Trains News

U.K. rail passengers to be offered 'smart tickets' By Tim Sandle The days of the paper ticket for travel on British trains may be limited with the announcement of a further extension of a paperless 'smart' ticket pilot.

All abroad: Kim dynasty's travels on armour-plated trains By AFP Seoul - The North Korean train that arrived in Beijing this week looked remarkably similar to one used by the North's late leader Kim Jong Il, its olive-green exterior and yellow stripe prompting intense speculation his son and successor Kim Jong Un was on boa...

Athens taxi drivers strike in Uber protest By AFP Atenas - Greek commuters saw journeys disrupted Monday as taxi drivers downed tools to protest at competition from ride-sharing firm Uber on a day rail workers also held a 24-hour strike.

Storm damage to cost Germany 500 mln euros as death toll rises By AFP Berlin - German insurers estimated Friday that ferocious gales that battered Germany caused 500 million euros ($614 million) in damages, as the number of dead across the country rose to eight.

Siemens, data analytics and train efficiency By Tim Sandle Transport systems are becoming increasingly integrated and customers are expecting improved efficiency. To help train operating companies with this task, Siemens have shown how big data analytics can be deployed.

Integrated transport solutions proposed for U.K. railways By Tim Sandle London - There are many advocates for an integrated transport policy and many see railways at the heart of this strategy. The U.K. government has commissioned a report to set out a vision for a modern, data driven railway network.

GE uses AI to find rail track flaws that could cause derailments By James Walker GE is using AI-equipped locomotives to automate detection of "sun kinks," rail track deformations that can cause derailments. AI models can scan video footage to identify track flaws, pinpointing their location and working out whether they pose a danger.

The busiest commuter railway in the U.S. is falling apart By Business Insider Amtrak will shut down several tracks along the Northeast Corridor to make long-overdue rail repairs, a move set to cause mass delays to commuters traveling on the LIRR and NJ Transit, Amtrak announced at a press conference Thursday morning.

Feds blame railroad for oil train derailment, spill in Oregon By Nathan Salant Portland - Calls for a U.S. ban on shipping oil by train got louder last week after federal investigators put the blame for a June 3 oil train derailment on Union Pacific Railroad.

Op-Ed: Williams, AZ offers fun, rodeos, and Grand Canyon Railway RV Park Special By Grace C. Visconti Grand Canyon - A scenic place for RVers to visit is Williams, AZ USA, located on historic Route 66 just 58 miles from the South Rim of the visually stunning Grand Canyon. It’s a great place to visit with lots to see and do for those who want a new adventure.

Slovenia suspends trains from Croatia ahead of migrant arrivals: railways By AFP Ljubljana - Slovenia on Friday suspended its rail links with Croatia ahead of the anticipated arrival of large numbers of migrants being rerouted towards the Alpine country after Hungary announced it would close its border with Croatia.

Austrian Railways suspends Hungary services due to migrants By AFP Vienna - Austrian Railways on Thursday suspended services to Hungary as it struggled to cope with thousands of migrants arriving from over the border after travelling up through the Balkans.

Denmark closes border to German trains over migrant influx By AFP Copenhagen - Danish police on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all rail services to and from Germany as hundreds of migrants refused to disembark from trains arriving from Denmark's southern neighbour, demanding to continue on to Sweden instead.

Woman lives on trains because she's sick of paying rent By Owen Weldon When passengers exit the train, Leonie Müller stays on it because she lives there. The train is her home and she has no problems with this.

Op-Ed: Bay Area transit agency needs a timeout or something By Nathan Salant San Francisco - Call us old-fashioned. Go ahead, we can take it. If you're still dishing by the time we're done telling you what we think, we might even listen.

Drug resistant bacteria lurking in New York subways By Tim Sandle A new study has shown that New York City's subway system is crowded with microbes that are resistant to two widely used antibiotics.

U.S. bill to increase safety resources for short line rail By Tim Sandle Washington - U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patty Murray (D-Washington), have introduced a bill that would authorize a new Short Line Rail Safety Institute to enhance the safety practices and culture of short line railroads.

Commuting students: English lessons available on trains in France By Anne Sewell Paris - For those in France wishing to improve their English, a new service started up this week. France's rail operator, SNCF, is offering English lessons, literally on the rails, to profitably pass commuters' travel time.

Madrid artists want Lady Gaga to wear their headphone dress By Anne Sewell Madrid - Raquel Moreno and Mónica Gutiérrez are rubbish artists, based in Madrid, Spain. They have designed a dress, made entirely from hundreds of pairs of headphones donated by Spain's Renfe railway company, and they want Lady Gaga to wear it.

Al-Qaeda targets European rail networks according to intelligence By Sami Zaatari Intelligence obtained from the NSA's interception of Al-Qaeda chatter suggests that the group intends to target high speed European rail networks.

Amtrak will buy new high-speed trains for Northeast corridor By Owen Weldon Amtrak announced that it plans on buying next-generation high-speed trains and will scrap plans to add passenger cars to its Acela Express fleet.

Chennai's empty spaces, the devil's workshop Special By Varun B. Krishnan Chennai - The Chennai's Mass Rapid Transport System's (MRTS) stations are extremely ill-maintained, lack security measures and don't make use of the free space available here.

300 million people without power as the lights go out in N. India By Darren Weir New Delhi - A massive blackout in New Delhi and 7 northern states is the worst in a decade and highlights infrastructure problems in Asia's third largest economy.

Photographer chronicles train-surfing in Bangladesh By Kim I. Hartman Dhaka - The deadly sport of train-surfing was recently spotlighted by a Bangladeshi photographer who hitched a ride on top of a train to capture train surfers in action with his camera.

New Jersey Transit experiences severe morning delays Special By Michael Krebs Newark - Citing power problems in the ongoing infrastructure challenges facing the region, New Jersey Transit commuters experienced widespread disruption Friday morning as one of the train lines connecting New Jersey and Manhattan went offline.

Amtrak trains collide in Northern California By Kevin Fitzgerald Oakland - Two passenger trains collided Wednesday night at around 10:00 p.m. Only minor injuries to passengers have been reported so far.

Bag-it-yourself bathroom option introduced on Dutch trains By Kevin Fitzgerald When most people think of Holland, they think of historic windmills, lush fields of tulips, "coffee" shops, and the traditional wooden shoes. But now, this beautiful country may also be known for its unorthodox bathroom solution on some of its trains.

China recalls 54 bullet trains over safety issues By Ernest Dempsey Beijing - China has recalled 54 bullet trains over safety concerns, a decision viewed generally as another jolt to the scandal-struck railway system in the country.

Obama pulls high speed rail projects in Wisconsin and Ohio By Michael Krebs Citing disinterest from newly-elected Republican governors, President Obama has redirected federal high-speed rail dollars from Wisconsin and Ohio to other states in need of the infrastructure investment.

Indian women slapping men who ride on women-only carriages By Kev Hedges Last year India Railways introduced several women-only trains in Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Calcutta and Madras (Chennai). Aimed solely to provide a safer travelling environment for the female commuter, the trains are often infiltrated by men.

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