Urban transport news from the Americas – Page 18
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Metro Report InternationalBoston revises fare collection modernisation plan
USA: Following ‘critical feedback from riders, advocates and policymakers’, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced a revised Fare Transformation programme which it said would combine ‘meaningful improvements’ to existing payment systems with a phased approach to the deployment of a new system ‘that better represents the needs ...
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Metro Report InternationalBogotá Regiotram de Occidente contract awarded
COLOMBIA: A contract to design, build and operate the 39·6 km Regiotram de Occidente inter-urban commuter line linking Bogotá with its western suburbs was signed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp on Janaury 7. The subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corp was sole bidder for the ...
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Metro Report InternationalBART board approves CBTC, connectivity and security programmes
USA: The award of a $798m contract for Hitachi Rail STS USA to roll out communications-based train control on the San Francisco Bay Area’s BART metro network was approved by the operator’s board on January 9, along with projects to improve passenger connectivity and deploy security staff. ...
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Metro Report InternationalDART awards Stadler’s first US maintenance contract
USA: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has awarded Stadler a $112m contract to maintain the fleet of diesel multiple-units which it is to supply for the Silver Line project, along with the associated depot. DART awarded Stadler a $199m contract to supply eight ...
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Metro Report InternationalMonterrey expands metro fleet
MEXICO: The state of Nuevo León has awarded CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co a contract to supply 26 articulated light metro trainsets to Monterrey. The contract was finalised in December and deliveries are scheduled for 2021. The trainsets will be used on Metrorrey lines 1 and 2 ...
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Metro Report InternationalAirTrain JFK peoplemover contract renewed
USA: Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has renewed Bombardier Transportation’s contract to operate and maintain the AirTrain JFK peoplemover at John F Kennedy International Airport. The contract announced on December 30 is worth $309m over five years. Bombardier was part of the consortium responsible ...
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Metro Report InternationalFree Lyft rides from train to plane at Ontario International Airport
USA: As part of a programme to increase public transport’s share of surface access to Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles, passengers can now claim free travel with app-based taxi service Lyft between the airport and four Metrolink commuter rail stations. The $396 000 pilot programme is ...
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Metro Report InternationalSão Paulo Line 15 extended further
BRAZIL: An extension of São Paulo metro Line 15 from Jardim Planalto to São Mateus opened to passengers on December 16. Services initially run only on weekdays between 10.00 and 15.00, with full operation due to begin in January. Test running started on November 11. The three-station ...
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Metro Report InternationalCRRC tests first Chicago Series 7000 metro cars
USA: A pre-series build of 10 Series 7000 metro cars for Chicago Transit Authority has started testing at the CRRC Qingdao Sifang plant in China. The vehicles are due to undergo a year-long test phase in Chicago to demonstrate their reliability before series deliveries start at the end of 2020.
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Metro Report InternationalRio suburban trains slowly return to service after traction fault
Photo: Benjámin Zelki BRAZIL: Six more electric multiple-units returned to service on the SuperVia suburban rail network serving Rio de Janeiro on December 2, after being taken out of service in November because of traction equipment faults. SuperVia withdrew 40 of its CRRC-built EMUs from service on ...
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Metro Report InternationalSouth Korean consortium to build third Panamá City metro line
PANAMA: Metro de Panamá has selected a South Korean consortium as preferred bidder to carry out civil works on the capital’s third metro line. The HPH joint venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co, POSCO and Hyundai Engineering Co has been chosen for the 54-month contract. It ...
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Metro Report InternationalBYD to supply 379 electric buses to Bogotá
COLOMBIA: Bogotá transport authority TransMilenio has ordered 379 electric buses from BYD, the Chinese supplier announced on November 15. The first vehicles from what BYD says is its largest order for the Latin American market would be delivered in mid-2020, and would enter revenue service in September. ...
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Metro Report InternationalWork to resume on São Paulo metro Line 6 as Acciona comes on board
Photo: Benjámin Zelki BRAZIL: São Paulo State Transport Secretary Alexandre Baldy has confirmed that Acciona intends to buy a majority stake in the Move São Paulo consortium, so that construction of São Paulo metro Line 6 can resume. Construction of the 15·3 km north-south route also known ...
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Metro Report InternationalRio de Janeiro tram network completed
The first phase of the tramway opened in 2016. BRAZIL: The final section of the VLT Carioca tram network in Rio de Janeiro was inaugurated on October 26, with passenger services beginning at noon. The opening of 1·3 km of new alignment adds a third route to ...
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Metro Report InternationalHurontario light rail contract awarded
CANADA: Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have awarded Mobilinx Hurontario General Partnership a C$4·6bn contract to develop the Hurontario light rail project to the west of Toronto. Mobilinx was selected as preferred bidder last month for the design-build-finance-operate-maintain PPP concession. This includes 30 years of operations and maintenance ...
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Metro Report InternationalBogotá metro concessionaire selected
COLOMBIA: The APCA Transmimetro consortium was announced as preferred bidder to build and operate the first phase of the Bogotá metro on October 17. The contract is expected to be signed within 45 days. APCA Transmimetro comprises China Harbor Engineering Co, Xi’an Metro Co, CRRC ...
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Metro Report InternationalStudy indicates $7bn cost to restore New York suburban link
Photo: J M Calisi The Long Island Rail Road closed its Rockaway Beach Branch in 1962. USA: New York MTA released in early October a pre-feasibility study into a possible reopening of the former Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in Queens. The ...
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Metro Report InternationalMiami-Dade orders Proterra battery buses
USA: Miami-Dade has agreed to purchase 33 Proterra Catalyst E2 battery-electric buses and up to 75 plug-in chargers. ‘Florida is one of the most vulnerable areas in the country to climate change, and Miami is working tirelessly to lower its greenhouse gas emissions’, said Mayor Carlos Giménez. ...
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Metro Report InternationalGamifying transport planning in San Diego
USA: San Diego Metropolitan Transit System has launched the Vision Builder Challenge which allows the public to show their support for different transport investment options. This forms part of the Elevate SD 2020 public engagement programme, which MTS will use to decide whether to put a transport ...
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Metro Report InternationalMixed success in São Paulo
The São Paulo urban rail network is expanding as the city’s suburbs grow rapidly. But some projects are stuck, and solutions need to be found to deal with overcrowding. Benjámin Zelki reports.