Other Transit Site Reccomendations

To our many frequent visitors:

KFTP recognizes the fact that you visit this site daily, hoping to see that it has been updated with the latest transportation news, information, and photos. We even have direct link to YouTube videos that are transit related. Lately, we have failed to deliver, seeing as it has been almost one month since our last update. Therefore, we are providing a list of other websites to visit when we are not updating frequently.

Our top recommendation is Oren's Transit Page, which is our inspiration. Oren's Transit Page has thousands of transit photos and videos from across the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, and is updated as frequently as SonicWall allows. This website's highlights include photos of practically every single TCAT bus, photos from the Acela Express power cars, and the WMATA Red Line for BVE downloads, and that is only just some of what that great site has to offer. It even has non-transit photography for the many non-railfans out in the world.

Another good website is New York City Subway Resources, which has over 70,000 photos of trains from around the world, and lots of information on the history of the New York City subway. Finally, if you want to chat with other transit buffs about the latest bus or subway news, visit SubChat, a web message board to discuss these exciting topics.

Once again, we apologize for not meeting your expectations and hope to update more in the future. But in the meantime, we hope that these alternative websites serve as an acceptable substitute to KFTP.

Alstom Launches the AGV!

Photo: Alstom Transport/David Lefranc

You heard it here first! (relative to OTP)

French engineering giants Alstom has unveiled the successor to the TGV. Named the AGV or 'Autmotrice Grand Vitesse' (loosely translated as 'very fast rail car'), the AGV is capable of speeds of up to 360km or 223mph. This is achieved by individual engines beneath each carriage, removing the need for locomotives at each end. The lack of locomotives also means more passenger space--the AGV can carry up to 700 passengers. Italian open access rail operator, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, will the first to run the trains after placing orders for 25 trains. Production starts mid-2008.

Watch the launch video here.

Sustainability Snippet: The AGV is lighter than the TGV and thus, consumes 30% less fuel despite being 40kmh faster.

Transmilenio - Bus Rapid Transit in Bogota

Termini Railway Station, Roma

Most European cities I've been to are anchored by a grand railway station (several, in the case of London and Paris), so it was quite a disappointment to come upon Termini and be greeted by a modernist Facade that is nondescript and slightly Fascist. If you did not already know that this was Rome's main station (or a station, at all), then the building (alas) gives no clue. Except for the largest asphalt-covered bus interchange in Rome, which is based right in front of Termini on the grandiose-sounding Piazza dei Cinquecento (loosely translated, Five Hundred Square).

Termini, however, is still Rome's major public transport hub and between the public buses, regional trains (Trenitalia), trams and the Termini Metro station (which is the only point where Rome's 2 metro lines cross), you can get almost anywhere from here and will probably get here from almost anywhere.

View khairul22's map

Taken in (See more photos here)

With some wiki-ing, I found out that the station was named after the Baths of Diocletian, which are located several streets away from the main station entrance. Termini comes from 'thermae', the Latin words for baths.

Source: Wikipedia

Termini does have some redeeming features, though. Inside, the force is still strong and between the high ceilings and free-access train platform, a dense array of shops, the flickering Polari boards (like those in airports!) and the neverending hubbub of commuters and tourists, it's still a place to wile away the remainder of your 75-minute bus ticket while you wait to go home.

Arriving Soon!

Watch out for the grand launch of our one-stop transit information site. Arriving soon! And to celebrate our launch, we will be organizing an 18-day trans-continental rail trip for our avid fans from across the US!