Bangladesh’s Minister of Road Transport & Bridges Obaidul Quader flagged off trial running on the Agargaon to Motijheel second phase of Dhaka MRT Line 6 on July 7. Passenger services on the extension are expected to start in October.
The first stage of Montréal’s Réseau Express Métropolitain automated metro is to open on July 31, running 17 km from Brossard to Gare Centrale with five stations.
Wabtec is to supply a new design of light rail and main line compatible pantograph, external LED displays, ceiling-mounted iSmart TFT passenger information screens, audio systems and emergency call units for up to 504 Citylink tram-trains that Stadler is to supply under a framework contract awarded by a consortium of six German and Austrian transport agencies. Firm orders have been placed for 246 vehicles.
Tramwaje Śląskie has awarded NJN Damian Kłosek a 22m złoty contract to remodel the Chebzie terminus in Ruda Śląska, including rebuilding 1·4 km of track and building four platforms with shelters, a cycle path and bike parking. The work will require the suspension of services from October 1 to January 31.
An agreement on the scope and responsibilities for Stage 4 of the so-called Chemnitz Model tram-train network development programme was signed by the city council, transport authorities ZVMS and VMS and operator Chemnitz Verkehrs on June 28. Stage 4 includes a Chemnitz – Limbach-Oberfrohna route.
Gianluca Cuzzolin has been re-elected as President of the Calypso Networks Association which manages the eponymous smart ticketing standards. Thierno Birahim Aw, General Manager at Dakar transport authority CETUD, and Sonia Alegre, board member at Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa, have been elected as Vice-Chairs. Ralph Gambetta from Landkreis Konstanz is General Secretary.
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has given the go-ahead to call tenders for the Dikimevi-Mamak metro project after a €250m loan agreement was signed with EBRD and French development agency AFD with a maturity of 12 years and a four-year grace period. The 7·5 km southeastern extension of the existing Ankaray light metro would run from Dikimevi to Natoyolu Caddesı adding eight stations.
On June 24-25 the Tyne & Wear Metro commissioned a signalling control suite supplied by Stadler to manage train movements at Gosforth depot where the rolling stock manufacturer will maintain the 46 trains it is supplying. One of the Class 555 trains ran to Sunderland on test for the first time on July 1.
Mosinzhproekt subsidiary SP Transtonnelstroy was the sole bidder for a contract to rebuild 6·7 km of Saratov tram Route 8 from Volga Stadium to Komsomolsky Posyolok. The contract is valued at 2·3bn roubles with work to be completed by mid-September.
Transport for London has announced that the next 10 Underground stations to be reviewed for potential step-free access in 2023-24 will be Alperton, Arnos Grove, Burnt Oak, Eastcote, Finchley Road, Northolt, North Acton, Rayners Lane, West Hampstead and White City. TfL is working with government and local authorities on funding for Colindale and Leyton, and looking to identify how to provide step-free access at stations between Elephant & Castle and Morden on the Northern Line.
