Dresden transport scientist Prof. Arnd Stephan was one of the keynote speakers at the online workshop "High Speed Rail: The Changing Face of Thai Railways". His presentation on the electrification of high-speed rail lines was very well received.

Within the German-Thai railway cooperation signed between Germany and Thailand in 2020, the Faculty of Engineering at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, co-hosted a workshop on 2 December 2021 together with the German-Thai Railway Association (GTRA) on the topic "High Speed Rail: The Changing Face of Thai Railways". Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arnd Stephan, Head of the Chair of Electric Railways at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden, gave a keynote speech. His topic "High Speed Rail Electrification: Benefits and Challenges" met with a great response from the participants. A key message from him was, "With high speed, we are not only solving transport problems, but we are developing the country and society."

The participants from Thailand were very interested in Arnd Stephan's expertise on the development and expansion of a high-speed rail network.Thailand’s railway system is currently undergoing a massive expansion, connecting Thailand to surrounding ASEAN countries. "The urban transport system in Thailand is very good. In contrast, the supra-regional railway system has nowhere near the importance it should have in this day and age. This is where Thailand would like to learn from Germany and its experts - and we at TU Dresden are happy to provide support," says Arnd Stephan. The Faculty of Engineering at Mahidol University and the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden have concluded a cooperation agreement for closer collaboration in research and teaching in 2021.

The goals of the online workshop on 2 December were to promote German-Thai networking in the railway sector and to enable the exchange of knowledge and technology between the speakers and the participants.

Germany's strategy "Build Back Better

Germany, with one of the most extensive railway systems in the world and situated in the heart of Europe, has a long experience in rail technology, system integration as well as in greening the industry. In attempt to promote the greening of the economy, Germany’s recently launched COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, “Build Back Better”, contains several measures addressing the improvement of the rail system, including digitization and increasing renewable electricity. Already today, the Deutsche Bahn AG, Germany´s biggest rail service provider, is the biggest consumer of renewable electricity in Germany. By 2038, Germany's entire rail system will be run on 100% renewable electricity.

Prof. Arnd Stephan (bottom) from the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden, and Associate Professor Dr. Jackrit Suthakorn (top right), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Mahidol University.
© GTRA
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About GTRA

The German-Thai Railway Association (GTRA) groups several German and Thai actors from relevant government agencies, academia and the private sector and regularly organizes seminars and exchanges to build local capacity in rail technology and foster cooperation.

GTRA Expert Roundtable on Railways in Thailand (English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRI-sADxY7A

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arnd Stephan

Head of the Chair of Electric Railways
"Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences
TU Dresden
arnd.stephan@tu-dresden.de

With high speed, we are not only solving transport problems, but we are developing the country and society

Prof. Arnd Stephan, Head of the Chair of Electric Railways at TU Dresden