Trams return to Reșița after 13 years
ROMANIA: Tram services restarted in Reșița on December 20 after a hiatus of more than 13-years. The city’s sole route links Kaufland in the north to Reșița-Montana in the southeast, a distance of 9 km.
Helsinki takes light rail northeast
FINLAND: Sweco has won a framework contract to provide design and engineering services for expansion of Helsinki’s light rail network.
Campina Grande light rail plan agreed
BRAZIL: The Ministry of Transport has signed an agreement for the transfer of 15·5 km of moribund railway to the municipality of Campina Grande for the development of a light rail service.
Gatineau – Ottawa tramway studies to begin
CANADA: Technical and environmental studies are to begin this spring for the TramGO project to develop a 24 km tramway connecting western and central Gatineau in Québec with Ottawa in neighbouring Ontario.
Turquoise tram route added to Lusail network
QATAR: Revenue-earning Turquoise Line tram services in Lusail north of Doha began on January 6.
Programme manager selected to oversee Austin’s starter light rail line
USA: Austin Transit Partnership has appointed consultancy Aecom to support Phase 1 of the Texas state capital’s light rail network.
Minsk trams delivered
BELARUS: Belkommunmash has delivered 20 Type T811 low-floor four-axle trams to Minsk transport operator Minsktrans.
Parramatta light rail line opens in western Sydney
AUSTRALIA: The L4 light rail line serving Parramatta in western Sydney opened on December 20, with simultaneous first departures from the Westmead and Carlingford termini at 05.00.
Accessibility changes in latest Vitoria-Gasteiz tram order
SPAIN: Euskotren has awarded CAF a €20m contract to supply three more trams to Vitoria-Gasteiz in the second half of 2027.
North 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.
Complex custom tram junction produced for Bremen
GERMANY: Czech turnout manufacturer DTVS in Prostějov has completed a €2m six-month project to manufacture a custom-design complex junction 82 m long and weighing 162 tonnes for the Bremen tramway.
TramCité de Québec development agreement signed
CANADA: An agreement defining stakeholders’ responsibilities for the development of the Québec City tram project has been signed.
Istanbul tramway approval hints at political détente over transport investment
TURKEY: Istanbul municipality has been given the go-ahead by the city’s governor to develop the planned 21 km Üsküdar – Kadıköy – Maltepe tram line, following a ruling that no environmental impact assessment would be required for the project.
Penang Island LRT railway systems procurement launched
MALAYSIA: Tenders have been invited for a turnkey contract to supply and maintain the railway systems for the Mutiara (Pearl) light rail project on Penang Island.