Hong Kong‘s MTR Corp has appointed Mace as Programme Management Partner for the delivery of its rail extension projects. ’Our work with MTR started with strategic consultancy and has grown to enable Mace to work hand-in-hand with our client’, said Mace Consult CEO Davendra Dabasia on July 15. ’With a world-class team that combines global project and programme management expertise and local industry knowledge, Mace is well positioned to support MTR in achieving its goals.’
On July 15 public services began on a 14·5 km extension of Perth’s Joondalup line north from Butler to Yanchep. Transperth celebrated completion of the project with free rides the previous day and formally renamed the route the Yanchep Line. Construction began in November 2019; bus interchange facilities are provided at Yanchep and the intermediate stations at Alkimos and Eglinton.
Otis is to install 40 520NPE public escalators and 21 Gen3TM and Gen2 lifts for the Western Sydney Airport metro project.
Asiaray Media Group has been granted exclusive rights to operate advertising media resources on Shenzhen metro lines 3, 4, 6, sub-line 6, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 16 for terms ranging from two to 5½ years. The metro carries almost 8 million passengers/day, accounting for over 70% of Shenzhen’s public transport ridership.
On July 4 Delhi Metro Rail Corp and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding to co-operate to work on complex metro, railway and other infrastructure projects in India and abroad.
The Cognitive Pilot joint venture of Sber and Cognitive Technologies is to supply an AI-based safety system for 20 trams which is UKVZ is to deliver to Yaroslavl this year. ‘The use of AI systems to ensure the safety of urban transport is a global trend’, said Cognitive Pilot head Olga Uskova. ‘Our AI system is capable of ensuring traffic safety in any weather, in any road conditions: at night, in rain, fog, snow, when blinded by light. It consists of more than 80% domestic components.’
Cubic is to use SkedGo‘s routing technology for its Umo planning, booking and payment app which is used by more than 75 transport agencies in North America and Chile. ’If we’re serious about getting North America to ditch the car then we need to make door-to-door travel more convenient and stress-free, with public and shared transport available at the click of a button. Together, we will set a new standard for what’s possible’, said SkedGo CEO John Nuutinen.
According to local media reports, Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe is keen to revive the Colombo light rail project, which was put on hold in 2020.
Publicly accessible cabinets with naloxone that can reverse an opioid overdose are to be provided on Boston‘s Red Line. ’Given the role our stations play in the communities with the thousands that traverse them, it makes them ideal pilot locations’, said MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. ‘While our Transit Police officers carry Narcan, this pilot will soon make it more readily available at five Red Line stations for any members of the public who understand how to administer it as well.’
UK light rail industry association UKTram has launched a project to develop specialist training for overhead line engineers. A working group is also looking at Signals Passed at Stop incidents, and UKTram members have also discussed medical standards, antisocial behaviour and helping staff thinking of retiring adjust to leaving the workplace.
Venezia transport agency AVM has launched an EMV open payment system supplied by Conduent on its buses, guided buses, peoplemover and 149 boats.
Biometric fare payment is to be made available at all Moskva Central Diameter Line 4 stations by the end of the year. It is currently available at all metro stations, and on the Moskva Central Circle, river routes, at Aeroexpress terminals and four MCD stations.