Metro news – Page 230
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NewsHangzhou metro PPP agreed
CHINA: MTR Corp signed an agreement in principle on January 16 with the Hangzhou Municipal Government and Hangzhou Metro Group for the financing, construction and operation of Line 1 of the metro under a PPP model. The agreement allows MTR to enter into further discussion with the city government over ...
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NewsManchester tram assembly underway
UK: The bodyshell of the first of 40 additional high-floor light rail vehicles on order for Manchester Metrolink has been completed at Bombardier's Wien plant, and interior fittings and Vossloh Kiepe electrics are now being installed. The 28·4 m Flexity Swift cars for Manchester are based on the Köln ...
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NewsLine A extended to Flores
ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri opened the new Puán and Carabobo stations on Line A of the Buenos Aires metro on December 22. Work on the extension started in 2004 and formed part of a wider programme to refurbish and modernise the infrastructure of Line A, the oldest line ...
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NewsCo-operate and compete
ASIA: Recognising that the main area of growth in the urban rail sector for the next few years is likely to be the Far East, Veolia Transport and RATP Développement announced on January 21 that they were forming a joint venture company to bid for metro and public transport operating ...
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NewsToronto tram purchase enters final phase
CANADA: Toronto Transit Commission completed negotiations on technical details and commercial arrangements with three potential suppliers of 204 low-floor trams by January 5. Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens were then given seven weeks to submit their final prices to TTC, which will recommend a winner to the nine-member commission. A final ...
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NewsPrimove catenary-free induction tram
GERMANY: A tram powered by Bombardier's prototype Primove induction system was formally launched at the company's Bautzen plant on January 22. A potential rival to Alstom's APS ground-level power supply, Primove removes the need for catenary. Power is transferred to the vehicle by induction, as used in transformers. The ...
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NewsBangkok urban rail progress
THAILAND: Test running began on Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport rail link on January 18. Siemens has supplied four Siemens Desiro EMUs for the non-stop Airport Express services on the 28 km standard gauge line, and five three-car units which will operate a commuter service calling at eight intermediate stations. Meanwhile, ...
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NewsMTR wins Stockholm metro contract
SWEDEN: MTR Corp has been named the winner of a concession to operate the Stockholm metro from November 2. The Hong Kong transport operator saw off five rival bids for the contract, which runs for eight years with a possible six-year extension. 'MTR submitted the best bid from a ...
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NewsTrams could return to Hamburg
GERMANY: Low-floor trams will enter service in Hamburg in 2014 if a project to build a 15 km route between Altona and Bramfeld goes as planned. Forming the first part of a network that could one day stretch to 50 km, the scheme won approval from the Hamburg Senate on ...
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NewsDocklands Light Railway opens to Woolwich Arsenal
UK: Mayor of London Boris Johnson inaugurated the 2·5 km extension of London’s Docklands Light Railway from King George V to Woolwich Arsenal on January 12, two days after the start of services. The infrastructure on the £180m light metro extension was built in 3½ years by ...
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NewsPhoenix light rail starter line up and running
USA: An estimated 150 000 free trips were taken during first two days of public service on the $1·4bn Metro light rail starter line in Phoenix. Despite cold weather, heavy crowds and long queues throughout the weekend of December 27-28, there were no operational problems along the 32·6 km route ...
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NewsUltracapacitors on test
SOUTH KOREA: National railway research agency KRRI is trialling the use of lineside ultracapacitor modules to store braking energy on the Seoul metro. KRRI has contracted Woojin Industrial Systems to manage the trial. During 2008, Woojin took delivery of 72 Boostcap ultracapacitors rated at 48 V, supplied by ...
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NewsCityCargo in receivership
NETHERLANDS: The CityCargo project which envisaged using Amsterdam's tram network to supply shops and businesses has gone into receivership, although receiver Joris Lensink and Veolia are investigating the possibilities to revive the project. The city council has said it sees potential in the project only as an unsubsidised ...
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NewsVictoria Line upgrade on schedule
UK: The ambitious project to renew one of London’s busiest Underground lines is nearing the halfway stage. Despite the high-profile collapse of PPP infraco Metronet in 2007, new trains and radio-based signalling are expected to bring a major capacity increase by 2013. Nick Kingsley investigates.
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - January 2009
Hampered by delays in extending the city’s metro, the Buenos Aires government is now considering alternative transport modes. On December 8, Mayor Mauricio Macri signed a collaboration agreement with the Mayor of Milano Letizia Moratti to investigate the feasibility of restoring the tram network. Two Boston Red Line metro cars ...
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NewsMumbai monorail contract
INDIA: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has awarded a contract worth Rs24·6bn to Scomi Engineering of Malaysia and consortium partner Larsen & Toubro to design and build an elevated monorail line in the city. Expected to take 30 months to complete, the 19·5 km Sutra straddle monorail is expected to ...
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NewsSarkozy backs Paris expansion
FRANCE: Paris metro operator RATP will invest an additional €450m in 2009, as part of a spending package to stimulate the French economy announced by President Nicolas Sarkozy on December 4. Much of the money will go on refurbishment and expansion of the rolling stock fleet, station renovations and modernisation ...
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NewsPiraeus extension retendered
GREECE: Expressions of interest are due by January 30 for a €515m contract to extend Athens metro Line 3 to Piraeus. Following a decision by the Minister of Town Planning, Environment & Public Works, Attiko Metro cancelled its earlier EU tender and issued a new call for bids on November ...
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NewsMadrid plans another €5bn suburban spend
SPAIN: Development Minister Magdalena Álvarez has presented the cabinet with an €5bn investment programme for the Madrid suburban network in 2008-15, which would see 115 km of new routes constructed and capacity increased by quadrupling a further 66 km. The programme envisages the construction of five new interchanges and 24 ...
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NewsDijon and Brest agree joint order
FRANCE: The cities of Dijon and Brest signed an agreement on November 27 covering the joint purchase of 53 trams at an estimated cost of €120m. Tenders are due to be issued to prospective suppliers by the end of 2008, with bid submission set for May and contract award expected ...