Urban transport modes – Page 314
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NewsPrototype metro trains and more trams approved
GERMANY: The board of Berlin urban transport operator BVG approved plans to order two prototype metro trains and exercise an option for a further 39 trams at its meeting on June 22. The Land of Berlin is to provide €158m to fund an order for new U-Bahn trains to replace ...
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NewsBerlin S-Bahn split to go ahead
GERMANY: Meeting on June 19, the Berlin Senate voted to push ahead with controversial proposals to split the city’s S-Bahn network into three separate businesses in order to introduce competition when tendering the next round of operating concessions. Bids are expected to be called later this month for a ...
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NewsEnergy storage offers Macau metro 10% saving
CHINA: Hitachi is to supply 15 lineside battery energy storage systems for the rubber-tyred light metro under construction in Macau. Hitachi says this will be the first metro to use lineside battery energy storage along its entire route, and it expects this to reduce electricity consumption by ...
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NewsWork starts on Midland Metro extension
UK: Work on the extension of the Midland Metro light rail route that will link Snow Hill and New Street stations in the centre of Birmingham was launched by Transport Minister Norman Baker on June 13. With utility diversion now underway, the 1·4 km route running via Bull Street and ...
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NewsMetrolink trams reach Oldham Mumps
UK: Manchester Metrolink light rail services reached Oldham on June 13 with the opening of an 11·5 km line from Manchester Victoria under Phase 3a of the £1·4bn Future Metrolink expansion programme. Serving seven intermediate stops, the route follows almost entirely the alignment of the former Network Rail line between ...
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NewsKlang Valley rapid transit bids submitted
MALAYSIA: Project promoter Mass Rapid Transit Corp has received bids to supply trains, signalling, depot equipment and platform screen doors for the 51 km Sungai Buloh - Kajang MY Rapid Transit line which is under construction for opening in 2017. Changchun Railway Vehicles, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive and a Siemens/SMH ...
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NewsDanes to order EMUs in public transport boost
DENMARK: New electric multiple-units and additional double-deck coaches for København commuter services are included in a DKr2·6bn investment package announced by Transport Minister Henrik Dam Kristensen on June 12. The investment forms part of a package of proposals to boost the use of public transport agreed by the government with ...
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NewsWaterloo light rail engineering consultant appointed
CANADA: The Regional Municipality of Waterloo has appointed Parsons Brinckerhoff as its general engineering consultant for the C$818m project to build a 19 km light rail line and a 17 km bus rapid transit network. The light rail line would run from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall ...
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NewsPrimove induction powered tram trial proves a success
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation has successfully completed testing of its Primove catenary-free power system on a branch of the Augsburg tram network. Primove uses cables between the rails to produce magnetic fields which induce electric current for traction power in pick-up coils mounted underneath the vehicle. The tests were ...
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NewsTram ticket lottery
KAZAKHSTAN: In an attempt to reduce the problem of discarded tickets around tram stops, and attract more riders, Pavlodar Tramways has launched a 'lucky ticket' lottery. Passengers are being encouraged to keep their tickets in order to check the numbers against a list of winning tickets to be published ...
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NewsChicago's South Red Line to be rebuilt
USA: Chicago Transit Authority has announced details of what it says is the one of the biggest projects in its history, a $425m 'complete reconstruction' of the track and trackbed on the southern section of the L metro Red Line between Cermak-Chinatown and 95th/Dan Ryan. The project includes upgrading the ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - June 2012
As sole bidder, incumbent Veolia Transport has been awarded a nine-year contract to operate the public transport network in the French city of Saint-Etienne from July 1. The contracting authority is to pay €287m a year, while Veolia has agreed to contribute €1m towards the acquisition of three new trams ...
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NewsAlstom signs Schwebebahn ETCS signalling contract
GERMANY: Wuppertal transport agency WSW Mobil has awarded Alstom a €17m contract to provide Atlas 400 ETCS Level 2+ signalling for the modernisation of the Schwebebahn suspension monorail. Alstom will supply trackside and onboard equipment for the 13·3 km line, 20 stations, two depots, 31 new articulated trains being supplied ...
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NewsJohn Holland awarded Sydney light rail extension contract
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has selected John Holland to design and build the 5·6 km Inner West Light Rail extension in Sydney. The A$176m extension from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill will take over the infrastructure of an existing freight line. The contract announced by state Premier Barry O'Farrell ...
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NewsNew York subway R179 car order signed
USA: Bombardier Transportation announced on June 4 that New York MTA had signed the $599m order for 300 metro cars for the New York subway. The MTA board had selected lowest bidder Bombardier as its preferred supplier on March 28. The R179 series cars are to be built at Bombardier's ...
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NewsSiemens plans Thai manufacturing venture
THAILAND: A joint venture for local passenger vehicle production has been agreed between Siemens and Cho Thavee Dollasien Ltd. The two parties are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding this month paving the way for a 50:50 partnership. Speaking in Bangkok on May 22, Siemens Mobility CEO Hans-Jörg Grundmann ...
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News
Groundbreaking launches Central Mesa light rail construction
USA: A ceremony on May 30 officially marked the start of construction of the $200m Central Mesa light rail extension of the Valley Metro in Phoenix, Arizona. The Valley Transit Construction joint venture of Kiewit, Mass Electric and Parsons Transportation Group is expected to begin main works shortly under a ...
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NewsBraunschweig orders Solaris trams
GERMANY: Solaris Bus & Coach has been awarded a contract to supply 15 Tramino low-floor trams to Braunschweig, where they will replace 30-year old cars which do not meet modern accessibility requirements. The customised trams for Braunschweiger Verkehrs AG will be unidirectional vehicles around 36 m long, with each of ...
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NewsHo Chi Minh City metro line 1 construction contract signed
VIETNAM: A contract for the construction of the first stage of Ho Chi Minh City metro line 1 was signed on May 16, paving the way for main works to begin in September. The 17·1 km elevated section between Ben Thanh Market and Suoi Tien Park with 11 stations is ...
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NewsJoint venture formed to run Algerian tramways
ALGERIA: A joint venture company to operate and maintain tram lines in Algeria has been formed by the RATP Dev subsidiary of Paris transport operator RATP (49%) and local organisations Entreprise du Métro d'Alger (30%) and Etablissement Public de Transport Urbain et Suburbain d'Alger (21%). The joint venture will operate ...