Events

from Rail Professional Asia Pacific March 2021

Maintenance and Refurbishment

Ministry of Transport hail RAIL Asia an important success

After a successful 2020 the date for RAIL Asia 2021 has been announced for Makkasan Expo Halls from 25-26 November

Hosted by the State Railway of Thailand and opened by the Ministry of Transport, RAIL Asia 2020 expo and conference highlighted its importance and strength in the region with a successful eighth edition in Bangkok as the industry ‘reconnects’ and business rebounds.

Opened by the Mr.Pisak Jitviriyavasin, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and hosted by the State Railway of Thailand, the RAIL Asia 2020 international conference and exhibition welcomed a global line up of world class technology, solution providers and 1,276 of the region’s stakeholders and other related industry professionals to meet, network, see the latest technologies, learn about the latest developments and trends and reconnect with the rail and metro industry in this new business environment we embrace.

RAIL Asia 2020 attracted a diverse attendance of industry with rail and metro operators making up 13 per cent of the visitors, government five per cent, contractors 15 per cent, consultants 17 per cent, professional and academic organisations nine per cent, suppliers 24 per cent and investors three per cent. Visitors to the event represented projects and budgets reported to be worth over $2.426 billion in Thailand and the region.

‘The event brings the industry together across Asia-Pacific, it is an excellent opportunity to exchange information, to meet new partners and bring all the key innovation trends into one place, it’s a great pleasure for us to be here’ explained Dr. Katrin Luger, Head of Sales for Bombardier Transportation Rail Control Systems in Asia-Pacific.

It was further explained by Mr. Surawut Sakulhiranrak, Managing Director of Talgo Country Representative, SVS Worldwide, who enthused that ‘for Talgo this is our first time at RAIL Expo and we’ve met a lot of new clients from the industry to including

top executives and government. This is the exhibition that gathers the people from the rail sector, not only from Thailand but from throughout Southeast Asia. Talgo will definitely exhibit again next year.’

Main product areas of interest to the trade visitors to RAIL Asa 2020 were rolling stock and maintenance (35 per cent), signalling (29 per cent), civil engineering (24 per cent), passenger experience for PIS, ticketing, station management (19 per cent), information technology (18 per cent) and other related sectors to include tunneling, OCS, trackwork, multi-modal integration, investment, tooling and consultancy (five per cent).

‘RAIL Asia held significant importance this year as the railway industry comes together for the first time in 2020 within an international business environment to re-connect, re-position and re-establish in this very important period of developmen’ explained Prof. Dr. Wichai Siwakosit, Director of KURail and Chairman of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, Thailand.

Highlight conference papers in the fully attended two-day programme included the Ministry of Transport’s industry vision and direction over the coming years, the State Railway of Thailand’s investment and planning for double track, the ASEAN infrastructure review, the UIC’s interoperability for ASEAN, special features on the Eastern Economic Corridor development, Transport Orientated Development, high-speed rail, plus the highlight focus on the urban rail projects and the technical papers on the supporting technologies for rail in ASEAN.

‘RAIL Asia is very important for us as it gives a very good chance to catch up with all our customers at the same time to introduce new products and to discuss new projects, it is also a very good chance to meet new potential customers from the rail authorities and operators.

Overall, it is very beneficial to us and we very much appreciate the exhibition’ explained Mr. Hannes Saurug, Chief Commercial Officer of Voestalpine Railway Systems.

During the sponsored evening reception at RAIL Asia 2020 organisers, Asian Exhibition Services, alongside the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau under the Office of the Prime Minister, the EEC (Eastern Economic Corridor) Rail Committee and KURail launched the inaugural EEC edition of Transport Infrastructure Asia from 10-11 August 2021 in Chonburi.

RAIL Asia 2021 returns to Makkasan Expo Halls from 25-26 November for the 9th edition in Bangkok with full government and industry support, book your place at rail@aesexhibitions.com

For further details and supporting media please contact Ms. Vilawan via the contact information below.