All Light Rail articles – Page 54
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Metro Report International
Brussels tram extension inaugurated
BELGIUM: A new tram route serving the northwest suburbs of Brussels was formally inaugurated by King Philippe on September 1. Having taken a short ride on the line, he participated in ceremonies at Place Reine Astrid, which has been remodelled as part of the project. Revenue services began the following ...
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Metro Report International
Autonomous tram to be demonstrated during InnoTrans
GERMANY: A Combino tram equipped for experimental autonomous operation is to be demonstrated by Siemens Mobility and Potsdam transport operator ViP during InnoTrans 2018. The Combino tram will undertake autonomously-driven demonstration runs in real traffic on 6 km of the network in Potsdam, southwest of Berlin, from September 18 to ...
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News
Abu Dhabi metro project moves forward
UAE: The Abu Dhabi Department of Transport has invited bids for consultancy services for the emirate’s metro and light rail projects. Companies registered with the Department of Economic Development are invited to tender, with applications due by September 13. According to the surface transport master plan for ...
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News
Köln light rail extension inaugurated
GERMANY: A northwestern extension of Köln light rail Line 3 opened to passengers on August 27, following an official inauguration ceremony on August 25. The 600 m extension from Ollenhauerring runs along Militärringstraße to reach a new terminus at Görlinger-Zentrum. The new stop offers level boarding. Main works ...
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News
First phase of Aarhus tram-train route inaugurated
DENMARK: The first tram-train section of the Aarhus Letbane light rail network opened on August 25 with the start of operations on the 29 km southern section between Aarhus H and Odder, serving 16 stations. The railway linking Aarhus and Odder closed in 2016 for upgrading including electrification. It ...
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Metro Report International
Shanghai tram operations contract awarded
CHINA: Songjiang Tramway has awarded Shanghai Keolis a five-year contract to operate and maintain the tram network in the Songjiang district of southwestern Shanghai. The joint venture of Shanghai Shentong Metro Group (51%) and Keolis (49%) is to operate the two-line network, which is due to open in two ...
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News
Stadler applies to build St Petersburg tram factory
RUSSIA: Stadler has applied to the St Petersburg authorities to build a tram assembly plant in the city. The Swiss company has proposed an offset contract with the municipality under which the manufacturer would pay to build the factory in return for the city guaranteeing to buy a set ...
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Metro Report International
KC Streetcar sets ridership record
USA: The KC Streetcar recorded its highest monthly ridership to date in July, when 262 593 passenger-journeys were taken. Ridership is higher on Saturdays than on weekdays, with the respective figures averaging 14 085 and 7 909 in July. The average ridership on Sundays was 6 453. The highest ...
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News
Donetsk People’s Republic tram rolled out
UKRAINE: Head of the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic Aleksandr Zakharchenko attended the rollout of a tram built at the Donetsk Electrotechnical Plant on August 21. Assembly began in March. The frame and bogies of a Tatra tram were used, and 80% of components came from the DPR, with the ...
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News
Frankfurt light rail vehicles to be lengthened
GERMANY: Bombardier is to supply 22 light rail vehicle centre sections for Frankfurt am Main transport operator VGF. The 25 m long modules will be used to lengthen VGF’s U5-50 LRVs to 75 m or 100 m. Bombardier supplied the fleet of high-floor U5 vehicles. The centre sections will ...
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News
Next Firenze tram route to open in November
ITALY: Opening of Firenze tram line T2 is now expected in November, after the President of the design-build-operate concessionaire confirmed that work would not be completed at the end of August as planned. Tram di Firenze President Fabrizio Bartaloni confirmed that work is expected to be completed ...
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Metro Report International
Italian urban transport funding allocated
ITALY: The Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport has allocated a total of €1·4bn to urban transport projects throughout the country. Roma is the largest recipient, with a total of €425·5m. The larger part of this, €291·1m, would be spent on upgrading metro lines A and B, including the power ...
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News
First Stadler Tango tram enters service in Ostrava
CZECH REPUBLIC: The first of 30 trams that Stadler is supplying to Ostrava entered revenue service on Route 4 on August 13. The Tango NF2 nOVA arrived in Ostrava from Stadler’s Siedlce factory in Poland on April 23, and has undergone two months of test running on the city’s ...
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Metro Report International
Light rail extensions supported in NJ Transit budget
USA: On August 8 New Jersey Transit announced that it would be spending $3·8bn in the 2019 financial year as the operator seeks to address an urgent shortfall in investment. The budget allocates $2·3bn for ongoing operations and $1·5bn for capital spending. As well as operating a large main ...
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Metro Report International
Edinburgh seeks tram driver vigilance system
UK: City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Trams have launched a competition offering funding to develop an automated driver vigilance system for its trams. The Driver Innovation Safety Challenge, supported by industry body UK Tram, would provide the winner with £168 000 for up to two years from Scottish ...
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Metro Report International
GRP overhead electrification mast trial
GERMANY: Karlsruhe regional light rail operator AVG is to test glass-reinforced plastic electrification masts supplied by the Powerlines Group at a turning loop in Ettlingen from September. A similar GRP mast has been on test at Oostende on the Belgian coastal tram line since 2013, where it is exposed to ...
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News
Bolzano tram agreement signed
ITALY: Bolzano Mayor Renzo Caramaschi and Trentino-Alto Adige President Arno Kompatscher signed an agreement on August 2 to study the feasibility of developing a tram line in Bolzano. The 7 km route would serve 17 stops between Sigmundskron southwest of the city centre and the railway station. Services would ...
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News
Kim Jong Un inspects North Korean tram and trolleybus
NORTH KOREA: Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea Kim Jong Un has inspected what the official news agency described as a locally-made tram and trolleybus. The three-section tram with AC traction motors was made at the Bus Repair Factory, the news agency said. It is stabled at Mangyongdae ...
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News
Midland Metro third-generation tram procurement launched
UK: The West Midlands Combined Authority has begun the process of procuring a third generation of trams for the Midland Metro line, including future extensions. The start of procurement follows a market sounding exercise undertaken earlier this year. The planned framework contract with an estimated value of £150m plus VAT ...
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News
Alstom signs Athens tram contract
GREECE: Attiko Metro signed a contract with Alstom on July 27 for the supply of 25 trams. The contract is worth €54m excluding VAT, and includes spare parts and maintenance equipment. The EU is providing co-funding from its European Regional Development Fund. The first tram is expected to enter ...