A 57·9m zloty agreement for Pesa to supply four more Swing trams to Toruń within 22 months was signed on August 28. There are options for a further eight, subject to EU funding being secured. The Polish company beat Turkish firm Bozankaya to win the contract.
The SunRail commuter service centred on Orlando was extended 20 km north to DeLand from August 12, after celebrations on August 9. This completes the original plan for a 98 km route with 17 stations serving four counties in central Florida. Each train ‘brings with it the potential for economic growth, more jobs and more prosperity’, said SunRail commission Chair Jeff Brower. ‘It also gives the residents of Volusia County another option for making their lives less stressful and more convenient. This is another path forward to a more interconnected and economically robust community.’
Hong Kong’s Transport & Logistics Bureau and Highways Department have invited potential suppliers and operators to submit feedback on the 7 km Smart & Green Mass Transit System proposed to connect uphill areas in East Kowloon to the existing MTR metro network.
The Mimar Sinan infill station on Istanbul’s metro Line M9 opened for revenue service on August 30. It will also be served by metro Line M1B which is currently being extended from Kirazlı to Halkalı.
Chicago Transit Authority partnered with CPS Southside Occupational Academy to offer 30 school pupils with disabilities occupational learning experiences in areas including art, horticulture and culinary arts. This forms part of CTA One Summer Chicago internship programme. ‘My hope is that the interns who complete their internship journey at CTA come away equipped with valuable work skills and experiences that will serve them in their future careers but also a sense of dedication to and value for public service’, said CTA President Dorval R Carter Jr.
Antalya, Bangkok, Hanoi, Chengdu, Harbin, Cebu, Raipur, Vientiane and São Paulo are to co-operate with Moskva Metro’s UrbanTransportData project which aims to enable cities around the world to share transport metrics and outcomes.
Level access has been provided at 12 tram stops along Melbourne‘s La Trobe Street. The stops feature new shelters, seating, improved lighting and passenger information displays, and separate pedestrians from cars. ’Melbourne’s historic tram network is now better and more accessible than ever’, said Minister for Public & Active Transport Gabrielle Williams on September 5. ‘We are delivering more level-access tram stops to make it safer and easier for all passengers to get to where they need to go.’
The US Federal Transit Administration partnered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a ‘Don’t Get Sidetracked; Obey Signs, Stay Alert, and Expect Trains’ level crossing safety campaign on September 4-6.
UKVZ has delivered the last of 20 Type 71-628-01 four-axle fully low-floor trams ordered for Krasnodar as a part of a 2022 concession agreement between the local authority and Sinara City Transport System. It is expected that revenue operations on the first phase of the network expansion will begin next year, as part of a plan to double ridership.