Articles tagged with Railways
A QUT study found drivers approach level crossings significantly faster and with less caution than at road intersections, posing a significant risk of fatalities. Drivers often fail to assess the situation properly, failing to recognize approaching trains or adapting their behavior for reduced visibility during night-time driving.
Red squirrels cache seeds in underground storage areas, which grizzly bears dig up and consume, conditioning them to seek grain on trains. This behavior can lead to increased train strikes and human-wildlife conflicts.
Climate change creates extreme conditions that impact railway bridge maintenance, requiring new solutions to mitigate track deterioration and reduce carbon emissions. The study evaluates the effectiveness of eight mitigation measures, recommending elastic rail pads, soft baseplates, and under ballast mats for short-span bridges.
The Institute of Railway Research (IRR) at the University of Huddersfield will develop rolling stock with enhanced durability, energy efficiency, and reduced maintenance costs. The £92 million UK Railway Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) will accelerate technology adoption for next-generation rolling stock.
Scientists have discovered three new toad species in Nevada's Great Basin, with the Dixie Valley toad having unique physical features and a small population size. The finding is significant due to the rarity of toad discoveries in the United States.
A study found that grizzly bears in Canadian national parks use railways as a food source, likely attracted by spilled grain and vegetation. The researchers recommend reducing grain spills and mitigating foraging areas to minimize the risk of train collisions.
A new smartphone app has been developed to measure ride comfort for railway companies, providing instant feedback from passengers about bumps, bangs and vibration on trains. The app uses artificial neural networks to evaluate ride quality, revealing that modern smartphones' accelerometers are suitable for measuring comfort.
A new research review suggests that the UK's nuclear safety benchmark undervalues human life, with a current figure of £1.83 million per prevented fatality potentially too low. A revised estimate, considering a more robust methodology, places the value at between £16 million and £22 million per life saved.
Researchers at UTA will lead a collaborative effort to use UAVs for remote inspection of highways and railroads. The project aims to develop guidelines for safe and efficient use of UAVs, leveraging their advantages in speed, safety, and cost compared to human on-site inspections.
A study by Ting Luo examines the value of dynamic forecasting in intermodal management, finding it reduces holding costs and ensures swift stock buildups for imminent shortages. Dynamic forecasting guides policy formulation, particularly when customer heterogeneity is high, inventory costs are low, and forecast accuracy is high.
A study by Queensland University of Technology found that drivers can see trains from a distance, but struggle to estimate their speed. On average, drivers overestimated the train's speed by 36% at 750m away and 29% at 350m away.
A new study predicts that rail services in the South West of England will be disrupted for over 40 days per year by 2040 and up to 120 days by 2100 due to rising sea levels. The cost of maintaining tracks and sea defences is also expected to soar, with estimated annual costs rising from £800,000 to £5.8-7.6 million by 2040.
Researchers developed a computerized tool to guide stakeholders in recovering large-scale infrastructure systems after disasters. The tool, based on network science, identifies the order in which stations need to be restored, considering factors like centrality measures and station importance.
The Sochi Winter Olympics have left a legacy of oversized infrastructure and inflated prices, paid for almost exclusively by the public. The total cost of the Games is $55bn, with sports-related costs alone amounting to $16bn, more than twice the official figure.
Researchers at the University of Huddersfield are working on a £6.5 million project to develop new switch designs that can withstand heavy loads and reduce wear and tear. The goal is to make drastic reductions in track maintenance costs and improve the overall efficiency of rail networks.
A new study reconstructs the genetic history of HIV-1 group M and concludes that it originated in Kinshasa around 1920. The team's analysis suggests a 'perfect storm' of factors, including urban growth, transport links, and social changes, contributed to the emergence of HIV from Kinshasa and its spread across Africa and the world.
Researchers at Vetmeduni Vienna warn of the impact of fencing and railway development on migratory ungulates in Mongolia's Gobi-Steppe Ecosystem. The authors advocate for structural modifications to fences, removal of unnecessary barriers, and re-routing of railway lines to minimize negative effects on ecosystem integrity.
Wayne State University leads a two-and-a-half-year study on the imagination of high-speed rail in America, examining what motivates decision makers and users to champion or use trains. The research aims to understand how railway futures are shaped by urban growth plans and transportation visions.
The University of Huddersfield is launching a £4 million Centre for Innovation in Rail, funded by the Government's Regional Growth Fund. The centre will provide world-class training and services to develop critical engineering interfaces in the rail industry, increasing innovation and reducing costs.
The device achieves low consumption by harnessing environmental energy sources. Wireless sensor networks utilizing the device have numerous applications in various fields.
Researchers are developing modular, all-steel track sections that can be laid quickly and embedded with fibre optic technology for instant safety alerts. This innovation aims to reduce maintenance costs and improve efficiency in the railway industry.
Researchers at the University of Huddersfield's Institute of Railway Research are working on the UK's first Tram-Train scheme to address interface issues. The team has developed a new wheel profile design that minimizes wear rates and maintains safety against derailment.
