Trains

Mixing It Up at RailVolution

Sat, 10/31/2009 - 14:39

BOSTON -- If you've ever studied the bar menu at Trader Vic's then you know about such wonders as Tropical Passion, Moku Nani, and the Potted Parrot. Each is made of a unique but secret blend of dark rum, light rum, spiced rum, tropical juices, and of course "subtle flavorings." But by the time you'd realize that the only real difference is the glass they come in, you're too probably drunk to notice--or care.

Minus the palm fronds, the RailVolution conference is much the same.

»

Rail Safety Improvements Years Away

Head-on train collisions can be avoided by simply keeping one train per track. There's a plan to make that happen, but it's years from implementation.

9 October 2009 - 6:00am

Miller-McCune

Russia Rolls Out New High Speed Rail

Siemens has retrofitted trains for cold Russian winters; they are being rolled out now between Moscow and St. Petersburg and could be a model for American HSR.

26 September 2009 - 5:00am

New York Times

Federal Mag-Lev Funding Reignites Debate in Las Vegas

Federal authorities recently announced $45 million in support of plans to construct a magnetic levitation train line between Las Vegas and Southern California, re-igniting a debate over two proposed rail connections.

18 September 2009 - 11:00am

The Las Vegas Sun

Tapping Outside Experience to Build U.S. High Speed Rail

As the race for high speed rail stimulus dollars gets underway, international firms stand to gain the most benefit as few if any U.S. firms are capable of building the rolling stock the new systems will need.

10 September 2009 - 8:00am

The Wall Street Journal

The Planetizen News Brief - 8/27/09

4:45 minutes (4.36 MB)

States reach out for rail money, HUD tightens lending rules, and slum dwellers pin hopes for revival on summer blockbuster -- all on this week's Planetizen News Brief, airing weekly on the nationally-syndicated radio show "Smart City". Read, listen or download.

27 August 2009 - 5:00am

»

Download audio file

The Cost of a Hypothetical High Speed Rail Line

Economist Edward L. Glaeser crunches the numbers on a hypothetical high speed rail line between Dallas and Houston and finds the costs prohibitive.

6 August 2009 - 6:00am

The New York Times

»

3 comments

Jess Zimbabwe

Take a ride on the Scwebebahn

Tue, 05/26/2009 - 16:32

I’d been obsessed with it ever since I saw The Princess and the Warrior. (Between that and the funicular in Flashdance, there is just something about bad-ass chicks that commute via unique transit.) So, when I found myself with an unexpected free morning in Essen, Germany, after especially cooperative weather for photographing the day before, I hopped on the S-Bahn towards Wuppertal to see the famed train.

»

What Happened to America's Trains?

In an age of rapid technological improvements in almost every aspect of life, it's difficult to understand how a technology like trains could actually be less advanced now than it was in the 1940s, writes Tom Vanderbilt.

16 May 2009 - 11:00am

Slate

»

4 comments

High Speed Rail Funds on the Way for California and Florida

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said recently that California and Florida are likely to be the first recipients of stimulus funding for high speed rail projects.

12 May 2009 - 11:00am

The Wall Street Journal

Concept Trains from the Retro-Future

WebUrbanist gathers an extensive assortment of fantastic, futuristic, pseudo-scientific train designs, including a steamship that rolls out of the ocean on tracks.

8 May 2009 - 5:00am

WebUrbanist

Time May Be Right for Mag-Lev From Vegas to SoCal

A magnetic levitation train link between Anaheim and Las Vegas has been on the table for 30 years. Now could be the time the project finally gets enough traction to go from idea to reality.

24 March 2009 - 8:00am

Las Vegas Sun

»

1 comment

Stimulus Should Get Rail Back on Track

Treehugger interviews urban designer, New Urbanist, and rail advocate Andy Kunz about the stimulus package and how it will benefit high speed rail in America.

4 March 2009 - 7:00am

Treehugger

How to Become an Expert Transit Rider

This commentary from re:place magazine offers tips and insights into how one can ride transit like a pro.

1 March 2009 - 1:00pm

re:place

Towards A Transit Future

This piece from The Nation looks at the prospect of transit in America, what a renewed nationwide system could accomplish, and what it would take to achieve politically.

5 February 2009 - 7:00am

The Nation

Philadelphia Trains to Try Out Quiet Cars

Starting Monday, some SEPTA trains will launch a pilot program that discourages too-loud talking, a problem now prevalent during rush-hour.

8 January 2009 - 1:00pm

Philadelphia Inquirer

Crackdown on Continuous Riding on Chicago's Trains

The Chicago Transit Authority is cracking down on 'continuous riders', people who sleep or hang out in the subway through the winter nights to keep warm. Advocates worry the crackdown will hurt the homeless.

10 December 2008 - 10:00am

Chicago Sun-Times

3 Plans to Rescue the Economy and the Earth with Public Transportation

Treehugger.com talks to Andy Kunz of urbandesign.org, The Apollo Alliance, and Transportation for America about their proposals to move America forward with expanded public transportation initiatives.

2 December 2008 - 5:00am

Treehugger.com

The New Age of Trains

Passenger rail is on the minds of voters and politicians more than ever. Some say the next train era is on its way.

5 November 2008 - 8:00am

San Francisco Chronicle

Does Maglev Hurt High Speed Rail?

This article from Metropolis looks at the plan for a magnetic-levitation train connecting Las Vegas and Anaheim, which has been brewing for years. But is this idea detracting from more feasible high speed rail plans?

22 September 2008 - 8:00am

Metropolis

»