THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE

www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com

DECEMBER 2014 No. 924 DALLAS: FLYING HIGH THE AMERICAN WAY

Kaohsiung: LRT adds to an enviable green reputation Dubai and Suzhou welcome the tram United Manchester unlocks funds Paris ‘Tram Express’ plan expands ISSN 1460-8324 £4.10 Bernard Garner Pyongyang 12 Reflections on three Tramway operations decades at Nexus in North Korea 9 771460 832036 2015 INTEGRATION AND GLOBALISATION BOOKING NOW! www.tautonline.com June 17-18, 2015: Nottingham, UK

London, 7 October 2015 492 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association DECEMBER 2014 Vol. 77 No. 924 www.tramnews.net EDITORIAL 498 EDITOR Simon Johnston Tel: +44 (0)1733 367601 E-mail: [email protected] 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tony Streeter E-mail: [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR 505 Michael Taplin Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. E-mail: [email protected] NEWS EDITOR John Symons 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST9 0LW, UK. E-mail: [email protected] SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR Neil Pulling WORLDWIDE CONTRIBUTORS Tony Bailey, James Chuang, Paul Nicholson, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Bill Vigrass, Andrew Moglestue, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Vic Simons, NEWS 492 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: PYONGYANG 511 Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. Dubai and Suzhou open their first tramlines; The tramway in North Korea’s capital is PRODUCTION Lanna Blyth Manchester Airport line opens and funding little known by outsiders. TAUT studies its Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] approved for Trafford Park; Paris Tangentielle diverse operations. DESIGN becomes Tram Express; Boston order sees Debbie Nolan China’s CNR break into US market. MAGDEBURG ON THE MEND 516 ADVERTISING More than a year following devastating COMMERCIAL MANAGER COMMENT: OVERSEAS INSPIRATION 497 floods after the River Elbe broke its banks, Geoff Butler Is UK high-speed and urban rail connectivity the clean-up operation continues. Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] inspiration just across the Channel? Alistair PUBLISHER Gordon from Keolis UK believes it is. WORLDWIDE REVIEW 517 Howard Johnston Austria’s Stern & Hafferl Lokalbahn to reach Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the DART TAKES FLIGHT 498 Klosternplatz; trams return to Toronto’s LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. The ambition of North Texas is epitomised Queens Quay; work begins on 40km LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY by the opening of the line to Dallas/Fort Shanghai tramway; consultation starts Brian Lomas Worth International. Vic Simons reports. for second Angers tramline; tunnelling E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] finished for Stuttgart’s new tram subway. LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) KAOHSIUNG: THE GREEN MODEL 505 Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up James Chuang examines Taiwan’s first MAILBOX 521 members of the Light Rail Transit Association. tram project, which builds upon the city’s Guided busways have their place; and the SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES reputation for visionary urban planning. Light Rail Transit Association chairman on LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. why now is the time for trams to flourish. Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 ‘ALL ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS’ 508 BACK ISSUES Retiring Tyne and Wear transport authority CLASSICS 524 Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 Chief Executive Bernard Garner shares his The UK’s Crich celebrates 50 electric years, PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION thoughts with TAUT. with a parade that spanned the decades. Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE High technology and common-sense thinking c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 Last month we spoke about thinking big, and there is no finer example than in England and Wales. the new Dubai Tramway. This 10.6km (6.6-mile) line is a demonstration LRTA CHAIRMAN of what can be achieved when budgets are less of a concern and strong Andrew Braddock leadership drives projects. With automatic platform screen doors, 100% E-mail: [email protected] catenary-free operation, integrated smart ticketing and sharp, modern LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN design, it shows what LRT can deliver to a forward-thinking city. Following the Paul Rowen September 2009 opening of the state-of-the-art Dubai Metro, this Emirate surely must LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: now lay claim to being the most advanced in terms of urban rail, anywhere. c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 Elsewhere, the first tramline opened in Suzhou, China, on 26 October, one of the first in England and Wales. examples of a myriad of technology transfer agreements and licensing deals we have © LRTA Publishing 2014. seen from rolling stock manufacturers and domestic suppliers over the past three years. Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also With locally-built trams based upon the Bombardier Flexity 2, the smart new vehicles are later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution just the beginning for this Chinese mega-city, which has plans for a further five routes. is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of In the UK, the debate on integration and de-regulation has seen calls for more cities LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. to have Transport for London-style powers to give a better deal to passengers in terms of No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in greater choice and lower fares. Our Mailbox has been filled with this debate recently and any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and it is interesting that the Institute for Public Policy Research think-tank calls the retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from de-regulation of bus services in many UK cities a ‘failure’. Are we finally getting the the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the message that integrated transport should come under the remit of local authorities to magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. determine their own priorities? If so, we’ll finally be joining the rest of the world that understood this concept decades ago! Simon Johnston, Editor COVER: Inauguration of the fully catenary-free Dubai tramway took place on 11 November. Alstom

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 491 News Dubai: High-tech trams in service Although later than planned, Alstom-supplied tramway is a technical tour de force

BELOW: Alstom has chosen a n 11 November His purpose built facility near the added, taking the route further diamond-themed design for the Citadis Highness Sheikh Dubai Police Academy. inland to the Mall of the Emirates. 402 it has supplied to Dubai. Alstom Mohammed Bin Reflecting the city’s impressive Drawing from its experience of Rashid Al Maktoum, growing skyline, the nose styling commercial sponsorship on the INSET: Gold class passengers benefit OPrime Minister and Ruler of of the Citadis has a distinctive metro, the RTA is reported to be from more space and luxurious Dubai, officially inaugurated angular design. Alstom is also considering similar opportunities seating, compared to standard class what is claimed to be the world’s responsible for maintenance of on the tramway. seating (rear of image). Alstom most advanced tramway in the system for a period of 13 years Dubai, UAE. Running along in a contract awarded in 2012. the Al Sufouh Road, the fully Construction of the tramway catenary-free 10.6km (6.6-mile) began in 2008, designed to reduce line has 11 stops and connects the significant traffic along the major traffic generators such as Al Sufouh Road, especially at the Burj Al Arab Hotel area, Dubai weekends, and forms part of a Media City, the Marina and the wider plan for further urban metro. Passenger services on the rail extensions in the Emirate. first tramway in the Gulf region Integration of the Nol smartcard began the next day; it is projected is key to the system, with a flat to carry 75 000 passengers/day. fare of AED3 (EUR0.65) charged The turnkey project has been for the first two classes, with delivered by Alstom (including Gold class fares being AED6 tracklaying, signalling using (EUR1.30); off-tram ticketing is the Urbalis CBTC system, used with passengers having to communications systems, ‘tap in’ and ‘tap off’ at designated ticketing systems as well as a booths at stations. Passengers fully-integrated control centre) must have a minimum balance of and uses a fleet of 11 44mCitadis AED7.5 stored on their Nol card 402 low-floor vehicles, allied to before embarking on a journey. the manufacturer’s APS ground- Operating hours are 05.30-0.00, supply power system. The trams with an average claimed route were assembled at Alstom’s La speed of 20km/h (12.5mph). Rochelle facility in France. Two of the four elevated stops, The system includes many Jumeriah Lake Towers and Dubai technological advances, Marina, offer interchange with including air-conditioned stops the Metro Red line, and transfer with automatic platform screen is free if the passenger uses the doors, as well as ‘tropicalisation’ next mode of transport within of the trams to cope with 30 minutes. There is currently no temperatures of up to 50°C and such interchange offering for the extreme humidity and sandy Jumeriah Monorail. conditions. Maintenance and Phase two sees another 4km storage of the trams is at a new (2.5 miles) and eight stations

M-1 Rail chooses Inekon NEWS IN PICTURES M-1 Rail, the non-profit minimise its impact on the Nottingham honours organisation leading the aesthetics of Detroit’s iconic world champion project to build the USD140m Woodward Avenue, and also One of Nottingham’s new Alstom 5.3km (3.3-mile) streetcar line we will not have the labyrinth Citadis vehicles has been named along Detroit’s Woodward of wires overhead at the Penske after local sporting hero and Avenue, has awarded a USD30m Technical Center. The ‘off- boxing world champion, Carl contract to Inekon Group for wire’ technology also enhances Froch. The IBF and WBA World six low-floor vehicles capable safety and enables faster Super-Middleweight title-holder of catenary-free operation over maintenance and repair due to unveiled the name during a around 60% of the line between safe, but simpler, procedures special ceremony at The Forest tram stop on 16 October. Larned Street and West Grand for technicians.” The first Citadis to enter Boulevard. The new system To comply with Buy America service was named after will connect to regional requirements, M-1 Rail said Nottingham’s nurse of the Amtrak services and Detroit’s it was looking at potential year, Julie Poulter; there are automated peoplemover. manufacturing sites in plans to name all of the 22 The 22m long, 2.6m-wide Southeast Michigan. additions to the fleet over bi-directional units will have The streetcars’ final design, the coming months. lithium-ion batteries and as well as future contracts ABOVE RIGHT: Four-time super-middleweight champion Carl Froch on regenerative braking. M-1 Rail with US-based or Michigan 16 October. He said: “Travelling on a tram that carries my name was another Chief Operating Officer Paul suppliers, will be announced highlight on a day that I’m sure I will never forget.” Nottingham City Council Childs said: “M-1 Rail will as the project proceeds.

492 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Mauritius light Suzhou opens first tramline, rail goes ahead The government of the work underway on line 2 Republic of Mauritius has selected a partnership of Indian Chinese city launches with locally-built vehicles based on the Flexity 2 construction company Afcons Infrastructure and Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF he Chinese city of Suzhou to build a 25km (15.5-mile) light (urban population rail line linking Victoria Station 5.4 million, located in the capital St Louis and the in Jiangsu province) residential district of Curepipe. Topened its first tramline on 26 Much of the route will use former October, with 12 500 passengers railway alignment. carried on the first day. From 12- The contract is worth 21 October 50 000 tickets were USD786m (backed by an Indian provided for local residents. government loan), and with The 18.1km (11.2-mile) line work starting at the end of 2014, serves the south-western Gaoxin the line should open in October district, running west from 2018; 31 LRVs will be required to Suzhou Leyuan – which offers provide the service. interchange with metro line 1 – The scheme is designed to to Longkanglu and is the first of offer motorists an alternative to six planned routes. Construction the increasing traffic congestion took just over two years. Chinese-manufacturer Flexity 2 trams for the new service in Suzhou line up in in the corridor; there will be five The 11-stop route is mostly at the depot ahead of passenger services beginning on 26 October. Bombardier park-and-ride sites along the grade, apart from a section under route. The government has a main road and a 1km (0.6-mile) Construction of line 2 with Bombardier in July 2012. been advised by Singaporean elevated alignment over a major began in July; it is planned to The 32m five-section vehicles company Aurecon. highway. Services run every ten open in late 2016. have a passenger capacity of 382 minutes in the peak and every CSR Nanjing Puzhen has and have a maximum speed of 20 minutes at other times. End- supplied 18 100% low-floor 70km/h (43.5mph). to-end journeys take around bi-directional trams based The manufacturer also has NEWS IN PICTURES 45 minutes; a further 11 stops upon the Flexity 2 under a orders for low-floor, catenary-free are to open in the future. licensing agreement signed vehicles in its home city, Nanjing.

Canberra releases LRT business case The first two Vossloh Citylink trams for Karslruhe ready to start Capital Metro released its light in Mitchell and AUD65m passengers will reach the city demonstration passenger service rail business case in November, (EUR44.7m) for vehicles. in 25 minutes. on 18 October. A. Schmidt claiming AUD1.20 (EUR0.83) Development of the line will Over 15 000 journeys/day Karlsruhe Citylink in benefits for every AUD1 see AUD120m (EUR82.5m) of are projected by 2021 and over enters service (EUR0.69) invested. associated road and utilities 20 000 by 2031, with a weekday The new 80% low-floor Vossloh The 12km (7.5-mile) first works. Construction could frequency of ten minutes Citylink trams were launched for phase will link the Australian begin in 2016. (07.00 to 18.00) and more public service on 18 October with capital’s city centre with The business case estimates frequent services at peak times. free circular tours around the city. the fast growing suburbs that 16km (ten miles) of The deadline for expressions Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe of Gungahlin via Northbourne roads in the catchment of interest in stage one of what (VBK) has ordered 25 of the 37.2m cars at a cost of EUR75m, with an Avenue and Flemington area experience significant could become a city-wide option for a further 50. The trams Road with 13 stops. congestion, leading to a travel network is 19 December. are approved for both BOStrab Costs are projected at time from Gungahlin of Keolis Downer has already and EBO operation, becoming the AUD783m (EUR538.7m), between 35 minutes and 45 put together a consortium with first low-floor car to achieve this. including AUD173m minutes in the morning peak. Bombardier as the tram supplier They will be used on city routes (EUR119m) contingency. It is estimated that without to bid for the design-build- and AVG lines S1/11 (Hochstetten – Figures include AUD59m tram services, this could reach operate-maintain contract Bad Herrenalb/Ittersbach). (EUR40.6m) for a depot 57 minutes by 2031, while tram over a 20-year concession.

Bombardier reveals Riyadh Innovia Metro designs Bombardier Transportation consortium, Bombardier is ADA is leading the presented the final designs supplying 47 two-car driverless implementation of the Riyadh for Riyadh Metro line 3 trains Innovia Metro 300 trainsets for Metro project, covering six lines to Prince Turki Bin Abdullah line 3 (Orange). with a total route length Bin Abdulaziz, Governor of The cars will have three classes of 176km (109.4 miles) Riyadh and Chairman of of accommodation: first class for being constructed at a cost Stylish rail vehicle design has project promoter the ArRiyadh families and single passengers, of USD22.5bn. The ANM become the norm for projects in the Development Authority (ADA) family-only, and single consortium is delivering line 3 MENA region, and the latest design of in late October. As part of the passengers only. Each car will (Orange) as a turnkey contract the Innovia Metro 300 continues in this ArRiyadh New Mobility (ANM) have three doors per side. worth USD5.9bn. mould. Bombardier

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 493 News

Bydgoszcz Swing ahead of schedule Manchester’s ‘historic’ The Tramwaj Fordon subsidiary of Bydgoszcz city council (Poland) welcomed a prototype PESA Swing on 30 October, six month of expansion months ahead of schedule. The city ordered 12 100% low- Airport line opens and funding gained for new Trafford Park link floor 30.1m, 2.35m-wide trams for PLN109m (EUR25.8m) earlier this year for use on the 9.5km etrolink’s new (5.9-mile) Fordon extension. GBP400m line Series deliveries are due in 2015. to Manchester Contact-free in London Airport opened to More than one million journeys passengersM on 3 November, over were made using contactless 12 months ahead of schedule. Test payment cards and devices only trams had started a ghost service a few days after Transport for between Cornbrook and the London launched the new way to airport every 12 minutes, on 20 pay for transport in September. There have been over 250 000 October. From Cornbrook trams instances per day of customers connect with Altrincham, East touching a contactless payment Didsbury or Eccles line trams to card or device on readers across the city centre. The St Werburgh’s transport in the UK capital. Road to Cornbrook section will Ostrava accessibility plan see a tram every six minutes, Tenders have been invited for double the current frequency. ten 25m and five 33m low-floor The journey time from the trams under the New Wheelchair airport to Cornbrook will be 45 Accessible Tram 2015 project minutes, and a 300-space park- for delivery in 2016. The Czech and-ride facility will open at the city operates a 65km (40.4-mile) Sale Water Park stop, located just 15-route network, but currently off Junction 6 of the M60. The only around 20% of the city’s 14.5km (nine-mile) Airport line public transport has floors Manchester Airport Metrolink stop on opening day, 3 November. TfGM suitable for easy disabled access. brings the size of the Metrolink network to 92.5km (57.5 miles), destinations including Old Manchester, one in which they Hamburg U-Bahn tender serving 92 stops. Trafford, the Imperial War can look forward to the sort of Tenders have been invited for the More than 1000 people had Museum North, Trafford Park seamless travel they may have supply of 40-80 new Hamburg commented on plans for a line to Village, Parkway, EventCity and experienced in London moving U-Bahn trains from 2019. The tender specifies 40m-long Trafford Park when the 12-week the Trafford Centre. from the Tube to bus. trains, able to work in formations consultation period expired, Under the devolution scheme, “The deal also unlocks access of up to three sets, with a with an 89% positive reaction Greater Manchester will get a to very substantial amounts minimum curve radius of 60m, to the 5.5km (3.4-mile) line, democratically-elected Mayor and of funding – providing more maximum speed of 80km/h which will run from the existing the power to introduce a London- certainty and the ability to plan (50mph) and ‘passenger friendly’ Pomona stop on a largely off- style system of bus franchising ahead. Not only that, it means gangways between vehicles. street route through Trafford (subject to consultation). The we can move ahead with the The 750V dc third rail trains also Park to the Trafford Centre. deal also unlocks access to longer- construction of the Metrolink require equipment for semi- automatic train operation. The extension has secured term local transport budgets with line through Trafford Park to the GBP350m as part of a wider access to as much as GBP900m Trafford Centre, a scheme which North Star launches new devolution deal for Greater over 30 years, dependent on will benefit thousands of people Middle East office Manchester, announced on 3 economic performance. and many businesses in the area.” North Star Consultancy opened November. TfGM is now due to Councillor Andrew Fender, The six-month trial to allow a new Dubai office in October; submit a Transport and Works Chair of the Transport for Greater accredited mobility scooter Mariana Kajen will lead the office Act Order application; works Manchester Committee, said: users to travel by Metrolink was as Managing Director of the region. The firm has had a presence in the could begin in 2016. “Today’s historic announcement extended to 1 December, with region for more than five years. The Trafford Park line could marks nothing less than a new TfGM expected to agree a more comprise six stops near key era for commuters in Greater permanent scheme in November.

