Japanese auto maker Toyota Motor — the second-most valuable and the second-most prolific car maker in the world — has some words of caution for the fledgling electric-vehicle industry: EVs are over-hyped. Toyota President Akio Toyoda made his downbeat comments …
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GB Railfreight Class 69 project explained (RailMag)
GB Railfreight has announced that testing of the first Class 69s should begin on the Severn Valley Railway in January, with the locomotives entering traffic later in the year. Ten Class 56s are being converted …
Continue readingBombardier to fit digital signalling to an Electrostar (RailBusiness)
Global mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation has announced that it has signed a framework agreement with Porterbrook, the UK rolling stock company, to fit digital onboard signalling to Bombardier Electrostar trains in the UK. This project falls under …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 4 January 2021
• We need more school streets banning cars for kids’ safety (CityLab) • History of Parisian tramways, beyond the horse (FabricOfParis) • Differences between subway maps & actual geography (MyModernMet) • Car access more than …
Continue readingTransit construction cost database released (EnoTrans)
A growing cadre of researchers, advocates, and experts are asking: why does it cost so much to build infrastructure, particularly public transit, in the United States? Last year, Eno kicked off a major research initiative …
Continue readingNew Year’s Day Reads – 1 January 2021
A new year, a new hope. • Parts of Strand & Aldwych to be pedestrianised (IanVisits) • Battery trolleybuses & transit priority in Zurich (EcoPath) • Moynihan Train Hall Penn Station replacement opens (NYTimes) • …
Continue readingIs Ely the biggest cost overshoot in UK? (RailFreight)
Headlines of spiralling costs and massive overruns on a project to upgrade lines around Ely, in the east of England, fail to grasp the scope of the works planned. Minor improvements to the existing infrastructure …
Continue readingThe Zero Emission Transportation Assoc’n (DecarbTransport)
Can a lobbying group formed by utilities, EV manufacturers, and a ridehail company get us to zero emission vehicles faster? This week, we talk to Joe Britton, the executive director of the brand new Zero Emission …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 28 December 2020
• Tube whiteboard poems ‘make people less alone’ (BBC) • People without bank accounts struggle to use London’s transport (IanVisits) • York Road ^& Maiden Lane abandoned stations video (JagoHazzard) • Second Hamburg S-Bahn Crossrail …
Continue readingNR lists no regret electrification schemes (NewCivilEng)
Network Rail draws up list of ‘no regret’ electrification schemes – Network Rail bosses are drawing up a list of ‘no regret’ schemes to accelerate the electrification of the UK’s rail network. The list will …
Continue readingBoxing Day’s Friday Reads – 26 December 2020
• Xmas DLR preliminary funding present for Thamesmead (IanVisits) • And a second entrance present for Surrey Quays station (IanVisits) • When the Big 4 railways banded together to run an airline (AirportOfCroydon) • How …
Continue readingElectric car charging points to replace phone boxes (IrishTimes)
Eir and car charger installer EasyGo are to replace 180 public telephone booths with charging points. Instead of pushing button B to talk, you’ll soon be plugging in to charge. Ireland’s national electric car charging …
Continue readingHS2 to rethink Manchester & Leeds stations (NewCivilEng)
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC)’s Rail Needs Assessment – published last week – “puts the onus” on High Speed 2 Ltd (HS2 Ltd) and Transport for the North (TfN) to “rethink their station designs” in places like Manchester and …
Continue readingAV makers should be responsible for accidents: UK Law Comm (NetWeb)
What do you call the person behind the wheel of a self-driving car? Are they a passenger or owner or are they still the driver? Whatever they’re called, the UK‘s Law Commission says they shouldn’t …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 21 December 2020
• Road air pollution major factor in London girl’s death rules coroner (Guardian) • Illuminated River project to light up more Thames bridges (NewCivilEng) • Review of Christian Wolmar’s Cathedrals of Steam (OnLondon) • History …
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