlin – March 20, 2015
Deutsche Bahn will introduce 120 new Intercity double-deck trains, built by
Bombardier for inter city service alongside the ICE high-speed network.
Deutsche Bahn has unveiled plans to significantly increase its long distance network
in Germany to attract 50 million more passengers annually by 2030.
The German national rail operator has battled with stagnant passenger figures for its
long distance services in the past two years due to the removal of restrictions on long
distance coach operations. That occurred in 2013 and has resulted in intense
competition on the routes between major German cities.
Deutsche Bahn plans to start operating its Inter City Express high-speed network on
a 30-minute frequency between the biggest cities. In many cases this represents a
doubling of the 2015 service level. The increased service will be progressively
introduced beginning next year through to 2022. The company plans to operate the
future ICE network with 360 ICE-type trains. It has 130 new ICx trains on order, being
built by Siemens, and these will replace the older ICE-1 trains in the 2020s.
The company is also planning to introduce a new InterCity network serving all cities
with at least 100,000 population with at least one train every two hours. Most of these
new trains will be come from a fleet of 120 new double-deck, 125 mph push-pull
trains being built by Bombardier.
Deutsche Bahn says it, and the German federal government, are investing around
$11 billion between now and 2022. Most of this is already committed to orders for
new trains and existing high speed line construction projects.
As these long-term projects are completed, significant time savings will be possible.
For example, beginning in 2018 Berlin to Munich trips will be two hours shorter
thanks to completion of the Leipzig to Nuremberg high-speed line.
Deutsche Bahn plans to start offering free Wi-Fi on all long distance services
nationwide in both First and Second classes. New lower advance fares starting at
$18 will be introduced from next year on the InterCity network representing a
reduction of a third from the current lowest $27 price. Services operated will increase
by around 25 percent and the plans will lead to an increase of 50 million passengers,
from 130 million in 2015 to 180 million by 2030.
The company expects five million entirely new customers to be attracted to rail rather
than using cars or buses thanks to the new network serving more cities and
operating more frequently on key routes.
A further 10 double-deck trains, already on order will be used on the Stuttgart-Zurich
and Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Nürnberg services.
TRAIN CRASH IN WESTERN GERMANY KILLS TWO, INJURES 20
By Michelle Martin (Reuters)
Berlin – May 16, 2015
A passenger train crashed in western Germany after colliding on a crossing with an
tractor transporting manure, killing two people and injuring 20, police said on
Saturday 16th May.
The train, which was carrying around 40 people en route from Osnabruck in northwestern Germany to Ibbenbüren - a small town about 23 km (15 miles) away crashed at 11h31 local time outside Ibbenbüren.
It came to a standstill on the tracks 200-300 metres away from the crash site. Police
said the front of the train and one of its sides was badly damaged.
Of the 20 people injured, 3 are seriously injured.
14
Everybody who was on board the train at the time of the crash has now disembarked
and the injured are being treated at the crash site or in hospital while others suffering
from shock were receiving psychological care, police said.
The driver of the tractor is under shock but not physically injured, police said. The
trailer attached to his tractor was destroyed.
MILLIONS OF COMMUTERS HIT BY RAIL STRIKE IN GERMANY – but British
rail strike called off.
The Associated Press; May 20, 2015
BERLIN (AP) — Some six million Germans faced difficult commutes after a
small train drivers' union began an indefinite strike, paralyzing the country's
rail network.
The GDL trades union gave no indication of how long the walkout, which started
Wednesday 20th May, would last. It is affecting not only long-distance trains but also
some parts of city subway systems.
It is the ninth strike in less than a year in a dispute over pay, working hours and
GDL's right to negotiate for other railway employees.
Rail company Deutsche Bahn has rejected the demands and said it will try to provide
a skeleton service on selected routes.
Germany's chamber of commerce says the nine strikes together could cost the
country's economy 1 billion euros.
Meanwhile the national 48 hour rail strike in Great Britain, scheduled to commence
on Bank holiday Monday 25th May, has been called off following attempts to come to
agreement facilitated by the Arbitration and Conciliation service.
EUROPEAN DAYS AND OTHER EVENTS.
The Spanish section has arranged European Days planned for late September 2015,
having brought forward its plan for an event in Malaga (Torremolinos). The
provisional programme is published in this edition. Bookings have been
disappointing and if you are quick, it may still be possible to accommodate you.