MBTA order sees CNR break into US market

On 21 October Massachusetts The first of the 248 cars will Governor Deval Patrick arrive in early 2018: 152 will go announced that CNR Changchun to the Orange line and 132 to the had been awarded a USD566.6m Red line. There is an option for a MBTA order for rapid transit cars further 58 Red line cars, which for the Red and Orange lines in would be delivered by 2023. Boston. CNR Changchun has The project budget is An artist’s offered to use a USD60m facility approximately USD1.3bn, impression in Springfeld, MA (previously including funding to expand and of the new rapid transit owned by Westinghouse Electric) improve MBTA maintenance and cars for for assembly, meeting Buy storage facilities in Medford and Boston’s Red America requirements for 60% Boston. The car procurement and Orange local content, and creating 250 is funded entirely by State lines. CNR new jobs. Transportation Bond Funds. Changchun

494 / NOVEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org EUR1.15bn Tram Express for Paris suburbs New orbital links to take strain from buses by 2019

he projects to build (interchange with RER line C) Tangentielle light rail and Saint-Germain-en-Laye (RER lines on former or line A). A budget of EUR220m current heavy rail for infrastructure and EUR43m alignmentsT around the outer for rolling stock (ten Citadis suburbs of the French capital Dualis) has been established have been re-christened Tram and construction should start Express. The aim is a commercial in 2016 for completion in 2018. speed of 50km/h (31mph). Ten-minute peak headways are The first to open will be the proposed, and later the line will EUR493.5m Épinay – Le Bourget run a further 10km (6.2 miles) section of Tram Express Nord, north to Acheres-Ville. already under construction along Tram Express Sud embraces the the Grande-Ceinture railway, Massy – Évry tram-train, and will which should carry passengers run for 20km (12.4 miles) between in July 2017. A EUR88m order Massy Palaiseau (RER line A) and has been placed for 15 100km/h Évry Courcouronnes. Around (60mph) capable Alstom Citadis half the route is on the Grande- A view of the abandoned railway alignment at St Cyr that will be brought back to Dualis tram-trains to permit a Ceinture orbital railway and half life by Tram Express Ouest. STIF five-minute peak headway. is new construction alongside Service will later be extended west the A6 autoroute. The budget is Dualis tram-trains running Universitaire), attention switches to Sartrouville and east to Noisy- EUR436m for infrastructure and through Paris’ outer suburbs, to the next two lines: the 10km le-Sec, bringing the length to EUR90m for rolling stock (21 providing links in orbital travel (six-mile) T9 from Porte de 28km (17.4 miles), with a total cost Dualis), with passenger service that are presently catered for Choisy to Orly, opening in 2020 of EUR760m for infrastructure expected to start in 2019. Later, only by buses. with 22 45m trams of the type and EUR171m for tram-trains. 14.6km (nine miles) west to Nearer central Paris, with used on T3 (2.65m wide); and the Now at the public inquiry stage Versailles Chantiers will be added. tramline T8 opening in 8.2km (5.1-mile) T10 Anthony – is the 18.8km (11.7-mile) Tram By the end of 2019 there December (St Denis – Epinay Clamart, opening 2021, with 15 Express Ouest between Saint-Cyr should be 46 Alstom Citadis Orgemont/Villetaneuse standard 2.4m-wide cars.

French-led consortium to build Sydney light rail

The Government of New South centre started on 26 October), The 12km (7.5-mile) line than the 9000 passengers/ Wales has confirmed the and it is believed that the will start at Circular Quay and hour specified, and reduce the Connecting Sydney consortium consortium has offered Alstom’s pass Central Station on its way length of time of construction. – Transdev, Alstom, Acciona APS surface current collection to Kingsford and Randwick Four corridors have been Infrastructure and Capella system for the street-running via two branches. Services shortlisted for an LRT network Capital – as its preferred bidder section in the city centre. should start in 2019-20. The for Parramatta: Carlingford/ for the AUD1.6bn (EUR1.1bn) Project management for consortium will also take over Macquarie Park, Castle Hill, South East Light Rail PPP preliminary works is being operation of the existing Inner Bankstown and Olympic Park/ contract. Major work will start undertaken by Laing O’Rourke West line during 2015. Burwood. AUD400m next April (though utility in a separate contract valued at Connecting Sydney offered (EUR275m) has been allocated diversion in George St in the city up to AUD45m (EUR31m). to provide 50% more capacity from the 2014-15 NSW budget.

Ffestiniog Travel NEWS IN PICTURES Manchester launches 2015 tram tours Corporation 765 Ffestiniog Travel has launched Manchester 765 outside City Hall, two dedicated escorted tram visits the city centre 4 November. tours for 2015, to Germany and Manchester Corporation Manchester City Austria. Its Grand Austrian Tramways 765, built in 1914 Council Tramways tour in June visits and the last tramcar from the Innsbruck, Graz, Vienna, Linz and corporation in regular operation, Frankfurt, while in September made a special visit to the city’s the 15 day tour of Germany Albert Square on 4 November covers Essen, Hannover, Leipzig, to celebrate its 100th birthday. Berlin and Cologne with historic Lord Mayor of Manchester Sue tram rides on the Schöneiche- Cooley joined the celebrations. Rüersdorfer Strassenbahn and Tramcar 765 is unusual in Wolterdorfer Strassenbahn with being a combination bogie car workshop tours included. (with a central saloon and As well as creating escorted open smoking compartments holidays, Ffestiniog Travel has at the ends) designed for routes a busy Tailor Made department with low bridges. It is and welcomes comments for currently in operation at the future tram tours –01766 772030 city’s Heaton Park. or email [email protected]

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 495 News

Strasbourg’s Citadis order Nottingham expansion is On 20 September a EUR41m now ‘largely complete’ contract was signed between CTS and Alstom for 12 45m Phase Two opening expected to take place in the first part of 2015 288-capacity Citadis for delivery by the end of 2016. They will ottingham City the new lines to be open in the be used for the extensions of Council project first part of 2015.” line A to Illkirch-Graffenstaden director Chris Deas However, the council did not (1.7km /1.1 miles) and line D, said in November confirm specific reports that the international line across the thatN construction of Phase have suggested the routes might River Rhine to Kehl in Germany Two the UK city’s tramway was open at Easter. (3.9km/2.4 miles). There is an “largely complete”. Expansion of the UK city’s option for up to 38 more trams. Opening of the lines, to tramways is being undertaken The design will follow that of Clifton and to Chilwell, had through a PFI scheme awarded the 41 existing Citadis in the city, originally been expected to take to Tramlink Nottingham in with an additional bogie under place in December 2014, but it December 2011, with the work each end to minimise the swept was announced earlier in the being undertaken by joint path. These will come from year that completion would be venture Taylor Woodrow Alstom. The new fleet of Alstom Citadis trams Alstom Salzgitter in Germany, delayed (TAUT 921). A spokesman for the NET are up and running, the full system while the intermediate bogies Mr Deas told TAUT: “We are Phase Two Project said the delay expansion should open in 2015. TAUT will be supplied from Alstom’s aware that several sections of the in opening would not impact in relation to the timing of the Creusot plant in France. The project have proved challenging, financially on the council: “As completion of NET Phase Two.” trams will be built at La Rochelle. particularly in relation to diverting the project is a PFI scheme, the Taylor Woodrow Alstom told utilities, and the contractor financial risk associated with TAUT that it “continues to have advised us in the summer that the completion of construction an excellent relationship with the December target would not and the timing of the opening of Nottingham City Council and be achieved. But the construction Phase Two in the NET contract is are focused on working with the is now largely complete, the full placed with the concessionaire client to complete the project. Strasbourg residents were invited to testing and commissioning phase and its contractor, so the council It would be inappropriate to choose between two front-end designs will follow and we are advised by will not pay additional costs speculate as to the outcome once for the new Citadis. CTS/Alstom the contractor that they expect to either of the above parties the project is complete.”

The world relies on rail.

Daniel Saarbourg

Rely on us. DB International

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For people. For markets. For tomorrow. www.db-international.de Comment WHY THE UK NEEDS OVERSEAS INSPIRATION TO MAKE THE MOST OF HS2 Alistair Gordon, Chief Executive of Keolis UK, argues that best practice for high-speed and urban rail connectivity is obvious from just across the Channel.

‘HS2 is improving the business case for investment in UK Light today, for example, and you can almost immediately step onto a Rail’ – that was the conclusion UK Shadow Rail Minister Lillian light rail, metro or bus service, while outside the station car share Greenwood MP drew in a new report Keolis has compiled on and cycle hire schemes provide even more connectivity options. the relationship between high-speed and light rail. Indeed, The secret to this is that planners have adopted the mindset of emerging plans and discussions coming out of Birmingham, a passenger. This requires acute attention to detail on everything Sheffield and Nottingham show this to be the case. All three from passenger trends, timetabling, signage and the physical cities are focused on how extensions to their existing tram location of tram stops. networks could forge better links with HS2, spreading the Lyon has France’s largest public transport network outside Paris, benefits of more rapid connectivity up and down the country carrying 1.6 million individual journeys every day. Its evolution and across their respective regions. is due to a huge amount of planning. Keolis spent an entire year For those, like myself, who are evangelical about the wide- researching and studying passenger movements across the city ranging benefits light rail can deliver, it’s an exciting time, as before we took over running the network; this allowed us to ensure the UK already appears to be in the midst of something of a tram that all modes were fully integrated. For example, revising the bus renaissance. Within the next two years, Manchester’s Metrolink timetable to fit the metro and tram systems resulted in a 9% uplift will become the largest system in the country, while – spurred in patronage for only an additional 2% increase in mileage. on by some impressive economic forecasts – the Nottingham Lyon is not alone in this success. All over France there are Express Transit (NET) consortium is currently rolling out examples of integration stimulating the use of public transport. another significant expansion of its network. In Bordeaux, 75% of people use both trams and buses, while 80% The contributors to our report – which included the Institute for of those who subscribe to the local self-hire bicycle scheme also Public Policy Research (IPPR), rail campaigner Pete Waterman and regularly use the public transport network. Transport for Greater Manchester’s Of course, there are examples of Peter Cushing, among others – this starting to happen in the UK. reached a consensus around a key “The reason tram networks Integration was key to the thinking thesis: if HS2 is to deliver economic are popular in France is behind the significant investment in benefits outside London, better redeveloping Nottingham’s railway regional connectivity is essential, because they are so well station; this formed part of the strategy and trams have a major role to play. to create a transport hub at the heart of To back up this argument we integrated with main line rail the city centre linking trains, trams and need to look at how tram networks buses. In this way the connectivity from and high-speed rail are integrated services and, crucially, train to tram has been made as simple on the Continent. In France, where as possible for commuters and tourists. Keolis operates ten of the 25 light rail other local modes.” Beyond the ‘physical’ integration of networks launched in the past three different modes, smart ticketing has a decades, these systems have all been major role in creating truly joined-up planned with high-speed connectivity in mind, whether a TGV urban networks. The UK’s deregulated bus system is cited as one of stop was already in existence or envisaged. Bordeaux is a fine the reasons why this is difficult to achieve here, versus mainland example. The city will not be connected to Paris by TGV until Europe where whole multimodal networks are often operated by 2017, yet its light rail network is well-established and has already one provider. However, it’s by no means unachievable. delivered a host of social and economic benefits. In north-eastern France, the city of Rennes has had a multi- The 47km (29-mile) tramway has successfully connected partner smartcard in place since 2006. The KorriGo card is used previously isolated communities, spreading the benefits of a major by around 85 000 people and unites multiple modes administered city regeneration into its hinterlands. Having a well-developed by three separate transport authorities. light rail system in place two decades before high-speed rail HS2 can’t exist in isolation. To spread its economic benefits, arrives means that when passengers eventually step off the TGV the UK regions need parallel investments to expand and develop in Bordeaux they’ll be able to make fast and easy connections complementary urban transport networks. Light rail systems, to other areas within the city region. The city hasn’t stopped designed to integrate not only with the new high-speed services thinking ahead either, with an additional 32.5km (20 miles) of but also other local transport modes, are a crucial part of this. tramlines now being laid in anticipation of the arrival of a second We could do worse than look to the Continent for inspiration. high-speed route connecting the city with Madrid from 2020. Other French cities with similar stories to Bordeaux also owe Alistair has over 20 years of experience in the transport sector, holding their success to sound forward planning. Before the TGV arrived senior roles at Steer Davies Gleave and Eurostar before moving to Keolis in Lyon its network was expanded, upgraded and then fine-tuned in 2004. He became Chief Executive of Keolis UK in 2010. Keolis is one of Europe’s leading public transport operators, established to work in perfect synergy with the new high-speed services. in 15 countries on four continents. Since December 2012 Keolis has been the In truth, the reason tram networks are popular in France is lead operator of the award-winning Nottingham Trams, and in July 2014 it because they are so well integrated with main line rail services secured the franchise to operate and maintain London's Docklands Light and, crucially, other local modes. Get off a TGV service in Lyon Railway for the next six and a half years in a joint venture with Amey.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 497 Dallas DART TAKES FLIGHT DFW station on 18 August 2014. A two-car train is ready to depart on a short working to Fair Park where it will run into the depot.

The August opening of DART’s Orange line link to Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) epitomises the ambition of North Texas in pursuing a public transport future. Vic Simons reports from the opening.

he August 2014 Dallas Area Rapid (20-mile) starter light rail system opened in The system’s fourth line is known as Transit (DART) extension to June 1996. This was an immediate success the Orange line, and now runs from DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International with ridership quickly reaching 18 000 Airport through the city’s downtown area to Airport completes 144km passengers per day compared with the Parker Road in the city of Plano. Built under (90 miles) of the currently projected 15 000. January 1997 brought the a design-build joint venture of Kiewit, Stacy plannedT 149km (93-mile) system. Dallas is next 11.3km (seven miles) when the line and Witbeck, Reyes, Parsons, the route shares one of only a handful of US cities with light was extended north to Park Lane, running track with the Green line between Bachman rail airport links. parallel with the North Central Expressway and the city centre and northwards from the Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and – completing the starter system. This is now city with the Red line. is the main Texan metroplex with a wider part of today’s Red line, the northern part of At present through trains to Parker Road population of around 6.4 million, including which is also served by today’s Orange line. are only operated Monday-Friday during Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano and Irving. The starter system cost USD860m. peak hours; at all other times the service runs The agency provides a comprehensive public Extensions followed at regular intervals, only as far as LBJ/Central station in north transport offering to Dallas and a number of with the Red line forging northward to the Dallas, close to the I-635 ring road where the surrounding cities such as Rowlett, Plano large satellite communities of Plano and there is a large park-and-ride facility. and Farmers Branch. However not all cities Richardson. These extensions were opened in bordering Dallas subscribe to DART and cities stages between July and December 2002. DART today that do not, such as Grand Prairie, do not as a A second route, the Blue line, opened to As of October 2014 there are four separate rule have DART services in their area. Ledbetter in South Dallas in May 1997 (this DART lines, all of which share tracks in is part of the starter system) and reached central Dallas. As each route runs every 20 Background further north-east to the city of Garland minutes – enhanced to every 15 minutes at DART was established in 1983 following a vote in stages between September 2001 and peak times – the central section between in 14 cities and Dallas County that saw a 58% November 2002 costing USD425m. A further Pearl/Arts Centre and West End (with St majority for conglomeration; operations began extension eastwards to the city of Rowlett Paul and Ackard Stations in between) has 16 in 1984. Originally focused on provision of opened in December 2012. trains/hour in each direction at peak times. a comprehensive network of bus services, In 2010 the addition of a completely new This situation means the city alignment is this was soon overwhelmed by demand and and substantial route, the USD1.4bn Green close to capacity, despite the fact that all traffic thoughts turned to the application of a high- line, opened in two stages from Buckner in other than emergency vehicles is excluded capacity fixed track system. south-eastern Dallas through the downtown from most of the Downtown Transit Mall Following almost six years of construction, area to the cities of Farmers Branch and (Bryan Street and Pacific Avenue). To alleviate the city’s first 17.7km (11 miles) of the 32km Carrolton to the north. congestion as ridership increases, DART is

498 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ABOVE: Inaugural train at the centre platform at Bachman station, taking invited guests to the celebration lunch on 15 August.

RIGHT: Car 106 working a North Carrolton Green Line service at Farmers Branch. Note the easy bus/ rail interchange, representative of such interchanges outside the city centre. The almost complete apartment block on the left is typical of LRT- generated development close to many suburban stations.

ABOVE: A two-car Green line train leaving Farmers Branch for North Carrolton, showing the impressive stop architecture.

LEFT: Car 189 at Rowlett terminus on the Blue line; note the large car park to the left – even though this was a Saturday it was three-quarters full. actively investigating a second city crossing. perimeter before turning south and running demand reaches sufficient levels and funding No alignment has been fixed as this has still into Terminal A on International Parkway. becomes available. to be agreed with the city, thus there are no Terminal A is the northernmost of the The first three-station 8.6km (5.4-mile) costs or timescales as yet – only aspirations. three terminals to the east of International extension opened in July 2012 between The 22.7km (14-mile) Orange line from Parkway; there are a further two terminals Bachman and Irving Convention Center; Bachman to DFW Airport opened in three on the west side and all five are linked two more were added in December of the stages between July 2012 and August 2014. by the DFW Skylink automated elevated same year, taking the line to Belt Line Road The final 7.5km (4.7 miles) opened on peoplemover. on the eastern perimeter of DFW. A shuttle Monday 18 August. Following a ribbon- There is a short walk into Terminal A bus service was introduced to connect arrivals cutting ceremony, a celebration lunch was where an elevator takes passengers to the at Belt Line, but this was withdrawn when held the previous Friday welcoming key Skylink, so in effect DART now provides easy the airport link was completed in August figures from the region, and including a video connection to the whole airport. 2014. The final section between Belt Line and message from Texas Governor Rick Perry. The Orange line has five intermediate DFW is operated on a segregated alignment The alignment leaves the Belt Line station stations between Bachman and DFW, with with LRVs reaching their maximum running north-west along the airport provision for a further two stations when operating speed of 104km/h (65mph). LEFT: Car 121 working an Orange line service to Belt Line at St Paul station in the transit mall on 16 August.

RIGHT: Cars 169 and 116 at Belt Line station.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 499 DARTDallas Current and Future Services to 2016

A-Train to Denton (operated by DCTA) NW PLANO PARK & RIDE PLANO

PARKER ROAD JACK HATCHELL TRANSIT CTR. DOWNTOWN PLANO Presiden t G e sh Turnpike orge Bu BUSH TURNPIKE NORTH CARROLLTON/FRANKFORD Dallas North Tollway GALATYN PARK TRINITY MILLS RICHARDSON

ADDISON ARAPAHO CENTER

DOWNTOWN CARROLLTON ADDISON TRANSIT CTR. CARROLLTON SPRING VALLEY FARMERS BRANCH DOWNTOWN FARMERS BRANCH GARLAND GARLAND LBJ/CENTRAL DOWNTOWN DFW ROWLETT AIRPORT FOREST LANE FOREST/JUPITER ROYAL LANE LBJ/SKILLMAN DFW BELT LINE ROWLETT WALNUT LAKE HIGHLANDS WALNUT HILL/DENTON HILL IRVING CONVENTION CENTER Lake Ray PARK LANE Hubbard NORTH LAKE LAS COLINAS S. GARLAND COLLEGE URBAN CENTER TRANSIT CTR. UNIVERSITY WHITE ROCK BACHMAN LOVERS UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS PARK LANE LAKE RAY LOVE HUBBARD BURBANK HIGHLAND TRANSIT CTR. PARK White MOCKINGBIRD Rock INWOOD/LOVE FIELD Lake IRVING SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL DISTRICT/ PARKLAND DALLAS To Fort Worth CENTREPORT/ WEST IRVING DOWNTOWN IRVING/ MEDICAL/ MARKET CENTER DFW AIRPORT HERITAGE CROSSING MARKET CENTER CITYPLACE/UPTOWN DEEP ELLUM PEARL/ARTS DISTRICT VICTORY ST. PAUL BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER AKARD WEST END FAIR PARK UNION STATION MLK, JR. Tr r in it y Rive CONVENTION CENTER LAWNVIEW CEDARS HATCHER COCKRELL HILL TRE to Fort Worth 8TH & CORINTH DALLAS ZOO LAKE JUNE TYLER/VERNON MORRELL BELL HAMPTON ILLINOIS RICHLAND HILLS WESTMORELAND BUCKNER

KIEST

FORT WORTH ITC VA MEDICAL CENTER T&P STATION FORT WORTH RED BIRD LEDBETTER TRANSIT CTR.

