A few weeks back, the latest results from the National Travel Survey for 2023 were released by the Department for Transport. Being the closest thing that transport statistics in the UK has to a bible, it caused …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
How sustainable are aviation biofuels really? (Anthropocene)
Jet biofuels are not necessarily less carbon intensive than fossil fuels, say researchers. In a side-by-side comparison of emissions, they found some grasses performed best. Two types of perennial grasses offer the greatest global potential …
Continue readingE-bikes now outsell pedal-only ones across several European countries: Lessons for US Cities (CityLab)
If you think electric bicycles are a hit in the US, check out what’s happening across the Atlantic. Battery-boosted models now comprise a majority of bike sales in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, and they’re …
Continue readingUK’s first Intercity battery train hits the tracks (RailMag)
Main line tests have started on the nation’s first intercity battery train. The class 802 bi-mode unit has seen one of its engines replaced and retrofitted with batteries, a first for the UK rail network. …
Continue readingSiemens to build US high-speed rail factory in New York State (RailwayTechnology)
The company said the investment marked the beginning of a brand-new industry in the US with production set to begin in 2026. Siemens Mobility is set to build its first high-speed rail factory in the …
Continue readingTunnel widening system enables railway lines to be electrified (ConstructionIndex)
German railways are using a new system that allows tunnels to be widened while keeping the trains running through. Herrenknecht, better know for its tunnel boring machines, has developed a tunnel widening system (TES) to …
Continue readingThe Lost Art of Passenger Comfort & Good Design – Railway Interiors Part 1
Modern trains are expected to handle crush loads at times, rough use and vandalism, yet have pleasing interiors and comfortable seating that will last in good condition for 15-20 years or more. In addition, the …
Continue readingNew York City’s Bus Lane Evolution (UrbanOmnibus)
New York City’s public transportation is in the midst of a slow-moving crisis. Years of deferred maintenance, staff shortages, and insufficient funding have left subway commuters navigating regular delays and bus passengers riding the slowest buses …
Continue readingIndian cabinet approves construction of eight new railway lines (RailwayGazette)
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved eight new line projects which are intended to improve connectivity, minimise logistics costs, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions. The projects approved on August 9 include 64 …
Continue readingUtilisation of trams for urban freight transport & logistics (UrbanTransport)
As part of the LogIKTram research project, it was determined how future urban freight transport can be shifted by tram or regional train. At the final event of the LogIKTram research project in Karlsruhe in …
Continue readingŠkoda operates autonomous driverless tram in Finnish tram depot (RailAdvent)
Škoda Group has carried out a demonstration in Finland of a tram being driven autonomously without a driver. Škoda’s breakthrough took place at a tram depot at Tampere Finland, with a tram fitted with its Smart Depot …
Continue readingKorea Great Train eXpress metro installs transparent OLED window displays (OLEDInfo)
LG Display announced that Korea’s newly launched Great Train eXpress (GTX) subway service has installed the company’s 55″ transparent OLED displays in the cabin windows. This is the first subway service in Korea to install …
Continue readingBucharest trolleybus system ordered new battery trolleybuses, but infrastructure is decaying (UrbanTransport)
Like stories from other parts of the world, the condition of the trolleybus network in Bucharest, Romania started to look pretty bleak in the last decade. No new investments in the overhead wire infrastructure were …
Continue readingTinted window film trial to determine reduction of train air-conditioning needs (RailwayGazette)
TransPennine Express is trialling two tinted window films which it hopes will reduce solar heating and thus lower the energy used by train air-conditioning systems. The operator expects the film supplied by Aura Brand Solutions to …
Continue readingStation Dwell Times, Anglosphere Incuriosity, & NYC’s Penn Station’s Expansion Proposal (PedestrianObservations)
This is the second part of my series about the Regional Plan Association event about expanding capacity at Penn Station. Much of the presentation, at least in its first half, betrays wanton ignorance, with which area power …
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