China: Shanghai metro Line 1’s extension from Jinjiangleyuan to Xinzhuang opened on December 28. In conjunction with Monotraction Pty Ltd of Australia, a 13 km feeder costing US$300m is proposed from Xinzhuang to Shanghai’s Minhang suburb by 1998.
Germany: Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund has identified a Frankfurt outer ring route for development as Stadtbahn, S-Bahn or peoplemover. It would run from line S5 at Friedrichsdorf to Eschborn and Sossenheim, follow S3 to Hoechst, then cross the Main to reach Sportfeld and continue to Neu Isenburg.
Bilfinger & Berger, Hochtief, Bouygues, Philipp Holzmann and Wayss & Freitag have begun a five-year contract to build a 1·8 km city centre tunnel for Düsseldorf’s Grafenberg - Bilk light rail route.
Chemnitzer Verkehrs AG has ordered 23 Variobahn light rail vehicles from Adtranz; bodies are to be produced by DWA’s Bautzen factory.
Great Britain: A £1·5m modernisation project has begun at LU’s Tottenham Hale station, funded in part by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund.
AEG Automation Systems Ltd has won a subcontract for 120 Uninterruptable Power Supply Systems for LU’s Jubilee Line Extension from electrical contractor Drake & Scull. GIBB Ltd has secured the design contract for Croydon’s Tramlink light rail network. Merz & McLellan and Nick Derbyshire Design Associates have been retained as mechanical and electrical engineering and architectural consultants respectively.
Malaysia: Commercial service on the first 12 km phase of Kuala Lumpur’s Star light rail line between Ampang and the city centre began on December 16 with 5min interval services. The 15 km second phase is to open in 1998.
Pakistan: Japan has agreed to lend ´30m for project work on Line 1 of Lahore’s proposed light rail network.
Romania: The European Investment Bank has authorised an initial ECU20m installment of an ECU100m loan to fund modernisation of the Bucuresti metro. Investment priorities include acquisition of 108 cars and completion of a 3·3 km extension from Gara de Nord to 1 Mai.
Sweden: Storstockholms Lokaltrafik is to withdraw weekend all-night services introduced in 1993 on the T-bana. The move follows problems with vagrants, drug addicts, drunks and graffiti taggers.
Vietnam: The Ministry of Transport has received a proposal by Dresden University for a two-line regional metro serving Ho Chi Minh City. Total investment for the 117·6 km network is put at US$10bn.
