News

US systems integrator Parsons has been selected by Metra, Chicago’s commuter rail operator, to install positive train control (PTC) technology on its commuter rail trains. PTC, which is federally mandated, is high tech collision avoidance technology that monitors and controls train movements. It is intended to prevent train to train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zones, and movement of trains through a main line switch left in an improper position. As prime contra

Alstom Transport has awarded Indra a US$3 million contract to develop and implement the ticketing systems for the first trolley line currently under construction in the Algerian city of Setif. With a total length of 22.2 kilometres, the Setif trolley line project is being undertaken by Entreprise du Métro d’Alger (EMA), which has subcontracted the construction to Alstom Transport and the construction company Yapi Merkezi. Indra will supply ticketing systems for the 27 stations and four interchanges p

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a senior loan of US$44.5 million to finance the modernisation of Kosovo’s railway infrastructure, deepening regional integration and strengthening the country’s economic development. The loan to Infrastruktura e Hekurudhave të Kosovës (Infrakos), the national railway infrastructure company, will provide funding to upgrade Kosovo’s only international rail link, Rail Route 10. The 148 kilometre-long line is divided into three section

The latest report from Reportlinker analyses the Australian intelligent transportation systems (ITS) market and indicates that the total market is expected to reach US$1,130.2 million by 2020, at a CAGR of 14.41 per cent between 2015 and 2020. The market for the application of advanced public transportation systems is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.90 per cent during the forecast period. The increasing demand for the use of technology in public transportation for vehicle location and real-time information

Berlin has become the first capital city to introduce a wirelessly charged electric bus, as part of a project funded by Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The Berlin Transport Authority, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) has introduced four Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses equipped with the Bombardier Primove inductive charging system and traction equipment from Vossloh Kiepe. The buses now operate on the 6.1 kilometre line 204 between Südkreuz and Zoologischer Garten (Hertzallee). Vos

The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will launch a multi-faceted Expedited Public Transportation Improvement Initiative (XPEDITE) on 8 September with the aim of gaining comment from the transit industry and others interested in public transportation on ways to improve program delivery.

The implementation of smart motorways in Northern Ireland would make economic, environmental and safety sense, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA) today. Responding to a study commissioned by the roads authority, TransportNI, which outlines the proposal of the M1 and M2 in and out of Belfast becoming smart motorways, FTA stated that freight operators would see benefits in the introduction, economically, environmentally and would improve safety on the routes.

Kapsch TrafficCom has secured five new contracts in Chile through a subsidiary and will carry out a technology upgrade of the existing tolling system on 900 kilometres of the famous Pan-American Highway Ruta 5. Kapsch will also be responsible for the maintenance of the new system for five years. The combined value of the contracts amounts to more than US$9.9 million and includes the upgrade of 320 lanes and 90 toll plazas in Ruta del Maipo, Ruta del Maule, Ruta del Bosque, Ruta de la Araucanía and Ruta de l

This year’s European Transport Conference, which takes place on 28-30 September in Frankfurt, Germany, will look at the latest research and developments in local public transport across Europe and beyond. Delegates will also have the opportunity to take part in an afternoon visit to see the public transport system in Offenbach, a small city close to Frankfurt. With the UK moving towards a regulated environment, the conference will discuss the legal and economic framework and how this will work as other

Dutch access control specialist Nedap has supplied its ANPR Access licence plate recognition system for use at Lithuania’s border with Belarus and Russia, where kilometre-long queues of vehicles were commonplace, with waits of up to six days at peak times. The system is integrated with the new queue management service (EVIS), developed by GoSwift, which enables motorists to pre-book their border crossing by entering their details and vehicle registration online, with the option to pre-book a slot or join

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Rise of Virtual Cockpits in Cars finds that the instrument cluster (IC) market in North America and Europe is expected to clock a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2 percent from 2014 to 2021, with digital IC expected to reach a CAGR of approx. 26 percent by 2021. While the virtual cockpit will be limited to premium-segment vehicles, fully digital clusters that will be standard in about 20 percent of cars will also be offered as an option on medium-segment cars.

Global Traffic Technologies’ (GTT's) Opticom emergency vehicle pre-emption (EVP) system, which is deployed at intersections across Doha, will be on show on the Traffic Tech Group stand at the 4th Annual ITS & Road Safety Forum Qatar 2015 on 8 and 9 September in Doha. Eighty intersections in Doha are currently equipped with the Opticom system and there are plans to expand this to eventually cover additional intersections. The Doha EVP project won the award for Most Innovative ITS Implementation at the 20

A telephone survey by the California-based Mineta Transportation Institute found that the majority of Americans would support higher fuel taxes, but only if the revenue is invested in specific transportation improvements. A gas fuel increase of 10 cents per gallon to improve road maintenance was supported by 71 per cent of respondents, whereas support levels dropped to just 31 per cent if the revenues were to be used more generally to maintain and improve the transportation system. The survey findings

With nearly 95 per cent of the space filled, Intertraffic Amsterdam plans to host the very latest developments in traffic mobility and technology. Hall 9 will be rebranded as the Innovation Hall, with an Innovation Lab and the Smart Mobility Centre. Apart from all Innovation Award nominees, space will also be dedicated to start-ups, promoting their mobility solutions in a pitch presentation format. In addition, technical university students will be competing for the Student Award for smart solutions

A speed-camera program in a large community near Washington, DC, has led to long-term changes in driver behaviour and substantial reductions in deaths and injuries, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows. Automated speed enforcement is gradually becoming more common around the country but remains relatively rare, with only 138 jurisdictions operating such programs as of last month. According to IIHS, if all US communities had speed-camera programs like the one IIHS studied in