France: On January 23 RATP was due to inaugurate its station on RER Line D serving the Stade de France stadium.
RATP has announced plans to provide mobile telephone coverage at all main interchange stations, and all metro Line 1 stations, by the end of the year; stations are being fitted out by Bouygues Telecom, SFR and France Telecom.
Germany: On December 20 BVG inaugurated tram services over a 750m extension from Weidendammer Brücke to the Berlin U-Bahn and S-Bahn interchange at Friedrichstra§e.
Luxembourg: Bombardier has demonstrated one of its Saarbrücken cars in Luxembourg in support of plans for a tramway; LRVs would run through from CFL tracks onto a 10 km north-south tram route through the city centre.
Poland: Hyder Consulting is part of a consortium led by Price Waterhouse carrying out a review of engineering requirements for a 15 km rapid tram route across the city of Krakow.
Singapore: GEC Alsthom has won a S$265m contract to build 25 six-car EMUs for the Land Transport Authority’s 20 km North East line; first delivery is due in early 2001. Groundbreaking for tunnelling took place on November 25.
Spain: Valencia Railways (FGV) has presented the regional government with a 1998 investment plan that includes Pts5·7 to complete the Alameda - Avinguda section of metro Line 5 and Pts900m for the extension of Line 4. Pts1bn has been earmarked for the acquisition of additional light rail vehicles.
USA: Baker Heavy & Highway Inc, a subsidiary of Michael Baker Corp, has won a $14·5m contract to lay 11route-km of track on Washington’s Green line - the last section of Metro’s 165 km system.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on December 4 for Marta’s $45·3m North Springs station, the final stop on the North line due to open in December 2000.
BART has installed colour CCTV on 80 of its cars to reduce graffiti and vandalism, which cost the agency $1·6m a year.
St Louis region transit planners are examining options for a planned 12 km light rail extension to Shrewsbury; limited funds of $350m make an underground route from Forest Park through University City and Clayton unlikely - a surface option would cost about $319m. The line is planned for completion in 2004.
Salt Lake City’s TRAX light rail line could open early, as work is six months ahead of schedule; UTA has confirmed that opening could well be before the scheduled inauguration date in March 2000.
