Green Mover Max

The Green Mover Max was the first 100% low-floor articulated Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) to be built entirely in Japan. It was developed jointly by Kinki Sharyo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Toyo Electric Co., and introduced first in Hiroshima by the Hiroshima Electric Railway Company (Hiroden). It replaced Hiroden's ailing fleet of Siemens Combinos in 2005.
History - Project U3.
In 1998, Siemens won a contract from Hiroden for supplying what was at the time, its latest line of LF-LRT (low floor - light rail transit) streetcars called the Combinos. Hiroden was also the first operator outside Germany to purchase Combinos, starting with 12 units.
According to Hattori, the development of LF-LRVs in Japan was delayed by several factors: overseas manufacturers held patents on many of the basic technologies; low domestic demand increased development risks and established fare-collection protocols. This poor development environment changed in November 2000 when the Barrier-Free Transportation Law was passed. This law required that operators respect accessibility standards when introducing new rolling stock and provided subsidies as tax-relief and tax-exemptions to compensate for the price differences between conventional cars and the more expensive barrier-free designs.
A year later, in 2001, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan) brought together a group of eight manufacturers who worked on the latest LF-LRT designs to develop a fully Japanese product. This product was to improve upon many Combino features such as low-floor (now down to 360 mm; 330 mm at doorways); VVVF (variable voltage variable frequency) motor capable of regenerative braking, maximum service speeds of 80km/h, and LRVs for both standard gauge (1,435 mm) and narrow gauge (1,067 mm).
Soon, three Japanese companies formed a consortium for creating an improved LRT that was better adapted for local running conditions - Kinki Sharyo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), and Toyo Electric Co. Christened as the "U3 Project", the aim of this collaborative effort was to create a "100% ultra-low-floor articulated light rail vehicle (LRV)" that would be the "Ultimate", "Urban", "User-friendly" Light Rail Vehicle.
Project U3 aimed to create a vehicle that was more spacious in terms of passenger capacity, more reliable, and, for which, most of the components could be manufacturer in Japan itself. Specific tasks were allotted to each of the four collaborators - MHI took over bogies, brakes, and inner/outer rigging; Kinki Sharyo focused on design, car body, articulations, and drivers cabin; while Toyo Denki Seizo took responsibility for electric parts and control and drive units.
Hiroden was closely involved in this project as its “operation-service” adviser. The result was the "Green Mover Max", a vehicle that had more passenger seats, wider aisles (830 mm – to enable movement of wheelchairs) and lower dependence on foreign patented technology & component makers.
Hattori
 notes that the key to the development of an indigenous 100% LF-LRV was the bogie with an independent wheel system, similar to the shaft-less wheel connection to the Combinos. Also similar was the placement of motor and drive unit installed to the outer side of the wheel, which helped in achieving a low-floor vehicle.
Providentially for the Japanese manufacturers, the Combinos started giving problems within a couple of years. On Combino cars that had run more than 150,000 km, cracks were reported on the connections between the sidewalls and the roof girders such that the safety of passengers in the wheel-less modules could not be assured in the event of a severe collision. This was not a problem specific to Hiroshima - similar problems were reported in other cities that had adopted the Siemens-Combinos, such as Düsseldorf, Freiburg, Augsburg, Erfurt, Nordhausen, Basel, Potsdam, Bern, Amsterdam and Melbourne. In March 2004 Siemens Transport Systems confirmed that body-shell problems were emerging at high mileages and it advised all operators to take out about 400 Combinos that had run more than 120,000 km.
This flaw in the Siemens Combino led to the speedy introduction of the GreenMover into the Japanese market, in 2005.
New models.
The Green Mover Max consisted of five articulated sections on three cars, two of which were powered. The motors and gears were mounted outside the wheels, allowing them to rotate independently – as in the case of the Combinos.
The Green Mover T-5000 soon evolved into T5100 which had even better specifications – the seat were made more comfortable with spacious sofa seats being used in the front cars and the number of seats was increased from 52 to 62. The next version, Green Mover T5100, had wider aisles: 830mm in the 5000 series to 880mm in the front cars and 1120mm in Car E, the middle car, of the 5100 series, making for a smoother flow of passengers through the cars. It was more comfortable for both seated and standing passengers. Also most components are made locally, thereby providing reliability and enhanced maintenance.


VDL SB200

The VDL SB200 (originally the DAF SB200) was a light-weight 12m low floor single decker bus chassis produced from 2001 by VDL Bus & Coach (formerly DAF Bus International). It superseded the SB220.
It is originally designed for use by Arriva (VDL dealer in the United Kingdom) in order to save fuel over heavy-weight citybuses which are designed for Continental Europe where buses carry large numbers of standing passengers, whereas in the UK they do not.
The SB200 sold very well in VDL's home market, the Netherlands mainly using VDL Berkhof type Ambassador and VDL Citea LLE bodywork. They were operated by all large transport companies in the Netherlands, Connexxion (including Hermes), Veolia Transport and Arriva. Arriva also used SB200s with Wright Commander bodywork.
Of the 831 built for United Kingdom operators, Arriva purchased 704, Tellings-Golden Miller 30 and John Fishwick & Sons 23.
Initially the SB200 built for the UK was only available with Wright Commander bodywork, but from 2006 it was available with the Plaxton Centro or Wright Pulsar bodywork, the latter being succeeded in late 2009 by the facelifted Wright Pulsar 2.
One VDL SB200 was fitted with an MCV Evolution body in 2012 as a static demonstrator for Arriva Bus & Coach, it was sold in 2014 to Richards Brothers in Wales.


Renaissance Cleveland Hotel

The Renaissance Cleveland Hotel is a historic hotel on Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio, opened in 1918 as the Hotel Cleveland. It is today part of the Tower City Center mixed-use complex.
History.
Site.
A place of lodging has occupied the site since 1815, when Phinney Mowrey opened Mowrey's Tavern. Donald MacIntosh purchased the tavern in 1820 and operated it as the Cleveland House and later the City Hotel until it was destroyed by fire in 1845. In 1848, it was rebuilt as the Dunham House, which was enlarged in 1852 and renamed the Forest City House. That structure was demolished in 1916 to make way for the current hotel.
Hotel Cleveland.
The 1000-room Hotel Cleveland was built at a cost of $4.5 million and opened on December 16, 1918. Charles Lindbergh spoke in a ballroom at the hotel in 1927, three months after completing his solo Trans-Atlantic flight. The Van Sweringen brothers purchased the hotel in the 1920s and built the Cleveland Union Terminal complex, completed in 1930, around it.
Eliot Ness and his wife Evaline frequently danced in the hotel's famous Bronze Room during his time in Cleveland. Ness also questioned Francis Sweeney, a suspect in the Torso murders, in one of the hotel's rooms for over a week in 1938. The following year, in 1939, he held a meeting of local factory owners in the hotel's Empire Room, attempting to start a network of informants among their employees, to catch potential saboteurs. The local CIO head feared it was a union-busting ploy and asked J. Edgar Hoover to intervene. Hoover sided with the CIO and remained at odds with Ness through the remainder of his career. President Harry S. Truman and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt were both guests at the hotel in the 1940s.
Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel.
Sheraton Hotels acquired the Hotel Cleveland in 1958 and rechristened it the Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a series of speeches at the Sheraton on November 4, 1960, before giving a major speech in the adjacent Public Square. In 1961, Sheraton converted the Bronze Room to the Kon Tiki Restaurant. The restaurant has since been closed and the space has been converted to offices. In 1962, Sheraton spent $5.2 million renovating the hotel and adding an enormous adjacent convention wing structure containing a three-story, 500-space parking garage, topped by a 12,000 sq ft exhibition hall and a new grand ballroom accommodating 4000 people. A historic meeting between leaders of Cleveland's white and black communities occurred at the Sheraton on April 19, 1964, following the death of Civil Rights protester Rev. Bruce W. Klunder twelve days earlier.
The Beatles stayed at the Sheraton on September 14, 1964, before performing at the Public Auditorium the next day. Police established a cordon around the Sheraton to protect the group from mobs of fans, who surrounded the hotel. On March 23, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. attended a Nobel Peace Prize dinner in his honor at the Sheraton, briefly leaving the Selma to Montgomery marches to be at the event. The Beatles returned in 1966, when they performed at Cleveland Stadium on August 14 and gave a press conference in the Sheraton's Empire Room that day. Duke Ellington gave a concert in the Sheraton Ballroom of the hotel on September 28, 1972. The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as part of the Terminal complex. President Gerald Ford visited the hotel on June 6, 1976 and gave a series of speeches and attended multiple receptions.
Restoration and today.
In 1977, Sheraton sold the hotel, which now had only 800 rooms, to Save-the-Square, Inc. for $18 million. The group of investors, headed by Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell and also including Cleveland Indians owner Steve O'Neill, rescued the hotel from receivership and paid its debts. The group hired Biltmore Construction to fully renovate the aging hotel, enclosing the rear courtyard as a glass-roofed atrium, with a pool that had to be lowered into place by a huge crane. It reopened in 1978, managed by Stouffer Hotels, as Stouffer's Inn on the Square. Ronald Reagan visited the hotel on October 29, 1980, prior to participating in a presidential debate against Jimmy Carter at Public Auditorium. Boxer Larry Holmes fought a series of exhibition bouts in the hotel's Grand Ballroom on April 9, 1982. Cast and crew of the classic 1983 film "A Christmas Story" stayed at the hotel while filming in the adjacent Higbee's department store.
In 1985, Stouffer began a $37 million, five-year renovation, throughout which the hotel remained open. The renovation reduced the number of rooms to 500 and modernized the fire safety systems with sprinklers, smoke detectors and alarms. In December 1986, the hotel was renamed Stouffer Tower City Plaza to match the renovated train station and its shopping mall. Renaissance Hotels purchased Stouffer Hotels in 1993, and the hotel became the Stouffer Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Finally, in 1996, it gained its current name, Renaissance Cleveland Hotel.


