• EARTHQUKESDo Earthquakes Affect Car Crashes in the United States?

    Researchers are combining data on earthquake shaking intensity, crowdsourced traffic data from the Waze navigation app and police crash reports to find out if car crashes are more likely during seismic events.

  • RAILNew Piggyback-Tech May Revolutionize Rail Travel

    By John Jeffay

    Trains are safe, reliable, cost effective and energy efficient. They’re a great mode of transport in almost every way, except for one thing. The gaps between them.

  • RAIL SAFETYCongress Should Empower Regulatory Agencies to Address Challenges Presented by Long Trains, Says New Report

    Driven by cost and efficiency considerations, freight railroads have been operating increasingly longer manifest trains over the past two decades. The heightened safety challenges and operational demands of long freight trains require a combination of actions from major freight railroad companies

  • TERRORISMFrance Investigates 'Massive Attack' on Fast Train Network

    French intelligence is working to identify who is behind acts of intentional vandalism on several high-speed rail routes. The incidents, which have led to a disruption, come ahead of the opening of the Paris Olympics.

  • CYBERSECURITYEvaluating Cybersecurity Risks Associated with EV Fast-Charging Equipment

    Engineers have identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities with electric vehicles (EVs) using direct current fast-charging systems, the quickest, commonly used way to charge electric vehicles. The high-voltage technology relies on power line communication (PLC) technology to transmit smart-grid data between vehicles and charging equipment.

  • PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION‘Doom Spiral’ a Risk for Public Transit in Post-Pandemic Era

    A new study warns that cutting public transit service could lead to a “doom spiral” resulting in a collapse of the system. The researchers describe a vicious circle in which service cuts brought on by budget deficits drive transit users away; this drop in ridership triggers additional service cuts, which lead to further declines in usage.

  • CYERSECURITYMajor Gaps in Cybersecurity at Auto Workshops

    Many auto workshops do not know enough about how to keep our cars safe from cyberattacks, a new study reveals. “A large proportion of the vehicle fleet could practically be entirely open to attacks or already breached,” says a cybersecurity expert.

  • HYDROGEN HAZARDSWhat Are the Risks of Hydrogen Vehicles in Tunnels?

    By Falko Schoklitsch

    In addition to electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles are also seen as an alternative to conventionally powered vehicles. Scientists have analyzed the risk and damage potential of hydrogen vehicles in tunnels and derived recommendations. Their conclusion? Any damage would be extensive, but its occurrence is unlikely.

  • RAIL SAFETYThe True Dangers of Long Trains

    By Dan Schwartz and Topher Sanders, with additional reporting by Gabriel Sandoval and Danelle Morton

    Trains are getting longer. Rail companies had recently adopted a moneymaking strategy to move cargo faster than ever, with fewer workers, on trains that are consistently longer than at any time in history. Railroads are getting richer, but these “monster trains” are jumping off of tracks across America and regulators are doing little to curb the risk.

  • EVsElectric vs. Gasoline Vehicles: Is EV Ownership Competitive in Your Area?

    Is it actually cheaper to own an electric vehicle instead of a gas vehicle? It depends. Researchers say that where you live matters. Cumulative recurring costs for a midsize SUV across platforms—traditional gasoline, hybrid and electric—are higher in some cities when taking key factors into account: financing, annual fees, insurance, maintenance, repairs and fuel costs.

  • RAIL SAFETYRail Industry Urged to Consider Safety Risks of Space Weather

    Solar storms can trigger powerful magnetic disturbances on Earth, creating geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) which could potentially interfere with electricity transmission and distribution grids. Train accidents could be caused by solar storms switching signaling from red to green according to new research examining the impact of space weather.

  • RAIL SAFETY“Do Your Job.” How the Railroad Industry Intimidates Employees Into Putting Speed Before Safety

    By Topher Sanders, Jessica Lussenhop, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton, and Gabriel Sandoval

    Railroad companies have penalized workers for taking the time to make needed repairs and created a culture in which supervisors threaten and fire the very people hired to keep trains running safely. Regulators say they can’t stop this intimidation.

  • TRANSPORTATION SECURITYFire-Tested Systems Help Crews Survive Truck Burn-Overs

    By Justin Leonard and Amy Edwards

    Terrifying moments when flames can overrun and burn over a fire truck are called flashover or burn-over. While firefighters have strategies and operational procedures to minimize risk, these dangerous events still occur and can be fatal. Water spray systems are protecting fire trucks and firefighters from burn-overs.

  • RAIL SAFETYRegulators Blast Union Pacific for Running Unsafe Trains

    By Topher Sanders

    The nation’s largest freight rail carrier failed to fix and continued to use faulty equipment, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Managers reportedly pressured inspectors to leave the yard so they could keep freight moving.

  • ENERGY TRANSITIONRailroads May Use Their Monopoly Power to Buffer Coal Plants from a Carbon Emissions Tax

    Railroads are likely to cut transportation prices to prop up coal-fired plants if U.S. climate policies further disadvantage coal in favor of less carbon-intensive energy sources. A new study argues that “If policymakers ignore real distortions in the market, like monopoly power in rail shipping, their climate policy efforts may not achieve the intended results.”