News

Norwegian State Railways NSB has awarded HaCon a contract for a new timetable information system. HaCon’s HAFAS journey planner integrates real time data to provide rail travellers with up to the minute information on potential delays, alternative routes and transport modes, actual seat occupation and wagon order. Passengers are able to access the information via the internet, mobile applications and message boards on the station and train. "Whether the railway traffic runs as planned or there are pl

China Railway Group (CRG) has expressed interest in redeveloping a disused railway line in the UK and has invited local officials to visit Beijing to discuss the plans further. The Stonebridge Railway near Birmingham has been out of commission since the 1930s and the group plans to spend an estimated £280 million to bring it back into service. The proposals, hailed as a remarkable development by councillors, are expected to improve rail links to Birmingham airport and the wider UK Central area. The

Automotive supplier Continental and Nokia’s Here have expanded their collaboration on connected car technologies, focusing on electronic horizon, future automated driving functionalities and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Work will begin with the development of precise map technology for Continental’s electronic horizon platform that will include a range of road information, including lane markings and connectivity, speed limit changes, no passing signs and more. This information will enable a

Outsourcing group Capita has signed a five year contract with Transport for London (TfL) to operate the congestion charging, low emission zone and traffic enforcement notice processing schemes in the capital. Capita will take full responsibility for the schemes in November 2015 following a period of implementation which commences in 2014. The overall agreement is expected to generate revenue of approximately US$238 million to Capita. Additionally, TfL has the option to extend the contract for a further

Washington Metro has joined Chicago and New York in making plans to accept contactless bank payment cards at the turnstile, as a mass-market switch to EMV-based chip cards appears increasingly likely. Washington Metro has awarded Accenture a US$184 million contract to replace the existing fare collection systems for Metrorail, Metro-operated parking facilities, Metrobus and MetroAccess services. The new system will enable passengers to continue to use existing SmarTrip cards, while expanding fare paym

The first smart motorway scheme in the UK’s south west has been officially launched, covering seven miles of motorway around the Almondsbury interchange and including junctions 19-20 on the M4 and junctions 15-17 on the M5. It is designed to help reduce congestion and improve safety and journey times by introducing variable speed limits and opening the hard shoulder during busy traffic periods. The improvements to the M4 and M5 use a range of technologies and operational systems to reduce congestion and

An expanded portfolio and increased development over the past few years has prompted Nedap AVI (Automatic Vehicle Identification) to change its name to Nedap Identification Systems. From specialising in long-range RFID solutions for vehicle and driver identification, the company’s portfolio now includes long-range identification of people in and around buildings, wireless vehicle detection sensors for on-street parking guidance and remote management of vehicle entrance points to restricted city zones.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has released the first draft of its five-year MassDOT Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for FY2014-FY2018. The US$12.4 billion program makes long-term investments and represents the first unified, multi-modal capital investment plan covering all MassDOT highway and municipal projects, regional airports, rail and transit, including the MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities. The proposal, which must be approved the state's Department of Transportation

On 13 and 14 November 2013, international road safety experts from more than forty countries met at the joint International Road Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD)/Ibero-American Road Safety Observatory (OISEVI) Conference in Buenos Aires to discuss issues related to the collection and analysis of road safety data as a critical tool to design effective road safety policies. The critical importance of better data to improve road safety has led members to issue the Buenos Aires Declaration on B

Inrix is to partner with BMW with the introduction of what is said to be the industry's first in-car intermodal navigation system. Debuting in BMW ConnectedDrive systems in the new i3 and i8 electric vehicles, Inrix intermodal navigation integrates local public transport connections into journey planning. The service monitors real-time traffic conditions, alerting drivers to faster alternative modes of transportation when major delays occur along their route. Upon selecting an alternative mode, the sy

West Virginia’s Department of Highways (WVDOH) has awarded intelligent transportation systems (ITS) provider Open Roads Consulting a contract to implement a video analytics monitoring system to enhance the advanced transportation management system (ATMS) deployed in the Transportation Management Center (TMC). Open Roads’ OpenTMS ATMS system has been deployed state-wide by WVDOH since 2008; the company says its modular and extensible architecture will seamlessly integrate the video analytics monitoring sy

In the wake of the December derailment of a New York passenger train that came off the tracks as it sped too fast into a turn, the Maryland Board of Public Works has approved a US$13 million contract to begin installing positive train control equipment, which uses GPS and radio signalling to react automatically if a collision or derailment is anticipated.

According to a new report from Navigant Research, by 2022 there will be more than 35 million electric vehicles (EVs) on roads worldwide. The report, “Electric Vehicle Market Forecasts”, provides forecasts, market sizing, and market share analysis for the overall light-duty (LD) vehicle market and LD EVs, plug-in hybrid EVs, and battery EVs.

Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has awarded include the contract for the design and construction of the first 45 kilometre phase of the ambitious 180k kilometre New Orbital Highway.

Finnish supplier of contactless smart tickets, Confidex, is supplying several million contactless smart tickets to one of Europe’s largest public transportation operators, Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV) in Venice, Italy.