The Isle of Wight’s 8.5 mile Island Line has long held a fascination for historians of London’s transport. Two generations of ex-London Underground tube stock have taken a second working life on the Island since …
Continue readingYear: 2021
Monday’s Friday Reads – 1 November 2021
• Salisbury train crash: two trains collide in tunnel (BBC) • How we made Secrets of the London Underground show (RailMag) • Ace of Herts: Broxbourne Station Hertfordshire (BeautyOfTransport) • Victorian railway ticket ledger found …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 29 October 2021
• RENFE aims to compete with Eurostar on Paris-London route (RailwayGazette) • Can Footways’ map rekindle London’s love of walking? (CityLab) • Londoner takes buses as far as he can in 24h (BBC) • Southeastern …
Continue readingSJ wins Stockholm-Hamburg night train (GlobalRailwayRev)
The Swedish Transport Administration has announced that SJ has won the procurement for Stockholm-Hamburg night train traffic, with services to start in the second half of 2022. The procurement of the Stockholm to Hamburg night …
Continue reading5th anniversary of 1st battery train on AC network (RailBusiness)
Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) and Hitachi Rail are celebrating five years since the first run of the DENCHA train, the world’s first battery-powered passenger train charged by AC overhead lines. Having seen the fleet …
Continue readingBrisbane using caverns to minimise tunnelling disruption (NewCivilEng)
Cavern construction techniques are helping to minimise disruption during delivery of Brisbane’s new underground rail link. Rail traffic in the Australian city of Brisbane, south east Queensland is currently constrained by a single bridge over …
Continue readingCarmakers rush to build batteries for EVs (Axios)
Almost every week, another major automaker announces a billion-dollar-plus investment in battery manufacturing, and with it, thousands of new American jobs. Why it matters: Eyeing President Biden’s climate agenda, carmakers are racing to create a domestic …
Continue readingFirst steps for seamless European train ticketing (RailTech)
International train tickets that can be booked further ahead through more different platforms and better support in case of delays. These are the first steps towards a seamless ticketing system to be realised by 2030. …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 25 October 2021
• London wide new ULEZ pollution charge zone begins today (BBC) • HS2 trains to be built in the UK, but by whomst? (RailInsider) • Budget to give £710m to extend Merseyrail with battery-operated trains …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 22 October 2021
• HS2 to cut Euston Station to ten platforms (IanVisits) • 7 abandoned railways set to follow Dartmoor line reopening (NewCivilEng) • Transport poster artist E McKnight Kauffer Exhibition (CreativeReview) • Amsterdam supports cable car …
Continue readingBio-coal trials show promise for steam railways (RailEngineer)
Norfolk’s Bure Valley Railway (BVR) has held an extensive trial of bio-coal as the heritage rail sector looks towards a carbon-free future. The event, which took place in June, was the result of cooperation between …
Continue readingHongKong – Shenzhen railway study to conclude in 2022 (Railway-Tech)
Hong Kong authorities are on track to complete the first study for the Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Express Railway next year. As informed by Secretary for Transport and Housing of Hong Kong Frank Chan Fan in …
Continue readingMaking light rail affordable: Very light rail (RailEngineer)
Pre-Covid, there were almost 300 million journeys a year on Britain’s light rail systems. Their high capacity provides urban connectivity that drives economic growth. For example, the Docklands Light Railway helped regenerate London’s Docklands whilst …
Continue readingA deeper look at the Tube’s Spiral Escalator
One of the enduring mysteries of the Underground is the Spiral Escalator at Holloway Road station – did it actually function? And if so, did it carry any passengers? How did it work? There has …
Continue readingAlternatives for Manchester rail congestion (RailFreight)
An alternative proposal has been tabled to relieve congestion in Manchester’s notorious Castlefield Corridor. The short section of twin-track across the south side of the city centre is running at over capacity, and it is …
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