CAMP WISDOM

Downtown Dallas UNT DALLAS

VICTORY GLENN DEEP HEIGHTS Rail System Legend ELLUM GLENN HEIGHTS PARK & RIDE WEST TRANSFER PEARL/ARTS DISTRICT Currently Operating ST. PAUL DART Rail Red Line WEST END DART Rail Blue Line AKARD EAST TRANSFER DART Rail Green Line ROSA PARKS PLAZA DART Rail Orange Line DART Rail Orange Line (Selected Weekday Trips Rush Hour Only) UNION STATION CONVENTION Trinity Railway Express (TRE) CENTER DCTA A-train Under Design/Construction DART Rail Blue Line Extension to UNT Dallas opens 2016.

“The system's growth means that the original city ABOVE: The DART network, showing all rail services for the region, as well as the Blue line extension2016 to Map the Rev.LM-07.11.14 alignment is close to capacity; DART is currently University of North Texas, due to open in 2016. ABOVE RIGHT: Map of the current M-Line heritage actively investigating a second city crossing.” streetcar route. Both courtesy of DART

500 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org towards Dallas. This USD360m project began in 2009 and was completed on time and to budget, including substantial additional construction projects such as six new bridges and a 750-vehicle park-and-ride facility at the new station. However, work on this line isn’t finished as a further southern extension is underway to connect the University of North Texas with one intermediate station at Camp Wisdom. This 4km (2.6-mile) extension is projected to cost USD101m; construction began in October 2014 with a late 2016 planned completion. The Green line runs from Buckner in south- east Dallas through the city centre to West End. From there, sharing its alignment with the Orange line, the route turns north and for a short section parallels TRE where there is an interchange at Victory station before the latter turns west towards Fort Worth. The Green and Orange lines continue north-west through four intermediate stations to Bachman station where the Orange diverges west over a large overbridge towards DFW. One of the intermediate stations is Inwood/ Love Field where there is a bus connection to the airport of the same name; the light rail station is on the completely opposite side of the airport to where the terminal is located. From Bachman the Green line runs through the city of Farmers Branch to the North Carrolton/Frankford terminus with five intermediate stations. The penultimate station is Trinity Mills, where there is a cross-platform connection with the A-train operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority to Denton. Many of the suburban stations have large park-and-ride faculties, and DART’s forward- thinking transit policies have made these mostly free to use to further encourage public transit patronage. To prove the effectiveness of this system, on TAUT’s recent visit to Dallas it was easier and more convenient to park at Farmers Branch and ride the light rail on every occasion to the very heart of the city, never making it necessary to drive. The stations on the new extension have been fitted out to the usual high standards, with ticket machines, timetables and sheltered seating areas, and PIDS that count down the arrival of the next two or three services. Not all of these displays were The total cost for the Orange line at intermediate station in the tunnel, Cityplace/ functioning correctly when TAUT visited, completion is around USD1.4bn with DFW Uptown, which is the interchange with the this being most evident on the Orange line at Airport contributing USD35m towards M-Line (McKinney Avenue Trolley), the Belt Line station where the displays showed the terminal station which was built in terminus of which is on top of the station and the next train due in 30 minutes when in fact conjunction with the refurbishment of is reached by a series of lifts and escalators. it arrived five minutes later. Terminal A to allow for architectural The route now reaches the city centre consistency. DART President and Executive four-station segment shared by all four lines Supersizing DART’s LRVs Director Gary Thomas told TAUT that as described. Beyond West End, the Red and The 37.4m standard-gauge, double- without the direct airport involvement and Blue lines turn south to Union Station with articulated, double-ended Kinkisharyo close working partnership the project could its interchange with Amtrak and the Trinity vehicles are 2.67m wide and operate using not have been completed several months Railway Express (TRE). The Red and Blue overhead pantograph current collection at early and below budget. lines continue to share track as far as the 750v dc. They seat 94. The vehicles are built station at 8th/Corinth where the Blue line by Kinkisharyo LLC in the USA with final DART integration continues its southern alignment through assembly locally in Dallas to comply with The original Red line runs from Parker four intermediate stations to its current Buy America regulations. Road in Plano through the city’s central terminus at Ledbetter. The Red line continues DART is now really reaping the benefit of core to Westmoreland in south-western south-west through three intermediate the Super Light Rail Vehicle (SLRV) project Dallas. The northern segment runs parallel stations, which includes the Dallas Zoo, to that saw the insertion of a low-floor centre with the North Central Expressway (US 75) the Westmoreland Station terminus. section to its incumbent fleet of 115 vehicles. before joining the Blue line at Mockingbird. Prior to the 2012 opening of the eastern Following extended trials of a prototype From there it enters a 5.6km (3.5-mile) Blue line terminus in the city of Rowlett, SLRV (car 170) on the Blue line in August tunnel before emerging just north of the this line’s terminus had been Downtown 2002, DART took the decision to modify its junction with the Green line. There is one Garland, 7.2km (4.5 miles) further west entire fleet of Kinkisharyo LRVs in 2008.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 501 Dallas

The improvements have added 25 seats to each car and doubled the standing capacity, DIESEL LRT FOR DENTON while also improving disabled access. Car 115 was the first production SLRV to Known as the A-train, this diesel-powered LRT service operates a 34km (21-mile) route that enter full service on the Blue line on 23 June connects with DART at Trinity Mills station with 2008, with further retro-fitting taking place the satellite city of Denton in the north-west. over the following two years. Additional Services are provided by a fleet of 11 Stadler upgrades included a new wayside Cab Signal GTW2/6 trains similar to those operating in system and installation of Automatic Train Austin, Texas and on the River line in New Jersey. Protection (ATP) and a GPS-based Vehicle Operated by the Denton County Business System (VBS). The complete process Transportation Authority, the system opened of conversion and returning a vehicle to in 2011 using Budd cars borrowed from the revenue service took seven weeks. Trinity Railroad Express (TRE) until its own cars were delivered a year later. It has its own The central section adds around a third to fare system, although the DART regional pass the overall vehicle’s weight and length is also accepted. During the week trains run (48.5 tonnes to 63.5 tonnes, and 28.2m to approximately every 20 minutes, with reduced 37.4m). To meet Buy America regulations, services on Saturday and no service on Sundays. bodyshells and bogies were imported from Thomas commented that whilst there was an Gary Thomas, DART President and Executive Osaka, Japan to a final assembly facility in aspiration to extend the A-train to link it with the Director, surrounded by press and television crews north-west Dallas. Once assembled, the TRE this would not happen “any time soon”. at the airport station after the ribbon-cutting centre section was transferred by road to a ceremony on 15 August. final assembly point near DART’s current service and inspection facility near Fair Park “The most notable innovation of the Oak Cliff streetcar for installation. From a practical and financial perspective, line is its battery-powered off-wire operation across DART has realised potential in its existing LRVs, obviating the need to add additional the historic Houston Street Bridge.” vehicles for its system expansion, saving around USD50m while also adding level The TRE was originally a peak-hour access across its fleet. To support level commuter rail system operating between boarding, DART’s existing platforms have central Fort Worth and Dallas Union Station. been raised approximately 170mm. As usage has boomed it is now an all-day Thomas enthused about this project saying Monday to Friday operation running an that by eliminating the manually-operated approximately hourly service with peak hour accessibility platform it had made the whole enhancements. There is a reduced Saturday operation more efficient and obviated the timetable but no Sunday service. It is a need to buy additional cars. heavy-rail ‘push-pull’ operation using a A key additional and companion project mixture of Budd and Bombardier locomotives mentioned by Thomas is the platform and bi-level coaches. lengthening programme. DART has received The line has been extended in Fort Worth to a USD60m TxDOT grant to fund this on the the T&P station to the south of the city centre A computer-generated image of the Liberty Red and Blue lines to accommodate three-car and six of the stations have park-and-ride streetcar for the Oak Cliff line. Courtesy of DART SLRVs; Green and Orange line platforms were facilities. The fare system is integrated with already built to this length. DART and the Fort Worth T. At Fort Worth kept in private ownership before being rebuilt A further 48 new vehicles have since been Intermodal Transit Centre in the downtown and handed back to MATA in 2009. There are to supplied SLRV specification, bringing the area there is an Amtrak connection and one four other cars including an ex-Toronto PCC, total fleet to 163 SLRVs. with the Molly shuttle trolley; a free circular 4614, which is being regauged and restored. The SLRVs are maintained at two facilities. bus shuttle linking all the downtown sites No fares are charged on the M-Line The original 49-acre facility at Oak Lane has and many major hotels runs 10.00-22.00 although donations are requested. The line a capacity of 120 SLRVs and with the Green every day at 15-minute intervals. runs 365 days a year at a 20-minute headway line opening came a second facility at Denton – a round trip takes around 40 minutes. Drive which can house a further 70 SLRVs. LRT, streetcar and heritage services The next major construction project is The communications centre is at Oak Lane. The McKinney Avenue Trolley (commonly known as the Downtown Dallas – Oak Cliff The system requires 98 rail cars during known as M-Line since 2002), is a free streetcar streetcar line; a 3km (1.6-mile) starter line peak service. service running from City Place DART station that marks the first phase of a full downtown to Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas close to system which, when complete, will replace a Fare structure and operations the St Paul/Arts DART station and the Dallas portion of the D-Link 722 bus route and will DART uses the flat fare system for journeys Museum of Art that uses a range of heritage eventually link with the M-Line. within its operating area. The base fare is streetcars from around the world. The most notable innovation of the system USD2.50 with a USD5 day pass that covers all The fleet is based at the car barn on Bowen is its battery-powered off-wire operation Dallas bus and LRT services, including DFW, Street just off McKinney Avenue. At Cityplace across the historic Houston Street Bridge. but not the TRE beyond Centreport. There is a turntable has been installed so that when The double-track line will start at Dallas a regional day pass for USD10 which covers the downtown loop is completed (the first Union Station before heading south past the whole metroplex, including the whole part of which is currently under construction) the Convention Centre and then turning of the TRE and the Fort Worth T Bus system. single-ended cars can be operated. At present south-east onto Houston Street. As it crosses Reduced fares are available for children, two double-ended cars are used. the Trinity River the pantograph will be seniors and disabled riders. Known as the ‘Green Dragon’, car 186 was lowered and the streetcar will run off its From September 2013 DART introduced built by the St Louis Car company in 1913 roof-mounted batteries over the 100-year-old the Go Pass. This is a mobile ticket app and and spent the whole of its working life in Houston Street Bridge. The bridge crossing can be downloaded to any iOS or Android Dallas until the system closed in 1956. From is a signal-controlled single-track operation. device. Once set up, tickets are purchased then until 1979 it was used as a hay barn. Once over the bridge the overhead and in advance using a credit card and are then Partial restoration followed before it was fully double-track running are restored. downloaded to the mobile or tablet. They are restored by MATA in 1989. The other double- The line continues south-east via two then validated upon boarding the bus or LRV. ended car, 754, is known as ‘Betty’. Originally intermediate stations to the present The Go Pass is valid on DART, the TRE, the a centre-entrance car it was built in 1926 for planned interim terminus close to the Fort Worth T and the DCTA. Dallas where it ran until 1956. It was then Methodist Hospital in Oak Cliff. This project

502 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org A view of the Houston Street Bridge looking towards the city centre showing the The first phase terminus at the Methodist Church in Oak Cliff. The remaining completed streetcar line where it will run using roof mounted batteries for power. overhead had still to be erected on 18 August.

McKinney Avenue Trolley car 754, ‘Betty’, on the City Place terminus turntable; A two-car A-train at Hebron on a northbound Denton service. A-train service is ‘Betty’ is a survivor of the city's first-generation streetcar that closed in 1956. operated by diesel-powered Stadler rolling stock similar to that used in Austin. is being followed closely as it will deliver the St Paul, while the final phase will be an are on a par with many North American first off-wire streetcar operation in the USA. urban circulator loop that connects with systems, they are significantly cheaper than Two 20.3m Liberty modern streetcars (with the M-Line service. There is no estimated similar systems in Western Europe. an option for two more) have been ordered cost for this last section, although an early Although part of a very large metroplex, from Brookville Equipment in Pennsylvania start is anticipated. There are no timelines the Dallas downtown core is quite small with each car costing USD4m. The double- yet for the additional streetcar phases. and is bisected by the light rail line. At each ended, three-door, three-section 2.6m-wide end of the downtown mall there are transit streetcars have a 70% low-floor area and Still room for expansion centres with both local and express bus a maximum operating speed of 70km/h Following the DFW line opening festivities, routes fanning out across the city but never (44mph), although day-to-day operating Gary Thomas sketched out the 20-year DART duplicating light rail. This is another key to speeds will be much lower. development vision exclusively for TAUT. the success of the light rail system. Due to a failed legal challenge by Inekon The key priority, he explained, is the Cotton Route 722 is also marketed as the D-Link, over the contract award, vehicle manufacture Belt line linking Plano with DFW and a free shuttle around the downtown area and is now some five months behind schedule Fort Worth; Thomas hoped this could be encompassing many of the tourist sites before with delivery expected by the end of 2014 extended north-east to link with the cities of heading south-east to the Bishop Arts district to allow an early 2015 opening, when a Allen and McKinney using bus rapid transit. in Oak Cliff. Most LRT stations outside the 20-minute service headway is planned. Thomas went on to outline the possibility of city centre have bus routes either calling or TAUT was given a tour of the new line, a brand new alignment from downtown Frisco terminating, providing feeder services. construction of which is largely complete. (to the north of Dallas) to downtown Irving The USD56m project is sponsored by the TRE station using the Burlington Northern TAUT gratefully acknowledges DART’s Gary City of Dallas and the North Texas Council of Santa Fe heavy rail alignment to the junction Thomas and Morgan Lyons for their assistance. Governments but will be operated by DART. with the Green line, before running south on Funding came from a USD26m Federal a new alignment crossing the Orange line. TIGER I grant with the balance coming from Again BRT was under strong consideration, various local funds. but Thomas was keen to emphasise that no FURTHER INFORMATION Extensions are planned both north decisions had yet been taken. www.dart.org is a comprehensive resource and south with an ambitious four-phase When asked about the key to DART’s with all bus and light rail timetables and many programme. Phase II will be a short extension success in such a car-dominated state, route and system maps. The site also has a south to the Bishop Arts District and is Thomas emphasised the word “trust”. section devoted to the Oak Cliff streetcar. www.visitdallas.com is the main tourist estimated to cost USD16m. The USD8m This, he said, applies to not only to his information website and covers the museums, Phase III extension will take streetcar service relationship with the elected officials but the historic botanical gardens and the zoo. into Downtown Dallas at Lamar Street. also with his employees and customers. www.mata.org is the official M-Line/ The estimated USD40m Phase IV will take DART operates an impressive, very efficient McKinney Avenue Trolley website. the streetcar along Main Street as far as and well-run system and while travel costs

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 503 An interactive Clickable adverts way to keep for quick-booking up-to-date event tickets on the topics such as the 2015 that matter, UK Light Rail the current June 17 - 18 2015 BOOK Conference and Nottingham NOW contracts Light Rail Awards. being won, and News, features who’s involved MORE and events – all of INFO where – a clear the latest industry update on all happenings at the the new light click of a button. rail systems in operation around the world. www.tautonline.com

Trams of Eastern Germany Saturday 21st March to Saturday 28th March 2015

Join us for an all-new tour that explores the historic cities of Eastern Germany and their diverse tram networks. The unique appeal of this tour is that we charter various different types of vintage trams to travel over the small and medium-sized tram networks of Potsdam, Cottbus, Brandenburg and Dessau in their entirety. This includes track that is not used in regular service such as balloon loops, by-pass curves, and tracks into depots. We also have a specially chartered tram to travel over the Berlin-Köpenick tramway network, including track not used by public services. This highly customised tour will appeal especially to tramway enthusiasts. We shall be based at Alexanderplatz in the heart of Berlin for the duration of the tour. Each tour member will be issued with a week-long public transportation rover ticket which will allow widespread exploration of Berlin and its sights, using its vast light and heavy rail networks. The ‘organised’ parts of the tour will provide many opportunities for photography and filming with “behind-the-scenes” access to depots and maintenance facilities. In all the cities that we visit, every participant will be provided with a local day rover ticket, allowing extra travel opportunities once the specially chartered tram trips have concluded.

• First or Standard Class return rail travel from London to Berlin • 7 nights in a four-star, centrally-located Berlin hotel with breakfasts • 1 Dinner • All rail transport and transfers as mentioned in the itinerary • All specially chartered tram trips as mentioned in the itinerary • A 7-day public transport rover ticket in Berlin • 1-day public transport rover tickets in Potsdam, Cottbus, Brandenburg and Dessau • The services of a tour manager

First Class £1425 Ground only £885 Standard Class £1125 Single supplement £175

The Railway Touring Company, 14a Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1JN For further details and to find out more visit www.railwaytouring.net or phone us on 01553 661500. Your booking is made subject to the terms and conditions of The Railway Touring Company

504 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Kaohsiung KAOHSIUNG: THE GREEN MODEL FOR ASIAN LRT James Chuang examines Taiwan’s first modern light rail project.

