Technology news – Page 5
-
In depthTrack Maintenance: Intelligent wheel-rail conditioning can reduce noise and wear
Advances in the control of wheel-rail conditioning are helping to facilitate a transition from stand-alone wayside and onboard applicators to an intelligent network that continually optimises the management of both friction and noise.
-
Rail Business UKHS2 station information management system contract awarded
UK: HS2 Ltd has awarded Siemens Mobility a £47m contract to provide an integrated station information management system covering Birmingham Curzon Street, Interchange, Old Oak Common and London Euston. Siemens Mobility is to supply its Digital Station Manager technology, which is in use on London’s Elizabeth ...
-
NewsGround-penetrating radar helps pre-empt track problems
AUSTRALIA: Queensland Rail and Zetica have begun analysing ground-penetrating radar data to map the condition of unseen parts of the state’s 4 600 km railway network. The GPR equipment was mounted on a Queensland Rail vehicle during a measuring campaign which ran February to April 2023. ...
-
Rail Business UKSiemens Mobility begins national deployment of geofencing technology
UK: Siemens Mobility has begun the national roll-out of Tended’s geofencing technology, following a successful six-month pilot programme involving various teams and work activities. The deployment aims to provide an additional layer of protection for trackside teams, and show the live location of road-rail vehicles and ...
-
NewsGas-fuelled freight locomotive under development
USA: Plans have been unveiled for the development and testing of a prototype main line freight locomotive with a powered tender, which will be fuelled by renewable natural gas. RNG is a purified biogas that can be used interchangeably with conventional natural gas. ...
-
NewsJR Central develops automated Shinkansen overhead line checks
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway has developed an automated overhead line inspection system that can be fitted to series-built trains used on the Tokaido Shinkansen. Able to check the position of wires and the condition of fittings while trains are travelling at up to 300 km/h, the ...
-
Rail Business UKSpring time for train seats
UK: Mattress and furniture spring manufacturer Spinks has been awarded a £250 000 research contract to bring its EcoSeat glue-free pocket microcoil technology to the rail seating market. The funding has been awarded under the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s First of a Kind programme. ...
-
Rail Business UKConverting passenger information into sign language
UK: Signapse is aiming to improve access to real-time passenger information by using AI to translate messages at stations and on trains into British Sign Language. The specialist technology company is working with Network Rail, South Western Railway and Whoosh Media on the project, which has ...
-
In depthData systems: Managing the transition to next-generation communications
The emergence of packet-based MPLS-TP data networks offers infrastructure managers a means to move away from legacy technology such as Time Division Multiplex, enabling them to keep pace with demands for an increasingly digital railway.
-
![MobileUnit 6[81]](https://d1c4d7gnm6as1q.cloudfront.net/Pictures/100x67/1/1/8/62118_mobileunit681_627241.jpg)
Rail Business UKTrain toilet servicing vehicle delivered
UK: Vogelsang has taken delivery of a Bradshaw PFB1500-1100 electric vehicle which will be used for servicing train controlled emission toilets. The company needed a vehicle which could carry its CET wastewater units while offering user-friendly operation, low noise and the ability to service several trains ...
-
NewsSoftware expands ticket vending machine capabilities
ITALY: Trenord is the first customer to deploy a ticket machine software platform which Conduent Transportation has developed to provide a user experience similar to a web app and to enable the future sale of new products. The ticket machines accept payment by digital payment apps, ...
-
In depthResilient Infrastructure: Reducing rail noise with acoustically optimised crossings
The noise generated by trains passing over turnouts can pose problems for railways, particularly in residential areas. Laboratory trials have shown the potential benefits of high-damping polyurethane composites, and a field test is currently underway on the ÖBB network in Austria.
-
NewsUnion Pacific rebuilds Plasser tamper
USA: Union Pacific’s Denver workshop has completed work on the first of 32 Plasser American 09-16 Dynacat continuous action tampers which are to be rebuilt to be more user-friendly, enhance safety and simplify repairs. Casey Prewitt, Senior Manager, Maintenance of Way Shop, said this was the ...
-
In depthResilient Infrastructure: Using machine learning to inspect overhead wires
Swedish infrastructure manager Trafikverket and maintenance contractor Infranord are using machine learning technology to monitor the condition of electrification equipment across the country.
-
In depthResilient Infrastructure: Protecting Japan’s national network from earthquakes
The Railway Technical Research Institute is striving to find ways of making Japan’s railways safer and more secure against damage from earthquakes.
-
Rail Business UKHybrid satellite and terrestrial communications for rail
UK: Technology consultancy CGI, satellite operator Eutelsat OneWeb and on-train connectivity supplier Icomera are running trials to demonstrate how constellations of low-earth orbit satellite and terrestrial communications networks could provide seamless, low-latency broadband on the rail network. The trial is connected to the Satellites ...
-
Rail Business UKEurostar depot equipped with moveable overhead electrification
UK: Electrification specialist Furrer+Frey has completed a project to install moveable conductor bar at Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot in east London. A total of 1·5 km of movable overhead has been installed on the eight depot tracks. It can be moved out of the ...
-
In depthResearch: Integrating AI in the rail sector
A European research project led by Italy’s National Interuniversity Consortium for Informatics suggests that adoption of AI technologies will have a transformative impact on railway business and operations.
-
NewsONxpress to deploy IVU.rail software in GO expansion
CANADA: The ONxpress consortium which has a concession to design, build, operate and maintain the expanded GO rail network around Toronto is to use IVU Traffic Technologies’ IVU.rail software to schedule, dispatch and optimise its future services. ‘We made the decision to go with IVU.rail following ...
-
In depthSignalling: Queensland enters the digital age
Bringing together public and private sector partners, the Sequence Signalling & Systems Alliance is pressing ahead with the introduction of ETCS Level 2 train control across the South East Queensland rail network.