Algeria: CNIM has won a contract to supply 23 escalators for eight underground stations being built by Vinci Construction Grands Projets on the 11 km first phase of the Alger Metro. Opening of the line between Haï El Badir, Hamma and Tafourah Grande Poste is planned for 2009.
Thales announced on November 15 that it has been awarded a contract by Siemens to supply a combination of magnetic stripe and contactless ticketing for the Alger metro.
Argentina: Bids have been invited for a contract worth up to 9m pesos to provide construction supervision and other inspection services for civil works on metro Line E in Buenos Aires (RG 3.07 p128).
China: A consortium including Westinghouse Rail Systems Australia and NARI Group is to supply SystematICST software to integrate control and communication systems on the 36 km Shanghai metro Line 10. Now under construction, it will open in 2009 between New Jiangwan Town and Hongqiao Airport (RG 10.07 p597).
Czech Republic: Praha transport authority DPHMP has ordered five more M1 five-car metro trainsets from Siemens to augment the fleet of 48 delivered to Line C in 1999-2006. They will be delivered by 2011 at a cost of KC1bn, and maintained by Siemens subsidiary SKV at the Kacerov depot.
A study is being undertaken into the merits of re-installing ticket gates on the Praha metro. Turnstiles were removed in 1985 to improve passenger flow.
Mexico: With the Mexico City metro now carrying 4·6 million passengers a day, operator STC has allocated 4·8bn pesos to purchase 45 trainsets for Line 12 and nine for Line A. Formations on Line A are to be extended from six to nine cars over a period of two years, during which time the fleet will grow to 33 trains.
Morocco: Bouregreg Valley Development Agency announced on November 1 that it had chosen Alstom to supply trams for the 19 km, 32-stop Rabat - Salé two-route light rail network which is scheduled to open in 2010. A 1·2bn dirham contract for around 40 Citadis cars with options for a further 15 was expected to be announced within weeks.
Poland: The city of Szczecin has agreed to buy 32 Type T62A Tatra trams withdrawn from service by BVG in Berlin.
Spain: Under its station refurbishment programme, Barcelona metro operator TMB is spending €2m to modernise Pubilla Cases on Line 5. A six-month programme at Alfons X is costing €2m and on Line 4 €2·2m is being spent at Llucmajor.
Turkey: Alstom is to supply 30 Citadis trams to Istanbul for operation in coupled pairs on the existing 14 km Zeytinburnu - Kabatas Line T1 through the historic Golden Horn district. Deliveries will commence in 2009 at a rate of three per month.
UK: Serco Docklands and Cleshar Contract Services have completed a £1·85m refurbishment of West India Quay station on London's Docklands Light Railway, replacing the canopy with one providing more protection from the weather.
USA: On November 8 Kansas City Council voted to repeal a ballot initiative passed in November 2006 mandating the construction of a 44 km light rail line from Swope Park to the international airport (RG12.06 p768). The city statutes have a previously-unused clause permitting the council to overturn voter decisions they consider impractical, and consultants said the plan promoted by a former resident was both complex and under-funded.
KOA Corp has begun a $500 000 study into the feasibility of an extension of the planned Foothill Extension of the Los Angeles Gold Line by a further 12 km to serve LA/Ontario International Airport.
On October 24 Utah Transit Authority selected a consortium of Kiewit, Herzog and Parsons to build the $452m Mid-Jordan light rail corridor, running 17 km between Murray and Daybreak, as well as the Draper extension taking Trax south from 10 000 South Sandy Civic Center.
Hampton Roads Transit has awarded Bryant Contracting an $11·7m contract to build an elevated section of route between Harbor Park and Norfolk State University under the first contract for The Tide, a 12 km light rail line expected to open in Norfolk in 2010.
The 15·4 km Lynx Blue Line between I-485 and 7th Street in Charlotte was expected to open with free rides on November 24 and revenue service from November 26. Siemens supplied 16 S70 light rail vehicles.
Venezuela: The second track of the 9·5 km Metro Los Teques from Las Adjuntas to El Tambor (RG 11.06 p701) was brought into use on October 22.
- CAPTION: Skoda's Plzen facto ry rolled out its 100th low-floor tram on November 8, a Type 14T car ordered for Praha. The Czech company began production of low-floor trams in 1997, assembling the vehicles in a former steam loco erection shop which is shortly to be replaced by a modern production hall
- CAPTION: A Phoenix Metro LRV was unveiled to the public on October 27, with visitors allowed to walk inside the car near Veterans Way/College Avenue station. Metro has received 45 of the 50 LRVs ordered from KinkiSharyo and had fully assembled 17 by the end of October. The 33 km line is scheduled to open in December 2008
