Technology news – Page 15
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Rail Business UKOnboard track condition monitoring sensors on trial in Scotland
UK: Hitachi Rail’s Perpetuum subsidiary is working with Network Rail, Porterbrook and ScotRail to test the use of onboard digital sensors to automate the detection of track faults. The self-contained and self-powered sensors mounted in trains running in passenger service use a combination of gyroscopes and ...
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Rail Business UKAccurate train location data trial underway
UK: Potential uses of very precise train location data are being assessed from a trial installation of Thales’ Robust Train Positioning System on a Great Western Railway Class 150 diesel multiple-unit. RTPS combines data from satellite positioning systems, inertial and radar velocity sensors and a digital ...
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NewsSpanish EMUs to have ABB traction batteries
SPAIN: Stadler has awarded ABB a US$80m contract to supply traction converters and roof-mounted lithium-ion batteries for 59 double-deck electric multiple-units which RENFE has ordered for use on Madrid and Barcelona commuter services. The EMUs will operate primarily using 3 kV DC overhead, but will be ...
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NewsSNCF and Alstom unveil first tri-mode Régiolis conversion
FRANCE: SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom have unveiled the first tri-mode battery-electro-diesel Régiolis train, converted from an existing four-car bi-mode trainset.
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NewsInfranord locos to be equipped with Hitachi ETCS
SWEDEN: Hitachi Rail is to fit ETCS and STM-ATC2 equipment on two Class Tb diesel locomotives operated by state-owned railway construction and maintenance company Infranord. STM-ATC2 enables vehicles equipped with ETCS to operate on lines which have not yet been equipped with ETCS lineside technology. ‘These ...
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In depthResearch: Extending the role of backup batteries
Projects in Chengdu and Moscow have confirmed that nickel battery technology, originally developed to provide onboard backup services on metro trains, can also provide a cost-effective source of power for emergency traction, eliminating the need to install separate battery packs.
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Rail Business UK‘Cleaner, quieter and quicker’ diesel-battery hybrid train enters passenger service
UK: Chiltern Railways has put into passenger service its HybridFLEX hybrid multiple-unit, which is fitted with a battery pack to store regenerated braking energy which can then be used to provide emission-free operation in stations and urban areas without needing new infrastructure.
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NewsPortable brake force measurement device
SWITZERLAND: Measurement device specialist Kistler has developed a highly portable device for measuring brake force on trains. Kistler developed the BFMS for staff at SBB’s maintenance depots in Oberwinterthur where the operator was keen to optimise the brake force measurement process. The device comprises four 9303A1B ...
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Rail Business UKReal-time access to freight locomotive CCTV
UK: Journeo has equipped GB Railfreight’s fleet of almost 100 Class 66 locomotives with forward-facing CCTV and a connection to a cloud-based data portal, providing the control room with real-time access to train location, status and condition monitoring data. Staff have immediate ...
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NewsLineside wagon monitoring gathers pace in Europe
EUROPE: Automated wagon inspection technology is to be installed across key rail freight arteries following the development of monitoring equipment that can be set up within a single day. Devised by Bonn-based lineside monitoring equipment company RailWatch, automated wagon inspection systems have recently been installed at ...
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NewsBusiness class lights upgraded
AUSTRIA: ÖBB has selected a reading light from German supplier TSL-ESCHA for a refresh of the business class saloon on its premium Railjet inter-city services. According to TSL-ESCHA, the TSL BL18 reading light features a 270 mm long flexible arm that can be adjusted by passengers, ...
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NewsDB awards drone image analysis contract
GERMANY: Infrastucture manager DB Netz has awarded Datumate a renewable two-year contract to analyse and interpret images of infrastructure works taken by drones. The Israel-based supplier of construction data analytics will provide its DatuBIM cloud-based platform to assess the images, enabling DB to monitor the progress ...
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Rail Business UKSidings warning system installed at Doncaster depot
UK: Zonegreen has installed a sidings warning system on a track at Hitachi Rail’s Doncaster Carr depot, which is used for toilet emptying, water tank filling, fuelling and sanding of various Class 80x fleets. Inbound vehicles are detected by a treadle switch that activates beacon sounders, ...
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In depthComment: Rail freight’s big battery booster
A string of recent orders for battery-electric locomotives from railways in North America and Australia offers hope of decarbonising the heavy haul freight sector, as well as the promise of innovations which railways elsewhere could adopt in the future.
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NewsSpace engineers rethink rail freight with autonomous battery-electric vehicles
Prototype autonomous battery-powered container wagons are being developed by engineers at California start up Parallel Systems. Co-founder, CEO and former SpaceX engineer Matt Soule explains how the company aims to bring new thinking to rail freight.
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NewsFormula 1 technology company to support development of battery train
AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals Group’s green technology division Fortescue Future Industries is developing what it says is a ‘world leading’ battery electric train concept. The project was disclosed on January 24 when Fortescue announced it had agreed to acquire UK-based motorsports technology company Williams Advanced Engineering, saying ...
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NewsImproved rolling stock battery cell launched
JAPAN: Toshiba has introduced a 20Ah-HP version of its 20 Ah SCiB rechargeable lithium-ion battery cell, designed for heavy-load applications where high power input and output are essential, such as rolling stock traction and emergency power. The 20Ah-HP cell has a 1·7 times higher input and ...
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NewsENYSE selects AdaCore platform for signalling software development
SPAIN: ACS Industrial Services is making a ‘determined push’ in the rail sector through its ENYSE signalling business, which has selected AdaCore’s GNAT Pro environment to develop radio block centre software that will be the cornerstone of its future systems. ‘Our new rail signalling project is ...
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News‘Quantum leap’ as CBTC goes live on København’s cross-city S-bane core
DENMARK: København’s S-bane suburban trains have started using CBTC through the cross-city core, following the commissioning of the new signalling over the weekend of January 15-16.
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NewsHitachi and IMT form freight monitoring partnership
INTERNATIONAL: Hitachi Rail and Intermodal Telematics have signed a long-term exclusive partnership agreement which will see the Dutch company’s monitoring technology added to Hitachi Rail’s digital rail freight platform. The initial focus will be on European and North American markets, with Edoardo La Ficara, Chief Operating ...