Nissan Caravan

The Nissan Caravan is a light commercial van designed for use as a fleet vehicle or cargo van and manufactured by Nissan since 1973. Between 1976 and 1997, a rebadged version of the Caravan sold as the Nissan Homy, which was introduced as an independent model in 1965. Outside Japan, the Caravan was also sold as either the Nissan Urvan or Nissan King Van, or earlier with Datsun badging.
All generations use a cabover approach due to Japanese Government dimension regulations that annually tax larger vehicles, and the cabover approach maximizes interior space while remaining within defined exterior dimensions.
Prior to 1973, the Caravan's twin, the Homy had been offered as a standalone generation from 1965 until 1976. The Homy was built and sold by the Prince Motor Company before the merger of Nissan in 1965 and the Homy was the first vehicle to be acquired by Nissan. After the merger in August 1966, because Nissan didn't have a large passenger platform, the Prince Homy was "badge engineered" as the Caravan, and the brand name was changed from Prince to Nissan. The merger was complete by 1970. It shared a chassis with the Prince Homer, a medium-duty cabover pickup truck.
The second generation Homy of 1976, was marketed as a twin to the 1973-era Nissan Caravan, sold at the "Nissan Prince Store" dealerships, while the Caravan was exclusive to "Nissan Bluebird Store" locations. The first generation series B640 which was changed to Nissan series T20 was built from 1965 to 1976, the second generation E20 was built from 1976 to 1980, and the third generation E23 was built from 1980 to 1986. The final generation E24 was built from 1986 to 1999, and replaced by the Nissan Elgrand.
Mechanically, the Nissan Caravan and the Nissan Homy were identical. Its traditional competitor from Toyota is the HiAce.
Nissan's largest passenger van is the Nissan Civilian, introduced in 1959, and their smaller platform was the Nissan Vanette.
First generation (B640); (1965-1973).
The Prince Homy (B640) was the passenger van version of the Prince Homer light duty truck, and had a seating capacity of up to 15 people. In 1966 as the Prince-Nissan merger began, it was initially called the Nissan Homy Prince, sharing load carrying duties with the Prince Skyway, and Prince Gloria station wagons; the Prince name became a dealership network within the Nissan organization in 1970. The Nissan Homy received the T20 model code, and in 1972, the vehicle was reclassified as a commercial vehicle, in order to comply with the 1970 Japanese road traffic law.
Nissan had integrated a previously built product called the Nissan Caball as a cabover truck and cargo van, but had replaced it with the Homy. From 1973 the Homy was also available rebadged as the Nissan Caravan, to fit Nissan's various dealer networks.
Second generation (E20, E21, E22); (1973-1980).
The E20 series Caravan and Urvan van and minibus were manufactured from February 1973 with seating configurations for three, five, seven, and up to 10 passengers. It was exclusive in Japan to "Nissan Bluebird Store," while its twin the Nissan Homy was exclusive to "Nissan Prince Store" locations. It was especially popular in Europe, and was again very popular with fire departments and as ambulances in certain countries. It had a somewhat difficult handling, as it was heavy to steer, and was not available with power steering. Also, the gear shifter was located at the floor and went all the way up to the height of the hand, and had a slight curve. The gear shifter was nearly long, so it was somewhat clumsy to shift, but it came with five gears, unusual in Europe at that time.
It was delivered with a 1.5- and 2.0-liter petrol engines, as well as a 2.2-liter diesel unit. It was produced until replaced by the E23 Caravan in August 1980. In export markets the first and second generations were called Datsun Urvan, until the Nissan brand replaced it worldwide in 1983 and 1984. In 1978, Nissan added the smaller Vanette as the Caravan grew in dimensions and market positioning.
The second generation was essentially a cosmetic update with no major mechanical changes. The model code changed to E20.
Third generation (E23); (1980-1986).
The third generation Nissan Urvan/Caravan, the E23 series, was introduced in August 1980. As before, the Homy, sold through Prince dealerships, was its twin model, set apart by a different grille. The Cabstar and Homer shared much of the bodywork, with the main differences being the frontal treatment and a small side window mounted in the front doors of the Caravan/Homy. Engines were all carryover four-cylinders, ranging from the "J16" and "H20" pushrod items, via the overhead cam "Z20S", and an upgraded "SD22" diesel. The van versions were now designed to allow access to the loading area from the passenger compartment. Radial tires were optional. The diesel also benefitted from a new five-speed manual gearbox, while the new luxury GL version offered an optional "Nissanmatic" automatic transmission as well as power steering, comfortable rotating rear seats and air conditioning. In July 1981, a luxurious SGL "Silk Road" version was added.
At the 1981 Tokyo Motor Show, two concept Caravans designed to provide limousine-like accommodation for businessmen were shown, the Royal and Elgrand Royal Line. The Elgrand name was to be adopted for a series of luxurious minivans, beginning in 1997. In May 1982, the Caravan underwent a minor facelift, losing the ventilation window in the front doors, receiving a new dashboard and a new five-bearing "SD23" diesel engine replacing the previous "SD22". Radial tires became standard for all but the cheapest versions. For more power, coach versions also became available with the turbocharged "LD20T" diesel. The luxurious "Silk Road" version, with seven captain seats, was only available with the "LD20T". This engine passed the 1982 emissions standards for diesel cars. To meet the 1981 emissions standards for petrol cars, coach versions replaced the "H20" engine with the new carbureted "Z18S" and "Z20S".
In April 1983 there was another light facelift, with SGL and GL versions receiving a new look with four square headlights. An LWB DX ten-seater version was also added. In January 1985, six and nine-passenger van versions were added. Diesel versions received improved pre-heating systems and safety equipment was improved. Manual petrol versions were now all five-speed units. An eight-seater "SGL Silk Road Limited" also joined the lineup in May. In September 1986, the E23 was replaced by the fourth generation E24.
The Homy and its Caravan twin received their first full model change since the Homy was introduced in 1965. The engine was the 2.0-liter inline-four "LD20T" turbo diesel. The "TD23" inline-four was also available.
Fourth generation (E24); (1986-2001).
The E24 version was built from 1986 until 2001 and underwent two major facelifts, in 1990 and 1995. In some Scandinavian markets, the E24 series was marketed as the "King Van", to tie it in with the popular "King Cab" version of Nissan's D21 pickup truck. Originally, petrol-equipped Caravans had the "Z20" engine while commercial diesels had the 2.3-liter, naturally aspirated "TD23" and the Coach (passenger version) the "LD20T II" turbodiesel. With the October 1990 facelift this was switched to the "NA20S". At the same time, an intercooled version ("TD27Ti") of the 2.7-liter turbodiesel replaced the "TD27T" in most applications. The facelift consisted of a new grille (not on the DX) and new larger taillights (excluding the DX and GL models).
In August 1995 there was another facelift, mostly consisting of another new grille. The "TD27Ti" was upgraded to the electronically controlled "TD27ETi". The large "QD32" four-cylinder diesel was added to automatic-equipped van models in 1996 and produced from 3153 cc. In May 1997, commercial models were upgraded so as to match the changes already introduced on the Coach models. In June 1999, the passenger models (and Homy nameplate) were discontinued and the engine lineup changed: petrol options were now 2.0 and 2.4-liter Twin cam engines from the KA series, while only the naturally aspirated "QD32" diesel remained.
In Kenya, the Nissan E24 is still manufactured by the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers in Thika .
The Homy received its second full model change in September 1986 and was given the 2.0-liter "Z20" engine, as well as the "LD20T" turbodiesel. The model code was now E24. In October 1987, four-wheel drive was added to the 2.7-liter "TD27" engine. In March 1988, the premium grade "GT Limousine" was offered with the "VG30E" alongside the 2.7-liter turbodiesel. Yearly grade changes continued for the rest of the generation, adding items like cruise control, digital speedometers, larger wheels, upgraded interior and upholstery. August 1995 saw the Homy rebadged and sold as the Isuzu Fargo, using the "TD27ETi" diesel engine. The Homy Coach was replaced by the Nissan Elgrand in 1997 when the "Nissan Prince Store" Japanese dealerships were renamed "Nissan Red Stage" and vehicle overlap was streamlined. The Homy badge, first used in 1965, remained in use for commercial models until it, too, was cancelled in June 1999 as the Homy/Caravan lineups were merged.
FAW Jiefang made a clone of the E24 known as the CA 6440. Production started in 1994, having a Chrysler-based CA488 engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. According to the "Regulations on Beijing Road Traffic Management" and the "Regulations on the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution," such vehicles still in service are not allowed to enter Beijing after May 10, 2001 as part of an effort to combat air pollution.
Fifth generation (E25); (2001-2012).
Nissan produced the E25 series from April 2001 to 2012. It was also sold as the Isuzu Como on the Japanese market, replacing the last generation Isuzu Fargo which was a rebadged version of the E24 Caravan. The New Zealand Urvan received a one-star rating on the ANCAP crash test.
Mexico was the only North American country to receive the Nissan Caravan vans. 2010 was the last year for this generation in Mexico, as the US-built Nissan NV replaces it.
Sixth generation (NV350/E26); (2012-present).
At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, a replacement of the Nissan Caravan, called the NV350 Caravan was premiered. It went on sale this 15 June 2012 with diesel engine and super long body variants will went on sale beginning 13 July 2012, and the wide version model arrived in winter 2012. The new NV350 Caravan comes with the all new "YD25DDTi" engine with clean diesel technology. Most petrol engines take advantage of its fuel saving technology for class leading fuel economy, for example the "QR20DE". Those engines achieved either a 10 or 5 percent improvement in fuel economy over Japan's 2015 fuel economy standard. The NV350 Caravan continues to be sold as the Isuzu Como on the Japanese market as well.
In the Philippines, the NV350 Caravan (E26) was introduced on 11 June 2015 and known as the NV350 Urvan. The new NV350 Urvan imported from Japan instead of being assembled locally. The NV350 in the Philippines has only five models:The super Base-grade 3-seater Hi-roof Cargo, The Base-line 18-seater VX, The Top Base-line 15-seater Shuttle, The Mid-line 12-seater Escapade and The High-End 10-seater Super Elite. In May 2017 the Base-Top-of-the-line NV350 Urvan Premium was launched. it comes with 15 Seater, it is available in 5-speed Manual and 5-speed Automatic Transmissions, being the first ever Urvan in the Philippines that comes with a standard automatic transmission. In March 2018 the High-Top-of-the-Line Urvan Premium S was launched, it comes in 8-Seater. it is also available in 5-speed Manual and Automatic Variants. It now features the Touchscreen-Display Audio System, Dashcam, Power Mirrors, and Captain Seats. This is the first ever Urvan in the Philippines that offers a Captain Seats. Available Colors for this Philippine-market Urvan are Alpine White (Standard 15-Seater/Standard 18-Seater/Cargo), Brilliant Silver (Premium/Standard 15-Seater/Standard 18-Seater), Pearl White (Premium), Gun Metallic (Premium/Standard 15-Seater/Standard 18-Seater), Topaz Brown (Premium/Standard 15-Seater), and Granite Black (Premium/Standard 15-Seater).
On 11 September 2013, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd reached a basic agreement regarding original equipment manufacturer supply of finished commercial vans for export, whereby Nissan would supply NV350 Urvans to be sold as Fuso Canter Van. Two versions are offered, the van and microbus.


