• 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

  • AVIATION SAFETYStudy: Flying Keeps Getting Safer

    By Peter Dizikes

    Reflecting a “Moore’s Law of aviation,” commercial flight has become roughly twice as safe each decade since the 1960s; Covid-19 added a wrinkle, however.

  • 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.

  • INADMISSIBLE MIGRANTSAnother Report Says CBP, ICE Not Detaining, Removing Inadmissibles Flying into Country

    By Bethany Blankley, The Center Square

    A DHS OIG audit found that a regional CBP and ICE detention and removal processes were ineffective at one major international airport, the OIG audit found. Between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, the report found CBP agents at this airport released at least 383 inadmissible travelers from custody into the U.S. who, under the law, are prohibited from entering the country.

  • 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.

  • HAZARDOUS MATERIALSTransporting Hazardous Materials Across the Country Isn’t Easy − That’s Why There’s a Host of Regulations in Place

    By Michael F. Gorman

    Transporting hazardous materials such as dangerous gases, poisons, harmful chemicals, corrosives and radioactive material across the country is risky. But because approximately 3 billion pounds of hazardous material needs to go from place to place in the U.S. each year, it’s unavoidable.

  • RADIATION DETECTIONA New Way to Detect Radiation Involving Cheap Ceramics

    By Elizabeth A. Thomson

    The radiation detectors used today for applications like inspecting cargo ships for smuggled nuclear materials are expensive and cannot operate in harsh environments, among other disadvantages. Work by MIT engineers could lead to plethora of new applications, including better detectors for nuclear materials at ports.

  • AVAIATION SECURITYCybertech Startup Aims to Keep Aircraft Safe

    By Zachy Hennessey

    As hackers get more daring and sophisticated, and even try to hijack airplanes, it’s increasingly vital to keep our aircraft safe from attack. Cybertech startup Cyviation aims to do just that.

  • BALTIMORE BRIDGE ACCIDENTI’ve Captained Ships into Tight Ports Like Baltimore, and This Is How Captains Like Me Work with Harbor Pilots to Avoid Deadly Collisions

    By Allan Post

    The accident which caused the collapse of the bridge in Baltimore is the third such accident in as many months, with big ships hitting, and causing the collapse, of bridges in China and Argentina. These incidents have highlighted what engineering experts say is the urgent need to improve or protect old bridges to accommodate larger modern vessels – and what maritime experts say is the growing difficulty ship pilots face when helping navigate big ships through tight places.

  • AIRPORT SECURITYPrototype Self-Service Screening System Unveiled

    TSA and DHS S&T unveiled a prototype checkpoint technology, the self-service screening system, at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, NV. The aim is to provide a near self-sufficient passenger screening process while enabling passengers to directly receive on-person alarm information and allow for the passenger self-resolution of those alarms.

  • PORT SECURITYShoring Up Ports to Withstand Cyberattacks

    By Jeff Seldin

    There are more than 300 ports in the United States, employing an estimated 31 million Americans, and contributing about $5.4 trillion to the country’s economy The White House is moving forward with reforms aimed at shoring up cybersecurity at U.S. ports, some of which may already be in danger of falling under the sway of hackers linked to China.