Intelligent service systems used on Beijing subway
Subway trains on Line 6 in Beijing are testing an Intelligent Passenger Service System that includes inspection cameras and “magical windows” featuring LED transport information displays. Inspection cameras, installed in train carriages, are capable of detecting passenger behaviors – whether passengers are wearing masks, for instance – while the window-mounted LED panels dynamically show current locations, subway routes and detailed maps of upcoming stations. [chinadaily.com]
Final stage of Sydney’s CBD light rail opens
The final stage of Sydney’s controversial CBD light rail has quietly opened without the usual pageantry a multi-billion dollar project completion would attract. No event marked the occasion due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place across the country. Noting the need for everyone to stay at home, Transport Minister Andrew Constance staid that “it’s not a time to be getting on the light rail for fun.” The service was opened for essential workers to get to their jobs. [smh.com.au]
Chicago Metra closes one train car to passengers
Chicago-based commuter railway Metra will close one car in all its trains to safeguard the train crew from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The car that will be closed on the ten diesel lines is the cab car, which is the car located furthest from the locomotive. On the electric line, the car at the north end of the train will be shut for passengers. Metra has also asked the passengers to follow social distancing when they are traveling on the trains. [railway-technology.com]
Renfe and Talgo modify high-speed trains to transport Covid-19 patients
Spanish rail operator Renfe, collaborating with Talgo, has refitted three high-speed trains to make them capable of transporting Covid-19 patients if necessary. Talgo has provided the Spanish Government with human and material resources as a voluntary contribution. Cars, which feature modular interiors to streamline sanitation works, have been medically equipped and adapted. The variable gauge trains can operate on high-speed and conventional rail networks. They can also run on non-electrified lines with the help of a hybrid traction system powered by diesel engines. [railway-technology.com]
