Glasgow Subway tunnel improvement contract awarded
UK: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has awarded Freyssinet a five-year contract to undertake tunnel lining improvements as part of the second phase of the modernisation of the Glasgow Subway.
Marconi Express monorail opens in Bologna
ITALY: A 5∙1 km monorail linking Bologna’s Marconi Airport with the city’s main line station opened for revenue service on November 18.
Russia sets out national metro standards
RUSSIA: The Federal Agency for Technical Regulation & Metrology Rosstandart has formally approved the first part of a planned set of national standards for the construction and operation of metro networks.
More Île-de-France tram-trains ordered by SNCF
FRANCE: Alstom has been awarded a €70m firm order to supply Transilien SNCF with a further 13 Citadis Dualis tram-trains, funded by Île-de-France Mobilités.
St Petersburg orders PK TS trams
RUSSIA: St Petersburg tram and trolleybus operator Gorelektrotrans has awarded Tyazhpromleasing a 1·14bn rouble contract to supply 11 two-section and two three-section trams by March 2021. A rival offer submitted by Sberbank Leasing was 6m roubles higher.
Omsk trams unveiled
RUSSIA: Uraltransmash has unveiled the first of 20 Type 71-407 and four 71-412 trams to be supplied to Omsk by the end of the year.
Utrecht increases tram order
NETHERLANDS: The province of Utrecht has placed a firm order for five more trams, CAF announced on November 6. These follow on from the 49 which are currently being delivering under previous contracts.
De Lijn orders more trams for Antwerpen
BELGIUM: Vlaanderen transport operator De Lijn has placed a firm order for a further 17 CAF trams, exercising an option in its framework agreement covering up to 146 vehicles which was signed October 2017.
Consortium chosen to build first phase of Athens Line 4
GREECE: Attiko Metro has selected a consortium of Alstom, Greek construction company Avax and Italian tunnelling company Ghella to build the first section of Athens metro Line 4.
Delivery of next batch of Manchester trams begins
UK: Greater Manchester’s Metrolink is to take delivery of the first of 27 additional M5000 high floor light rail vehicles this month, with entry into service planned by Christmas. Further trams are then expected to follow at three to four week intervals.
Minsk’s third metro line opens
BELARUS: The third metro line in Minsk was officially inaugurated with a ceremony at Kaval’skaya Slabada station on November 6. Passenger services were due to start at 12.30 the following day.
Budapest tram extension approved
HUNGARY: The city of Budapest has approved plans to build a 2∙8 km tram route between Budafoki út/Dombóvári út and Szent Gellért tér, along the Buda side of the River Danube. Project management and delivery is to be undertaken by municipal development organisation BKF.
Lille funds tram renewal as expansion plans progress
FRANCE: The Lille municipal government has approved a provisional budget of €150m for replacement of the city’s tram fleet, as part of a programme to expand the capacity of the network.
Alstom awarded București metro Line M5 train contract
ROMANIA: București metro operator Metrorex has awarded Alstom a €100m contract to supply 13 trainsets for Line M5, with an option for another 17 which would take the value to an estimated €240m.
Transport for London and government agree six-month funding package
UK: Transport for London confirmed on the morning of November 1 that an agreement had been reached for the Department for Transport to make further emergency funding available to address the forecast shortfall in passenger revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pesa trams enter service with Tramwaje Śląskie
POLAND: Tramwaje Śląskie’s first Pesa Twist 2017N tram entered revenue service on October 23, operating on Route 36 from Brynów Huberta to Szopienice Pętla.
Tram access ramps offer obstacle detection and emergency options
NETHERLANDS: The Urbos trams which CAF is currently supplying to Amsterdam operator GVB are fitted with four Masats RF2 automatic ramps to provide access for passengers with reduced mobility.
London Underground deploys UV light escalator sanitisers
UK: As part of bespoke cleaning measures during the coronavirus pandemic, Transport for London is installing more than 200 UV light devices to sanitise the handrails on 110 London Underground escalators.
Liepāja tram unveiled
LATVIA: The first of 12 trams ordered for the city of Liepāja was unveiled at Croatian manufacturer Končar Električnih Vozila’s factory on October 25.
Further funding for English light rail services
UK: The government is making further funding of up to £67·8m available to support light rail services in England during the coronavirus pandemic.