Urban rail – Page 381
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NewsIle-de-France tram leasing package
FRANCE: A €378m leasing package that will enable regional transport authority STIF to acquire 107 vehicles for new light rail routes in the Ile-de-France region was announced on November 7. Deliveries to operator RATP are now underway for completion in 2014. With a term of 33 years, the package includes ...
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NewsChicago L upgrade package announced
USA: A $646m contribution by the state of Illinois to complete a $1bn funding package for a major overhaul of Chicago's Red and Purple metro lines was announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn on November 3. The grant from Illinois' 'Jobs Now!' capital programme will be combined ...
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NewsSeattle tramway to be electrified in only one direction
USA: The City of Seattle has selected Czech firm Inekon and its local assembly partner Pacifica Marine to supply six cars for a short tram line planned to connect First Hill with the future Capitol Hill light rail stop and the Chinatown/International District. The Inekon-Pacifica partnership was one of three ...
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NewsTver assembles first metro car body
RUSSIA: Transmashholding's Tver Carriage Works completed its first metro car bodyshell in October. After assembly the Type 81-760 intermediate car shell was transported by road to TMH's Metrovagonmash plant for fitting out before delivery to Moscow Metro. Metro cars are a new area of activity for the TVZ plant, which ...
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NewsVossloh tests Tramlink light rail vehicle
SPAIN: Vossloh España has begun testing of a prototype Tramlink light rail vehicle at its Albuixech plant outside Valencia. Developed at a cost of €20m, Tramlink is designed for both surface and underground operations; Spanish metre-gauge operator FEVE has ordered four units for the future tram-train network in León. Built ...
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NewsAutomated trains launched on Paris Line 1
FRANCE: The first automatic trains to operate in revenue service on Paris metro Line 1 were officially launched on November 3 by RATP Chairman & CEO Pierre Mongin, at an event attended by Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport & Housing Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, and Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France ...
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NewsRedlands Passenger Rail Project preliminary engineering and environmental services contract awarded
USA: San Bernardino Associated Governments has awarded HDR an 18-month contract to provide preliminary engineering and environmental services for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project in California. The proposed commuter service between San Bernardino Intermodal Transit Center and the University of Redlands would use a 14 km former ...
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NewsWork set to begin on Rio de Janeiro Line 3
BRAZIL: Construction of Rio de Janeiro metro Line 3 is set to begin by the end of the year for opening in 2014, the Brazilian Ministry of Works has announced. An existing 23 km suburban rail alignment between Niterói, São Gonçalo and Itaboraí will be converted to metro standards, and ...
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NewsSin Bundang Line opens
SOUTH KOREA: Revenue services on the Sin Bundang Line between Jeongja and Gangnam near Seoul began on October 28, after flooding in July had delayed the opening of the route, branded as the DX Line. Work on the largely underground route with six stations began towards the end of 2005. ...
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NewsAlger metro inaugurated
ALGERIA: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika officially inaugurated the country’s first metro line on October 31, paving the way for the start of revenue operation. Under construction for almost three decades, the first phase of Alger metro Line 1 links Haï el Badr in the southeast to Tafourah Grande Poste in the ...
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NewsValenciennes tram extension
FRANCE: Ceremonies on September 16 launched construction of the €105m third phase of the Valenciennes tramway. Due for completion in 2013, the 15·5 km single track Anzin - Vieux-Condé Line 2 will have 22 stops. Colas Rail is undertaking railway works, Spie electrification and Ineo Rail signalling and telecoms. It ...
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NewsKarlsruhe orders Vossloh tram-trains
GERMANY: Vossloh has won a €75m contract to supply Karlsruhe transport operators VBK and AVG with 25 Citylink NET 2012 tram-train vehicles from October 2013. The deal signed on October 25 includes an option for up to 50 more of the low-floor cars. They are to be supplied through ...
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NewsThree consortia shortlisted for Ottawa light rail project
CANADA: The City of Ottawa and Infrastructure Ontario announced the three bidders shortlisted for the C$2·1bn Ottawa Light Rail Transit project on October 21. Ottawa Transit Partners: Vinci, Acciona, Bombardier Transportation, Aecon Construction; Rideau Transit Group: ACS Infrastructure Canada, SNC-Lavalin, Dragados Canada, EllisDon, Veolia Transportation Services; Rideau Transit Partners: ...
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NewsMetro Los Teques Line 2 contract signed
VENEZUELA: The Consorcio Linea 2 consortium of civil engineering firms Odebrecht and Vinccler has awarded the Grupo de Empresas consortium of Alstom (61%), Colas Rail (22%) and Thales Transportation Systems (17%) a €530m contract to supply railway systems and rolling stock for the second phase of Metro Los Teques. Built ...
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NewsBasel chooses Bombardier to supply 60 trams
SWITZERLAND: Basel transport operator BVB named Bombardier Transportation as preferred bidder to supply 60 trams on October 25. Following the regulatory standstill period, the contract for the fleet of Flexity Basel trams is expected to be signed in early November. The first two are scheduled to arrive in 2013 ready ...
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NewsCompleting the Circle
SINGAPORE: The 33·3 km Circle Line was completed with the opening of stages four and five between Marymount and HarbourFront on October 8, adding 17 km and 12 stations to the driverless metro line. The line is operated using 'medium capacity' three-car trains, with SMRT Corp expecting to be ...
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NewsNamma Metro inaugurated in Bangalore
INDIA: The first section of the Bangalore metro, now branded Namma Metro ('our metro'), was opened by Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on October 20. The 6·7 km elevated 'Reach 1' from Byappanahalli to Mahatma Gandhi Road forms the eastern section of the 18·1 km east-west line, serving six stations. ...
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NewsIstanbul awards Asian metro contract
TURKEY: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has awarded lowest bidder Dogus Insaat ve Ticaret a €564m contract covering civil and electrical works for a second metro line on the Asian side of the city. Rapid construction is envisaged for completion by the end of 2014. Starting at the Üsküdar ferry terminal, the ...
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NewsHelsinki metro automation delayed
FINLAND: On October 21 the European Investment Bank signed an agreement to lend up to €250m to Helsinki public transport operator HKL to support a five-year programme to modernise the metro and bus networks to increase capacity and improve environmental standards. This includes upgrading of the depots, track and ...
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NewsCSR invests in stainless steel welding
CHINA: A new design of stainless steel metro car bodyshell was unveiled by CSR Zhuzhou last month. The company has been investing in resistance spot and laser welding techniques to improve the production of stainless steel vehicles, which it assembles from 5 000 stainless steel plates with more than ...
