New video illustrates FEHRL extension of Forever Open concept into railways, runways and rivers.

Today FEHRL launches its new video at TRA2012, which illustrates FEHRL’s extension of the ‘Forever Open’ concept, scope and strategy to include railways, runways and rivers, and to bring about a true cross-modal vision for the future of European transport. Click on FEHRL TV at http://www.fehrl.tv to see this new video, which can also be viewed at the FEHRL booth number (number 27) of TRA2012.

To complement this, FEHRL has put together a brochure and information pack on the latest developments related to its flagship Forever Open Road programme, including an overview of FEHRL’s plans to extend the concept, as well as details on associated national programmes and profiles of projects significant to Forever Open Road. Cllick here to access the elements of this pack.

FEHRL has been extensively involved with TRA since the launch of the first event in 2006, and has been instrumental in developing this edition of TRA2012 in Athens. Here we outline a selection of the different contributions that FEHRL is making to TRA2012.

FEHRL members participating in many key sessions of programme
FEHRL members are participating in many key sessions of the TRA2012 programme, including the following highlights (see detailed overview of FEHRL participation across all sessions in attachment below):

Strategic sessions

• The third Strategic session (STS3) entitled “Infrastructure for the 21st century” is key to FEHRL’s current and future role and is moderated by Dr. Hans Jeekel of Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) with Mrs. M. Brandtsegg from Statens Vegvesen (NPRA) and Claude Van Rooten of BRRC as speakers. 
• FEHRL participation is also seen in STS1: Innovation in Transport: new trends from the EU, STS5: Efficient Services for Intermodal Freight Transport and Logistics and STS10: Transport research cooperation and R&D trends around the world

Special sessions

• The DETRA project, coordinated by FEHRL, holds its final integration conference during SPS21: Developing the European Transport Research Alliance (DETRA). This session is organised by Adewole Adesiyun of FEHRL and features Joris Al as speaker and Steve Phillips as moderator.
• The SMARTRAIL project, of which FEHRL is a member of the consortium, is featured in SPS7: Cost-effective improvement of rail transport infrastructure
• The OPTIMISM project, of which FEHRL is a member of the consortium, is one of the topics in SPS24: Research and Innovation Policies to enhance uptake of Sustainable Transport Solutions. Here, FEHRL is represented by Elisabete Arsénio of LNEC
• SPS35: Building up the future infrastructure networks in Europe discuss the ECTP’s ReFINE initiative and features Frederic Bourquin, IFSTTAR as moderator and Steve Phillips and Sylvie Proeschel, IFSTTAR as speakers

Technical sessions

• FEHRL members are moderating several sessions including THS1: Client Focused Road Maintenance (Jenne van der Velde of RWS); THS7: Financing of Transport Infrastructure (Dr. Andrzej Urbanik of IBDIM); THS17: Pavement modelling (Francesca la Torre of University of Florence); THS28: Pavements and environment (Dr. Anne Beeldens of BRRC); THS34: Assessment of bridges and tunnels (Aleš �nidaric of ZAG; THS35: Safety infrastructures related issues (Stefan Deix of AIT); THS36: User Demand on Transport Services (Adewole Adesiyun of FEHRL).

FEHRL key engineer in project behind TRA2012
In the 1990s, FEHRL helped to determine the need for a central European Transport Research event and the first European Road Research Conference (ERRC) was held (with FERSI and the European Commission (EC). The second one was then held with CEDR. In 2005, FEHRL launched its Road Research Meeting with the EC, ERTRAC and CEDR. TRA was subsequently launched in 2006, with further editions in 2008 and 2010. FEHRL has been extensively involved since the beginning of TRA, and for this edition of TRA2012 in Athens has taken part in all the major organisational entities (such as the Management Committee, Programme Committee, Steering Group and EC-funded FP7 project management group which includes the Communications Working Group).