Global urban transport news – Page 214
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Metro Report InternationalTunnelling poised to start on Paris RER Line E extension
FRANCE: Construction of the main tunnel of the RER Line E extension between Courbevoie and Haussmann-Saint Lazare to the west of Paris will commence during the first quarter of 2019. This follows a traditional ceremony held at Courbevoie on November 28 to name the tunnel boring machine Virginie. Present at ...
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NewsBangkok Sukhumvit Line reaches Kheha
THAILAND: A 10 km extension of the elevated Sukhumvit Line in Bangkok was inaugurated on December 6. The southern metro extension runs from Samrong to Kheha, adding eight stations. A depot has been built 1·5 km southwest of Kheha, and Kheha features a 1 200-space park-and-ride site. Construction ...
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NewsŠkoda presents Chemnitz tram
GERMANY: Škoda Transportation has officially presented the first of 14 trams that it is supplying to Chemnitz transport operator CVAG. CVAG and Škoda signed a €35m contract in 2016 for the supply of the bidirectional ForCity Classic trams. The first is expected to enter passenger service early next year, ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom completes last Sydney metro train
AUSTRALIA: Alstom has rolled out the last of the 22 driverless Metropolis trains that it is supplying for the Sydney metro at its Sricity factory in India. 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 ...
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Metro Report InternationalRiyadh metro naming rights partners chosen
SAUDI ARABIA: Riyadh Development Authority has selected partners for the naming rights to eight of the 85 stations on the city’s future metro network. The 10-year contracts are worth a total of 1·05bn riyals, which is to be reinvested into metro operations. The sponsors are: The ...
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Metro Report InternationalIntegrating driverless road shuttles into public transport
INTERNATIONAL: Bestmile and Init announced on November 28 that they will work together to develop technologies to enable the incorporation of driverless road vehicles into public transport operations. Focusing on autonomous vehicles for first and last-mile services connecting to transport hubs, the companies aim to integrate their respective back-end ...
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NewsKeolis to operate Odense tram line
DENMARK: Odense Letbane has selected Keolis as preferred bidder to operate and maintain the light rail line due to open in the city in 2020. The 15-year contract to be signed by the Keolis Odense Letbane subsidiary is expected to generate cumulative revenue of €230m. The 14·5 km ...
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Metro Report InternationalStation moved underground as Tianjin metro extension opens
CHINA: A short extension of Tianjin metro Line 1 was inaugurated on December 3. The 1·5 km southeastern extension has two stations. Shuanglin, the previous terminus of Line 1, has reopened after nearly two years of closure during which it was rebuilt from an elevated to an underground station. ...
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Metro Report InternationalContactless payment arrives on Sydney Trains
AUSTRALIA: The open payment ticketing trial in Sydney was expanded on November 27 to include the Sydney Trains network and NSW Train Link services that accept Opal cards. Transport for New South Wales began a contactless ticketing trial on the Manly Ferry service in July 2017 using open payment ...
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NewsSeoul metro Line 9 extended
SOUTH KOREA: The third phase of Seoul metro Line 9 opened on December 1, bringing the total length of the route to 40·6 km and 28 stations. The 8·9 km eastern extension from Sports Complex to VHS Medical Centre serves eight stations including two interchanges: Seokchon with Line 8 ...
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NewsDaugavpils tram contract signed
LATVIA: Public transport operator Daugavpils Satiksme and UAB Railvec signed a contract on November 26 for the supply of eight single-section trams. UAB Railvec was selected as preferred bidder in March. The Lithuanian company is partnering with PK Transportnye Systemy, which is likely to supply its Lionet tram. The ...
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Metro Report InternationalGuiyang metro line extended
CHINA: An extension of Guiyang’s only metro line opened on December 1. The 20·2 km extension from Guiyangbei Railway Station to Xiaomeng Industrial Park serves 14 stations. The extension brigs the total length of Line 1 to 33·1 km. The initial section opened in December 2017, and a 2 ...
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Metro Report InternationalOrange County breaks ground on streetcar line
USA: Orange County Transportation Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony for the OC Streetcar line on November 30. The total project cost is estimated at $408m and is being funded through federal and state funding, as well as a local 0·5% sales tax. A $149m Full Funding Grant Agreement with ...
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Metro Report InternationalMinneapolis Southwest LRT breaks ground
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony for the Minneapolis Southwest Light Rail project took place on November 30 at the site of the line’s rolling stock stabling depot in Hopkins. Main construction work is due to take place in 2019-22, ahead of a period of testing in 2022-23. Passenger services are ...
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Metro Report InternationalTest running starts on next phase of Rio tram network
BRAZIL: Test running has started on Route 3 of the VLT Carioca tram network in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of a public opening expected later this month. Route 3 will serve 1·3 km of new alignment along Rua Visconde de Inhauma and Avenida Mal Floriano between the Candelária and ...
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NewsNine bids for Almaty light rail project
KAZAKHSTAN: Almaty municipality has received nine bids for the 26-year PPP contract to design, build and operate a light rail line. The bidders are: CMC China National Machinery Import & Export Corp and CRCC16 China Railway 16th Bureau Group Co;China Machinery Engineering Corp, China High Speed Railway Technology Co ...
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Metro Report InternationalValley Metro launches incident reporting app
USA: Phoenix’s Valley Metro has launched AlertVM, a free safety and security app which passengers can use to discreetly report suspicious activity, vandalism, graffiti, disruptive behavior and maintenance issues to staff, or receive notifications about service delays. ‘We are committed to providing our riders with a safe and reliable light ...
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Metro Report InternationalFTA allocates $281m for five transport projects
USA: A total of $281m in additional Fiscal Year 2018 federal funding for transport projects through the Capital Investment Grants programme was announced by the Federal Transit Administration on November 28. The five projects either have a construction grant agreement or are nearing completion of all statutory and readiness requirements. ...
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Metro Report InternationalPalermo approves four tram projects
ITALY: Palermo city council has approved changes to its public works plan to include the construction of four tramway extensions. A: an extension of the existing Line 1 from the Palermo Centrale station to the stadium; B: an extension from the Notarbartolo terminus of lines 2, 3 and 4 to ...
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NewsElectric buses head to the Baltic seaside
LATVIA: The seaside resort of Jūrmala has ordered two Solaris Urbino 8.9 LE electric buses which are expected to enter service in the third quarter of 2019. Announcing the order on November 27, the manufacturer said they would be the first battery buses it has supplied to the Baltic States. ...