Pathfinder News
Pathfinder supports automatic e-mailing notifications
Since June 2010, the Pathfinder system supports automatic e-mail notifications to users regarding changes in their dossiers. All users are kindly asked to check their user profile in the Pathfinder system (please click on the link with the login name), and ensure that the e-mail address which is configured in the system is still valid.
User notifications from the Pathfinder system contain important information such as: the latest changes in the dossiers in which the user was involved, and messages that other users might write directly within the system.
24/7 Pathfinder Support currently under testing
To enhance helpdesk support for Pathfinder, RNE is currently testing 24/7 e-mail support. Tickets sent by e-mail in English are registered and processed on a 24/7 basis (24 hours/day, 7 days/week), with a guaranteed response time of 4 hours. First test results are promising and the support testing will be continued until June 2010. Telephone support is offered during office hours from 09:00 to 16:00 with enhanced reaction time for request handling. After a successful test period, RNE will continue to offer 24/7 support for Pathfinder permanently. The new e-mail address for Pathfinder support is: support.pathfinder@railneteurope.info .
Pathfinder Days Roundup
The first Pathfinder Days were successfully held on 1st & 2nd December 2009 in Vienna. This new, annual event is intended to give you an opportunity to exchange information with active and experienced Pathfinder users and experts. Attendance at this event will strongly enhance your experience with Pathfinder and place your needs at the centre of our attention.
The first Pathfinder Days comprised the following activities and trainings:
- Information update on newest Pathfinder developments
- “Train-The-Trainer” certifications
- Networking dinner for the Pathfinder community
- Presentations and ‘hands-on’ workshop about the Pathfinder Integration Platform, including contributions by developers of Pathfinder and of the national systems (including the interface with Pathfinder) of Railway Undertakings and Infrastructure Managers
- Case studies: Pathfinder daily business examples by experienced Pathfinder users including special guest presentations:
- Mr Reiner Wilke (DB Schenker/TAF-TSI): ‘Implementation Structure of TAF TSI: Deployment of Pathfinder for short term path request at DB Schenker Rail’
- Mr Reimer Wolff (DB Netze): ‘Feasibility Study Process in Harmonisation’
To download presentations held at the Pathfinder Days, please follow this link to the download area.
As in December 2009, this event will be organized by RailNetEurope will be held in Vienna on 22-23 November 2010 . The call for registration will be sent by RNE in September 2010.
New Pathfinder Release
Experiences with the new release
The current version of Pathfinder has now been in use for 4 months. As the figures in the next section show, the new version of Pathfinder is being actively used for the preparation of the next timetable (2011). The inclusion of the feasibility study into the workflow was implemented and accepted without any difficulty. Since the last release, it is also possible to place ad-hoc path requests for the running timetable in Pathfinder. This possibility has been repeatedly used by the RUs. The Pathfinder process guidelines as well as supporting documents produced by Forum Train Europe (FTE) for their member RUs helped the user to get acquainted with revised workflows and functions.
Figures – dossiers for 2011
Within the last weeks, 23 RUs have created 1300 dossiers in their function as leading applicant for the preparation of the timetable 2011. In comparison with last year, this is an increase of over 10%. Most of these dossiers (1150) have been forwarded to the IMs/ABs for feasibility studies.
User feedback
The newest release of Pathfinder has brought some changes, e.g. a revised workflow for path study requests. (Experienced) Pathfinder users on both sides (Railway Undertakings & Infrastructure Managers/Allocation Bodies) were faced with several functional and visual changes. Even though we have tested the new version intensively, we are aware that there might still be some bugs or other issues. If you have noticed anything, please let us know (support.pathfinder@railneteurope.info). Your feedback will help us in the further development of the system. Many thanks for your support!
12 April 2010: deadline for placing path requests for the annual timetable 2011
As in previous years, the deadline for the submission of initial path requests for the next annual timetable (2011) is on the 2nd Monday in April. On 12 April 2010, at 23:00 h (CET), all Pathfinder dossiers in the Harmonisation Phase with all applicants (path-related) lights on green will be switched automatically to the Path Request Phase. The leading applicant must ensure that all participants agree with the request. This process is controlled by making sure that all ‘lights’ are green. Unless all lights are green it will not be possible to switch the path request automatically to the next stage.
Of course it is also possible to place path requests for the annual timetable 2011 after this deadline. All dossiers submitted after 12 April 2010 will be treated by the Infrastructure Managers/Allocation Bodies as late path requests. The Pathfinder system will check regularly (every night) after the 2nd Monday in April the status of the acceptance indicators of the dossiers and will automatically transfer those dossiers where all applicants’ lights are on green at 23:00 h to late path request. Allocation for these ‘Late path requests’ will be in the order in which requests were made, but they will have a lower priority than initial path requests that were made on time.
Pathfinder Training:
Pathfinder training facilities have been significantly improved in the previous year thanks to the introduction of the Pathfinder eLearning platform. Not only does the new Pathfinder eLearning system provide the Pathfinder users with a detailed explanation of each feature of Pathfinder, but it also makes it possible to test the user’s knowledge of the Pathfinder system directly. We kindly ask our users to use the testing feature in Pathfinder eLearning and to notify us (via RNE Pathfinder Support) so that we can check the results accordingly and provide any additional explanations that may be needed.
The eLearning platform serves as an add-on to the certification training for Pathfinder which, this year, will be held in Vienna on 22-23 November 2010 during the ‘Pathfinder Days’ event. As in December 2009, this event will be organized by RailNetEurope. The call for registration – both for this event and for the Pathfinder certification training – will be sent by RNE in September 2010.
New Pathfinder Orange Book:
A new version of the Pathfinder Orange Book has been published by RNE. The latest version can be downloaded here.
Welcome to Pathfinder - presenting new RUs & IMs
The Pathfinder user family is still growing. We are happy to welcome the following companies: Arenaways (Italy), Euro Cargo Rail (France), LOKOMOTION (Germany), Osenet (Greece), Rail Traction Company (Italy), TP Ferro (France/Spain), VR-Group (Finland)
European use of Pathfinder mapped
The map below shows the number of RUs using Pathfinder in RNE member countries. Not all RUs have been included in the illustration, but the table below provides an overview of all RU#s using Pathfinder, both for passenger and freight traffic.
| Cargo Users | Passenger Users | Cargo Users | Passenger Users | |||||||
| Austria | 7 | 4 | Luxembourg | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Belarus | 1 | 1 | Macedonia | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Belgium | 2 | 2 | Monaco | 0 | 1 | |||||
| Bosnia Herzegovina | 2 | 2 | Netherlands | 6 | 4 | |||||
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | Norway | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Croatia | 1 | 1 | Poland | 7 | 3 | |||||
| Czech Republic | 7 | 2 | Portugal | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Denmark | 1 | 2 | Romania | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Estonia | 1 | 1 | Russia | 0 | 1 | |||||
| Finland | 0 | 4 | Serbia | 1 | 2 | |||||
| France | 2 | 3 | Slovakia | 6 | 5 | |||||
| Germany | 7 | 4 | Slovenia | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Greece | 1 | 2 | Spain | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Hungary | 4 | 4 | Sweden | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Italy | 6 | 5 | Switzerland | 5 | 3 | |||||
| Latvia | 0 | 1 | Turkey | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Lithuania | 0 | 1 | United Kingdom | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Ukraine | 0 | 1 |