Trains

British Transport Secretary Admits Current Train Commute "Drives Me Bloody Crackers"

With increasing fares, delays and an "awful" service on Sundays, the British Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin isn't the only commuter unhappy with the service and admits that the expediency of HS2 was exaggerated.

September 9, 2013 - The Telegraph

UPS LNG Truck

Trucks & Trains Turn Toward LNG to Lower Costs

Just as the power industry turned toward lower priced natural gas and away from dirtier coal, there are signs that trucks and trains are looking to lower priced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace diesel-powered vehicles, but there are challenges.

April 29, 2013 - The New York Times - Energy & Environment

The Loud Debate Over Quiet Cars

Dirty looks, shushing, even brawls; the lengths that "vigilantes" take to policing the rules of railroad quiet-cars can be extreme. William Power and Brian Hershberg look at how different transit systems, and their passengers, enforce quiet rides.

March 1, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

New York Seeks to Revive its Freight Rail Industry

Winnie Hu reports on how the reopening of the 65th Street Rail Yard in Brooklyn last week is part of a wider, regional rail expansion effort that aims to revive the moribund industry in order to boost economic and environmental benefits.

July 25, 2012 - The New York Times

Train Times to Accompany Motorists Stuck in Traffic

To encourage train ridership, Caltrans and Metrolink have teamed up to display train times on electronic signs along two oft-congested Southern California freeways.

December 24, 2011 - The Orange County Register

Mag-Lev Project Meets Approval in Japan

Japanese officials recently approved plans to build a 320-mile magnetic levitation train system. The $114 billion project is expected to begin construction in 2014.

August 23, 2011 - Ecomagination

Take a Ride on Chicago's Elegant Electroliner

Writer J.J. Sedelmaier recalls riding the beautifully streamlined Electroliner trains, which ran on the same tracks as other Chicago rail transit but were a special event all to themselves.

August 22, 2011 - Salon

The Bus and The Train Are Friends

Bus rapid transit has seen a recent spike in interest, and with that interest has come the analysis that BRT takes away from light rail projects and vice versa. But as this post points out, they need each other and work better when both are around.

May 27, 2011 - the transport politic

Copenhagen's Bikes on Rails

Jonna McKone of TheCityFix looks at Copenhagen's recently added rail cars that are specifically for bicyclists and other passengers with special needs.

January 7, 2011 - TheCityFix

B.C. and Washington Seek High Speed Rail to California

Officials in the Pacific Northwest are calling for a high speed rail line that connects British Columbia with California.

October 21, 2010 - CBC

Maglev: Dreaming the Impossible Dream?

The idea of a magnetic levitation train has been bubbling for decades, but has yet to materialize in the U.S. Some say the idea is a pipe dream, but this column from The Baltimore Sun says the idea just needs the right home.

August 25, 2010 - The Baltimore Sun

Friday Funny: Slide to Work

This video shows a slide installed on a staircase leading down to a subway station in Berlin, making it quick an easy to catch the train on time.

July 2, 2010 - Chicago Now

Bright Times Ahead for Amtrak

Amtrak Chief Joseph Boardman says now is a good time for the much-troubled national rail system. Support from the federal government is helping the system grow and improve, according to this interview.

June 30, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

High Speed Train Opens in South Africa

Timed to open near the start of the country's World Cup, the new Gautrain high speed rail system has launched in Johannesburg.

June 8, 2010 - BBC

South Africa's Crumbling Urban Rail Network

More than a third of the rolling stock in South Africa's urban rail network will go out of service within the next three years, creating a looming rail catastrophe across the country.

May 4, 2010 - Daily News

Kids in Train-ing

Trains across the former Soviet Union have peculiar staff: kids. Wired's Autopia blog explains.

May 1, 2010 - Wired

America's Spanish High Speed Rail Envy

Spain has rapidly developed high speed rail system, leaving many U.S. politicians -- including President Obama -- wondering how the U.S. can catch up. This article and video from PBS looks at the Spanish model.

January 18, 2010 - PBS

Riders Choosing Trains as Green Alternative

In a world increasing concerned with reducing global warming, people and nations are embracing trains as an alternative to cars and planes because of their reduced carbon footprint. However, cost and time remain critical factors for travelers.

January 15, 2010 - CNN - Eco Solutions

Reopened Passenger Train Reconnects Balkans

A passenger train line across the Balkans had been closed for 18 years. As it reopens and reconnects the region to the rest of Europe, there are signs of improved relations in the war-torn region.

January 12, 2010 - The New York Times

Ridership Rising on Canada Line

The new Canada Line rail service that links downtown Vancouver to the airport has seen steadily increasing ridership since its opening in August.

December 29, 2009 - The Globe and Mail

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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