Australasia urban transport news – Page 5
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Metro Report InternationalGold Coast LRT Stage 3A funding pledged
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has agreed to contribute A$112m towards the next phase of the Gold Coast light rail project in South East Queensland, Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure & Population Alan Tudge announced on November 5. Provisionally costed at A$670m, the 6·4 km Stage 3A extension from Broadbeach South ...
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Metro Report InternationalNewcastle tram testing begins
AUSTRALIA: Powered testing started on the tram route in Newcastle on the night of October 22-23. Daytime testing is expected to commence in the coming weeks, with opening of the 2·6 km route between Wickham and Pacific Park scheduled for early 2019. The first tram arrived last month. ...
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Metro Report InternationalAdelaide tramway extensions open
AUSTRALIA: Two short extensions of the Glenelg tramway in Adelaide opened on October 13. One extension runs 1 km east along North Terrace from Adelaide Railway Station to Art Gallery, University and Botanic Gardens, and operates every day. The other runs 350 m north from Rundle Mall along King William ...
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Metro Report InternationalAuckland City Rail Link fit-out contractor selected
NEW ZEALAND: Project promoter City Rail Link Ltd has selected the Systems Integration, Testing & Commissioning Alliance joint venture of RCR Tomlinson and design partners Opus International Consultants for the interim project alliance agreement covering railway systems for the City Rail Link project in Auckland. SITC will work with ...
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Metro Report InternationalMore E-Class trams ordered for Melbourne
AUSTRALIA: The Victoria state government announced on September 18 that it had ordered 10 more E-Class trams from Bombardier for A$83m. Bombardier is already supplying 80 low-floor trams from its Dandenong factory under previously placed orders; the 70th of these is expected to arrive in the next few weeks.
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Metro Report InternationalMernda extension completed
AUSTRALIA: A public open day on August 19 marked the official completion of an 8 km extension of Melbourne’s South Morang Line to Mernda, with around 6 000 local residents invited to sample a shuttle service on the route. Regular services are due to begin running with the introduction of ...
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Metro Report InternationalWellington trolleybuses to be converted to battery operation
NEW ZEALAND: The Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority is giving a NZ$763 000 grant for the conversion of 50 Wellington trolleybuses to battery power. Bus operator NZ Bus is to install fast-charging stations at the Karori and Kilbirnie depots, and the converted buses are expected to enter service at ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom awarded Sydney metro maintenance contract
AUSTRALIA: Metro Trains Sydney has awarded Alstom a 15-year contract to maintain the 22 six-car Metropolis automated trainsets, Urbalis 400 CBTC and point machines which the company is supplying for the 36 km Sydney Metro Northwest project. Alstom is to deploy its HealthHub maintenance platform, which is designed around condition-based ...
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Metro Report InternationalElectric buses ordered for Christchurch
NEW ZEALAND: Christchurch bus operator Red Bus has ordered three Enviro200EV battery buses from a joint venture of Alexander Dennis and battery supplier BYD. The 12 m long buses will have a capacity of 60 passengers and will be air-conditioned. Due to be delivered in March, the vehicles ...
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Metro Report InternationalParramatta light rail project approved
AUSTRALIA: The first stage of the Parramatta light rail project has received planning approval, Transport for New South Wales announced on May 30. ‘This is an exciting time for the people of Parramatta and for visitors to this fantastic part of Sydney’, said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Construction and ...
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Metro Report InternationalRail boost in Auckland transport plan
NEW ZEALAND: Further investment in suburban and light rail is to be funded under the NZ$28bn Auckland Transport Alignment Programme unveiled by Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff on April 26. Described as the country's largest ever civil construction programme, ATAP 2018 is intended to ‘create a 21st ...
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Metro Report InternationalTesting begins on Sydney’s CBD & South East Light Rail
AUSTRALIA: Testing has started on the CBD & South East Light Rail line in Sydney, Transport for New South Wales announced on February 25. Night-time testing of an Alstom Citadis X05 light rail vehicle is taking place on a section of the future network on Alison Road in Randwick. ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney metro train on test
AUSTRALIA: Dynamic testing of the first Sydney metro train has started on the elevated section of the city’s future metro line. Alstom delivered the first of 22 trainsets to the Rouse Hill depot on September 26. Testing is initially taking place in that area, before being expanded to the ...
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Metro Report InternationalGold Coast light rail Stage 2 inaugurated
AUSTRALIA: Revenue services began running on Stage 2 of the Gold Coast light rail line on December 18, following an inauguration ceremony the previous day attended by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Transport Minister Mark Bailey and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Free rides were offered to local residents and visitors ...
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Metro Report InternationalFirst tram arrives in Canberra
AUSTRALIA: CAF has delivered the first of 14 trams that it is supplying for the network under construction in Canberra. The five-section vehicle was shipped from Spain in October, arriving in Port Kembla before being transported by road to the capital. CAF is part of the Canberra Metro consortium which ...
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Metro Report InternationalParramatta light rail Stage 2 plans announced
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government announced its preferred route for the second phase of the Parramatta light rail project on October 18. The 9 km preferred route would extend the network to Sydney Olympic Park, diverging from Stage 1 near Rydalmere and running north of the Parramatta River ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney Metro’s first trainset arrives
AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro announced the delivery of its first trainset to the Rouse Hill depot on September 26. Alstom is supplying 22 six-car Metropolis driverless trainsets, together with Urbalis 400 communications-based train control, Iconis control systems and Smartlock 400 computer-based interlocking under a €280m contract awarded in September 2014. ...
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Metro Report InternationalKeolis Downer retains contract to operate world's largest tram network
AUSTRALIA: The Victorian government has awarded incumbent Keolis Downer the next contract to operate the Yarra Trams network in Melbourne. The contract announced on September 12 runs for seven years from November 30 2017 and covers the operation of around 5 000 services a day on the world's largest ...
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Metro Report InternationalTesting begins on Gold Coast light rail Stage 2
AUSTRALIA: Testing on Stage 2 of the Gold Coast light rail line commenced on the night of September 7-8. The northern extension will run alongside Smith Street Motorway from Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale, where interchange would be provided with Queensland Rail services. The 7·3 km route would ...
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Metro Report InternationalMetronet drives Perth expansion plans
AUSTRALIA: The government of Western Australia expects to complete two more extensions to the Perth suburban rail network by late 2021, Premier Mark McGowan announced on August 21. Revised business cases for the two projects have been submitted to federal agency Infrastructure Australia for approval. One would add a ...