CRRC Tangshan has unveiled the first of the 100% low-floor trams developed for Nanping, where a two line network totalling 68 km is currently under construction.
On January 7 Los Angeles Metro took delivery of the last of 235 P3010 high floor LRVs which were ordered from Kinki Sharyo International in 2012 at cost of $1·02bn. Deliveries from a new Kinki Sharyo plant in Palmdale began in October 2014.
Gujarat Metro Rail Corp has awarded Ardanuy Ingenieria and RITES a contract to design the electrification power supply for the planned 40 km two-line metro in Surat and the 28 km second phase of the Ahmedabad metro.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority has awarded JSM Construction Group a S$34·3m contract to fit out the already-constructed station box for Hume station on the Downtown Line. Opening of the additional station is planned for 2025.
Sole bidder Vesta Management Co has begun work on a 914m rouble contract to build a 2·5 km extension of the Krasnodar tram network northwards in the central reservation of Moskovskaya Ulitsa. The double track extension will have five stops, a loop, a traction substation and pedestrian underpass.
The Southwest LRT Green Line extension from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie may not open in 2023 as planned, the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council warned on January 14. It said the Lunda-McCrossan Joint Venture had encountered poor soil conditions which required alternative construction methods to complete the cut-and-cover tunnel in the Kenilworth corridor, while further time was needed to design and build a 1·6 km wall to segregate the light rail line from freight trains using BNSF’s Wayzata Subdivision.
On December 29 Tramwaje Śląskie and the Centre for EU Transit Projects signed a 40m złoty co-financing agreement for the third stage of a 600m złoty project to modernise 3 km of tramway infrastructure and 13 stops, and to purchase a rail grinder and specialist maintenance vehicles.
With a view to generating more non-fare revenue, Kolkata’s Metro Railway has decided to offer branding rights for nine of its stations.
Nottingham tram operator NET has introduced the Trambot chatbot service, which can handle a range of questions 24 h a day or transfer customers to an agent during office hours. It has also begun using WhatsApp as a channel for enquiries. ‘We’ve been listening to customers about how they want to communicate with us, and WhatsApp is very popular’, said Customer Service Manager Constantina Samara. ‘We’re keen to embrace the latest social media whenever it provides an effective way for customers to keep in touch.’
Delhi Metro Rail Academy has opened a four-storey training centre equipped with simulators for training staff in train driving, rolling stock maintenance and electrical and signalling works. It includes facilities for video conferencing, civil engineering demonstrations, a model of a station control room, a library, canteen, auditorium and a yoga and meditation room.
The UK’s Light Rail Safety & Standards Board has published a guide to tramway signage and other safety-critical markings, drawing on best practice from across the sector.
The Moscow city government has launched six mobile vaccination units based at metro stations for use by the employees of the city’s s transport organisations. ‘Our employees are always on the front line, and their safety is our priority. The vaccination will prevent the spread of the virus, and trips will become safer for our passengers as well’, said Deputy Mayor for Transport Maxim Liksutov.