US cancels $26 million grant for long-stalled high-speed rail project
USDOT said it was rescinding funds for the proposed $20 billion Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation, or MAGLEV project, after 'nearly a decade of poor planning, significant community opposition, tremendous cost overruns, and nothing to show for it.' An environmental review of the project has been on pause since 2021.
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Indian Express
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- Indian Express
US proposes new drone rules that could lead to Starbucks, Amazon deliveries
The US Transportation Department is proposing new rules to speed deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, a key change needed to advance commercial uses like package deliveries. 'We are going to unleash American drone dominance,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference on Tuesday. Under current rules, operators need to get individual waivers or exemptions to use drones without visual line of sight. The department said eliminating those requirements 'will significantly expand the use-case for drone technologies in areas like: manufacturing, farming, energy production, filmmaking, and the movement of products including lifesaving medications.' The proposal includes new requirements for manufacturers, operators, and drone traffic-management services to keep drones safely separated from other drones and airplanes. 'It's going to change the way that people and products move throughout our airspace… so you may change the way you get your Amazon package, you may get a Starbucks cup of coffee from a drone,' Duffy said. 'Industry needs this rule to make sure they can use this technology that's going to allow them to do business more efficiently and effectively.' Amazon resumed testing drone deliveries earlier this year at two locations in Texas and Arizona. Amazon has a goal of delivering 500 million packages annually by drone by the end of 2030. Under the proposal, operations would occur at or below 400 feet above ground from pre-designated locations approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Operators would identify boundaries and approximate daily flights and takeoff, landing and loading areas and ensure procedures if communications with drones are lost. Drones would yield to all manned aircraft broadcasting their position and not interfere with operations at airports. The Transportation Security Administration would require flight coordinators and others to obtain security threat assessments and a fingerprint-based criminal history records check. Lawmakers and many state officials have raised concerns about drones being used to target high-profile US events like the FIFA World Cup. Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International CEO Michael Robbins praised the risk-based proposal as 'a critical step toward enabling drone operations that will enhance safety, transform commercial services, and strengthen public safety with drones as a force multiplier.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Time of India
BEML signs MoU with deep-tech startup at II-M to build indigenous Hyperloop system in India
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The BEML on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TuTr Hyperloop , a deep-tech startup incubated at IIT Madras , to co-develop India's first indigenously designed Hyperloop transportation is a high-speed transportation system where passenger or cargo pods travel through sealed tubes in a near-vacuum environment, allowing them to glide at exceptional speeds using Magnetic Levitation and Linear Induction Motor propulsion systems, according to Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).As per the MoU, BEML will serve as the principal manufacturing partner for TuTr collaboration will focus on developing a prototype Hyperloop pod designed to carry both passengers and cargo at ultra-high speeds, leveraging advanced propulsion technologies such as Linear Induction Motors (LIM) and Maglev systems. The goal is to create a radically faster, greener, and more efficient mode of transport, stated a press release issued by BEML."This partnership is a leap forward for India's aspirations in high-speed, clean transportation," said Shantanu Roy, Chairman and Managing Director, BEML."It exemplifies our commitment to Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat by turning futuristic mobility into a reality powered by Indian engineering, innovation, and manufacturing," he MoU was formally signed by Lingaraj V Viraktamath, Head Corporate Technology Planning & Alliance Management and Aravind S Bharadwaj, Director & CEO of TuTr Hyperloop, in the presence of Roy, BEML, and Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras. Rajeev Kumar Gupta, Director, Rail & Metro, BEML Ltd was also present."At TuTr, we're translating deep scientific research into practical technologies that can transform the way people and goods move," said Prof Kamakoti.
Deccan Herald
03-08-2025
- Deccan Herald
US cancels review, grants for stalled high-speed rail project
The U.S. government said on Friday it cancelled an environmental review of a long-delayed proposed high-speed rail project between Washington and Baltimore, and scrapped $26 million in grants, effectively ending the project. The U.S. Transportation Department said it was rescinding funds for the proposed $20-billion Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation, or MAGLEV project, after "nearly a decade of poor planning, significant community opposition, tremendous cost overruns, and nothing to show for it." The proposal aimed to run trains powered by magnetic forces at speeds up to 311 mph (500 kph), either underground in deep tunnels or elevated on viaducts. The project sponsor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Federal Railroad Administration said it will not prepare a final environmental analysis, saying it is no longer feasible. An environmental review, started in 2016, has been on pause since 2021. The FRA said the project faces "unresolvable significant effects to federal agencies, federal property, and critical agency infrastructure and operations during project construction and operation," including the Defense Department, NASA, and other national security and government agencies. China has been using MAGLEV technology for more than two decades on a limited scale. Shanghai has a short MAGLEV line running from one of its airports. Last month, the U.S. Transportation Department canceled $4 billion in federal grants for California's ambitious but much-delayed high-speed rail project, prompting the state to sue.