The first CAF Urbos 3 tram for Kaohsiung is unloaded at the port of Taichung, some 200km from Kaohsiung, in September 2014. June-Rong Chen/KMRT

ity planners in Kaohsiung, the in a modern and innovative light rail system traditional road-based economy, the city has second largest city in Taiwan, to accompany the already-established initiated moves to improve and promote transit with a population approaching metro network. usage, while encouraging new residential/ 2.7 million inhabitants, have long business developments and tourist attractions taken an early adopter approach Demonstrating a will for light rail close to public transport where possible. toC new and emerging technologies while Traditionally, the city has relied upon road Light rail is the latest element in this also promoting environmental, eco-friendly transport such as privately-owned cars approach to enhance the present rapid transit transport policies. The city’s forward- and motorcycles, with public transport network. Planning began in the late 1990s, thinking government has earned a sterling provision dominated by buses. Until the late and in 2004 an arrangement was made reputation around the Asia-Pacific region, 1970s a narrow-gauge sugar cane light rail with Siemens for a three-month light rail arguably, in many ways, exceeding that of mixed train with passenger carriages carried demonstration along a 450m alignment in Taiwan’s largest city, the capital Taipei. commuters, but even now only relatively the city’s Central Park. Lying on the island nation’s south-western small numbers of commuters travel on the During this period, Siemens made coast, Kaohsiung enjoys similar status, and is Taiwan Railway Administration’s main available one of the large-capacity Combino located comparatively close to international Western Line from nearby cities. trams for Yarra Trams (D5000 class) en route financial centres such as Manila, Hong A heavy rail rapid transit system (operated from Europe to Australia. The trial proved Kong and Macau, with business and local by KRTC – Kaohsiung Rapid Transit successful with politicians and public alike, authorities taking an approach to simplify Corporation), utilising Siemens rolling stock and plans for a more comprehensive system international trade and encourage economic to link the Taiwan High Speed Rail station to integrate with the cross-route MRT systems activity. As such, the city enjoys low at Zouying station, Kaohsiung Main Railway were developed over the following years. unemployment, above average healthcare Station and Kaohsiung International Airport In January 2014, a consortium of CAF and welfare conditions, and is generally Station along one line was introduced in and Taiwanese construction firm Evergreen a safe, friendly community, making it an 2008. As of September 2014, Kaohsiung has Construction Corp was chosen to provide appealing place in which to live and work. 43 route km (approx. 27 route miles) of rapid the new network in a turnkey contract The city also benefits from a stable rail transit, with extensions underway. valued at approximately EUR160m for the economy, with a healthy heavy industry Presently, two rapid transit lines – Orange first phase. Central government subsidy is and a large deepwater port (the largest in and Red – are in operation. providing around a third of the project’s Taiwan and one of the largest in the world), To further drive growth and cut the funding, with the remainder to be financed giving the confidence to invest long-term congestion and emissions associated with a by the local government.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 505 Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung Light Rail (Stage 1) Length 8.7km / 5.4 miles, 14 stations C14 C13 C11 C12 C10

C9

C8

C7 C1

C6 C2

C5 C4 C3

Evergreen is responsible for the main civil of the first in the world, to be 100% Cultural and Popular Music Center West (C11) engineering duties on the project, with CAF’s catenary-free. – built over this stretch, with the elevation contract share of almost EUR100m relating The loop nominally begins at Kaohsiung designed to improve pedestrian flow and to supply and maintenance of the fleet of Main Railway Station (Taiwan Railway vehicle movements whenever there is an Urbos 3 trams equipped with its ACR system Administration), passes through the Asia event held at this music centre. to enable catenary-free operation, signalling New Bay Area of harbourside business The Circular line is being developed as a and the ticketing system. Although CAF has districts, major shopping centres and green corridor with extensive landscaping, supplied metro cars to both China and India, traditional markets, education institutes, trees, natural flora and, where possible, grass this project marks the firm’s first tramway stadiums, galleries, theatres and museums, tracks to not only reduce noise and vibration contract in Asia. and will improve public transport usage and but retain a natural environment. The line provide a valid alternative for driving, as well will also adopt grooved track with rubber Linking key traffic objectives as dramatically improving navigation of the encapsulation, while composite damping The LRT system – developed by Mass Rapid city for visiting tourists. The terminal is in materials (CDM) will be installed around Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government the city’s Sizihwan District. the rails to minimise noise and vibration. – will when completed, form a 22.1km Stage 1 will mostly use the former A ‘ballastless’ tram storage and maintenance (13.7-mile) loop, incorporating 36 stations. alignment of the disused Taiwan Railway depot is under construction on a three- Stage 1 forms an 8.7km (5.4-mile) coastal Administration’s Harbor Railway, which hectare site at the crossing of Kaisyuan line with 14 stops, while Stage 2 will see was mainly used to carry freight. The city Road Sec 3 and Sianming Road, based on a completion of the remaining 13.4km government negotiated the use of this land design that has recently been awarded the (8.3 miles) of the loop, heading inland and to minimise property acquisitions, however Golden Building award for best and most hosting 22 stops – hence the name ‘Circular the existing 1067mm rail will be re-laid to environmentally-friendly design. Line’ – that will connect to both of the modern standard-gauge (1435mm) tracks for Stations are designed for Kaohsiung’s existing rapid transit lines, which currently the light rail system. tropical weather – occasional rain and strong bisect the city in an approximate cross The new route will deviate from the former sunlight – with corrosion-resistant materials formation. It will be the first in Asia, and one Harbor Railway in two places, including capable of coping with sustained warm an elevated section and a new bridge over tropical weather. Access for passengers Kaohsiung’s famous Love River (Ai He). with disabilities is also paramount in the KAOHSIUNG LRT FACTS Furthering its aims of total transport planning and construction of stops, integration, the city’s bike trails and Route length: 22.1km / 13.7 miles (Stage 1: pedestrian paths will be integrated in such a 8.7km / 5.4 miles, Stage 2: 13.4km / 8.3 miles) manner as to provide easy interchange and Stops: 36 (Stage 1: 14, Stage 2: 22) avoid interference between the modes and Opening date: Stage 1: October 2015, infrastructure. Stage 2: December 2019 Gauge: 1435mm Initial construction Maximum grade: 5% Infrastructure construction began in June 2013 and the first stage is scheduled for Power supply: 750V dc (fully catenary-free) completion by October 2015. The track will Fleet: 24 CAF Urbos 3 (Stage 1: 9, Stage 2: 15) be laid with fully-welded standard-gauge Transport authority: Mass Rapid Transit tracks, with a minimum curvature of 25m Bureau – Kaohsiung City Government radius, and a steepest grade of 5%. This steep A Siemens Combino in Kaohsiung Central Park Operator: Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) section is part of the new 910m elevated in 2004 as part of the three-month demonstration route with one of the new stops – Kaohsiung organised by the city. DDM Xiao

506 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org The first services in Kaohsiung are due to begin in October 2015, using five-section low-floor trams from CAF and the ACR catenary-free system. June-Rong Chen/KMRT

with additional bicycle accommodation. As Kaohsiung has already established a trend “Kaohsiung's forward-thinking government has earned for incorporating cultural spaces within its rapid transit network, public art installations a sterling reputation for urban planning around the will be incorporated wherever possible; Asia-Pacific region, arguably exceeding that of indeed, Formosa Boulevard Station and Central Park Station are both considered Taiwan’s capital Taipei.” amongst the world’s most beautiful transit stations. The network designers hope to repeat this success with some of the light rail will be capable of regenerating electricity to be vandal-resistant and easily swapped stations, and have been working with world- back into the system, further enhancing out. A total of 14 seats can be reserved renowned architects to design light rail stops. energy efficiency. for disabled passenger use, differentiated C14 station – Hamasing Kaohsiung Port The first stage of the network will see CAF by colouring. – is presently Kaoshiung’s Takao Railway supply nine bi-directional, articulated 100% KMRT’s chosen green and white tram Museum, which uses the old Taiwan Railway low-floorUrbos 3 trams with five sections livery (reflecting the environmental Administration’s Kaohsiung Harbour station and bogies, two of which are powered; axle credentials of the project and its operation) platform, building and yard for rolling stock loads are quoted as nine tonnes for an overall will operate at a six-minute frequency display as well as an archive and library. unladen vehicle weight of 47.5 tonnes. along a dual-track network, with careful Due to the nature of this historic precinct, The trams’ design is courtesy of the Animax consideration of interfaces and connections the track through this area will be dual-gauge and Giugiaro design partnership, and closely with other transportation. (1067/1435mm). resembles that of vehicles currently being Fares will operate through the adoption delivered to the UK’s Midland Metro system of a smartcard system where passengers can Catenary-free operations and also to Transport for New South Wales, either ‘touch on’ at their origin station or System design closely mirrors that of the for service in Sydney, Australia. onboard the tram, and then ‘touch off’ upon first line of the tramway in Zaragoza, Spain, Designed for easy access, the 100% low- disembarking or at their destination; ticket that opened in phases between April 2011 floor trams feature a 350mm floor height vending machines will be incorporated and March 2013, including rolling stock above the rail, a corridor width of 900mm and into each station for short journey trips, and infrastructure specification. Both use four pairs of doors on each side with a width and also be capable of recharging smartcards. low-floor Urbos 3 trams constructed at CAF’s of 1300mm, suitable for wheelchair users. Full integration of the smartcard will be main production facility in Spain, and both All trams will be fitted with event recorders made with Kaohsiung’s bus network, as use CAF’s ACR rapid-charge accumulator and CCTV as well as traffic light activation to well as Taiwan Railway Administration’s system (a combination of supercapacitor enable tram priority at intersections, while train service. and batteries) which allows brief operation global positioning system (GPS) capabilities Just before the first trams arrive in without an external electrical supply. will report real-time location feeds back to Kaohsiung, KMRT has launched the slogan Although only used on short sections the control centre. This information will City of Water, Green Rail. The new service will in Zaragoza, for Kaohsiung the system then pass onto public information display further emphasise Kaohsiung’s dedication to has been adapted to include 750V dc ACR systems (PIDS) on each tram and at each creating an eco-friendly city with a world- charging points at all stations: in operation, station, allowing a live feed for passengers as class rail-borne urban transit network. as the tram stops at each stop a flash-charging to how long they can expect to wait before system recharges the onboard battery while the next tram arrives. > The author gives grateful acknowledgement the tram is stationary. The ACR is capable Passenger capacity for each 34.2m five- to KMRT, June-Rong Chen, Chris Walter and of recharging the tram in 30 seconds. section tram is 250, with 64 seats. The seating Kibu Hsieh for their assistance in the preparation Furthermore, under braking the trams (with a width of 450mm) has been designed of this article.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 507 News focus ‘THIS JOB IS ALL ABOUT STRONG PARTNERSHIPS’

ernard Garner is a great stalwart of the industry, with almost 40 years in public transport and nearly three decades at the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive,B Nexus. In that time he’s seen UK light rail grow, stall and then grow again, and has arguably as much experience at the top level as anyone in the country. Following a transport engineering post at the then West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council in the 1970s, Mr Garner moved to Fife Council to set up a transport co-ordination team before joining Nexus in 1986 as Chief Services Co-Ordinator dealing with the implementation of the new bus regime arising from the 1985 Transport Act. Following a move to Director of Development in 1999, he was appointed Director General. In addition to planning, procuring and promoting public transport in the region, Nexus owns and manages the Tyne and Wear Metro comprising 74km (46 miles) of track, 60 stations and 90 metrocars. As Mr Garner looks forward to retirement, he shares his experience with TAUT:

On 30 years in Tyne and Wear... I first joined Nexus in 1986 with a brief to help make sense of the local transport network as bus deregulation came in. The opening of the Metro in 1980 had been an historic moment and one the biggest changes the area had seen, aside from the deregulation that was to follow six years later. Metro was a light rail solution to the region’s traffic congestion and the first system of its kind outside of London. The Tyne and public transport – and the recognition that truly that it is worth billions to the local Wear PTE pioneered a rapid urban transit you start with that in designing new products economy, as we calculated its impact when system that put it well ahead of the UK’s other and services. Only 20 years ago I was part making the case for modernisation funding. major cities, but the real key was the way it of a UK Department for Transport working What that means in terms of people is 10 000 linked with buses as the heart of an integrated group playing with wheelchairs to help visits every day to Newcastle city centre just network with a universal ticket system. Wright Brothers in Ballymena design the first because Metro is there, and 15 million fewer I have no doubt that Metro remains the low-floor bus, and I was proud to see the first cars on the road. envy of other major cities, some of which later prototypes take to the road in Whitley Bay, in I received a letter from a woman last year opted for street-running trams. It remains Tyne and Wear. Now they are the norm and saying she had been late to work in north the UK’s biggest and busiest system outside passengers quite rightly object when they Newcastle because of a fault on the line London (although Manchester will outgrow have to climb steps. near her home in south Sunderland – an Tyne and Wear sometime in the next two It’s a sign of how things have changed that understandable complaint but one that also years), but I watched many of the wider when Metro opened it set new standards, being shows how Metro expands opportunity right benefits unravel after 1986 and the impact that wheelchair-accessible from street to train, yet across our urban area, and how local people had on passenger numbers was plain to see. even now we are investing almost GBP100m take it for granted. Over the same period we have seen the within the Metro: all change programme to lift The permanence of the network has served decline of heavy industries along with the stations to higher modern standards. to stimulate economic growth and social advent of out-of-town retail centres, plus The technological advances over the last mobility and remains a key driver of our rapid growth in car ownership. All of this three decades have also been immense. These economy. The system itself has helped to increases the challenge for public transport. are allowing us to catch London up in the sustain and create hundreds of jobs in the The North East Combined Authority’s delivery of a fully interoperable smartcard. region, especially in the local supply chain. recent decision to take forward a Quality The Pop card was launched in 2011 and is the This is especially true since we began the Contracts Scheme proposal could be a largest-scale implementation of a smartcard modernisation programme in 2010. turning point for transport in our region. using gate lines outside of London. It’s a huge The North East of England was the It is an opportunity to arrest the decline of development, and one that once again puts birthplace of passenger railways, making bus use, improve services while also capping Tyne and Wear ahead of other UK cities. the Metro project all the more special when fares, which have consistently gone up above it came to fruition in the summer of 1980. the rate of inflation for many years. On the Metro's development... But really we are building on a 175-year The other big change over the last 30 years The impact of the Tyne and Wear Metro can tradition from the opening of the world’s is the improvement of accessibility for all in and never should be understated. I can say first commuter line, the Newcastle and North

508 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org routes which will enhance and complement other modes, not end up in competition. I also feel there is a growing appetite within the UK Government to look at multi- modal solutions to congested urban roads, such as the A1 Western Bypass here in Tyne and Wear, which is an opportunity for high-quality, high capacity solutions.

On the priorities laid out in the Metro 2030 plan... The top priority for the future of the Tyne and Wear Metro is ensuring that we can replace the train fleet, hopefully by the mid-2020s. It stops being economic to keep maintaining the current rolling stock beyond the middle of the next decade, by which time those trains will no longer be compliant with new standards of accessibility. Nexus and the North East Combined Authority will start making a strong case to Government for this investment and I’m confident it is an argument that we can win. We will also be looking into the feasibility of future extensions. Eight possible corridors have been identified for new Metro lines, each will have to be ranked by demand, cost The Metro: all change programme is not only upgrading and modernising rolling stock from the 1980s, but also and feasibility. Links to large destinations, for replacing and modernising infrastructure, some of which has been in constant use since the early 19th Century. example the MetroCentre and Washington, Bernard Garner, Nexus Director General, at the launch of the Pop smartcard. could score well, with links to strategic employment sites using part of the Leamside Shields railway, in 1839, through Tyneside case based on hard economic benefits, and route possible in the latter case. Electrics in 1904 and now with the strategy made sure it was understood by all the major Any future Metro extension will require for 2030. Metro is part of a much bigger story parties and stood outside politics. substantial UK Government funding and a about how rail supports urban growth. This was affirmed when the Coalition took strong business case will need to be taken office in 2010 and committed to a whole forward once we decide what the best On integration and increasing the range of transport schemes – the Metro: all development option is. Attracting investment public transport market share... change modernisation programme became won’t be easy but the Combined Authority Metro was built with modal integration as reality. We had secured a funding deal worth and Local Enterprise Partnership structures a key principle, so the new stations had bus a total GBP389m, which included a 10% local offer a new opportunity for co-ordinated city interchanges and large car parks. We’ve contribution. We also secured a long-term region-scale planning and funding. continued that philosophy and in the last few revenue settlement tied to the outsourcing of Tram-train options have potential as well years invested in additional park-and-ride train services to the concessionaire DB Regio, and can’t be ruled out entirely. space at Northumberland Park and Hebburn, which has been invaluable in making sure among others, as well as better cycle facilities. Metro is extremely cost-effective. On his challenges – and successes... But I think what passengers understand as It is great to be able to tell our local authority No-one should under estimate the pressure integration is simple and good value partners, facing difficult spending choices, local authorities have been under to reduce cross-ticketing, and single customer service that we can operate Metro without any local spending since 2010 and the impact that has and information points. funding support, as we are now doing. had on local transport across the country. A smartcard like Oyster shows what In terms of modernisation, all of the It is ironic that this is a period of growth in you can achieve in terms of integration, capital spending targets set down by DfT light rail in the UK, when revenue funding is and while through the North East Smart have been met, which triggered its full being squeezed so tightly. Nexus has had to Ticketing Initiative we have put in place support for the second phase up to 2016. cut staff numbers by 20% and make GBP10m the infrastructure to match Oyster, getting Our project managers have ensured timely (EUR12.7m) a year in savings, but in doing commercial agreements with a variety of and cost-effective delivery and this will so we have avoided any cuts to local services, operators is far more complex. continue until project completion in 2021. while Metro is thriving without local subsidy Tyne and Wear falls short compared and still has the cheapest fares in the country to many world cities, but the benefits of On the UK’s tram-train pilot... and most frequent timetable outside London. integration are addressed in our Quality Those promoting tram-train should take Metro modernisation stands out as a Contracts Scheme proposal, including a encouragement from the fact we have been success because, while we knew we had universal smart product. running light rail on a very busy national rail a powerful case for investment, we were route for 12 years. I invite anyone to come conscious Government needed to freeze and On securing investment to and stand on Sunderland station and watch a reduce spending in the wake of the banking modernise the Metro... Metro train followed into the same platform inquiry. It felt like a race against time, one Many years were spent lobbying Government by an Intercity 125 a few minutes later. which we won and which people will benefit ministers to underline the importance of the In fact, both are stock from the 1970s about from for decades to come. Tyne and Wear Metro to the people of North due for replacement. East England. We knew that the system On tips for his successor... would decline and ultimately fail by 2018 On the challenges to growth... World-class cities are powered by good without fresh investment. Light rail has high construction and local transport, but this cannot be We made a robust business case for the maintenance costs compared to other modes, delivered in isolation. money that was needed to secure Metro’s and work needs to be done to reduce those In this job you need to be be able to build long-term future. This was a difficult process costs and work more flexibly around utilities. strong partnerships with local and national in the climate of the 2008 banking crisis, At the same time, light rail has its place partners who recognise that what you are which has led to pressure on Government on corridors with very high demand, and trying to do will drive the economy and spending. Despite this, we made a very good transport authorities where they can plan support their own aspirations.

www.tautonline.com . www.Irta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 509 FREE for Railroads, Metros & Government

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CONFIRMED: NTSB Keynote INCREASING SAFETY AND Presentation CAPACITY FOR US RAILROADS fee ing cof break a Now in its 5th year, the PTC World Congress is the ork t PT etw any other indust C only dedicated event for all professionals involved in n o at ry e a I d ve n n ions, Panama Can nt i a erat al R .” meeting the mandate for PTC and safe and reliable e th Op ail r f wa o ss r o y rail operation. Attended by 300 rail safety and re to m g ec n ir n D operation experts annually, the congress aims to help r o r, a C e p le o ld o railroads and commuters not only install PTC, but do I r “ H o e v so cost effectively to improve services long term. e W t S

