Metro news – Page 173
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NewsUK must start developing tram-train now
UK: Detailed planning for tram-train projects should begin immediately rather than wait for the outcome of the recently-confirmed Sheffield - Rotherham pilot project, Geoff Inskip, Chief Executive of West Midlands transport authority Centro, told the All-Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group on June 13. The pilot scheme is scheduled to run ...
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NewsBrest tramway opens
FRANCE: Ceremonies took place on June 23 for the opening of the new tram line in Brest. The 14·3 km route runs from Porte de Plouzané in the west to Porte de Gouesnou and Porte de Guipavas northeast of the city centre, serving 28 stops including four park and ride ...
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NewsMumbai monorail independent assessor appointed
INDIA: The LTSE consortium of Larsen & Toubro and Scomi Engineering which is building the Mumbai monorail has appointed Mott MacDonald as independent assessor for testing and commissioning. Mott MacDonald will review plans and documentation, and undertake simulations to assess emergency procedures and equipment. LTSE is building the 19·7 ...
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NewsLion dance launches Shatin to Central Link construction
CHINA: A groundbreaking ceremony and lion dance officially launched construction of Hong Kong's HK$65bn Shatin to Central Link on June 22. The Hong Kong government's Chief Secretary for Administration Stephen Lam Sui-lung officiated at the ceremony, saying SCL would 'enhance the entire railway network by linking up several existing railway ...
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NewsNavi Mumbai metro tendering
INDIA: Tendering is underway for works on the first line of a planned 106 km metro network in Navi Mumbai, a satellite new city near Mumbai. Preliminary works began last year for the initial 11·1 km Belapur - Pendher phase of Line 2, which will be the first line to ...
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NewsSão Paulo commuter operator orders Sygnet diesel locos
BRAZIL: São Paulo commuter rail operator CPTM has ordered an initial batch of four diesel locomotives from local manufacturer EIF Locomotivas, with an option for more locos. CPTM operates six lines totalling 260 route-km, serving 89 stations, and carries more than 1·7 million passengers a day. The 1 600 mm ...
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NewsMülheim exercises Essen tram option
GERMANY: Mülheim transport operator MVG has ordered five Flexity Classic trams from Bombardier Transportation for delivery in 2015, exercising a €13m option on a €72m contract for 27 trams which was signed by Essen operator EVAG in December 2011. The trams for Mülheim will be identical to the Essen vehicles, ...
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NewsPrototype metro trains and more trams approved
GERMANY: The board of Berlin urban transport operator BVG approved plans to order two prototype metro trains and exercise an option for a further 39 trams at its meeting on June 22. The Land of Berlin is to provide €158m to fund an order for new U-Bahn trains to replace ...
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NewsBerlin S-Bahn split to go ahead
GERMANY: Meeting on June 19, the Berlin Senate voted to push ahead with controversial proposals to split the city’s S-Bahn network into three separate businesses in order to introduce competition when tendering the next round of operating concessions. Bids are expected to be called later this month for a ...
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NewsEnergy storage offers Macau metro 10% saving
CHINA: Hitachi is to supply 15 lineside battery energy storage systems for the rubber-tyred light metro under construction in Macau. Hitachi says this will be the first metro to use lineside battery energy storage along its entire route, and it expects this to reduce electricity consumption by ...
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NewsWork starts on Midland Metro extension
UK: Work on the extension of the Midland Metro light rail route that will link Snow Hill and New Street stations in the centre of Birmingham was launched by Transport Minister Norman Baker on June 13. With utility diversion now underway, the 1·4 km route running via Bull Street and ...
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NewsMetrolink trams reach Oldham Mumps
UK: Manchester Metrolink light rail services reached Oldham on June 13 with the opening of an 11·5 km line from Manchester Victoria under Phase 3a of the £1·4bn Future Metrolink expansion programme. Serving seven intermediate stops, the route follows almost entirely the alignment of the former Network Rail line between ...
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NewsKlang Valley rapid transit bids submitted
MALAYSIA: Project promoter Mass Rapid Transit Corp has received bids to supply trains, signalling, depot equipment and platform screen doors for the 51 km Sungai Buloh - Kajang MY Rapid Transit line which is under construction for opening in 2017. Changchun Railway Vehicles, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive and a Siemens/SMH ...
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NewsDanes to order EMUs in public transport boost
DENMARK: New electric multiple-units and additional double-deck coaches for København commuter services are included in a DKr2·6bn investment package announced by Transport Minister Henrik Dam Kristensen on June 12. The investment forms part of a package of proposals to boost the use of public transport agreed by the government with ...
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NewsWaterloo light rail engineering consultant appointed
CANADA: The Regional Municipality of Waterloo has appointed Parsons Brinckerhoff as its general engineering consultant for the C$818m project to build a 19 km light rail line and a 17 km bus rapid transit network. The light rail line would run from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall ...
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NewsPrimove induction powered tram trial proves a success
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation has successfully completed testing of its Primove catenary-free power system on a branch of the Augsburg tram network. Primove uses cables between the rails to produce magnetic fields which induce electric current for traction power in pick-up coils mounted underneath the vehicle. The tests were ...
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NewsTram ticket lottery
KAZAKHSTAN: In an attempt to reduce the problem of discarded tickets around tram stops, and attract more riders, Pavlodar Tramways has launched a 'lucky ticket' lottery. Passengers are being encouraged to keep their tickets in order to check the numbers against a list of winning tickets to be published ...
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NewsChicago's South Red Line to be rebuilt
USA: Chicago Transit Authority has announced details of what it says is the one of the biggest projects in its history, a $425m 'complete reconstruction' of the track and trackbed on the southern section of the L metro Red Line between Cermak-Chinatown and 95th/Dan Ryan. The project includes upgrading the ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - June 2012
As sole bidder, incumbent Veolia Transport has been awarded a nine-year contract to operate the public transport network in the French city of Saint-Etienne from July 1. The contracting authority is to pay €287m a year, while Veolia has agreed to contribute €1m towards the acquisition of three new trams ...
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NewsAlstom signs Schwebebahn ETCS signalling contract
GERMANY: Wuppertal transport agency WSW Mobil has awarded Alstom a €17m contract to provide Atlas 400 ETCS Level 2+ signalling for the modernisation of the Schwebebahn suspension monorail. Alstom will supply trackside and onboard equipment for the 13·3 km line, 20 stations, two depots, 31 new articulated trains being supplied ...