“Crossrail took a step forward this week as Network Rail (NR) announced that electrification work had been completed on the 12-mile stretch of railway from Maidenhead to Stockley Junction. The project of electrification will allow …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
Companies competing over-aggressively for rail franchises
“National Express Group boss Dean Finch says slowdown in UK rail growth is likely to present significant financial challenges for many operators “Dean Finch has emphasised his belief that transport companies are facing significant and …
Continue reading£2m funding for composite tube door production (Rail Technology Magazine)
A £2m funding package for the recently launched Rail Supply Growth Fund (RSGF), managed by Finance Birmingham, has been announced, allowing company Penso to push forward with innovating work on new composite designs for train …
Continue readingNew golden age of airships? (Spears Wealth Management)
Airships are coming back into fashion, and their business case appears to be more than mere hot air, according to this report. A new breed of lighter-than-air craft is taking to the skies. Independent aviation …
Continue readingFriday Reading List – 24 March
As anyone looking to properly understand London’s transport needs and network knows, context, background and best-practice are important. As readers might imagine, behind the scenes here at LR Towers we thus spend a lot of …
Continue readingOpulent Japanese sleeper train design (Smart Rail World)
Train Shiki-shima, or the ‘Island of Four Seasons’ is a hybrid sleeper train operated by East Japan Railways. The ten coach train consists of six sleeping cars, a lounge car, a dining car and observation …
Continue readingVivarail begins testing new battery train (Rail Technology Magazine)
Vivarail has some good news: its new test car, operated as a battery train, has completed its first successful run. The company began building a new test car at its Long Marston base, the first …
Continue readingGreat Britain records 10 years without train accident fatalities (Railway Gazette)
“February 23 2017 marked 10 years since the last passenger or staff fatality in a train accident on Great Britain’s national rail network. While there have been fatalities from other causes including trespass and suicide …
Continue readingWorld’s first modular glass-fibre reinforced plastic bridge installed over railway line in Oxford (The Construction Index)
“The post-tensioned footbridge system has been designed by Arup, with Mabey becoming the first licensed distribution partner. The bridge is designed to be assembled in hard to reach sites where large cranes or heavy machinery …
Continue readingFriday Reading List – 17 March
As anyone looking to properly understand London’s transport needs and network knows, context, background and best-practice are important. As readers might imagine, behind the scenes here at LR Towers we thus spend a lot of …
Continue readingSilk Railroad freight threat to air cargo (Railway Gazette)
“China to Europe rail freight services are ‘no longer carrying volumes that can be ignored’, and the air cargo sector must start taking the threat to its traffic seriously, Marco Bloemen, Senior Vice-President at air …
Continue reading£9 million innovation funding competition to improve the railway (DfT)
In a message to the Railway Industry Association’s Innovation Conference today, Rail Minister Paul Maynard announced up to £9 million to support UK businesses as part of a new innovation competition to develop solutions for …
Continue readingNew UK Aerolite train seat (Railway-Technology)
UK-based rail seating provider Transcal has joined forces with consultancy Factorydesign to develop the new Aerolite train seat. Factorydesign was briefed to produce a new lighter, slimmer and comfortable seat, applied its experience of designing …
Continue readingSatellites could monitor and manage Europe’s rail traffic (Smart Rail World)
From https://www.smartrailworld.com/how-is-satellite-technology-expected-to-monitor-and-manage-rail-traffic-on-european-tracks?utm_campaign=SmartRail%20World&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=44237869&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9i4cOGfdhjZyRb2m11W_vmxJRu7wdBb5ap-dYW5fsOGwlC-1PI7QCxPsN57GgkfFZM-5GvyHxfNwnTKHgALofYX5Bzy7u2MOj0dNGl922etnIq7tA&_hsmi=44237869 “The first European project of its kind has been testing a satellite technology known as the ERSAT EAV system to monitor and manage rail traffic on 28,000km of Europe’s tracks. This breakthrough could …
Continue readingCharles de Gaulle Airport Express Operation & Maintenance Call for Tenders (UITP)
French officials have announced their decision to create a direct and rapid rail service between Charles de Gaulle airport and the Paris city centre. This project, which would help alleviate car traffic to and from …
Continue reading