Technology news – Page 76
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NewsICE4 receives ETCS approval in Germany
GERMANY: Federal railway authority EBA has approved the operation of ICE4 high-speed trains with ETCS, Siemens announced on November 5. This will enable their use on the Berlin – München high speed line from the December 9 timetable change. The ICE4 trainsets are fitted with ETCS Baseline 3 onboard equipment, ...
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Metro Report InternationalGraz selects ZF condition monitoring system
AUSTRIA: Following a successful pilot project, municipal transport operator Graz Linien has decided to equip its tram network with track and wheel condition monitoring and digital fleet management technology from ZF. Sensors on the trams will provide early warning of potential track defects, while the ZF Smart Typeplate will enable ...
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Rail Business UKRoad-rail vehicle equipped with illuminated exclusion zone
SAFETY: Contractor Keltbray is equipping 14 Colmar road-rail vehicles with high-intensity blue directional lights from Road Rail Plant Ltd which clearly illuminate a 10 m exclusion zone when the machinery is operating. In May 2017 the company installed LED lights which provide spot markers, but the new system provides a ...
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NewsRobot railway police deployed
SOUTH KOREA: This month four police robots are to be deployed at Seoul and Dongdaegu stations, where they will undertake autonomous patrols, provide CCTV coverage and interact with passengers to provide safety and other information. The robots have been developed by Future Robot as part of its Furo range ...
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Metro Report InternationalThe right information to the right people at the right time
FINLAND: Helsinki transport operator HKL is to deploy Teleste’s S-Aware situational awareness platform to support decision making when to complex or critical incidents occur on the capital’s metro network. The contract is worth more than €2m, with phased installation scheduled to start in 2019 for completion at the end of ...
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Metro Report InternationalAutomating trolleybus inspection
INSPECTION: Austrian company Kruch Railway Innovations has launched Trolleybus Checkpoint, which uses 3D laser scanning to automate the time consuming and potentailly damgerous daily inspection of the sliding contacts on trolley poles. Trolleybus Checkpoint provides information on whether contacts are damaged or worn and detects hairline cracks which are too ...
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NewsLevel crossing upgrading contract awarded
SWEDEN: Trafikverket has selected Portuguese company Efacec and its local partner IndustriSpar to develop, gain approval for and then supply a new generation of automatic level crossing protection systems, including control equipment, interfaces, barriers and road signs. The contract is worth €5m/year for an initial five years, and is renewable ...
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Rail Business UK
Signalling changes reduce delays where road traffic uses rail alignment
UK: Network Rail has made 'innovative' changes to the signalling system to reduce delays to road traffic at Stromeferry, where a section of the Inverness – Kyle of Lochalsh line has been paved to enable it to be used by road traffic while Highland Council carries out works on a ...
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NewsGibela assembly plant inaugurated
SOUTH AFRICA: The Dunnottar industrial park where the Alstom-led Gibela joint venture will manufacture new EMUs for Prasa was officially inaugurated by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Transport Minister Blade Nzimande on October 25. The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga and the Premier of ...
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Metro Report International3D printed tram front end presented
SPAIN: CAF subsidiary RL Components presented a tram front-end produced using additive manufacturing on October 24. The front-end fitted to an Urbos tram at Tranvía de Zaragoza’s depot was developed in partnership with CAF Digital & Design Solutions. Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, enables the design ...
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NewsDriving innovation in rail freight
EUROPE: ‘We need a quantum leap’, suggested DG Move’s Director of Land Transport Elisabeth Werner, speaking at a workshop in Brussels on October 25 to launch the European Rail Industry Freight Agenda. Emphasising that rail freight had a key role to play in the decarbonisation of European transport, Werner warned ...
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NewsFlirt Akku battery multiple-unit unveiled
GERMANY: Stadler has officially unveiled the prototype Flirt Akku, a version of its Flirt family of electric multiple-units which is equipped with a battery to permit operation on non-electrified or partly-electrified routes. The unit was officially unveiled on October 25, when it carried guests between the Stadler Pankow factory in ...
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Rail Business UKEurostar deploys interactive robot at St Pancras station
EUROPE: Eurostar passengers in the departure area of London St Pancras station can now interact with a humanoid robot to find more information about their journey. Eurostar expects this to be particularly popular with families. The Pepper robot from SoftBank Robotics was supplied by Robots of London. It uses a ...
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Metro Report InternationalAir taxi trials to take place in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Aerial vehicle developer Volocopter is to test its ‘multicopter’ taxis in Singapore next year. A series of tests in the second half of 2019 would validate and verify the ability of the company’s eVTOL vehicles to operate in the city’s urban environment. The tests would include passenger-carrying flights. ...
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NewsComposite train seat support saves weight
COMPOSITE: Composites Evolution, Bercella and Element Materials Technology have completed the development and testing of a composite wall-mounted cantilever support for train seats. Using wall rather than floor-mounted supports improves access for cleaning and luggage storage, while the lightweight composite structure reduces traction energy needs and axleloads. ...
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NewsCOTS technology cuts level crossing control system cost
GREECE: Aktor has used commercial-off-the-shelf controllers from HIMA to automate the operation of level crossings on the mixed traffic Athens – Piraeus route . The control system provides comprehensive information on the status of the barriers using Aktor’s Artemmis monitoring system. Data from the trackside equipment is displayed on a ...
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Metro Report InternationalAutomating payments for concessionary journeys
UK: Fujitsu subsidiary Applied Card Technologies has launched an automated service designed to streamline the process of reimbursing transport operators for journeys made using transport authorities’ concessionary travel schemes. ACT said more than 12 million people in the UK receive free travel under government-funded concessionary travel schemes, with the transport ...
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NewsBonomi launches updated Omnia cantilever design
ITALY: Electrification specialist Gruppo Bonomi has updated its Omnia cantilever design with what it terms a ‘self-supporting’ variant suited to use in tunnels and other restricted access sites. The Omnia range of overhead line structures has been offered by the Italian supplier since 2008 and has been approved for use ...
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Metro Report InternationalBentley Systems acquires pedestrian simulation company
LEGION: Bentley Systems has acquired London-based Legion, which develops software to model the interaction of pedestrians with each other and physical obstacles in spaces such as stations, streets, airports and sports arenas. Legion tools can be used with Bentley’s recently-announced OpenBuildings Station Designer software to model station users’ activities and ...
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Metro Report InternationalSiemens Mobility invests in on-demand transport software company
PADAM: Siemens Mobility has made a 'substantial' investment in Padam, which provides white-label software-as-a-service for managing on-demand transport operations. Terms were not disclosed, and Padam will remain an independent and founder-led business. 'The investment in Padam represents our commitment to offering digital solutions that increase access to transportation information ...