Streetcars in Cincinnati

Streetcars operated by the Cincinnati Street Railway were the main form of public transportation in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century. The first electric streetcars began operation in 1889, and at its maximum, the streetcar system had of track and carried more than 100 million passengers per year. A very unusual feature of the system was that cars on some of its routes traveled via inclined railways to serve areas on hills near downtown. With the advent of inexpensive automobiles and improved roads, transit ridership declined in the 20th century and the streetcar system closed in 1951.
Construction of a new streetcar system, now known as the Cincinnati Bell Connector, began in 2012. Consisting initially of a single route, the new system opened on September 9, 2016.
Original system.
Cincinnati's first settlers made their home on the large flat basin that now includes downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and the West End. By the 1850s, the city's population was too large for the basin alone, and people started moving to the city's surrounding hills. Horsecars were the first form of public transportation, with operation beginning on September 14, 1859. Although horsecars had been running in New Orleans since 1835, very few other cities introduced rail transit – in the form or horse- or mule-drawn cars – until the 1850s, and in 1859 Cincinnati was still one of the first few U.S. cities with such transit service. However, horse-drawn vehicles were inadequate because the animals would fatigue and the hills were impossible to climb in bad weather. Cities with hilly terrain such as Cincinnati and San Francisco began adopting cable cars, because they were faster and more reliable than horses.
The first cable car routes in Cincinnati were on Gilbert Avenue, Mount Auburn and Vine Street. Cable cars require that the car be pulled by a constantly running cable hidden under the street. Electricity proved to be cheaper and more reliable than cable cars, which required that the cable be replaced periodically. Consequently, starting on August 17, 1889, the first streetcars were introduced, and the existing cable cars were converted to electric streetcars or abandoned. The lines grew until there were of streetcar tracks in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The track gauge was (Pennsylvania trolley gauge). Some of the interurban lines serving Cincinnati also used this gauge, while others used standard gauge track.
For decades Cincinnati's streetcar system consistently carried over 100 million passengers a year. Comparatively, in 2000 approximately 25 million people rode Cincinnati's Metro bus system.
Cincinnati was one of only three cities in North America whose streetcars used "double" overhead trolley wire (two wires for each track) and twin trolley poles on each streetcar, the only others being Havana, Cuba, and the small Merrill, Wisconsin system. All routes used double trolley wire, the only exception being on route 78, a portion of which outside the city limits had only a single wire for each track. On all other North American streetcar systems the rails served as the return path for the electric current collected via the trolley pole, but this requires proper bonding of the rails to prevent stray current from escaping and interfering with nearby utility lines, such as telephone lines. In Cincinnati, the primary early streetcar operating company, the Cincinnati Street Railway, chose to install double-wire from the beginning, to save money.
The city was also home to one of the country's larger streetcar manufacturers, the Cincinnati Car Company, which produced street-, interurban and rapid transit cars from 1902 until about 1931.
Use of inclines.
The streetcars were used in conjunction with four of Cincinnati's inclined railways, the Mount Adams Incline, Mount Auburn Incline, Bellevue Incline, and Fairview Incline. Except for the Fairview Incline, these originally conveyed horsecars, but were later equipped to carry electric streetcars. The cars would be driven onto the incline platform, which was level and was equipped with rails and (in most cases) overhead trolley wires. The platform, riding on its own rails, would then be pulled up the hill by the cable, carrying the streetcar. Once reaching the top, the streetcar could simply be driven off of the platform, onto the fixed-in-place track along city streets. The 1872-opened Mount Adams Incline began carrying horsecars in 1877, and it was later strengthened for use by electric streetcars, which were much heavier.
Decline and closure.
Streetcars remained the main form of public transportation for the city until the popularity of the automobile caused ridership to wane. With the improvement of local highways beginning before World War II, citizens were able to own more land and still be able to conveniently drive into the city to enjoy its benefits. Aided by an anti-rail stance by the City of Cincinnati and suburbs such as Norwood, the streetcars were quickly phased out after the war in favor of buses and trolley buses, and on April 29, 1951, the last streetcars were retired. The Mount Adams Incline closed in 1948, when routine inspection in preparation for repairs revealed that the undergirding timbers were dangerously decayed. This was the death knell of the incline, following complaints that it was "unsightly," cost too much, caused roadblocks, and was rendered useless by the automobile. At the time it was closed, the Mount Adams Incline was Cincinnati's top tourist attraction.
The last five streetcar lines, abandoned on April 29, 1951, were routes 18-North Fairmount, 19-John Street, 21-Westwood-Cheviot, 55-Vine-Clifton and 78-Lockland. They were converted to trolley buses—commonly known as "trolley coaches" at that time—as had happened previously with several other streetcar lines. The city's trolley bus system lasted another 14 years, until June 18, 1965.
Cincinnati has been criticized for closing the streetcars and inclines without realizing their potential for tourism dollars. In 1947, San Francisco's cable car system was threatened with closure for similar reasons. A plan was put in place that would have replaced the city's cable cars with a new "super bus" system, but a public vote saved the cable cars. Today San Francisco's cable cars are vital to the city's tourism industry, carry 7.5 million passengers a year, and generate more than $20 million in fare revenue. A popular PCC streetcar on San Francisco's F Market & Wharves line is painted bright yellow with green stripes, in honor of the Cincinnati Street Railway.
21st century system.
Proposals to build a new streetcar line began being discussed in about 2001, as a way to energize housing and development in Over-the-Rhine, Downtown Cincinnati, and the "uptown" neighborhoods that surround the University of Cincinnati, after Portland, Oregon, opened a modern streetcar system in 2001 that was credited with generating significant new property development in what had been decaying areas adjacent to downtown. The Cincinnati proposals generated both support and criticism and were studied and revised several times after 2002. Following a 2007 study of the potential benefits of building a modern streetcar system, the Cincinnati City Council gave its approval in 2008 to a plan to build a new streetcar line. In 2009 and 2011, the city voted on referendums designed to stop the streetcar project, but in both cases a majority of voters favored the project. Ground was broken for the DowntownOver-the-Rhine line on February 17, 2012, and utility relocation began at that time. In July 2013, the City of Cincinnati signed a contract for the construction of the tracks, power system, and maintenance facility. During planning and construction, the new system was called Cincinnati Streetcar, but it was renamed the Cincinnati Bell Connector under a naming rights deal with Cincinnati Bell shortly before the line's opening. The system opened to passengers on September 9, 2016.


Forest Lane station

Forest Lane station is a DART Light Rail station in Dallas, Texas. It is located on Forest Lane, just east of US 75 (North Central Expressway) in North Dallas. It opened on July 1, 2002, replacing the North Central Transit Center, and is the third of four elevated stations on the , serving nearby residential and shopping areas in the neighborhoods of Lake Highlands and Hamilton Park.


