Today, the General Assembly of European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) elected a new Vice-President, Mr. Antti Vehviläinen, Director-General of Liikennevirasto (Finnish Transport Agency), who takes the seat of Mrs. Marion Gout-van Sinderen, CEO of ProRail (NL).

The President of EIM, Gunnar Malm, expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Gout-van Sinderen’s commitment to EIM and the crucial role of the rail infrastructure manager at general EU level, as well as her specific dedication to both safety and the sharing of experiences from the Dutch rail sector. By the same token, the President welcomed the newly elected Board member Mr. Antti Vehviläinen. “I am looking forward to working more closely with Mr. Antti Vehviläinen, who has a wider sector approach to transport infrastructure. I am convinced that he will be a great asset for our association, like Mrs. Gout-van Sinderen.”

The General Assembly also approved the application for membership of LISEA, a French Public-Private Partnership (PPP). LISEA entered into a concession with RFF for the line Tours-Bordeaux in 2011 for a duration of 50 years. The line covers more than 300 km of high speed line in the South-Western part of France. With LISEA, EIM counts 14 members in 11 EU countries. LISEA is the second PPP to join the association.

The General Assembly also confirmed the work and achievements of EIM in the first half of 2014 and set out an ambitious work plan for the autumn season and the year to come, including cooperation with the EU institutions and other stakeholders in the sector.