Australia: New South Wales Department of Transport has invited proposals by September 24 for a smartcard ticketing system covering all public transport within the Sydney CityRail area.
Canada: Toronto Transit Commission has awarded Vale-Harmon Enterprises a US$6·7m contract to supply signalling for the 6·4 km Sheppard Avenue subway, scheduled for completion in 2001.
China: Managing Director of Shanghai Mass Transit Pearl Line Development Co Gao Guofu and Alstom Chairman & CEO Pierre Bilger signed a contract worth 203m euros on May 11 in Shanghai for supply of 28 six-car Metropolis trainsets for metro Line 3 (RG 11.98 p753).
France: European Investment Bank is lending Sytral 152m euros towards construction of two light rail routes totalling 18 km, from Perrache to La Doua and from Bron to the centre of Lyon.
Germany: Bombardier Transportation DWA Bautzen has won contracts to build 28 low-floor trams for Schwerin, 38 trailers for Leipzig and 22 trailers for Rostock (MR99 p23). Deliveries are scheduled for completion in 2002.
Great Britain: London Underground has awarded Marconi Communications a four-year £13m contract to maintain equipment at the Neasden and New Cross control centres, responsible for the Jubilee and East London lines.
Philippines: Metro Rail Transit Corp has awarded Federal Management & Maintenance Inc a contract to maintain the LRT fleet for the North Avenue - Taft Avenue MRT 3 route (MR98 p49).
Spain: The Province of Vizcaya has signed a Pts10bn contract with CAF to build 10 trainsets for the Bilbao metro.
On trial since April 23, a Siemens Combino LRV has inaugurated a Pts750m 3·5 km extension to A Coruña’s tourist tram route (RG 8.97 p502). Two more routes totalling 9 km are planned.
Turkey: Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has applied to the State Planning Office for authority to start work on a second heavy metro line, linking Kizilay and Cayyolu with 16 stations (MR99 p28).
USA: On April 22 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority approved a $85m Emergency Rail Rehabilitation Plan, including $61m to tackle brake and door problems (RG 5.99 p272).
Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has awarded Bay State Transit Services, a joint venture of Herzog Transit Services and Boise Locomotive Co, a five-year contract worth $175·5m to maintain its commuter fleet of 83 locos and 363 coaches.
Bechtel Infrastructure Corp has awarded Siemens a $29m contract to provide signalling, electrification and communications systems for the airport extension of Portland’s MAX light rail system. Work on the 8·8 km branch is due to begin in June for completion in 2001.
Utah Transit Authority has invited expressions of interest for the supply of up to 52 LRVs for its proposed East-West line in Salt Lake City, with 26 to be in service by November 2001 and 49 ready for the Winter Olympics in 2002.
San Francisco Municipal Railway is to exercise an option for 15 additional LRVs from Breda at a cost of $2·6m each. Deliveries would start in September 2001 for the 2003 opening of the Third Street extension to Bayshore Boulevard.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit has invited bids for tracklaying on its Plano and Garland extensions, involving 64·8 km of ballasted and 12·1 km of direct-fixation track. Rail, sleepers, fastenings and special trackwork will be supplied by DART.
