The European Railway Award honours outstanding political and technical achievements in the development of economically and environmentally sustainable rail transport. The award is held annually in Brussels with over 500 participants. The award includes prize money, which is donated to the charitable organizations of the laureates’ choice. The jury consists of CEOs of rail companies and other stakeholders from the transport sector.[4]Siim Kallas,[5] Vice-President of the European Commission, and Brian Simpson, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Transport Committee, are regular guests of honour of the European Railway Award. The Award Ceremony is always followed by the joint CER-UNIFE Annual Reception.[citation needed]
Prior to 2018, a political and technical award were given out to two recipients, but these awards were merged in 2018.[6] In 2017, for the tenth anniversary of the award, no awards were given out.[7]
Geert Pauwels made rail freight profitable as CEO of Lineas, by restructuring the indebted Belgian company[10]
Political award recipients (2007-2016)
The political award was given to personalities who have contributed to the development of economically and environmentally sustainable rail transport in their countries and in Europe.
Formerly Swiss Minister responsible for Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Leuenberger set out a blueprint for a sustainable transport policy in Switzerland. With the aim of transferring goods traffic from the roads to the rails, he promoted the Swiss “Heavy Vehicles Fee” (LSVA), which came into operation on 1 January 2001 on the Swiss public road network after a national referendum. To reduce Switzerland’s CO2 emissions, Leuenberger also promoted an incentive tax on fossil fuels, which entered into force at the beginning of 2008.[11]
González, former Spanish Prime Minister, was awarded for the decision to build a new, high-speed railway line between Madrid and Seville in 1986, which entered into service in 1992. He was also awarded for the implementation of the "Plan Felipe", which changed the railway's role in Spain’s big cities.[12]
British Labour politician and former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone received the award for his decision to implement the Congestion Charge in inner London on 17 February 2003.[13]
Vinck, former CEO of the SNCB, received the Political Award for his contributions to the development of ERTMS as the European ERTMS Corridor Coordinator. Vinck supervised the implementation of ERTMS on the six ERTMS corridors.[14]
2013
Benedikt Weibel
Weibel, the CEO of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), had a major influence on its strategic direction. He received the Political Award for his systematic and successful progress in long-distance, regional and international services. He inaugurated Rail 2000 on 12 December 2004. Under his leadership the density of trains per line kilometer doubled.[15]
Dupuy received the Technical Award for his decisive role in designing and putting into operational service Europe’s first high-speed train, the French TGV.
Heinisch, a long-standing member of the executive board of Deutsche Bahn AG and head of the German infrastructure manager, has significantly contributed to the technical development of railways.[16]
Haas received the Technical Award for the development of eddy current brakes for high-speed train systems that became a regular feature of high-speed train travel.[13]
