Technology news – Page 24
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Metro Report InternationalLondon Underground seeks alternatives to full-scale driver training simulators
UK: Transport for London is looking for ‘innovative solutions’ which would reduce its reliance on full scale mock-up cab simulators for training London Underground drivers. TfL says full-scale simulators ‘seem to add value to the training experience’, but are large, immovable, and require staff to travel ...
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Rail Business UKTunnel drilling rig increases output and safety
UK: AmcoGiffen has developed a drill rig to assist Transport for Wales and principal contractor Amey Infrastructure Wales with the installation of two high voltage 60 mm² cable routes in the crown of the Caerphilly tunnel. The rig can be operated remotely from a trailer to ...
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NewsAutomated train positioning trials
GERMANY: Fully automated operation of regional passenger trains has moved a step closer with the launch this month of the AutomatedTrain project by Deutsche Bahn and partners from industry and research. Forming part of the Digital Schiene Deutschland (Digital Rail Germany) initiative, the project aims to ...
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Metro Report InternationalFive-point plan to enhance Hong Kong rail asset management
CHINA: MTR Corp has announced a HK$65bn five-point plan to enhance Hong Kong rail asset management, maintenance and renewals over the next five years. This follows a review commissioned by the board in response to the failures of a metallic protection barrier at Yau Ma Tei ...
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NewsActive Audio amplifies announcements in Leuven
BELGIUM: The quality and audibility of acoustic announcements at Leuven station has been enhanced through the installation of a set of advanced loudspeakers to a novel design. French supplier Active Audio says the installation is the largest deployment to date of its steerable StepArray SA180S column ...
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Metro Report InternationalBoston and Hong Kong metros order cranes
INTERNATIONAL: Palfinger has won two contracts to supply PK700T lifting units for track maintenance and renewals on metro lines in Boston and Hong Kong. The compact PK700T is specifically designed for work in tunnels and under overhead power lines. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has ordered pivoting ...
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NewsHamburg S-Bahn to trial digital energy saving controls
GERMANY: As part of the Digitale S-Bahn Hamburg programme, the city of Hamburg, Deutsche Bahn and Siemens Mobility are to trial an intelligent operations control system aimed at making operations more energy efficient. Signing a co-operation accord on July 18, the three partners agreed to invest ...
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NewsEurostar check-in biometric verification goes live
The SmartCheck biometric check-in and UK border exit system has gone live at Eurostar’s London St Pancras station; Railway Gazette International tries it out and speaks to the high speed train operator and supplier iProov.
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast launches real-time interactive train map
UK: Technology company Signalbox has developed a customised interactive live map for Avanti West Coast’s website which enables passengers to track their train in real-time. This builds on Signalbox’s technology which tracks and maps National Rail trains. Users can follow the service on which they are ...
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In depthSpace Technology: European aerospace bodies see rail opportunities
European aerospace organisations ESA and EUSPA are developing dedicated initiatives aimed at facilitating the use of satellite technology in rail applications, with ERTMS a particular focus. Nick Kingsley reports.
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Rail Business UKViaduct design automation software saves time and carbon
UK: In what HS2 Ltd says is a first for the construction industry, it has used Altair’s OptiStruct aerospace and automotive design software to develop an automated civil engineering design process which it says can reduce embedded carbon in viaducts by up to 10% and shrink ...
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Metro Report InternationalDocklands Light Railway tests navigation app for visually impaired passengers
UK: The NaviLens app designed to assist blind or partially sighted travellers is to be tested at the Docklands Light Railway’s Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, Woolwich Arsenal and Tower Gateway stations. Users scan a smart code at the station, and the app’s voice assistant then provides ...
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News‘Over and back’ speeds Brisbane ETCS testing
AUSTRALIA: Hitachi Rail has adopted ‘over and back’ switching principles to speed up the testing of digital train control systems being installed on the southeast Queensland rail network. ETCS Level 2 operation is being introduced in conjunction with Brisbane’s Cross River Rail project, which will see ...
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Metro Report InternationalEasy to use app for more inclusive route planning
GERMANY: Berlin-Brandenburg transport authority VBB has launched VBB Easy, a route planning app designed for ease of use by people with cognitive impairments or mobility limitations, or anyone who prefers a particularly simple app. Developed by Siemens Mobility company Hacon, VBB Easy is designed to have ...
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Rail Business UKGWR trials Whoosh real-time journey dashboard
UK: Great Western Railway is undertaking a four-month trial of technology company Whoosh’s journey dashboard, which enables passengers to see real-time information for the train they are on and for any station. The system is being trialled on three trainsets and also at Patchway and Newton ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern sets the pace in cyber resilience
Over the past seven years, Northern has worked with supplier RazorSecure to develop an ambitious programme of cybersecurity risk management, the operator’s Onboard Systems Manager Marc Silverwood tells Tony Miles.
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NewsSTREAM programme showcases track maintenance innovations
EUROPE: The automation of heavy machinery and development of exoskeleton technology for track workers were showcased when the STREAM R&D project held its concluding event in Tarragona in Spain on June 8. The 33-month collaboration between seven partners from six countries was co-ordinated by IIT-Istituto Italiano ...
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Metro Report InternationalIoT tools monitor tramway pointwork and track temperature
AUSTRALIA: Melbourne operator Yarra Trams has completed the deployment of IoT-based condition monitoring tools to support preventive maintenance of points and to mitigate the effects of hot weather on its tracks. YT has installed Queensland-based IoT technology company Kallipr’s Captis Pulse Lite and Captis Pit Monitoring ...
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Metro Report InternationalSubsurface mapping company enters UK market with tram survey
UK: Non-intrusive subsurface mapping technology company Exodigo has entered the UK market by working with Colas Rail on the West Midlands Metro extension programme. Colas Rail used Exodigo’s technology to scan for unmapped utilities on the route of the light rail extension to Birmingham’s future Curzon ...
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Metro Report InternationalMetro operator signs up for further industry–academia collaboration
CHINA: MTR Corp and the Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the operator will provide a further HK$20m to deepen their collaboration in areas including communications, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and data analytics. MTR Corp ...