This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector.
Modertrans Poznań delivered the first of 12 Moderus Gamma 100% low-floor trams to Tramwaje Szczecińskie’s Pogodno depot in Szczeciń on January 28. The cars are being supplied under contracts signed in December 2024 and February 2025. The three-section, 32 m long bidirectional vehicles have a capacity of 194 standing and 46 seated passengers and feature LED lighting.
The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development is providing a €110m loan extension to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to help complete construction of the 13 km Umraniye - Atasehir - Göztepe metro Line M12 on the Asian side of the city. The project includes outreach initiatives to women, young people, people with disabilities and residents from underserved districts, with an on-the-job training programme enabling 200 young people to gain hands on experience in sustainable transport, building on the previous efforts that supported the training of 400 young women.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric has attended the unveiling of the first of five three-car EMUs ordered from CRRC Qingdao Sifang by national operator EFE. The trains will be used to increase capacity by 20% during peak hours on the Limache – Puerto suburban service in the Valparaíso area.
Construction has begun on a 3·3 km three-station extension of Milano metro Line M1 from Bisceglie to Olmi. The €362·4m project is being undertaken by the Consorzio Eteria consortium of Itinera, Vianini Lavor, and ICOP, with Società Benefit, Ghella and CMB Società Cooperativa. The extension is expected to take six years and three months to complete.
Transport for London is exploring options for the full replacement of the passenger information system on the Underground’s Victoria Line to address obsolescence and improve long term supportability.
Amsterdam transport operator GVB now offers personalised lift and escalator disruption notifications through its app. ‘Being able to travel independently starts with reliable information’, GVB said. Information about lifts and escalators managed by ProRail at shared stations is to be added this year.