Nowadays, I think the willingness of coming to common conclusions has increased, and the commitment within the working groups is even stronger.”
Per-Åke Wärn (Trafikverket), RNE Award Winner 2023.

At RNE, we recognise that exceptional contributions deserve exceptional recognition.
We proudly highlight individuals who dedicate their expertise and passion to advancing European train traffic.

To acknowledge and appreciate their extraordinary contributions to our work, in 2022 we introduced the RNE Award.

Who is RNE Award Winner 2023 Per-Åke Wärn?

Per-Åke Wärn (Trafikverket) received the RNE Award 2023 for his outstanding individual contribution. He dedicated 39 years to advancing the railway sector’s Traffic Management, played a pivotal role in shaping industry standards, and facilitating the adoption of new models.

Furthermore, he demonstrated an outstanding ability to first accomplish things “at home” and then bring these learnings to the European table with humour, to find common solutions and make Europe one railway country.

Insights from the Interview with Per-Åke Wärn

Per-Åke you are one of the last year’s RNE Award Winners. Congratulations again!
You received the award in recognition of your outstanding contributions.

RNE: Could you walk us through your key activities and milestones, highlighting the most nota-ble challenges and successes you encountered?

Per-Åke Wärn: Well, the most important milestone was deciding to apply for a job in the shunting yard in the small hometown at the age of 20.

Although my grandfather worked in railways his whole Iife, I saw this job as a temporary occupation until something better came along. Surprisingly, that “something better” came within the rail sector itself. From then on, I held various positions ultimately resulting in my current, and probably final destination at Trafikverket as International Coordinator with focus on Capacity Management.

My first stop was a position as train dispatcher at the busy Falköping station, on the main line between Stockholm and Gothenburg. I moved to a national traffic control centre and became operational shift supervisor. Around the millennium I transitioned into capacity management and timetabling and I had my first encounter with RNE through the Pathfinder, the predecessor to the Path Coordination System (PCS), working groups. I was appointed Corridor Manager for RNE C01 (Hamburg – Oslo/Turku), which later merged into the ScanMed RFC, where I’m still partly involved. My role as a capacity analyst further deepened my involvement with international business and RNE working groups. Finally, in 2014 I reached my current position.

It’s hard to single out one specific topic as the most challenging. Every professional role presented new challenges and opportunities.

My greatest success is that I was able to develop both professionally and personally for 40 years in the same field, applying my experiences in all aspects of Capacity and Traffic Management to make rail a competitive and effective choice for the future.

RNE: Per-Åke, having been actively involved in RNE groups for many years, could you reflect on the changes you’ve observed over time? Specifically, how have challenges, the atmosphere, attitudes, and content evolved during your tenure?

Per-Åke Wärn: Even though the challenges might be bigger nowadays, I think the willingness of coming to common conclusions has increased, and the commitment within the working groups is even stronger.

I experience an open atmosphere where everyone is welcome to express their opinion, and differences are set aside during coffee breaks. However, a few “gatekeepers” still prefer to stick to old national procedures instead of moving forward in a common European direction.

I also notice a change in attitude towards RNE’s work “at home”. There is a growing understanding for the need for European alignment, and RNE’s handbooks and working groups (WGs) are increasingly considered as guidance that help to achieve good results within our own company, as they are based on best practices from all members across Europe.

RNE: As the National TTR Process Implementation Manager since the beginning of the project, could you elaborate on the challenges and achievements you’ve encountered?
Furthermore, how do you perceive your project in relation to other national TTR implementation projects?

Per-Åke Wärn: Being part of Timetable Redesign (TTR) from start over a decade ago has been a rewarding journey.

The major achievement has been the proposal of “the EU regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity” and the amendment of Annex VII of the SERA Directive in 2017.

Initially launched as an open initiative by Forum Train Europe (FTE), we focused on creating the best possible process for all stakeholders, free from legal constraints. While the proposed regulation has cleared many legal hurdles for implementing TTR, the real work began then. We Infrastructure Managers (IMs) still face significant challenges, requiring close collaboration and negotiation around differing perspectives opinions with other rail stakeholders. Yet, looking back at TTR’s achievements so far, I am confident we can reach agreements that work for all parties.

On a national level, I was fortunate to have early management support for setting up a TTR project, which placed us ahead of many of my National Project Implementation Manager (NPIM) colleagues. I’d like to thank the dedicated ‘TTR Sweden team’ (current and former members) for their invaluable contributions. However, current Swedish interpretations of the European legal framework limit our ability to pilot certain operational aspects of capacity models and supply. This does not, however, prevent us from conducting hands-on or theoretical tests of these functionalities.

RNE: Given your impending retirement and the responsibility of training your successor(s), are there any challenges you are particularly pleased to have resolved that the next generation will no longer need to face?

Per-Åke Wärn: By the time I retire, I hope TTR will be implemented with comprehensive IT support across Europe, resulting in a less fragmented and more competitive European rail sector.

However, I am confident that my successors will still face significant work. There is still a lot left to dig into, such as refining the common operational language and advancing the European Capacity Management Tool (ECMT), among other areas.

RNE: Following that, could you share the key lessons you have learned throughout your career that you believe will be invaluable for your successors?

Per-Åke Wärn: Be open-minded, encouraging, patient, and share your knowledge. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; there’s no such thing as stupid questions but it’s silly not to raise them when needed!

Even though it sometimes feels like you’re treading water and making no progress, looking back since I started at RNE, I see we have achieved and changed many things for the better.

Finally, remember that to gain something, you sometimes have to give something in return.

For more detailed information about the RNE Award and previous winners, please visit www.rne.eu/rne-awards.