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, …
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RSSB 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 readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 15 July 2019
• UK cities pollution warning over car tyre & brake dust (BBC) • Utrecht transformed its bus stops into bee stops (BrightVibes) • Judge orders reinstatement of Madrid’s LEZ (CitiesToday) • Could Seattle build light …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 12 July 2019
• ScotRail launches app for deaf passengers (RailTech) • Berlin considering Vienna’s euro-a-day public transport model (Guardian) • Banks steering maritime shipping toward climate goals (GreenBiz) • VW cheating scandal payback is funding US ebuses …
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 readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 8 July 2019
• Hammersmith Highline best and winning entries (HydeParkNow) • 1845 graphic train schedule & tool (SandraRendgen) • Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs (PriceTags) • Billions spent in US highway boondoggles (CityLab) • Portland takes step …
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 readingFriday Reads – 5 July 2019
• Seven colour blind Tube maps (BrilliantMaps) • SF Salesforce Transit Centre retake (Dirt) • The first org chart was by a railway (SandraRendgen) • Confessions of an electric scooter (McSweeneys) • When they used …
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 readingNight Trains – They’re not dead yet
Germany’s Deutsche Bahn and France’s SNCF terminated most of their respective City Night Lines and Intercités de Nuit pan-European night train routes by the end of 2016. The cessation of services by these two large …
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 …
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