Vienna, Vienna, Austria
I was trained in Computer Science and Economics at the Technical University of Vienna, where I graduated in 1995. In the late 1990s, I was in charge of over 250 worldwide server systems at VA TECH. This was followed by a three-year spell as CIO of ÖBB Betrieb AG (national Austrian rail infrastructure management company, which employs 11000) where I took charge of IT governance, IT activities and budgets, the consolidation of seven IT departments into a single IT department, and the implementation of ISO 9001 in this department. I then became CIO of ÖBB, the national railway company (42000 employees), coordinating all ÖBB-wide IT developments from mid-2005 to the beginning of 2007. I was also in charge of the internal ÖBB IT organisation (250 employees). Since 2007, I am the CIO of RailNetEurope (RNE), a non-profit making association of railway Infrastructure Managers and Allocation Bodies committed to facilitating international traffic on the European rail infrastructure. At RNE, I manage the association’s IT, the technical and organisational takeover, implementation and roll-out of international IT tools, the Europe-wide co-ordination of IT developments, and chairs the IM CIO Board. I am also involved in developing a common international IT strategy (including SEDP and TAF-TSI), coordinating the Infrastructure Managers in international IT activities and projects, and applying for European Union funding on their and RNE’s behalf.
Harald Reisinger is Chief Information Officer and Deputy Secretary General at RailNetEurope, based in Vienna. In his previous role, he served as CIO of the Austrian railway infrastructure manager and as Head of Central IT for the ÖBB Group, where he was responsible for shaping and operating large-scale IT environments in a complex international setting. In his current function, he is responsible for IT as well as key operational areas, including Capacity Management and Traffic Management within RNE. Prior to this, he served as CFO, overseeing all financing and EU funding activities of the organisation. He coordinates the European digital strategy for railway infrastructure managers, steers the development of digital solutions, chairs the PRIME Digital Subgroup, and is actively involved in key European initiatives such as the Telematics TSI and ERJU.
As CIO of RailNetEurope (RNE), I drive the organisation’s digital strategy and lead major European IT initiatives that enable cross-border rail interoperability. My role combines strategic vision, international coordination, and hands-on delivery of large-scale digital projects, ensuring that RNE Members benefit from harmonised processes and innovative IT solutions. Under my leadership, RNE has become a key digital solution provider for European rail infrastructure services, most notably through the Train Information System (TIS) and Digital Capacity Management (DCM). - Lead RNE’s IT strategy and coordinating digital activities for European Rail Infrastructure Managers - Manage the development, implementation, and roll-out of international IT tools and digital services - Chair the Rail Infrastructure Managers CIO Board - Represent RNE in European initiatives and chair the PRIME Digital Sub-Group - Support Members with EU funding applications - Coordinating Railway actors in the implementation of Telematic TSI (Technical Specifications for Interoperability)
As CFO of RNE, I am responsible for ensuring the organisation’s financial sustainability and enabling the financing of international rail digitalisation projects. By combining robust financial governance with strategic coordination of EU funding, I strengthen RNE’s role as a key driver of interoperability in the European rail sector. - Oversight of financial planning, reporting and governance - Coordination of European CEF funding projects for RNE and its European Infrastructure Managers - Strategic support for investments in cross-border IT and innovation
Monitoring and benchmarking rail infrastructure’s performance, sharing best practices and developing cooperation between the infrastructure managers in Europe are the key objects of the Platform of Rail Infrastructure Managers in Europe (PRIME). For the third time in a row the benchmarking report of the PRIME KPI & Benchmarking Subgroup has now been published, covering the years 2012-2018. In order to become a true alternative to other transport modes rail has to be safe, punctual, reliable, affordable and inclusive. DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Chair: Harald Reisinger, Rail Net Europe The objective of this subgroup is to identify gaps in the IT landscape, focusing on ongoing national and international IT activities and how these interact with existing RNE tools. From an operational perspective, the fragmentation in data and IT adds complexity and inefficiency in the rail sector. This subgroup therefore aims to: Contribute to optimising European digital solutions for rail capacity management across borders: To increase capacity utilisation and efficiency of Infrastructure Managers in allocating and managing that capacity. To better respond to customer needs (flexibility, reliability and predictability), both in the planning and operational phases of rail traffic. Contribute to optimising European digital solutions for traffic management across borders: To improve traffic management between Infrastructure Managers. To increase the quality of real-time information on train running, ETA and train composition in a trusted and secure environment and in close cooperation with Railway Undertakings, in compliance with the TAF/TAP framework. Contribute to optimising European digital solutions for Infrastructure Data: To provide a regular and quantitative monitoring of the performance of cross-border rail traffic in order to assess the IT landscape supporting capacity and traffic management.
CIO of ÖBB, the national railway company (42000 employees), coordinating all ÖBB-wide IT developments from mid-2005 to the beginning of 2007. I was also in charge of the internal ÖBB IT organisation (250 employees).
This was followed by a three-year spell as CIO of ÖBB Betrieb AG (national Austrian rail infrastructure management company, which employs 11000) where I took charge of IT governance, IT activities and budgets, the consolidation of seven IT departments into a single IT department, and the implementation of ISO 9001 in this department.