Tampere tramway operator Tampereen Raitiotie has exercised a €25m option for Škoda Group to supply 10 m modules to extend 11 of its existing 37 m long ForCity Smart Artic X34 trams by mid-2028. Škoda will also provide a 10-year full-service package. Managing Director Pekka Sirviö said ridership had grown faster than expected, and extension of the trams would increase capacity from 264 to 345 passengers.
Kinki Sharyo has awarded Saft a contract to provide nickel MRX onboard backup batteries for 92 eight-car trains for the future Cairo Metro Line 4. These are intended to power critical electrical systems such as communications, door opening and air-conditioning, for up to 1 h. Saft said it would be a particularly demanding application, as ambient temperatures could reach 50°C.
The UK‘s Light Rail Safety & Standards Board reports that its Tram Accident & Incident Reporting System is improving risk modelling by establishing a common language for incident reporting and enhancing a system to collect data from operators. ’This work has clearly identified collisions with pedestrians as the most immediate threat, prompting a national campaign that’s helping operators to remind people to be aware of their surroundings when close to tram tracks’, explained CEO Carl Williams.
At InnoTrans Škoda Group unveiled one of the 28 ForCity Smart 41T trams that it is supplying for Bonn operator SWB Bus & Bahn under a Kc4bn framework contract covering up to 38 vehicles.
New York MTA’s TrainTime app for planning trips and buying tickets for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North commuter rail services now incorporates an Avoided Carbon Calculator. ‘You can see first-hand how getting even one car off the road can make for a greener region’, commented Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi.
Transport for Greater Manchester has commissioned the Alzheimer’s Society to provide dementia awareness training for Metrolink and other transport workers. This will give staff an understanding of dementia, helping them to recognise signs and symptoms and equip them to respond to the emotional needs of a person with dementia.
On September 29 San Diego MTS hived off the outer end of its light rail line between El Cajon Transit Center and Santee Trolley Station as a stand-alone Copper Line, interchanging with Green and Orange line services at El Cajon. Operating the single-track line as a separate route is intended to prevent any delays impacting the rest of the network. MTS estimates that 8% of passenger trips on the Green Line would involve a transfer to or from the Copper Line, while the other 92% would benefit from the improved reliability.
Åsne Havnelid has been elected as Chair of Oslo transport operator Sporveien, and Stein Nilsen has joined the board.
Transport for London is trialling new signage and designs to highlight priority seats on Docklands Light Railway trains and encourage people to look up and offer their seat.