THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com FEBRUARY 2018 NO. 962 THREE NEW TRAMWAYS OPEN IN THREE WEEKS Global light rail openings to look out for in 2018 China’s 367km of new metros in 6 days Final report into Sandilands released Qatar appoints JV urban rail operator A mazing views M ainz Factfile 02> £4.60 How wire-free lines Tramway evolves are enhancing cities with Rhine capital 9 771460 832067 ROLLING STOCK LRTEXCELLENCE 15 February 2018 – London Docklands Mainspring’s LRT Excellence Days enhance understanding and co-operation between the teams responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of light and urban rail systems, those with procurement responsibility and the supply chain. Withnearly5000metrotrainsets,modernlow-floorLRVs andheritagetramsinserviceacrosstheUK,themarket forprocurement,maintenance,refurbishmentand vehicleupgradesisasignificantone. Thesevehiclesarethelifebloodoftheservicesthatwe offertomillionseachday,providingefficient,comfortable travelandkeepingourcitiesmoving. SupportedbyUKTram,thefocusforthefirstofthese daysin2018isrollingstock,depotsandmaintenance. Duringapackedday,delegateswillexplorethelatest innovations,insightfulreal-worldcasestudiesandexamine howsystemscandriveefficienciesthroughthesharingof bestpracticeandoperationalknowledge. Topics and themes include: Rollingstockprocurementandmaintenancecontracting Real-timemonitoringsystemsanddigitalisation DriverAssistanceSystemsandtraining Maximisingtimebetweenservicefailures Fleetrefurbishmentandreplacementcasestudies Catenary-freeinnovation To get involved as a speaker or exhibitor call: +44 (0) 1733 367610, or to book your place visit: www.mainspring.co.uk/events SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY www.mainspring.co.uk CONTENTS T he official journal of the Light Rail 49 Transit Association FEBRUARY 2018 Vol. 81 No. 962 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston 56 [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOr – Tony Streeter [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR – Michael Taplin [email protected] NEWS EDITOr – John Symons [email protected] SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR – Neil Pulling WORLDWIDE CONTRIBUTORS T ony Bailey, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Vic Simons, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, 60 Thomas Wagner, Rick Wilson PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth NEWS 44 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: MAINZ 64 T el: +44 (0)1733 367604 Trams return to Luxembourg, Aarhus and Once a candidate for closure, the capital [email protected] Beijing, Sandilands investigation reports of Rhineland-Pfalz has re-established its DESIGN – Debbie Nolan ‘probable loss of driver awareness’; Qatar tramway as the backbone of city travel. ADVertiSING Rail lets urban rail operations contracts; CAF COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler to supply trams to Mauritius; China adds WORLDWIDE REVIEW 69 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 387.6km of new metro lines in a month. First of 14 CAF trams delivered for [email protected] Canberra; 47 Flexity Classic ordered for PUBLISHER – Matt Johnston 2018’S TRAMWAY OPENINGS 49 Duisburg; Delhi, Moscow, Istanbul open Tramways & Urban Transit Michael Taplin reviews the prospects for metro lines; Jakarta launches airport 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, the new year, and predicts as many as 21 link; CAF begins work on new UK facility; Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK new openings in 2018. Denver RTD given permission to resume Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring testing on Gold commuter rail line. on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each LUXEMBOURG JOINS THE LRT Club 56 month preceding the cover date. Francis Wagner reports from the opening of MAILBOX 74 one of Europe's newest light rail networks – Why Australia doesn’t dig as deeply; should and its unusual new funicular. we be welcoming the disappearance of cash? PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION WIRE-FREE VIEWS 60 CLASSIC TRAMS: HAWTHORN DEPOT 76 Warners (Midlands) plc, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK Clear skies and uninterrupted city vistas – Mike Russell begins his latest multi-part LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) is losing the overhead the way forward? tour of Australian museums. Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the Light Rail Transit Association. SUBSCriPTIONS, MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES New year, new lines: continuing LRT’s growth A ND BACK ISSUES In the four weeks since I wrote the introduction to the last issue, three LRT A Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley new tramways have joined the global light rail fraternity. Although very Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. T el: +44 (0)117 951 7785 different, they all serve vibrant, growing cities and two of them have the [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info distinction of re-introducing the mode to their respective countries. Francis Wagner and Mike Russell both braved the snow of early December FOR CORPORATE SuBSCRIPTIONS VISIT to be present at the opening of Luxembourg’s tramway, which will eventually include www.mainspring.co.uk wire-free running through this most modern of cities. Beijing now also has its first LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE trams of the modern era, following its own opening at the very close of 2017. In China 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling DA16 2BY, UK. however, this story is overshadowed by the continuing and massive expansion in Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 metros – as you can read on page 48. The other significant opening has been in Aarhus, in England and Wales. Denmark. Although marked by a couple of false starts, this system opened to passengers LRTA CHAIRMAN – Andrew Braddock just before the year closed; we will carry a detailed report next edition. [email protected] As a high percentage of the new schemes either planned or under construction © LRTA 2018 include the ability to run independently from fixed electrification infrastructure, we’ve also taken the opportunity this edition to celebrate the technology with a variety of Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution spectacular views showing uncluttered skies. Rest assured, later in the year we’ll also be is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the acknowledging the benefits of traditional electrification, showing how elegant design opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of and well-considered installation doesn’t have to be a blight on the urban environment. the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. Elsewhere in the issue, Mike Taplin gives his annual round-up of this year’s planned No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in tramway openings and again we see that, potentially, 21 new systems could join the any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and worldwide roster this year. As noted in previous years, however, too many of them are retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from delayed from previous lists due to financial, regulatory or political impediments. We all the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the know that light rail schemes are complex, multi-year endeavours, but having these key magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. components built upon firm foundations in the beginning will allow the construction and operational phases to follow smoothly. These are the ‘easy’ bits. COVER: Urbos 104 at Luxexpo terminus on the first I’d love to hear your highlights from the last year and your light rail predictions for the day of passenger service on the new tramway in the coming 12 months. Simon Johnston, Editor Luxembourg capital, 11 December 2017. F. Wagner www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org FEBRUARY 2018 / 43 News Trams return to China’s capital Xijiao line welcomed passengers on 30 December ramway operation in CRRC Dalian are used, with a the Chinese capital for capacity for 300 passengers, the modern era started but there does not seem to be on 30 December, when any evidence of the Tramwave theT 8.8km (5.5-mile) western ground-level power supply suburban line – also known as system that featured in the the Xijiao line – opened from an original contract for around interchange with metro line 10 at half of the route. Overhead line One of the first services on Beijing’s new Xijao line on 30 December 2017. Bagou to Xiangshan in Fragrant features throughout, although Careful examination shows the trough in the concrete trackbed, originally Hills via the Summer Palace and this appears rather heavy. planned for the surface contact power supply system. CND Botanical Gardens. Although The operator is the Beijing some reports describe it as a trial Bus Group, although the new early 1920s when Sino-French battery-operated replica heritage operation, timetabled trams carry tramway is integrated into interests established a new line tram started operating along the passengers between 05.30 and the metro fare structure with beginning in Tiananmen Square tourist Qianmen Street in the 23.00, providing a ten-minute platform ticket machines using equipment and expertise city centre. service to six stops in the Haidian accepting stored value card imported from Europe. At its Another new tramline is under district; commercial service payments and mobile ticketing. peak growing in into a five-line construction in the Shunyi speeds are quoted as 18km/h Beijing’s first tramway was network with a fleet of over district, running 19.9km (12.4 (11mph).