Over the past two weeks, timetabling experts from railway undertakings and infrastructure managers convened in Ljubljana for the FTE B Conferences, focusing on the coordination of cross-border path requests for the upcoming annual timetable. The infrastructure managers’ experts participated in a role of adviser for timetable studies and for already scheduled TCRs to be integrated into Annual Timetable planning. The event highlighted the complexities of scheduling while fostering valuable discussions among nearly 300 participants.
The first week of the conference was dedicated to passenger traffic and the second week to freight traffic. The engagement among the attendees underscored the importance of direct communication in overcoming barriers to efficient train production coordination.
One of the significant challenges discussed was the impact of track and maintenance works on the planning process. While essential to keep the infrastructure in good shape, these works create complications for production planners, who, in some cases, must develop multiple traffic solution variants for the same train to accommodate disruptions. The exchange of ideas and experiences among experts proved invaluable in tackling these issues.
The deadline for submitting path requests for the annual timetable is 14 April. The timetable year 2026 will begin on Sunday, 14 December 2025.