INTRODUCING THE RAIL CAPACITY SUMMIT FOR 2015 With increasing freight transport growth and passenger demands, congestion and capacity on the network is also a growing concern in terms of the impact of PTC, cost and long term service and competitiveness. With the need for rail to meet and capitalise on this growing demand, 2015 also sees the introduction of the Rail Capacity Summit. Co-located alongside the PTC World Congress, the summit will address: GET IN TOUCH • How demand is managed with Ben Edwards • Challenges overcome to find out more • Demanding cargoes delivered Ben.Edwards@global transportforum.com • Clients satisfied within a developing sustainable, +44 (0) 207 045 0913 interoperable rail networks For more information visit: www.PTCWorldCongress.com CONFIRMED SPEAKERS FOR 2015 ALREADY INCLUDE:

Robert Gutman Jason Kuehn François Blouin Director Process Improvement Associate Partner Director, Corporate Architecture and CSX Transportation Oliver Wyman Emerging technologies, ViaRail Jim Hertwig Jo Strang Andrew Huddleston President and Chief Executive Officer Vice President for Regulatory Affairs, Senior Analyst, US Government Florida East Coast Railway American Short Line and Regional Accountability Office AND Railroad Association MANY Vince Verna Dan Yerina MORE! Director Regulatory Affairs Louis F. Sanders Sales and Business Brotherhood of Locomotive Director, Technical Services, American Development Manager Engineers and Trainmen Public Transportation Services (APTA) Bombardier Transportation

Visit www.PTCWorldCongress.com for more information and to book your ticket! Pyongyang

Tramways & Urban Transit reveals SYSTEMS the fascinating history of the capital NORTH of the Democratic KOREA FACTFILE People’s Republic of Korea and its No. Pyongyang, diverse tramway Pyongyang 87 North Korea operations.

ne of the most Images of the population of around 3.2 million and and the Korean War broke out in 1950. inaccessible, and least Kim dynasty sits astride the Taedong River in the The entire Japanese-built installation, visited, of the world’s abound in south-west of the country. Whilst including all the tramcars, was tramways is that in the Pyongyang and not the only city to which visits are destroyed during the fierce fighting several feature on North Korean capital, permitted, Pyongyang is currently the that took place in July and August the tram routes. OPyongyang. Traditionally, visits have only one where visitors may roam with 1951, when the old city of Pyongyang This is one of the been strictly regulated and controlled best, showing the a degree of freedom, albeit controlled, was razed to the ground. and the information brought back by Kims braving the and in which photography is not An armistice in 1953 brought visitors has inevitably been sketchy. harsh North Korean severely restricted or totally banned. fighting to an end but the separate More recently, some mild relaxation winter snows. states of North and South Korea in the controls has enabled special The tramcar is Over 90 years of tram history remain technically at war. After the interest groups to undertake trips one of the three- The present tramway systems in partition of the country, Kim Il Sung, dedicated to examination of the city’s section Tatra KT8 Pyongyang are not the city’s first the Supreme Leader of the Democratic articulated units, public transport systems. This report installations. Japan had annexed the People’s Republic of Korea, proclaimed 2018, operating is a distillation of information collated on line 2. Korean peninsular in 1910 and the a preference for trolleybuses. After an from visits during 2014. first tramway dated from this period, interlude of motorbus operation, a North Korea, more correctly the opening in 1923 and built to the usual trolleybus factory was established in Democratic People’s Republic of Japanese narrow gauge of 1067mm. Pyongyang and the first such vehicles Korea (DPRK), has a population of After the end of World War Two were introduced to the city in 1962. around 25 million. The country’s seat and the defeat of Japan, the Korean Kim Il Sung took a keen personal of government and administrative peninsular was divided into Soviet interest in the design and production capital is the metropolis of All photographs and American zones of occupation. of trolleybuses and the system and Pyongyang, which currently has a taken during 2014. Negotiations for reunification failed fleet grew in size to several hundred

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 511 Pyongyang

THE FLEET

All rolling stock on the standard-gauge tramway is Czech-built, with the first deliveries comprising 45 double-ended Tatra KT8 three-section articulated cars (1001-45) built in 1990 and delivered for the opening of the first line in 1991. These were built new for Pyongyang and many are still in service, although the majority have been effectively converted to single-ended layout by removal of the cab equipment from one end and in many cases removal of the motors from probably two bogies, thereby creating a motor/trailer car. The double-sided bodywork configuration remains, although unused on the offside. Some cars retain pantographs at both ends whilst others have lost the rear pantograph. One car (1002) is maintained complete and in good condition for hire to visiting groups. Later in 1991 another Tatra product was received, and in much greater numbers: 129 bogie motor cars of type T6B5 (1046-1174). Most of these remain in service, operating in coupled pairs, and in most cases the second car is now effectively a permanently-coupled trailer and has lost its pantograph and probably control equipment, too. The final batch of the original fleet was a totally different product of the Tatra works, a batch of 50 KT4K cars, two-section short articulated models on a pair of bogies (1175-1224). Unlike ABOVE: Trams and trolleybuses share turning circles outside Pyongyang’s main station – the normal KT4 type, which was built to a width of 2.2m, the the building in the background with the leaders’ portraits beaming down upon the people. Pyongyang cars were 2.6m wide, with consequently larger Ex-Praha T3 set 1201+1202 is turning, as is an elderly two-axle home-built trolleybus. windows. These cars never found favour in Pyongyang, possibly because of poor construction standards, and it was LEFT: Several not long before the articulation was removed and the two sections of the sections welded together to form 50 long bogie cars. This work Pyongyang tramway was carried out at Shenfeng in China. The cars re-entered are laid as pairs Pyongyang service in this form but are no longer in operation, of paved gutter- although one has been retained; in 1999, the survivors were running single-track passed on to Chongjin, where a tramline opened that year. segregated from the Since then, all additional rolling stock has come secondhand main body of the from undertakings in the former East Germany, with a total of wide carriageway. 320 Tatra T4 and B4 cars arriving from Dresden, Leipzig and This pair of ex-Praha Magdeburg in 1998-99, by which time the rebuilt KT4 cars had T3 cars is led by 1197. departed for Chongjin; the new arrivals were numbered from 1175 upwards. In 2008, the tramway in the capital of the Czech Republic, Praha, sold 20 Tatra T3 cars to Pyongyang; these wider-bodied versions are distinguished by yellow pantograph bases. The large number of cars in the fleet may be explained by the fact that the operator practises the Soviet system of car LEFT: KT8 car allocation, whereby a car or car-set is permanently allocated 1002 has been to one crew. Whilst it is claimed that this encourages care and smartly repainted attention, it naturally results in a much greater total fleet and is used as a than would otherwise be the case to operate just three routes special car for from three depots. private parties, Access to depots is currently not allowed, but the operational when not required noises from the fleet suggest that the original PCC equipment is for normal service. still functional but clearly heavily dependent on maintenance It is seen here by cannibalisation of other vehicles. passing a modern Most rolling stock appears in a livery of red and off-white, with home-built some of the T4 cars featuring greater proportions of the lighter articulated colour. Other cars appear in blue and off-white or green and off- trolleybus at white liveries, though these are in the minority. It did not appear Pyongyang station. that different groups of cars were confined to any one route. The stars on the Operationally all car-sets now form a motor and trailer group tram’s waist-rail in terms of power/weight ratio and thus can be considered the indicate each same in performance terms. 50,000km travelled without accident.

LEFT: KT8 1032 is one of several cars that have lost the control equipment from the rear cab and had the final bogie converted to an unpowered version.

RIGHT: Gutter- running street track on line 3 in one of the older parts of the city, with T4/B4 set 3065+365 passing one of the city’s metro stations.

512 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

Legend Tram 1435mm Tram 1000mm Depot Abandoned tramline Metro 0 0.5 10 1.5 km

Line 1 Line 2

Line 3

vehicles and at least eight routes. Saesallim Street to a terminal point at “Despite a preference for Later, construction of an underground Songsin in the Sadong district, south- metro system commenced and east of the city. trolleybuses, it was decided that operations began in September 1973. Tracks on this section of the route Progressive extensions to the metro were laid as double track in the centre tramways did fulfil a role and the have led to a reduction in the size and of the road, contrary to the more scope of the trolleybus system, but it usual layout elsewhere, where double first section of this new system still represents the predominant means gutter-running is the norm and of public transport in the capital. often configured in separate service opened for traffic in April 1991.” Despite this stated preference for lanes at the sides of the major roads. trolleybuses, it was decided that It has been claimed that problems of there was again a role to be played by obstruction and traffic congestion are NETWORK FACTS tramways in meeting the transport the reason behind this route closure, needs of the city, and construction of but a more fundamental reason may Opened: 1991-98 a new system began in 1989. be a concern over the weight imposed Lines: 3 (1435mm); 1 (1000mm) The first section of this new system upon the girder bridge by the two-car Depots: 3 (1435mm); 1 (1000mm) opened for traffic in April 1991. It was tram sets. Tracks over this section were Approx. weekday hours: built to standard gauge (1435mm) in the course of being lifted in 2014 (1435mm) 05.30-0.00 as a turnkey contract with Czech and those on the main Yonggwang Frequency: 2-3 minutes (1435mm); industry, which supplied everything Street had already been removed. as required (1000mm) including the track and electrical Line 1 now operates exclusively on the Gauge: 1435mm (main system); installations. The tramcars supplied west side of the river from a terminal 1000mm (Mausoleum line) were Tatra products of the Czech point outside Pyongyang’s main 1435mm: about 490 cars CKD car builder. railway station via Sosong, Pulgun and Fleet: including some trailers; Three routes were developed and Kwangbok Streets to a terminus in the 1000mm: 18 motor + trailer sets all remain in operation, although city’s western Mangyongdae District, one section has been closed in recent where its depot is situated (each route INFORMATION months. This section of line 1 dates has its own depot). Network timetables: None available from the original opening of the Line 2 was opened in 1992 and Tourist information: Map of the city system and includes around 5km operates entirely on the east side (does not show public transport routes) (three miles) of route spanning the of the Taedong river. Starting from shops in hotels and one or two river on the Taedong bridge, a girder from a terminal point close to the city centre outlets construction, and passing along Taedonggang District tram depot,

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 513 Pyongyang it operates along Munsu, Chongnyon and Thongil Streets to a terminus at A blue-painted pair of Tatra T4/B4 cars hauls a seemingly-defective T6 Tosong, common with line 3, which pair back to the depot for line 3, on it shares for the last few hundred the overbridge where its tracks cross metres of its route. The junction those of line 2 on Thongil Street. between the two lines is grade separated, with the cars of line 3 using a bridge to cross the main Thongil Street served by line 2. The terminal turning loop is around the depot located at the end of these lines. Line 3 dates from 1998 and follows a less straightforward path than either of its predecessors. Starting at Tosong in the south of the city, it first crosses the Taedong river by the Chungsong Bridge and then travels along Ryukgyo, Saemaul and Ansan Streets, before sharing the tracks of line 1 for a short distance on Sosong Street. It then continues northwards to West Pyongyang railway station by way of tracks on Kyonghung and Hasin Streets. High frequencies are operated and in peak periods, two-car trains of trams operate at around two to three-minute intervals on each route; operations are slowed by the heavy passenger loading and slow boarding and alighting at stops. The cars are crowded throughout the day and fares (KPW5/EUR0.03) are payable to seated conductors. Route numbers and destination displays are not used.

The Mausoleum tramline Since July 1995, there has been a second, physically separate tramway in Pyongyang – and a very special operation it is. DPRK is a state with an all- ABOVE: Ex-Praha T3 pair 1185+1186 on tracks outside ABOVE: The trackfan outside the route 1 depot, with pervading cult of personality, based the depot for route 1. KT8 articulated car 1020 on the right and T6B5 car 1058 upon the Kim dynasty. Following the undergoing repairs on the left. death in 1994 of DPRK’s founding father, the Supreme Leader, Kim Il LEFT: Gutter- Sung, a mausoleum was established running tracks on in the former Kumsusan Memorial line 1, segregated Palace, dating from 1976 and which from the main carriageway. T6B5 had served as Mr Kim’s official bogie car 1174 leads residence on a site to the north-east a pair of cars; the of the city, to house his embalmed retracted pantograph body (since joined by that of his is a recurrent feature successor, Kim Jong Il) in conditions in Pyongyang. of appropriate splendour. The project was conceived on a grand scale and BELOW: The the Palace and surrounding gardens, Mausoleum line is laid in asphalt immaculately tended by a veritable and set on reserved army of workers, occupy a vast site. track amidst The mausoleum itself is well- well-tended protected and in addition to the greenery; seen here mausoleum chamber features rooms are Swiss Standard in which are displayed the honours cars 101 and 201.

ESSENTIAL FACTS What is there to see? All western visitors travel in organised groups under the direction of the national Tourist Agency and will be taken to see the regime’s main sights in Pyongyang including memorials, the Korean War museum (which includes an interesting array of captured machinery) and the Juche tower. There is also a Metro museum and a technology museum, which includes some railway rolling-stock and a new articulated trolleybus. A visit to the Kumsusan Mausoleum can be arranged in advance and will fascinate those intrigued by the concept of a state based upon the cult of personality.

514 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

bestowed upon Mr Kim by various regime and afterwards. Current TOP: Pyongyang There is one other known urban sympathetic worldwide communities, collection is again by pantograph. railway station is in tramway in DPRK, namely at large and small. The mausoleum is The depot is beyond the mausoleum the background of Chongjin. This opened in 1999 using isolated from the main part of the city terminal station. Western visitors are this view of Tatra KT4 cars transferred from Pyongyang. T6B5 set 1108+1116 and was originally served by a station The sole line serves an important not permitted to ride the line, and turning on the built on Metro line 2 when this was indeed can only visit the mausoleum loop now used as a steelworks complex in the city but built. Subsequently this station was on two days a week. terminus since the western visitors are still unable to visit closed and in 1995, a tramline, built It does appear that the cars are kept eastern section of or photograph it, the only records of to metre-gauge, was opened from in smart condition, as would befit line 1 was truncated its operation coming out of North the next nearest Metro station to a such a prestigious operation, and in early 2014. Korea being snatched views from terminal point some distance from although several sets were seen by within tourist coaches by visitors ABOVE LEFT: A the entrance to the Palace which acts recent visitors the total still in service lack of of authentic passing through the city on their way as a visitor assembly area. could not be established. rear glazing has led to other parts of the provinces. Visits are strictly controlled and to the substitution This may change, depending on have to be pre-booked, and involve The future of flat glass screens DPRK’s need for foreign currency. a series of travelators for the journey Little is known about the future with opening vents This account is inevitably incomplete from the assembly area into the Palace for tramways in Pyongyang. There on some Tatra T4/B4 but should serve as a starting point itself. The tramway operates to convey have been no new vehicle deliveries cars acquired in the for any reader contemplating a visit late 1990s, such as both visiting groups between the since 1998 and no plans are known to North Korea. Such visits are trailer 239 seen here Metro station and the assembly point, for extensions, nor for closures. The on line 2. becoming easier to make; a number as well as military personnel, who trolleybus system is being re-equipped of western-based tour operators provide the guards in the Palace. with new locally-built articulated ABOVE RIGHT: arrange inclusive tours, including To operate the service, a fleet of 18 vehicles, whilst continued extension Motor car 118 and some of the provincial regions, and motor and trailer cars of Swiss Standard of the Metro system may reasonably trailer 218, ex-Zürich tours for those with special interests in Swiss Standard type were acquired from Zürich and be expected. The guide from the aspects such as public transport have cars, crossing the repainted in a two-tone green livery transport operator referenced a desire wide expanse of a started to be provided in recent years. reminiscent of that applied to Italian to commence the local building of road leading to the These tours customarily enter and urban transport under the Mussolini trams, but this has not begun to date. Mausoleum. leave the country via China.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 515 Magdeburg MAGDEBURG ON THE MEND ore than a year after Over a year after 2013’s 2014 the turning loop is back in use, and so floodwaters swept across are some of the workshop tracks. However, Europe, Magdeburg is still devastating floods, the current situation is still an interim one: dealing with the results. Saxony-Anhalt’s capital is previous plans to rebuild the depot have Yet whereas the damage been abandoned, and preparations are now Mseen on many other tramways in June still working through the being made to tender for a new depot that 2013 was relatively superficial, the scale consequences – TAUT reports. is more robust against the risk of flooding; of flooding when the River Elbe broke its Betriebshof Nord sits on land that is lower banks in the eastern German city led to a than that of the surrounding area. clean up operation that still hasn’t finished. out but have now been repaired. Services On the Elbe’s eastern bank lies Herrenkrug, Ultimately, it could cost over EUR100m. returned on 2 June 2014. Provisional repairs an area with much greenery including a park The buses and trams of Magdeburger have allowed reduced-speed running on the created for Germany’s 1999 federal garden Verkehrsbetriebe (MVB) carried 60.8m main August-Bebel-Damm axis that runs show. Herrenkrug is served by lines 5 and 6. passengers in 2013 – a drop of 370 000 over roughly north-south between the Neue Points and signalling here were damaged, 2012 that has at least been partly blamed on Neustadt and Barleber See. and an electrical transformer destroyed. the serious reductions in service enforced But cable damage has left a reduced There was also damage to an historic waiting during last June and July. power supply, and the turning circle at shelter. Provisional repairs have returned At its worst on 9 June, all but two MVB tram Rothensee between Neue Neustadt and the tramway to use – the work including routes were affected. Some 70 trams and other Barleber See is still out of use. The damage installation of a temporary transformer. vehicles had been evacuated from Betriebshof here was not limited to tracks, but included Preventing future damage here would Nord (the northern depot) in the early hours a washed-out embankment. ideally be achieved by rebuilding the line of 8 June, before waters from the burst river Before the flooding, line 10 ran every ten to include raising the level of the formation flooded in. The tramway’s other depot in minutes during the day between Sudenberg by 1m-1.5m. However, the sensitive Westerhüsen had already been cut off. and Rothensee, with every second service environmental characteristics of the area In order to keep services running, MVB set running through to Barleber See. That gave mean this is deemed unrealistic; so instead, up ‘mobile interim depots’, stabling vehicles Barleber See a 20-minute service – and in reliance is being placed on the new flood on the West- and Südring corridor, where peak times this was increased to a tram defences being constructed for Magdeburg. the tramway runs off street on a dedicated every ten minutes. The forthcoming existence of these central formation between the road’s two Currently trams run every ten minutes as defences – which are not only intended carriageways (see TAUT 908). Images of trams far as the loop at Neue Neustadt, with every to protect the tramway – forms part of the stabled on the streets symbolised the scale second tram heading to Barleber See. Neue background to MVB’s thinking of how it will of the problem in Saxony-Anhalt’s capital; Neustadt is six stops short of Rothensee – defend itself in the future. Nevertheless, the operation to return services to normal meaning that only a 20-minute service is MVB has itself set itself the task of ensuring includes the major rebuilding of both track currently running through to the latter area. that future work on the system addresses the and Betriebshof Nord. The extensive nature of the damage, and risk of flooding from the start, and studies are Although much has been done, no date the consequent scale of the work needed currently underway into how best to protect has yet been set for when the reconstruction for any permanent solution, means that the formation at August-Bebel-Damm. will be finished. any contract must be tendered EU-wide; it With work on the repairs ongoing or is hoped that this process can take place to still to come, it will still be a while until Where now? allow work to start during 2015. all the damage caused by 2013’s floods is So, what is the current situation in this Perhaps the most dramatic images from overcome and all services return to normal city of around 200 000 people? The bulk of last year’s devastation were those taken – TAUT will carry a further update once that the damage was in the north-east, where inside Betriebshof Nord, situated on line 10, has happened. tramlines run on both sides of the Elbe. where a tram raised on jacks hovered above Tracks on line 10 to Barleber See – an area floodwaters. Not only was the depot itself put For more on the Magdeburg system, see the bounded by lakes alongside the major out of use by the swollen Elbe, but so too was Systems Factfile in TAUT 906. For a report on Mittellandkanal waterway – were washed its turning loop. Following repairs in summer the flooding, see issue 908.

