Cost pressures are being blamed for DSB's decision to cut 140 administrative jobs following consultation with trades unions.
The decision follows the Sporskifte 2010 programme, and is in addition to 200 similar positions lost two years ago. The company says in a press release that the move will 'make the company more competitive' and allow it to focus on customer-facing initiatives.
Around 40 of the posts will be lost in January when the maintenance activities of DSB and DSB S-tog are merged in a separate company (see here for Danish Rail News' story).
News on Denmark's rail industry ... as it happens
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
New Communications Director at DSB
The former Managing Editor for Metro, Jakob Høyer, will take charge of DSB's communications from November 1 in his new role as Communications Director. Mr Høyer, 39, replaces Anna Vinding, who takes on a part time role as Chief Consultant.
Jakob Høyer managed the free Metro newspaper for four years, and has worked in a host of roles on newspapers and as special advisor to the one-time Minister of Culture Brian Mikkelsen. "DSB is undergoing a huge change. Communication is at the heart of the change process and it will be interesting to tell DSB staff as well as the wider world what the company is doing," he says.
Jakob Høyer managed the free Metro newspaper for four years, and has worked in a host of roles on newspapers and as special advisor to the one-time Minister of Culture Brian Mikkelsen. "DSB is undergoing a huge change. Communication is at the heart of the change process and it will be interesting to tell DSB staff as well as the wider world what the company is doing," he says.
Jakob Høyer: image courtesy of DSB.
Kass head's DSB's new maintenance company
DSB Finance Director Bartal Kass is to become the Chief Executive of a new train maintenance and repair company which will handle rolling stock across DSB's operations. The separation of maintenance from operations is expected to allow greater focus of management in each of these sectors.
Forty-eight-year-old Kass has worked in DSB since 1995, mainly in finance, and DSB CEO Soren Eriksen explained the appointment: "After 15 years in DSB Bartal Kass a thorough knowledge of the entire company and is therefore the best placed to optimize the complex maintenance tasks and get them to work together in the new organization."
The new company comprises 1200 staff and five major workshops - two in Aarhus, one in Fredericia, another in Taastrup and the last in Copenhagen. Kass' first major task will be to integrate maintenance between DSB and DSB S-tog while maintaining reliability and availability levels.
"By pooling the expertise we can make the best of both organizations," says Bartal Kass: "We can do things more effectively and consistently across the new organization."
Forty-eight-year-old Kass has worked in DSB since 1995, mainly in finance, and DSB CEO Soren Eriksen explained the appointment: "After 15 years in DSB Bartal Kass a thorough knowledge of the entire company and is therefore the best placed to optimize the complex maintenance tasks and get them to work together in the new organization."
The new company comprises 1200 staff and five major workshops - two in Aarhus, one in Fredericia, another in Taastrup and the last in Copenhagen. Kass' first major task will be to integrate maintenance between DSB and DSB S-tog while maintaining reliability and availability levels.
"By pooling the expertise we can make the best of both organizations," says Bartal Kass: "We can do things more effectively and consistently across the new organization."
Bartal Kass: image courtesy of DSB.
Friday, 22 October 2010
DSB wins new Swedish passenger contract
DSB Sweden has beaten Deutsche Bahn, Veolia, and Tågkompaniet AB to win the Upptåget regional passenger contract for a period of 10 years, six months, and means that one in four DSB customers will be Swedish when the concession starts on June 12 2011. The turnover is expected to be around SKr 80 million per year.
The contract reinforces DSB's position in Sweden - where it operates over more route-km of railway - 2500km - than the entire Danish rail network of around 1700km. The announcement comes two months before DSB begins operation of the Gothenburg Västtrafik and Jönköping Krösatåg concessions. Denmark's national railway has operated the Stockholm Roslagsbanan since 2003 as well as Øresund services in Southern Sweden and the number of train-km of its Swedish operations is greater than that of Denmark's entire regional network.
DSB CEO Soren Eriksen said: "Sweden is already our second home, and with the takeover of operations of Upptåget, expands DSB now further its position in Sweden. DSB won the tender because we offer the most advantageous price and thereby benefit from synergies with the DSB's ongoing activities."
"Sweden is already our second home:" DSB CEO Soren Erikson. Image courtesy of DSB
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Aalborg-Frederikshavn receives interim signalling system
New 'temporary' signalling equipment is being installed between Aalborg and Frederikshavn ahead of the planned rollout of European Rail Traffic Management System from 2016.
The existing equipment is said to be obsolete and increasingly hard to maintain (in common with many similar installations from the late 1960s/early 1970s). A consortium of CactusUniView and Bravida are replacing the existing system with a PC-based equivalent, and installation is due to be completed in November 2011.
The existing equipment is said to be obsolete and increasingly hard to maintain (in common with many similar installations from the late 1960s/early 1970s). A consortium of CactusUniView and Bravida are replacing the existing system with a PC-based equivalent, and installation is due to be completed in November 2011.
Thursday, 14 October 2010
DSB restores TV to S-Trains, minus sound
After massive complaints about onboard television screens disrupting journeys because of their intrusive audio - which prompted the company to halt the technology's use - DSB is set to restore the service without the sound.
Customer surveys suggested many passengers valued the provision of news and information, and the onboard displays will now only feature these services.
Customer surveys suggested many passengers valued the provision of news and information, and the onboard displays will now only feature these services.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
DSB takes over IC4 upgrades
Fourteen of DSB's problematic AnsaldoBreda IC4 diesel trains are to be upgraded and modified in DSB's own workshops rather than in Italy under a deal confirmed this morning, the value of which is undisclosed.
Danish Rail News understands it is the largest contract awarded to the DSB's maintenance arm DSB Togvedligeholdelse to date.
The surprise move will allow the trains - which were delivered in 2007-09 - to undergo more testing and regulatory examinations than if they have to return to AnsaldoBreda's Italian factory for interim modifications. It should, DSB hopes, allow the trains to enter full revenue earning service sooner. Amongst other problems, these 14 trains are unable to work in multiple and have proved unable to match present day reliability requirements. DSB expects to hire additional engineers and fitters for the project.
CEO Soren Eriksen says: "We are very pleased with this order and are pleased, of course, first and foremost that the deal means more IC4 trains for the Danes. For DSB it means that we gain a more thorough knowledge of the trains in advance of final deliveries. By not sending the trains to Italy for modification we achieve greater flexibility as we have more trains available to operate and test and this provides further impetus to development of the new train computer and attempts to link three or more trains together."
DSB Togvedligeholdelse was recently awarded a contract to refurbish 16 trains for the Norwegian Airport Express Train., the second such deal the organisation has won from Norway.
IC4: stylish but delayed. Image: Danish Rail News
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