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Posts with tag train

French public rail trials RFID / USB combo ticket system

by Dante Cesa, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 8:32PM


In an effort to facilitate ticket purchasing, SNCF -- France's public rail system -- will commence a 1,000 user trial of its Weneo smart card system this Fall. Riders will be able to purchase tickets with the small USB dongles at turnstiles via RFID. Once the balance is depleted, users can refill their accounts by plugging the devices into a computer, whereby they're transported to the SNCF's online hub. Since only the rider's account number is stored in the RFID portion of the smart card, this system allows commuters hassle-free ticket purchasing, all while keeping important information privy from hackers - information that some RFID devices seem to have problems keeping secret. If all goes well, SNCF expects to expand the use of Weneo nationwide by 2010.

[Via Wired]

Power-sipping Eco Ride urban transportation system to hit Japan

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 20th 2008 at 12:43AM

Japan's not hurting for trains, but what's the addition of another going to hurt? Senyo Kogyo and Senyo Kiko have jointly announced plans to construct a test line for an energy-saving urban transportation system this October. Dubbed Eco Ride, the "roller coaster-like" system in Chiba Prefecture will operate "using the height difference on the railway," and furthermore, there will be drive units (complete with clanks and clangs, we bet) "installed at various points on the railway so that the Eco Ride can obtain the potential energy to run." Reportedly, Eco Ride would likely remain just a short-distance transportation system even if expanded, but no matter how you slice it, it sure beats taking the Segway to work.

Olympic gold medalist credits Wii with helping him mentally prepare

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 13th 2008 at 8:28AM

Look folks, we won't deny that hardcore usage of the Wii could result in weight loss, but we have all ideas Japan's Kosuke Kitajima relied a lot more on swimming laps religiously and eating a set diet than playing Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, the Olympic gold medalist, who snagged said medal in the men's 100-meter breaststroke earlier this week, did mention that he used the game to prepare his mind. "See, Mario does the breaststroke," he stated, "and thus, it's perfect mental training for envisioning the actual Olympic hall." We'd say that's being mighty generous, but whatever gets you to the other end first, right?

[Via Joystiq]

65-inch "digital posters" catch eyes in Tokyo train station

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 15th 2008 at 9:08AM


Utilizing big honkin' displays for advertising purposes is nothing new, but East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and East Japan Marketing & Communications have decided to try "digital posters" out for reference. In short, ten 65-inch Sharp PN655R LCDs have been installed within "the internal concourse on the first floor of Tokyo Station's Yaesu South Entrance," and folks who stroll by can get a glimpse of whatever (the image changes each minute) in stunning 1080p. The goal here, as you might imagine, is to "evaluate the advertising effects of still image ad posters using large LCD panels displayed in a relatively busy gateway." If you're anxious to lay your eyes on the installation, you'd better hurry, as there's no guarantee that they'll remain after September. At least the video posted after the jump is forever.

Continue reading 65-inch "digital posters" catch eyes in Tokyo train station

Maglev, diesel-electric trains vie for support in US desert

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 27th 2008 at 6:16PM


Although the mention of a magnetically levitating train outside of US borders won't grab too much attention, saying that phrase here most definitely perks up ears. Sure enough, a maglev project that would shuttle folks from Disneyland to Las Vegas at up to 300 miles-per-hour is now jousting with a cheaper diesel-electric alternative (dubbed DesertXpress) for support. Reportedly, the latter would cost "just" $3- to $5 billion to construct -- compared to $12 billion for the former -- but rather than escorting folks from Anaheim or even Los Angeles, its origin would be planted in Victorville, California. Still, the trip from there to Vegas would only take three to four hours including the 1.5 hour drive to Victorville, but that still doesn't sound nearly as nice as "well under two hours" for the maglev. As it stands, there's quite a bit of red tape to wade through before either option goes forward, but kicking back on a whizzing train sounds an awful lot better than staring at pavement and blasting the air conditioner for five or so hours.

[Via Gadling]

WiFi trial comes to San Francisco's BART trains

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 2nd 2008 at 2:16PM

Merely hours after hearing that a contactless payment trial was going live on San Francisco's BART, along comes word that a test of a slightly different nature was also underway on the very same public transportation system. Reportedly, a recent Wi-Fi Rail installation on a select stretch of track proved that WiFi could be delivered to passengers at around 15Mbps -- up and down -- and if things go smoothly, the firm hopes to get its technology onto all sorts of rail systems across the globe. Unfortunately, there doesn't look to be any firm plans for the trial to stick on BART, but who knows, keep on refreshing that nearby network list on the morning commute and you might just get lucky.

WiFi coming to Massachusetts commuter trains

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jan 27th 2008 at 10:16PM


It's coming to planes, so it was bound to make its way onto trains. According to a report, a 45-mile commuter railroad line in Massachusetts is about to get a WiFi upgrade, bringing wireless connections to more than 18,000 passengers across 17 stations. Utilizing Sprint's EV-DO service, this will be the largest deployment of train-based WiFi outside of Europe and will bring access to 45 coach cars in the line. "There is not one commuter rail system in the country that has this right now," said Kris Erickson, MBTA deputy chief of staff, adding, "We know there are going to be some technical glitches, but we want to get in there and test it in a real environment and get a much better idea how to do it." The plan is to eventually bless all 13 commuter lines in Massachusetts with wireless capabilities, thus allowing networked games of Sid Meier's Railroads! to actually be played while on a railroad.