ABOVE: Betriebshof Nord in summer 2013. .The flooding has forced a rethink on development plans for MVB’s northern depot. MVB

LEFT: Line 6 is one of two to serve Herrenkrug, where the tramway was particularly affected by the flooding. On 12 May 2010 NGT8D 1306 is at Breitscheidstrasse en route to Diesdorf. Neil Pulling

516 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Worldwide Review

ARGENTINA CANADA BUENOS AIRES. Siemens has EDMONTON. The Edmonton been contracted to upgrade Radial Railway Society is seeking signalling, operational control and to expand its line south from Old passenger information on metro Strathcona Farmers Market to line C by the end of 2016. Whyte Avenue, at a project cost of CAD1.2m (EUR0.85m). E. B. Havens AUSTRALIA TORONTO. M o d e r a t e MELBOURNE. Signage is in place conservative John Tory won the at 70 tram stops in readiness for the mayoral election on 27 October introduction of a fare-free zone in and thus succeeds controversial the city centre and docklands from figure Rob Ford, who was replaced 1 January (Flinders St to Victoria as a candidate by his brother Doug, St, and Spring St to Docklands). who came second. Original front- runner Olivia Chow was third. AUSTRIA Tory is in favour of replacing the GRAZ. The delivery of more Stadler Scarborough RT line with an Variobahn trams has seen the extension of the subway from withdrawal of 581-3, leaving 584 as Kennedy. He also proposes a new the last classic Düwag-style car in 53km (34-mile) surface rapid transit EB service, at least until December. line, SmartTrack, based largely on The new tramline 2 in the French city of Le Mans splits from line 1 at Place Aristide VORCHDORF – GMUNDEN. existing GO Transit infrastructure Briand; the tram is Alstom Citadis 1023. Y. Allain The Stern & Hafferl Lokalbahn was running from the airport in the to be extended to Klosternplatz west to Markham in the north-east, XI’IAN. Siemens has been LE MANS. The introduction from 13 December, the first part via Union Station in the city centre, awarded a contract to supply its of tramline 2 has helped the of a new link with the Gmunden with five subway interchanges. This Trainguard MT radio-based train passenger count reach 10 500/ tramway. EB is estimated to cost CAD8bn control system for the 39km day, compared with 3 500/day on SALZBURG. 31 October saw the (EUR5.6bn) and could be completed (24-mile) metro line 3, now under the previous (now withdrawn) bus retirement of Gunter Mackinger by 2021. It will require co-operation construction. services 22 and 33. as Director of the Salzburg from the provincial-run Metrolinx, PARIS. Alstom is to build 12 Verkehrsbetriebe (including operator of GO Transit. CROATIA more steel-wheel MF01 five-car Lokalbahn) after 36 years of service Tory has no plans to alter TTC’s OSIJEK. 130 years of tramway métro trains for lines 2, 5 and 9 in to the city and its transport. strategy of upgrading the city’s operation were marked on 10 a EUR75m contract. The new trains WIEN (Vienna). The first U-Bahn tramway system, or completing the September with a parade featuring will be delivered in 2016 to increase sets delivered to Wien, 2001+3001 suburban light rail system. 1926 Skoda tram 8 hauling an capacity on these busy lines. of 1972, have been scrapped along Sunday 12 October saw the open wagon for a band, Tatra RATP has awarded Siemens the with others of this type as new resumption of tram services 509 T3YU 8223 of 1982, Düwag 9530 contract to extend automated V class sets enter service (Siemens and 510 along Queens Quay to (ex-Mannheim 371) and metro line 3 south by 6km (3.7 delivered the 50th car of this type in Union Station as the two-year Pragoimex 0602 of 2006. TR miles), with train and operational October). Also scrapped are trams Queens Quay revitalisation control equipment. E1 4836/7/43 and trailer 1285. project comes to an end. FRANCE ANGERS. Consultation has GERMANY BELGIUM CHINA started for a second tram route, line BAD SCHANDAU. BRUSSEL/BRUXELLES. The CHENGDU. Trial operation on B, 10km (six miles) linking Belle- The Kirnitzschtalbahn tramway peak run-out from the start of the the 11.1km (6.9-mile) south- Beille in the west and Monplaisir resumed operation to the town winter timetable increased to 296 eastern metro line 2 extension in the east. It would share tracks terminus from 24 October. DS trams, which meant that yellow- to Longquanyi began on with line A at Place Moliere and the COTTBUS. Bahnhofstrasse re- liveried articulated PCCs 7757/60 26 October. RGI cost will be around EUR650m. IRJ opened to trams on 19 October. DS re-entered passenger service after HARBIN. Bowuguan (Museum) BORDEUAX. The Metropolitan DRESDEN. The tram tracks two years on driver training. STIB station on metro line 1 was opened Council (CUB) voted on 31 October in Schandauer Strasse were is preparing a tender for more new on 26 September. This will later to renew Keolis’ contract to operate brought back into use for routes trams, to replace the last 50 7700 form an interchange with the the city’s public transport network 4 and 10 from 27 October after cars and all the 7900 trams. T-2000 second line. urbanrail.net until 2023. Keolis has managed the infrastructure reconstruction. DS CHARLEROI. Car 7441, the last HONG KONG. Due to protests Bordeaux network, which serves ERFURT. The last Tatra KT4D tram that ran in SNCV colours blocking tracks between Western 28 municipalities and a population trams in regular passenger service before being given publicity Market and Victoria Park, tramway of 720 000, since 2009. were 405+495, used on route 3 for vinyls, has now emerged from the service on this section and the The new agreement starts on the last time on 18 October. DS paintshop in full TEC livery. T-2000 Happy Valley loop was suspended 1 January and generate cumulative ESSEN. The opening ceremony for OOSTENDE. An accumulation for 15 days at the end of September/ revenue of EUR1.7bn. Keolis has the new tramway along Berthold- of sand in the rails caused a early October. Services continued committed to increasing passenger Beitz-Boulevard was on 19 October derailment at Middelkerke on between Kennedy Town and numbers by 34%, revenues by using new Bombardier Flexity 1607 21 October, suspending services. Western Market and Shau Kei Wan 52%, and extending the network and museum trams 25, 144, 705, Because of high winds blowing and Victoria Park. Eight trams were by 7% through new LRT lines. 888 and 1753. The 1.3km (0.8-mile) onshore the tram could not be re- used to restore service on the Happy GRENOBLE. Renovated TFS EUR14m section of line was used railed until the next day. T-2000 Valley loop from 11 October. From trams are 2006/7/20/2/36 – all are by route 109 from the following 15 October services ran Kennedy receiving the same livery as the day, saving three minutes on the BRAZIL Town – Happy Valley and Shau Kei Alstom Citadis. T-2000 Frohnhausen route running time. DS RIO DE JANEIRO. The first of 15 Wan – Victoria Park. HKT LE HAVRE. To mark the centenary FREIBURG-IM-BREISGAU. CNR Changchun trains for metro SHANGHAI. Work has started of the Belgian government in exile With city centre sewer works line 4 was completed at the end of on 40km (25 miles) of tramway taking up residence in Le Havre complete, tram services returned September, and should arrive in serving two lines in the Songjiang in 1914, Brussels museum tram to normal from 27 October. Rio in December. The 16km (ten- district, connecting with metro 1428 was taken from Woluwe to INDUSTRY. Following the mile) line is due for completion for line 9. Passenger service is expected the French city for display on the reported withdrawal of National the 2016 Olympic Games. RGI in 2017. Shanghai Daily News tram tracks at La Plage terminus. Express in October – and earlier

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 517 Worldwide Review

The new extension of Saarbrücken's Saarbahn light rail system opened on The new Trojska Most (bridge) in Praha (Prague) undergoes weight testing with 5 October. Decorated car 1028 is seen leaving Eiweiler Nord. R Birgen Škoda trams prior to opening. DPHMP decisions not to participate from Veikou to Goudi via Kölonaki The report will also include an STAR) line in 2015. They will MTR Corp and RATP – current in the city centre. Construction evaluation of the existing Metro complete the replacement of the operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) could start in 2016. The new North plan and options for rail original 1995 Australian-built remains as the only potential line could be extended to future (DART) and an interim ‘Swiftway’ rolling stock (90 two-car sets). bidder for the operation of the interchanges with line 1 at Perissos busway between the Airport, The 2015 budget includes Berlin S-Bahn Ring franchise. and Maroussi. IRJ Swords and the city centre. finance for the start of work on a The Berlin Senate called second Klang Valley metro, 56km competitive tenders following INDIA ISLE OF MAN (34.8 miles) linking Selayang and problems including a wheel-break KOCHI. Rolling stock for the DOUGLAS. The Department Putrajaya via the city centre. Work in 2009 (see TAUT 861) that led to 25.6km (15.9-mile) elevated metro of Infrastructure has opened a will take five years to complete. a large number of vehicles being now under construction will be consultation for alternative plans The first Klang Valley line is 50% withdrawn from service. However supplied by Alstom: 25 three-car for relocating the horse tramway complete and will open in 2017. IRJ there have been disputes over the Metropolis trains with an option tracks on Douglas Promenade. The division of services and whether to for 25 more. They will be built intention was to provide a corridor MEXICO bundle rolling stock procurement, at an Alstom factory in Sricity, for the trams on the seaward side MEXICO CITY. Tenders have valued at approximately Andhra Pradesh. of the road, a scheme due to begin been issued for the construction EUR800m, together with the imminently. This has been put of a 4km (2.5-mile) extension of operating contracts. IRAN on hold until a second option of steel-wheel metro line 12 from DB recently had its existing SHIRAZ. The first 10.5km (6.5- relocating the tramway onto the Mixcoac to an interchange with operating contract extended to mile) section of metro line 1 Promenade Walkway between line 1 at Observatorio. Completion August 2023. RGI, BZ was inaugurated on 11 October Victoria Pier and the War Memorial is planned for late 2016. J IR KASSEL. KVG has transferred all between Namazi in the city has been fully considered. MONTERREY. T h e 7 k m historic rolling stock to Technik- centre and Ehsan in the north. MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY. (4.3-mile) line 3 of the Monterrey Museum Kassel, with 160m of Construction has taken 13 years. The main winter programme covers metro will be equipped recovered rail laid into a hall Rolling stock is supplied by CNR rehabilitation of Ballure Viaduct with communications, signalling on part of the former Henschel Changchun: 27 five-car 1500V dc at the Ramsey end of the line. and operational control systems Rothenditmold locomotive works, overhead trains. urbanrail.net Tynwald approval has been sought by Siemens under a EUR25m which is not connected to the for GBP1.285m (EUR1.632m) to contract awarded in October. tramway network. C. T. Wagner IRELAND undertake the work. The line is due to open in MÜLHEIM/Ruhr. The turning DUBLIN. A safety campaign The 52m-long structure was built autumn 2015. circle at Uhlenhorst for route 102 has been launched by operator between 1897 and 1899 as a riveted was taken out of service on 25 Transdev to reduce the amount metal bridge. Corroded metal NETHERLANDS October and replaced by a stub of near misses between trams sections will be replaced, while AMSTERDAM. After Siemens terminus. DS and pedestrians. In the first nine timber-supporting steel beams Combino trams 2020 and 2063 MÜNCHEN (Munich). With months of the year there had been will be upgraded or replaced and were involved in a collision, a tramway extensions planned, the 70 incidents, with people often the structure re-painted. All rail- new 2063 has been formed from existing depot in Einsteinstrasse distracted by mobile phones or carrying timbers will be replaced the front two sections of 2063 and is too small to accommodate music players. A series of videos and new rails and guardrails will be the rear three sections of 2020. further cars. A new depot on land filmed though the onboard installed, with track renewal also The damaged remaining sections beside the central workshops in tram camera system has been between the Viaduct and the Laxey have been returned to Siemens for Ramersdorf will be built. DS issued to highlight the problem. Road crossing. repair, along with 2052. OR POTSDAM. Eight of the 17 Cameras have also been installed ROTTERDAM. The 700-series Siemens Combino trams are to be at tramway crossings to record ISRAEL trams are no longer in passenger lengthened from 30m to 40m with motorists running red lights in JERUSALEM. With incidents service. The surviving examples two additional centre sections. DS front of trams. of rock throwing at LRVs on are stored at the central workshops, STUTTGART. Tunnelling is Luas expansion could replace the northern section of line since the sale of further examples complete for the new 1.6km the proposed EUR3bn Metro North increasing, every other tram now to Romania is unlikely. (one-mile) tram subway between project, the Irish Independent has reverses at the depot, halving the Hbf and Stadtbibliothek with reported. The National Transport service through the affected area NORWAY a junction for the line to Euro- Authority is looking at proposals to Pisgat Ze-ev. Jewish Press OSLO. After eight years, the 5km paviertal, due to open in 2016. DS for Luas lines serving the suburbs (3.1-mile) Avløs – Kolsås section of Finglas, Ballymun and Swords. MALAYSIA of line reopened on 12 October GREECE This could include extensions KUALA LUMPUR. Thirty more reconstructed to metro standards, ATHINA. Plans have been from the Broombridge terminus six-car metro trains have been now served by line 2. The work revealed for a fourth metro line, of the Cross City line, currently ordered from CSR Zhuzhou, for cost NOK1.25m (EUR0.15m). 12km (7.5 miles) from Alsos under construction. delivery to the Ampang (formerly urbanrail.net

518 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org (EUR44m) contract with Stadler change programme. There will also for the supply of five more Fink be red warning lights, an audio EMUs for delivery in 2016. RGI alarm and tactile paving on the pedestrian crossing points. The TURKEY safety features are being installed ISTANBUL. Light rail line M1 was at Callerton Parkway, Bank Foot extended 700m from Aksaray to Kingston Park and Fawdon level Yenikapi on 10 October, providing crossings in Newcastle, and at interchange with the Marmaray the Howdon level crossing in suburban rail line. urbanrail.net North Tyneside. Work should be IZMIR. Tenders have been invited completed by the end of the year. for 17 five-car metro trains, which WEST MIDLANDS. The recently will be financed by the European announced future extension Bank for Reconstruction and of Midland Metro beyond the Development. IRJ proposed HS2 station at Curzon KONYA. It is reported that the Street to the Digbeth area of ex-Köln Duewag trams that are Birmingham was the subject of being replaced by new Skoda cars further public consultation in London Tramlink 2550 working a route 3 service along the single-line section have been offered as a gift to the October. Consultation into a route between Beddington Lane and Mitcham Junction on 3 October. To the left can be seen Bosnian city of Sarajevo. DS from Bull Street in the city centre the works to double this section with new overhead masts in position. Tony Sullivan to the proposed HS2 rail station BARCELONA. Trial running has UNITED KINGDOM took place in February, but after POLAND started on the section of metro line BLACKPOOL. The heritage fleet extra Government money was WARSZAWA. The first section of 9 between Zona Universitaria and was active over the Illuminations secured Centro is consulting on east-west metro line 2 was opened the airport (T1) using two five-car period, although on most days two alternative routes to link the between Dworzec Wilenski 9100-series trains. The automatic tours included Balloon double- HS2 terminus to a proposed station and Rondo Daszynskiego on 11 train control system will be tested deckers, which are not equipped and car park at Adderley Street. November. Tenders have been for a year before passenger service. with illuminations. The heritage The scheme, which includes invited for further extensions. IRJ On 16 October, the Mayor fleet remains operated by both construction of the extension of Barcelona and the Catalan Blackpool Transport Services and and additional trams, could ROMANIA Transport Minister presented a the newly-formed Trust has not cost up to GBP130m (EUR165m) SIBIU. The Rasinari tramline is study for a project to connect the yet taken over ownership of any of depending on which route in a desolate state, and it is clear FGC 1000mm gauge Catalans line the vehicles included in the fleet. through Digbeth is chosen. there have been no operations for (Manresa/Igualada – Barcelona) The future of the Rigby Road Option 1 is the shortest at just many months. A. Beech with the FGC 1485mm gauge tram depot which houses the over 1km (0.6 miles), following Catalunya line (Barcelona – heritage fleet is looking more Fazeley Street before turning onto RUSSIA Terrassa/Sabadell) by building a secure; plans to secure its Liverpool Street. There would be MOSKVA. A 3.6km (2.2-mile) 1000mm-gauge extension from redevelopment have been dropped. a stop close to the junction with tramway extension is to be the present terminus at Plaça INDUSTRY. City regions in the Great Barr Street and Heath Mill built to link Shosse Entuziastov Espanya to Gràcia, with two UK have welcomed the move by Lane. Trams would then continue metro station and the intermediate stations, Hospital the Labour party to allow bus along Liverpool Street before Ivanovskoye district. IRJ Clínic and Francesc Macia. This regulation if it wins the UK General turning into Adderley Street. ROSTOV-NA-DONU. Alstom 4.1km (2.5-mile) extension could Election in 2015. Bus services Option 2 is just under 1.5km (0.9 has signed a memorandum of lead to a 14m rise in passenger in the UK outside London were miles) long and runs along New agreement to participate in the numbers (and ultimately transport deregulated in the 1980s. However Canal Street and Meriden Street modernisation of the 112km 38% of the passengers on the line). Labour Party leader Ed Miliband before turning left on to High (70-mile) tramway, including the Both the city and the Catalan said on 31 October: “The next Street Deritend. It would then run supply of new trams in time for the government see the line’s strategic Labour government will hand along the centre of the carriageway 2018 FIFA World Cup. importance, and argue that the regions that want it the power to with a stop close to the junction of SANKT PETERBURG. The joint building costs of EUR321.7m regulate their bus services so that Milk Street to serve Digbeth Coach venture of Alstom and Transmash would pay for themselves and local people and local businesses Station and the Custard Factory Holdings is testing the first could even generate a profit. It get the public transport system creative area, before turning left locally assembled 100% low-floor would take 45 months to build, they need to succeed. into Adderley Street. articulated car on the network. RGI and if it was started before 2020 “Labour will legislate so that city Timing depends on delivery of could be operational by 2023. and county regions can set fares, HS2, but under present estimates SOUTH KOREA Construction will be by a decide routes, and integrate bus the extension could be completed SEOUL. Siemens has been public-private partnership; exact services with trams, trains and the by 2023 ahead of the proposed 2026 awarded a contract valued at details as to project finance will be wider public transport network.” operational date of HS2 to the city. EUR20m to provide train control announced in 2015. R. Felski SOUTH YORKSHIRE. The tram extension is a key automation for the 23km (14.3- Following restoration of the full part of the wider plan drawn up mile) Sosa – Wonsi commuter rail SWEDEN tram network after the summer by the city council and Centro line that is under construction STOCKHOLM. Norrköping 35 round of trackworks, a new to lay down a blueprint for for completion in 2017. The new returned to its home city on 8 interchange opened at the Malin redevelopment of land around the line will branch off the Seoul – October. The same transport Bridge terminus on 15 October. HS2 station. Incheon line at Sosa to provide a brought A35 461 from the This allows improved interchange connection to Wonsi New port. Tvårbanan to Djurgården depot for passengers and has been USA for gauging trials in readiness for financed by the Local Sustainable CAMDEN – TRENTON, NJ. SPAIN the Spårväg City project. MfSS Transport Fund. Bombardier has been awarded ALACANT. The through- TYNE & WEAR. GBP800 000 a USD296m 15-year contract to ticketing between the RENFE SWITZERLAND (EUR1m) is being invested by operate and maintain the diesel high-speed line and Benidorm BERN. The referendum referred Nexus to improve safety features at light rail line from 14 March via Luceros and the light rail line to in the last issue did approve Metro level crossings. The five level 2015. E. B. Havens has been so successful that the the extension of tramline 9 to crossings maintained by Nexus DETROIT, MI. The narrow-gauge competing coach service between Kleinwabern by 2021. A. Moglestue are to get brighter stop lights and Citizen’s Railway heritage trams Benidorm and Villena HS station LUZERN – INTERLAKEN (ZB). clearer warning signs as part of the (in store since the Washington has been withdrawn. A. Moglestue Zentralbahn has signed a CHF53m GBP389m (EUR494m) Metro: all Blvd line closed in 2003) were

