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UK trains to let contactless cards act as paper tickets
In the future, Brits will be able to slide through a ticket barrier and board a train without using a credit card-sized piece of paper. As The Telegraph reports, talks are underway to introduce a new ticketing system that will rely on contactless cards instead. Under the plans, you'll be able to buy tickets online and then use the same card to swipe through special readers at the station. The initiative won't replace paper tickets, at least not straight away, but rather complement them similar to how Oyster cards and contactless cards do currently on the London Underground.
Pepper the robot's latest job is in a train station
When it's not vaguely talking up Nescafe coffee or or telling you about a Japanese phone carrier's excellent data packages, Pepper the robot is in France, working at a train station. Starting this month in three stations, Aldebaran's humanoid 'bot will welcome guests both departing and arriving, offering train timetable information, as well as local tourist information. Three of the wide-eyed automatons will help staff French train stations for three months, ending mid-March 2016 when the French National Railway Company (SNCF) will decide whether to install Peppers in other regional stations. The robot will even (attempt to) collect those customer satisfaction surveys that we all loathe. But when it's administered by a robot, perhaps we'd be more likely to respond.[Image credit: Wikipedia, Quoique]
Google is putting WiFi in 400 Indian train stations
India may be rapidly building up its reputation as a tech-savvy country, but there are still hundreds of millions of people in the country who've had little to no experience with the internet. Google may have a clever solution to that problem, however. It's installing WiFi (initially for free) in 400 train stations across India, with 100 of the busiest stations due to get online by the end of 2016. The hope is that this will connect the 10 million people who pass through India's train system every day, letting them experience the web even if they'd otherwise have no access at all. And it's not basic data, either. Google is promising speeds good enough to stream HD video and otherwise outclass what many Indians are familiar with.
Most US rail operators won't meet deadline for train safety controls
According to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, as many as 70 percent of rail operators won't meet the end of the year deadline for safety controls. Operators are legally required to install positive train control (PTC) systems that slow trains traveling too fast (based on location) by the end of the year. The GAO says that only five rail companies will meet the December 31st deadline to have the safety tech in place. An automatic train control (ATC) system was only installed in one direction on the section of track where an Amtrak train derailed near Philadelphia earlier this year. As you might expect, the safety feature may have prevented that accident entirely by automatically adjusting the train's speed for that portion of the route. [Image credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Live Rugby World Cup scores are coming to London's Tube
With the Rugby World Cup kicking off this week, Transport for London (TfL) is gearing up to play a big role in helping sports fans navigate to and from the city's three host stadia. However, that's not all it will do come Friday. The transport authority today announced it has teamed up with ITV to deliver live news, scores and results from the tournament across 180 Tube and DLR stations right through until the final on October 31st. It'll be the second time the London Underground has hosted a World Cup, after it delivered goals and updates via information boards during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The deal will generate revenue for TfL, helping it to invest more in its modernisation of the Tube network, which will include the development and rollout of new driverless trains with built-in WiFi in 2022.
Citymapper travel app tells you the best place to get on the train
While Apple and Google are incorporating more public transport data into their operating systems, standalone apps like Citymapper continue to lead the way in terms of features. Already in 28 cities, the travel app combines bus routes and live times, train timetables and cycle paths, but from today it'll also help you navigate your way around an unfamiliar metropolis with its new "Where to Get On the Train" feature.
UK to trial automatic refunds for shoddy train service
Everyone reading this will have been inconvenienced by a delayed train at some point, if not frequently, but it's unlikely you went to the bother of seeking compensation. Probably because noting down the length of the delay and filling out a refund form at a ticket office or online seems more trouble than it's worth for a few quid. Railways Minister Claire Perry thinks it's high time the process was simplified, which is why she's proposing a new system that would refund passengers for delayed or cancelled trains automatically. As The Times reports, up to 90 percent of affected passengers don't chase compensation, resulting in as much as £100 million going unclaimed each year. Refund policy was changed a few months ago so passengers could request cash instead of vouchers, and under Perry's plan, those entitled to a refund would see money owed automatically deposited into their bank account, or added to their smart ticket balance.