Via Transportation

Via Transportation, Inc. (founded in 2012 by Israeli entrepreneurs Daniel Ramot and Oren Shoval) is a global public transport, logistics, and TransitTech company headquartered in New York City. Via licenses its technology to cities, transportation authorities, school districts, universities, and private organizations to help build their own technology-driven transportation networks. It operates in partnership with over 400 local governments across more than 20 countries globally, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, Finland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
In October 2020, Via acquired the logistics company Fleetonomy to accelerate its entry into the last-mile deliveries industry. In March of 2021, Via purchased the transportation planning platform Remix for $100M to create the first end-to-end TransitTech platform for cities and transit agencies.
Business overview.
Via operates as a software as a service (SaaS) technology company for all forms of transportation. Specific divisions include public transportation planning and operations, paratransit operations, non-emergency medical transportation, logistics and deliveries, school bus fleet routing, commercial ridesharing, and autonomous vehicles.
Via.
Via is a transportation services technology provider primarily focused on delivering on-demand and pre-scheduled shared rides, optimizing fixed routes, and providing multimodal and intermodal transit technology. Via's algorithm matches multiple passengers heading in the same direction and books them into a single vehicle. Shared rides are usually from corner-to-corner to streamline vehicle routes, requiring passengers to walk to a nearby pickup point, indicated on the app. Select cities also offer private rides, as well as direct door-to-door transportation.
Via primarily operates in partnership with a local transit authority, government entity, university, school district, taxi fleet or private organization. Via licenses its ride-sharing technology through Software as a Service (SaaS) and Transportation as a Service (TaaS) agreements.
The operational partnerships use Via's technology, but allow organizations to use their own vehicle fleets, supply their own drivers, and provide their own live service staff. Partners may also choose to have Via supply these resources, including full vehicle and operational management.
Via has partnerships with some of the world's largest public transportation providers, including Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) in Berlin, King County Metro in Seattle, and Transport for London, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) in Australia.
Remix.
Via acquired Remix Software, Inc. in March 2021. Remix is a collaborative mapping platform for transportation service planners, allowing users to visualize transit data, and analyze community and cost impacts of new designs to assess tradeoffs of service planning decisions.
Remix enables the exploration of demographic data in cities around the world. The software can highlight the disproportionate impact of transportation projects.
Users of Remix’s software can better understand their fixed route, on-demand, and multimodal transportation services all in one place. Doing so allows cities to focus on serving underserved neighborhoods, filling in the first/last mile gaps, and ensuring communities are served equitably.
Paratransit.
Via offers ADA complementary paratransit services, partnering with transit authorities and operators to offer its technology as software-as-a-service, or manage full operations, including drivers, vehicles, and customer service. The automatic dispatching technology allows for on-demand and pre-scheduled rides using wheelchair-accessible vehicles, as well as dynamic routing.
In January 2020, the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (HRT) in Norfolk, Virginia awarded Via with a multi-year paratransit contract that aims to increase efficiency of paratransit services and improve the experience for HRT’s paratransit customers. HRT provides paratransit services under direction of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the first two months, the new service improved vehicle utilization and increased on-time performance from 85% to 94%.
In August 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Via partnered with Green Bay Metro in Green Bay, Wisconsin to replace their previous paratransit technology and provide commingled microtransit and paratransit service to a community of over 200,000 residents.
School bus routing and tracking.
Via unveiled its school bus routing and tracking platform on August 21, 2019 after winning a contract with the New York City Department of Education, the largest school district in the United States.
Via for Schools is the first integrated, automated school bus routing, tracking, and communication platform in the world. Parents and students will have the ability to track, in real-time, their bus’ whereabouts and receive frequent and reliable communications in the event of service changes, improving safety, achieving operational efficiencies and reduce transportation costs.
As the largest school district in the nation, the NYC Department of Education (DOE) transports approximately 150,000 students on 9,000 bus routes each and every day to get students safely to and from school across the city. Via for Schools serves the city's diverse student populations, including general education, special education, students in temporary housing, and others through one integrated school transportation system. The system will utilize a flexible algorithm, which allows for both stop-to-school and home-to-school pickups, accommodating students regardless of their learning style, mobility constraints, or places of residence.
Via Logistics.
Via Logistics provides an end-to-end technology solution that will enable you to serve more customers with fewer vehicle miles traveled. The technology specializes in last-mile deliveries including route planning, managing a fleet, and dispatching drivers and packages to customers.
The company’s logistics software allows for simplified same-day and next-day delivery planning, accommodates client-facing tracking, and optimizes routes in real time for smaller, more accurate delivery windows. Via Logistics can support anywhere from a few hundred deliveries daily in cities like Los Angeles and Washington D.C. to half a million packages per day with its largest partner in Tokyo.
Corporate shuttles.
Via partners with private organizations to launch and operate corporate shuttle services intended to mobilize a workforce, often between their homes and the office. The services range from on-demand rides to pre-scheduled trips that can be planned for regular routine trips. Use of such services increased in popularity in the onset of COVID-19 as employers sought to provide their workers with a safe, closed transportation network to and from the office.
In July 2018, Via partnered with Mori Building Company to launch HillsVia, an on-demand shared transportation network for the company's employees in Tokyo. The service marked Via's first venture in Japan, and first corporate shuttle network. Via later announced a new service called BlueVia in Tokyo in September 2019. The on-demand shuttle network is in cooperation with Nihon Kotsu, one of the largest taxi and limousine operators in Japan. BlueVia allows Itochu employees to hail a ride on-demand during their daily commutes and between meetings.
Autonomous vehicle technology.
Via debuted its autonomous vehicle technology for the first time at CES 2019 alongside Aurrigo, Comet Mobility and an AI technology provider. Via's autonomous technology is strongly influenced by the company's history in ridesharing, with multiple passengers using a self-driven vehicle.
The demonstration worked by booking a PodZero using the Via app. Via's autonomous vehicle technology can book and route the autonomous vehicles on-demand, provide customers with a vehicle location and ETA, and use its Augmented Reality (AR) functionality for easy identification. From the app, passengers can request a ride in NAVYA's AUTONOM CAB, control the vehicle's door opening once it arrives at the pickup spot, command it to close the door and begin the ride once they're safely aboard. Additionally, passengers can select their choice of music, with the option to connect to the on-board Wi-Fi.
Via announced its first public autonomous vehicle deployment called BusBot on July 11, 2019. The driverless vehicle began serving residents on April 8, 2019 at an Australian retirement community in Toormina, a suburb of Coffs Harbour. Via partnered with local bus operator Busways, Transport for New South Wales, and technology provider EasyMile to operate BusBot. The deployment marks the second phase of BusBot's pilot program, with plans to operate in the community for 22 weeks, giving Via and its partners time to test increasingly advanced AV elements.
In October 2019, Via unveiled BotRide, one of the world's first shared, on-demand, autonomous vehicle service operating on public roads. BotRide launched in partnership with Hyundai and Chinese autonomous startup Pony.ai. The free pilot project began service on November 4, 2019 in Irvine, California with a fleet of self-driving Hyundai KONA Electric SUVs, hailed and directed using the Via-powered BotRide mobile application.
Airports shuttles.
In November 2019, Via partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and announced a pilot program to launch LGA Connect, a new flat-rate shared ride service from LaGuardia Airport to all five New York City boroughs. The deal would be the first of Via's partnerships with airports to reduce private vehicle trips by offering congestion-reducing, convenient and affordable shared rides as part of public transit. More than 30 million travelers flew through LaGuardia Airport in 2018, and more than 90 percent of those travelers used private vehicles, individual taxis and similar methods of travel that contribute to stagnating traffic.
Powered by Via’s technology for on-demand shared rides, LGA Connect provides travelers full transparency and price consistency with $15 flat-rate rides booked from LaGuardia to Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, and $20 to Staten Island and The Bronx. Via’s algorithm matches multiple passengers headed in the same direction into a single vehicle and provides passengers with vehicle identification information and an ETA. Rides depart within 10 minutes, and passengers are dropped off at a nearby corner within walking distance of their destination.
History.
Via.
Via was established following the founders' experience with Sherut shared taxis in Israel. The service was launched exclusively in the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 2013, expanding to cover between 110th Street and 14th Street by April 2015, and then all of Manhattan by October 2015. Further expansion to Chicago was announced in November 2015. In August 2016, it was launched in Washington D.C.
In June 2017, Via partnered with Curb to allow users to hail a yellow taxi for a shared ride in certain areas of Manhattan. In November 2017, Via partnered with the city of West Sacramento to deploy a fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans to function as a hybrid of ride share and buses. Via's presence in West Sacramento was part of a one-year trial grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. That same month, Via expanded in New York to cover all of Brooklyn.
In January 2018, the company extended service to all five New York City boroughs. At the same time, the company partnered with Keolis Downer to launch The Newcastle Transport On Demand App in Australia using Via's on-demand shared rides as part of Newcastle Transport's bus and ferry network. In March 2018, the partnership, called Keoride, expanded to include Macquarie Park, a suburb of Sydney. In October 2019, the service zone expanded again to give inner-city residents a new option to reach key central business district locations, and to connect with other modes of transport such as the Newcastle Interchange, light rail, existing bus services and Broadmeadow Station.
Singapore's Land Transport Authority awarded a contract to Via in collaboration with the Ministry of Movement to run a trial of on-demand buses in February 2018. The six-month trial called BusGo launched in December of that year, receiving positive public response. In March 2018, Via partnered with the city of Arlington, Texas to operate 10 vans as shuttles for Arlington residents, with a possibility to expand the trial citywide. In its first month, the program provided over 5,000 rides with a 97 percent customer approval rating. In June 2018, Marin Transit launched an on-demand shared shuttle service in a partnership with Via. The service operates in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area. The following month the company partnered with Mori Building Company to launch HillsVia, an on-demand shared transportation network for the company's employees in Tokyo. The service marked Via's first venture in Japan.
In August 2018, Via entered a licensing agreement with Harvard University to bring Via's ridesharing technology to the university's evening van service. The service is limited to Harvard students, faculty, and staff.
Via expanded its Washington, D.C. service to neighboring Arlington County, Virginia in August 2018.
In October 2018, Via was selected by Environment Canterbury for a feasibility study to provide an on-demand public transport service in Timaru, New Zealand.
In November 2018, Via partnered with Auckland Transport and Go Bus to launch AT Local, a first- and last-mile transport solution in New Zealand. The all-electric fleet of vans and cars transport passengers to-and-from the local Devonport, Bayswater and Stanley Bay ferry terminals.
Via announced a partnership with Singapore's Land Transit Authority (LTA) in December 2018, marking it the first public-sector deployment of its technology in Asia. Via and LTA launched the microtransit service BusGo in the Joo Koon area of Singapore.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority partnered with Via in November 2017. The LA Metro service provides first- and last-mile transportation surrounding three major stations offering Via shuttles with subsidized fares that can be paid through the public transportation fare card TAP accounts. The service was funded through a grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
In February 2019, Via partnered with the city of Lone Tree, Colorado to provide pairing technology for their Microtransit service, Link on Demand.
Via also announced the first deployment of its technology in South America in February 2019. The company deployed CityBus 2.0 in Goiânia, Brazil in partnership with local public transit operator HP Transportes Coletivos. The CityBus 2.0 launch made Goiânia the first city in Latin America to introduce a fully flexible on-demand shuttle system operated by a public transit operator. In July 2019, CityBus 2.0 expanded to 13 new neighborhoods in Goiânia.
