This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector.
CAF delivered the last of 28 light rail vehicles for Maryland‘s Purple Line project on November 19. The LRV assembled in Elmira, New York state, has a capacity of 430 passengers included 80 seated and up to eight wheelchair users. ’This milestone underscores the tremendous progress the Purple Line has made in 2025’, said Purple Line Senior Project Director, Ray Biggs II. ‘Every milestone we reach brings us closer to delivering a more accessible and better-connected region.’
The city of Busan has announced that the Busan Train eXpress rapid transit project had passed the Korea Development Institute’s feasibility study which approved the project to be delivered as a 4·77tr won build-operate-transfer scheme. The 54 km line is to link the proposed Gadeok International Airport, which is to be built on an island southwest of the city, to Osiria in the eastern suburbs, via the city’s main station; an end-to-end journey would take 33 min. The municipality aims to deploy hydrogen multiple-units currently being developed as part of a national research and development programme. The city hall plans to call for private sector bids in the second half of next year.
RATP Group’s Director of Operation & Maintenance Gautier Brodeo became President of the International Association of Public Transport on November 21, after Renée Amilcar stepped down early to focus on her role as President & CEO of Mobilité Infra Québec. Transport for London’s Chief Safety, Health & Environment Officer Lilli Matson is UITP’s new Deputy President. Both will serve until the next UITP General Assembly in June 2026.
Hong Kong’s MTR Corp held a topping-out ceremony on November 19 to mark the substantial completion of civil works for Kwu Tung station on the East Rail Line, its first station to be built on top of an operating railway. The project will now fully enter the electrical and mechanical works stage, with the project team using 2 h after daily train services end to expedite internal fitting-out, E&M and building services installations while minimising the impact to daily operations. Completion is planned for 2027.
On November 17 Chilean national railway EFE reported the shipping of four more three-car electric multiple-units from the port of Qingdao. They are being supplied by CRRC Qingdao Sifang to boost capacity on the two-line Biotrén suburban rail network serving Concepción.
Sweco has signed a framework agreement to provide rail systems, safety, energy, construction and architecture services to Oslo metro, tram and bus operator Sporveien. The agreement announced on November 19 runs to July 2027, with the possibility of extension for up to six more years. The total scope of the agreement is estimated at up to NKr500m, with projects to be awarded through mini-competitions between six suppliers.
Transport for London is to directly award Sydac contracts to upgrade cab simulators it supplied for London Underground’s Central and Victoria lines. The proposed upgrades include hardware replacement, software migration to Windows 11 and integration with the existing Ogre Vision platform.
The opening date of Wien metro Line U5 from Karlsplatz to Frankhplatz has been pushed back by four years until 2030. Operator Wiener Linien expects this to generate savings of up to €20m.