International Items of Interest

Sweden orders new articulated electric buses

Auckland Council takes control of Public Transport planning

Auckland Council will take responsibility for nearly all aspects of the city’s transport system under sweeping governance reforms announced by the Government and Mayor Wayne Brown on Friday.

ā€œIt’s a major victory for the people of Auckland,ā€ Brown said at the announcement. ā€œToday signals the end of business as usual for AT (Auckland Transport). Big change is coming.ā€

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This is an interesting case study where an independent PT authority was about to carry out both planning and operations largely at arms length from Auckland Council.

Auckland Council was formed by a mass merger of smaller councils, similar to how Brisbane City Council was formed.

In the end, governments tend to dissolve independent authorities if an authority isn’t directly accountable to ministers, or councillors as it is in this case.

Auckland Transport needed this to happen, they have become ridiculously inefficient and wasteful in their spending.

Source: ThePost.co.nz
The Post

Wellington celebrates with new electric trains.

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I don’t mind having one unitary authority cover all transport and land use planning as long as it covers the entire metro area (including the greenfields belt).

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Thanks for posting this @Verbatim9!

It’s a good example of a dual mode battery powered train that could potentially be useful for a proper Toowoomba train service.

You could imagine that even if the battery didn’t last all the way, short sections could be electrified to allow for recharging.

Very interesting!!

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Oh and the called them buses!!

Regarding those battery trains, I think they may do well for the stretch they are proposing due to being relatively flat.

I don’t think they would work too well going up a range at speed though, like suggested for the Toowoomba line in the past

Nothing would be going up the Toowoomba range at speed. I think most of it is 30 km/h speed limits. However, I’m not sure who would use it, given the terrible alignment. Perhaps the BEMUs could be operated to Gatton or even Helidon, with a coach transfer from there to Toowoomba.

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That would be my preference also (and a more realistic option). Approximately 1hr 50 mins (per the Westlander timetable) vs 20-ish minutes up the range by road. Much of the rest of the alignment between Rosewood and Helidon has more respectable 60 or 80 kph speed boards. Except for the Little Liverpool range between Grandchester and Laidley - that section also has an average speed of around 30kph (over an ~8km section). Those 100m radius curves really hurt.

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Canada aims to start Alto high speed rail construction in four years | News | Railway Gazette International Canada aims to start Alto high speed rail construction in four years | News | Railway Gazette International

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This is the biggest issue of rail to Toowoomba. I’ve taken a train up the range, and it feels every bit of that 30km/h!

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Honolulu inaugurated the second section of its Skyline elevated automated metro on October 15. The 8.5km extension runs from Halawa via the airport to Kahauiki.

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New Acela trains in the States passing a station at 241 kph

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If you think Brisbane’s pt is bad, just remember that Harare exists.

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Gee, haven’t heard of an incident like that ever.

The airline industry as a whole is suffering from HR deficiencies, not to say aircraft as well.