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.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail operating contract awarded
USA: NJ Transit has awarded a joint venture of ACI and Herzog a contract to operate and maintain the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail network after the current design-build-operate-maintain contract expires.
Manila opening gives commuters ‘the gift of more moments spent with their loved ones’
PHILIPPINES: Passenger services on the Manila LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Phase 1 began on November 16, following an official inauguration by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr the previous day.
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.
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.
Seac Pai Van opening marks a new stage for Macau’s light metro network
CHINA: Macau’s Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng presided over the opening of the Light Rapid Transit network’s Seac Pai Van Line on November 1.
Pakistan: 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.
Temporary metro operating contract aims to avoid Stockholm ‘chaos’
SWEDEN: Local authority Region Stockholm has signed a temporary agreement for the Connecting Stockholm joint venture of The Go-Ahead Group (55%) and ComfortDelGro (45%) to operate and maintain the capital’s metro for two years from November 2 2025, with the possibility of an extension.
RATP Dev and JR East join forces for Manila commuter rail bid
PHILIPPINES: East Japan Railway and Paris transport operator RATP’s international business are to co-operate to bid for the contract to operate and maintain the future North-South Commuter Rail line in the Manila region.
Four Chinese metros expand during anniversary events
CHINA: Public holidays marking the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China on October 1 saw metro and suburban lines opened in four cities.
Milano metro M4 extension opens
ITALY: Milano’s metro Line M4 has been extended 7·8 km west from San Babila around the south of the city centre and on to San Cristoforo.
Modi opens Mumbai metro Aqua Line
INDIA: On October 5 India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the first 12·7 km section of Mumbai Metro’s Aqua Line, or Line 3, flagging off a service at Bandra-Kurla Complex station before riding the line. Public services started on October 7.
Moskva tram link line opened
RUSSIA: On September 22 Moskva mayor Sergey Sobyanin inaugurated a 650 m section of tramway on the east side of the city centre along ul Sergiya Radonezhskogo between pl Ilyicha and pl Andronievskaya.
Casablanca tramway adds two lines
MOROCCO: Public services on tram routes T3 and T4 in Casablanca began on September 23 after an extended period of trial running over the summer. The city now has a network of 72·5 km with 110 stops.
Suzhou opens metro Line 8
CHINA: On September 10 Suzhou Rail Transit inaugurated metro Line 8, adding 35·6 km and serving 28 stations. The line opened only 2½ months after metro Line 6 had entered service.
RATP Dev awarded Caen public transport operating contract
FRANCE: The Caen la Mer local authority has awarded RATP Dev a contract to operate its Twisto-branded public transport services for six years from January 1 2025.
Seattle light rail extension is ‘the biggest thing to happen in Snohomish County since the first 747’
USA: A ribbon cutting, food trucks, face painting, live music and prizes for people who visited all four new stations were among the celebrations marking the opening on August 30 of a 13·7 km extension of Seattle’s light rail 1 Line north from Northgate to Lynnwood City Center in Snohomish ...
Seoul metro Line 8 reaches Byeollae
SOUTH KOREA: A 13·2 km northern extension of Seoul metro Line 8 from Amsa to Byeollae opened on August 10.
Two sections of Foshan Line 3 open on the same day
CHINA: On August 23 Foshan Metro opened a 5·8 km extension of its Line 3 north from Zhen’an to Zhongshan Park, to the east of Foshan main line station which is currently closed for rebuilding as part of the Guangzhou – Zhanjiang high speed line project. The metro extension adds ...
Sydney metro extension opening boosts cross-harbour transport capacity
AUSTRALIA: An extension of the Sydney Metro running beneath the harbour to the Central Business District and Sydenham opened on August 19.