In April 2019, Via and Digiasia Bios announced a new on-demand transit network in Bekasi, Indonesia called TRON. Operated by PT. Teknologi Rancang Olah Nusantara, the service aimed to reinvigorate declining use of Angkot in Indonesia.
Later that month, Via, Mori Building Company and ITOCHU Corporation collectively announced a strategic partnership to create Via Japan. On the same day, Via began its on-demand service called bubble in Tel Aviv, Israel in partnership with public transit operator Dan Transportation. The service began April 15, 2019 in Tel Aviv and the surrounding cities of Ramat Gan and Givatayim.
Following announcements in Japan and Israel, Via, King County Metro, Sound Transit and the City of Seattle began service in Seattle and Tukwila, Washington. The microtransit network offers a public transportation link surrounding five Sound Transit Link light rail stations: Mount Baker, Columbia City, Othello, Rainier Beach, and Tukwila International Boulevard.
At the end of April 2019, Via expanded service zone in Chicago by more than 20 percent to begin offering shared rides in Evanston and West Chicago.
In May 2019, Via and local public transit operator SamTrans launched SamTrans OnDemand in Pacifica, California.
Later in May 2019, Via announced a new partnership with the Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works to offer rides to District employees, as well as an expansion of its existing service to Alexandria, Virginia. The expansion increased Via's service zone in the D.C. metro area by 33 percent.
In June 2019, Via expanded its footing in Australia by launching another on-demand public transportation network called Cooee in The Ponds and Schofields, two suburbs of Sydney. The network is designed to connect more people to the Sydney Metro as a first- and last-mile service. In September 2019, the company reported residents took more than 20,000 rides on the Cooee service in less than three months, saving more than 21,000 vehicle kilometers by sharing a ride compared to driving a private vehicle, and saving nearly five metric tons of CO2 vehicle emissions. Cooee was also Australia's first demand-responsive transportation provider to fully integrate with Opal Connect, a new account-based ticketing system by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW).
The same month, Via launched its first on-demand service specifically designed for senior citizens called Newton in Motion, or NewMo, in Newton, Massachusetts. The service is dedicated to residents over 60 years old who need rides to medical appointments, meaning there are wheelchair accessible vehicles to act as the City of Newton's paratransit service.
Via launched in Austin, Texas with a new service called Pickup on June 25, 2019 in partnership with Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The on-demand network replaced Cap Metro's former MetroBus Route 470 in Manor, just outside of Austin. Cap Metro expanded Pickup's service zone in September 2019 to serve four other areas in Austin included in the MetroLink pilot program.
The same day in June 2019, Via also launched an on-demand network called Ride on Flex in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation in Maryland. The service marked yet another deployment in the Washington D.C. area, linking residents in Montgomery County to the DC Metro.
Via later announced a partnership with Hampton Jitney to offer flat-rate Via airport transfers and discounted rides to Hampton Jitney stops in Manhattan.
On July 9, 2019, Via announced the appointment of Charles H. Rivkin to its board of directors. Rivkin is the Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and has more than 30 years of experience as a media executive and leading U.S. diplomat.
Via announced its first public autonomous vehicle deployment called BusBot on July 11, 2019. The driverless vehicle began serving residents on April 8, 2019 at an Australian retirement community in Toormina, a suburb of Coffs Harbour. Via partnered with local bus operator Busways, Transport for New South Wales, and technology provider EasyMile to operate BusBot. The deployment marks the second phase of BusBot's pilot program, with plans to operate in the community for 22 weeks, giving Via and its partners time to test increasingly advanced AV elements.
Also in July, Via launched COTA Plus, an on-demand public transportation deployment in Columbus, Ohio in partnership with the Central Ohio Transit Authority. Following the partnership in Columbus, Via announced another on-demand transit partnership in Fort Worth, Texas called ZIPZONE. The partnership marked Via's third major city deployment in Texas following both Arlington and Austin.
On August 5, 2019, Via launched “Rapid On Demand,” a new paratransit network in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The partnership marked one of the first times an American transit agency will upgrade its paratransit service with on-demand ride hailing technology, as opposed to pre-scheduling days in advance.
Later that week, Via announced it expanded its service zone in Chicago citywide. Nearly doubling the size of the current operating zone, the expansion included several parts of the city least served by existing public transportation, supplementing the existing transit by providing first-and-last-mile connection for riders to-and-from all Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Metra stations.
Via unveiled its school bus routing and tracking platform "Via for Schools" on August 21, 2019 after winning a contract with the New York City Department of Education, the largest school district in the United States. Via for Schools is the first integrated, automated school bus routing, tracking, and communication platform in the world.
At the end of August 2019, Via announced a new partnership with the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, marking the company's second deployment in Canada and first in Ontario. The service "Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand" launched in September 2019 and utilizes the city's existing bus fleet.
In September 2019, Via announced it will power a new transit deployment in partnership with Northeastern University, a global research university in based in Boston. Called "RedEye," the dynamically-routed transit network marks one of the first universities in North America to integrate ride hailing technology into its campus shuttle system. Later that month, Via announced a new partnership with Northwestern University, making it the third major university to use Via's technology to develop on-demand student shuttles following Harvard and Northeastern University.
Via Japan also announced a new service called BlueVia in Tokyo in September 2019. The on-demand shuttle network is in cooperation with Nihon Kotsu, one of the largest taxi and limousine operators in Japan. BlueVia allows Itochu employees to hail a ride on-demand during their daily commutes and between meetings.
At the end of September 2019, Via announced new on-demand public transportation services in both Jersey City, New Jersey and Birmingham, Alabama. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop cited a lack of funding from NJ Transit when announcing his plans to develop a new form of public transportation for the New York-adjacent metropolis. The service in Birmingham launched in December, and Jersey City planned to begin operations in 2020.
In October 2019, the City of Cupertino, California announced that it chose Via to develop a new on-demand public transportation system, providing more efficient connections to the CalTrain and increase access to public transit across the city. Cupertino, with a population of 60,000 residents, balloons to approximately 150,000 people during the weekdays as a result of a huge influx of commuters, most of them headed to the city’s largest employer, Apple. The new Apple Park campus has more than 11,000 parking spaces, with parking occupying more square feet than the spaceship-like building.
In November 2019, Via partnered with the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office for Veterans Affairs (MOVA) and the Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) to launch VetsRide, an on-demand shared ride program that provides veterans with access to free transportation to medical, educational, employment, and other opportunities.
Later that month, Via announced its first service in Utah in partnership with Utah Transit Authority (UTA). Called UTA On-Demand, the dynamically routed public transportation system connects residents to suburban areas of Salt Lake City including Bluffdale, Draper, Herriman, Riverton and South Jordan. The project intends to further enhance connectivity to TRAX and FrontRunner lines, as well as to key business districts and important destinations in the community.
At the end of November 2019, Via and Environment Canterbury announced a new partnership to overhaul public transportation in Timaru, New Zealand, replacing fixed-route transportation with on-demand, dynamically routed transit. The service will begin with a two-month pilot phase in February 2020, followed by an official roll-out in April 2020.
In December 2019, Via partnered with Brazilian transit operator Sindiônibus to launch TopBus+ in Fortaleza, making it Via's second on-demand public transportation network in Brazil. At launch, riders can request a ride anywhere within the Centro region, Iracema Beach, Aldeota, Mucuripe, Varjota, Papicu, City 2000, Cocó, Joaquim Távora, Fatima, Benfica, as well as some major shopping malls and area universities.
ViaVan.
In September 2017, Via formed a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans to establish ViaVan, designed to spread on-demand shuttle services in Europe. ViaVan launched its first operations in March 2018 in Amsterdam. In January 2021, Via consolidated its global branding by changing its European name from ViaVan to Via. The company is now known solely as Via throughout Europe and around the world.
Arriva UK Bus launched ArrivaClick, an on-demand app developed through a partnership with Via, in Kent in March 2017. Via launched Savy, an app using Via's on-demand ride-sharing technology and a fleet of vehicles owned by the company, in Queenstown, New Zealand in November 2017.
In December 2017, ViaVan announced a new partnership with the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) and Mercedes-Benz Vans to establish the largest public sector on-demand transit deployment in the world. Named BerlKönig, the Berlin fleet would contain 300 vehicles and would be launched in spring 2018. In June 2019, the service won the award for best Public and Urban Transport Strategy from the International Association of Public Transport, as well as the prestigious German Federal Inclusion Award in November 2019. BerlKönig has been deemed a success, delivering more than 750,000 rides in its first 10 months, with more than 80 percent of BerlKönig rides carrying two or more passengers in the vehicle at the same time, reaching up to 97% at peak times.
In April 2018, ViaVan launched in London and operated initially in central London Zones 1 and 2.
In August 2018, Arriva and ViaVan launched ArrivaClick in Liverpool, England.
ViaVan launched in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire in October 2018, making it the company's fourth deployment in Europe.
In February 2019, ViaVan announced a new partnership with Transport for London (TfL) for a 1-year demand responsive bus pilot in the borough of Sutton. The service operates in collaboration with Go-Ahead London and uses dynamically routed, on-demand buses.
In April 2019, ViaVan and Arriva launched the third deployment of ArrivaClick in the Drummond Estate development in Leicester, England, one of the largest new housing developments in the East Midlands. The partnership also represents the first time in the UK that a Section 106 agreement has been used to fund a digitised Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service.
In May 2019, ViaVan partnered with Transport for London (TfL) to launch an on-demand public transportation pilot in Sutton. The demand-responsive bus service operated by Go-Ahead aims to link more people to existing TfL transit and reduce the need for private car ownership.
ViaVan reported it had successfully completed the pilot phase of an on-demand, dynamic corporate shuttle at the Mercedes-Benz Bremen plant in Bremen, Germany on June 28, 2019. Due to the success of the pilot program, ViaVan and Mercedes-Benz announced they would be launching additional corporate campus solutions at other Mercedes-Benz plants.
In July, 2019, ViaVan launched Malta's first-ever ridesharing service called Cool. The service covered 28 Maltese neighborhoods at launch, with plans to expand to the entire island nation.
ViaVan also received a three-year license renewal from Transport for London in July, 2019. The company announced it provided more than 7 million rides in London since launching, saving 3 million vehicle kilometers by pooling multiple passengers into shared vehicles, resulting in more than 600,000 kilograms of CO2 saved.
ViaVan announced a new public transportation deployment on behalf of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) in August 2019 called “BerlKönig BC” serving as first-and-last-mile connection to U-Bahn railway stations traditionally underserved by fixed route services. BerlKönig BC is the second service ViaVan and BVG have worked on together, following on the heels of their first BerlKönig service, which launched in central Berlin in September 2018.
In September 2019, ViaVan announced its first dynamically routed transit solution in Finland in partnership with the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL). The service operates in Espoo, allowing riders to book an on-demand trip and connect to Metro and train stations in the operating zone.
In October 2019, ViaVan launched the UK’s first fully electric fleet serving on-demand shared rides in Milton Keynes. The service began by adding five electric Mercedes-Benz Vito eTourers to its fleet with plans to expand the fleet of on-demand shuttles to thirty electric vehicles by 2020. The funding through Milton Keynes Council supports the Department for Transport’s initiatives around Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, which aims to help cities meet targets for reducing carbon emissions and provide an efficient and sustainable on-demand service for passengers.
Later that month, ViaVan began operating the third public sector deployment of its technology for on-demand shared rides in Germany in the City of Bielefeld. Called Anton, the on-demand public transportation service is a direct partnership with local public transit operator moBiel, the company behind Germany's Bielefeld Stadtbahn.
In November 2019, ViaVan partnered with the Netherland-based oil and gas company Shell to launch a fast-charging shared electric mobility project in Amsterdam. The program integrates ViaVan’s on-demand technology and operations, “Shell Recharge” technology, and charging station infrastructure into one seamless system. ViaVan and Shell aim to demonstrate that high-capacity electric fleets can improve performance when routing to available chargers is intelligently optimized.


