THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE

www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com

MARCH 2017 No. 951 21 NEW TRAMWAYS TO OPEN THIS YEAR

Pesa: From to cars – a study in growth Puebla: Mexico’s first -train KeolisAmey wins in Nantes plans and fleet renewal

CRRC in the US 03> £4.40 ’s giant breaks Tramway’s role in a into North America post-industrial city 9 771460 832050 Phil Long Phil MANCHESTER VVoices from the industry… “Once again your team have proved your outstanding capabilities. The content was excellent and the 18-19 July 2017 feedback from participants was great.” Simcha Ohrenstein – CTO, Jerusalem LRT The UK Light Rail Conference and exhibition returns to Manchester for 2017, bringing together over 250 decision-makers from around the world for two days of “A great event, really well organised and open debate on all aspects of tramway and urban rail the dinner, reception and exhibition space operations and development. made for great networking time.” Andy Byford – CEO, Toronto Transit Commission With over eight hours of dedicated networking time, delegates can explore the latest industry innovation within the event’s exhibition and technical areas as well as “I really enjoyed the conference and made examining LRT’s role in alleviating congestion in our towns some helpful contacts. Thanks for bringing and cities and its potential for driving economic growth. such a professional event together.” Will Marshall – Siemens Mobility USA

Topics and themes for 2017 include: > Rewriting the business case for investment > Cyber security – Responsibilities and safeguards > Models for procurement and resourcing strategies > Safety and security: Anti-vandalism measures > Putting light rail at the heart of the community > Digitisation and real-time monitoring > Street-running safety challenges > Managing obsolescence > Next-generation driver aids > Wire-free solutions > Are we delivering the best passenger environments? > Composite and materials technologies > From smartcard to smartphone ticketing > Rail and trackform innovation > Traction energy optimisation and efficiency > Major project updates

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www.mainspring.co.uk 90 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association MARCH 2017 Vol. 80 No. 951 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL 103 EDITOR Simon Johnston E-mail: [email protected] 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tony Streeter E-mail: [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR Michael Taplin 96 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, Herbert Pence, Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. NEWS 84 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: OSTRAVA 103 PRODUCTION Lanna Blyth Puebla interurban opens; Nantes to create Radically reshaped by political and Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] fourth line and looks to new fleet; KeolisAmey economic shifts over the past two decades, DESIGN wins Metrolink operations contract; Utrecht Neil Pulling looks at the tramway’s Debbie Nolan places CAF order to unify rolling stock. changing role in this city. ADVERTISING COMMERCIAL MANAGER 2017’S NEW TRAMWAYS 90 WORLDWIDE REVIEW 109 Geoff Butler In what could be a record year, Mike Taplin Chinese metro systems expand in , Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] counts as many as 21 new systems that could Harbin and Nanjing; Funding secured for PUBLISHER Howard Johnston open to passengers in the next 12 months. Wiesbaden – Mainz link; Assam Government approves four-line plan for Guwahati; Rabat- Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each CRRC IN THE USA 96 Salé tramline to be extended at both ends. month preceding the cover date. Herbert Pence talks to the newest US rolling LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY stock entrant, and examines how the Chinese MAILBOX 114 Brian Lomas conglomerate is shaking up the market. Cyber threats to tram automation; E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Why reinvent the wheel – or the rail? LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) PESA’S MOVE INTRO METROS 100 Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up Aleady established in the European LRV CLASSIC TRAMS: TRAMS ON TOUR 116 members of the Light Rail Transit Association. sector, Poland’s Pesa has big ambitions as it Mike Russell reviews recent movements SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), moves into metro development. between UK heritage organisations. 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 BACK ISSUES More new tramway openings than ever before? Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 Mike Taplin’s latest round-up of new tramways in this issue makes PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION entertaining reading, as always. As many as 21 all-new systems could open Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. in 2017, but particularly notable is the number that are re-appearing in the LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE list for a second, or even third, time. c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. Political whims and disagreements are to blame in some cases, constrained Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 finances in others. Engineering or technical matters are rarely the cause for long delays – in and Wales. that side is usually well taken care of, with many international players able to design and LRTA CHAIRMAN deliver systems to the specification you desire. Incremental developments are made each Andrew Braddock year as technology makes construction and operation easier and more cost-effective, but E-mail: [email protected] the basic wheel on rail methodology is now well-proven and doesn’t vary greatly. LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Not to linger on the automation theme from last issue (I’ll leave that for the Mailbox), Paul Rowen but here’s a mischievous thought: what if a computer could come up with the optimum LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, route, and technology, then ‘run’ the system for 30-plus years in a virtual environment UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 and put together a business case based upon all that data? We could take people out of the in England and Wales. equation of building transport infrastructure altogether – we are the cause of many delays! © LRTA Publishing 2017 This month we also have a revealing insight by Herbert Pence into the approach Chinese Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also rolling stock giant CRRC has taken in breaking into the US urban rail sector. We’ve had later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the many a conversation in recent years, often with senior managers from established opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of manufacturers, suggesting it was only a matter of time before CRRC (or its predecessors) LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. entered a major Western market. That time is now; the big European prizes are surely next. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in CRRC has already been rumoured to have flirted with making an offer for any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and Bombardier Transportation, and recent news suggests takeover talks with Škoda. retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from There will likely be further mergers and acquisitions as the market agglomerates and the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the I would wager some of them will include investment from Chinese manufacturers – magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. but more on that in the next edition... COVER: Chengdu 003 during test running in the Enjoy the issue; your thoughts are always welcomed. Simon Johnston, Editor Chinese city, September 2016 . Bernhard Kußmagk

