Metro news – Page 234
-
NewsKaohsiung Orange Line revenue service starts
TAIWAN: Revenue services on Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp's 14·4 km Orange Line began on September 22. Eight days of free rides had begun on September 14. During October the MRT Bureau will submit proposals to the Ministry of Transport & Communications for extensions to the Red and Orange lines. ...
-
NewsLausanne metro line M2 inaugurated
SWITZERLAND: Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger formally inaugurated Lausanne's automatic metro line M2 on September 18 by cutting a ribbon at Riponne-M Béjart station. More than 60 000 people rode on the rubber-tyred metro trains on September 18 and 19. The public are able to use the line until September ...
-
News
Madrid resignals two lines
SPAIN: Under a programme costing €104m, Madrid Metro is resignalling lines 1 and 6 with communications-based train control to increase capacity by 50% and 31·8% respectively. So far, 94 km of radiating cable has been laid, as well as over 200 km of optic fibre, with CBTC equipment being fitted ...
-
News
Urban rail news in brief - September 2008
Discussions are underway between the Department of Transportation & Communications and Metro Rail Transit Corp regarding the purchase of 73 additional cars for Line 3 of the Manila metro. The talks are separate from those taking place over the government's plans to buy out Metrostar Express, the consortium that built ...
-
NewsBerlin's next generation tram arrives
GERMANY: Berlin city transport operator BVG unveiled the first of four pre-production prototypes for the German capital's next generation of trams on September 19. Bombardier Transportation's Bautzen plant is supplying four pre-series Flexity Berlin vehicles under a contract placed in September 2006. If the 100% low-floor cars prove successful, ...
-
NewsBudapest metro trainset unveiled
HUNGARY: Budapest transport operator BKV and Alstom Transport Katowice have unveiled the first of 37 Metropolis trainsets for the Budapest metro. BKV and Alstom signed a €247m contract in May 2006 covering the supply of 22 five-car trainsets to replace the existing stock on line M2, and 15 four-car ...
-
NewsUsing mobile phones in the Glasgow subway
UK: From December customers of mobile telephone company O2 will be able to make calls from five of the busiest stations on the Glasgow subway. Arqiva will provide multi-user distributed antenna systems to enable mobile phones to work underground at Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Kelvinbridge, Hillhead and ...
-
NewsFirst Tango in Basel
SWITZERLAND: The first of 60 Stadler Tango trams ordered jointly by Basel city transport company BVB and Baselland regional operator BLT arrived at BLT's Oberwil depot on September 2. A SFr276m contract for 60 trams was announced in May 2006, and includes 40 cars for BLT and 20 for BVB. ...
-
NewsNext-generation Citadis tram on test
FRANCE: Following the completion of tests at Petite-Forêt, Alstom sent the prototype for the next generation of Citadis trams from its Valenciennes plant to the Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre in Germany on September 1. Designated X04, the prototype is being used to test developments including new bogies, permanent magnet synchronous ...
-
NewsToronto reopens tram bidding process
CANADA: On August 27 Toronto Transit Commission formally approved reopening the procurement process for 204 low-floor trams at an estimated cost of C$1·25bn. The initial attempt had attracted only two bids, both of which were deemed non-compliant. A multi-phase bidding process will now be used, with Alstom, Bombardier and ...
-
NewsSecond line planned in Santo Domingo
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: In his speech accepting a third term of office on August 16, President Leonel Fernández announced that a second metro line would be built in the capital, Santo Domingo. The opening of the 14·5 km Line 1 running north-south across the city is now scheduled for November. End-to-end ...
-
News
Hyderabad consortium selected
INDIA: Last month the government of Andhra Pradesh presented the NMII Consortium with a 'letter of award' for a design, build, finance and operate concession for the Hyderabad metro. Financial close is expected within six months. The consortium comprises Maytas Infra (26%), Nava Bharat Ventures (27%), Italian-Thai Development (5%) and ...
-
News
Marseille ditches the private sector
FRANCE: Following the election of a new socialist administration earlier this year, Marseille Provence Métropole, the authority for the greater Marseille area, has voted to terminate the eight-year contract to operate the city's light rail network held by a joint venture of municipal operator RTM and Veolia. RTM will ...
-
News
Warszawa prepares tram fleet renewal
POLAND: An agreement has been signed between ZTM, the Warszawa city transport authority, and the mayor to replace much of the capital's tram fleet over the next 20 years. The 16bn zloty programme will see 246 low-floor trams bought by 2027 — the first tenders were due to be issued ...
-
News
Dieter - September 2008
CHINA: Guangzhou metro is trialling a free umbrella hire service at seven of its stations. Passengers pay a deposit of 20 yuan to borrow an umbrella, and the money is refunded if the umbrella is returned within 15 days.
-
NewsBursa orders Bombardier light rail cars
TURKEY: Bombardier Transportation has won a €94m order to supply 30 Flexity Swift high-floor light rail vehicles to Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. The contract announced on August 29 includes the supply of spare parts, and Bombardier said an option for up to 28 additional vehicles is 'foreseen'. The bidirectional air-conditioned ...
-
NewsDubai Palm monorail trains handed over
UAE: Four three-car trains for the Palm monorail in Dubai were handed over to developer Nakheel in a ceremony at Hitachi's Kasado plant in Tokuyama on August 21. Construction of the 5·45 km straddle monorail was completed last month, and members of Nakheel's operations and maintenance team are now ...
-
NewsGold Coast study recommends light rail
AUSTRALIA: The preliminary business case for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project has recommended light rail in preference to bus rapid transit, John Mickel, Queensland's Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment & Industrial Relations, announced on August 22. Light rail offers 'greater capacity, reliability, and a longer lifespan than buses ...
-
NewsOyster contract to end early
UK: Transport for London announced on August 8 that it has given the required two years' notice of termination of its £100m a year contract with TranSys for the operation and maintenance of the Oyster smartcard ticketing system. TranSys shareholders are Cubic Systems, IT suppliers EDS and Fujitsu Services, plus ...
-
News
Two from three shortlisted
AUSTRALIA: Victoria's Department of Transport has shortlisted the Keolis/EDI Downer joint venture and incumbent operator Yarra Trams as the process to re-let Melbourne's tram franchise progresses (RG 6.08 p352). Yarra Trams, itself a joint venture of Transdev and Transfield Services, has been the sole operator of the city's extensive ...