Society & Science

Infrastructure

Transport·7h ago

Brenner Pass Blockade: Residents' Protest to Paralyze Alpine Artery Amid Holiday Travel Chaos

Residents of Austria's Wipptal valley will block the Brenner Autobahn on Saturday in protest against years of mounting transit traffic, with authorities bracing for kilometre-long jams across the Alpine region.

Matrei am Brenner

Karl Mühlsteiger Sabine Spari-Gaugg

Energy Grid·2d ago

Poland's deposit return system hits one billion containers, shifts to instant card refunds and public recycling machines

Eight months after launch, Poland's deposit return system has processed over a billion containers, driving a technological and logistical overhaul that introduces instant card refunds and expands collection points beyond shops.

Warsaw · Oder River

Wiesław Galwas Przemysław Przybylski Dominik Dobrowolski Dariusz Dworzecki Mirosław Wróblewski Krzysztof Gajda

Transport·4d ago

AI and Sensors Deployed on Vital German Bridge to Avert Sudden Closures

After a surprise January closure of the heavily used A52 Bridge, Autobahn GmbH launches a sensor-AI pilot to detect structural damage early.

Mülheim an der Ruhr

Tobias Fischer Panagiotis Martakis Roman Suthold

Transport·3d ago

NRW slashes public transport fare zones to clear 'tariff jungle', but critics warn of gaps for occasional riders

North Rhine-Westphalia's four transport associations are radically simplifying their fare structures, reducing dozens of price levels to just three or four. But passenger advocates say the digital-first approach risks leaving rural riders and tourists behind.

Düsseldorf · Cologne · Dortmund

Thomas Probol