The Austrian section also arranged a long weekend mini break in Carinthia, SE
Austria, during May, but news of it was received too late for useful publication.
Some members may have received details of an event in Sicily. You should note
that this is not an AEC event, whatever the Italian organisers might suggest.
The Italian section gave up its membership of AEC in September 2014 but continues
to use the name and logo illegally. The European Bureau has alerted the fact to the
Italian Railways, who have partly funded the Italian section, advising them that their
funding must stop.
Items from the German section calendar are as follows:
AKTUELLE VERANSTALTUNGSTERMINE
10.06.2015 RVRostock:Vortrag: Erste Hilfe (M. Köster)
09.09.2015 RVRostock:Versicherungsschutz für Senioren
(M. Köster)
14.10.2015 RVRostock:Abgeordnetensprechstunde (M. Köster)
11.11.2015 RVRostock: Reisebericht über Japan oder Australien
(H. Jaschewski)
09.12.2015 RVRostock:Adventsnachmittag (M. Köster)
Europäische Treffen
28.09. - 03.10. 2015 Europäische Tage 2015 der
Spanien inAndalusien:
Torremolinos - Nerja - Ronda Antequera - Málaga
15
EUROPEAN DAYS IN MALÁGA (TORREMOLINOS), Spain, 27th SEPTEMBER –
3rd OCTOBER 2015
Hotel Puente Real 4*
C/ Paséo Marítimo nº 73, Telef. 00+34+952.376.514
www.puentereal.com
Please refer to the previous edition of the newsletter for the detailed programme.
The beaches of Torremolinos extend for 7 km and are bordered by a splendid
cornice.
Sunday 27/09- Torremolinos
Administrative Council meeting
Monday 28/09- Torremolinos
Arrival of the other participants. Gala opening dinner.
Tuesday 29/09 - Nerja
Wednesday 30/09 - Ronda
Thursday 01/10- Antequera including reception at the Town Hall.
Friday 02/10- Málaga Gala Dinner and closing of European Days
Saturday 03/10 – Torremolinos Return home. End of European Days
PRICES
From dinner on 27 September to lunch on 28 September.
From dinner on 28 September to breakfast on 03 October (130 € / day)
Single room Supplement / night
70 €
595€
45 €.
The prices include,
- Accommodation in Hotel Puente Real (4 *). Torremolinos
- Full pension with meals and drinks, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
- Programme of tourist travel to visits, tickets for the monuments visits
- Transfer from/to Málaga airport or railway station.
- Travel Insurance
Bookings,
Date limits for booking.
Before 30 May 2015
Reservation and deposit of: 250 €
Before 01 September 2015 Payment of balance of 345 €
Bank account details for payments:
Name: Asociación Europea de Ferroviarios – Sección Española
BANK: IberCaja
IBAN:
: ES57 2085 8028 7303 3010 1955
Penalities:
Cancellation less than 30 days before the start of the event, you must pay 60% of the
total; cancellation within 15 days of the start of the event, you must pay 70% of the
total, and within10 days before the start of the event you will receive no reimbursement.
The programme is subject to changes which will be advised when you arrive at the
hotel.
To register please advise
Treasurer:Francisco Casquete
Tel: +34.630.967.66
E-Mail: [email protected]
16
For all information
Events Manager :Amalia Agudo
Tel: +34.679.935.580
E-Mail :[email protected]
Paco Gonzalez
Tel :+34.682.547.671
E-mail : [email protected]
General Coordinater of European Dats
Vice-president and Secretary AEC-España Julio Alvarez
Tel:+34.626.478.515
E-mail: [email protected]
Important notice
Registration and participation in the event commits you to the standards of behaviour
and presentation approved by the Spanish section of AEC, to which it is assumed
delegates will agree.
Booking through the British section.
Although Philip Worsfold is unable to attend this event he is happy to organise a
series of single payments to cover all British section participants. To apply now, you
should first contact Philip Worsfold to establish if bookings can still be taken, before
sending him a cheque for £250 per person, payable to Philip Worsfold, to reach him
as soon as possible. The organising section of the event is the Spanish section of
AEC and is responsible for all events. The British section is not a travel agency and
acts purely to facilitate the transfer of deposits at minimum costs to members. You
will note that travel insurance during the period of the event only is covered, but there
is no provision to cover travel to and from the event. You are strongly advised to
obtain your own travel insurance to cover the journeys.
Supplementary Event.
Optional week from 3 to 10 October 2015. “Imperial Towns of Morocco"
For details please refer to the previous issue of the newsletter.
