Skip to main content

FEHRL's fair

The partnership of national road research centres, FEHRL, is setting out two key strategy elements in a bid to develop an advanced and affordable transport infrastructure. FEHRL says that an effective transport system will provide the basis for economic opportunities. The FEHRL General Assembly (FGA) set out two important strategy elements within its fifth Strategic European Road Research Programme (SERRP V) launched in 2011. One is for the gradual broadening of its scope to transport infrastructure in rai
April 23, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The partnership of national road research centres, 5160 FEHRL, is setting out two key strategy elements in a bid to develop an advanced and affordable transport infrastructure. FEHRL says that an effective transport system will provide the basis for economic opportunities.

The FEHRL General Assembly (FGA) set out two important strategy elements within its fifth Strategic European Road Research Programme (SERRP V) launched in 2011. One is for the gradual broadening of its scope to transport infrastructure in railways, waterways and runways.

The other is FEHRL's flagship Forever Open Road (FOR) programme. The major focus of FEHRL’s work remains on roads, which is where its expertise lies and the most important part of Europe’s transport system, but the body is increasingly looking at the complementary aspects of infrastructure in bridges, earthworks and materials in other transport systems.

With the first projects of the FOR programme underway, FEHRL is now to developing sister programmes Forever Open Railway, Forever Open River and Forever Open Runway for railway, river and runway infrastructure, respectively. The FEC will report to the FGA on these developments during the forthcoming FGA meeting to be held during TRA2012.

Together these four concepts constitute the FOR x 4 initiative on transport infrastructure. An animation telling the story of the programme was launched on its website and shown for the first time at the FEHRL stand at TRB’s Annual Meeting in Washington, USA in January 2012. This video is being linked to FEHRL member's websites and is being translated. FEHRL has also been involved in project-related activity since the beginning of 2012. Kickoff and project meetings have been held at the FEHRL office for DETRA, INROADS, Pilot4Safety and TRIMM, while FEHRL members have attended meetings elsewhere for the DETRA, EUTRAIN, OPTIMISM, SAFIER and TRA2012 projects.

FEHRL just organised a joint Pilot4Safety/BALTRIS workshop on road safety on 27th February, which unveiled the lessons learnt so far in both projects to key stakeholders.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TRL expert assists FEHRL in Brussels
    January 25, 2013
    The new executive director of the Brussels-based Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL) will be director of infrastructure at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) Bob Collis. This international association comprises 30 national research and technical institutes from across Europe, with links to non-European countries. FEHRL’s mission is to promote and facilitate collaboration on road research and provide high quality information and advice on technologies and policies rela
  • TRA 2014 showcases the best of cutting-edge transport research and thinking
    July 1, 2014
    Despite tight finances due to the current global economic climate, the recent Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2014 show in Paris showed how innovative transport research, largely using cutting-edge ITS, is creating safer and smarter highways of the future. Guy Woodford reports How far can you drive around a car race track with no other vehicles on it on half a glass of fuel while attempting to maintain a speed of 60kph? After taking up the challenge offered by the Eco Driving Simulator using SiVIC (Simulatio
  • Developing the European roads of the future
    February 14, 2012
    A new project aims to bring Europe to the forefront of developing the future of transport. A three-year project has set itself the challenge of developing a "truly inspiring vision" of how roads will be built and maintained in the 21st century. Forever Open Road is a revolutionary concept led by the Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL) and supported by the UK's influential TRL (Transport Research Laboratory).
  • ‘Lyon’ Declaration signed
    July 6, 2012
    At a ceremony attended by senior EC and Member State officials, FEHRL’s President, Claude Van Rooten joined with other surface transport research organisations in signing the ‘Lyon Declaration,’ which commits the signatories to work together to consolidate surface transport research. The Declaration was signed by FEHRL’s partners from ECTRI, EURNEX, FERSI, HUMANIST, NEARCTIS and ISN. These partners together represent a massive research capacity and interest across all surface transport modes. The intention