Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin opened a 1 km, one-station extension of the Nekrasovskaya Line 15 from Lefortovo to Elektrozavodskaya on December 31. This will eventually become part of the Bolshaya Koltsevaya ring Line 11; 90% of the tunnelling work has been finished, with opening of the whole line scheduled for 2022.
Foresight company Rail Vision is to supply Knorr-Bremse with two customised machine vision obstacle systems for installation on light rail vehicles. The supplier says the technology can detect and classify obstacles at a range of up to 200 m in all weather and lighting conditions, generating real-time alerts if something is within a predefined area of interest. ‘We believe that this commercial co-operation suggests that there may be potential for long-term growth for Rail Vision’s business’, said Foresight CEO Haim Siboni.
Walsh Construction Co has begin tracklaying for the 6·7 km OC Streetcar project in Santa Ana and Garden Grove, California. ‘This is a very exciting moment for this project as the public can begin to see the actual rail being set into the street for Orange County’s first modern electric streetcar’, said Orange County Transportation Authority Chairman Steve Jones. Opening is now planned for 2022, with a fleet of eight Siemens S700 vehicles serving 10 stops every 10 to 15 min.
The Los Angeles County MTA board has approved the Final Environmental Impact Report for the East San Fernando Light Rail Project. The 14·7 km line would run between Van Nuys on the G or Orange Line and Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station, serving 14 stops. Enabling works are expected to begin this year for main construction to get underway in 2022, with opening envisaged for 2028; there is also an option for the line to be built in stages. The board has also approved a first and last mile plan, which identifies improvements that make it safer and more pleasant to walk or cycle to stops.
The second phase of Fuzhou metro Line 1 from Fuzhou Nan station to Sanjiangkou was opened on December 27, adding 4·3 km and four stations. The first part of the line was opened in May 2016.
