Two Zhengzhou metro lines open
CHINA: The simultaneous opening of two new lines in Zhengzhou at 11.18 on December 26 has lifted the capital of Henan province from 22nd to 12th in the country’s metro rankings, with five lines in operation totalling 206·3 route-km
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.
Driverless line opening marks launch of Taiyuan metro network
CHINA: Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi with 4·3 million inhabitants, became the latest addition to the Chinese metro club when it opened its first line on December 26.
Toshkent metro expansion aims to cut road traffic, pollution and delays
UZBEKISTAN: A 7∙1 km extension of the Toshkent metro’s Chilonzor Line south from Olmazor to Quipchoq (Bekat-5) in the Sergeli district was inaugurated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on December 26.
Customer service focus in next Subte operating concession
ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires metro authority Subterráneos de Buenos Aires SE has agreed a new operating concession with the incumbent Metrovías, which is due to enter into force during the first quarter of 2021.
São Paulo tenders suburban operations
BRAZIL: The São Paulo state government has called tenders for the operation and maintenance of two busy suburban lines, under a programme intended to attract private investment for enhancements.
Qingdao opens two metro lines
CHINA: The northern section of Qingdao metro Line 1 and the first phase of Line 8 opened for revenue service on December 24, adding almost 70 km to the city’s expanding urban rail network.
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.
Sillim Line operating contract awarded
SOUTH KOREA: Concessionaire NamSeoul Light Rail Co has awarded a 329·5bn won contract to a joint venture of Hyundai Rotem and Gwangju Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corp for operation and maintenance of the Sillim Line automated light metro, which is due to open later this year.
New EMUs enter service as first Berlin S-Bahn concession starts
GERMANY: The first Class 483/484 EMUs for the Berlin S-Bahn network began running on route S47 in the early hours of January 1, as the route became the first in the city to be operated under a tendered contract.
Ningbo opens metro Line 4
CHINA: A fourth metro line serving the coastal city of Ningbo was opened for revenue service on December 23, following an inauguration ceremony attended by mayor Qiu Dongyao.
Chengdu metro tops 500 km as first driverless line inaugurated
CHINA: Chengdu now has the country’s fourth largest urban rail network, following the inauguration of five routes totalling more than 160 km.
Bangkok metro extension opens
THAILAND: Prime Minister Prayuth Cha-o-cha inaugurated an 9·8 km extension of the BTS SkyTrain Sukhumvit (Green) Line from Wat Phra Sri Mahathat to Khu Khot on December 16.
Bangkok Gold Line peoplemover opens
THAILAND: The first section of Bangkok’s Gold Line peoplemover opened for revenue service on December 16, with Prime Minister Prayuth Cha-o-cha presiding over the launch ceremony.
Wireless trams reach Luxembourg Centrale
LUXEMBOURG: An extension of the city of Luxembourg’s tramway 2 km south from Place de l’Etoile to the mainline interchange at Gare Centrale opened on December 13.
Taichung postpones Green Line opening amid ‘malfunction’ concern
TAIWAN: Commercial operations on the first line of the Taichung metro will not begin as scheduled on December 19, Mayor Lu Shiow-yen confirmed on December 14.
Paris extends Line 14 north to St-Ouen
FRANCE: Transport Authority Île de France Mobilités and operator RATP officially inaugurated the northern extension of driverless metro Line 14 on December 14.
Lund tramway opens up the ‘Science Road’
SWEDEN: Lund became Sweden’s fourth city to have a modern tram network on December 13, with the opening of a 5·5 km double-track line connecting the Central station to university facilities and the European Spallation Source.
Berlin U5 link unites east and west
GERMANY: A 2·2 km extension of Berlin metro Line U5 west from Alexanderplatz to Brandenburger Tor opened on December 4, and U5 absorbed the formerly-isolated U55 with trains now running through from Hauptbahnhof to U5’s eastern terminus at Hönow.
Metrolink operating contract awarded
USA: National passenger operator Amtrak has beaten four other bidders to win the next contract to operate Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Metrolink commuter services.