In his State of the Stateaddress, California Governor Gavin Newsom called for the state to abandon the state’s full high speed rail (HSR) project, which would run from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and ultimately from Sacramento to San Diego. Instead, Newsom wants to commit just to the more feasible... Read more →

Alstom and Eversholt Rail have unveiled the design of a new hydrogen train for the UK market. The train, codenamed Breeze, will be a conversion of existing Class 321 trains, reengineering some of the UK’s most reliable rolling stock. These trains could run across the UK as early as 2022.... Read more →

Rio Tinto has successfully deployed AutoHaul, establishing the world’s largest robot and first automated heavy-haul, long distance rail network. (Earlier post.) The average return distance of these trains is about 800 kilometers with the average journey cycle, including loading and dumping, taking about 40 hours. Since completing the first loaded... Read more →

Ballard Power Systems has received a purchase order from Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited, a leading participant in the rail leasing market, for an FCveloCity-HD fuel cell module and related support to power a HydroFLEX train in the UK. Earlier this year, UK Rail Minister Jo Johnson MP challenged the rail... Read more →

Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland, Alstom, Nahverkehrsservice Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH (NASA) and Rolls-Royce plan to implement jointly a new hybrid drive solution on Abellio’s fleet of Coradia Lint diesel trains. The four companies agreed to conduct technical feasibility studies regarding the integration of hybrid drives developed by MTU (earlier post), a Rolls-Royce brand,... Read more →

Rolls-Royce and Alpha Trains intend to jointly retrofit Alpha Train’s Talent, Desiro and Lint fleets with MTU hybrid drives. The two companies signed a letter of intent to this effect at Innotrans, the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology, in Berlin. The aim is to retrofit the entire Alpha... Read more →

At InnoTrans 2018, the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology, MAN Engines is exhibiting the D3876 LE63x for locomotives, which produces 471 kW (632 hp) at 1,800 rpm. One of its outstanding features is the in-line six, which meets the EU Stage V emission standard for locomotives without the need... Read more →

Alstom held a world premiere event on Sunday celebrating its Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell train (earlier post) rolling into service in Lower Saxony, Germany. From today onwards, two such trains will enter commercial service according to a fixed timetable. Travellers in the Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (EVB) network can... Read more →

Bombardier Transportation has introduced a new battery-operated train: the BOMBARDIER TALENT 3 train. The new battery-operated train is the first of its kind to enter passenger operation in Europe in more than 60 years. It does not generate any exhaust and sets the standards for smart mobility with peak values... Read more →

Alstom’s Coradia iLint (earlier post), the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell passenger train, has been granted approval by the German Railway Office (EBA) for passenger service in Germany. Coradia iLint is based on the service-proven diesel train Coradia Lint 54. Replacing the diesel traction with fuel cell technology enables sustainable... Read more →

UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove published a new Clean Air Strategy to cut air pollution backed up through new primary legislation. The UK said it will go further and faster than the EU in reducing human exposure to particulate matter pollution. These proposals are in addition to the government’s £3.5-billion... Read more →

Ontario is taking the next steps in exploring the potential of Hydrail (hydrogen-powered rail technology) as an alternative to conventional electric trains. Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Transportation, released the province’s detailed Hydrogen Rail (Hydrail) Feasibility Study, which found that it would be feasible to build and operate electrified rail service... Read more →

Alstom will build 14 Coradia iLint fuel-cell trains (earlier post) for the Local Transport Authority of Lower Saxony (Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen, LNVG). The trains, which will convey travellers between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude from December 2021, will replace the diesel multiple units of the transport authority Elbe-Weser-Verkehrsbetriebe (evb) and will... Read more →

With the sharp and largely unexpected increase in the long-distance movement of domestically produced crude oil, ethanol, and natural gas since 2005, a number of concerns have arisen about the safe transport of these hazardous materials, particularly in relation to railroad track defects, rural communities’ emergency response preparedness, and the... Read more →

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have found that the air pollution and greenhouse gas costs of shipping crude by rail are nearly twice as large as those for oil pipelines. Further, their estimates of air pollution and greenhouse gas costs are much larger than estimates... Read more →

Siemens and Alstom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to combine Siemens’ mobility business including its rail traction drives business, with Alstom. The two businesses are largely complementary in terms of activities and geographies. Siemens will receive newly issued shares in the combined company representing 50 percent of Alstom’s share capital... Read more →

