Pro-Rail Alliance elects new chairman

Berlin. The German Pro-Rail Alliance has a new chairman. After last week's successful completion of the fusion between the two rail unions GDBA and Transnet to form the new EVG union (Eisenhbahn und Verkehrswerkschaft), the members of the Pro-Rail Alliance elected the newly appointed EVG boss Alexander Kirchner as the new chairman of the railway alliance. Kirchner succeeds Klaus-Dieter Hommel, who was national chairman of the former GDBA and became Pro-Rail Alliance chairman in 2008.

Alexander Kirchner is a trained rail worker. The 54 year-old qualified as an energy systems electrician at the railway workshop in Limburg and went on to work in workshop maintenance. From his very first year, Kirchner was a committed employee representative. In November 2008 he was elected chairman of Transnet and in November 2010 he was given the job of EVG executive chairman at its inaugural meeting in Fulda.

Kirchner promised to follow the policy of respecting all the different currents that make up the Pro-Rail Alliance. "Whether trade union, environmental organisation or scientific research, it is good for all of us that the Pro-Rail Alliance has such a broad basis," said Kirchner.

Alongside Kirchner, the member organisations elected two other board members. The vice president of the Technical University in Wildau, Herbert Sonntag, is the first scientist to become a member of the railway alliance's board. Klaus Junker was also elected to the Pro-Rail Alliance board. He succeeds Lothar Fendrich, whom he also replaced as chairman of the VDEI (Alliance of German Rail Engineers) after Fendrich's retirement. In October, Klaus Baur, spokesman for the sponsoring members of the Pro-Rail Alliance, was re-elected as vice chairman. Baur is executive chairman of Bombardier Transportation and represents the railway sector companies on the railway alliance's board.