Urban transport modes – Page 294
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NewsHelsinki starts automated metro tests
FINLAND: Three Helsinki metro M100 trainsets equipped for automatic operation by Siemens started test running on August 21. Final approval was given by TÜV Rheinland. The trains will initially retain a driver on board, before drivers are phased out between late 2015 and the end of 2016. The first ...
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NewsMaking TRAX for Draper
USA: The final stage of Utah Transit Authority’s FrontLines 2015 light rail expansion project has opened. Regular service on the 6·1 km Blue Line extension to Draper Town Center started on August 18, following the official inauguration two days earlier. The three-stop extension runs south from Sandy Civic Center, ...
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NewsWaterloo signs light rail vehicle contract
CANADA: Bombardier Transportation announced on August 21 that it had signed a C$66m contract to supply 14 Flexity Freedom light rail vehicles to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. The trams will be used on the 19 km Stage 1 of the ION light rail line that is scheduled to open ...
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NewsLondon Tramlink orders more Stadler trams
UK: London Tramlink has awarded Stadler Pankow a firm order to supply a further four Variobahn trams for the light rail network centred on Croydon. The additional Variobahn cars trams are to be built at Stadler's plants in Berlin and are scheduled to enter service from 2015. The £10·2m contract ...
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NewsBuenos Aires metro extension opens
ARGENTINA: Revenue services on a 1·6 km extension of Buenos Aires metro Line B began on August 15. Inaugurated by Mauricio Macri, head of the Buenos Aires city government, the extension from De Los Incas/Parque Chas to Juan Manuel de Rosas has one intermediate station at Echeverría. Opening ...
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NewsShenyang tramway opens
CHINA: The Shenyang tramway opened on August 15, in time for the 12th National Games being held in early September. Revenue service is to begin on September 15, with free travel in the interim. Lines 2 and 5 are fully open, and Line 1 is partly open. Line 3 is ...
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NewsHouston light rail extensions have more funding approved
USA: Congress has approved $189m for two light rail projects in Houston, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced on August 12. Half of the money will go towards the North/Red Line extension and the other half towards the Southeast/Purple Line. The funding is part of the $900m Full ...
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NewsSiemens to supply signalling on Alger metro extension
ALGERIA: Entreprise Métro d’Alger has selected Siemens to supply signalling for the extension of Alger metro Line 1. The contract is worth €20m and includes training of staff in the new system. The extension will be equipped with Siemens Trainguard MT communications based train control, permitting automatic train operation. ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief
Seine-Amont Développement has appointed consultant Barton Willmore to advise on regeneration opportunities from a planned 10·4 km tram line to Paris Orly Airport. The UK government has agreed to devolve responsibility for three inner-suburban rail services out of London Liverpool Street station to Transport for London, which would ...
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NewsMaryland Purple Line to be a PPP project
USA: Maryland’s first public-private partnership in the public transport sector will be the Purple Line light rail route, Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley announced on August 5. The 25·7 km east–west Purple Line would link New Carrollton in Prince George’s County and Bethesda in Montgomery County, with 19 intermediate ...
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NewsEcoTram starts test running in Wien
AUSTRIA: A Siemens Ultra Low Floor tram equipped with technology to reduce energy consumption has begun test running in passenger service in Wien. The ULF tram will operate on Route 62 until May 2014. As part of the EcoTram project, the tram has been equipped with intelligent control units ...
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NewsSiemens awarded Gurgaon metro extension contract
INDIA: IL&FS Rail has awarded Siemens a €70m turnkey contract to supply electrification, signalling and rolling stock for the 6·5 km Gurgaon metro Phase II extension. The six-station extension to the standard-gauge line is due to open in late 2015 or 2016. It will have a capacity of 30 ...
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NewsBydgoszcz selects preferred bidder for tram extension
POLAND: The Tramwaj Fordon subsidiary of Bydgoszcz city council has named a Gotowski-led consortium as preferred bidder to build a new 9·5 km tram line to the Fordon district. The mostly Polish consortium comprises Gotowski, Mosty Łódź, Feroco, Tor-Krak, Kobylarnia and Czech construction company Metrostav. Its bid of 290m ...
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NewsDetroit streetcar construction contract awarded
USA: Project promoter M-1 Rail Corp selected Stacy & Witbeck as construction manager and general contractor for the M-1 light rail project in Detroit, it was announced on July 31. The company beat four other bidders. Also known as the Woodward Avenue Streetcar, the 5·3 km line would run ...
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NewsBratislava orders more Škoda Transportation trams
SLOVAKIA: Bratislava transport authority DPB placed a €36·8m firm order for 15 Škoda Transportation Type 29T trams on July 31. This is an option on a €39m contract for an initial 15 Type 30T cars which was signed on July 18. The Type 29T will be a unidirectional version of ...
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NewsTrams on test in Samara
RUSSIA: The first six of eight BKM-62103 trams being supplied to Samara by Belarusian manufacturer Belkommunmash are now on test in the city. Each tram is required to run for at least 100 km before being accepted for service. The 1 524 mm gauge single-section 40% low-floor cars are expected ...
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NewsCharlotte starts work on Blue Line extension
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 18 for the extension of Charlotte’s LYNX Blue Line. The 15 km extension will link Center City with the University of North Carolina campus via North Davidson, adding 11 stops and almost doubling the length of the Blue Line when it opens ...
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NewsKinkiSharyo to open California factory following Los Angeles order
USA: The Los Angeles Metro board approved the exercise of two options to purchase a total of 97 light rail vehicles from KinkiSharyo International on July 25, triggering a contract provision which requires the supplier to establish a factory in LA County. The $396·7m firm order follow from an initial ...
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NewsBuenos Aires buys Metro de Madrid trains
ARGENTINA: Metro de Madrid announced on July 29 that it has sold 73 metro cars to Buenos Aires metro authority SBASE for €28m. The contract includes an additional €4·6m for spare parts and technical assistance. This is the third time that Metro de Madrid has sold cars to Argentina. ...
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NewsMumbai metro Line 3 approved
INDIA: The government gave the go-ahead for Mumbai metro Line 3 at the end of June. The 33·5 km standard-gauge line running underground between Colaba, Bandra and Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone is expected to cost Rs231·36bn, with work to start this year for completion by March 2019. ...