In 2021, Rail Engineer reported on the Crewe Basford Hall and Independent Lines (BHIL) re-signalling. BHIL is an early part of the overall large Crewe Hub programme which will consist of many individual projects and …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
Friday Reads – 25 August 2023
• Network Rail faces prosecution over fatal 2020 crash near Stonehaven (Guardian) • Let’s ride the Edinburgh Trams Extension: Video (GeoffMarshall) • AI cameras catch 297 drivers in 3 days in Cornwall (BBC) • Proposal …
Continue readingBR privatisation study (RailMagazine)
The privatised passenger railway could have cost £51 billion more to operate than if British Rail had remained in state hands, a new study suggests. A Very Costly Industry – the cost of Britain’s privatised railway …
Continue readingReconnections’ Miscellany: Lord Dawlish speaks! – August 2023
London and South East Region Line Nicknames Transport for London’s Lineage Organisation Brand Reports to Date Metropolitan, Great Northern, and Metropolitan East London Railways Metropolitan Railway shareholders 1863-1933 Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL)[financed …
Continue readingData scientists give Northern fuel for thought on diesel fleet operation (RailTechnology)
Northern, has enlisted the support of data scientists to advise on the most fuel-efficient way to operate its fleet of 276 diesel trains. The project, which is funded by the Department for Transport, is being …
Continue reading‘Most innovative S-Bahn trains’ in Germany (RailwayGazette)
Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract to supply 90 extra-long electric multiple-units which it says will provide ‘more space, greater comfort and many innovations’ on München S-Bahn services. The 13-car EMUs will be 202 m long …
Continue readingSeville to install solar-powered, cooled bus shelters by 2024 (ImnovationHub)
Bus Shelters with a Cool Factor to Mitigate the Effects of Global Warming Climate change is profoundly impacting our planet and its ecosystems, with cities being particularly vulnerable to its effects. The sheer concentration of population in …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 21 August 2023
• UK rail industry has grown used to failing everyday on accessibility, MPs hear (DisabilityNews) • The weird, colourful postmodern Berlin U-Bahn station architecture (ExBerliner) • The world’s first covered bike path could be made …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 18 August 2023
• The future stations of HS2 (RailEngineer) • Brits use more water to wash their cars than UK’s major cities combined (MobilityMatters) • German government provides €12.5bn more for rail investment (IntlRailJ) • Chicago’s complex …
Continue readingHS2 Supreme Court land ruling to impact future infrastructure schemes (Building)
Supreme Court decided hope value of four sites on route should be considered together, not separately. Compulsory purchases for major infrastructure projects could cost less in the future, after a landmark Supreme Court ruling described …
Continue readingMaaS Ado About Nothing, & Covid impact thereof (MobilityMatters)
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is in bit of a funny place around about now. Trials of MaaS continue, certainly here in the UK with trials taking place in areas such as the Solent and in Scotland. But …
Continue readingAI startup to help lower climate change impact of train operators (KillerStartups)
The transportation sector is responsible for a staggering quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. While electric vehicles and sustainable aviation fuel have gained attention as solutions to reduce emissions from air and road travel, …
Continue readingEarth Friendly Concrete foundation for HS2 (RailEngineer)
As one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the UK, HS2 is set to transform the country’s transport network. Concrete is an essential component of this project. From the foundations of the track to …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 14 August 2023
• Euston HS2 TBMs to be buried under Old Oak Common until gov’t green light (NewCivilEng) • Fabulous Pathé BOAC Sunderland flying boat passenger flight: Video (AirlineRatings) • Willy Spiller’s book Hell on Wheels on …
Continue readingThe digital twin tech turning the Piccadilly line underground green (ERPToday)
It might not be the longest or busiest line of the underground network, but the Piccadilly line has a fascinating history – it made London the first city in the world with an underground railway …
Continue reading