Modertrans Poznań was sole bidder with a 63·7m złoty offer in response to a tender to deliver four fully low-floor, bidirectional trams with an option for further eight for Szczeciń. Tramwaje Szczecińskie is now evaluating the offer. The bid is binding for 120 days from the date of submission.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority has awarded a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Concord Corp a €270m contract to provide power supply systems for the Cross Island Line. This will include three intake stations with 66 kV gas insulated switchgear, 22 kV medium voltage and 1·5 kV DC traction power systems along with a condition Monitoring System and Intelligent Fault Isolation System.
National operator Korail has been awarded a contract to run services, manage stations and provide asset and rolling stock maintenance for Seoul express commuter rail line GTX-C for 40 years. Scheduled to open in 2028, GTX-C is under construction to link Suwon and Sangnoksu in the south of the conurbation with Uijeongbu and Deokjeong in the north. The contract value was not disclosed.
On August 13 the Hamburg Senate approved financing for the 2·3 km City Nord – Jarrestraße second phase of the future U5 metro line. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 for opening in 2035 at a cost of €1·5bn.
Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure has approved the €23·5m construction of a 1·5 km tramway extension in Roma from Piazzale del Verano to Tiburtina station.
The Land Transport Authority has awarded Sinohydro Corp the S$199m final civil contract for Singapore’s Cross Island Line Phase 2, covering design and construction of 1·4 km of twin-bore tunnel between Maju and Clementi stations. Construction is expected to start in Q4 2024 for opening in 2032.
Contactless payments have been accepted on MBTA’s Boston buses, light rail services and at all gated metro stations from August 1. MBTA has used Cubic Transportation Systems technology, and contactless augments existing fare collection options including the CharlieCard smart card.
From August 24, contactless credit card and debit card payment on MTR Corp rail services in Hong Kong will be expanded to include Mastercard and UnionPay in addition to the existing Visa option.
Chicago Transit Authority has released the first update to its All Stations accessibility strategic plan, which was unveiled in 2018 and aims to make the 42 remaining non-accessible stations accessible by 2038. The update incorporates new external input, changes to project phasing, updated cost estimates and information about additional funding sources. It prioritises stations with higher needs and lower complexity, with more complex stations listed for the longer term.
Test running has started on the €46m Vanasadam tramway extension to the old harbour district in Tallinn, which is expected to open for revenue service in early 2025. Services on the existing route to Kopli were reinstated on August 19 following the completion of a new junction at Linnahall.
Transport for London has launched a campaign to tackle violence and aggression against staff by using real-life incidents of abuse to send a message that perpetrators will be caught. It has also launched a programme of conflict management training for customer-facing staff in high-risk locations. ‘Everyone has the right to work without fear of being assaulted, abused or threatened’, said Director of Security, Policing & Enforcement Siwan Hayward.