Davenport Avenue station

The Davenport Avenue station is a station on the Newark City Subway Line of the Newark Light Rail, located at the dead end of Davenport Avenue east of North Fifth Street.
It includes a gate which provides pedestrian access to Branch Brook Park, as well as a pedestrian at-grade crossing across the tracks located on the southeast corner of the dead end.


Mixed train

A mixed train or mixed consist is a train that contains both passenger and freight cars or wagons. Although common in the early days of railways, by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. Typically, service was slower, because mixed trains usually involved the shunting (switching) of rolling stock at stops along the way. However, some earlier passenger expresses, which also hauled time-sensitive freight in covered goods wagons (boxcars), would now be termed mixed trains. Generally, toward the end of the mixed train era, shunting at intermediate stops had significantly diminished. Most railway passenger and freight services are now administered separately.
Exclusions.
Not intended by this article is the definition of mixed train to describe:
Passenger trains that can carry travellers' cars on freight wagons at the rear of the train are excluded. Called motorail, such services operate in Austria, Turkey, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, Serbia, Australia, Canada, Chile, and the US.
Car shuttle trains, on which passengers travel within their vehicles, are also omitted.
Africa and Asia.
In parts of Asia and Africa, mixed trains still operate along corridors with reduced traffic. Routes include Asmara–Ghinda, Bulawayo–Harare, Elazığ–Tatvan, Fianarantsoa–Manakara, Kandy–Badulla, Livingstone–Mulobezi, Phnom Penh–Poipet, and Zahedan Mixed Passenger.
Philippines.
A number of state-owned rail operators the island of Luzon; the Manila Railway, as well as the succeeding Manila Railroad and the present Philippine National Railways, operated mixed trains from its inception in 1892 until 1968. During the early days of the "Ferrocarril de Manila a Dagupan" line, now known as the North Main Line, third-class passengers normally occupied boxcars alongside freight on inter-city rail services, while first-class passengers were able to use true railcars hauled by tank locomotives. By 1956, the last mixed trains that continued to serve the South Main Line were the following; Train 506 from Manila to Tagkawayan station in Quezon province, and Train 504 to Naga station in Naga, Camarines Sur. Return services to Manila were numbered 505 and 503, respectively.
Hourly dedicated freight services started to replaced mixed trains on the entire network by the 1960s. However, another mixed train service was reintroduced in 1967 through a deal with Legazpi mayor Luis Los Baños. A refrigerator car carrying agricultural produce was hauled alongside passenger trains to the Bicol Region. The service was short-lived and it was terminated after the April 1968 Mayon Volcano eruption. Train services eventually dwindled in ridership until all intercity rail services were suspended in 2013.
Australia.
In Australia, mixed trains could also be called a "car goods", "goods train with car attached", or "mixed goods". However in some countries, the latter term refers instead to a freight train carrying multiple types of freight rather a single commodity. In most states, a mixed train was technically a goods train with passenger accommodation, meaning it had lower priority over other trains and could be cancelled without notice if there were no goods to carry.
The Victorian Railways had a class of train called a "limited through mixed" which limited the amount of goods and ran to a set timetable and would be guaranteed to run even without waiting goods.
Forming a further type of mixed train, railmotors or railcars might haul a one or two goods wagons or a goods brake van carrying some freight.
Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
In German-speaking countries, two main types of mixed train ("Gemischter Zug") existed: the "GmP" and the "PmG".
GmP.
The "GmP" was a "goods train with passenger service" ("Güterzug mit Personenbeförderung"); namely a goods train with one or more passenger coaches. These were common on branch lines and were run for the following reasons:
To reduce smoke exposure, the passenger coaches were usually located well back from the locomotive. However, when heating was required during cold weather, the coaches connected immediately behind the locomotive, because most goods wagons lacked heating-pipe conduits.
Into the 1980s, the Deutsche Bundesbahn ran "GmP" trains occasionally, but adding or detaching rolling stock created long wait times at stops, which contributed to their demise. They are no longer found in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
PmG.
The other variant in German-speaking countries was the "PmG" or "passenger train with goods service" ("Personenzug mit Güterbeförderung"). The Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany continued to operate some of these trains until the early 1990s. These comprised one or more goods wagons running behind the passenger coaches. Towards the end, no shunting took place at the intermediate stations. Some private railways once ran "PmG" trains.
Passenger trains transporting skiers, in places like Interlaken, still haul an open wagon for ski equipment.
New Zealand.
Mixed trains were once prolific in New Zealand. Although express trains operated on the main lines, mixed trains served rural branch lines where dedicated passenger services would be uneconomical. On the more significant provincial routes, substituting a mixed train during the off-season was common in the late 19th century (the Rotorua Express), or operating the provincial express twice or thrice weekly while mixed services ran daily (the Taneatua Express).
The shortcomings of mixed trains for passenger travel led the New Zealand Railways Department to investigate railcar technology in the early 20th century. Overseas designs could not be easily adapted to New Zealand owing to its rugged conditions, narrow gauge track, and small loading gauge. Early railcars trials, such as the RM class Model T Ford railbuses, proved unsatisfactory. When successfully introduced from the 1930s, railcars primarily replaced unprofitable provincial carriage trains, and some mixed services in regions such as the West Coast and Taranaki.
Mixed trains dominated the South Island's more extensive branch-line network, but as private car ownership increased in the 1930s, passenger traffic decreased, closing many rural train routes. However, some mixed services lasted into the 1960s in isolated regions with poor roads. In the North Island, the last mixed trains operated into the 1970s, where services on the North Auckland Line ran until 1976.
An updated type of mixed train existed in the South Island for a few years during the 1990s, when a few wagons of express containerised freight were attached to the TranzCoastal Picton–Christchurch express. Unlike prior era mixed trains, with their slow en route shunting, this time-sensitive freight travelled swiftly.
North America.
In North America, most branch lines, and sections of main lines, were worked by mixed trains. One or more passenger trains had served some routes, which switched to mixed trains as increased use of cars after the First World War depressed passenger traffic. These were freight trains, that rarely had more than one passenger car, and sometimes ran with a combined passenger, mail and baggage car. Distinct from the typical slow version was the Prince Rupert fish/passenger express. The former slower types were sometimes called way freights, whose end coincided with numerous passenger services over several decades terminating in the 1970s. In the US, the Seaboard Coast Line Atlanta–Augusta mixed train operated until 1983.
The last mixed train on the Canadian Pacific Railway was the Midland's Windsor–Truro, Nova Scotia mixed train, which operated until 1979. By 1990, mixed trains existed on only four routes in Canada, namely the Via Rail (formerly Canadian National Railway) Wabowden–Churchill (ceased 2002) and The Pas–Lynn Lake, the Ontario Northland Cochrane–Moosonee, and the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Sept Isles–Labrador City/Schefferville.
Currently, the Keewatin Railway's The Pas–Pukatawagan leases passenger cars from Via Rail. Tshiuetin Rail Transportation operates in northern Quebec. These operations are the two surviving mixed trains in North America.
United Kingdom.
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway added passenger coaches to its daily goods in each direction from November 1841.
In 1864, the Ffestiniog Railway introduced mixed trains, with passenger coaches in the middle for the ascent. Down trains were run in up to four separate (uncoupled) portions: loaded slate wagons, goods wagons, passenger carriages and the locomotive running light. This practice changed to a whole descending train, headed by the locomotive, for safety reasons.
Opened in 1866, the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway operated mixed trains during its early years. On market days when space was at a premium, passengers sat on coal in the tender and crowded onto the footplate. The Regulation Act of 1889 generally prohibited traditional mixed trains because the absence of continuous braking apparatus on wagons preceding the coaches jeopardized passenger safety. However, the Board of Trade exercised latitude in enforcing this rule, and some mixed trains ran until the end of the steam era.
Goods wagons/vans requiring speedy delivery could be attached to the end of passenger trains. This included horse boxes, cattle wagons, parcels vans, newspaper vans, fish vans, milk tanks and churn vans.
Possibly one of the last scheduled mixed services in the UK is the Hythe Pier, Railway and Ferry in Hampshire. This service is the oldest continually running pier train in the world (since 1922) and regularly carries diesel fuel to the pier head for the ferry.


