Tyne & Wear Metro’s first Stadler train enters passenger service
UK: The first of the 46 custom-designed Class 555 trainsets that Stadler is supplying to replace the Tyne & Wear Metro fleet entered passenger service on December 18.
Hitachi Rail completes Roma metro trainset
ITALY: The first of 14 six-car metro trainsets that Hitachi Rail is supplying for Roma’s metro lines A and B has been completed.
Test running foreshadows revival of closed Jaén tramway
SPAIN: The first test runs have been undertaken for the planned reopening of the 4·7 km tramway in Jaén, which closed in 2011 after just 17 days of operation.
Tallinn’s trams cruise onto second city crossing
ESTONIA: Commercial operation of Tallinn’s 2·5 km Vanasadam tram route began on the morning of December 1.
Driverless London Underground trains are not viable, study finds
UK: The previous government’s proposal for the possible conversion of London Underground lines to driverless operation will not be taken any further, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed.
Cardiff Crossrail tramway design and build contract awarded
UK: Graham has been awarded a contract for the detailed design and construction of a tram-train line between Cardiff Central station and Cardiff Bay. This forms Phase 1 of the planned Cardiff Crossrail plan to develop a line running from the northwest of the city to the planned Parkway station ...
Long-awaited Thessaloniki metro opens
GREECE: The Thessaloniki metro opened on November 30, 18 years after construction began.
Tallinn transport operator targets 50% market share
ESTONIA: The city of Tallinn and tram and bus operator Tallinna Linnatransport have signed a new operating agreement worth up to €1·4bn which includes ambitions to increase public transport’s market share from a third to a half and achieve close to zero CO2 emissions.
Consultants to support West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme
UK: West Yorkshire Combined Authority has appointed a consortium of Jacobs and Mott MacDonald as its Design Development Partner for the next phase of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme, which includes two light rail lines integrated with cycling, walking and rail travel.
Palermo orders more trams
ITALY: Comune di Palermo has awarded CAF a firm order to supply a further 14 trams.
Amsterdam metro train order increased
SPAIN: Amsterdam transport operator GVB has awarded CAF a firm order to supply an additional 13 three-car M7 metro trainsets.
Voters reject Salzburg S-Link rail project
AUSTRIA: Voters in the Salzburg area have rejected a proposal to build a 15 km partly underground light rail line, which will not now go ahead.
Low key opening for Barcelona tramway extension
SPAIN: An extension of Barcelona’s Trambesòs light rail network along Avenida Diagonal between the Plaça de les Glòres and Verdaguer opened without ceremony on November 10. The planned celebrations have been postponed as a mark of solidarity with people affected by the severe flooding in València.
Madrid metro Line 1 train order approved
SPAIN: On November 6 the Comunidad de Madrid authorised Metro de Madrid to award CAF a €498·2m contract to supply 40 trainsets for Line 1 and provide 10 years of maintenance.
Warszawa opens its longest tramway extension since the 1950s
POLAND: A 6·5 km extension of the Warszawa tram network from Spacerowa to Miasteczko Wilanów opened on October 29, with the city saying it is longest new section of tramway added in the capital since the 1950s.
Solar farms could power London Underground trains
UK: Transport for London has called tenders for the development of purpose-built solar photovoltaic farms to generate zero-carbon electricity for the London Underground network.
Galway light rail line could be feasible, study finds
IRELAND: The National Transport Authority has published a study into the feasibility of developing a light rail line in Galway.
Monaco seeks cross-border underground metro proposals
MONACO: The Ministry of Public Works, Environment & Urban Development has invited proposals to develop a large park-and-ride site in France linked to the principality by a underground express metro.
Madrid trams to get mid-life overhaul
SPAIN: Madrid tram operator Metro Ligero Oeste has appointed manufacturer Alstom to undertake the mid-life general overhaul of the 27 Citadis vehicles which has been in operation since the opening of lines ML2 and ML3 in 2007.
Lisboa metro orders more trains
PORTUGAL: Metropolitano de Lisboa has awarded Stadler a €134m contract to supply 24 three-car metro trainsets, with an option for up to 12 more.