Trains face countless risks across the almost 16,000km of track in Great Britain. From misuse of level crossings to overhanging trees, Network Rail works with partners across the network to protect passengers from a wide …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
High Wages and Baumol’s Cost Disease (PedestrianObserations)
The Baumol effect is a mechanism for how the real costs of goods and services can rise over time: wages rise due to economy-wide productivity growth, including in sectors with no productivity growth, and this raises their …
Continue readingPlanes still bad: Modern carbon-efficient models worse for climate change than older types (E+T)
A study has found that even though modern commercial aircraft emit less carbon than their predecessors, they could be contributing more to climate change due to their longer-lived planet-warming contrails. Contrails, or vapour trails, are …
Continue readingSpatial impacts of a massive rail disinvestment program: The Beeching Axe (JUrbanEconomics)
This paper investigates the reversibility of the effects of transport infrastructure investments, based on a programme that removed much of the rail network in Britain during the mid-20th century. We find that a 10% loss …
Continue readingThe first US airline to launch automated tag for mobility devices (AmericanAirlines)
American Airlines is the first U.S. airline to launch an automated tag for mobility devices, part of an ongoing commitment to improve wheelchair and mobility device handling across its network. Developed in-house by American’s Technology …
Continue readingThe fare evasion prosecution scandal explained (RailBusinessUK)
It was widely reported this month that several train companies have unlawfully prosecuted individuals by misusing the Single Justice Procedure, and up to 75 000 convictions for fare evasion offences have now been quashed. This …
Continue readingHudson Tunnel moves ‘full steam ahead’ with US$6.88Bn funding approval (GroundEngineering)
The US government has approved a US$6.88bn (£5.4bn) federal grant for New York’s Hudson River Tunnel, meaning the project is moving “full steam ahead”, New Jersey’s governor has said. The New York Times reported that on Tuesday …
Continue readingReport into ScotRail peak fare removal published (RailTechnology)
Transport Scotland has announced that it has published analysis into its pilot to remove ScotRail Peak Fares. The year-long pilot saw the Scottish Government subsidising the removal of the fares, as part of a drive to …
Continue readingChicago’s Railroad Congestion Problem Spills over onto Roads (HomeSignal)
In February 2023, two thousand feet of Chicago’s South Normal Boulevard disappeared. The street’s end came at the hands of Norfolk Southern’s 47th Street intermodal terminal, a facility which moves thousands of containers a year …
Continue readingUS urban roadways take 25% of urbanized land worth $4.1 Trillion (Nat’lBureauEconomicResearch)
We predict the amount, share, and value of land dedicated to roadways within and across 316 US Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Despite the amount and value of land dedicated to roadway, our study provides the …
Continue readingChiltern Railways cancels call for battery train proposals (RailBusinessUK)
Chiltern Railways has discontinued its call for proposals for the supply of a fleet of battery-electric multiple-units. In September 2022 the operator invited proposals for the supply of between 30 and 70 new, existing or converted …
Continue readingAnd then there was AI: Deutsche Bahn’s experience (RailEngineer)
Rail Engineer Issue 136 described many operators using Remote Condition Monitoring (RCM) and a few pioneers making baby steps in Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM). Roll forward to 2023, and there was a consensus that RCM has …
Continue readingWhat If Non-Drivers Helped Plan Our Transportation Systems? (NextCity)
One-third of Americans don’t have a driver’s license. Anna Zivarts says it’s time for transportation planners to include them in decision-making. In the fall of 2021, I was invited by Roger Millar, the head of …
Continue readingPort of London Authority setting course towards sustainability: Video (BBCStoryworks)
With shipping responsible for around 3% of global emissions in 2018, this port is making an effort to reduce the impact. With a focus on leveraging data, changes are being put in place to help …
Continue readingItaly tests new high speed 200 km/h self-driving inspection pod (RailTech)
Italy has successfully tested its prototype for a fully autonomous Unmanned Railway Vehicle (URV) that can map critical safety and efficiency issues along the nation’s high-speed rail network. Running at up to 200 km/h, the …
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