Florence station (River Line)

Florence is a station on the River Line light rail system, located on John Galt Way off of U.S. Route 130 in Florence Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, although it is addressed as being on Route 130.
The station opened on March 15, 2004. Southbound service from the station is available to Camden, New Jersey. Northbound service is available to the Trenton Rail Station with connections to New Jersey Transit trains to New York City, SEPTA trains to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Amtrak trains. Transfer to the PATCO Speedline is available at the Walter Rand Transportation Center.
Park and ride service is available at this station, which uses only two of the three tracks at the station.


Lounge car

A lounge car (sometimes referred to as a buffet lounge, buffet car, club car or grill car) is a type of passenger car on a train, in which riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options. In earlier times (and especially on the "name" trains), a lounge car was more likely to have a small kitchen, or grill and a limited menu. Food was prepared to order and often cooked, though items such as club sandwiches would have usually been part of the offerings. The cars were often operated by the Pullman Company, and in other cases by the railroad directly as part of the dining car department (on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway the Fred Harvey Company manned the food concession).
Lounge cars operated by Pullman were exclusively for the use of sleeping car passengers, while those operated by the railroad were available to coach as well as first-class travelers. Buffet lounge cars were often found in trains which did not offer full dining car service. On other trains they supplemented the diner and offered sandwiches, burgers and short orders at times when the diner was not serving; e.g. mid-afternoon and late night. To qualify as a buffet lounge the car had to offer both food and drink service. Buffet lounges should not be confused with snack or grill cars which did not offer a full range of libations.
In Britain, luxury lounge cars are known as "Pullman" cars, after the American Pullman Company.
Tavern-lounge cars.
Tavern-lounge cars, alternatively called tavern-observation cars, were lounge cars often with partitions, where refreshments were offered for sale. In use from the post-World War II years, into the 1960s, these appeared on long-distance routes, such as the Atlantic Coast Line's "Champion," the Kansas City Southern's "Southern Belle," Louisville & Nashville's "Humming Bird," "Georgian," or the New York Central's New York-St. Louis "Southwestern Limited." As apparent in the ACL's all-coach "Vacationer," this sub-class of car was not only used in Pullman trains. Like standard lounge cars, these had seats and couches facing away from windows and toward the aisles. Many of these were equipped with radios with which to play music via radio or recordings.


Southeast Flavel Street station

Southeast Flavel Street is a light rail station on the MAX Green Line in Portland, Oregon. It is the sixth stop southbound on the I-205 MAX branch. The station is located at SE Flavel Street, adjacent to Interstate 205, and has a center platform. Johnson Creek flows beneath the interstate and railway tracks, slightly north of the station.
Bus line connections.
This station is served by the following bus lines:


Luggage van


Volvo B6BLE

The Volvo B6BLE was a 5.5-litre engined low-entry midibus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1999 and 2001, with three unfinished or unsold chassis being bodied in 2004 and 2005.
History.
The Volvo B6BLE was presented in November 1998 as a replacement for the B6LE. Compared to the B6LE it had a new lower chassis frame with increased low floor area, independent front suspension giving more than 10 cm wider gangway between the front wheel arches, and front end "kneeling", giving a 25 cm entrance height. Like its predecessor, it continued to compete with the Dennis Dart SLF.
A total of 346 known B6BLEs were produced between 1999 and 2001, including two for Australia, nine for Norway and two for Sweden. When the Irvine plant was closed in 2000, production moved to Sweden. The last buses were registered as late as April 2002, but the model year on the chassis VINs reveal that they were built in 2001, waiting to be bodied.
A further B6BLE was delivered for Plaxton's "Bus 2000" concept in 2004, followed by a second "Bus 2000" B6BLE in 2005, but the VINs indicate that they were initially manufactured in model year 2000. A third chassis was available for the "Bus 2000" project in 2005; however, it was not required, and was instead sold to New Zealand and bodied by Kiwi Bus Builders. This chassis had 1999 as model year.
In some markets, the B6BLE was followed by short-wheelbase variants of the B7RLE.
Engines.
D6A, 5478 cc, in-line 6 cyl. turbodiesel (1999-2001)


