Feature articles in the February 2015 issue of Railway Gazette International

Feature articles in the February 2015 issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today.

Reshaping the Muni Metro
Opening of the Central Subway in 2018 will extend the reach of San Francisco’s busy light rail network, while the delivery of new Siemens LRVs is expected to improve reliability and reduce operating costs
New year, new lines
The end of December saw a flurry of activity in the Chinese urban rail sector, with the completion of one tram and 11 metro projects
Northern Line projects boost Underground capacity
With daily ridership on London Underground’s Northern Line about to pass 1 million passenger-journeys, work is forging ahead on a series of upgrading and capacity expansion projects, which will help to accommodate rising demand across the UK capital
Optimising energy consumption in urban rail systems
The EU-funded Osiris research project has been looking for technical and operational innovations that can help to cut the energy consumption of urban railway operations by 10% between now and 2020, explains Project Co-ordinator Andrea Demadonna

Trams for extreme conditions
The first modern tramway in the Gulf region includes several technical innovations to overcome the challenges of operating in the demanding local conditions
Haramain contractors given notice to make up lost time
Delays in completion of the high speed line between Saudi Arabia's holy cities have prompted high-level intervention

Passenger information systems
Big screens installed in Brisbane and Melbourne, First Great Western seeks integrated information during disruption

The most prolific year
More than 3000 km has been added to the Chinese main line passenger network since the start of December, most of it comprising high speed lines. Andrew Benton reports from Urumqi
Joining the 200 km/h club
PKP Intercity launched its first 200 km/h Express Intercity Premium services with the timetable change on December 14, using a fleet of 20 non-tilting Pendolino trainsets supplied and maintained by Alstom

Faced with an unprecedented number of challenges, the public transport industry must grasp the opportunity for change if it is to help shape the urban landscape of the future, believes UITP Secretary General Alain Flausch