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 519 Worldwide Review

The first CAF-built LRV for Houston is 301, now on test before the system Kinkisharyo has delivered the first new LRV, 1001, to Los Angeles. The unveiling extensions open in 2015. CAF took place on 17 October at a temporary assembly facility in Palmdale. Kinkisharyo put up for auction on 5 November, declared the St Charles tramway SEATTLE. Inekon is paying which is to be returned to Blackpool with over 400 other vehicles (the oldest operating tramway contractual penalties for late to continue its extended loan from from the municipality’s fleet. in the US) a national historic delivery of the trams intended for the museum. Balloon 711, on loan The 900mm-gauge trams include landmark. E. B. Havens the First Hill line, which should from Blackpool Transport Services seven ex-Lisboa cars, Vevey 4 NEW YORK, NY. 6.1m riders have opened this year. Three of and technically still part of the and Burton & Ashby double- were carried on the rapid transit the seven cars are being assembled ‘B’ Fleet, first entered service on decker 14. E. B. Havens system on 23 September, an MTA by local labour in the line’s depot. 8 October 1934. FORT WORTH, TX. The FTA record. E. B. Havens Sound Transit has announced The museum will be closed and the FAA have cleared plans OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. Bids a consortium of Atkinson over the winter period to allow for a 43km (27-mile) rail line to have been invited for five modern Construction/Stacy & Witbeck the next phase of trackrelaying to link Fort Worth and Dallas-Fort trams, with an option for eight as its preferred bidder to build take place. This will involve the Worth International airport. Work more, to operate the 7.4km (4.6- the first section of the planned interlaced section under the Bowes should start in 2016. E. B. Havens mile) city centre circulator due to USD2.8bn, 22.4km (13.9-mile) Lyon Bridge and will also include HOUSTON, TX. Car 301, the open in 2018. Off-wire capability light rail line linking Seattle, work to the overhead and power first of 39 CAF LRVs for the is required. E. B. Havens Bellevue and Overlake. E. B. Havens supply; GBP500 000 (EUR635 000) system, having successfully PHILADELPHIA, PA (SEPTA). WASHINGTON, DC. Three is to be invested in these works completed trials on 7 October. The trial of overnight rapid transit consortia have been shortlisted over a two-year period. Twelve cars had reached Houston service on the Broad St and Markey for the contract to extend the FLEETWOOD (UK). T he by that date. E. B. Havens – Frankford lines on Friday and city’s tram network with 13km Fleetwood Heritage Leisure HUDSON–BERGEN, NJ. Saturday nights has been made (8.1 miles) of new construction. Trust has put up for sale, either A coalition of local mayors has permanent; 15 000 passengers/ A final request for proposals will complete or as a source of spare expressed its support for the night are being carried. E. B. Havens be issued in January 2016 and the parts for other heritage projects, extension of the light rail line PORTLAND, OR. MAX 521, successful bidder announced in its Balloon 726. north from Tonnelle Avenue the first of 18 Siemens S70 December 2016. E. B. Havens to Englewood. E. B. Havens Type 5 LRVs, arrived at Ruby CONTRIBUTORS LOS ANGELES, CA. US Secretary Junction workshops on the evening MUSEUM NEWS Worldwide items should be sent of Transportation Anthony of 29 September. These Type 5 BALLARAT (AU). High winds to Worldwide Editor Michael Foxx was in Los Angeles on 30 cars feature an improved seating on 27 October brought down trees Taplin at Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, September to attend the ground- layout, mainly in the central in Wendouree Parade, damaging Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, breaking ceremony for the 3km section, and an improved HVAC the museum tramway overhead. UK – Fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or (1.9-mile), USD1.42bn Regional system. Like their predecessors, Work crews managed to get the e-mail: [email protected]. Connector light rail subway link they are single-ended with doors tramway operating again on UK and Ireland items are between 7th St and Little Tokyo on both sides. S. J. Morgan 1 November. P. Nicholson welcomed by the Home News that will join the Blue and Expo SAN DIEGO, CA. The FTA has CARLTON COLVILLE (UK). Editor, John Symons, 17 lines with the Gold line by 2020. approved the environmental Work started on track renewal of Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, The FTA is contributing USD670m analysis for the 17.6km the museum’s main line along Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 0LW, UK. towards the project. (10.9-mile) northern extension of Tramway Avenue at the end of E-mail [email protected] Tracklaying has been completed light rail to La Jolla and University September. Worn rail is being Contributors include Mike on the 18.5km (11.5-mile) Gold City. Construction could start replaced by part-used track Ballinger and Eric Pounder. line extension from Pasadena in late 2015 with passenger obtained from Crich Tramway Acknowledgements are also due to to Azusa, with a ceremony on service from 2019. E. B. Havens Village (replaced at Crich due BZ Berliner Zeitung, Birmingham Mail, 18 October. Passenger service is SAN FRANCISCO, CA. to wear where track was laid on Cambridge News, DS Drehscheibe, predicted for March 2016. The detailed specification for the sleepers). This is not a problem at EATMS, Edinburgh Evening News, The ground-breaking ceremony 175 LRVs ordered from Siemens Carlton Colville as track is laid in EB Eisenbahn, Fylde Tramway for the Purple line heavy rapid (plus 85 on option) show a six- mass concrete. As a result of the Society, Global Rail News, HKT Hong transit extension west to the axle high-floor double-ended relaying there will be no Santa Kong Times, IRJ International Rail Veterans Administration Hospital articulated car, 22.9m long and Special operations in December. Journal, Irish Independent, Jewish was on 7 November. E. B. Havens 2.7m wide with 864mm floor CRICH (UK). The 80th Press, Manchester Evening News, MINNEAPOLIS – ST. PAUL, height. The minimum curve radius anniversary of ‘widened’ Balloon MfSS Meddelanden från Svenska MN. Patronage on the Green light will be 13m, and the unladen 711 was celebrated at the National Spårvägssälskapet, Nottingham rail line linking the two cities now weight 35 730kg. Four 130kW Tramway Museum on 12 October. Evening Post, Ouest-France, OR exceeds 1m riders/month, 35% motors will permit acceleration of The date also marked the final Op De Rails, RGI Railway Gazette higher than the 2015 pre-opening 1.34m/s and a maximum speed of day in operation of Blackpool International, Shanghai Daily projection. E. B. Havens 88.5km/h (55mph). There will be & Fleetwood Rack 2 before News, T-2000, TR Today's Railways, NEW ORLEANS, LA. The US 60 seats and space of 143 standing, withdrawal for major overhaul, urbanrail.net, and Wolverhampton Department of the Interior has plus four wheelchair spaces. and Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40, Express & Star.

520 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Letters

MAILBOX Get your views into print Letters should be clearly typed and preferably not handwritten. [email protected] +44 (0)1733 367615 We reserve the right to shorten contributions for publication.

Now is the time for the tram to flourish

I have read with interest the ongoing debate in TAUT relating The great thing about Edinburgh is the fact that Lothian to a variety of issues about tramways in the UK, and in Buses has built up a strong and comprehensive network particular the new Edinburgh system. in which several very busy routes are ideal candidates for Richard Buckley has hit the nail quite neatly on the upgrading to tram. This would have the benefit of lowering head with his description of the developments in Hannover whole-life costs of operation over the long term and where, in common with all German cities, there is much increasing ridership through provision of still higher capacity higher use of public transport than in the urban areas of and a more attractive mode of travel. Exactly in line with the the UK. The retention and modernisation of tramways – criteria for the introduction of modern trams to Bordeaux, in some cases transformed into high-capacity light rail Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris and Strasbourg, systems – is a principal reason for this, along with the where there are now – as one day there should be in Edinburgh simplification of tariffs to ensure that users need only – extensive and highly successful tram networks. one ticket for all modes and the creation of purpose-built Let us not forget that it was the sharp decline in public interchanges to make transfers simple (with properly transport use in French cities in the 1950s, 60s and 70s that co-ordinated timetables). led to the tram renaissance of the 1980s – Because the UK has followed the an important lesson for the UK. American model, we now have a “We have the best chance As for the issues of trams not being much higher use of private cars than needed from Edinburgh Airport to is found in mainland Europe and in years for the UK to get the city centre (Roger Davies) and our public transport has rarely been competition criteria (David Walmsley) properly integrated – and when it has, its act together and follow it is interesting to observe how many the focus has been on creating one people arriving from incoming flights large operator rather than on offering the French example.” head for the tram despite passing the the passengers a ticket valid on all boarding point for the bus to the city. buses, trains, trams and ferries to compete with the simplicity Many will, no doubt, have come from places where trams are a of the ‘go-anywhere’ car key. What an opportunity was lost familiar or main provider of public transport but – common- with the creation of Passenger Transport Executives in 1968 sense perhaps – people quickly appreciate that there is much based on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in better provision for accompanying luggage on a 44m tram Boston, USA, rather than on the pioneering Verkehrsverbund than on an 11m double-deck bus. The difference in journey in Hamburg, Germany! time is small and whilst the St Andrew Square tramstop is The inexorable decline in public transport use in the big a little further from Waverley station than the Airlink stop cities outside London over the last 40 years compares poorly at Waverley Bridge, the time taken to alight from a tram is with the growth experienced in Continental Europe, and our measured in seconds for all passengers, whereas those getting generally low levels of ridership mean it is much more difficult off the bus will need several minutes to emerge from the to make an economic case for investing in apparently high-cost top deck through the single doorway, after doubling back light rail systems. That is why we have relatively few tramways downstairs to collect their baggage from the rack situated compared, say, to France, but there are other background only on the lower deck. reasons for the UK being a slow adopter of light rail technology. Steven Salmon’s wry comment (September) raises the One of these is the centralised decision-making process interesting question of restrictions imposed by airport with HM Treasury failing to understand whole-life costs and operators to limit competition, which happened at Luton its insistence on complex Private Finance Initiative funding and resulted in a court battle. In general, the extent of for new schemes. Another is the severing of the link between competition between different public transport modes is land use and transport planning, which alongside the a factor in its overall provision and there is no doubt that deregulation and privatisation of the bus industry (although resources are wasted if directly competing bus and tram it has produced benefits in a few areas), has effectively left services are provided along exactly the same route. local authorities with no involvement in public transport The fact that such competition is possible in the provision, and without funding for those fewer and fewer deregulated environment is another reason for the socially necessary bus services. slow rate of light rail development here. With the near certainty of devolution of significant powers Edinburgh Airport over public transport away from Westminster to the city stop on opening day, regions, alongside further study of the costs of tram and light 31 May 2014. TAUT rail construction, we have the best chance in years for the UK to get its act together and follow the French example. The places to start are those where successful bus networks are at or near the point of saturation with a clear need to increase capacity beyond the levels buses can attain, followed by those where high levels of car use have made urban congestion (and the pollution that accompanies it) an intractable problem. Now that the peak of car use has passed, and with current and future generations having little interest in car ownership, we need to improve the quality of public transport and the quality of urban life. The tram holds the key to this aim. Andrew Braddock, Chairman, Light Rail Transit Association

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 521 A new half-union replaced an existing Y-junction serving two tram services at Florent Pauwelslie – work proceeds from tracklaying, with trams still being seen in service while work is in progress; to asphalt laying and the finished layout (see letter, below).

The ideal trackform? What is needed is not so much the Why guided busways have their place British (railway?) engineers, who have throwing of money at a perceived With reference to Reg Harman’s article on shown that they are unwilling to learn problem but for a suitably receptive guided busways (TAUT 922), while I agree from the past, are about to pour more good group of engineers to take a 60-day trip with much of what he says, it is difficult money after the millions that have already around western Europe to see how they to see how in some cases light rail could been wasted in over-engineering the UK’s have arrived at their answers. Almost improve on some of the issues he notes in second-generation tramway systems. everywhere, they will find extensions the three systems profiled. The proposal to set up a research facility or other works in progress aptly For instance, would the lack of seems absurd. Throughout the world, demonstrating what others are doing. accessibility or visibility of stops on the many operators have developed more than Bob Hall & Geoff Quarmby, by e-mail Luton and Gosport Busways be any different a century’s worth of experience in finding if they were served by trams? Also, while the optimum trackform — and it does not the alignments are criticised, for example involve (as commented in my last letter) “Add to this the almost avoiding Dunstable and Northstowe, would “enough concrete and reinforcing to equip a total lack of standardisation light rail have improved this? Ironically, nuclear bunker”. Examination of the photo the buses can probably more easily divert on page 428 of TAUT 922 demonstrates my and you have got a situation off the alignment to serve those locations point: the tram track in Mike Haddon’s as they develop than trams could. picture is, so far as I can judge, on a that does not just need a Similarly, the delays caused by on-street reservation, not a road. So, why is there operation would be the same for trams as so much reinforcing rod sticking up like a research site – it needs a for buses unless a separate alignment porcupine quills where sleepered track on and/or traffic priority were provided. ballast would suffice? (This is a trackform total re-think without the In Sydney the relatively rapid run over the with which the aforementioned railway xenophobia that refuses former rail alignment on the existing light engineers are surely well acquainted.) rail line turns into a slow crawl between Outside the United Kingdom, tramway to consider referring to lots of traffic lights on the street section, engineers know that a highway foundation just as it does coming off the guided that has enough strength to carry normal overseas engineers.” O-Bahn busway in Adelaide and entering road traffic (including buses and HGVs in the city centre. the mix) can easily support the weight of On a different topic it was depressing tramcars/light rail vehicles, given the rails Disappointment or delight? to read in the same issue of the number on which they run (the clue is in the name: Your article on the UK Tram track trial of lengthy interruptions to tram services girder rail). There also seems to be an (TAUT 922) leaves me wondering if I should caused by upgrading and rebuilding works. alarming lack of reinforcing mesh under be disappointed or delighted. I think delight Just in the September issue alone we read of and around the track: don’t they have stray is right, reflecting a vote of confidence in eight weeks closure, ten months disruption currents overseas, I wonder? LR55 not needing further trials. and then possibly a further eight weeks’ Add to the above the almost total lack of The Sheffield LR55 installation will closure in Manchester, apparently just standardisation of rail specification in this soon have been in situ for 19 years without to put in a new junction (although I am country (compared to Germany, which needing any maintenance, having replaced sure there must more than that involved). has over 60 tramways using Ri 60 profile girder rails that failed after six months. And then there are various disruptions in rail; and France, which has over 30 systems Before Sheffield, LR55 was installed in Budapest and lengthy closures in Sofia, built in recent years adopting the almost Rotherham bus station, where the track Nantes, Augsburg, Chemnitz, Essen, Gotha, identical SEI 35G rail profile), and you sample was laid in an asphalt surface and Douglas, Oslo, Krasnodar, Vladivostok, have got a situation that does not just need positioned so that buses had to run along, Bratislava, Basel and Sheffield, amongst a research site – it needs a total re-think over, or turn across. Two and a half million others, often for months at a time. without the xenophobia that refuses to buses per year impacted the track, for over Of course it is necessary to relay track, consider referring to overseas engineers. four years. This is equivalent to nearly 100 rebuild or install new junctions and That attitude even extends to ignoring years in a typical main road, like Princes upgrade alignments, but unfortunately Melbourne in Australia, which now has the Street, where LR55 would have saved cost, light rail compares very poorly to largest tramway system in the world, and time, and the need to rebuild before a tram other modes in this respect. Buses and Toronto in Canada – both in the British had even run. trolleybuses will generally maintain Commonwealth! Prof. Lewis Lesley, by e-mail some kind of an alternative service, even

522 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Gent. Work proceeds on the 1.5km (0.9-mile) extension from Zwijnaarde Gestitchstraat to Zwijnaarde. The illustration shows the north abutment for a dedicated bridge across the Ringvaart, a commercial canal, and the R4 road. A similar bridge will carry the new line over the E4 motorway.

