A limited service operated as a shuttle has commenced on a 1·8 km southern extension of São Paulo suburban rail Line 9 between Mendes-Vila Natal and Varginha. Built at a cost of R$153m, the extension is expected to serve 50 000 passengers each weekday. Full integration with the rest of Line 9 is expected later in the year.
The power supply on Helsinki’s legacy tram network is to be increased from 600 to 750 V DC this year, bringing the routes into line with the city’s modern light rail lines which use the higher voltage. The work will require an interruption to services in August.
Belkommunmash has delivered the first of 26 T856 MiNiN three-section low-floor trams ordered for the modernisation of the Nizhniy Novgorod network.
The province of Ontario has awarded Ontario Northland a C$350m contract to refurbish 121 GO Transit bi-level coaches used on Toronto commuter services. The work to extend their lives by 20 years will include new seating, flooring, walls, ceilings, doors and HVAC controls. Ontario Northland is also refurbishing 13 F59 diesel locomotives that the province purchased from California’s Metrolink.
The Punjab provincial government is undertaking studies for the proposed Lahore metro Blue Line, which would run for 27 km from Valencia Town to Babu Sabo Chowk.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has written to Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority CEO Randy Clarke calling on them to prioritise improvements to passenger security, crime reduction and road safety. ‘The President [Trump] has called for people to return to office, and it is critical we ensure workers’ safety during their daily commute’, said Duffy. ‘Our nation’s capital should be a beacon of safety and cleanliness for all who work, live, and visit. This includes reducing crime and fare evasion on the DC metro system and bus system to ensure people using public transit feel safe.’
Having secured EU funding, Szczeciń is to place a firm order for eight Modertrans low-floor trams, following on from four ordered in 2024.
Montréal regional transport authority Exo is trialling the NaviLens app, which enables visually impaired passengers to obtain voice guidance in 36 languages. It is activated by scanning codes installed on vehicles and infrastructure. A second app, NaviLens GO, is available for users without visual impairment who wish to use the technology.
The UK Department for Transport has progressed to the next phase of development for a business case covering renewal of the Tyne & Wear Metro’s signalling. The business case was submitted last year by operator Nexus. ‘We’ve had the same signalling technology since the late 1970s and it needs to be replaced’, said the Newcastle-upon-Tyne light rail network’s Managing Director Cathy Massarella on March 10. ‘We are working with analogue technology in a digital era.’
Moskva Metro, Central Bank of Russia and VTB Bank are piloting payment using digital roubles via a QR code. The closed-beta test involves a focus group purchasing Troika cards and topping up their balance by using their bank’s mobile app to scan a QR code at the ticket booth and selecting digital rouble or the Fast Payment System.
Leila Frances has been appointed as interim CEO of Keolis Downer from March 17, based in Melbourne. She will take over from current CEO Julien Dehornoy who is joining UK infrastructure manager Network Rail in April as Deputy Regional Managing Director of its North West & Central Region. He spent five years with Keolis Downer, including his prior role as CEO of Yarra Trams.