Metro news – Page 147
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NewsTfL to re-tender Sub-Surface resignalling
UK: Transport for London announced on December 31 that it plans to re-invite tenders in mid-2014 for the resignalling of London Underground’s Sub-Surface Lines, which had been awarded to Bombardier in mid-2011. Covering London Underground’s Metropolitan, District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, the programme is due to see the ...
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NewsHouston opens second light rail line
USA: Revenue services have started running on Houston Metro’s 8·5 km North Line light rail route following an official inauguration on December 21 and a day of free rides. Running north from UH Downtown in the city centre through Moody Park and Lindale to the Northline Transit Center, the line ...
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NewsSEPTA outlines ‘Catching Up’ investment plan
USA: SEPTA, the transport authority which provides urban and suburban rail services in the metropolitan area around Philadelphia, plans to double its annual capital expenditure of $300m by 2018 under a wide-ranging investment programme. At a board meeting on December 19, SEPTA officials proposed a multi-year spending programme entitled ‘Catching ...
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NewsSingapore’s Downtown Line welcomes first passengers
SINGAPORE: Serving six stations, the first section of the Downtown automated metro line opened for public service on December 21. The 4·3 km section between Chinatown and Bugis will be served by trains running at 4 min headways at peak times and 5 min otherwise. The Land Transport Authority has ...
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NewsPerth light rail project put back three years
AUSTRALIA: The proposed A$1·9bn Metro Area Express Light Rail project in Perth is to be deferred by three years under a package of measures designed to reduce Western Australia's debt which was announced by state Treasurer Troy Buswell on December 18. The state's 2013-14 budget had previously allocated A$432m over ...
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NewsFirst Al Sufouh tram delivered to Dubai
UAE: The first Alstom Citadis 402 tram for the Al Sufouh tramway has arrived in Dubai after leaving France on November 21. The seven-section vehicle is the first of 11 ordered for the project’s initial phase. Alstom had been test running the tram on a 700 m test track ...
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NewsNorth West Rail Link civil works contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The second of three framework contracts to build the North West Rail Link in the suburbs of Sydney was awarded on December 18. Under a A$340m agreement with the New South Wales government, the Italian consortium of Impreglio and Salini will undertake civil works on a 4 km elevated ...
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NewsSporveien Oslo awards depot signalling contract
NORWAY: Sporveien Oslo has awarded Siemens Rail Automation a contract to supply signalling and train control equipment for the new metro depot at Avløs. Siemens will supply its Trackguard Westrace system and axle counters, controlled from Tøyen using Controlguide Westcad technology. Avløs depot will be used for stabling ...
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NewsTunnelling under the Rhône
FRANCE: Revenue service began on the extension of Lyon metro Line B to Gare d’Oullins on December 11. The 1·8 km extension south from Stade de Gerland runs in a 300 m tunnel under the River Rhône, bored using a single-bore slurry shield TBM supplied by Herreknecht. ...
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NewsJaipur metro to get ADB loan
INDIA: The Asian Development Bank announced on December 16 that it will provide a US$176m loan for the construction of Phase IB of the Jaipur metro as well as studies for a second line. The loan will cover most of the US$259m construction cost of Phase IB, ...
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NewsFeature articles in the December 2013 issue of Metro Report International
Articles in the December 2013 issue of Metro Report International. Comment Lucky Montana of PRASA stresses the importance of South Africa's fleet renewal programme News Review Round-up of world metro, light rail and tram news Riyadh A six-line driverless network takes shape in the Saudi capital China Metro and tram ...
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NewsFirst long Flexity Berlin tram delivered
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation delivered the first 40 m long bidirectional Flexity Berlin tram to the German capital from its Hennigsdorf plant on December 13. According to Bombardier, the trams have been styled specifically for Berlin and feature a ‘Bauhaus design’. The air-conditioned vehicles are equipped with regenerative braking. ...
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NewsValenciennes inaugurates second tram line
FRANCE: The second tram line in Valenciennes opened on December 13. The 15·5 km line with 22 stops links Valenciennes with Vieux Condé and will commence passenger service on February 24. Nine Alstom Citadis trams, ordered in 2010, will augment the existing fleet of 21 trams. Each 33 m ...
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NewsEIB provides £500m loan for Crossrail trains
UK: The European Investment Bank signed a corporate loan facility on December 13 which will provide Transport for London with up to £500m to finance the rolling stock fleet and depot for Crossrail. This follows a £1bn EIB loan for the construction of the Crossrail tunnels which was agreed in ...
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NewsMülheim orders Flexity Classic trams
GERMANY: Mülheim transport authority MVG has ordered 10 Bombardier Flexity Classic trams at a cost of €27m. The three-module bidirectional vehicles are identical to the 27 trams ordered by Essen transport authority EVAG in December 2011. They will be 30 m long and 2 300 mm wide, with a ...
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NewsChicago Blue Line to be upgraded
USA: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn announced an upgrade programme for the O’Hare Branch of the metro Blue Line on December 5. The $492m four-year plan, called Your New Blue, is due to begin in 2014. Funding is expected from local, state and federal ...
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NewsGoiânia light rail concessionaire selected
BRAZIL: Goiás state selected the Anhanguera Mobility consortium of Odebrecht TransPort (90%) and city bus operators (10%) to develop the Goiânia – Anhanguera light rail line on December 9. The 35-year build-operate-maintain PPP concession includes 24 months for construction. The total budget is R$1·3bn, including R$805m from the state ...
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NewsBrussels interregional tram lines approved
BELGIUM: The Flemish government has approved plans to build three tram lines linking Brussels with towns beyond the city boundaries. The project has a budget of €500m, although permission to start work has not yet been granted. The lines could open as soon as 2020, with De Lijn the most ...
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NewsBrussels metro to install optic fibre network
BELGIUM: Brussels transport operator STIB announced on December 10 that it will install an Alcatel-Lucent optic fibre broadband communication network for the conversion of the metro to driverless operation. A wavelength division multiplexing network based on Alcatel-Lucent’s 1830 photonic service switch will be used as the basis for communications-based ...
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NewsKraków orders Pesa Twist trams
POLAND: City transport operator MPK Kraków has selected Pesa to supply 36 low-floor trams. The Polish manufacturer beat bids from Solaris, Newag and Stadler. The four-section Twist Step trams from Pesa’s Twist family would be 42·8 m long, making them the longest trams in Poland. Deliveries are planned to ...