The Canadian province of Ontario is electrifying its GO rail network to transform how people move around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), and is seeking design concepts for hydrogen-powered trains as an alternative to conventional overhead wires. A division of Metrolinx, GO Transit is the regional public transit... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) reached settlements with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) to resolve violations of the state’s drayage truck regulation, which requires cleanup of trucks servicing the state’s busy ports and intermodal rail yards. An investigation by CARB’s Enforcement... Read more →

Transport researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have developed an innovative, holistic concept for the next-generation transport of cargo by rail—NGT CARGO. The concept aims to make European rail freight more appealing and hence increase its market share. It is distinguished by a... Read more →

In an effort to accelerate the movement to zero- or near-zero emission locomotives, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has petitioned the US EPA take action to adopt more stringent emission standards for locomotives. These new standards are to include standards for newly manufactured locomotives (which ARB refers to as... Read more →

Alstom successfully performed the first test run at 80 km/h (50 mph) of the fuel cell passenger train Coradia iLint (earlier post) on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony (Germany). An extensive test campaign will be conducted in Germany and Czech Republic in the coming months before the... Read more →

Diesel-powered commuter trains may expose their passengers to elevated levels of certain black carbon and ultrafine particles, especially in the coach directly behind the locomotive, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto. A paper on the study is published in the journal Atmospheric Environment. Professor... Read more →

The Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) signed a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with seven Korean research institutes—KICT (Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology); KOTI (Korea Transport Institute); KIMM (Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials); KERI (Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute); ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute);... Read more →

Maxwell Technologies, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of ultracapacitor-based energy storage and power delivery solutions, announced the first commercial application of lithium-ion capacitors, developed in conjunction with China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC-SRI), China’s largest rail manufacturer. (Earlier post.) The technology will be used for rapid energy regeneration in... Read more →

At Innotrans in Berlin, Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ MTU brand introduced the new MTU EnergyPack battery system for rail as a product that is now available for ordering. The Hybrid PowerPack is a market-ready advanced development based on a test version that has demonstrated its reliability in an intensive test program... Read more →

Alstom presented its Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell regional train at InnoTrans, the railway industry’s largest trade fair, taking place in Berlin from 20 to 23 September 2016. Alstom is among the first railway manufacturers to develop a passenger train based on fuel cell technology. To make the deployment of... Read more →

Amtrak is contracting with Alstom to produce 28 next-generation Avelia Liberty high-speed trainsets that will replace the equipment used to provide Amtrak’s premium Acela Express service. The contract is part of $2.45 billion that will be invested on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor (NEC) as part of a multifaceted modernization... Read more →

The Government of Canada has published proposed Locomotive Emissions Regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I. This marks Canada’s first regulation of air pollutant emissions from locomotives. The proposed regulations will criteria air contaminants (CACs), from locomotives operated by railway companies under federal jurisdiction through increasingly stringent emission standards and... Read more →

The State of California is awarding $9 million to the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) for 27 zero-emission trucks to replace diesel-powered heavy-duty tractors used in rail yards and large-scale freight distribution centers. The funds come from the California Climate Investments (CCI) program and are designed to reduce greenhouse gases... Read more →

Bosch has developed a new electronic driver system for trams that not only warns tram drivers of any impending collision but will engage the brakes independently to stop the tram and avoid an accident if the driver reacts to late or not at all. Bosch Engineering successfully adapted the company’s... Read more →

An 8.75MW battery storage network which will capture and reuse the energy created by braking subway cars will help Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) reduce operating costs, ensure energy resiliency, and support the stability of the electrical grid. Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, will fund, own, and operate the... Read more →

Bombardier Transportation has successfully completed a 41.6 km (25.9 miles) catenary-free test run using a Bombardier-built tram, powered entirely by its PRIMOVE battery in combination with BOMBARDIER MITRAC (Modular Integrated TRACtion system). The test run was conducted in the German city of Mannheim on the Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (RNV) network. RNV... Read more →

Audi has begun using a new 1,000 horsepower plug-in hybrid shunting locomotive manufactured by Alstom in daily operations at the Audi plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. The new locomotive runs without any emissions inside the plant buildings and can operate for up to two hours at a time in purely electric... Read more →

The DDFlyTrain research project, conducted by Ricardo, Artemis Intelligent Power (a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy) and Bombardier Transportation, (earlier post) has projects a fuel savings of around 10% based on the use of high speed flywheel brake recovery technology retrofitted to Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) rolling stock. This order... Read more →

Hydrogenics Corporation, a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and hydrogen-based power modules, signed a 10-year exclusive agreement to supply Alstom Transport with hydrogen fuel cell systems for Regional Commuter Trains in Europe. Alstom Transport is a unit of Alstom, a France-based global leader in power generation, transmission and... Read more →

