All Metro Report International features articles
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Metro Report InternationalNew York: Subway operator seeks supplier support
Tim Mulligan is heading up a newly created rolling stock programme office at New York MTA, tasked with widening and deepening the relationship between the authority and its supply chain. He explained the plans to Nick Kingsley.
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Metro Report InternationalMexico: Guided buses challenge urban rail projects
While Mexico is enjoying a renaissance in rail investment at a national level, urban rail projects in several cities are coming under threat from cheaper bus options and Chinese-backed ART technology. Michael Dreyer reports.
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Metro Report InternationalColombia: Bogotá finally chooses rail
In the 2000s the capital of Colombia was famous for its TransMilenio bus rapid transit network, but as that became overcrowded, authorities made a decision to develop metro and tram-train routes, reports Marcelo Benoit.
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Metro Report InternationalBrazil: Urban rail projects battle local politics
Examples in Cuiabá and Canoas show how vulnerable Brazilian urban rail projects are to changes in local politics, as well as the temptation of alternative modes which are seen as less complex, even if the benefits are lower. Marcelo Benoit examines the two cases.
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Metro Report InternationalBrazil: Salvador turns to the tram
Having dismantled a suburban railway and aborted a monorail scheme, the Brazilian city of Salvador is now developing a tram network using second-hand trams and track assets from Cuiabá. Ana Cláudia Nascimento, CEO of state transport operator CTB, explains the plans to Benjámin Zelki.
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Metro Report InternationalNorth America: Bringing more rail to Mexico’s metropolis
Two major suburban rail projects are well into the phase of delivery in the state of Mexico, which borders Mexico City. But plans to extend metro and light rail beyond the capital’s boundaries are yet to be finalised as policymakers continue to flirt with non-rail modes, which are often perceived as cheaper to deliver.
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Metro Report InternationalPakistan: Lahore’s pioneering metro approaches maturity
This month, Lahore’s Orange metro line completes four years of operation serving Pakistan’s second largest city. Its growing ridership and positive socio-economic impact have spurred the local authorities to plan three more urban rail lines, although funding remains an issue.
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Metro Report InternationalVietnam: Hanoi ahead in sluggish metro expansion
With Hanoi’s second metro line having opened this summer and a starter route in Ho Chi Minh City due to be inaugurated soon, Vietnam is likely to have 41 km of metro operational by the year end. Yet this is far below the government’s goal, with bureaucratic delays partly to blame. Peter Janssen reports.
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Metro Report InternationalParis: Learning lessons from Line 14
Paris metro operator RATP believes it can use the experience it has gained in managing the migration of train control equipment used on Line 14 from one GoA4 platform to another to help upgrade other automated metros. Jérémie Anne reports.
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In depthTrain Control: Paris RER lines switch to NExTEO
SNCF Réseau is committed to installation of the digital NExTEO train control system to increase train throughput on the busiest sections of the heavily used Paris RER network. Jérémie Anne reports.
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In depthSouth Korea: Suburban networks take shape
Under pressure to reduce commuting time across the country, policymakers are developing suburban rail services around key conurbations, many making use of spare capacity on existing main lines. Benjámin Zelki reports.
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In depthSouth Korea: Seoul embraces the ‘GTX era’
This year has seen the opening of the first phase of Seoul’s Great Train Express commuter rail Line A, and the start of construction on lines B and C. Plans have also been announced for extensions of all three and three more lines, as the Executive Director of Korea National Railway’s GTX Department Song Hye-chun explains to Benjámin Zelki.
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In depthPortugal: Circle Line leads Lisboa metro expansion project
Backed by EU funding, the expansion of the Lisboa metro and light rail networks is expected to deliver significant environmental benefits for the Portuguese capital, reports Andre Pires.
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In depthPhilippines: New lines programme puts the metro in Manila
After years of stagnation, major investment in and expansion of the urban rail network in Manila is now on the horizon, with three new lines and one metro extension due to open by the end of the decade. Benjámin Zelki reports from the Filipino capital.
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Metro Report InternationalLuxembourg: Luxtram eyes an expanding network
As Luxembourg City’s first modern light rail line nears completion, work is getting underway on two branches to form a second route. Two more routes are being planned, along with an interurban link to the country’s second city.
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In depthNetherlands: TINA on course to reshape HTM tram fleet
Dutch operator HTM has unveiled a mock-up of its next-generation trams from Stadler’s expanding modular TINA range. Dr Harry Hondius reports from Den Haag.
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In depthChina: Metro networks grow in 14 cities
More than 300 km of new metro lines and extensions were commissioned in China during December 2023, with the completion of 19 projects in 14 cities. This meant that by the beginning of 2024, Chinese cities accounted for nine of the world’s 10 largest networks. Toma Bačić rounds up the latest additions.
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In depthIndia: Digital modelling supports Delhi metro extension
Delhi Metro Rail Corp has used Bentley Systems software to model the design of a complex section of underground alignment being built under the network’s Phase IV expansion.
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In depthIndia: Maintaining the metro momentum
By February 2026, Mumbai hopes to have more than doubled its metro network, while Indore, Bhopal and Patna are set to open their first lines. A landmark of India’s ongoing metro boom is the imminent opening of the Agra metro, the first tranche of which will serve the Taj Mahal. Benjámin Zelki looks ahead.
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In depthUSA: Manhattan congestion charge is key to New York investment
New York MTA hopes its congestion charging scheme will go live in mid-2024, which could provide a revenue stream to kick-start investment in renewal and expansion of the Subway network, as Benjámin Zelki and Nick Kingsley explain.