North American railroad Union Pacific announced it has purchased ten FLXDrive battery-electric locomotives from manufacturer Wabtec. The purchase marks the largest number of FLXDrives placed in a single order for Wabtec, as well as the largest …
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Friday Reads – March 4 2022
• Vivarail to supply all-battery trains for West Ealing-Greenford line (Trains) • Every Story Matters: Discover TfL’s Pride roundels (LTMuseum) • Station to station: Spotters guide to prefab railway design (Guardian) • Tram-train for Catalonia …
Continue readingMontréal pilots cameras to replace bus mirrors (MassTransit)
The one-year pilot using the “cutting-edge system” is designed to reduce blind spots, increase a driver’s field of view, and improve visibility in adverse conditions. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) launched a one-year …
Continue readingAddition benefits of underground railway infrastructure (MediaRail)
Railway tunnels have always been expensive infrastructure. Not only do they cross natural obstacles, such as mountains, but they also provide a means of crossing the city and serving the inner city. There are currently …
Continue readingExtending the role of Metro backup batteries (RailwayGazette)
Projects in Chengdu and Moscow have confirmed that nickel battery technology, originally developed to provide onboard backup services on metro trains, can also provide a cost-effective source of power for emergency traction, eliminating the need …
Continue readingJR West to order tilting EMUs (RailwayGazette)
West Japan Railway plans to order four 11-car Series 273 electric multiple-units to replace the Series 381 trainsets used on Yakumo Limited Express services on the Hakubi line. This 1 067 mm gauge route runs across the main island …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 28 February 2022
• London Emirates cable car line fails to find new sponsor (Guardian) • Bank Station Capacity Upgrade video walkthrough (HiddenLondonHangouts) • NY MTA vows $10B+ transit expansion by 2030 (NYDailyNews) • Work beginning on High …
Continue readingBoxcars thrive as trucking issues persist (Trains)
Supply-chain woes stemming from COVID-19’s economic rebound have been thoroughly scrutinized in the past year, specifically the interwovenness of intermodal container rail shipments and its role in the supply chain. Trains’ Bill Stephens summarized the topic …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 25 February 2022
• TfL secures deal to build new Elephant & Castle station entrance (IanVisits) • Two UK rail museums plan exciting future (RailInsider) • Cargo without the carbon: Stunning rise of e-bike deliveries (Guardian) • Subway …
Continue readingMoscow’s tram renewal programme (UrbanTransport)
Moscow started a comprehensive renewal programme for its extensive tramway network already a few years ago. Now, more than have of the fleet has already been replaced by modern, Russian-built low-floor vehicles. The most wide-spread …
Continue readingWhen the train becomes an Internet of Things (MediaRail)
Predictive maintenance has become the new grail for railway rolling stock manufacturers. The aim is to produce a maintenance plan adapted to the real needs of the rolling stock. The aim is to avoid getting …
Continue readingHungary joins the tram-train club (UrbanTransport)
Another country has joined the Tram-Train operators “club” since 29 November 2021. These systems have been introduced as a link between tram and regional rail infrastructure in various regions around the world, especially in Europe, …
Continue readingFast charging trial brings battery-only rail services closer (GWR)
Great Western Railway has signed a deal with manufacturer Vivarail to trial new battery-charging technology on its network, paving the way for battery-only trains to run in regular passenger service in the future. The trial, …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 21 February 2022
• TfL warns of bankruptcy during government funding talks (IanVisits) • A fearsome beauty: Cambridge North station, Cambridgeshire (BeautyOfTransport) • NYC subway pandemic ridership changes, & time-lapse videos (NYTimes) • 4 underused US rail lines …
Continue readingAthens installs parking sensors on crosswalks (UrbanMobilityObs)
In January 2022, the municipality of Athens has seen the start of two large actions to make the sidewalks in Athens more friendly and safe for pedestrians. The municipality of Athens has installed 830 smart sensors in …
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