All Light Rail articles – Page 67
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NewsHelsinki trams on test in Mannheim
GERMANY: Rhein-Neckar transport authority RNV took delivery of two Variotram trams from Helsinki transport operator HKL on July 19. These are being tested on the networks in Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen to assess their suitability for the region. RNV will test the 100% low-floor trams until the end of ...
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Metro Report InternationalPortland welcomes contactless ticketing
USA: An account-based smart card and contactless bank card fare collection system went into operation in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area on July 17. The Hop Fastpass is valid on bus, light rail and commuter rail services operated by TriMet, C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar. In 2014 Init signed a contract ...
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NewsSidi Bel Abbès tramway inaugurated
ALGERIA: The fourth tramway in Algeria opened on July 25, when the 14·3 km route in Sidi Bel Abbès was inaugurated by Minister of Transport & Public Works Abdelghani Zaalane. Yapı Merkezi acted as construction contractor. The Cital joint venture of Alstom (49%), Ferrovial (41%) and Entreprise du Métro ...
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Metro Report InternationalDancing lion tram design unveiled
CHINA: Industrial design agency Italdesign has revealed its design for CRRC Guangzhou’s first tram. The first tram for Guangzhou is due to be presented in the autumn. Italdesign says that the external styling of the 70% low-floor vehicle has been influenced by Guangzhou’s dancing lion. The handrails are inspired ...
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NewsModertrans offers best bid in Wrocław tram tender
POLAND: Modertrans submitted the cheapest bid to supply 40 trams to Wrocław, transport authority MPK Wrocław announced on July 21. Modertrans’ offer of 176·2m złoty for the 27% low-floor Moderus Beta compares with a bid of 324·4 złoty from Pesa, which is offering its 100% low-floor Twist model. ...
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NewsEssen and Mülheim transport operators to merge
GERMANY: Essen and Mülheim transport authorities EVAG and MVG, along with their joint undertaking Via, are to become unified in Ruhrbahn GmbH. The new transport comapny will start operating from September 1 and will have its headquarters in Essen. ‘With around 2 500 staff and covering an area with ...
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NewsTramino XL enters service in Leipzig
GERMANY: The first Tramino XL tram entered service on Route 4 in Leipzig on July 13. Operator Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe will start seeking suggestions from the public for names for the new fleet in the autumn. In February 2015 LVB selected Solaris to supply five trams for €7·7m, with options ...
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NewsKyiv orders more Pesa Fokstrot trams
UKRAINE: Kyiv tram operator Kyivpastrans announced on July 17 that it had selected Pesa to supply 40 low-floor trams for 1·8bn hryvnia. The previous tender was cancelled, as there was only one bidder. The second tender attracted bids from Pesa and Elektrontrans. Pesa will supply its 26 m ...
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NewsKazan orders seven Uraltransmash trams
RUSSIA: Trading company Fobos-TS signed a 111·3m rouble contract on July 7 to supply seven Uraltransmash 71-407 trams to Kazan transport agency Metroelektrotrans. The price includes worth 8m roubles per tram from the government’s programme of federal funding aimed at encouraging tram purchases. The first two trams are ...
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NewsNovocherkassk orders five trams
RUSSIA: Sole bidder Elektrotransport has been selected to supply five trams to Novocherkassk. The model has not yet been announced, but the tender specifications suggest Uraltransmash’s 71-407, despite the trading company having previously worked with UKVZ. The tender specifies 16 m long trams with at least 39% low-floor and ...
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Metro Report InternationalMinneapolis calls Southwest LRT bids
USA: The Twin Cities Metropolitan Council has invited bids for the first of three construction contracts to build the 23·3 km Southwest LRT light rail line between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie. Tenders for the main civil works contract are due to be opened on August 15, with the contract expected ...
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Metro Report InternationalNJ Transit adopts budget after ‘laser-like look’ at business
USA: ‘NJ Transit is moving forward with a balanced budget that reflects a laser-like look at individual business lines in order to maximise efficiencies and maintain a safe transportation system’, said Executive Director Steven H Santoro when the board adopted the $2·22bn operating budget and a $1·37bn capital programme for ...
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NewsLuxtram starts test running
LUXEMBOURG: Test running on the first section of the capital’s light rail line was officially launched on July 12, with a ceremony at the new Tramsschapp depot attended by Minister of Infrastructure & Sustainable Development François Bausch, the Mayor of Luxembourg Lydie Polfer and leader of the city council Sam ...
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Metro Report InternationalMetrolink Trafford Park extension construction contract signed
UK: Transport for Greater Manchester confirmed on July 11 that it had signed the £200m contract for its delivery partner WSP and the MPact Thales consortium of Laing O’Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales to design and build the Trafford Park extension of the Metrolink light rail network. Trafford Park is the ...
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NewsKolomna orders 22 trams
RUSSIA: Kolomna tramway operator Mosoblelektrotrans has announced that a 341m offer from Elektrotransport was the best bid for a contract to supply 22 single-section four-axle low-floor cars. The 1 524 mm gauge 600 V DC trams are scheduled to be delivered to the operator between September and December this year. ...
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Metro Report InternationalKeolis Downer takes over operation of Newcastle transport network
AUSTRALIA: A joint venture of French public transport operator Keolis and infrastructure services company Downer EDI took over the operation of bus and ferry services in Newcastle, New South Wales, on July 1. According to Keolis, this is the ‘first multimodal transport system to be operated by a private operator ...
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Metro Report InternationalEdmonton to introduce contactless ticketing
CANADA: Vix Technology has been selected to supply integrated account-based contactless ticketing to three public transport agencies in the Edmonton region. The 15-year contract would see Vix implement and operate back-office equipment and validators that would be used for payment with contactless EMV cards as well as prepaid smart ...
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Metro Report InternationalDen Haag introduces tram and bus mobile ticketing
NETHERLANDS: Den Haag transport operator HTM has rolled out mobile ticketing on its bus and tram routes. Masabi has supplied its JustRide smartphone app and cloud-based back office. The app has Dutch, German and English interfaces, and links to HTM’s journey planning app. Transactions are processed using the iDEAL ...
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Metro Report InternationalTram-train pilot scheme infrastructure costs up 401%
UK: Significant cost increases and delays to the UK’s pilot tram-train project are detailed in a report published by the National Audit Office on July 4. NAO found that while the Department for Transport and Network Rail have established new technical standards and shared the lessons learned with other tram-train ...
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NewsTesting begins on Cross City line in Dublin
IRELAND: Test running on Dublin’s Luas Cross City line started on June 17. Two Alstom Citadis trams were involved in the initial weekend of gauge testing, travelling at up to 10 km/h. The 5·9 km extension of the Green Line runs from the existing northern terminus at St Stephen’s ...