metro

Amtrak’s New Acela Improves Efficiency, Speed

America’s fastest train just got even faster. Amtrak’s Acela train has increased its speed by 10 miles an hour – up to 160 mph — which is expected to trim 15 minutes off a trip between D.C. and Boston. Additionally, the new trains can carry 380 passengers, 25% more than current fleets, while using 20%......

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BNSF Uses UAVs to Safely and Efficiently Inspect Tracks

BNSF Railway was one of three companies selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to collaborate with the agency to explore the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in beyond visual line-of-sight operations in rural areas as they inspect rail infrastructure. BNSF has already found the use of UAVs to provide major advantages—in 2015 when floods......

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A Floating Train Modernizes

If a freight train wants to cross the Hudson River from Jersey City into Brooklyn, it has only two options: (1) cross a bridge 140 miles north in Albany or (2) ride a rail barge across the river. After years of inactivity, the barge operation was bought by the Port Authority of New York and......

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metro

Ride, Find, Fix

Defects in railroad tracks caused by use over time or from impurities in the manufacturing process can be largely invisible until an incident. Issues on the rails incapable of being seen by the human eye can develop over time with wear and tear from use. To find solutions to these issues before they strike, new......

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Fly By Rail Inspection

In 2014, over one-third of all train derailments were the result of damaged rails, leading to millions of dollars in damages and dozens of injuries. In many cases, expansive rail lines run through isolated areas that are difficult and expensive for inspectors to access, but early detection of damaged track is critical to preventing costly......

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