Metro news – Page 108
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NewsAntalya light rail extension on test
TURKEY: Test running started on the Antray light rail extension in Antalya on April 3. The extension to Expo 2016 and the airport is due to open for passenger service on April 22. This is the first extension of the city’s light rail network since the initial line opened ...
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NewsAmpang Line extended further
MALAYSIA: A 6·5 km southern extension of Kuala Lumpur’s Ampang Line opened on March 31, adding four stations. The latest section to open, between Kinrara BK5 and Bandar Puteri, is the second phase of the 11-station elevated extension to Putra Heights. The first four stations, from Sri Petaling to ...
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NewsLongest tram enters service in Budapest
HUNGARY: March 31 saw the entry into passenger service of what is claimed to be the longest tram in the world. The 55·9 m long nine-section CAF Urbos tram is in operation on the recently modernised Route 1 in Budapest, and will be joined by 11 more by mid-year. ...
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NewsKlang Valley Line 2 underground contractor chosen
MALAYSIA: Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit announced on March 31 that it had selected MMC-Gamuda to build the underground section of Klang Valley MRT Line 2, also known as the SSP Line. MMC-Gamuda beat China Railway Group and China Communications Construction Co for the 15·47bn ringgit contract. This is ...
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NewsParis suburban fleet to be renewed
FRANCE: Ile-de-France transport authority STIF has asked SNCF and RATP to prepare technical and financial plans, including timescales, for a wholescale renewal of the Paris suburban and RER fleet which could see 700 trainsets replaced or refurbished by 2021 at a cost of €8∙5bn. At its meeting on March ...
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NewsTIFIA loan to fund Chicago L cars
USA: Federal Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced on March 30 that the Federal Transit Administration had agreed a $255m low-interest loan to Chicago Transit Authority under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act. This will partially fund the operator’s next generation of metro trainsets. Earlier in the month CTA awarded ...
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NewsToshkent tram network to close
UZBEKISTAN: Toshkent Mayor Rakhmonbek Usmonov announced on March 29 that the city’s 87·8 route-km tram network is to close by the end of the year. The former tracks will be used to provide additional road space, which the city authorities hope will reduce traffic congestion. Tram services are to be ...
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NewsLIRR triple-tracking design contract awarded
USA: A consortium of AECOM and Gannett Fleming has been awarded a $7m contract to undertake environmental assessments and community engagement as preparatory work begins to construct a third track over the 15·8 route-km Floral Park – Hicksville section of the Long Island Rail Road commuter rail network.The northerly LIRR ...
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NewsBangkok Red Line E&M contract awarded
THAILAND: State Railway of Thailand has awarded a 32·4bn baht contract for E&M works for Bangkok’s Red Line to a consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi and Sumitomo Corp, the consortium announced on March 30. Hitachi will supply rolling stock and MHI will be responsible for track, catenary, power ...
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NewsLiège tram PPP to be retendered
BELGIUM: The Wallonie regional government has announced that its transport agency Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport is to re-tender the DBFM concession to build and maintain the planned Liège light rail line. In December 2014 SWRT selected the MobiLiège consortium of Alstom, BAM PPP PGGM and DG Infra to finance ...
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NewsFirst Honolulu metro cars arrive
USA: The first two metro cars for the driverless light metro arrived in Honolulu on March 24 from Hitachi Rail Italy’s factory in Pittsburg, California. The bodies were assembled in Reggio Calabria in Italy, before the cars were fitted out in Pittsburg. Shipping was co-ordinated by Baggio, with Pasha ...
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NewsModernised trams enter service in St Petersburg
RUSSIA: St Petersburg tram operator Gorelektrotrans put two modernised LM-68M3 trams into service on March 26. The single-section trams run permanently coupled on Route 6. The trams were modernised by Transmashholding’s Oktyabrsky Electric Railway Car Repair Plant under a 162m rouble agreement signed with Gorelektrotrans in 2015 covering nine ...
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NewsLondon Underground concrete mixing plant delivered
UK: London Underground has taken delivery of a concrete mixing and distribution unit ordered from Italian company Blend Plants for use on a project to convert 6·4 km of the Baker Street to Finchley Road section of the Metropolitan Line from ballasted to slab track. The dismountable mixer is carried ...
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NewsTaipei ticketing upgrade
TAIWAN: Taipei Rapid Transit Corp has selected Thales to upgrade the metro fare collection system. Thales is to roll out its Transcity platform throughout 2016. This which will include the upgrade of more than 1 500 fare gates at 120 stations, replacing contactless smart card readers and providing a ...
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NewsMore tram-trains ordered for Karlsruhe
GERMANY: Karlsruhe tram-train operator AVG announced it had awarded a consortium of Stadler Rail Valencia and electrical equipment supplier Vossloh Kiepe a firm order for a further 25 Citylink NET 2012 low-floor vehicles on March 24. This is the second option on a contract signed in October 2011. The 25 ...
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NewsGenova metro trainset unveiled
ITALY: The first of seven new generation trainsets for the Genova metro was unveiled at Brignole station on March 24. Comune di Genova placed a €31m order in 2012 with a consortium of AnsaldoBreda (now Hitachi Rail Italy) and Ansaldo STS. The 39 m long four-car sets have three ...
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NewsLondon Underground track renewals contract extended
UK: London Underground has extended its Track Partnership alliance with Balfour Beatty for further two years to March 2018 in a deal worth £170m. Track Partnership undertakes turnout and ballasted track installation and renewals across the London Underground network, as well as associated drainage, signalling, traction power and conductor rail ...
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NewsDoha metro tunnel breakthrough
QATAR: Qatar Rail celebrated the completion of tunnelling on the Red Line North section of the metro when a TBM broke through between Legtaifiya and Qatar University stations on March 21. Boring of the 11·3 km tunnel started on July 19 2014 and used four earth pressure balance TBMs. ...
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NewsBrookville takes Oklahoma City Streetcar contract
USA: The Oklahoma City council approved a $24·9m contract on March 22 under which Brookville Equipment Corp is to supply five low-floor streetcars. The city council had previously approved a $22m contract with Inekon last September, but this was not finalised, as the supplier could not provide the required ...
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NewsLos Angeles County MTA publishes 40-year capital plan
USA: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority published a draft expenditure plan on March 18 outlining capital projects for the next 40 years. These would be funded with revenues generated through a tax increase that could be put to a vote in November. Following public feedback, Metro’s board of ...