The US government has approved a US$6.88bn (£5.4bn) federal grant for New York’s Hudson River Tunnel, meaning the project is moving “full steam ahead”, New Jersey’s governor has said. The New York Times reported that on Tuesday …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
Report into ScotRail peak fare removal published (RailTechnology)
Transport Scotland has announced that it has published analysis into its pilot to remove ScotRail Peak Fares. The year-long pilot saw the Scottish Government subsidising the removal of the fares, as part of a drive to …
Continue readingChicago’s Railroad Congestion Problem Spills over onto Roads (HomeSignal)
In February 2023, two thousand feet of Chicago’s South Normal Boulevard disappeared. The street’s end came at the hands of Norfolk Southern’s 47th Street intermodal terminal, a facility which moves thousands of containers a year …
Continue readingUS urban roadways take 25% of urbanized land worth $4.1 Trillion (Nat’lBureauEconomicResearch)
We predict the amount, share, and value of land dedicated to roadways within and across 316 US Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Despite the amount and value of land dedicated to roadway, our study provides the …
Continue readingChiltern Railways cancels call for battery train proposals (RailBusinessUK)
Chiltern Railways has discontinued its call for proposals for the supply of a fleet of battery-electric multiple-units. In September 2022 the operator invited proposals for the supply of between 30 and 70 new, existing or converted …
Continue readingAnd then there was AI: Deutsche Bahn’s experience (RailEngineer)
Rail Engineer Issue 136 described many operators using Remote Condition Monitoring (RCM) and a few pioneers making baby steps in Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM). Roll forward to 2023, and there was a consensus that RCM has …
Continue readingWhat If Non-Drivers Helped Plan Our Transportation Systems? (NextCity)
One-third of Americans don’t have a driver’s license. Anna Zivarts says it’s time for transportation planners to include them in decision-making. In the fall of 2021, I was invited by Roger Millar, the head of …
Continue readingPort of London Authority setting course towards sustainability: Video (BBCStoryworks)
With shipping responsible for around 3% of global emissions in 2018, this port is making an effort to reduce the impact. With a focus on leveraging data, changes are being put in place to help …
Continue readingItaly tests new high speed 200 km/h self-driving inspection pod (RailTech)
Italy has successfully tested its prototype for a fully autonomous Unmanned Railway Vehicle (URV) that can map critical safety and efficiency issues along the nation’s high-speed rail network. Running at up to 200 km/h, the …
Continue readingUS Justice Department lawsuit necessary to get freight trains out of Amtrak’s way (Trains)
The Justice Department needed to file a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern for its poor handling of Amtrak’s Crescent because Class I railroads routinely ignore the law that gives passenger trains preference over freight traffic, Transportation Secretary Pete …
Continue readingTraffic engineers build unsafe roads because they rely on outdated research & faulty data (TheConversation)
“Can you name the truck with four-wheel drive, smells like a steak, and seats 35?”. Back in 1998, “The Simpsons” joked about the Canyonero, an SUV so big that they were obviously kidding. At that …
Continue readingLabour’s railway renationalisation should be directed at ROSCOs: Opinion (RailwayTechnology)
Labour’s push for renationalisation should focus on rolling stock companies, which continue to profit from taxpayer subsidies and send profits abroad. The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament has signalled a significant shift …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 5 August 2024
• Design Language Basics for TfL’s Digital Displays (TfL Blog) • Making the Multi-Colour London Transport Museum roundel: Video (Hidden London Hangouts) • So What’s the fare? A Short History of Cab Fares in London …
Continue readingNew Hong Kong – Beijing & Shanghai sleeper services started (RailwayTechnology)
China launched overnight high-speed trains from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai this week [operated by MTR]. The trips are about 1,200 miles and 750 miles by air, respectively. From Hong Kong to Beijing, the …
Continue reading£8.6M pledged for business case on reopening Leamside Line as part of Tyne Metro (NewCivilEng)
North East mayor Kim McGuinness has pledged £8.6M for the development of a business case to re-open the Leamside Line railway as part of the region’s Metro, which could provide spare capacity for the East …
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