California wants pollution-free freight vehicles
California is determined to make dramatic greenhouse gas cuts by 2030, and that could have some major ramifications for the state's big rigs and cargo ships. Governor Jerry Brown has ordered several agencies to draft plans for cleaner freight transportation, with a plan to eventually move to emissions-free ports, trains and trucks. Officials have until July 2016 to detail what they're doing, although they'll likely take considerably longer than that to implement their changes.
SpaceX hosts competition for the best Hyperloop pod design
While a few private companies are hard at work developing a commercial version of Elon Musk's Hyperloop concept, SpaceX is hosting a pod design competition. Intended for students and independent engineering teams, the challenge is to construct a human-scale pod concept that could be used for the high-speed transportation system. Competing teams will not only build a full-sized version of a people mover, but they'll put the pods through their paces on a one-mile test track at the SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California next summer. Before the test vehicles are built, the company will host a design weekend at Texas A&M University in January where design teams will have a chance to meet with SpaceX officials before moving forward.
Apple Transit maps could be coming to iOS 9
9to5Mac, citing unnamed sources, reports that Apple is potentially gearing up to release its updated Transit service -- the same one it nixed immediately before last year's WWDC event -- with iOS 9. Transit acts as an add-on layer to Apple's existing Maps program providing accurate navigation instructions for public transportation systems. This functionality hasn't been available as a part of the official built-in app ever since Apple switched to its own service instead of using Google's.
Amtrak installs automatic train controls before service resumes
Following the deadly accident last week near Philadelphia, Amtrak installed a braking system on the section of track that could've prevented the derailment. The automatic train control system (ATC) keeps tabs on a train's speed as it heads toward curves, automatically adjusting it if the conductor fails to do so. ATC was already used for southbound trains in this spot, but not for those headed northbound like the one that derailed last Tuesday. In addition to the ATC, Amtrak is working to equip trains with a Positive Train Control system (PTC) which uses the ATC to further automate trains while avoiding collisions, maintaining safe speeds and providing safer conditions for work crews. Amtrak plans to have the PTC in place by the end of the year. The Federal Rail Administration announced today that Amtrak had completed all of its requirements to resume service along the Northeast Corridor between Washington, DC and Boston, and that the train company would continue to evaluate other curves along the route. [Image credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images]
Supersonic air keeps train tracks clear when weather sucks
Unlike forest fires, you personally can't do much to stop trainwrecks. With that in mind, the folks over at General Electric took a break from tracking your brain on BBQ and devised a way to keep one of the oldest forms of powered-transport on track in adverse weather conditions. You see, the Ardennes Forest in Belgium is legendary for its inhospitable conditions and to sidestep them and the mountains, trains were taking a longer, flatter and more expensive route. That wasn't too economical. So, GE implemented what it calls the Advanced Rail Cleaner for trains on the route. Essentially, the ARC is a module that sits at a precise spot ahead of the front axle and uses high-pressure air (rather than lasers) moving at supersonic speeds to clear away any moisture and debris.
UK government promises free WiFi on trains by 2017
Sure, large parts of the UK are now blanketed with fast and reliable mobile service, but you always know that when you jump on a train you're going to hit some rough patches. The government knows that this particular struggle is real, so it's investing almost £50 million to take some of the strain off your provider by rolling out free WiFi across the UK's major rail networks. Rail Minister Claire Perry announced today that the government is already in talks with train operators, including Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN), Southeastern, Chiltern and Arriva Trains Wales, about incorporating connectivity into their carriages from 2017. While we're looking at a two-year wait until all of those networks get connected, some operators are installing equipment as soon as possible -- useful if you're keen to catch up on BBC iPlayer during your daily commute.
