The Texas Supreme Court on June 24 ruled, in a 5 to 3 opinion, that the private Texas Central high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston can use eminent domain power to take property for right-of-way …
Continue readingCategory: Infrastructure
€338m Madrid high speed line connector tunnel opens (RailwayNews)
Adif has commissioned a new tunnel and southern entrance to connect high-speed rail services through Madrid. Both projects were technically challenging as they involved connecting signalling systems from three high-speed lines that were built at …
Continue readingWhy rail giants are battling it out in North America: video (RMTransit)
Not only are European train operators looking to expand to North America, global train manufacturing companies are looking to expand their markets there. This video looks into some of the recent trends in North America, …
Continue readingIstanbul low cost lessons from 3 yrs, 300 km of heavy rail build (TransitCosts)
Based on our study of Turkish rail construction, we found that there were four primary factors that kept construction costs low and the processes efficient. First, there was an ongoing political commitment spanning different administrations …
Continue readingHow Italian metro construction costs 57% less than global average (TransitCosts)
In this in-depth case study of Italian rail rapid transit projects, we investigate how Italian construction costs have changed over time and distill lessons learned to understand how design, procurement, and policy drive costs. We …
Continue readingHS2 trials electric drilling rig (RailwayNews)
HS2 Ltd’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI Joint Venture (BBV) is trialling an electric, high-capacity drilling rig for construction on HS2’s site in Warwickshire. This trial advances the joint venture’s plan to meet HS2 Ltd’s …
Continue readingDfT to fund East West Rail phases 2 & 3 (NewCivilEng)
The Department for Transport (DfT) is preparing to set aside almost £2.7bn to pay for contracts for the delivery of the next stages of East West Rail (EWR). EWR is a new high-speed rail line …
Continue readingItalian urban rail transit costs 57% less than global average (TransitCosts)
The Italian Case – In this in-depth case study of Italian rail rapid transit projects, we investigate how Italian construction costs have changed over time and distill lessons learned to understand how design, procurement, and …
Continue readingChina’s annual December Metro openings bonanza
It has become a popular pastime among Chinese railfans to get really excited at around the end of December, as that is the period of a slew of metro openings across the country. And being …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 6 May 2022
• Royal Mail to double Scotland mail trains (Scotsman) • To live or to park? That is the question – Whether ’tis nobler to park at the Tube station (OnLondon) • Estonia’s free public transport …
Continue readingHS2 using retired wind turbine blades to reinforce concrete (HS2)
Innovation believed to be world-first Process cuts carbon production by up to 90% Worn-out wind turbine blades destined for the incinerator will instead be used to create carbon-friendly reinforced concrete on Britain’s new high speed …
Continue readingThe benefit from legacy railway assets (RailEngineer)
Nature’s reclamation of our dismantled railway network describes a delightfully melancholy intermingling, whereby wildlife and vegetation recolonise trackbeds while structures are lost to the permeative interventions of water and tree growth. But a more malevolent …
Continue readingTfL removes ineffective sound dampening near Morden (LocalLondon)
Transport for London is removing a noise reduction system from the Northern line track between South Wimbledon and Morden. People have expressed concerns on social media that the noise pollution will “switch back on overnight” …
Continue readingFriday Reads – April 15 2022
• Early UK bus station architecture descended from cinemas (BeautyOfTransport) • Montreal’s Blue line East Extension progresses toward 2029 (MassTransit) • Tel Aviv Red Line LRT almost ready for November opening (IntlRailJ) • Is third …
Continue readingHS2’s huge carbon savings with modular viaduct design (RailUK)
HS2 today revealed the final designs for the Thame Valley Viaduct and the pioneering pre-fabricated construction methods that will see the 880m long structure slotted together like a giant Lego set, cutting its carbon footprint …
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