A 3·2 km, one-station western extension of the Chūō metro Line in Osaka from Cosmosquare to Yumeshima opened on January 19. It is to serve the venue of the 2025 World Expo on the Yumeshimanaka island, to be held from April 13.
The first of 18 five-section GT-F trams that HeiterBlick is supplying to Würzburg transport authority WVV has been delivered. It is now carrying out test runs and is scheduled to enter service in the autumn.
The first six-car Cetrovo 1.0 Carbon Star Express metro trainset, which features carbon fibre composite bodyshells, bogies and other load-bearing structures, has entered service on Qingdao Line 1. Manufacturer CRRC Qingdao Sifang said the material used is five times stronger than steel, reducing the overall train weight by 11% and power consumption by 7%.
Plans for a 13 km ‘Pop-Up Metro’ in Iowa City have been put on hold. The scheme would have used Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway track and former London Underground trains rebuilt to use battery power. CRANDIC Railway director Jeff Woods told local newspaper The Gazette that ‘we did recently advise local stakeholders that leasing the line is not a viable option, particularly with many parts of the ultimate vision yet to be determined. We are open to continued discussions as circumstances and details evolve.’
Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture has abandoned the light rail project planned to run up Mount Fuji; a rubber-tyred guided busway is to be developed instead.
In Q2 2025 the Malaysian government plans to invite private sector proposals for the construction of a light rail or guided bus network in Johor Bahru, the state of Johor’s Executive Councillor for Transport Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh has told The Straits Times.
An autonomous tram on test in Moskva has been insured using a ‘smart contract’ agreed between operator Moskva Metro, VTB Bank and SOGAZ Insurance. ‘A smart contract is a self-executing algorithm that ensures all contractual obligations are met’, said Deputy Mayor for Transport Maksim Liksutov. ‘By automating document workflows, we can accelerate contract execution and insurance settlements.’ There is provision for potential future transactions in digital roubles.
Réseau de Transport de la Capitale has appointed Siemens Mobility Canada to develop a Mobility as a Service platform covering public, private and shared transport services in the Québec City area. RTC President Maude Mercier Larouche said this would offer ‘a single, attractive and easy-to-use technological platform’.
RATP Dev has completed studies for the Royal Commission for AlUla‘s 360 Mobility Plan, which includes autonomous pods, electric buses and a ’Journey Through Time Experiential Tram’ as the backbone of public transport.
Amsterdam transport operator GVB is to retain cash payment at 39 ticket machines during 2025, but debit cards can no longer be used at 121 machines at tram, bus and metro stations as the software is no longer supported by the supplier.