Chicago's subways are getting speedy LTE data
Just because you have cellular service in the subway doesn't mean you have good service -- in many cases, your data goes in the dumps when your train ventures underground. That won't be a problem in Chicago for much longer, though. The city has reached a deal with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon that will have the carriers paying to bring LTE data to Chi-town's subway tunnels. When the upgrade is complete sometime later this year, you should have fast internet access all the way from O'Hare Airport to the Blue and Red Lines downtown. This upgrade was ultimately necessary given that wireless networks are preparing for a future where everything goes through LTE, but it's good to know that you'll soon have an easy time streaming music on the way home from a Cubs game. [Image credit: Chris Smith, Flickr]
California starts building its high-speed train system
At long last, California's promised high-speed train system is becoming more than just a pipe dream. The state will break ground on the first section of track in Fresno on January 6th, creating the foundation for a 220MPH rail network that will eventually extend as far as Sacramento and San Diego. It'll be a while before you can take the train to most major cities, so don't start scheduling that vacation just yet. The first leg will be limited to the Central Valley to help with both early deployment and testing, and the initial expansion will focus on connecting the two biggest travel hubs, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Dutch trains get lasers to zap track debris
You might not see leaves as hazards, but train operators would beg to differ -- foliage on the tracks not only makes it harder for trains to stop, but also messes with anti-collision signals. The greenery might not be much of a danger for much longer, however. Dutch Railways is testing a laser system that zaps leaves (and other organic material) before it reaches the wheels, keeping the tracks clean. You can already use water jets and sand gels to do this, but they have limited supplies and sometimes damage the rails. The lasers run so long as the train has power, and they actually help the metal by drying it and preventing leaves from sticking.
The Big Picture: Japan's bullet train turns 50
The bullet train is a Japanese trademark. It is, in other words, a landmark in motion. Today, 50 years to the time it made a trip for the first time, between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan is celebrating a major milestone in the history of its beloved bullet-shaped train. The Shinkansen, as it's known in The Land of the Rising Sun, has had a great run throughout its 50-year tale, like being the fastest high-speed train at one point -- China's CRH380A now holds that title. Even so, Shinkansen is still responsible for carrying more than 300 million passengers every year in Japan, making it one of the most important forms of transportation in the world, not only in its home soil. [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
High-speed maglev toys are coming in 2015
Takara Tomy promised us that maglev technology would make its way to playsets next year, when we spoke at this year's Tokyo Toy Show. It had two very different toys on hand, one a train that the company claims can reach up to 600 KPH (relative to its scale, at least). To our untrained eyes, all we can say is it seemed pretty damn fast. The train contains its own magnet that levitates it off the plastic track, which is itself laced with magnets. The resulting air cushion reduces one of the biggest buzzkills in all of physics: friction. Since the magnetic field produces both an upward and forward thrust, there's no need for a set of Hot Wheels-style accelerators that manually hurl your car around the track.
Amtrak wants trackside WiFi that keeps you online for the whole ride
To put it bluntly, Amtrak's current on-train WiFi sucks; even if you don't mind sharing 10Mbps with hundreds of passengers, there are significant gaps in coverage. Relief may be on the horizon, though. The mass transit company is soliciting bids for a trackside WiFi project that would deliver at least 25Mbps across whole routes. The improved access would both keep you connected for more of your trip and let Amtrak lift some of its restrictions on streaming media and other bandwidth-heavy tasks. If all goes according to plan, you might not have problems watching an online movie (or at least, listening to online radio) during a lengthy journey.
NYC inks deal to put train tickets on smartphones
Part of New York City's train system is set to get a 21st-century kick in the pants. Digital tickets that live on commuters' smartphones will soon be introduced thanks to a deal inked between the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Board and Masabi, one of eleven companies that offered to build such a system for the city. The pact follows a -- presumably successful -- trial conducted between Masabi and the MTA in 2012. Not every locomotive route will see paperless ticketing at first; only the Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Railroad are scheduled to be equipped with the new tech.