Helsinki Achieves Vision Zero
0 people died in traffic in Finland’s capital in the last 12 month. An amazing achievement for this city of 690,000 inhabitants. Compare this with other cities of this size, e.g. Nuremberg, Germany, where the death toll was 11. Wouldn’t it be worth to make some changes to the planning rules to save these lives? Helsinki did just that, by setting a speed limit of 30 kph in many streets, especially around schools. The decision where to limit the speed was based on data where most of the crashes occurred. In addition, they added bike lanes and improved p ublic transportation, reducing overall traffic and thus decreased the likelihood of accidents. Other European cities are following suit and are also setting up similar measures. Vision Zero - the European Union’s plan to have 0 traffic related deaths by 2050 - it has come a little closer. Virtual Train Coupling
Imagine individual trains could be coupled without any mechanical connection. If it were possible, multiple trains could occupy the same blog segment at the same time while they could also part their ways any time. Right now, this is not possible. To connect trains, they have to be coupled mechanically, a maneuver which has to be done while both trains are standing, and often also requires manual intervention. The German research institute DLR has now shown in a prototype how virtual coupling could work. In this prototype, two trains communicate with each other via Ultra-Wideband (UWB). This is a radio technology that allows an exact distance measurement between the communication partners. One of its applications is to find out where a smartphone is relative to a car, which is the basis of the BMW Digital Key technology. In addition to UWB, also lasers are used to measure the position of the trains very precisely. The researches have shown that with this technology, trains can travel in a distance of a few dozen meters from each other. Once this technology is ready for series production, it would allow both more automation of railroads and a higher track capacity. A similar approach is also being evaluated for virtual coupling of busses, as I reported back in 2023.
I am looking forward that this 21st century technology will make the railway system fit for the future. Berlin open for a new maglev line
Ute Bonde, the senator for transport of Berlin, said she is open to add maglevs in the transport mix in Berlin. She sees them as an alternative to conventional tramway lines, but also for freight traffic into the city. Even though she did not mention any provider, there is only one company that could deliver such a system in Germany: The Transport System Bögl, which I had the chance to visit last year. It would be the first city to build such a system and thus a trailblazer for maglevs in public transportation. Ms Bonde wants to present her whitepaper for the future of mobility in Berlin in the fall of this year. I am looking forward to it, maybe it will really make maglevs a reality after so many years of discussions. Tokyo Metro - 100 Cameras
If you have already watched the documentary “Metrocosmos” (see here), here is another must-watch documentary for subway aficionados. It shows the complex activities that keep the Tokyo Metro running by dispersing a hundred cameras everywhere - in trains, on platforms and in the control center. You see in real time how this organization detects problems, finds solutions and constantly adapts. It is almost like a living organism, which is fascinating to watch. No wonder that London wanted them to operate their Elizabeth Line.
The video will be available until Dec. 13th 2025, so hurry up to watch it. Title image by DLR, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
