Dear Railway Engineers,
Register now for the 11th Railway Talk on the topic VR, AR and AI in railway operations on
9 December.
Read a review of the Slab Track Forum in Napoli and check out other upcoming events of our members.
We are looking forward to your participation!
Charlotte Gebhart
Next Railway Talk
11th RAILWAY TALK
9 December 2025
17:00 CET
Chair: Dip. Marco Corradini, EURAIL Ing
Next stop: technology on track
Exploring VR, AR and AI in railway operations
Dr. Eng. Luca Gioiello, Safety Engineer
Mercitalia Rail Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane
VR & AI – Curse or blessing of new technologies
A dialectical controversy in a sociocultural context
Markus Bolli
Suprexa AG, Switzerland
Events of our members
Koralmtunnel – Technik im Fokus
26 February 2026: Technical University Graz
Website: https://www.tugraz.at/institute/ebw/anmeldung/koralmtagung-26022026
Wiener Eisenbahnkolloquium 2026
24th Vienna Railway Colloquium – The Future of Public Transport
5-6 March 2026: Vienna, Austria
This event brings together experts from transport, infrastructure, policy, and academia to discuss current developments and future perspectives in public transport. Over two days, the conference focuses on infrastructure, rolling stock, and digitalization – from urban transport planning and new propulsion technologies to AI applications and autonomous mobility. The conference will be held in German.
Website: https://www.oevg.at/veranstaltung/24-wiener-eisenbahnkolloquium/
24th European Transport Congress: Resilient and Reliable Mobility Systems – ÖVG (Austria)
7-8 May 2026: Technical University Vienna
Website: https://www.oevg.at/veranstaltung/100-jahre-oevg-jubilaeumstagung-european-transport-congress/
REVIEW RAILWAY FORUM NAPOLI
Slab Track Expertise in a historical and welcoming setting
The Railway Forum Napoli 2025, held at the historic Pietrarsa Railway Museum, brought together railway professionals from across Europe for two days of focused discussion on slab track systems. Surrounded by historic locomotives and the Bay of Naples, the venue offered a relaxed and inspiring backdrop that helped shape the event’s friendly and familiar atmosphere.
Strong Technical Content, Centered on Slab Track
This year’s programme looked closely at the challenges and opportunities around modern slab track solutions. Topics included:
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noise and vibration control
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behaviour in transition zones
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applications in metro, tram, and railway environments
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maintenance and renewal during short possession windows
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long-term performance and life-cycle considerations
Participants appreciated the clear, practical insights and the mix of academic perspectives with real-world experience. For many, the forum provided a valuable update on how slab track technology is evolving and where the industry is heading.
A Comfortable and Collaborative Atmosphere
While the technical content was strong, what many attendees highlighted afterwards was the pleasant atmosphere. The setting naturally encouraged conversation — during the breaks, at the conference dinner, and while exploring the museum. People found it easy to connect, share experiences, and exchange ideas.
Several participants noted that the event felt unusually comfortable and collegial, making it simple to meet new professionals and reconnect with familiar faces. The networking felt genuine, not forced, and many left with new contacts and a sense of community.
Final Thoughts
Railway Forum Napoli successfully combined high-quality slab track expertise with a warm, familiar setting that encouraged meaningful conversations. It served as a reminder that the best professional events are not just informative — they create spaces where people can learn, connect, and enjoy being part of the railway community.
The speakers’ presentations are available in the event archive, so participants can dive deeper into the technical solutions and case studies shared during the conference.
The Railway Forum Napoli was supported by the following exhibitors and sponsors:
Calenberg – edilon)(sedra – GCF Gefer – Getzner – Overail – Pandrol – Plasser & Theurer – Plasser Italiana – Porr – RAILONE – Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group – Salcef Group – Sekisui – Sonneville – Swietelsky – Tines – Wegh Group
Save the date: Railway Forum 2026
Railway Forum Krakow, Poland
Dates: 5-6 November 2026
in cooperation with SITK
Topics: Digitalisation, Automation and AI in Railway Infrastructure and Rolling Stock
The call for abstracts will open shortly.
Call for papers
We are now opening a Call for Papers for the next upcoming Railway Talks as the UEEIV is continuously looking for interesting topics for our Railway Talks Series.
The UEEIV wants to expand its Railway Talks programme and broaden its scope to include other topics that are, and will continue to be, highly relevant to the entire railway sector, today and in the coming years.
Last but not least, we would like to plan the topics presented in a more organic way and give them a well-structured and logical sequence of diffusion. To achieve this ambitious goal, and start to schedule, we need your active collaboration and would like to thank in advance anyone who is willing to contribute.
Should you be interested, we ask you to send a short presentation, as an individual or as a company, indicating the topic and corresponding content that you could and would like to cover. We remind, that sponsoring the Railway Talks is of course possible and we would really like to have active supporters.
Please send your proposals by email to: charlotte.gebhart@ueeiv.eu.
Contact
UEEIV – Union Europäischer Eisenbahn-Ingenieur-Verbände
Union of European Railway Engineer Associations
Kaiserstraße 61
60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Email: sekretariat@ueeiv.eu
Website: www.ueeiv.eu