Our colleague Tamme Emunds spent the month of November on a research visit at the Institute for Mobility at KU Leuven. We sincerely thank the team of Prof. Pieter Vansteenwegen for their warm welcome and inspiring collaboration. We are eager to hear about the impressions and ideas Mr. Emunds will share with us from his stay.

The Institute for Mobility, led by Prof. Vansteenwegen, is dedicated to solving complex logistical challenges, particularly planning and optimization problems in transport systems.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the UnRAVeL Graduate School for supporting this research stay.

On November 21, seventeen graduates of RWTH Aachen University were honored with the Friedrich Wilhelm Award for their outstanding achievements. Among them, our colleague Alexandra Benz received the prize for her master's thesis titled "Development of a Uniform Assessment Standard for Evaluating the Operational Quality of Railway Lines."
In addition, she was invited to speak about her experiences during the master's thesis as part of an on-stage interview with RWTH Rector Ulrich Rüdiger. Prof. Nießen, who supervised her thesis, was also invited to join the interview and provided fascinating insights into VIA's research focus areas.
We warmly congratulate her on this exceptional achievement!

This week, the ELVA hosted the launch of the DB Bahn:Klasse! program. Over the course of two semesters, students receive exclusive insights into projects and the daily work of Deutsche Bahn. The program is complemented by individual mentoring tailored to the participants' needs. This year, the program is being offered at RWTH Aachen for the first time. After a welcome by Katja Rasch and Alexander Fuß, the project sponsors introduced themselves. Afterwards, participants had the chance to talk with their mentors over snacks and get to know each other better. To conclude the event, the upcoming program activities and highlights were presented.
We look forward to many exciting insights in the months ahead!

the 5th International Railway Symposium Aachen will take place at the Eurogress in Aachen from November 19 to 20, 2025. With scientific presentations and practical lectures covering all aspects of the railway system, it offers the ideal forum for discussing current issues, challenges, and possible solutions. We expect around 250 experts from industry, science, and public authorities to attend. Registration information can be found at the following link.
We look forward to seeing you!

On November 14, the RWTH Science Night "5 to 12" will take place. The Railway Signalling Lab (ELVA) will be open between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Additional, guided tours will also be offered. More information can be found here.

In September 2025, the institute for transport science organised further training courses on "Planning", "Operation" and "Railway safety and signalling technology" for CFL employees.

Starting this semester, RWTH Aachen University is launching the DB Bahn:Klasse! program in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn. This two-semester study-related program is open to bachelor's students from the third semester onwards as well as master's students in engineering and natural sciences. Participants gain exclusive insights into Deutsche Bahn's projects and work environment, take part in excursions and specialist events, and benefit from individual mentoring provided by experienced project mentors. The goal is to combine theoretical knowledge from university studies with practical experience and to specifically prepare students for careers in the railway sector.
Further information is available at the following Link.

This year, the members of the Association of University Professorships of Railway Engineering (VUE) once again gathered for their traditional autumn meeting. The event was hosted by the Research Division for Rail-Based Transport Systems at TU Wien under the direction of Prof. Bernhard Rüger. The meeting provided professors and their research staff with an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas on current research projects and activities. A presentation by ÖBB Infrastruktur AG and a visit to the Vienna Climate Wind Tunnel rounded off the event with an engaging and insightful program.