There is no such thing as “the” EV charging network. It’s a complicated patchwork of plugs and proprietary software. And unless something changes, it’s only going to get worse. Last week, the electric vehicle (EV) …
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Battery packs below $100/kWh for first time in 2020 (BloombergNEF)
Hong Kong and London, December 16, 2020 – Lithium-ion battery pack prices, which were above $1,100 per kilowatt-hour in 2010, have fallen 89% in real terms to $137/kWh in 2020. By 2023, average prices will be …
Continue readingHow to get more people onto buses (Freewheeling)
Pre-Covid, more journeys were made by bus than on the National Rail network, London Underground and all tram and metro systems combined. It will be impossible to hit the country’s carbon targets without more people …
Continue readingCalais-Mediterranean lorry trailer rail service EoI (RailwayGazette)
FRANCE: The government has called for expressions of interest to operate a lorry trailer carrying service between the English Channel port of Calais and the Mediterranean port of Sète south of Montpellier. Submissions are required …
Continue readingPotential US first: Battery/third-rail BEMU (RailwayAge)
If all goes as planned, in about one year, MTA Long Island Rail Road will be testing a prototype “BEMU” (battery-electric multiple unit) that operates on third-rail power or batteries on the 13-mile, non-electrified Oyster …
Continue readingContinental chess merger game for Kansas City, CP, & CN (RailwayAge)
A bidding war has broken out for the Kansas City Southern, but it’s actually more like a chess game. Here are some observations about what it all could mean, especially in terms of railroad “real …
Continue readingIntermodal dominant but UK needs more: report (RailFreight)
With intermodal accounting for almost half of the rail freight traffic in the UK, more container trains may be the last thing the UK network needs. That however is exactly what a new report says. …
Continue readingExperts argue warn of rushing fast EV charging (Mobilist)
German aviation & DB to move 43m domestic flights to rail (RailTech)
The Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) and Deutsche Bahn (DB) are launching a joint action plan to bring about a shift from domestic flights to the railways. In the declaration signed today in …
Continue readingParcel lockers coming to more TfL stations (IanVisits)
A trial of putting parcel lockers for online shopping in TfL car parks and stations is to be substantially expanded. The locker firm, InPost has run a trial with TfL at six locations, and has …
Continue readingIndia using hybrid trolleybus Bus Rapid Transit as metro alternative (UrbanTransport)
The expansion of public transport is urgently needed in many Indian cities, but the construction of metros and rapid transit systems, which has been the main focus so far, is often facing serious limitations: Construction …
Continue readingHS2 leaving a legacy of innovation (NewCivilEng)
HS2 Ltd’s commitment to innovation could make waves beyond the railway itself. Capacity, connectivity and carbon reduction are three of High Speed 2’s (HS2’s) well publicised benefits. According to HS2 Ltd, the rail project will improve …
Continue readingMaking e-scooters work with transit not against it (StreetsBlog)
When shared e-scooters first showed up in US cities several years ago, many cities considered them “toy vehicles.” After running small pilots, cities such as San Francisco and Miami quickly banned e-scooters from their streets …
Continue readingDeutsche Bahn expands wind power use for trains (GlobalRailReview)
Approximately 190 gigawatt hours of wind power from the Amrumbank-West offshore wind farm in Germany will supply DB’s trains in the future. Deutsche Bahn (DB) is consistently converting its electricity supply to become more sustainable by utilising …
Continue readingBus electrification: A comparison of capital costs (UrbanTransport)
INDUSTRY FOCUS: Alternative Propulsion Systems 1. Introduction In the last few years, transport planners have increasingly been concerned about the need to move towards a low carbon/zero carbon future. Even for cities with extensive electric …
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