Rail skills and innovation collaboration
UAE: A strategic partnership to develop rail sector skills and innovation in the UAE and the wider region has been agreed by Dubai metro and tram operator Keolis MHI and the UK’s University of Birmingham, which has a campus in Dubai.
Easier ticket gates for Paris and Egypt
TICKETING: One of the 1 200 custom-designed ticket gates that Easier is supplying for the Grand Paris Express automated metro project was on show at the Transport Ticketing Global event in London.
Istanbul’s Sirkeci – Kazlıçeşme ‘light rail’ line opens
TURKEY: A ‘light rail’ line on the alignment of the former railway to the historic Sirkeci station on the European side of Istanbul was opened by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan February 26.
Izmir metro extension opens
TURKEY: Passenger-carrying pre-operation started on the 6·5 km western extension of Izmir metro Line 1 from Fahrettin Altay to Sehitlik on February 24 with a ceremony attended by Izmir Mayor Tunç Soyer.
Haifa – Nazareth light rail contract winner announced
ISRAEL: The Ministry of Transport & Road Safety and project promoter Trans Israel have selected the Group Three consortium of Alstom, Electra and Minrav for a PPP contract to finance, design and construct the railway systems and rolling stock for the Nofit Light Rail line and operate it for 25 ...
Baghdad metro and Najaf – Karbala railway plans announced
IRAQ: The National Investment Commission has begun procurement for two contracts to design, finance, build, operate, maintain and transfer a seven-line metro network in Baghdad and a Najaf – Karbala railway.
İzmir opens third tram line
TURKEY: A 12 km long tram extension opened in İzmir’s Çiğli district on January 27 with a ceremony attended by Mayor Tunç Soyer.
Dubai considers elevated pod platoons
UAE: Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding to work with Urban.MASS on an operational pilot of its Floc Duo Rail concept for platoons of driverless electric pods running on an elevated track.