Guangzhou Metro Corp has ordered 26 six-car trains for Line 2, which is due to open in 2003-04. To be built by a joint venture of Adtranz and Changchun Car Co, they will use the Adtranz Movia modular design, with aluminium bodies and 1·5 kV DC IGBT inverter drives. Under the 1·5bn yuan deal, two sets will be built in Germany, and the rest in Changchun.
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive has invited expressions of interest by the end of October for a concession to build three extensions to the Metrolink light rail network and operate the entire system. A contract covering the planned lines to Manchester Airport, Oldham/Rochdale and Ashton-under-Lyne will be awarded in mid-2002.
The Catalunya regional government has begun consultation on the 2·5 km extension of Barcelona metro Line 5 from Horta to Vall d’Hebron. Costed at Pts23bn, the route would have three intermediate stations serving the Carmel, Teixonera and Coll-Vallcarca districts.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp inaugurated a further section of its Panchiao line on August 31, adding three stations to the east-west Blue line. President Chen Shui-Ban and the Mayor of Taipei Ma Ying-jeou participated in the ceremonies.
The first two of 40 three-car EMUs for the Athens - Piraeus Electric Railway was formally handed over on August 31. The stainless steel cars are being assembled locally by a consortium of Hellenic Shipyards, Adtranz and Siemens.
European Investment Bank has approved a loan of 115m euros for Bucuresti metro operator Metrorex SA. Some will go on completion by 2004 of the 4·7 km southeastern branch from Nicolae Grigorescu to Linea de Centura with four stations. The rest will help fund modernisation of 60 six-car trainsets by the end of 2006.
Canada’s SNC-Lavalin has signed a joint venture agreement with the Philippines Light Rail Transit Authority for a 12 km southern extension of Manila light rail Line 1. The C$600m extension will be financed, designed, built and operated by Lavalin under a 25-year PPP concession, and is expected to double the 450000 daily riders using the existing 14 km line.
CAPTION: The first of 10 four-car EMUs being built by Siemens for São Paulo commuter services arrived at Santos in August following static commissioning at TVT in Maribor, Slovenia. They will work CPTM’s Osasco - Juratuba line from March 2001
