Urban rail – Page 371
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NewsPhoenix West light rail extension route approved
USA: The Maricopa Association of Governments approved the route for the proposed Phoenix West light rail extension on July 25. Environmental assessment and preliminary design work can now begin, with opening envisaged by 2023. The 18 km route starts at the existing Metro light rail line in central Phoenix, running ...
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NewsCancún tram-train feasibility study commissioned
MEXICO: Spanish metre-gauge operator FEVE is to undertake feasibility studies for a new tram-train network serving Caribbean resorts between Cancún and Tulum. FEVE is to study a route linking Cancún with Cozumel, Solidaridad, Benito Juárez, Isla Mujeres and Tulum, serving an area containing some of the most important tourist destinations ...
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NewsLisboa airport metro extension opens
PORTUGAL: A 3·3 km extension of the Lisboa metro's Red Line from Oriente to the international airport opened on July 17. The extension adds new stations at Moscavide, Encarnação and Aeroporto. Predicted ridership is 400 000 passengers/year, with the route serving the Moscavide and Olivais residential areas as well ...
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NewsSiemens ships Bangkok metro cars
THAILAND: Siemens has begun shipping 35 additional metro cars ordered by Bangkok SkyTrain operator BTS to lengthen its existing trainsets from three to four cars to ease overcrowding. The first batch of four cars is scheduled to arrive at Laem Chabang Port from Germany on August 20. Following testing and ...
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NewsHangzhou Metro Line 1 PPP contract signed
CHINA: The National Development & Reform Commission has approved a public-private partnership contract covering the supply of electrical and mechanical systems and the operation of Hangzhou Metro Line 1. The first of eight planned metro lines in the city is under construction for opening later this year, with 31 stations ...
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NewsMetrolink orders 20 more light rail vehicles to replace original fleet
UK: An order for 20 more Bombardier M5000 high-floor light rail vehicles which will enable the withdrawal of Metrolink's original fleet of Firema T68 cars in 2014 was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester on July 17. Bombardier and electrical equipment partner Vossloh Kiepe are already supplying 74 M5000 LRVs, ...
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NewsAnsaldo STS licenses catenary-free tram technology for Chinese market
CHINA: Ansaldo STS has signed a 'strategic agreement' to license its TramWave catenary-free light rail technology to a joint venture of CNR Dalian and Taiwanese firm General Resources Co. Announcing the agreement on July 16, Ansaldo STS said it was 'proud to have had the opportunity to build excellent relationships' ...
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NewsCasablanca tram operating contract awarded
MOROCCO: Casablanca transport authority Casa Transports has selected a consortium of RATP Dev, Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion du Maroc and Transinvest to operate and maintain the tramway which is scheduled to open on December 12. The five-year contract announced on July 13 is worth €70m, plus a further ...
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NewsBombardier and Uralvagonzavod sign Russian tram and metro technology agreement
RUSSIA: Bombardier Transportation and Uralvagonzavod signed an agreement to jointly develop metro trains and trams on July 12. Metro trains will be 'specifically designed for the challenging requirements' of Moscow and other cities in the CIS region, while Bombardier will provide UVZ with a licence to manufacture low-floor trams with ...
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NewsRATP Dev to operate Washington DC Streetcar
USA: District of Columbia Department of Transportation has selected a subsidiary of Paris transport operator RATP to operate and maintain the 3·3 km tramway under construction in Washington DC. The line on H Street and Benning Road with seven stops is scheduled to open by the end of 2013 ...
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NewsStadler awarded Berlin U-Bahn contract
GERMANY: Berlin transport authority BVG has selected Stadler Pankow to produce two small-profile metro trains as a pilot for the replacement of the current A3L71 fleet. The pre-production Type IK trainsets will be delivered for trials by 2015. If successful, there is an option for series production of up to ...
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NewsCuiabá tramway turnkey contract signed
BRAZIL: The VLT Cuiabá consortium has signed what it says is the first turnkey contract for the construction of a tramway in Latin America. The R$1·48bn deal covers two lines in Cuiabá which are planned to open in time for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. VLT Cuiabá comprises ...
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NewsDongguan metro train order signed
CHINA: CSR Nanjing Puzhen is to supply 20 six-car trainsets for the future Dongguan Rail Transit metro Line R2. The 860m yuan contract signed on June 26 requires the first train to be delivered by the end of December 2013, with all 20 to arrive by February 2015, in time ...
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NewsThessaloniki metro extension bids submitted
GREECE: Four prequalified consortia submitted technical and financial bids for the construction of the second phase of the Thessaloniki metro project by the July 6 deadline. The bidders are: AEGEK/Impregilo/Seli/Ansaldo STS; Aktor; Terna/Alpine Bau/FCC Construcción; J&P-Avax/Ghella/Alstom Transport SA. Project manager Attiko Metro expects to selected ...
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NewsSecond tram line opens in Orléans
FRANCE: Orléans tram Line B was officially inaugurated on June 29, with regular services starting the following day. Line B runs 11·3 km from St-Jean-de-Braye in the east to La Chapelle-St-Mesmin in west, with 25 stops including an interchange at Place de Gaulle with the 17·9 km north-south Line A ...
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NewsBucuresti metro extension contract
ROMANIA: Bucuresti metro operator Metrorex has awarded a joint venture of Italian firm Astaldi (40%) and three local companies a €164m contract to design and build a 2 km extension of Line 4 from Parc Bazilescu to Straulesti. The extension will be constructed using a TBM, with work scheduled to ...
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NewsStockholm maintenance deals move responsibility to contractor
SWEDEN: Stockholm transport authority SL has awarded Strukton Rail new contracts totalling €340m to maintain the 106 km metro network and 65 km Roslagsbanan narrow gauge commuter line. The contracts run for five years from January 2013, with an option to extend for a further four years. They place ...
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NewsRoma metro opens Line B1
ITALY: Metropolitana di Roma has started commercial services on Line B1, which forms a northern branch off the existing Line B between Laurentina and Rebibbia. Diverging from a junction at Bologna, Line B1 currently runs for 3·9 km to Conca D'Oro. Designed to carry 24 000 passengers/h, the branch took ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - July 2012
Following a study of the Kolkata tramway undertaken by the Institute of Urban Transport, India’s Ministry of Urban Development has asked states to consider the use of trams for metro feeder services or to replace bus rapid transit. As part of a €12m street remodelling scheme, Stadtwerke München has begun ...
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NewsCeremony marks start of Sarmiento tunnelling
ARGENTINA: What Minister of the Interior & Transport Florencio Randazzo described as ‘the most important railway project of the last 100 years’ was officially launched in Buenos Aires on July 2. Under plans announced in 2006, a 33 km tunnel is to be bored between Moreno and Caballito in order ...
