The city of Craiova and Pesa Bydgoszcz signed a contract for the supply of 17 trams on July 19. The 25 m long vehicles are intended to replace existing trams as part of a programme to reduce car traffic and emissions.
The first Citadis Spirit LRV for Toronto’s future Finch West line was delivered from the Alstom factory in Brampton in two sections on July 28 and 29. It has a capacity of 292 passengers, including 120 seated.
Traktionssysteme Austria is to supply electric motors for the J/JK trains which Stadler is to build for the Berlin U-Bahn. The contract covers up to 4 500 motors over 10 years, with the supply of spare parts for 32 years. TSA said the weight and noise requirements were particularly challenging, and it used 3D printing to produce a prototype design.
South Yorkshire PTE has begun public consultation on proposals for construction of a tram-train stop and park-and-ride site at Magna Science & Adventure Centre between Rotherham and Sheffield.
Chicago commuter operator Metra has awarded John Burns Construction a $28·2m contract to build the new Auburn Park Station on the Rock Island Line. It will feature a snow melt system that will keep the platform clear without the need for deicing chemicals, and an 84-space car park.
Lucchini Unipart Rail has been awarded a three-year contract for the overhaul of 21 West Midlands Metro CAF Urbos3 bogies, gearboxes, traction motors and electromagnetic brakes, with the possibility of a two-year extension.
Contractor NDI has begun work on a 44·5m złoty EU-backed project to renew and double-track a 1·2 km section of the Tramwaje Śląskie network in Mysłowice.
The US Federal Transit Administration has announced $5m of funding to enable the International Transportation Learning Center to develop a Transit Workforce Center. ITLC is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and will serve as FTA’s first national technical assistance centre to help transport agencies recruit, train and retain a diverse workforce. This ‘will help the nation address the transit worker shortage by providing resources to re-skill and up-skill our workforce and will facilitate the green technology initiatives many transit agencies are undertaking’, said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez on August 2.
The Oman National Spatial Strategy will include proposals for a Masqat metro connecting the Ruwi and Muttrah districts to the international airport and Seeb, according to local media reports.
San Diego MTS has awarded Inter-Con Security a $66m five-year contract to provide revenue protection and security services. MTS has also extended its Fare Evasion Diversion programme, which reduces fines and offers a community service option in lieu of payment. MTS said the extension would enable it to obtain a better understanding of success factors, as the pandemic has made it difficult to assess the results so far.