A recent study tested fiber-optic sensors on a 36-km stretch of high-speed commuter railroad lines in Hong Kong, detecting over 10 million measurements and identifying anomalies such as excessive vibrations and mechanical defects. The system saves the rail company around $250,000 annually in maintenance costs.
The DynoTRAIN project aims to establish virtual testing as a valid route to certification for rail vehicles. Researchers used real-world track data and simulated the dynamic behavior of railway vehicles to build mathematical tools that can synthesize data into representative virtual test environments.
The University of Huddersfield will create a Centre of Innovation in Rail with the received funding, building on its Institute of Railway Research's world-class research and training capabilities. The project aims to address identified challenges in engineering, safety, risk, and skills, improving UK railway competitiveness.
New research from the University of Southampton has found that ultrafine dust particles in underground railway environments are rich in metals, posing a potential health risk. The tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and potentially enter underlying tissue and the circulation.
A Kansas State University-led research project is developing quality control tests for freeze-thaw durable concrete railroad ties. The team adds surfactants to the concrete to create pressure release valves, protecting it from damage.
Researchers analyzed AVE fire evacuation strategies using computer models and a real drill. The results show that pre-evacuation is crucial, gathering all passengers together before the train stops is ideal.
A study reveals that urban rail traffic induces significant environmental vibrations in the short wavelength range, caused by uneven wheel-rail contact. The researchers found that the source function for these vibrations is better described by a power spectral density function of wheel-rail contact rather than track contact.
The EU-funded ADVANCE project will deliver methods and tools for formal modelling, verification, and validation to produce precise models for embedded systems. This will help eliminate design errors before projects go into manufacturing, reducing costs and improving system quality.
A team of researchers has discovered that the length of cellular railways is controlled by a passenger protein called Smy1, which pauses during the journey to communicate with machinery building the railways. This mechanism prevents overgrowth of longer cables and allows rapid growth of shorter ones.
The First European Forum on Railway Running Gears brought together top professionals to discuss advances in technology and interoperability. Researchers emphasized the importance of strengthening university-industry relationships to improve safety, profitability, and efficiency in the railway industry.
Researchers developed a virtual laboratory model to predict train vibrations, taking into account elasticity, density, and thickness of materials. The model was validated on the Madrid-Barcelona high speed line and will be applied to other rail facilities in future studies.
A study by the Spanish Railways Foundation found that high-speed trains, such as the AVE, consume 29% less energy and produce 31kg less CO2 per passenger compared to traditional trains. The main advantage of high-speed lines is not in reducing fossil fuel consumption, but in attracting passengers who would otherwise travel by air or car.
A railroad bypassed the first black-founded town in the United States, New Philadelphia, Illinois, to avoid expensive iron rails. The town's location proved more favorable for a straight route, but a shallow creek required a curved detour that increased construction costs.
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, used stable-isotope analysis to investigate the number of human victims killed by the famous lions. The study found that one lion likely ate 11 humans and the other consumed 24 people during their final nine months.
Researchers create framework to calculate environmental cost of travel, including power plants, train station upkeep and airport runway construction. A half-full Boston light railway is found to be as environmentally friendly as a midsize aircraft at 38% occupancy.
The 2009 Franz Edelman finalists demonstrate that analytics and operations research can contain spending and increase profits even in lean economic times. The six finalists from the U.S. and Europe used advanced analytical methods to help companies reduce costs, increase earnings, and achieve significant results.
Netherlands Railways improved train punctuality by 2.2% through operations research, increasing public satisfaction and attracting more passengers. The project resulted in an additional annual profit of $60 million and is expected to grow to $105 million.
A new Penn State study suggests ways to improve US rail safety by addressing inadequate security measures, improving coordination between agencies and leveraging the role of railroad police. The report recommends comprehensive legislation, increased funding for security efforts and enhanced training for personnel.
Researchers have developed plastic railway sleepers made from waste polystyrene and polyethylene, which can last for centuries compared to wood or concrete sleepers. These biodegradable sleepers also provide a cost-effective solution for Network Rail's goal of using 23% recycled material by 2012.
Researchers at the University of California - San Diego have developed a new technique to detect internal defects in steel railroad tracks using laser beam pulses and ultrasonic microphones. The technology has shown promising results, detecting 76.9-100% of internal defects and 61.5-90% of surface cuts in dry and wet conditions.
Permafrost thawing poses significant challenges to the Tibetan train route, as predicted climate change and construction activity can cause soil melting. Crushed rock insulation helps mitigate this effect by minimizing heat intake and promoting cooling over time.
Virginia Tech has been selected by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to host a new research lab focused on improving railroad safety, productivity, and efficiency. The lab will be established with an annual grant of $200,000 and is expected to foster closer ties between the university and the railroad industry.
Canadian Pacific Railway has developed a fixed-schedule operating plan that optimizes traffic patterns, resulting in reduced costs, improved service reliability, and increased profitability. The approach also enables better service for customers and sets a new standard for the industry.
Researchers explore how complexity theory can help businesses manage complex issues, such as supply and demand patterns. Key findings include the use of genetic algorithms to improve delivery performance and the importance of predictive powers in an unpredictable world.