Belgium: On March 21 Managing Director of Brussels transport authority STIB Alain Flausch said he hopes to take up options to purchase between 135 and 150 Bombardier trams in 2007-11, enabling the elimination of high-floor PCC cars from the 1970s.
Canada: The city of Calgary has selected the West Line as the next light rail project to be developed, with a planning document anticpating the start of work 'within the next few years'. The C$600m line would run from the existing terminus at 10 Street SW, via Westbrook Mall to 69th Street SW, serving six stations. A one-station extension to Aspen could follow later.
India: Haryana's state assembly has passed a resolution in favour of extending the Delhi Metro to Guragaon. About 10 km of the route costing Rs7·3bn would be within Delhi, and 7·5 km costing Rs6·9bn in Haryana.
Ireland: On April 17 the Railway Procurement Agency signed a €51·2m order for 18 additional Citadis 402 trams for Dublin. Six will go to the Red Line and 12 to the Green Line, to accommodate the Docklands and Sandyford - Cherrywood extensions. Alstom's Barcelona plant has begun delivering 10 m modules for lengthening the 26 existing Red Line trams to 40 m the first of the extended vehicles should re-enter service this month.
South Korea: The Ministry of Information & Communication has announced plans fit metro trains with in-cab screens with wireless links from station CCTV systems, allowing drivers to monitor platforms from up to 500 m away. Including suicides, 412 people have been killed or injured at South Korean metro stations since 2001.
Malaysia: Developer I-Berhad has proposed the construction of a light rail link between Kelana Jaya and the I-City development in the city of Shah Alam. The plan will be put to Rapid KL, the government organisation responsible for developing integrated transport in the Klang Valley.
Netherlands: GVB has selected Arcadis to undertake the modernisation of 3·6 km of metro tunnels in Amsterdam, with improvements to fire safety and public address systems. Movares will plan the work, which is to include a seven week closure in summer 2008 to allow trackwork to be renewed.
Saudi Arabia: The General Investment Authority and the Ministry of Transport are reviewing a study for the construction of a 7bn riyal monorail in Makkah. Elevated 5 m above ground level, the line would link the pilgrimage sites of Muzdalifah, Mina and Arafat.
Spain: At a cost of €21m, CAF is to supply four light rail vehicles for the Metro-Cenro line under construction in Sevilla.
Turkey: Skoda has won a KC243m contract to supply 34 sets of IGBT asynchronous traction equipment and auxiliary electrics to Rotem, for use on 750 V DC stainless steel metro cars ordered by Istanbul Elektrik Tramvay in 2005 for the 4·4 km Otogar - Bagcilar extension of the Hafif Metro which is now under construction.
USA: In mid-March Bombardier delivered the last of three additional light rail vehicles ordered by Metro Transit for the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, allowing an increase in the number of two-car trains operated in the peaks.
Chicago Transit Authority has recommend-ed three alternatives for an extension of the Red Line from 95th Street.
