Fries, Nikolaus, Dr.

Research Focus

• Freight Transportation and Logistics
• Demand Modelling in Freight Transportation
• Simulations and Planning of Railway Operation
• Interlocking and Train Control Systems

Ongoing Projects

• Market Potential and Value of Sustainable Freight Transport Chains (2006-2009)
• Sustainable Freight Transport on the Local Level (2008-2009)
• Upgrading the Railway Operations Laboratory at ETH Zurich (2008-2009)

Terminated Projects

• Modal Split Functions for a Swiss National Freight Transport Model (2006-2007)
• Editing of the Swiss supplement of the "Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau" (ETR Swiss) (2007-2008)
• Expertise on the project "Centro Merci Intermodale Milano Nord" (2007)
• Elaboration of a Concept for a Swiss Freight Transport Research Programme (2007)
• Infrastructure Charging in Switzerland and its Impact on the Realisation of the Modal Shift (2006)
• Strategies for Increasing Intermodal Transport Between Eastern and Western Europe (2005-2006)
• Cadencement Stratégique 2020 – Etude 2006 (2006)
• Middle and Long Term Development of the “Voralpen-Express” (2005-2006)
• Operations Simulation on the Rail Link Winterthur – St. Gallen (2005)

Publications

• Fries, Nikolaus (2009); Freight Transport Demand Modelling in Switzerland - An Environmental Approach; in: Uwe Clausen (Hrsg.); Wirtschaftsverkehr 2009, Daten - Modelle - Anwendung; Verlag Praxiswissen, Dortmund.
• Fries, Nikolaus and Zachary Patterson (2008); Carrier or Mode? - The Dilemma of Shippers' Choice in Freight Modelling; Proceedings of the 8th Swiss Transport Research Conference, Monte Verità / Ascona, October 15-17, 2008.
• Fries, Nikolaus, Andrew Nash, Jost Wichser, Georg Abay and Gianni Moreni (2008); Modal Split Functions for a Swiss National Freight Transport Model; Proceedings of the European Transport Conference 2008, Noordwijkerhout, October 6 - 8, 2008.
• Weidmann, Ulrich, Jost Wichser, Bernd Bopp, Nikolaus Fries, Philipp Schmidt, Rico Maggi, Roman Rudel, Wolfgang Stölzle, Thorsten Klaas-Wissing, Elias Halsband, Bettina Resch and Christoph Tyssen (2008); Forschungspaket "Güterverkehr", Initialprojekt "Bestandsaufnahme und Konkretisierung des Forschungspakets"; Research project SVI 2006/001 on behalf of the Swiss Association of Transportation Engineers (SVI); Scientific Series of the Swiss Federal Roads Office (ASTRA), No. 1217, Zurich, Lugano, St. Gallen, May 2008.
• Wichser, Jost, Ulrich Weidmann, Nikolaus Fries and Andrew Nash (2007); Strategies for Increasing Intermodal Freight Transport Between Eastern and Western Europe; Proceedings of the European Transport Conference 2007, Noordwijkerhout, October 17 - 19, 2007.
• Schmidt, P. and N. Fries (2007); Studie zu einem neuen schweizerischen Trassenpreissystem; Presentation held at the 21st "Verkehrswissenschaftlichen Tagen", Dresden, September 24-25, 2007.
• Fries, Nikolaus (2007); Labelling - A Path Towards Energy Efficiency in Freight Transport?; Proceedings of the 7th Swiss Transport Research Conference, Monte Verità / Ascona, September 12 - 14, 2007.
• Fries, Nikolaus, Jost Wichser and Ulrich Weidmann (2007); Strategien zur Stärkung des Kombinierten Verkehrs; Güterbahnen 3/2007.
• Fries, Nikolaus and Jost Wichser (2007); Wie wettbewerbsfähig ist der Kombinierte Verkehr?; in: Uwe Clausen (Hrsg.); Wirtschaftsverkehr 2007, Modelle - Strukturen - Umsetzung; Verlag Praxiswissen, Dortmund.
• U. Weidmann, J. Wichser, N. Fries, Schmidt, H. Schneebeli (2006) Studie zu einem neuen schweizerischen Trassenpreissystem, Scientific Series of the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems, 135, ETH Zurich, Zurich.
• J. Wichser, S. Besters, B. Bojanic, S. Bollinger, N. Fries (2006) Strategies for Increasing Intermodal Transport Between Eastern and Western Europe, Final Report, Scientific Series of the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems, 133, ETH Zurich, Zurich.
• N. Fries and J. Wichser (2006): Cost and Strategies for Intermodal Transport between Eastern and Western Europe, Proceedings of the 6th Swiss Transport Research Conference, Monte Verità / Ascona, March 2006.

Teaching

Lecture Assistant

• "System Planning for Transportation Networks" (Autumn Term 2008)
• "Network Planning and System Design" (Spring Term 2008)
• "Simulation of Transportation Systems" (Summer Term 2007)
• "Logistics and Freight Transportation" (Summer Term 2006)

Editing of Lecture Notes

• "Management of Public Transporation Operating Companies"
• "Start of Operation of Transport Infrastructure"
• "Design of Freight Transport Infrastructure"

Memberships

• Swiss Association of Road and Transport Professionals (VSS): Member of expert commission 8.04 "Intermodality and Road Freight Transportation"
• Member of expert commission in the federal research project SVI 2004/088 "Application of Simulation Tools in Freight Transportation Planning and Operation"

Practical Experience

Since 2005

Research Assistant at the Institute for Transport Systems and Planning (IVT), ETH Zurich, Chair for Transport Systems

2004

Master Thesis at SNCF Paris - Direction de la Recherche et de la Technologie: "Etude pour l'amélioration du gestion de trafic dans le nœud ferroviaire de Nîmes"

2002-2003

Assistant at the Fraunhofer Institut for Transport and Infrastructure Systems in Dresden - Project RailML

2000-2003

Assistant at the Rail Operations Laboratory of Dresden University of Technology, Faculty of Transportation and Traffic Sciences – Software Development and Coaching

1998-1999

Military Service at the German Federal Navy

Higher Education

2003 - 2004

Courses in Transportation Sciences at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées Paris

1999 - 2003

Studies of Transport Engineering at Dresden University of Technology focussing on Telematics in Transport

1998

Abitur in Göttingen (D)