News

Siemens and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) have signed a contract worth around US$405 million for the automation and centralisation of rail traffic control of the 3,000km, 760 stop Swiss rail network. During the partnership, which will run until 2015, Siemens will continue the development of the Iltis control and information system, which enables a largely automated operational handling of rail traffic. The computer-based system, specially developed by Siemens for SBB, controls and monitors all train oper

Four major bridges over the lower Mississippi are to get intelligent transportation systems (ITS) upgrades, thanks to a US$10 million grant from the US Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) fund. The project will expand existing ITS systems in each of the three states to complement previous state and private investments.

UK ticketing technology company Parkeon has partnered with information specialist Cloud Amber to develop a new way of using the in-built GPS/GPRS functionality of an electronic ticket machine to improve the scope and accuracy of real time information systems while reducing system cost, complexity and maintenance requirements. Newport Transport is to take advantage of the alliance to become one of the first bus operators in the country to take direct control of its real time information systems, using the te

UK ticketing technology company Parkeon has partnered with information specialist Cloud Amber to develop a new way of using the in-built GPS/GPRS functionality of an electronic ticket machine to improve the scope and accuracy of real time information systems while reducing system cost, complexity and maintenance requirements. Newport Transport is to take advantage of the alliance to become one of the first bus operators in the country to take direct control of its real time information systems, using the t

Bill Shuster, US Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman will join Barry Schoch, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, as Carnegie Mellon University’s driverless 2011 Cadillac SRX transports them from suburban Cranberry to Pittsburgh International Airport.

Nokia’ Here in-car navigation business has launched a complete connected driving offer, which it says is the only end-to-end driving solution on the market today, to help car makers and in-vehicle technology suppliers connect the car and the driver to the cloud. The offering includes Here Auto embedded in-car navigation, Here Auto Cloud always-on access to dynamic services such as real-time traffic updates, and Here Auto Companion, a customisable mobile and web application.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) has teamed up with the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and Smith Electric Vehicles Corporation to reduce vehicle emissions from delivery trucks in the region. As part of a US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored effort, local fleets will replace existing diesel delivery vehicles with thirty all-electric medium and heavy-duty Smith Newton trucks for daily operations in the Houston-Galveston area.

The UK government is investing US$4.4 million into a trial of paperless ticketing as it starts its multi-million pound push to deliver smart card technology to rail passengers across the south east, Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced. Train operator c2c, which operates between London and the Essex coast, will upgrade ticketing systems at all of its stations outside London, paving the way for passengers to start using smart cards in the region. This will be rolled out on services outside London fr

US Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are using smart technology to warn civil engineers when something is wrong with the infrastructure, says the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Association (AASHTO). Sensors installed on bridges, in roadways, and on maintenance vehicles are communicating real-time performance and weather data, allowing engineers to solve problems before they occur. "Most people look at a road or a bridge and never realise the technology that today's modern tra

Digital camera manufacturer Basler has made changes to its management board to prepare the company for planned future growth, by the board to four members from 1 January 2014. On January 1, 2014, the management board will be expanded from three members to four members and the allocation of management board departments will be adjusted to future needs. Hardy Mehl, as CFO/COO, will lead the company together with the chairman of the board, Dr Dietmar Ley and management board members Arndt Bake and John Jen

Towns and cities in England are set to benefit from US$7.7 million of funding to reduce pollution from local buses, Local Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced. A total of eleven local authorities have been awarded grants from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Clean Bus Technology Fund, which will allow almost 400 buses to be upgraded.

Nissan has unveiled an IT system for light commercial vehicles that harnesses the power of smartphones to provide safety and performance data to both drivers and fleet managers in real time. By using the service, fleet managers will be able to cut down on running costs by remotely monitoring maintenance information, as well as the driving behaviour of their staff, while the vehicles are on the road. Drivers will also receive real-time information to help them operate their vehicles more safely.

An electric cargo bike, the 2x4 (two by four), developed by California-based NTS Works, can carry large objects into tight urban centres and other locations where deliveries by full-size vehicles can be difficult and costly, according to the company. The lightweight, compact 2x4 is only slightly larger than a conventional cycle and has a flat cargo bed in front that can hold up to eight grocery bags. An electric motor assists the rider when pedalling and is adjustable via a handlebar mounted display so

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in Ontario, Canada, where collisions with wild animals cost the province more than US$95 million annually, has installed wildlife sensor and alert systems to reduce the number of animal-vehicle collisions on its highways. The MTO has installed two types of systems – one uses laser tripwires to detect animals and the other uses radar, an alternative that was found to address some of the challenges posed by laser systems. Neither system has yet been determined to be

Ecuador’s Municipal Public Transport Company of Guayaquil (EPMTG), which was created to manage traffic and pedestrian access routes in the Ecuadorian city, is to implement an intelligent transportation system (ITS) from January 2014. A traffic management centre will monitor the city’s 350,000 vehicles using cameras, photo radar, traffic signals and variable message signs. Around 1,500 intelligent traffic lights will be connected to 150 cameras. An international tender to implement the system was laun