Technology news
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Rail Business UKWearable sensors to improve ergonomics
UK: Spatial Cortex Technology is improving worker safety through the use of MOVA wearable sensors which accurately track a person’s movements while they undertake their job. The sensors demonstrated at the Railway Industry Association Innovation Conference on March 26-27 clip on to clothing including personal protective ...
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Rail Business UKLED signals and barrier lights designed for better visibility
UK: Currently on test in Devon and Cornwall are LED signal heads developed by Unipart Rail which incorporate tinted glass and filters. These can reduce the risk of phantom aspects, where an unlit signal appears to be illuminated due to an external light source such as ...
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Rail Business UKVariable rate sanding equipment deployed on DMU fleet
UK: In response to the collision which resulted from low rail adhesion at Salisbury Tunnel Junction in October 2021, all of South Western Railway’s Class 158 and 159 diesel multiple-units have now been fitted with Variable Rate Sanding equipment supplied by Siemens Mobility. The variable rate ...
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In depthEurope: IoT tools help to ensure a rapid response
German IoT specialist Optimeas is working with infrastructure manager DB InfraGo to enhance the availability of its electrification inspection and repair vehicles as part of efforts to reduce the impact of power supply failures across the network.
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NewsLithuanian railway adopts western European data exchange system
LITHUANIAN: National railway LTG Group has joined the International Union of Railways’ Open Rail Freight EDI User System which enables freight operators to exchange CIM consignment notes. LTG Cargo said it is the first railway company in the Baltic States to choose Orfeus, which is ...
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NewsBNSF trials virtual reality training
USA: BNSF is working with Roundtable Learning to integrate virtual, augmented and mixed reality technology into its training programmes for staff undertaking mechanical works. The simulations being tested are designed to show the importance of personal protection equipment and improve risk awareness. ...
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Rail Business UKRequest to Stop button ready for trial at Welsh stations
UK: Transport for Wales is to trial a prototype Request to Stop system incorporating train running information and a button which passengers arriving at station can push to alert the driver of the next train to the need to call at a request stop. This removes ...
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NewsMaintenance vehicle converted to fuel cell power
AUSTRIA: An X534 overhead electrification construction and maintenance railcar has been converted from diesel to fuel cell power. Austrian Federal Railways’ technical service unit TrainTech worked with engineering consultancy m.ZERO to integrate fuel cell power modules from Cummins’ zero-emissions business Accelera into the vehicle as part ...
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In depthEurope: Getlink adopts AI and digital twins
As Channel Tunnel operator Getlink prepares for its future role in providing more and better services between the UK and France it is making a transition to a data-driven company, seizing the opportunities offered by data management and artificial intelligence.
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Rail Business UKTechnology tackles train surfers and bicycle thieves
UK: The Docklands Light Railway is to be equipped with technology which can detect ‘train surfers’ illegally clinging to the back of its automated trains or between vehicles. The system is being deployed by Telent, which has extensive experience of integrating CCTV, internet-of-things sensors and smart ...
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NewsNext-generation Multi-Purpose Vehicle on test
SWEDEN: Railcare is testing its second-generation Multi-Purpose Vehicle, which has been developed with ABB and can both operate and charge its batteries via overhead electrification. ‘Combining electric power with the possibility of switching to battery power is an advantage on sites where there is no overhead ...
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Rail Business UKFreightliner to explore synthetic locomotive fuel
UK: Freightliner and synthetic fuel developer Zero Petroleum have announced a partnership which aims to achieve fossil-free locomotive operation by 2040 and overall net zero by 2050. They are also looking at non-road mobile machinery and other vehicles. Zero has developed proprietary Fischer-Tropsch process technology to ...
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In depthInterview: ‘Digital pioneers must prioritise simplicity’
Swedish start-up Strainlabs is one of the founding participants in the Vossloh Connect digital ecosystem. Vossloh’s Head of Digital Pierre-Henri Bougeant and Strainlabs’ CEO Csaba Madru explain the partnership and why in rail digitalisation, simplicity is key.
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Rail Business UKHitachi launches flexible software for signaller training
UK: Hitachi has launched TREsim Flex, a realistic offline training environment for signallers that accurately replicates operational events. Hitachi says TREsim Flex offers all the advanced features of its established TREsim product, with a variety of signalling controls and flexible deployment options. TREsim Flex can run ...
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NewsBatteries provide emergency power for Kashmir railway tunnels
INDIA: Saft has supplied more than 30 sets of ReGenPro batteries to provide standby power for operational and safety systems in the tunnels on the Banihal – Sangaldan section of the Udhampur – Kashmir railway. The 48·1 km section was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ...
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NewsMetro-North Railroad to trial automated rolling stock inspection
USA: The automated inspection of commuter rolling stock is to be trialled on New York’s Metro-North Railroad, supported by a $2m grant from the federal Department of Transportation’s Strengthening Mobility & Revolutionizing Transportation programme. The automated inspection portal incorporating a suite of sensors and analytical software ...
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NewsSoftware supports Lithuanian operator’s digital transformation
LITHUANIA: National passenger operator LTG Link has deployed IVU Traffic Technologies’ IVU.rail software for planning and dispatch. ‘IVU’s many years of experience and integrative approach fit in with Lithuania’s strategy to use established European standards and processes to expand rail transport across the Baltic region’, said ...
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NewsIarnród Éireann seeks to develop start-up mindset
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann and Dogpatch Labs have launched Future Track which aims to bring a ‘start-up mindset’ to innovation in the rail sector. Iarnród Éireann staff will be mentored by entrepreneurs and engage in an annual three month programme which aims to make ideas ...
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NewsSBB tests automated shunting without possessions
SWITZERLAND: SBB and Alstom have carried out a series of trials using a remotely controlled shunting locomotive on tracks that remained open for normal operations. As part of the research trials, 24 locomotive drivers operated a shunter in the marshalling yard at Zürich-Mülligen from a control ...
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Rail Business UKSMEs selected for Bristol Temple Meads innovation zone
UK: Connected Places Catapult, Network Rail and Great Western Railway have selected three SMEs to receive funding of up to £75 000 for technology trials in the Station Innovation Zone at Bristol Temple Meads. Chrome Angel Solutions applies ‘serious games’ technology to tackle performance, safety and ...