On January 1 passenger-carrying test operations started on the 6·6 km six-station northwestern branch of Cairo metro Line 3 from Kit Kat to Rod Al-Farag. Test running on the 7·1 km southwestern branch between Kit Kat and Cairo University is underway and opening is scheduled ‘during the coming period’, according to Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels.
On January 8 MPK Kraków opened the final 0·7 km section of the fast tram route to Górka Narodowa in the north of the city, extending routes 18 and 50. Work began in July 2020 with construction led by contractor Intercor. A 3·6 km section of the line opened from Krowodrza Górka as far as the temporary terminus Papierni Pradnickich in September 2023, and has since carried 42,500 passengers. The new terminal at Górka Narodowa provides a turning loop for trams, improved bus interchange and a 470-space Park & Ride site which will have convenient access from the future northern bypass which is currently under construction.
Hong Kong’s MTR Corp has launched a ’Year of the Dragon’ ticket set, offering unlimited rides on February 10, the first day of the Lunar New Year. The auspicious colours of red and gold express wishes for good health and an energetic spirit, while pulling the dragon carrying a gold ingot on the front of the red packet reveals a pictogram. MTR Mobile users can scan a QR code to download six WhatsApp stickers inspired by the illustrations.
New York MTA launched a period of public consultation on December 23 for the central business district road tolling programme it hopes to launch by mid-2024. Congestion pricing would be applied to most vehicles using roads in Manhattan south of 60th Street, with revenue used to fund investment in the Subway network. The public consultation period runs until March 11.
An inaugural test run was completed on December 20 on Phase 1 of Manila’s LRT Line 1 extension to Cavite. The 6·7 km, five-station route would take the line southwest from Baclaran to Dr Santos. Handover is planned for the last quarter of this year.
A 600 m section of tramway on Grundmanna Street in Katowice was inaugurated on December 21, linking the Dąb Huta Baildon and Dąbrówki stops. It is used by the newly launched Route 25 which runs between Szopienice Pętla and Park Śląski Wejście Główne.
The UK government has confirmed £43·1m of funding for work to provide step-free access to London Underground’s Colindale and Leyton stations. Significant contributions will also be made by the Greater London Authority, Barnet Council, Waltham Forest Council and local developers.
ADIF has awarded Siemens Rail Automation a €7·5m contract to upgrade the hardware and software at the Chamartín and Manzanares control centres which manage the Madrid Cercanías suburban network. This forms part of a €72m project to modernise all the control centres on the conventional main line network.
Praha-Rajská Zahrada station opened on December 10. It is served by suburban rail lines S2, S3, S9, S22 and S34 and offers an interchange with metro Line B.
Bravo Media took over management of advertising on MTR Corp’s East Rail Line, Tuen Ma Line, light rail and bus services on January 1. Winning the tender ’provides a unique opportunity for us to establish a stronger foothold in the dynamic and vibrant Hong Kong advertising market’, said Bravo Media CEO Adam Leishman. ‘We are determined to push the limits and re-shape the local out-of-home media landscape with the goal of fully unlocking the business potential of one of the city’s most popular transit media advertising platforms.’
Phil Hewitt has been appointed Chair of Birmingham’s West Midlands Metro from January, replacing Sophie Allison who becomes Managing Director. He joins from WSP where he was an executive consultant, and his previous roles have included Metro director at Transport for West Midlands, Chair of UKTram and the Light Rail Safety & Standards Board ad CEO and later Chair of Tramlink Nottingham.
The Wien U-Bahn is testing the use of Ingeteam dataloggers to support predictive maintenance. An initial five trainsets have been equipped, with a wider roll-out planned for later this year.