[Via Wi-Fi Networking News]

Man follows GPS directions onto train tracks, into dummy hall of fame

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jan 4th 2008 at 2:57PM


Once again proving that "people be stupid," a Bedford Hills, New York man allowed his GPS to navigate him onto train tracks... while a train was approaching. Entering a long line of folks like Cherry Tree Guy and the Narrow Lane Invader, this mentat in question apparently followed directions to "turn right" onto a set of tracks, which he then inexplicably became stuck on. Upon noticing the speeding locomotive heading towards his car, the man jumped out of the vehicle and tried to warn the engineer by waving his arms frantically -- to no avail. The train slammed into the truck at 60 MPH and pushed the vehicle more than 100-feet, damaging 250-feet of track. The man was unharmed, though we understand his ego has filed for divorce.

[Thanks, Dr. Mark]

Japan gets official on plans and details for world's fastest maglev

by Donald Melanson, posted Jan 1st 2008 at 1:43PM

We'd already heard about Central Japan Railway Company's not-so-near-term intentions to deploy a speedy new maglev system in the country, but it looks like it's just now getting official with things, and it's still promising to have it up and running no sooner than 2025. By then, there should be 180 miles of track stretching from Tokyo to central Japan, which'll accommodate a maglev train capable of topping out at 310 miles per hour, apparently making it the world's fastest. That, as you might have guessed, comes at a fairly hefty cost -- $44.7 billion, to be specific -- which makes some similar, but decidedly less speedy systems pale in comparison. As The Register points out, however, while Japan's train will be the fastest maglev system, it won't quite keep up with the fastest conventional trains around, or whatever else might be around in the year 2025.

[Photo courtesy of FYS]

JR Tokai plans maglev railway for Japan, won't open until 2025

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 26th 2007 at 1:39AM


So here's the good news: Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai) has announced its intentions to construct a swank maglev railway in Japan. The bad news? It's not scheduled to open until 2025. Reportedly, JR Tokai will be coughing up around ¥5.1 trillion ($44 billion, give or take a few mil) of its own change to build the system that will stretch between the "Tokyo metropolitan area and the Chukyo region, with Nagoya at the center." Of course, we're all going to be cruising around in personal flying saucers in a decade anyway, so we wouldn't be too worried about the wait.

[Image courtesy of FYS]

Germany gearing up for maglev railway

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 27th 2007 at 4:36AM

While folks living near Shanghai are already enjoying the luxuries of a maglev (magnetic levitation) railway, Germany is getting set to build a similar line to shuttle citizens from Munich's city center to its airport. The €1.85 billion ($2.61 billion) project is finally on track to become a reality after securing the necessary funding, and it should be able to whisk travelers around at nearly 310 miles-per-hour when it's complete. Sadly, there's no word as to when the Munich service will launch, but at least we're moving in the right direction, eh?

[Via Slashdot]

Teenager hit by train whilst texting, somehow survives

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 23rd 2007 at 1:06AM

Granted, this isn't the first run-in we've seen between trains and an SMS-minded individual, but the former story certainly didn't involve a train coming into contact with a human. This time, however, an 18-year old Ohio resident managed to get carted away from a devastating collision after being struck by an oncoming locomotive. The kid apparently waited for one train to pass, but rather than double-checking for anything coming in the opposite direction, he simply forged ahead. Consequently, he was thrown 50-feet and knocked unconscious mid-sentence, but is thankfully recovering in a Cincinnati hospital.

[Via Switched]

GPS system tracks Caltrain delays to a T

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 2nd 2007 at 5:36AM


While indulging in WiMAX whilst shuttling about on a Caltrain connection sure is nice, knowing precisely when your ride will or won't arrive can probably be a bit more influential in the grand scheme of things. Thankfully for those who rely on the rail service for daily transport, the large digital message boards at Caltrain stations will soon be relaying information directly from GPS trackers, thus informing to-be riders when to prepare for pick up (or when to hail a cab). Of course, the board still has to give the proverbial green light to the $3.6 million project, but if all goes as planned, the implementation should be complete by the end of next year.

[Via The GPS Insider]

Yumekobo's Yamanote alarm clock shows train schedules

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 28th 2007 at 6:31AM


You know what they say about Japanese trains being so reliable you can set a clock to it? Ironically enough, Yumekobo's Yamanote alarm clock does just that, and while we're sure the vivid green color scheme isn't for everyone, its features (feature?) are what counts. Apparently, the clock communicates via radio with the train station, and the train symbols surrounding the hands correspond to where a given train is located at a certain point in time. Additionally, it sports built-in chimes and melodies to match those played in the actual station, and of course, can wake you up at a set time so you don't miss your morning ride to work. Not a bad device to keep around for ¥7,980 ($66), and in case you're still a bit stumped on how this thing actually operates, check out a web-based demonstration here.

[Via Gearfuse]

Another Brit puts complete faith in GPS system, nearly perishes

by Darren Murph, posted May 11th 2007 at 5:22PM

Alright Britain, we've given you quite enough passes on this whole "blind faith in GPS" thing, but now we're going to need an explanation. In yet another case of a British individual nearly losing their life thanks to a complete and utter lack of common sense, a 20-year old Birmingham University student was following a GPS' directions to Carmarthenshire for the first time, only to have her vehicle destroyed by a speeding train while she watched. Oddly enough, the dame followed the route onto an "unmarked" (saywah?) railroad crossing, but rather than actually contemplating the situation, she proceeded to lift the nearest gate, drive her vehicle squarely onto the tracks, and then went to lift the far gate in order to cross what she reportedly thought was "a normal farmers' gate." In the meantime, a train made its way in her direction, and while she admitted that she considered getting back into the vehicle in an attempt to move it, thankfully she didn't follow through on any more unbelievably bad decisions. Needless to say, the car was trashed along with the GPS, but perhaps the most comical part is the fact that the lady has vowed to never use a navigation system again in protest for it nearly killing her -- we'd suggest staying off the roads altogether.

[Via El Reg]

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