Earlier this month, Canada Post made a surprise announcement: it would be spending $1-billion to achieve half-electrification of its 14,000-vehicle fleet by 2030, with full electrification by 2040. While Canada Post has been testing low- …
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Friday Reads – 29 July 2022
• Piccadilly Night Tube restarting today: 1st full Night Network since start of pandemic (RailUK) • Plans to open a disused railway bridge over the Thames to pedestrians (IanVisits) • A better job of categorising …
Continue readinge-Scooter & their Trials: The road ahead (HouseOfLords)
Across the UK, e-scooter trials are taking place to gather data and inform the government’s decision-making. This article takes a closer look at safety, current regulations, and what the government has said so far about …
Continue readingStadler developing modular scalable battery system for passenger trains (RailwayNews)
This is being developed in partnership with the German Aerospace Center, the DLR Institute for Vehicle Concepts and the DLR Institute for Networks. The project has received 5.3 million EUR (5.57m USD) in funding from …
Continue readingWhat TfL could learn from Hong Kong’s public transport funding model (CentreForCities)
Hong Kong’s mass transit operator, has a funding model highly reliant on land development around stations. This may not be the answer to TfL’s short-term funding issues but it needs to be considered in the …
Continue readingGolden Age of buses? Investors hop on UK transport firms (Reuters)
Private capital has a keen eye on British bus companies. Low valuations, hopes that travellers will ditch cars, and government incentives to invest in environmentally-friendly vehicles are enticing buyers, analysts and investors said. Three out …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 25 July 2022
• TfL trials cooling solution for Tube network (RailUK) • London cycling up by 25% since pre-Covid (EveningStandard) • Future looks bright for buses & transport in some British cities (CentreForCities) • New York Penn …
Continue readingSunweb, European Sleeper plan seasonal Alps & coast trains (RailwayGazette)
Dutch package holiday company Sunweb Group and night train start-up European Sleeper have announced a partnership to offer overnight trains from the Netherlands and Belgium to tourist destinations in France. The companies said their aim …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 22 July 2022
• UK Court orders Gov’t to explain how it will reach Net Zero targets (Guardian) • Some thoughts & history on the Johnston Memorial at Farringon (DougRose) • World’s most unconventional rail line? Zurich’s S10 …
Continue readingPlanes refuel in the air: why not couple moving trains (RailTech)
What if you could run more trains on a railway by coupling different trains while they are running? That is the aim of Israeli startup DirecTrainSystems (DTS), building on know-how of refuelling airplanes mid-air. This …
Continue readingAffordable tram tracks: Very Light Rail Part 1 (RailEngineer)
Britain’s nine light rail systems compare with around 30 in France and 60 in Germany as, historically, Britain has failed to invest in its transport infrastructure. With conventional tram systems typically costing around £50 million …
Continue readingWhat’s next for Transport for London? (CentreForCities)
Since the start of the pandemic, Transport for London (TfL) has received close to £5bn in financial support from the Government to guarantee services in an environment of low ridership. The current package will expire on Friday …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 18 July 2022
• West Midlands Metro tram extension opens Sunday 17 July (RailPro) • Northumberland passenger line reopening campaign well fought (ChristianWolmar) • Eversholt & Vivarail examining feasibility of Class 321 battery multiple unit (ModernRailways) • Spain introducing …
Continue readingHammersmith Bridge repair video (NewCivilEng)
LA Metrolink commuter rail powered by renewable fuel (MassTransit)
Metrolink has switched to renewable fuel, making it the first agency in the nation to completely power all its locomotives with the cleaner burning alternative. The renewable fuel is made of recycled natural fats and vegetable …
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