Argentina: Alstom has been awarded a contract to provide signalling and a control centre for the 3·6 km extension of Buenos Aires metro Line A from Primera Junta to Nazca. Under a two-stage programme, work on the extension is scheduled for completion by December 2008.
Canada: Toronto Transit Commission is considering proposals to acquire a fleet of low-floor trams. These would gradually replace the existing CLRV fleet, which would receive a low-cost overhaul to keep the cars running until sufficient modern vehicles can be afforded.
France: Alstom delivered the first of 23 Citadis 302 trams to Le Mans on January 8, ready for on-track testing to begin on February 19. Opening of the 15 km tramway is planned for November.
Italy: Alstom has been awarded a €68m contract to renew signalling and install continuous radio links to give a 30% capacity increase on Milano metro Line M1.
Pakistan: Meeting in February, the National Mass Transit Authority agreed that private companies will be commissioned to undertake feasibility studies for urban rail systems in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Hyderabad.
Poland: In January Skoda Transportation handed over the first two of 17 five-section 70% low-floor trams ordered by Wroc?aw though two contracts signed in 2005.
Romania: Bombardier has received a €33m order to supply Bucuresti metro operator Metrorex with a further six Movia metro trainsets by 2008. The six-car trains are being partly-funded by the European Investment Bank, and final assembly will be carried out by Electroputere in Craiova.
Spain: FGV has taken delivery of the first two of 30 Flexity Outlook LRVs which Bombardier is supplying at a cost of €81m. The 32·5 m long, 100% low-floor bidirectional vehicles are to be deployed in Alacant and Valencia (RG 2.07 p60).
Under a €100m programme to improve accessibility funded by the Catalunya regional government, TMB has installed lifts at eight stations on the Barcelona metro at a cost of €10·5m. Lifts are now in service at 65 stations, with installation work in progress at 37 and 19 at the design stage.
UK: KPMG is offering its 10 300 UK staff an Oyster smart card, saying that 300 tonnes of CO2 could be saved annually if all London-based staff switched one taxi journey a week to public transport services on which the smart card can be used.
Docklands Light Railway has begun public consultation for a planned 5·5 km extension from Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock in east London. Funding has yet to be secured, but opening is planned for 2016.
USA: Southern Florida RTA has awarded a seven-year contract worth $64m, with an optional three-year extension, for Veolia to operate the 116 km Tri-Rail commuter service between Miami and West Palm Beach the French company will take over from Herzog Transit Services on July 1. Sfrta has also agreed a $15·8m five-year deal for Amtrak to dispatch the line, replacing former owner CSX.
