Metro news – Page 203
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NewsFTA awards advanced payments to US rail projects
USA: The Federal Transit Administration has given a total of $182·4m in advanced funding to seven rail projects which are already underway. The money is being awarded ahead of schedule using unallocated funds from FTA’s 2010 New Starts budget. ‘By making these payments now, we’re not only fulfilling the federal ...
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NewsHampton Roads LRT opening postponed
USA: A light rail vehicle was towed through the streets of Norfolk on January 5, marking the start of tests on the overhead power lines for the city’s starter light rail line. However, the opening of Norfolk’s first tram route has now been postponed indefinitely, adding to the 16 ...
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NewsOrange Line makes Porto greener
PORTUGAL: After a period of trial running Line F of the Metro do Porto light rail network entered revenue service on January 2, linking the eastern municipality of Gondomar to Senhora da Hora in 39 min. Services on Line F — designated the Orange Line — operate between 06.00 and ...
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NewsTwo metro lines open in Shenzhen
CHINA: Trial operation of the first sections of Shenzhen metro lines 2 and 3 began on December 28, adding 40 km and almost tripling the size of the network — which was inaugurated in December 2004 when Lines 1 and 4 entered service — to around 70 km with 49 ...
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NewsTainan – Shalun branch opens early
TAIWAN: The 6·5 km Shalun branch linking Tainan with the Taipei – Kaohsiung high speed line station southeast of the city was opened for passenger services on January 2, a month ahead of its expected completion in February. Built by the Ministry of Transport & Communications’ Railway Reconstruction Bureau, the ...
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NewsBeijing metro expands by 100 km
CHINA: Beijing Mass Transit Railway Corp opened five new lines in December, adding more than 100 km to the existing metro network. The first new route to open was Line 15 on December 28. The 20·2 km route runs northeast from Wangjing West, with an interchange to Line 13, to ...
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NewsAirport Rail Link reaches Seoul city centre
SOUTH KOREA: Phase II of the A’REX airport rail link was inaugurated on December 28 by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Sik, marking the completion of a 10-year privately-financed project to build a 61 km line between Incheon International Airport and Seoul. Revenue services started the next day.The 20·7 km extension runs ...
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NewsCAF wins Urbos tram contracts
EUROPE: Spanish manufacturer CAF has won three export orders for its Urbos tram, signing deals to supply vehicles to Stockholm, Besançon and Nantes.Stockholm transport authority SL has initially ordered 15 three-module trams costing around €40m but, with options to supply up to 121 vehicles, the total contract value could rise ...
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NewsGyeongchun Line reopens in Seoul
SOUTH KOREA: KR’s Gyeongchun Line to the east of Seoul was reopened on December 21 following the completion of a 2·7 trillion won project to replace the former single-track regional diesel route by a new double-track elevated and electrified alignment. The reconstruction of the 81·3 km route from Mangu ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief
A 2 km extension of München metro line U3 between Olympia-Einkaufs-zentrum and Moosach opened on December 11, providing a connection to S-Bahn services. The U-Bahn network is now 103·1 km long with 100 stations. No further extensions are envisaged for the time being. Following the completion of two short ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief
The timetable change on December 12 was marked by a spate of urban rail openings in Germany, including the 5·2 km tram Line 6 from Rotes Tor to Friedberg West in Augsburg, a 1·8 km extension of Köln tram Line 5 from Rektor-Klein-Str to Butzweilerhof and a branch of Hannover ...
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NewsHonolulu light rail prospects look positive
USA: Hawaii’s newly-elected Governor Neil Abercrombie has signed the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Honolulu’s proposed $5·3bn light rail project, clearing the way for final approval from the Federal Transit Administration. The 32 km elevated line was stalled when Abercrombie’s predecessor, Linda Lingle, refused to approve the ...
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NewsTbilisi tram design contract signed
GEORGIA: The Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava signed contracts with French consultancy Systra on December 17 covering studies for a proposed tram network and the development of an urban master plan as part of the city's railway bypass project.The French government is financing the development of plans for a tramway. ...
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NewsOslo orders more metro cars
NORWAY: On December 21, rolling stock leasing company Oslo Vognselskap AS signed a €180m contract with Siemens Mobility for the supply of a further 32 three-car metro trainsets. The MX3000 vehicles will be manufactured in Wien and delivered to Oslo in 2012. They will allow the operation of more frequent ...
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NewsTramino runs for charity in Poznan
POLAND: A Solaris Tramino low-floor tram decked in festive Christmas designs has been running in Poznań to raise money for children suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, an incurable hereditary condition. The 32 m long five-module articulated prototype vehicle currently in passenger service is 2 350 mm wide and has a narrow ...
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NewsSonoma-Marin orders commuter DMU cars
USA: The board of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit voted unanimously on December 15 to award a US$56·9m contract for nine two-car diesel multiple-units to Sumitomo Corp and Nippon Sharyo. The 18 vehicles will be assembled at Nippon Sharyo’s new factory in Rochelle, Illinois, in compliance with ‘Buy America’ rules, ...
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NewsAlstom to overhaul PATCO fleet
USA: Meeting on December 15, the Delaware River Port Authority’s board of commissioners agreed to award a contract to Alstom Transportation Inc for the overhaul of the 120-car fleet of EMUs used on the PATCO cross-river express metro line linking Philadelphia and Lindenwold, New Jersey. The company’s competitive low bid ...
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NewsTram Bern West opens
SWITZERLAND: Trams now serve the business and residential areas of Bümpliz and Brünnen in the western suburbs of Bern, replacing two former trolleybus routes. On December 12 public transport operator Bernmobil inaugurated its Tram Bern West project, a 6·8 km Y-shaped extension of the city’s light rail network from Kaufmännischer ...
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NewsFalse start for tram line T1 in Toulouse
FRANCE: Industrial action by trade unions representing drivers at local transport operator Tisséo led to the cancellation of the opening celebrations for tram line T1 in Toulouse on November 27-28.Revenue services on the 10·9 km, 18-stop line finally got underway on December 11. The line links the Arènes stop on ...
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NewsGlattfest celebrates Glattalbahn completion
SWITZERLAND: Project promoter Zürcher Verkehrsverbund and concessionaire Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal organised a day of festivities to celebrate the opening of the final Auzelg — Stettbach section of the Glattalbahn light rail project north of Zürich on December 11. The completed route runs from Stettbach to Zürich Airport via Wallisellen, Auzelg and ...