Railway technologies

Battery electric locomotives in Australia are now working on active mining railways, offering a way to reduce diesel use without waiting for new catenary infrastructure.

The EMU-370 high-speed train is South Korea’s newly developed next-generation high-speed train designed for 370 kilometers per hour in commercial service, a level the government says would make it the world’s second-fastest by operating speed.

A hydrogen-battery switcher locomotive has entered service in the United States: since autumn, the four-axle unit has been used at the facilities of freight operator Sierra Northern Railway in West Sacramento.

The 110 MW solar power plant for NCRTC is being developed in Uttar Pradesh to supply renewable electricity for the Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor (as previously covered by Railway Supply).

Commercial maglev operation in Europe has moved a step forward: Germany’s TSB Betriebs (part of construction group Max Bögl) has received a license from the German Federal Railway Authority to operate maglev lines for public use, according to a note published on the Transport System Bögl website.

The order to deploy maglev at Deendayal Port has been formalised through a contract with startup TuTr Hyperloop to organise freight movements across the port area using magnetic-levitation technology, as reported by Metro Rail Today.

Hitachi Rail signalling technology is set to be rolled out across the Swiss rail network under a new agreement with SBB.This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Tunnel boring machine retrieval is now underway on Sydney Metro West after two machines completed their work on part of the project’s tunnels, as outlined by Sydney Metro.

Fortescue battery-electric locomotives are now entering the commissioning phase, with the Australian mining and heavy-haul rail operator taking delivery of two 14.

The BNSF ODIN track inspection system is set to drive a major expansion in how BNSF Railway monitors its infrastructure, relying on locomotives in regular revenue service to carry out automated track geometry inspections.

As reported by Railway-News, the FRA waiver for ATI technology, recently approved by the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Safety Board, allows US railroads to expand field testing of automated track inspection (ATI) systems.

The Madison Police Department drone program in Madison, Alabama, is getting a major boost, thanks to a Norfolk Southern Safety First grant that supports both residents and rail operations.