just as it was in the ‘good old days’ on the system is running I hope that a less “Buses and trolleybuses first-generation systems. If closures are disruptive method of completing the line necessary, why can’t new methods be to Newhaven as well as funding can be generally maintain some developed to reduce the time taken? found, and goodwill of the citizens can kind of alternative service Much has been made, rightly in my be restored, as taking the line to Ocean opinion, in recent issues of the cost of Terminal and Newhaven will surely (in the event of major works) laying tracks. However there doesn’t seem considerably improve viability. to be as much concern with maintaining I have a good source in the Scottish … whereas the light the tracks with as little disruption as Government who informs me that the possible. Will any of the guided busways utilities have been moved and that the rails rail service will usually described in Reg Harman’s article have to have been delivered. be closed for months at a time in less than Incidentally, I noted on my journey that cease altogether as 20 years for road surface replacement? the concrete base for the turnouts for the soon as a track is broken.” I very much doubt it. Granton loop have been installed near I am a great fan of light rail, but if the Murrayfield Stadium. mode is to expand and remain competitive Chris Romain, by-email if journey times are extended due to in the face of other transport modes, the diversions, whereas the light rail service above issues must surely be addressed. More global coverage please! will usually cease altogether as soon as Basil Hancock, Faulconbridge, Australia I have been most impressed with TAUT’s the track is broken, forcing passengers more global coverage in recent years and onto buses. A second change will often be Continuing Edinburgh’s momentum Mike Russell’s two-part history on the necessary back onto the light rail once the Last week I travelled by tram along development of the Moskva tramway was blockage is passed, as presumably will be Princes Street for the first time since 1956, a great achievement, with some excellent the case in Manchester. when I was eight years old – it was the research and stunning photography. Surely there is huge potential for some of disappearance of the old system that It is often very difficult to find accurate the pro-tram organisations to investigate kick-started my passion for trams. information on light rail and tramway smarter and quicker ways of undertaking The CAF tram was very smooth with no operations outside of Europe and the maintenance and replacement work in vibration or noticeable movement except English-speaking nations, and your such a way that services can continue to when accelerating or braking and was magazine does a good job in this respect. run, even if subject to extended journey almost silent – no rubber-tyred bus could As Mr Russell in particular covers some times, rather than closing lines and ever match that. CAF has produced a very of the world’s more remote or inaccessible forcing people onto buses. It would seem elegant design befitting the Capital. tramways, can I suggest that we see more from the photographs on page 402 that It has been upsetting to follow such pieces in the near future? it can be done if the willingness is there, progress of construction, but now that P. Harrison, by-email

The full list of the year’s meetings and meeting places MEETINGS & EVENTS can also be found at www.lrta.org

NOVEMBER Saturday 29. Garstang 14.00. Hotel, Liverpool. Ring 01524 811334 Saturday 13. Taunton 12.00. Richard Hargreaves: A tale of two or 0151 724 4048 for details. (TLRS) Christmas dinner CANCELLED Wednesday 19. Bristol 19.30. cities. (TLRS) Monday 8. Richmond 19.30. and no meeting. (TLRS) Keith Walton: Eastern Europe. John Prentice: French tramways in Monday 15. Wickham 19.30. Thursday 27. Manchester 19.00. DECEMBER old postcards. (TLRS) Christmas bash. (TLRS) Richard Pink: Manchester trams Wednesday 10. Brighton Tuesday 16. London 19.00. 1880 to 1949. Tuesday 2. Southampton 19.30. (Southwick) 19.40. Alan Murray: David Cockle: Crossing Rivers. Friday 28. Edinburgh 19.30.Paul Martin Hubbard: A digital slideshow North America –Pt 2, NAPTA What might still come to run? Geissler: Australian historic tramways. of the Irish rail scene. (LRTA/SEG) streetcars and trolley coaches. (TLRS) Saturday 20. Beeston 14.00. Saturday 29. Beeston 14.00. Models: Monday 8. Liverpool 19.00. Friday 12. Glasgow 19.30. Garry Roger Benton: Tramway Films What's on your workbench? (TLRS) Christmas Dinner at the Adelphi Ward: The Western Story – Pt 4. (STTS) from the TMS Archive. (TLRS)

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 523 Classic Trams 50 ELECTRIC YEARS AT CRICH Mustering 25 serviceable tramcars for a special parade is an impressive feat for any dedicated tramway museum. Mike Russell reports on the special celebrations at Crich to mark 50 years of electric tramcar operation. 1

ifty years is not a huge timespan Crich has a tradition of putting on The visit of Newcastle 114 to Crich was in the life of many great special themed events to attract a variety of a reciprocal gesture and the first occasion European tramways, but for a visitors, and in recent years has developed a on which an electric tramcar from any of dedicated tramway museum it programme aimed at tramway enthusiasts. the other British working museums has is a considerable achievement. By far the highest percentage of visitors been operated in service at Crich. Such an AfterF all, many first-generation British to Crich are not tramway enthusiasts but exchange bodes well for the future. systems failed to achieve 50 years of electric members of the general public on a day out; The logistics implicit in producing operation. It is easy to forget but important to the enthusiast brigade comprises only a a spectacle like this should not be remember that when the Tramway Museum small proportion. underestimated. Although Crich has a small Society (TMS) was formed in 1955 and first Celebrating an anniversary as auspicious number of paid employees, platform staff set about establishing its museum at Crich, as the 50th year of electric operation duties are all covered by volunteer labour, Derbyshire, in 1959, the tramcar in the UK was obviously going to be an excuse for whilst the workshop staff were required to was in full retreat. With the exception of something special, and it was announced prepare and approve every car planned to Blackpool, it was evident that before long that on 13-14 September no fewer than 25 operate over the weekend. This gargantuan Britain would become the great tramless trams would be in operation. In practice, task required a superb co-ordinated effort and nation of Europe. Clear-sighted enthusiasts this figure was exceeded on the Sunday, it is greatly to the credit of the museum that of those days, often students supported by when three works cars were also operated. the event went so well. Producing a fleet of generous benefactors, set about creating Both days featured intensive regular working tramcars of this size is well beyond their own tramway museum. It is to their operations, the 25-car operations appearing the capabilities of most tramway museums; credit and that of their successors that what in special early afternoon parades. These of the independent museums not dependent is now the National Tramway Museum has varied each day, on the Saturday the cars upon support from a live tramway operation, grown into a nationally-recognised museum being marshalled in the order in which possibly only that at Skjoldenæsholm in of excellence; that is all the more impressive they first operated at Crich powered by the Denmark could equal it. because it relies solely on private finance for overhead electricity supply, with Blackpool The weekend was ‘topped and tailed’ its income. & Fleetwood 2 leading the procession; tastefully. All visitors in continuous TMS From the beginning Crich was intended whilst on the Sunday the cars processed membership since 1964 were given name- as a museum where tramcars could actually in chronological design order. Last in the badges for display on site; there was an operate, demonstrating their capabilities in Saturday convoy was Blackpool tramcar 762, enjoyable social evening, with buffet supper, the manner for which they were designed. the last double-deck tramcar built for British for visitors on Saturday evening. Amongst all After taking a lease on the site, a former service, enjoying its official Crich launch. the necessary work of organisation, the TMS quarry with a century-old history of mineral A welcome visitor was Blackpool & Fleetwood produced an attractive and keenly-priced railways, work commenced on tracklaying Box 40, built in 1914 for the Tramroad full-colour book illustrating the tramcars and providing covered accommodation for company; this car, although in TMS taking part in the weekend’s events, the many tramcars seeking refuge. ownership, has spent most of its life away along with a comprehensive technical Horse-drawn service began on 2 June from Crich, operating on the Heaton Park specification of each car. 1963, but this was only ever envisaged as an (Manchester) museum line and at Blackpool. interim stage. By early 1964, traction poles For its centenary year, the car was the subject A museum that deserves recognition and overhead wiring had been erected and of an overhaul and rebuild in the Blackpool By common consent, the National Tramway a power supply provided from a generator. workshops. Its appearance at the Crich event Museum at Crich is one of the world’s finest An inaugural run under electric power was short-term and the car was due to be tramway museums. Because it is on the was made on 6 June 1964 by Blackpool & returned to Blackpool later in September doorstep of so many readers it is easy to Fleetwood Rack car 2, built in 1898 and then for the autumn Illuminations Tours. As an take it for granted, whilst trumpeting the the collection’s oldest operable tramcar. The example of current Blackpool practice, rebuilt offerings of overseas installations, many of same car was used to inaugurate electric Balloon car 711 was also on loan to Crich and which greatly benefit from support from the public services on 5 July 1964. featured last in Sunday’s parade, representing managements of full-service tramways. In the years since, Crich has developed the most recent form of rebuilding. Crich has repeatedly been recognised greatly. Further cars have arrived and many in a series of awards, Royal patronage, and that were already there in 1964 have been Share and share alike many grants-in-aid for specific development restored to operating condition in workshops A sign of the increasing engagement of projects. There are still cars to be restored, whose high standards are renowned. Crich with other UK transport museums together with regular maintenance and The initial short electric line has been was the loan of Newcastle upon Tyne A-class overhaul of the current service fleet, and the extended on several occasions – first, in 1965, uncanopied open-top double-deck car 114 board is always on the look-out for skilled to Cliffside; in 1967 to a temporary terminus from the Beamish Living Museum of the and unskilled volunteers with which to at Cabin Crossing; in 1968 to Wakebridge; North in County Durham. In recent years, progress the vital work of keeping the and finally in 1978 to an elevated terminal Beamish has developed excellent museum running. point at Glory Mine, affording spectacular co-operation with several of the other In the meantime, following the undoubted views of the Derbyshire countryside to the museum tramways in the UK and in 2013, success of this September’s ‘Electric 50’ west. An innovation in 2014 has been the Glasgow 1068 was loaned by Crich in weekend, it is no doubt racking its brains to ability for passengers to alight here before connection with the Beamish springtime consider what possible event can be planned returning to Town End by a subsequent car. event marking 40 years of tramcar operation. to mark 60 years of the TMS in 2015.

524 / DECEMBER 2014 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org 1 Blackpool & Fleetwood Box car 40 has spent almost all its life away from Crich; so the weekend was a rare chance to see it in operation. It is seen here in company with another Blackpool old-stager, 1898 Rack 2.

2 The Saturday afternoon parade featured tramcars marshalled in the order in which they first operated under overhead electric power at Crich. In the lead was Blackpool & Fleetwood (B&F) Rack 2 of 1898, which had inaugurated overhead electric operation in 1964. Behind are B&F Box 40, Southampton 45, Blackpool Standard 40, Glasgow 22, Sheffield 510, Glasgow 812 and Leeds 180.

3 The visit of Newcastle upon Tyne A-class open-top car 114 from the Beamish museum was an opportunity to pose it on the Crich depot fan alongside the museum’s own Newcastle car, class F 102, which regularly tops the list of cars that supporters 2 wish to see returned to traffic.

4 The meeting of two Blackpool tramcars numbered 40 for the first time in many years. This is the scene at Glory Mine terminus on the Saturday, with the double-deck Standard car preparing to return to Town End and the Blackpool & Fleetwood Box entering the terminal loop.

5 A line-up of cars preparing to process along the line in the Saturday parade. In the lead is Blackpool & Fleetwood 3 4 Box 40 of 1914, making a rare appearance on Crich metals. Behind are Southampton 45, Blackpool Standard 40, Glasgow 22, Sheffield 510, Glasgow 812 and Leeds 180.

6 Porto bogie car 273 is one of a small number of foreign cars at Crich, included to illustrate developments or car types otherwise unavailable. It heads a line-up of cars at Town End on the Sunday during the frequent public service that preceded the 6 special parade. Immediately behind are Leeds 180, Chesterfield 7, Glasgow 812 and Sheffield 510.

7 An unexpected but pleasant surprise addition to the Sunday parade was that of two works cars: Cardiff water-car 131, and Sheffield 330, here sandwiched between visiting Blackpool modified Balloon car 711 and Crich’s own Blackpool Toastrack 166.

5 7 All photography by Mike Russell.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2014 / 525 BOOKSHOP Order online from lrta.info/shop – or by post from: LRTA Publications, 31 Ashton Road, Wokingham RG41 1HL Postage & packing – Any UK address: Add 10% (minimum £2.00, maximum £7.50) All addresses outside UK: Add 20% (minimum £4.00, maximum £15.00)

Strassenbahn Fahrzeugkatalog Strassenbahn Magazin Special 27

This handy guide to all the different types of tram and LRV operating in Germany today gives historical background and technical information for 50-year-old classics right up to the latest in low-floor cars. German text.

A4 softback; 116 pages, 300+ pictures mainly in colour. Published by GeraMond Verlag. Price: £16.50

Portsmouth Trolleybuses

A very comprehensive history of one of the UK’s most intensive trolleybus networks with its interesting range of circular services and varied fleet. There are detailed appendices and a good set of maps showing the development and decline of the system.

A4 hardback; 384 pages, fully illustrated in black & white and colour. Published by Adam Gordon. Price: £48.00

Artic – Back to the Future

An unusual book which looks in detail at the development of the new low- floorArtic tram for Helsinki City Transport. In addition to explaining the operator’s desire to create a car that would cope better with the variety of topographical and climatic conditions encountered in the Finnish capital, the author neatly covers the background to modern vehicle design from the PCC car through early articulated models to the 100% accessible designs of today. English and Finnish text.

A4 hardback; landscape format, 136 pages, 200 colour pictures. Published Kustantaja Laaksonen. Price: £33.50

Around London by Trolleybus – Part One

A splendid picture album of South, West and North-West London full of atmospheric views of trolleybuses in a variety of environments around the huge London Transport network.

A4 hardback; 184 pages, 16 in colour. Published by Adam Gordon. Price: £32.00 IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE OF

FUTURE ROLLING CALGARY CLEANS SYSTEMS FACTFILE: STOCK SPECIAL UP AND EXPANDS HELSINKI What are the latest innovations for trams Following the disastrous 2013 floods that With a different scope and purpose to and metro cars? What will they look like? caused choas to the C-Train system, Vic the city’s single metro line, Helsinki’s How will they meet the needs of growing Simons reports on how Calgary is back on tramway continues developments for its cities? Are we considering passenger track with the latest extension to Tuscany traditional role as the principal city centre needs enough? We get the expert view. that opened in August 2014. transport mode. Neil Pulling reports. PLUS... JANUARY + Classic Trams: ISSUE Gotha – 120th anniversary and 85 years of the Thüringerwaldbahn + The latest news, rolling stock orders and movements, system on sale developments, transport policy and leading industry comment 19 December

Tucson THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE WATCHING THE Vic Simons visits the second modern urban rail system to open in Arizona, the TucsonSUN Sun Link LINK RISE Streetcar that already boasts impressive ridership and is driving significant urban renewal. www.lrta.org www.tramnews.net SUBSCRIBE NOW!

NOVEMBER 2014 N O. 923 LRT GROWTH IN THE GRAND CANYON STATE Now entering its 78th year, Tramways & Urban Transit is the world’s leading monthly publication dedicated

ucson’s Sun Link Streetcar opened It has a relatively low density for its on 25 July 2014 – becoming the considerable 600 000 population; the city has located. It was later extended along first new completely US-built a small core and is part of a larger regional 4th Avenue to enter the downtown area by streetcar system since before centre with a population of around one means of a bridge under the main freight World War Two. The opening railroad line and circled the city centre. sawT more than 60 000 people take free rides million. It has few high-rise buildings as The system used an ex-Brussels car built until recently a City Ordinance prevented over three days. in 1936 (acquired and restored after nearly Although both the Sugar House Streetcar construction of buildings beyond four or five stories. The city is flat, with mountains to the five years spent as a shop display in Phoenix) in Salt Lake City and the benchmark Portland and a Japanese vehicle purchased from the solely to light and urban rail developments. Streetcar predate Sun Link, both of these, it north and east and a large Native American Reservation to the west. undertaking in Osaka in 1992. There are four could be argued, are expansions of existing other non-operational streetcars – Toronto light rail systems and both use rolling stock PCC 4608, Huntington Standard from international suppliers. Streetcar revival cars 733 and Electric streetcars first came to Tucson in 860 dating from 1913 and last operated in Los Construction of the 6.25km (3.9-mile) line Angeles, and ex-Lisbon Brill car 524, built in began in 2011 and the completed project cost 1906, replacing a horse-drawn system that began operations 25 years earlier. However Philadelphia in 1924. was USD196.5m, of which USD73m came The huge success of the heritage line led Light Rail Awards: Winners’ special supplement from Federal sources, including a USD63m with growing motorbus competition the electric system closed in 1930, earlier than the city fathers to start planning a modern New Tube for London design shown TIGER grant agreed in December 2010. streetcar route in 2004. By 2006 they had Tucson is the second-largest city in the many US cities. The city’s streetcar revival began with concluded that a modern streetcar was the State of Arizona, USA, around 115km (70 best way to improve public transport on the Sunshine Coast needs LRT ‘spine’ miles) south-east of the state capital Phoenix the establishment of the Old Pueblo Trolley heritage line in 1993; a not-for-profit heavily-used corridor between the university and some 100km (60 miles) north of the and Downtown Tucson via the 4th Avenue Mexican border. With rich copper deposits organisation and staffed by volunteers. Kaohsiung welcomes rst CAF tram The heritage line ran from the university business area. The existing line would be ISSN 1460-8324 that traditionally formed a key sector of the extended at both ends and modern streetcars £4.10 region’s economy, in recent years the city entrance at Main Gate Square along 11 University Boulevard to 4th Avenue where would run alongside the heritage cars. has reinvented itself as an important hub for Streetcar operation is an essential part of InnoTrans manufacturing and high-tech industries. it initially turned south along that road to a Heilbronn terminus at 8th Street where the car barn was the 20-year transportation plan approved by voters in 2006. Approximately 100 000 Co-operation for The world’s largest 9 771460 832036 light rail showcase 462 / NOVEMBER 2014 Karlsruhe expansion www.tramnews.net . www.lrta.org We deliver comprehensive news and analysis,

14/10/2014 09:55 TAUT1411 Cover.indd 1 incisive technology features and key interviews with leading industry figures from across the globe each and every month. Either in print or online, don’t miss out – subscribe today!

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VISIT US AT Olympia, London - UK

RUBBER LEVEL CROSSING SYSTEMS

RODDED PANELS

• Designed for heavy traffic. • Ideal for very long crossings or those at an acute angle to the road. • Solid rubber panels can be removed and replaced without needing to dismantle other parts of the crossing. • Dimensional stability is preserved in all conditions. • Panels cannot become accidentally dislodged.

BASEPLATED PANELS

• Available in various grades for RRV track access, road, pedestrian, agricultural and depot applications. • Solid rubber panels can be cut-to-fit on-site for complex crossovers, turnouts and tight curves. • Easy to install baseplates connect the panels together. • Single panels can be removed and replaced from anywhere within the crossing area.

ANTI-TRESPASS PANELS

• Designed to deter trespassers or metal thieves from accessing the track. • Can be used as an anti-suicide measure. • Three types are available to fit any situation (in the gauge or at platform ends). • Simple to install. • All panels are delivered complete with fixing kits.

All Rosehill Rail crossing panels can be manufactured for narrow, standard or wide gauge track. Panels are designed to fi t each bespoke crossing permutation of gauge, rail, sleeper and fastener type on sleepers at 600mm centres. Signifi cant cost benefi ts are achieved by quick installation, reducing track possession time.

For more information about Rosehill Rail’s Level Crossing systems, call Peter Anderson on +44 (0)1422 317 482, or email [email protected]. Alternatively visit our website www.rosehillrail.com to fi nd out more about becoming a distributor.

Rosehill Rail_TAUT DEC 2014 Advert.indd 1 24/10/2014 19:33