The program is currently being drafted and will consist of a four-day school at the University of Antwerp, with visits to Infrabel’s Academy (in Brussels) and the SNCB technical workshop (in Antwerp). We are currently in the exploration phase of scheduling for the 2025 edition and are looking for specific topics and speakers.
The course will take place from 22nd to 25th April 2025, with specific themes addressed each day:
22nd April: Markets and Trends
- Implementation of the 4th Railway Package of the European Commission
- Debate on competition in the railway industry
- Planning capacity on Infrabel’s network to accommodate new entrants
23rd April: Skills & Young Talent
- Future Skills for the Rail Industry: Identifying skills gaps and workforce development
- Diversity and Inclusion in Rail: Promoting gender equality and attracting young talent
- Facilitating a debate between teachers and industry representatives. We envisage inviting lecturers from Belgian institutions (Karel De Grote, Thomas More, etc.) to discuss challenges in preparing railway transport courses, attracting students, and organizing partnerships.
24th April: Technical Day
- Visiting SNCB technical facilities
- Exploring train maintenance and procurement of new rolling stock
- Innovations to improve reliability, safety, and quality of rail services
25th April: Innovation and Next Steps
- New technologies to improve railway industry competitiveness, such as Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) and Automatic Train Operations (ATO)
- Breakthrough innovations like Hyperloop
- High-Speed Rail in California
- ERTMS for safety and capacity