Original title: “Glattkjøring med SL95″. An educational film from Oslo Tramways Inc. about how to drive an SL95 class tramcar on slippery rails. English subtitles are available.

I think it’s a good way to show the phases (lasting months, not minutes as in the video) leading the train to its final aim: carrying us!

2 videos this time. Part 4: on the bogies!

Part 5: static test begins.

A promotional video illustrating Italian high speed trains (now called frecce - “arrows”) from the dawn of their introduction.

I’ve also found this image (perhaps another concept) of possible ETR 1000.

Today, it’s the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD). The video before is part of the campain to increase awareness that the most of the victims related to railways are… road users! So, please, act safely at level crossing!

Despite all the measures taken to indicate the presence of level crossings and make them safe, too many road users and pedestrians are killed or injured at such crossings each year around the world. Almost all accidents at level crossings are due to road users failing to observe mandatory stop lights, signals and basic traffic safety rules. Contrary to what is generally thought, most accidents involve “regulars”, in particular those living near and/or making regular use of a level-crossing, as familiarity habit makes them less careful or more reckless, which may prove fatal.

In order to reduce these accidents, countries are making efforts to remove level crossings. This is, however, a long-term undertaking because there are still hundreds of thousands of level crossings in the world and removing them involves huge costs and relatively long study and implementation times.

This is why education of road users ans pedestrians remains key and imperative to reduce level crossing accidents.

On 22 June 2010, the rail and road sector in more than 40 countries worldwide are organising together the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) to make people understand that these accidents could be avoided if they obey the traffic rules and are aware of the danger of risky behaviors at level crossings.

The International Level Crossing Awareness Day focuses on educational measures and the promotion of safe behavior at and around level crossings. It is built on existing national events which will be held jointly at various locations in every participating country on 22nd June 2010 and constructed around the common message “Act safely at level crossings!”. In addition to regular or permanent activities held throughout the year, many special communications actions have been planned across the 5 continents: fleyers handed out at level crossings, in schools, driving schools, scouting clubs etc., posters will be displayed in railway stations, on trains and other central places, special messages will be broadcast on radio, television and led screens in railway stations, press conferences will be organised with national and local press.

In addition the European Commission totally financed a video clip showing a bad behavior at a level crossing to aware the public, particularly the road users and pedestrians on the dangers at and around level crossings. This video is avalaible in English and may be used by all ILCAD campaign partners free of charge on internet worldwide, and free of charge in Europe only on tv, cinemas, screens in train stations or aboard trains and on internet and on internet worldwide. All partners in the campaign will upload the video on their own website, sometimes only in English or with the official logo and the motto in their own language.

In the meanwhile, lets future users to see the making of its Italo train set. Italo is the name given by the participants to NTV’s survey aiming to name in a friendly way Ferrari red painted AGV built for the company of  Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

Let’s follow the first two episodes of Italo’s construction in Alstom La Rochelle factory, in France.

A railway enthusiast has had a lucky escape after narrowly avoiding an express train travelling at around 70 miles per hour.
The man was filming the Oliver Cromwell steam train in Thurston in Suffolk, when another train sped through the station from the opposite direction.
It almost clipped the train spotter, who seemed unfazed by what happened.

So, it would be better staying out of the track next time!

The train was offered for the still opened Thameslink rolling stock project.