Algeria: Alstom is to supply 29 Citadis trams for the 16·3 km light rail line planned for Alger (RG 7.06 p378).
Brazil: São Paulo state governor Claudio Lembo inaugurated Chacara Klabin station on Line 2 of the city's metro on May 9. Designed by Semaly to provide an interchange with a future extension of Line 5, the station has diaphragm walls and piles that are sunk 47m below ground.
China: Windhoff has been awarded a contract to supply Beijing metro lines 5 and 10 with two underfloor train lifting stands with bogie drops, six lifts for individual cars, air-cushion transport vehicles and car transfer tables.
The state council has approved the construction of one underground metro and two light rail lines in Chongqing by 2013.
Czech Republic: Last month Praha city council voted to provide a further KC1·5bn for the 4·9 km northern extension of metro Line C from L? dvi to Letnany.
France: A joint venture of Veolia Transport and incumbent public transport operator RTM has been selected as preferred bidder for an eight-year contract to operate the light rail route currently under construction in Marseille. It is due to open in June 2007.
Germany: Bremen has decided to proceed with plans to extend tram Line 1 from Roland Center to central Huchting. About 800m of the 3·7 km route would share the tracks of the Bremen-Thedinghauser Railway. Bremer Straßenbahn has ordered 10 low floor trams from Bombardier for €20m under a framework agreement with options for a further 13 vehicles.
The Land of Bayern and DB have agreed to electrify Line A from Dachau to Altomünster and integrate it with München S-Bahn Line S2. Line S7 will be extended from Wolfratshausen to Geretsried.
India: The government of Himachal Pradesh is funding a Rs1·2m study by the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi into the feasibility of a mass transit system on the Circular Cart Road in Shimla, linked to a proposed park and ride scheme.
Japan Railway Technical Services has submitted a feasibility study on a Kolkata LRT network prepared for prospective project funder JBIC. A 29 km route linking Joka to Panihati via Esplanade is planned, and four firms have been shortlisted for consideration as consulting engineers.
Veolia Transport expects turnover of €53m during the construction phase and the first five years of operation of Mumbai's first metro line (RG 7.06 p378). It has a 5% stake in the Mumbai Metro One consortium led by Reliance Energy and 30% of a joint venture with Reliance that will be responsible for operations and maintenance.
Iran: Darvazeh-e-Shemiran and Sabalan stations on Tehran metro Line 2 were opened to passengers on July 1. Nezam Abad and Golbarg will follow in October.
Italy: A consortium led by Ansaldo STS has been awarded a €135m contract for the design, construction and commissioning of a 3·3 km, four station extension of Napoli metro Line 1 from Piscinola to Capodichino.
Russia: Izhevsk Tramways has awarded Inekon Group a €1m track repair contract.
OJSC Metrovagonmash has been awarded a contract to supply the St Petersburg metro with 20 steel-bodied type 81-714.5 intermediate motor cars between October and December this year.
South Africa: According to Durban's Head of Strategic Planning Julie-May Ellingson, French and American companies have expressed interest in developing a light rail line to link key tourist centres with the King's Park area, where a 70000 seat stadium is to be erected for the 2010 football World Cup. Proposals for a monorail have been dropped.
Spain: The Madrid regional government has awarded a €2·9m contract to supply ticket gates and validating equipment for the 11 stations on the extension of metro Line 10 to San Sebasti? n de los Reyes, due to open next spring. The gates will be equipped for the BIT contactless smartcard system.
United Kingdom: On July 7 Edinburgh tram promoter TIE issued invitations to tender to supply 'timeless and attractive' 40m vehicles for the city's planned light rail network to Alstom, Bombardier, CAF and Siemens.
USA: A $207·7m extension of the Newark City Subway from Penn to Broad Street stations opened on July 17. The 1·6 km partly underground line is operated separately from the existing line, but through running is to be considered.
With a $93·4m bid, Mowat Construction won a tender for the first contracts covering construction of the Seattle-Tacoma airport extension of the Sound Transit light rail network. Opening is planned for late 2009.
Los Angeles MTA has voted to spend $9·8m from sales tax and grants on studies of 21 potential transit expansion projects. A $20bn transport bond issue will be put to voters in November.
The Denver Transit Construction joint venture of Herzog Contracting and Stacey & Witbeck has been selected to provide $1·2m of enabling works on the proposed 19·5 km West Corridor light rail line, which will connect Denver with Golden from 2013.
On June 28 the regional metropolitan council voted to recommend light rail for the 17·7 km Central Corridor rapid transit project. Now costed at $930m, the 16 stop route will link the Hiawatha Corridor, University of Minnesota campus and central St Paul. Work could begin in 2010 for opening in 2014.
