Szeged tram-train deliveries underway
HUNGARY: Stadler’s Valencia site has delivered the first of 12 Citylink light rail vehicles ordered for the 22 km Szeged – Hódmezővásárhely tram-train line, which is scheduled to open in September.
Black Country very light rail innovation centre under development
UK: The Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation has been formed to oversee the development and operation of a very light rail innovation centre in Dudley, and has appointed law firm Higgs & Sons to advise on corporate governance and other legal matters.
Wenshan tram delivered
CHINA: CRRC Zhuzhou has delivered the first of 15 trams for the tramway which is under construction in the city of Wenshan in the southeast of Yunnan province.
Berlin tram extension approved
GERMANY: Final planning approval has been granted for a 2·1 km extension of Berlin tram route M10 from the Hauptbahnhof to Turmstraße U-Bahn station on Line U9.
CarGoTram freight tram service comes to an end
GERMANY: The CarGoTram freight tram service which carried automotive parts to a Volkswagen factory in Dresden has ended, following the car manufacturer’s adoption of a revised logistics approach with the switch from production of the e-Golf car to the all-electric ID.3.
Phoenix South Central light rail grant awarded
USA: The Federal Transit Administration has approved a $529·8m funding package from the Capital Investment Grants programme for Phoenix’s Valley Metro’s $1·35bn South Central Light Rail Extension/Downtown Hub project.
Kaohsiung LRT extended as Citadis X05 trams enter service
TAIWAN: Two more sections of the 22·1 km circular light rail line under construction in Kaohsiung were opened for passenger service on January 12, increasing the operational length to 12·8 km and adding a further nine stops.
Route map to help light rail promoters understand the project development process
UK: Industry association UK Tram has published a ‘route map’ to help the promoters of light rail schemes understand and progress through the planning process.
Tram-train project knowledge shared through learning hub
UK: A ‘learning hub’ has been launched to share information and experiences gained from the design, construction and operation of the UK’s first modern tram-train service.
Corsair narrow gauge tram delivered to Kaliningrad
RUSSIA: PK TS’s first Type 71-921 Corsair tram has been delivered to Kaliningrad for testing on the city’s metre gauge network.
Additional support for Edinburgh Trams and Glasgow Subway
UK: The Scottish Government has announced a further £8m of emergency funding for the Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams in response to the on-going financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Istanbul opens first section of Golden Horn tramway
TURKEY: The first section of Istanbul tram line T5 alongside the Golden Horn waterway opened on January 4.
Toronto Finch West light rail maintenance contract awarded
CANADA: The Mosaic Transit joint venture which holds the PPP concession to design, build, finance and maintain Toronto’s Finch West Light Rail Transit line has subcontracted Bombardier Transportation to provide 30 years of infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance services.
Mostaganem tram starts test running
ALGERIA: Test running on Mostaganem tram route T2 began on December 31, ahead of an expected opening in the first quarter of 2021.