Hitachi Rail awarded Philadelphia metro train contract
USA: The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority board has approved a $724·3m contract for Hitachi Rail to supply 200 metro cars to replace the current fleet on Philadelphia’s Market-Frankford Line.
New trains and CBTC to increase Bilbao metro capacity
SPAIN: Metro de Bilbao has announced a €736m plan to increase capacity by 12% by upgrading its metre-gauge network and replacing its oldest vehicles.
Orange Line heads for Bangkok centre
THAILAND: The government has approved a 13·4 km extension of Bangkok Orange Line west across the city centre, awarding Blue and Purple line operator Bangkok Expressway & Metro a 140bn baht 30-year public-private partnership contract for construction and operation on July 18.
Madrid metro Line 6 to go driverless
SPAIN: Metro de Madrid has announced more details of its plans for the automation of the 23·5 km, 28-station circular Line 6, which is the busiest on the network with an average of 618 000 passengers on weekdays.
Mail by metro train trial
SINGAPORE: Singapore Post and operator SMRT are testing the use of metro trains for moving post.
Art and architecture mark Napoli metro Line 6’s return
ITALY: Napoli metro Line 6 reopened on July 17, 11 years after services were suspended.
Singapore metro operator co-develops diplomas to upskill staff
SINGAPORE: SMRT Trains and Nanyang Polytechnic have co-created two diplomas to support the development of talent for the transport sector.
Baghdad metro consultancy contract awarded
IRAQ: The city of Baghdad has awarded a contract for the provision of project management and supervision services for the US$17·5bn metro project.
Carbon fibre metro trainset to enter service
CHINA: CRRC Qingdao Sifang has unveiled its six-car Cetrovo 1.0 Carbon Star Express metro trainset, which features carbon fibre composite bodyshells, bogies and other load-bearing structures.
Australasian rail industry study tour to visit London and Paris
INTERNATIONAL: The Australasian Railway Association is organising a study tour to London and Paris the week before InnoTrans, to provide delegates with insights into topics including interoperability, high speed rail, sustainability, infrastructure development and operations, as well as networking opportunities with industry leaders.
Tyne & Wear Metro SCADA contract awarded
UK: Tyne & Wear Metro operator Nexus has selected Sella Controls to undertake a £8·8m two-year project to replace the Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition System which is used to manage the network’s high and low voltage power supplies, fire and intruder alarms, lighting, lifts, escalators and tunnel drainage pumps.
Hamburger Hochbahn signs €2·8bn deal for CBTC and trains offering a ‘completely new experience’
GERMANY: Hamburg city transport operator Hamburger Hochbahn has signed a €2·8bn framework agreement for Alstom to supply up to 374 metro trainsets and communications-based train control equipment.
Siemens Mobility awarded Berlin U-Bahn CBTC contract
GERMANY: Berlin transport operator BVG has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply communications-based train control to support Grade of Automation 2 attended semi-automated operation on metro lines U5 and U8.
São Paulo metro Line 6 train design revealed
BRAZIL: Alstom and São Paulo Metro Line 6 (Orange) PPP construction and operating concessionaire Linha Universidade have unveiled the design for the 22 six-car trainsets to be supplied for the future 15·3 km route.
Belo Horizonte operator orders CRRC metro trains
BRAZIL: Belo Horizonte metro operating concessionaire Metrô BH announced the purchase of 24 four-car metro trainsets from CRRC on June 10.
Paris metro Line 14 extended north and south
FRANCE: The length of Paris’ driverless metro Line 14 was more than doubled on June 24, when President Emmanuel Macron joined transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités and operator RATP to inaugurate northern and southern extensions
King inaugurates København M4 extension
DENMARK: The southern extension of København’s automated metro Line M4 serving the Sydhavn and Ny Ellebjerg districts was formally inaugurated by King Frederik X on June 22.
Revenue services start on Singapore’s East Coast Line
The fourth stage of the Thomson-East Coast Line was opened for revenue service on June 23, serving seven new stations in the southeast of the island.
Delhi Metro and RITES seek metro opportunities
INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp and Indian Railways’ consultancy business Rail India Technical & Economic Service are to jointly explore opportunities in the mass rapid transit sector in India and abroad.
BART warns that its funding model is no longer feasible
USA: The Bay Area Rapid Transit board has approved a two-year budget which maintains service levels and staffing, but it has warned that the San Francisco-centred network’s current fare-based funding model is no longer feasible.