Boston consolidates light rail stops
USA: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has awarded MAS Building & Bridge a $17·8m contract to replace four existing light rail stops on Boston’s Green Line into two new stops.
Bodyshells ordered for Praha tram rebuild programme
CZECH REPUBLIC: Praha transport operator DPP has awarded Pragoimex a contract to supply its VarCB3LF partly low-floor tram bodies to replace the life-expired and corroded bodies of the city’s Tatra Type T3R.P and T3R.PV trams.
Porto extensions win EU funding support
PORTUGAL: The European Commission has announced €107m of EU Cohesion Funds for expansion of the Metro do Porto light rail network. This adds to €75m allocated in the national government’s 2020 budget.
Osaka’s Hankai Line expands low-floor tram fleet
JAPAN: A three-section low-floor tram supplied by Alna Sharyo has entered service on the Hankai Tramway in Osaka, where it is operating alongside the oldest trams in the country which are still in commercial service rather than run as heritage vehicles.
Northern Lights tram delivered to Bremen
GERMANY: The first of 77 Avenio trams ordered by Bremen operator BSAG arrived in the city from Siemens Mobility’s Wien plant on March 31. Another is currently undergoing trials at the Wildenrath test centre.
Edinburgh tram extension site works on hold during pandemic
UK: Edinburgh Council has instructed contractors Morrison Utility Services and Sacyr Farrans Neopul to cease site works for the construction of the tramway extension from York Place to Newhaven.
Krasnodar orders 56 trams
RUSSIA: UKVZ has won four separately-tendered contracts to supply a total of 56 unidirectional trams to the city of Krasnodar
Amsterdam chooses HASTUS planning software
NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam city transport operator GVB has selected GIRO’s HASTUS software to support all its network and service planning, crew and vehicle scheduling, and operations management, including the integration of electric buses into its fleet.
Manchester Metrolink opens Trafford Park line
UK: The 5·5 km Manchester Metrolink light rail extension to the Trafford Centre shopping complex was opened for revenue service on March 22, around seven months ahead of the original target date.
Cádiz tram-train testing underway
SPAIN: Following authorisation by notified body CETREN on March 13, test running is set to begin this month along the full 24 km length of the tram-train route between Chiclana de la Frontera and Cádiz.
Vossloh tramway rail grinding machine delivered to Tampere
FINLAND: Vossloh has supplied a HSG-city rail grinding machine for the Y-shaped tramway which is under construction in the city of Tampere for opening in August 2021.
UGL and John Holland to operate Adelaide trams
AUSTRALIA: The Torrens Connect joint venture of local bus operator Torrens Transit, UGL Rail Services and John Holland has been selected to operate light rail services in Adelaide, under a contract announced by the South Australian Public Transport Authority on March 10.
Stadler to retrofit Ostrava trams with collision prevention system
CZECH REPUBLIC: Tram operator DP Ostrava awarded a KC26·9m contract to Stadler Bussnang on March 3for the retrofiting of the city’s Tango NF2 trams with obstacle detection assistance.
Vitoria-Gasteiz tram extension plans released for public consultation
SPAIN: Details of the proposed 6 km tram extension connecting central Vitoria-Gasteiz to the district of Zabalgana were released for public consultation on March 9.