URBAN RAIL
21 Jul 2008 | Metro openings as Beijing prepares for Olympic influx
CHINA: Two extensions to the Beijing metro network opened for traffic on July 19, and public services commenced on the dedicated airport link which had been ceremonially inaugurated on June 30. With the start of the Olympic Games later this month, lines 8 and 10 are designed to ease the journey of More...
20 Jul 2008 | Valley LRV on test
USA: The first Valley Metro light rail vehicle entered central Phoenix under its own power on July 10 accompanied by Mayor Phil Gordon and a host of dignitaries. Construction of the 32·6 km system is about 90% complete and line testing is now underway along most of the route in Phoenix, Mesa and Te More...
19 Jul 2008 | Amsterdam metro fleet tenders
NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam has called tenders for the replacement of the city's metro trains, and the supply of stock for the north-south line now under construction. GVB is seeking 23 six-car trainsets 114 to 118 m long and 3 m wide, with all axles driven. They will replace the existing fleet of 44 t More...
18 Jul 2008 | Expansion programme confirmed
ARGENTINA: The Buenos Aires city legislature has passed a bill confirming the metro expansion programme that will be undertaken by the administration of Mauricio Macri, who was elected to lead the municipal government at the end of last year. As well as the northern extension of Line H to Retiro, More...
18 Jul 2008 | Tram-trains and electrification planned
AUSTRALIA: Plans to electrify four suburban lines around Adelaide have been outlined in the South Australian government's latest budget, which offers A$2bn for transport projects over the next decade. Preliminary work to electrify the Noarlunga, Grange and Outer Harbor lines at 25 kV 50 Hz will com More...
17 Jul 2008 | Kayseri cars arrive in August
TURKEY: The first cars to operate the 17 km light rail line in Kayseri are set to arrive next month. The line will serve an east-west corridor across the city from an industrial park to Mimar Sinan with 31 stops. Trams will run at 4 min headways and total end-to-end journey time will be 42 min, acc More...
17 Jul 2008 | Metro to reach Bulacan
PHILIPPINES: Universal LRT Corp signed a concession agreement on June 18 to build and operate the MRT-7 line to link the existing elevated metro network in Manila with San Jose del Monte in Bulacan. The US$1·23bn project has been approved by the Department of Transport & Communications some seven y More...
16 Jul 2008 | A €14bn vision for Ile-de-France
FRANCE: The President of the Ile-de-France region Jean-Paul Huchon was joined by the presidents of RATP, RFF, SNCF and the Mayor of Paris to unveil an ambitious regional transport vision for the next 12 years on June 19. Huchon hopes to see investment of €13·7bn by 2020 on a series of projects to a More...
15 Jul 2008 | Make your own information display
USA: San Francisco metro operator BART is encouraging local retailers, offices and coffee shops to use spare computer screens to provide their customers and staff with real-time train running information. A simple file available to download from www.bart.gov enables almost any internet-linked compu More...
11 Jul 2008 | RijnGouwe design award
NETHERLANDS: Movares has been awarded a contract by ProRail to design the project to convert the Gouda – Alphen aan den Rijn – Lammenschans line to light rail standards. The section from Gouda to Alphen is expected to be completed in 2010, the remainder by 2015. The move follows the long-running tr More...