Voith GFRP energy absorber: 60% weight reduction compared with standard steel absorbers. Click to enlarge. Voith is introducing a lateral energy absorber made of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) and aluminum. Compared with standard steel absorbers a weight reduction of 60% could be achieved. This new lightweight energy absorber is... Read more →

Linear accelerator concept for capsule acceleration and deceleration between 300 and 760 mph (480 and 1,220 km/h). Click to enlarge. Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk released the preliminary design study for what he calls “The Hyperloop”—a new high-speed electric transportation system targeted for the the specific case of... Read more →

The proposed Keystone XL pipeline for transporting oilsands-derived crude to Gulf Coast refineries would have “no material impact” on US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to a new Insight report by IHS CERA. In a June speech at Georgetown University, President Barack Obama said that the controversial Keystone XL pipeline... Read more →

Multi-body simulation of bogies which could be used for virtual certification. Source: TrioTRAIN. Click to enlarge. A four-year, €5.5-million (US$7.3-million) project that could enable manufacturers of rail vehicles to use virtual testing of trains in order to ensure safety standards throughout Europe while making huge savings on development costs is... Read more →

Earlier CN testing of LNG using a tank-car (non-Westport)-based tender with two converted test locomotives. Click to enlarge. Westport Innovations Inc. launched a liquefied natural gas (LNG) locomotive tender product solution with an order for four tenders from Canadian National Railway (CN); CN is currently testing two Electro-Motive Diesel locomotives... Read more →

Sitras SES. Click to enlarge. Siemens is currently installing the first Sitras SES (stationary energy storage) Energy Storage Unit with supercapacitor technology in the US on the new TriMet Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Line. The southeast Portland Tacoma substation location will house the first US storage unit that allows for... Read more →

Clockwise from upper left: ESS enclosure, power control unit and ultracapacitor modules. Source: TIGGER, Tri-Met. Click to enlarge. Maxwell Technologies, Inc. is supplying ultracapacitors for an energy-saving braking energy recuperation system that American Maglev Technology (AMT), is installing on light rail vehicles operated by the Portland, Oregon area’s Tri-County Metropolitan... Read more →

GE Transportation Class 70 PowerHaul locomotive. Click to enlarge. Recent testing commissioned by GE Transportation and overseen by Ricardo found that GE’s Class 70 PowerHaul diesel-electric freight locomotive would save 18% of fuel in comparison with the Class 66 currently representing the majority of the UK’s locomotive fleet. The Class... Read more →

Williams flywheel unit. Click to enlarge. Williams Hybrid Power, a division of the Williams group of companies that includes the Williams F1 Team, and Alstom Transport have signed an exclusive agreement that will see Williams Hybrid Power’s composite flywheel energy storage technology (earlier post) applied to Alstom’s Citadis trams by... Read more →

Union Pacific Railroad is investing $20 million to test new technology designed to reduce diesel emissions from freight locomotives in California. A series of 25 experimental locomotives will be based in two Union Pacific rail yards in California as part of a test of emissions-reducing technologies. One locomotive in this... Read more →

The battery-electric NS-999, “under the long hood”. Source: NS. Click to enlarge. In April, Axion Power International Inc received an order from Norfolk Southern Corp (NS) for PbC lead-carbon batteries for use in an all-battery-powered switcher locomotive. (Earlier post.) Axion Power said this first $400,000 purchase order is part of... Read more →

Artemis Intelligent Power, Ricardo and Bombardier Transportation are collaborating on a research and development project on rail brake energy recovery scheduled to commence in the second half of this year. The system under investigation combines the Artemis Digital Displacement hydraulic pump-motor system (earlier post) and Ricardo’s Kinergy flywheel high energy... Read more →

A new report highlights the results of research work carried out by Ricardo and TRL on behalf of the UK Department for Transport, exploring the means by which improvements in diesel fuel efficiency could be realized within the rail network of Great Britain. The study showed that smaller and more... Read more →

Bombardier EnerGstor wayside energy storage unit. Click to enlarge. Bombardier Transportation, a leading producer of rail vehicles and rail transportation equipment, systems and services, has selected Maxwell ultracapacitors as the energy storage element of the Bombardier EnerGstor braking energy recuperation system. Each stationary wayside EnerGstor unit consists of one or... Read more →

Westport high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) injector for heavy-duty engines. Click to enlarge. Westport Innovations Inc. has entered into an agreement with Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of diesel-electric locomotives, to integrate Westport’s high pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology and natural gas fuel system technologies into an EMD... Read more →