Montevideo light rail plans advance
URUGUAY: An external review of the planned Montevideo light rail project is to be commissioned by the Ministry of Transport & Public Works with funding from Inter-American Development Bank.
Beograd metro consultancy contract renewed
SERBIA: The city of Beograd has renewed RATP Dev’s ongoing contract to provide early operator assistance for the three-line automated metro project.
Lyon tram network to expand
FRANCE: Construction works for Line T9 of the Lyon tram network are poised to start in mid-2024 following the government’s decision at the end of February to grant transport authority Sytral Mobilités a Déclaration d’Utilité Publique. Preliminary works to move water pipes and other services are already in hand.
Ontario Line electrification contract awarded
CANADA: NGE Group’s TSO subsidiary is to design and supply 1·5 kV overhead electrification for Toronto’s Ontario Line metro project.
Malaysian government takes over Penang light rail project
MALAYSIA: Responsibility for the Mutiara Light Rail Transit project has been transferred from the state of Penang to the federal government, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke has announced.
Praha tram extension to support housing development
CZECH REPUBLIC: Praha city council has instructed transport operator DPP to draw up plans for a tramway extension to the Komořany district to support residential redevelopment on two former industrial sites.
Izmit plans first metro line as tram network grows
TURKEY: Plans to build a 26·8 km metro line in Kocaeli were announced by Turkey’s Minister of Transport & Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu on March 20, ahead of local elections scheduled for March 31.
Maryland’s Purple Line project pushed back
USA: The opening date for the 26 km Purple Line light rail route between New Carrollton and Bethesda in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC has been pushed back again.
Leeds and Bradford trams in West Yorkshire mass transit plan
UK: Plans for two tram lines in Leeds and Bradford have been set out by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, ahead of the Mayoral election in May.
Macau LRT East Line contract awarded
CHINA: Macau’s Public Works Bureau has awarded Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Top Builders Macau Co and Hou Chun Construction & Engineering Corp a contract to supply MHI’s Automated Guideway Transit rubber-tyred light metro technology for the Light Rapid Transit East Line.
Ontario Line guideway and stations contract awarded
CANADA: Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have selected Trillium Guideway Partners to build the elevated guideway and stations for Toronto’s Ontario Line metro project.
Taipei metro extension to Keelung approved
TAIWAN: The Ministry of Transportation & Communications has approved plans to extend the Blue Line metro eastwards by 15·6 km from Nangang Exhibition Centre in Taipei to Badu main line station in Keelung.