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 83 News Puebla inaugurates interurban LRT service Mexico’s first tram-train service opens, using regauged vehicles from aborted Spanish scheme

ram-train operation in The 17.4km (10.8-mile) service Puebla was inaugurated links Puebla and Cholula seven on 23 January. It is the times each way on weekdays first such project to be (nine times at weekends and Tcompleted in Mexico. Around holidays) with a 40-minute 100km (62 miles) south-east of journey time. The fare is MXN60 Mexico City, the city of Puebla (EUR2.70) each way for tourists, (population approx. 2.5m) is but only MXN13 (EUR0.60) for known for the Archeological local residents. Pyramid in nearby Cholula. Passenger service started on The tram-train, the first 26 January; the inauguration commercial passenger service three days earlier was attended to be launched in the city in by Mexican President Enrique over 20 years, makes use of Peña Nieto. the existing Ferrosur freight The key for the MXP1.2bn One of the Vossloh LRVs for the Puebla tram-train operation at the new terminus railway alignment, extensively (EUR54.3m) project was the in the former passenger train station. Municipales Puebla refurbished and electrified, purchase from Spain of two Feve, but which were never to 284 passengers. The project and the former Puebla Main Vossloh 39.6m diesel-electric used. In order to be suitable for was supported by the Mexican railway station, which has largely LRVs built for the aborted León their new role, the vehicles have Government and freight functioned as a National Railway tram-train under a contract with been regauged from 1000mm operators Ferrosur and Museum since 1988. national narrow-gauge operator to 1435mm, and can carry up Kansas City Southern.

Santos completes VLT line Second Los Angeles Foothills Santos VLT now extension delayed to 2026 has 18 low-floor trams, Construction complications a compromise with freight capable of off-wire and funding delays have rail operators over diversion running. Four pushed the completion of the of their services have led to more are awaiting second Foothills extension a staggered construction delivery to run on the full 11.5km of LA’s LRT system, adding programme. “This is really line completed in 19.7km (12.3 miles) eastwards two construction projects in January. Alexandre from Glendora to Montclair, one. It is a huge factor in all Carvalho/Santos VLT back to 2026, the Foothill Gold of this construction,” Balian Line Construction Authority said, adding that the delays Brazil’s São Paulo State Governor testing phase. A total of 22 of the said in late January. CEO Habib to the planned programme Geraldo Alckmin inaugurated 43.7m bi-directional vehicles Balian confirmed that major will add around USD118m to extensions at both ends of were ordered from a consortium construction is likely to start in the scheme, now estimated at Santos’ VLT line on 31 January, of T’Trans and Vossloh (now 2019, rather than 2017. USD1.37bn. completing the 11.5km (7.1-mile) Stadler Rail) in 2012. Each 100% Metro’s Measure M, passed Around USD70m of the first stage of the city’s light low-floor vehicle accommodates by voters in November, has project cost will be met by San rail network. Regular service up to 408 passengers, 74 seated, committed around USD1bn Bernardino County for the began the following day, despite and is equipped with batteries for to the project, but objections Claremont to Montclair leg, ongoing works in the vicinity of catenary-free operation on a city over the closure of two nearby the first line to reach across some stations. centre section of the route. intersections simultaneously the county line, as Measure M At the eastern end, three Services run at ten-minute to allow for trackworks and funds are for LA County only. stops have been added from intervals, with Governor Alckmin Bernardino to Conselheiro confirming on 31 January that Nébias; continuation to a new the current 07.00-19.00 operating terminus at Porto do Santos is due hours will be extended to Pesa sole bidder for Gorzów Wielkopolski to open at the end of February. 05.30-23.30 from April. MZK, the transport authority of MZK’s fleet of Düwag6EGTW In the west, a one-stop extension Planned since the end of the last for the western Polish city and 6ZGTW trams purchased from Mascarenhas de Moraes to decade, VLT construction began in of Gorzów Wielkopolski, secondhand from Kassel Barreiros opened on the same day. 2012 with trials beginning in April announced on 31 January that it between 1990 and 2003. The line is now integrated with 2015 between Mascarenhas de had received a sole bid to supply The procurement forms part 37 city bus lines and it is hoped Moraes and João Ribeiro. A phased to up to 20 bi-directional trams of a larger PLN225m (EUR52m) that ridership will increase from introduction saw the route reach for its 600V dc 12.2km (7.6-mile) programme, partially funded by the current average of 6000 Pinheiro Machado in January 2016; tramway network. EU grants, which will see much passengers/day to closer to the a new integrated control centre Pesa’s PLN115.1m (EUR26.7m) of the network modernised and projected figures of 35 000/day. opened five months later, with a bid includes a firm order for 14 3.3km (two-miles) of new double- Santos VLT currently has 18 further one-stop eastwards from trams from its Fokstrot family of track route from Oflar Katynia to Tramlink LRVs, 15 in operation Bernardino to Pinheiro Machado low-floor vehicles (as delivered to the junction of Okulickiego and with a further three in the following that December. Moscow) to replace the majority Szarych Szeregów.

