Product development company 42 Technology has secured £350,000 worth of government funding towards developing a system that can turn passenger carriages into goods vehicles. The Adaptable Carriage system allows seats and tables to be stowed …
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Bombardier turning a corner (RailwayAge)
The past few years have admittedly been tough for Bombardier Transportation in North America. Changing dynamics—in particular, China’s entrance into the vehicle market—combined with delivery and quality problems and highly public squabbles with key Canadian …
Continue readingWhy isn’t mobility a circular economy? (MovinOn)
The move to electric drivetrains and renewable energy to power them is important, but what happens when we reach the goal of running all vehicles on electricity? This alone won’t ‘fix’ the environment, and unfortunately …
Continue readingAirship That Never Lands (Bloomberg)
France has entered the global race to develop a viable cargo airship with a 500-foot blimp designed to lift lumber from deep woodland. Flying Whales is joining a contest that includes defense giant Lockheed Martin …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 11 May 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s list: • Crossrail to generate electricity from wind its own trains (Wired) • What can London learn from Barcelona? (BanPrivateCarsinLondon) • Woolwich hybrid battery ferries in service late …
Continue readingLR Meetup at Royal Oak pub, 10th May
The second Thursday of the month brings with it our meetup, which happens next on 10th May from 6pm. As always, these are informal affairs where the beer flows, offering an opportunity to put faces …
Continue readingChina Took Charge of Electric Bus Revolution (CityLab)
In just eight years, Shenzhen became the first city to electrify 100 percent of its public buses—16,359, to be exact. Between the gleaming towers of the Chinese city of Shenzhen, some 16,000 buses shuttle commuters …
Continue readingNew Istanbul tram line to be catenary-free (GlobalRailNews)
Contractor Dogus Construction has selected Alstom to supply a full APS ground-level power supply solution for the Eminönü-Alibeyköy tram line in Istanbul. Choosing Alstom’s street-level power rail solution means that the 10km-long line will be …
Continue readingWhy Does Ridership Rise or Fall? (HumanTransit)
With only a handful of exceptions, transit ridership has stagnated or been falling throughout the US in 2017. The causes of this slump have been unclear but some theories suggest low fuel prices, a growing …
Continue readingBarcelona tests vertical platform screen doors (Metro-Report)
Barcelona public transport operator TMB is to undertake what it says will be the first test of vertical platform screen doors on a metro network, with doors supplied by STraffic of South Korea to be …
Continue readingSweden invests in thriving sleeper trains (GlobalRailNews)
Swedish train operator SJ has announced plans to refurbish its sleeper carriages and overhaul its booking system following a surge in demand for the long-distance services. Over the last five years, passenger numbers on its …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 4 May 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s list: • Private Car problem not solved in Central London (BanPrivateCarsinLondon) • London’s Railways – Planning for Peace (ALondonInheritance) • 24 hour UK rail people (RailTechnology) • Fighting …
Continue readingSeatfrog app lets passengers bid for rail tickets (Railway-Technology)
A new app in the UK called Seatfrog allows rail passengers to bid for upgrades to otherwise empty first class seats for as little as £5. According to the company, the app will open up …
Continue readingLatest Innovations in Streetcars (MassTransit)
Light rail system openings represent significant growth in the rail market. Adapting to city infrastructure, incorporating newer technologies and tackling the cost associated with running a streetcar system are factors that come together to make …
Continue readingTokyo’s commuter railways are straining (Railway-Technology)
Rush hour delays – The first-ever government study into rush hour train delays for services in the Greater Tokyo region has revealed issues that don’t match up with the image of Japanese punctuality. So what …
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