Technology news – Page 77
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NewsBluetooth beacon competition to enhance stations
FRANCE: SNCF’s stations business Gares & Connexions has launched an innovation competition branded Open Beacon aimed at enhancing the accessibility of and service offering at major stations. The term ‘open beacon’ refers to Gares & Connexions’ plan to install Bluetooth geolocation tags in more than 300 stations across the country. ...
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Metro Report InternationalAutonomous electric shuttle takes to the road
CANADA: This month Keolis and the City of Candiac launched what they say is the first long-term demonstration of an autonomous electric shuttle on public roads in Canada. ‘We invite all public transit users and anyone who is curious or interested to come and try it now’, said Mayor ...
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NewsShift2Rail announces 2018 grants
EUROPE: Shift2Rail is to provide up to €77·3m of co-funding for 19 research and innovation projects with a total value of €152·6m, the joint undertaking announced on October 17. The funding to be awarded under the 2018 Call for Proposals brings the cumulative spending on railway research to €490m, which ...
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NewsAerospace innovation for rolling stock electrical systems
FRANCE: Alstom, IGE+XAO and Safran have agreed to establish a centre of excellence for onboard electrical systems in Toulouse. Located at aerospace equipment manufacturer Safran Electrical & Power’s site, the facility will be able to accommodate up to 100 engineers. IGE+XAO is providing design, simulation and manufacturing software under a ...
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Metro Report InternationalMobile phone app to be used for passenger study
USA: A mobile phone app is to be used to provide data for a survey of transport usage in the Minneapolis–St Paul Twin Cities region which being undertaken by the Metropolitan Council in partnership with the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation Between October 2018 and October 2019, a total ...
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Metro Report InternationalContactless payment guidance published
USA: Cross-industry body the US Payments Forum has published guidance developed by its Transit Contactless Open Payments Working Committee which is designed to assist transport agencies with the implementation of EMV contactless open payments. Transit Contactless Open Payments: Technical Solution for Pay As You Go is the second use case ...
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Metro Report InternationalDepot management system expanded for electric bus fleet
GERMANY: To support Hamburg transport operator Hamburger Hochbahn’s plans to replace 1 000 diesel buses with vehicles offering no emissions at the point of use, software company PSI Transcom is to expand the PSItraffic depot management system which is used to plan operations at six bus depots. The technology which ...
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Rail Business UKBatteryFLEX Desiro EMU conversion proposed
UK: An engineering assessment has found that there is a ‘positive case’ for fitting Siemens Desiro Class 350/2 electric multiple-units with batteries to enable off-wire operation, Porterbrook Leasing said on October 15. The company is holding discussions with battery chemistry specialists with a view to producing a demonstrator unit. The ...
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NewsRENFE and ADIF to support Texas Central high speed service
USA: On October 10 high speed project promoter Texas Central announced that it had selected Spanish national operator RENFE and infrastructure manager ADIF as ‘strategic partners’ for the 386 km high speed line between Houston and Dallas. The Spanish partners were one of five bidders, Texas Central said. ‘RENFE is ...
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Rail Business UKPassenger assistance app on test
UK: A mobile app enabling passengers with disability to get assistance during their journeys is being tested by Greater Anglia, London Northwestern Railway, West Midlands Railway and South Western Railway ahead of a planned national launch next year. Developed by Transreport in collaboration with disability organisations including Scope, RNIB, Disability ...
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Metro Report InternationalVertical platform gates to be tested in Paris
FRANCE: SNCF’s Transilien business unit is to test vertically-rising platform edge gates from South Korean technology company sTraffic at Vanves-Malakoff station in southern Paris. Under a contract awarded at the end of 2017, the gates are due to be installed by April 2019 for a one-year trial. sTraffic has set ...
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Rail Business UKTrainPal smartphone app offers split ticketing options
UK: A smartphone booking app which calculates split ticketing options has been launched by Ctrip, the parent company of flight booking platform Skyscanner. The intricacies of the UK ticketing system mean it is sometimes possible for passengers to save money by booking separate tickets for different sections of a through ...
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NewsPolymer sleeper research partnership
AUSTRALIA: The University of Southern Queensland has formed a partnership with Austrak and Laing O’Rourke to develop and deploy fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials as an alternative to timber in sleepers and bridge transoms. The A$10m project has been backed by an A$3m grant from the government’s Co-operative Research Centre – ...
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NewsBlockchain-based locomotive data analysis trial announced
RUSSIA: Locomotive and rolling stock supplier Transmashholding has announced a partnership with blockchain developer Vostok to provide verified and distributed fleet data collection, analysis and storage. Vostok’s private blockchain platform is to be integrated with the SmartMaintenance diagnostics and forecasting system developed for TMH by data mining company ...
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Metro Report InternationalPanasonic to supply Merseyrail wi-fi
UK: Panasonic is to supply a wireless communications network for the Merseyrail network serving Liverpool that will include on-board passenger wi-fi and video and voice links to the control centre. The wi-fi will be fitted to the 52 four-car electric multiple-units that Stadler is supplying, which are due to ...
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Metro Report InternationalConnected vehicle test track opens in Düsseldorf
GERMANY: The City of Düsseldorf and Siemens Mobility officially opened a 20 km test track for automated and connected vehicle on September 24. Düsseldorf public transport operator Rheinbahn has provided 16 of its buses to be fitted with on-board equipment for test track operations. The equipment transmits vehicle location ...
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Rail Business UKDepot safety system linked to signalling
UK: The Zonegreen Depot Personnel Protection System at Chiltern Railways' Banbury depot has been linked to the facility's Fenix Tiefenbach signalling system, making it possible for trains to enter directly from the main line without needing a stop/start entrance and exit procedure. Installation was undertaken by Zonegreen and contractor Orton ...
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Metro Report InternationalCubic wins Los Angeles fare collection upgrade contract
USA: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded Cubic Transportation Systems a $22m contract to upgrade its automatic fare collection system. The TAP smart card, used across 25 regional transport agencies in the area, will be upgraded over the next 18 months. In addition to a mobile app, ...
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NewsDB Cargo awards telematics contract
GERMANY: DB Cargo has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to equip 30 000 wagons with CTmobile sensors which can continuously determine the vehicle location and provide information about load conditions including temperature and humidity. Roll-out will take three years, and Siemens Mobility will operate the system for six years. The ...
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NewsEthernet switches for rail applications
ETHERNET: TE Connectivity has announced a range of robust unmanaged industrial ethernet switches with M12 connectivity suitable for use on trains and other forms of public transport. ‘These switches conform to EN50155 and will help the digitalisation of railways’, said Egbert Stellinga, Industrial Product Manager at TE Industrial. ‘With the ...