Toyota Dyna

The Toyota Dyna is a light to medium-duty cab over truck for commercial use. In the Japanese market, the Dyna is sold alongside its twin called the Toyoace. The Toyoace was a renaming of the Toyopet SKB Truck as a result of a 1956 public competition with 200,000 entries. "Dyna" is short for dynamic.
The Dyna was originally available in Japan only at "Toyota Diesel Store" locations, then later available at "Toyota Store" locations, while the Toyoace twin was available at "Toyopet Store" locations. The Dyna was also sold as the Daihatsu Delta and the Hino Dutro.
In Japan, its traditional competitors are the Isuzu Elf, the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter and the Nissan Atlas.
The former Central Motors produced the Dyna Route Van from April 1957 to June 1967.
History.
RK52.
The Toyopet Route Truck RK52 was the contributing platform of the Dyna. A new Toyota Japanese dealership was established to sell the Toyopet Toyoace series SKB called "Toyopet Store", which also introduced a sedan version of this platform called the Toyopet Master.
RK60 – RK80.
Second generation of Toyopet Route Truck, Designed by Kanto Auto Works, Ltd. The frame was shared with the Toyopet Masterline RK23 pickup truck and the Toyota Stout.
The Toyopet Route Truck was renamed as the Toyota Dyna in April 1959. Although it shared the same platform as the Toyoace, its appearance is more similar to its other derivative, the Daihatsu Delta.The K20 Series Toyoace was produced until the Y10 Series arrived. It was sold as Toyota PK25 Truck for the export market.
K170 (1963–1968).
The original semi-cab over Dyna was replaced by the new model K170 series in September 1963, with a leaner design with quadruple headlights. The Dyna RK170 also provided the basis for the RK170B Toyota Light Bus, and was built on the chassis of the Stout. It also had the Stout's 1.9-litre 3R-B engine. The Isuzu Elf was introduced in a diesel version in 1960, a version which proved successful enough to relegate the Dyna to second place in sales. Even the new Dyna didn't restore the Dyna's lead, until in March 1964 the J-engined (2,336 cc, OHV) diesel-engined JK170 was added to the lineup. A long wheelbase 2.5 ton version with twinned rear wheels was also available (RK175), as was a route van (glazed minivan) version.
U10 (1968–1977).
The Dyna platform was changed to the Toyota "U" platform after the merger of Hino Motors in 1966. The engines available for this series is either a 2.0-liter model 5R gasoline engine rated at , a 3.0-liter inline-four B, or the inline-six 3.6-liter model H diesel. The H diesel is rated at and was only available in the heavier duty three-tonne truck version, which has a top speed of . The B diesel offers . The three-tonne Dyna was presented in August 1969. Short (10-series) and long wheelbase trucks (15-series), as well as route vans (minibus) were available. Fitted with the 2.0-liter 5R engine rated at , the Dyna was marketed in many export markets such as Australia as well, with single or twinned rear wheels.
The Toyota Coaster bus line had the same chassis and also used the U10-series chassis codes. A heavy duty version called the Toyota Massy Dyna was first introduced in September 1969.
Daihatsu Delta.
A rebodied version of the U10 Dyna was also sold as the first-generation Daihatsu Delta 1500 or 2000, depending on the weight ratio. Chassis codes are SV17 for the 12R-engined Delta 1500, DV23 for the 5R petrol model (2000) and DV28 for the B-engined Delta 2000 diesel. The Delta 2000 was also available with a 2.5-litre Daihatsu DG diesel engine; this carries the DV26 chassis code. In Australia, there was also a petrol inline-four engine available.
U20 / Y20 Series.
2 – 3 tonner.
U20, U30, U40 & U50 Series (1977–1984)
The U20 is a four-wheel truck (this chassis code was also used for the Route Van), the U30 is a longer wheelbase version, while the heavier U40 and U50 have a wider cab. These models have twin rear wheels and mostly use Toyota's 3.0-liter Inline-four diesel B engine. The 5R petrol engine was also available in some markets, rated at .
As with predecessor, this model was also marketed as the Daihatsu Delta, although this one was the first to be sold with Hino badging - as the Ranger 2 or Ranger 3 depending on the weight rating in metric tons.
A version of this truck, with standard or crew cabs, entered production in China in 1983 as the Fuzhou FZ131. The Dyna-based FZ131 was to become a mainstay of Fuzhou Automobile Works' production through the 1980s with a production of 211 units, being succeeded by the next generation Dynas (still using the FZ131 name). Production ended in 1989 as they were lowering in sales and demand.
1 – 1.5 tonner.
Y20 – 40 Series (1979–1985)
The new smaller ToyoAce with Y20 chassis was launched in 1979, while the Dyna was still using the U-platform. This was the fourth-generation ToyoAce in Japan. In certain export markets, the ToyoAce was sold as Dyna, and offered in single and double cabin bodystyles.
Dyna Rino Y30 & Y40 Series (1984–2002).
In 1984, Toyota introduced the Dyna Rino in Indonesia. The light single rear wheel version was built on Y30 platform, and the twin rear wheel version was coded Y40. Early models have round headlights and 3.4-liter 3B and 13B engines. The facelift models with rectangular headlights, BU are powered by 3.7-liter 14B engines. The Indonesian market Dyna Rino remained in production until 2002.
Daihatsu Delta.
This model was also sold as the Daihatsu Delta, in a range of 1.5 to 2.5 tonne payloads. The engines are Daihatsu's own 2.0-liter petrol and 2.5-liter diesel units. The second generation Delta went on sale in Australia at the end of December 1977.
U60 / Y50 Series (1984-1994).
2 – 3.5 tonner.
U60 – 90 Series (1984–1994)
The first BU-series (Dyna 200/300/400, 1984–88) used quad round headlights. From 1989 onwards, the Dyna had quad rectangular headlights and one piece door glass with new interior door trim and other minor interior changes. All wide cab models had a centrally mounted roof vent and had 3 windscreen wipers. The 3.4-litre 3B, 3.4-litre (direct injected) 13B and 3.7-litre 14B diesel engines with direct injection were used in the Dyna 200 and Dyna 300, a 5-speed gearbox was standard while a 4-speed automatic transmission with a 2-way overdrive mode was available as an option. The Dyna 300 was equipped with an exhaust brake. Front, ventilated twin piston disc brakes were optional on the first series wide cab Dyna 300. In Portugal, the 3B-engined Dyna 250 (BU84) was assembled locally.
1 – 1.5 tonner.
Y50 and 60 Series (1985–1995)
The lighter Y Series was introduced in May 1985. Portugal's Salvador Caetano assembled the LY60 Dyna as the 150, using Toyota's 2L engine, a diesel inline-four.
U100, 200 / Y100 Series (1995–2002).
The sixth generation of the Dyna was introduced on 11 May 1995. New additions to the engines included the 5.3-liter J05C directed injected diesel engine along with a four valve 4.1-liter 15B-F engine. The diesel engines were designed to comply with new vehicle emissions standards. Additions to the petrol engines included a 2.7-litre four valve 3RZ-FE engine as well as an LPG variant of the same engine with a code of 3RZ-FP.
Exterior changes included new cab designs along with redesigned electrically controlled wing mirrors, new turn signals and new thermo plastic steel steps. On the interior, new adjustable seat belts were added with a reclining angle of 31 degrees along with a new dashboard. The braking and suspension systems were improved for enhanced performance. A new cab style called the grand cab was added to the line up in addition to the standard cab which was similar to the 4.0 tonne model but had extended deck space.
In 1997, a new cab style called the Super Low Cab was added to the range which features the cab ahead of the front axle. The cabin was moved forward by and the floor was lowered by for increased deck space.
As with many other generations of the Dyna, this generation was also assembled in Ovar, Portugal, by Toyota's local partner Caetano for local sales.
U300 – U400 Series (1999–2011) and Hino Dutro.
The Seventh generation Dyna was introduced in May 1999 and was jointly developed by Toyota and Hino. The Hino Dutro sold as a result was a rebadged Toyota Dyna. The cabins were made more aerodynamic, spacious and curved. New headlamps were installed to continue the cabin aesthetic. Interior quality as well as the dashboard were improved and made more ergonomic.
The front suspension was modified and a new liquid sealed cab mount improved ride quality. The wheelbase was the longest in its class at . Changes to the engine line up included the addition of a turbocharger to the 4.1-litre diesel engine.
In June 2000, the LPG engine was revised and a new gasoline engine rated at was added to the lineup. In September 2002, a low emissions model was introduced for use in metropolitan areas.
In May 2003, the engines were revised to comply with the 2001 vehicle emissions regulations. In September of the same year, a Hybrid model was added to the lineup. The Dyna/Dutro underwent a minor revision in May 2004 which resulted in the introduction of the common rail diesel fuel injection system as well as the EGR (for gasoline powered models) and DPR (for diesel powered models) systems. In July of the same year, the engine of the 1.0 tonne model was updated to engine rated at .
In September 2006, the engines of the 2.0 and 4.0 tonne models were made to comply with the Low Gas Vehicle Emissions regulations. In October 2006, the Hybrid model was revised for low emissions and was now eligible for tax reductions while the range underwent a facelift. In May 2007, a new diesel engine rated at was added to the range. The LPG models were made to comply with 2005 Vehicle Emissions Regulations. The Dyna/Dutro also received a new vertical grille.
In May 2010, the diesel engines had an increased torque rating while the manual transmission was upgraded from a 5-speed unit to a 6-speed unit for improved fuel economy.
The Dyna and its twin Toyoace and Dutro were built on the U300 platform for Standard Cab, or U400 platform for the Wide Cab. The Dyna Route Van/Dutro Vans are essentially standard Toyota HiAce (H100) van bodies mated with the Dyna/Dutro truck chassis.
Even though they were built on the U300 and U400 platforms, for marketing purpose these models still used the Dyna 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 names, indicating payload. The Dyna 100 was available with a D-4D common rail turbo diesel engine offering . The Dyna 150 is a chassis/cab version of the Dyna truck, with twin rear wheels, and an uprated engine, shared with the HiLux and HiAce.
These vehicles have emission levels which meet the stringent Euro IV requirements which took effect in Europe in 2005, in Singapore in October 2006, and were applied in Japan from February 2007.
Beginning in 2003, Portuguese-made Dynas entered the rest of the European market – hitherto they had only been for local consumption.
U600 and U800 series (2011–present).
The eight generation of the Dyna debuted in May 2011 and was based on the second-generation Hino Dutro. The lineup consists of the U600 and U800. The exterior was made more aerodynamic and the interior quality was improved over the previous generation. In the hybrid models a diesel engine rated at was paired with an electric motor rated at which also serves as the starter motor. A new 5-speed automatic transmission was introduced which worked like a conventional automatic transmission with two paddles.
In March 2015, Salvador Caetano announced the cessation of Dyna assembly in Portugal, as the truck did not meet the Euro 6 emissions standards and would not be marketable within the European Union. Instead, a V6 petrol version of the Land Cruiser entered assembly, intended for sales in Africa. 1,664 Dynas were assembled in 2014, with 355 more scheduled for completion in 2015 before the switch was complete.


The Tourist (train)

The Tourist was a train run by the Southern Railway on the railway lines of the Isle of Wight. It was set up in 1933 as an extension on the original "East and West Through Train" from the previous year. It was the only named train on the Isle of Wight, and one of the very few express trains.
The original "East-West" train started from then called at , , Newport, and before terminating at . A change of locomotive was needed at Newport as the Newport-Freshwater line's bridges could not take the weight of locomotive other than the A1 "Terrier" class. When extended as "The Tourist" the train started from Ventnor but a locomotive change was still required. By 1934, it called at before Shanklin, but the stops at Merstone and Carisbrooke were removed. As bridges were also strengthened to allow LSWR O2 Class to haul the train throughout, the train was now much faster, completing the full through journey in 1 hour 17 minutes.
The train was withdrawn for the duration of World War II, but resumed immediately on VE Day. However, by September 1953 the line from Newport to Yarmouth and Freshwater was closed, spelling the end for "The Tourist".


Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway

The Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway was an abortive railway scheme which obtained powers in July 1865 to build a line from Croydon to Tunbridge Wells, via Oxted with the intention that it should be worked by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). The project was abandoned in 1867, before completion, following withdrawal of support by the LB&SCR, but part of the trackbed was later used in the construction of the Oxted Line.
History.
The railway originated as an independent scheme drawn up by several former officers and directors of the LB&SCR in 1864 for a line from Croydon to Tunbridge Wells, via Oxted. The intention was that the line, once built, would be worked by, or else leased to, the LB&SCR.
The scheme, and particularly the involvement of the then LB&SCR chairman Leo Schuster, attracted opposition from the South Eastern Railway (SER) who saw it as a significant incursion into their territory, creating a new direct line from London to Tunbridge Wells in opposition to their own existing one, and thereby contravening an 1849 agreement between the two companies. In retaliation, the SER put forward proposals for a new 'London, Lewes and Brighton' railway, together with the London Chatham and Dover Railway. There were also irregularities in the purchase of land, and criticisms of the use of foreign labour by the contractors.
As a result of these difficulties and the financial crisis of 1866-7, the LB&SCR signed a new agreement with the SER in which they withdrew support for the scheme and the SER abandoned their own scheme. Work on the new line ceased, but the Surrey and Sussex company remained in existence until 1869 when it was merged with the LB&SCR and then closed.
Much of the trackbed for this railway was later used in a joint scheme by the LB&SCR and SER to create a joint line from Croydon to Oxted.


Hambleton Junction

Hambleton Junction is a grade-separated railway junction near Selby, North Yorkshire, England, which connects the East Coast Main Line with the Leeds to Selby Line.
History.
The junction was opened in 1983 as part of the Selby Diversion, which diverted the East Coast Main Line away from the Selby coalfield. The Leeds to Selby Line passes over the East Coast Main Line on a bridge. Sharply curved chords allow southbound trains on the East Coast Main Line to head eastwards towards Selby (and vice versa), and eastbound trains heading away from Leeds to join the southbound East Coast Main Line (and vice versa).
The north to east chord at the junction is regularly used by Northern services between York and Selby, whilst the south to west one is used by freight and occasional London North Eastern Railway passenger services between Leeds and London Kings Cross routed this way rather than the usual one via for operational reasons.
As of 2014 only the East Coast Main Line running under the junction is electrified, the Leeds and Selby Line is scheduled for electrification.