This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector.
Modertrans Poznań has unveiled the first of 10 Moderus Beta M30 partially low-floor 15 m long bidirectional trams which were ordered by Tramwaje Śląskie in February 2025. The car has a capacity of 90 passengers, including 20 seated, with wi-fi and USB charging ports.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland has launched procurement for the two major civil works design and build packages for the Dublin MetroLink automated metro project. Contract M401 covers the Southern Section (Charlemont to Northwood) and M402 the Northern (Northwood to Estuary). Following the pre-qualification stage shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit detailed tenders; they may apply for one or both lots but can only be awarded one contract.
Heads of terms for the construction of a 44 km electrified commuter railway between Asunción and Ipacaraí were signed during a meeting between President of Paraguay Santiago Peña and President of the UAE Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This establishes the framework for a 30-year concession to be awarded to a company that would be jointly created by national railways Fepasa and Etihad Rail, with construction to begin in early 2027 for completion in 2030. ‘It is a major and ambitious project that will require an investment of US$450m. It will make use of our clean, renewable energy resources, which is extremely important for our country’, said Minister of Industry & Commerce, Javier Giménez.
More than 560 people from over 70 companies in 20 countries took part in NTA - Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd’s Tel Aviv Metro Pre-Qualification Conference at the end of February. The €50bn metro programme includes three lines with 109 stations and 150 km of tunnel.
Seattle’s Sound Transit has appointed Aecom to three multiple-award task order contracts covering design, planning, environmental, project and construction management services for the light rail, commuter rail and bus networks.
Paris transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilités is to call tenders in 2027 for three bundled contracts to operate tram services from 2030, covering T1 and T2; T3a, T3b and T5; and T6, T7 and T8.
Public consultations have favoured the Option 2 alignment for the planned Wrocław tramway extension from Księże Małe to Księże Wielkie. This runs for 2 km along Krakowska and Opolska streets, from Aleja Armii Krajowej to a terminus at Księże Wielkie, with four stops. Opening is planned for 2030. The project also includes doubling of the currently single-track section between Głubczycka and Księże Małe, which will improve reliability on the southeastern part of the network.
The Porte de Versailles terminus of Paris tram line T2 reopened on February 28 after being rebuilt to enable serves to run every 3½ min at peak times.
Colin Kerr, Technical Engineer and non-executive director at the UK’s Light Rail Safety & Standards Board and former Head of Safety and Projects at Edinburgh Trams, has been appointed to the Light Rail Standards Committee which will review existing documentation and agree on formal sector-wide standards covering everything from infrastructure design to employee wellbeing policy, as well as setting priorities for future guidance.