RECENT EVENTS…
The monthly reunions have continued through at the ‘Lord Moon of the Mall’ with, of
late the return of some old faces and modestly larger attendances, although the May
meeting was less well attended.
The event proposed for 25th March did not take place and was re-arranged for May
27th.
The Annual General Meeting took place on 22nd April. I don’t think anyone missed it
because of the misprint in the last edition, for which your editor apologises.
…AND THINGS TO COME.
Reunions in London will continue at the ‘Lord Moon of the Mall’ in Whitehall on the
second Thursday of each month, 11th June, 9th July, 13th August, 10th
September, 8th October, 12th November etc., from 16h15 onwards until about
19h00.
You will recall that at the 2014 AGM we decided to maintain the fourth Wednesday of
the month regime. However this is proving difficult for most of the regulars,
who have asked for the following change, which was agreed at the 2015 AGM:
That other events should take place on the third Monday or Tuesday of each
month (effectively the Monday or Tuesday following the second Thursday
London reunions) – to give greater flexibility to the organiser. This
arrangement will be phased in as soon as practicable.
17
So far, we have arranged the following visits.
(Wednesday 27th May – Williamson Tunnels. Liverpool. 11:07 train ex Euston (or
meet at Lime Street station opposite plat 7 13h20-30) – by Ken Dodd & Bessie
Braddock statues)
Wednesday 24th June – visit to Potton former station, courtesy George Howe, the
present owner. 11:23 ex KX [or 11:16 ex Peterborough] to Sandy (then lift by Peter
Davies), possible lunch in Bedford.
Tues 21st or Wed 22nd July (tbc) – Reading or Oxford for Thames mini cruise.
Please contact John Woods for details.
Tue 25th or Wed 26th August (tbc) Either Isle of Wight, via London (Waterloo) and
Portsmouth
Or Swanage, via London (Waterloo) and Bournemouth. Again, please contact John
Woods for full details.
From these dates onwards, we should adopt the third Monday or Tuesday pattern.
In addition it is hoped to visit Cabinet War Rooms on one of the 2nd Thursday
London Reunion days.
There remain also the possibilities of visits to Luton Busway and a repeat visit to the
Wadworth brewery at Devizes, especially when their steam engine (not a
locomotive!) is working.
Full details of visits and any other events can be obtained from John Woods on +44
(0)7985 151 540 or +44 (0)7985 422 920 or e-mail to [email protected]
Christmas Party 2015.
Whilst we had a jolly time meeting up with a few old friends at Cricket St Thomas last
December, this years Warner event is to be held in Cheshire, which is not so
convenient for many members, particularly for those travelling from the continent.
Bob Clark is therefore endeavouring to organise another weekend at the Eltham
Hotel in Bournemouth, where we had such a splendid time two years ago.
The date is not yet finalised but will probably be the fourth or last weekend in
November from Friday 22nd or 29th). Full details will be announced widely as soon
as they are available and will appear in the next edition of the Newsletter.
But if you can’t make our event, then there is always Peter Davies REPTA/Warner
weekend in Cheshire instead. That is for 3 nights from 11th November at Alvaston
Hall Hotel, near Nantwich for £179 per person. This includes all accommodation and
in house entertainment, but day trips are at extra cost. Contact Peter (addresses on
page 2) for a booking form.
ASSOCIATION TIES AND BADGES.
In common with other sections, the British section of the Association has a necktie
and a badge. Our particular items are common to both the British and Belgian
sections. We have produced the ties and the Belgian section, the badges. I am
sorry that we do not have a specific item for ladies.
Ties are available, at £4.50 plus postage, and badges are in stock in small numbers, at £1.50
each, including postage. These items are available from Philip Worsfold. Please contact
him first by e-mail to check availability (details on page 2.)
GREAT BRITAIN ALL LINE TIMETABLE
EUROPEAN RAIL TIMETABLE
The Middleton Press edition of the Great Britain All Line Timetable is available from
W.H. Smith bookstalls at principal main line stations but be aware that you’ll need a
magnifying glass to read the miniscule print.
18
The monthly European Rail Timetable, with also a ‘three-monthly’ edition, also
contains most of the British internal services. It can be ordered on line from:
http://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/european-rail-timetable.html for delivery by post
and purchased over the counter at the outlets listed on page 9. Philip Worsfold holds
a reasonably up to date copy.
