The rail industry cannot rest on its laurels or remain content with trumpeting its low-carbon credentials without committing itself to further sustainability gains. The hotly-anticipated advent of autonomous vehicles, together with ride-sharing services and other …
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Installing turbines on LRT poles (ProgRailroading)
The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) will install 12 small wind turbines on top of poles on the Tilikum Crossing bridge next week to complete one of the final elements of the MAX …
Continue readingTuesday Transport Tech Terms – July 2019
In covering industry developments, we at LR Towers come across new words and concepts every week. Some are technologies just starting to emerge and may be years from service, or may not immediately appear to …
Continue readingUK’s first solar-powered railways (Railway-Technology)
With the aim to leverage renewable energy and reduce its carbon footprint, Network Rail has collaborated with Riding Sunbeams to use solar panels to power trains in south-east England and launched the first pilot scheme. …
Continue readingThe automobility / micromobility clash (Micromobility)
There is a European Union vehicle category for four-wheeled vehicles which are not technically cars. These are called “quadricycles”. The framework was developed in 2002 and further stipulates Light (L6e) or Heavy (L7e) categories. Curiously, …
Continue readingRSSB researching seat comfort (RailEngineer)
Although a number of new train fleets have been introduced onto the British rail network in recent years, with more still to come, they haven’t all met with universal passenger approval. Some have described the …
Continue readingDB 3D printing heavy metal components (RailwayNews)
Berlin-based company GEFERTEC has developed an innovative process that allows Deutsche Bahn to print heavy metal components for the first time. This will drastically reduce delivery times. To allow the company to produce a spare …
Continue readingAmsterdam wants tram collision warning system (Metro-Report)
Amsterdam city transport operator GVB has called tenders for the supply of a collision warning system for its fleet of 155 Siemens Combino trams, saying this would assist tram drivers, help improve road safety in …
Continue readingAll new EU EVs to emit low speed noise (SmartCitiesDive)
Under a new European Union requirement that took effect on July 1, all new four-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) must be outfitted with a device that mimics the sound of an engine, reports the BBC. The …
Continue readingAI to improve predictive maintenance (RailwayTechnology)
The Palo Alto Research Centre (PARC) uses the industrial internet of things and artificial intelligence to develop new predictive rail maintenance and performance management technologies. Passenger rail services in Japan have become a byword for …
Continue readingVW predicts traffic collapse in cities (Forbes)
The car brands in the Volkswagen Group–VW, Škoda, SEAT and Audi–are promoting last-mile ‘micromobility’ solutions including e-scooters. Why? Because the car era is coming to an end, at least for cities. That is the obvious conclusion from a July 3 posting from the group which states: “Answers …
Continue readingThe Schleswig-Holstein (battery) Question (AnonWidower)
Battery-powered Stadler Flirt trains will operate in Schleswig-Holstein, with a range of 150 km under optimal conditions, although the longest non-electrified route they will operate on is around 80 km. The batteries will be recharged …
Continue readingUber’s Path of Destruction (AmericanAffairs)
Since it began operations in 2010, Uber has grown to the point where it now collects over $45 billion in gross passenger revenue, and it has seized a major share of the urban car service …
Continue readingSmart city hype & technochauvinism (CityLab)
The vision of the technology-powered metropolis of the future is being sold with images that bear little resemblance to the real world. Suddenly, the world is awash in smart cities. Google is about to build …
Continue readingTube dust – another investigation (Wired)
When a London Underground train hits the brakes, its wheels grind against the tracks, throwing up tiny specks of metal and other particles. There’s concern that this ‘Tube dust,’ could be damaging the health of …
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