Mimmi Mickelsen, President of FEDECRAIL | October 2026
In her October message, FEDECRAIL President Mimmi Mickelsen reflects on recent industry events and the relationships that help keep railway heritage part of Europe’s wider rail conversation.
The past few weeks have certainly kept us on the move, with opportunities to meet colleagues, strengthen relationships and exchange ideas across the European railway and tramway community. From InnoTrans in Berlin to the Light Rail Transit Association’s Annual General Meeting in Norrköping and the Mainspring Global Light Rail Awards, it has been a busy but rewarding period for FEDECRAIL.
Each of these events brings something different, but they all remind us of the importance of meeting people, maintaining dialogue and building connections. InnoTrans offers a particularly valuable opportunity to engage with the modern railway industry, explore new technologies and understand the developments shaping the future of rail transport. For our heritage sector, these connections are just as important. Preserving our history does not mean standing still. We need to understand what is happening in the wider industry, recognise opportunities for cooperation and ensure that heritage remains part of the conversation about the future.
Networking is sometimes seen as something that happens alongside our main activities, but I believe it is an essential part of what we do. Relationships are built through conversations, shared experiences and a willingness to learn from one another. They open doors to new partnerships, technical knowledge and solutions to challenges that many of our members face. They also help us make sure that the voice of railway heritage is heard beyond our own sector.
Our next stop is Warsaw, where we will participate in the international scientific conference Industrial Heritage in United Europe – Law and Practice in Industrial Heritage Protection in European Countries, taking place on 18–20 October. The conference will bring together different European perspectives on the protection, preservation and continued use of industrial heritage. It will also address an issue that is particularly relevant to our members: how environmental ambitions, changing legislation and national approaches to heritage protection affect our ability to keep historic machinery and vehicles operational.
Across Europe, we face different circumstances, but many of our challenges are shared. This makes international cooperation increasingly important. By learning from each other, engaging with industry and participating in wider European discussions, we can help create better conditions for preserving not only historic vehicles and infrastructure, but also the knowledge, skills and living traditions that give them meaning.
For me, this is at the heart of FEDECRAIL’s work. We connect people, organisations, generations and industries. We value where we come from, but we must also remain curious about where we are going. Our heritage has a future, and building that future requires us to be present, engaged and willing to work together.
