 | Pollution: Particulates and Diabetics Aug 2020 | To test the impact that air pollution has on health, researchers from the University of Cardiovascular Research Institute created an environment that mimicked a polluted day in New Delhi or Beijing, by concentrating fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5).
Using a mouse model study, the researchers observed the health impacts of three groups, a control group receiving clean filtered air, a group exposed to polluted air for 24 weeks and a group fed a high-fat diet.
The researchers found that being exposed to air pollution was comparable to eating a high-fat diet. Both air pollution and the high-fat diet group showed insulin resistance and abnormal metabolism – just like you would see in a pre-diabetic state.
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 | Pollution: Particulates and Cardiovascular Disease Aug 2020 | In the report, the researchers have said that repeated inhalation of these metallic nanoparticles may account for the well-established association between exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and increased cardiovascular disease.
The researchers have also suggested that exposure to these particles may account for some of the increased death rates from Covid-19 seen in areas with high levels of particulate pollution
Tram braking, metal and metal is such minute quantities to be almost non existent
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 | Pollution: Trams the Healthier Post Pandemic Public Transport: $ August 2020 | TramForward welcomes the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport’s Inquiry into Reforming public transport after the pandemic.
Trams are relatively easy to adapt to social-distancing requirements, with larger circulating areas than buses and fewer seats in proportion to total capacity, and can be coupled together to increase capacity. They typically have multiple entrances which not only facilitate distanced boarding and alighting but provide regular ventilation. Ventilation could also be enhanced by simple roof to floor forced air circulation. Trams also provide a superior ride quality without the sudden dynamic events which can throw bus passengers into each other.
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 | Industry; Very Light Rail Award: West Midlands 4th August 2020 | TramForward welcomes the news that the West Midlands Combined Authority has obtained Government funding for two Very Light Rail projects
They are among eight ‘shovel ready’ projects in the West Midlands which will benefit from £66 million from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, aimed at projects which can be started quickly and completed within 18 months, creating jobs and driving investment to aid economic recovery following the Coronavirus lockdown.
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 | Industry: Smart Growth for Cities Report Update | We recommend national capital funds should be established in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales specifically for light rail, metro and similar transport schemes designed to ensure all 250,000+ conurbations have a network of rail-based public transport by 2040. | Industry |
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 | Pollution: Another report: Smart Cities June 2020 | Air pollution kills thousands of people each year, and affects the health of many more. Although local data on the number of people whose health is affected by poor air quality is limited — what can be estimated are the deaths attributable to one pollutant, PM2.5, in cities across the UK. This one pollutant is estimated to have caused just over 14,400 deaths of those aged 25 or older in UK cities in 2017.
Click on https://www.centreforcities.org/publication/cities-outlook-2020/ to be able to check how many days your area has been over the limit | Pollution |
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 | Industry: Launch of a BioMethane tram: 22 July 2020: Long Marston | BioMethane Tram, First of a Kind:
Wednesday, 22nd July, after a year working on the development of the UK’s ‘First-of-a-Kind’ (FOAK) Biomethane Railcar or tram, the vehicle was launched at a demonstration event hosted at Motorail’s Long Marston testing facilities. This was the first UK biomethane-powered tram and understood to be a world first too
The recently published #WM2041 discussion document noted, page 40, that if all cars on the road today in the West Midlands converted to electric vehicles they would require twice the electric power currently used across the region simply to power these vehicles.
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 | TramTracker:T57 Hydrogen Tram Project 21 July 2020 | First & Last mile for TFN Rail Connectivity North Cheshire, a low cost alternative to the Transport for the North two heavy Rail lines into North Cheshire
An alternative low cost rail corridor with a higher CBR and avoids a pollution generating corridor | Warrington / Halton |
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 | TramTracker:T57 Hydrogen Tram Project 21 July 2020 | There is the danger that the current proposals by TfN and NPR will create a major pollution problem west of Manchester stretching to Liverpool is these proposals are not updated
A tramway will improve the Northern Cities image and assists urban regeneration. Shiny rails instill investor confidence. All UK schemes have had positive effects on the image of the city in which they have been built, which has brought benefits in terms of attracting inward investment as well as business and tourist visitors, sometimes to the detriment of their non-tram neighbours | Warrington / Halton |
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 | LR UK: All Party Parliamentary Hydrogen Group Report June 2020 | Hydrogen Report; Although this reports fails to include the use of this fuel for Light Rail and Trams ,a serious omission, it is none the less a significant report that by using steel on steel vehicles, will significantly move forward the effort to decarbonise road transport especially in the urban corridors of our cities, towns and connecting communities | Hydrogen (3rd Generation) |