Siemens to upgrade København S-bane for driverless operation
DENMARK: Siemens Mobility has been awarded a €270m contract to equip the 170 km S-bane network in København for GoA4 unattended operations.
Tyne & Wear Metro level crossing safety hub
UK: Tyne & Wear Metro operator Nexus has recreated a level crossing to create a safety training tool to educate young people interacting with the light rail network radiating from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Beograd metro consultancy contract renewed
SERBIA: The city of Beograd has renewed RATP Dev’s ongoing contract to provide early operator assistance for the three-line automated metro project.
Iași tram contract signed
ROMANIA: The city of Iași has signed a 168m lei contract for Turkish company Bozankaya to supply 18 low-floor trams, co-financed by the National Recovery & Resilience Plan.
Lyon tram network to expand
FRANCE: Construction works for Line T9 of the Lyon tram network are poised to start in mid-2024 following the government’s decision at the end of February to grant transport authority Sytral Mobilités a Déclaration d’Utilité Publique. Preliminary works to move water pipes and other services are already in hand.
Paris tram network expands again
FRANCE: Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete joined Paris Transport Authority CEO Jean Castex, President of Île-de-France région Valérie Pécresse and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo at a ceremony on April 5 marking the opening of an extension of tram Line T3b across the northwest of the capital.
București tram contract finally awarded
ROMANIA: Electroputere VFU Pașcani is to supply 40 low-floor trams to București, after national arbitration body CNSC ordered the disputed contract to be awarded.
Milano transport operator targets French market
FRANCE: Executive Director Arrigo Giana tells Metro Report International about Milano transport operator ATM’s plans for international expansion.
Praha tram extension to support housing development
CZECH REPUBLIC: Praha city council has instructed transport operator DPP to draw up plans for a tramway extension to the Komořany district to support residential redevelopment on two former industrial sites.
Facial recognition ticketing to be expanded
RUSSIA: Moskva Metro reports that 100 million trips have now been made using biometric payment, with the Russian-made system having ‘proven its utmost security and reliability’ and further deployment planned.
Lyon operating contract aims to provide ‘exemplary’ metro and tram services
FRANCE: Lyon transport authority Sytral Mobilités has awarded the Paris transport operator’s RATP Dev subsidiary the next contract to operate and maintain the city’s metro, tram and funicular services for 10 years from January 1 2025, as well as a future river shuttle service which is to launch in June 2025.
Castor tram on test
RUSSIA: A Type 71-639 Castor tram developed by UKVZ has started dynamic testing in Chelyabinsk.
Dolderbahn rack railcar unveiled
SWITZERLAND: Stadler has delivered the first of two railcars which it is supplying to re-equip the Dolderbahn rack railway in Zürich.
Orléans open payment system goes live
FRANCE: Orléans Métropole has launched an open payment ticketing system on its tram and bus services, deployed by its long-standing ticketing technology partner Kuba in partnership with La Banque Postale.
Funding agreed for Milano metro extension and interurban tram refurbishment
ITALY: The national government has allocated €145m to help fund a 3·3 km western extension of Milano metro Line M1 from Bisceglie to Valsesia, Olmi and Baggio at an estimated cost of €543m.
Light rail safety guidance updated
UK: Following a comprehensive review the Light Rail Safety & Standards Board has updated the Tramway Principles & Guidance document.
New fleet and expansion proposed as Sheffield’s Supertram comes under public control
UK: Fleet renewal and network expansion are included in the ambitions South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority set out when it took over management of Sheffield Supertram following the end of Stagecoach’s operating contract.
Moskva Mayor plans driverless trams
RUSSIA: Moskva Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced ambitions to deploy smart technologies by 2030 to make the public transport network more reliable and the preferred option for mobility within the city.
Dogs and bikes added to ticketing app
TICKETING: Fairtiq has added the ability to buy tickets for dogs and bicycles to its swipe-in, swipe out rail and bus ticketing app covering Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Luxembourg: Luxtram eyes an expanding network
As Luxembourg City’s first modern light rail line nears completion, work is getting underway on two branches to form a second route. Two more routes are being planned, along with an interurban link to the country’s second city.