Metro news – Page 224
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NewsFirst Tango in Basel
SWITZERLAND: The first of 60 Stadler Tango trams ordered jointly by Basel city transport company BVB and Baselland regional operator BLT arrived at BLT's Oberwil depot on September 2. A SFr276m contract for 60 trams was announced in May 2006, and includes 40 cars for BLT and 20 for BVB. ...
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NewsNext-generation Citadis tram on test
FRANCE: Following the completion of tests at Petite-Forêt, Alstom sent the prototype for the next generation of Citadis trams from its Valenciennes plant to the Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre in Germany on September 1. Designated X04, the prototype is being used to test developments including new bogies, permanent magnet synchronous ...
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NewsToronto reopens tram bidding process
CANADA: On August 27 Toronto Transit Commission formally approved reopening the procurement process for 204 low-floor trams at an estimated cost of C$1·25bn. The initial attempt had attracted only two bids, both of which were deemed non-compliant. A multi-phase bidding process will now be used, with Alstom, Bombardier and ...
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NewsSecond line planned in Santo Domingo
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: In his speech accepting a third term of office on August 16, President Leonel Fernández announced that a second metro line would be built in the capital, Santo Domingo. The opening of the 14·5 km Line 1 running north-south across the city is now scheduled for November. End-to-end ...
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Hyderabad consortium selected
INDIA: Last month the government of Andhra Pradesh presented the NMII Consortium with a 'letter of award' for a design, build, finance and operate concession for the Hyderabad metro. Financial close is expected within six months. The consortium comprises Maytas Infra (26%), Nava Bharat Ventures (27%), Italian-Thai Development (5%) and ...
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Marseille ditches the private sector
FRANCE: Following the election of a new socialist administration earlier this year, Marseille Provence Métropole, the authority for the greater Marseille area, has voted to terminate the eight-year contract to operate the city's light rail network held by a joint venture of municipal operator RTM and Veolia. RTM will ...
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Warszawa prepares tram fleet renewal
POLAND: An agreement has been signed between ZTM, the Warszawa city transport authority, and the mayor to replace much of the capital's tram fleet over the next 20 years. The 16bn zloty programme will see 246 low-floor trams bought by 2027 — the first tenders were due to be issued ...
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Dieter - September 2008
CHINA: Guangzhou metro is trialling a free umbrella hire service at seven of its stations. Passengers pay a deposit of 20 yuan to borrow an umbrella, and the money is refunded if the umbrella is returned within 15 days.
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NewsBursa orders Bombardier light rail cars
TURKEY: Bombardier Transportation has won a €94m order to supply 30 Flexity Swift high-floor light rail vehicles to Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. The contract announced on August 29 includes the supply of spare parts, and Bombardier said an option for up to 28 additional vehicles is 'foreseen'. The bidirectional air-conditioned ...
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NewsDubai Palm monorail trains handed over
UAE: Four three-car trains for the Palm monorail in Dubai were handed over to developer Nakheel in a ceremony at Hitachi's Kasado plant in Tokuyama on August 21. Construction of the 5·45 km straddle monorail was completed last month, and members of Nakheel's operations and maintenance team are now ...
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NewsGold Coast study recommends light rail
AUSTRALIA: The preliminary business case for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project has recommended light rail in preference to bus rapid transit, John Mickel, Queensland's Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment & Industrial Relations, announced on August 22. Light rail offers 'greater capacity, reliability, and a longer lifespan than buses ...
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NewsOyster contract to end early
UK: Transport for London announced on August 8 that it has given the required two years' notice of termination of its £100m a year contract with TranSys for the operation and maintenance of the Oyster smartcard ticketing system. TranSys shareholders are Cubic Systems, IT suppliers EDS and Fujitsu Services, plus ...
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Two from three shortlisted
AUSTRALIA: Victoria's Department of Transport has shortlisted the Keolis/EDI Downer joint venture and incumbent operator Yarra Trams as the process to re-let Melbourne's tram franchise progresses (RG 6.08 p352). Yarra Trams, itself a joint venture of Transdev and Transfield Services, has been the sole operator of the city's extensive ...
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NewsStockholm sets tram sights wider
SWEDEN: Stockholm Transport authority SL has expanded its plans for a light rail line in the centre of the capital. Expressions of interest were invited in 2007 for a BOT concession of at least 15 years covering a line linking Djurgården, Norrmalmstorg and the Central station. This would incorporate ...
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NewsSofia metro Line 2 contractors chosen
BULGARIA: Construction of a second metro line in Sofia is expected to begin in September, following the appointment of civil works contractors last month. Turkish firm Dogus Insaat ve Ticaret will build the 3·8 km four-station section running south from Nadezhda to Tsentralna station and through the city centre ...
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NewsTyne & Wear operations to be tendered
UK: An operating concession for the Tyne & Wear Metro is to be let as part of an agreement under which the government will fund the second phase of a three-stage modernisation programme. The tendering process is due to commence on September 9, with a concession lasting between ...
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NewsSyntegra gearless bogie enters service
GERMANY: A metro car fitted with Siemens Syntegra bogies began running in passenger service in München on August 13. The Syntegra concept combines running gear, a three-phase gearless drive system and brakes within a single bogie with fewer mechanical parts than existing designs. 'Syntegra represents a generational change ...
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Automation in São Paulo
BRAZIL: Alstom has been awarded its largest metro signalling contract covering the conversion of lines 1, 2 and 3 of the São Paulo metro to fully automated operation. The contract is worth around €280m and covers the complete renewal of the existing train control system. Alstom will equip the lines ...
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Urban rail news in brief - August 2008
On July 16 Chicago Transit Authority announced a pilot programme to remove the seats from a number of metro cars to increase capacity by 25 to 50 people per car. Eight-car peak trains would have one or two seatless cars, running initially on the Brown Line with the Blue and ...
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CPTM contracts
BRAZIL: Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF has been awarded a €442m contract to supply 40 eight-car trainsets to São Paulo suburban operator CPTM. Deliveries are scheduled for completion in 2010. CPTM has awarded Union Switch & Signal International and Efacec a US$120m contract to resignal lines 7 and 12 to ...