Most European services can be accessed on the Deutsche Bahn and other
European railways’ websites.
YOUNG BUFFERS ASSOCIATION.
RAILWAY STUDY ASSOCIATION.
We recommend the support of the following organisations, membership of which is
open to members of AEC:
Young Buffers Association: There is no subscription provided that you have an email address; and no obligation to attend their events. If you would like further
details, the Secretary is Larry Fullwood, tel. 01485 541599, e-mail
[email protected] .
Railway Study Association: The full subscription, including subscription to ‘Modern
Railways’ is £60. Each annual session of lectures, in London and Birmingham, held
on (different) Wednesday evenings, begins in October with the President’s Address.
Full details of immediately forthcoming talks can be found at
www.railwaystudyassociation.org .
REPTA.
The long standing Railway Employees’ Public Transport Association offers bargain
price insurance through AVIVA and concessions and discounts at stores and
attractions throughout the country. The ‘Yearbook’ gives full details, including the
invaluable guide to staff travel facilities throughout the world. Membership for
individuals costs £5.75 per year including the yearbook; with family membership,
including two adults and all children (up to age 18) at £10.25. Our Asst Secretary,
Peter Davies is also General Secretary of REPTA. Contact him (see page 2) for
details or visit: www.repta.co.uk .
FEANDC.
FEANDC has similar aims to AEC; and like AEC has sections in a number of
European countries, including some which do not have AEC sections. Also like AEC,
it organises its annual Congress event at a location in one of the member countries.
Information about FEANDC are available from Peter Davies (address etc on Page 2).
AND FOR THE FUTURE???
We shall endeavour to continue the production of these three-monthly newsletters to
get information to you. They will still be mostly information with just the occasional
article. So please, put pen to paper. We need to build up a library of articles. Please
keep in touch and let us have your information, your views and your ideas. Next
copy deadline is 14th August 2015.
19
SUMMARY OF DATES – Spring 2015
Reunions in London at the ‘Lord Moon of the Mall’ in Whitehall, on Thursdays.
11th June
9th July
13th August
10th September
8th October
12th November etc,
all from 16h15 onwards until about 19h00.
.
‘Fourth Wednesday’ events
(Wednesday 27th May – Williamson Tunnels. Liverpool. 11:05 train ex Euston (or
meet at Lime Street station opposite plat 7 13h20-30)
Wednesday 24th June – visit to Potton former station, courtesy George Howe, the
present owner. 11:23 ex KX [or 11:16 ex Peterborough] to Sandy (then lift by Peter
Davies), possible lunch in Bedford.
Tues 21st or Wed 22nd July (tbc) – Reading or Oxford for Thames mini cruise.
Tue 25th or Wed 26th August (tbc) Either Isle of Wight, via London (Waterloo) and
Portsmouth
Or Swanage, via London (Waterloo) and Bournemouth.
Please contact John Woods for details. +44 (0)7985 151 540, +44 (0)7985 422 920
or e-mail to [email protected]
Events on these later dates are still to be decided.
Please check your train times before travelling.
20
A.E.C. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other*…. Surname:……………………………Initials:…………..
Forename:………………………………………………….
Job Description:……………………………………………
Work Address*:……………………………………………………………………….
Town/City:………………………………… Postcode:……………………………
Internal Phone:…………………………… Fax:………………………………….
External Phone:………………………….. Fax:…………………………………..
E-mail Address:………………………………………………………
ACTIVE / RETIRED *
Home Address:………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Town/City:………………………………… Postcode:……………………………..
Telephone:………………………………..
Include in Directory?:
YES/NO *
Mobile:…………………………………….. Include in Directory?:
(*delete as applicable)
YES/NO *
Membership of the A.E.C. costs only £10.00 per annum and is open to anyone in the
railway industry without qualification. If you speak a foreign language and would like
to let us know, it would be helpful to us.
I can speak the following language(s) (state how well, e.g. fluent, fair, a little)
…………………………………………………………………………………………
I should like to join the Association Europeenne des Cheminots.
Signature……………………………
Data supplied will be kept on a computer database. Home, where authorised
above and Work telephone and Fax numbers and electronic mail addresses can be
divulged to other members only.
Please make cheques/PO’s for £10.00 payable to: “Association Européenne
des Cheminots”
Send this application to:
Mr W. Andrews, Hon. Treasurer, A.E.C.
32, Greet Road,
LANCING. BN15 9NS
E-mail: [email protected]