84 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Szeged tenders Fourth tramline for Nantes first tram-train line France’s first second-generation tramway to expand with new fleet Tenders have been invited for infrastructure work on Hungary’s Szeged – Hódmezövásáhely n 3 January, 32 years tram-train project. A new 800m after the opening track will connect the current of France’s first new Rókus terminus to the tramway of the Szeged – Békéscsaba rail line, Omodern era, Johanna Rolland, which is being electrified; at mayor of Nantes and President of Hódmezövásárhely a 3.3km Nantes Metropolis, announced (2.1-mile) single track will run the decision had been made to go through the town centre. ahead with a fourth tramline. The route has been designed to Line 4 could open in 2020-21 bring thousands more residents and would diverge from line 1 within 500m of a rail connection at Quay de la Fosse to run south and around 600 bicycle parking across the islands via the Pont spaces have been suggested at the Anne-de-Bretagne and then new line’s seven stops. The last delivery of trams to Nantes, in 2012, was 12 CAF Urbos 3; 392 leaving Gare the Pont des Trios-Continents Maritime and joining Quai de la Fosse. N. Pulling A separate tender calls for to a terminus in Raze by the eight diesel-electric LRVs, with university hospital (CHU). three routes. The system was a so-called ‘bus service of high an option for four more. The Studies to confirm the precise last extended in October 2012, quality’ (Mercedes Citron buses majority of the funding for the alignment will start this year. when the first 800m section of running in dedicated bus lanes). HUF23bn (EUR74.5m) project The city is to order 61 100% low- a link between lines 1 and 2 in It is not yet clear where trams will come from the EU. floor 45m trams to service the the northern suburbs opened at on the new line will terminate new line and replace the 46 high- Ramsey. It is not yet confirmed in the central area although floor AlstomTFS trams, some of that the final 1km (0.6 miles) the railway station (Gare) is an Knorr-Bremse Kiepe deal which date back to 1985, by 2021. of the link will be completed. obvious place, but trams on The sale of Vossloh’s Electrical Nantes is France’s second- The last major extension was in line 1 already operate every Systems business (Vossloh Kiepe) busiest tramway (after Paris), 2006, after which the economic three minutes at peaks, and the to Knorr-Bremse was completed on carrying over 400 000 passengers situation meant the upgrade in existing flat crossing with 31 January, following approval by each year with 91 trams on to Raze became north–south lines is at capacity. German authorities. The deal, worth EUR72.5m in cash and including a EUR25m variable performance component, reduces the net debt of the Vossloh Group by EUR45m. Having sold its Valencia-based CTA secures ‘L’ modernisation funding Rail Vehicles business to Stadler Rail in 2015, Vossloh is still in The US Federal Transit where rush hour ridership has at a 21st Century pace if it’s built negotiations for the disposal of Administration has signed a grown 40% in the last decade. on a 20th Century structure. A its Locomotives division as it USD1bn Full Funding Agreement Added to match funding from lot of these stations… literally refocuses on rail infrastructure. with the Chicago Transit the city, a total of USD2.1bn were opened in 1908 when Teddy Strasbourg line D trials Authority for the first phase of will be used to rebuild Lawrence, Roosevelt was president.” The first test tram to reach Bhf Kehl the Red and Purple Modernisation Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr The City Council unanimously () on Strasbourg’s cross- Program (RPM), meeting a stations, including the addition approved a Tax-Increment border line D was on 3 February. self-imposed deadline from of elevators, as well as the Financing district on 30 A dummy timetable is due to operate 20 March to 28 April; the city to reach the agreement reconstruction of just November 2016 that will collect 29 April is the official opening date. under the former Obama under 1.6km (one-mile) of track, money from property owners The first tests took place on 10 administration; the city feared power and signalling systems. who live within 0.8km (0.5 miles) January when a 42m Alstom Citadis the new President could make The CTA also plans to order of the between North operated over the section between such funding for major transit 32 new cars for the system in Avenue and Devon. The CTA also Aristide Briande and the new schemes more difficult to achieve. the programme, scheduled plans to sell bonds to raise money Citadelle Bridge, which will carry The plan is to rebuild the to begin later in 2017 for for the project. trams across the River Rhine. century-old “L” lines north of completion by 2022. The project will create about The 3.9km (2.4-mile) extension Belmont at a key junction of the Chicago Mayor Rahm 6000 jobs, Emanuel said: “I want will take line D through the port of Strasbourg and across the Rhine Red, Purple and Brown lines and Emanuel commented: “You it to be an economic opportunity to Kehl mainline station before enhance capacity on a network cannot have an economy move for the entire city of Chicago.” terminating outside the town hall. Kaohsiung chooses Citadis NEWS IN PICTURES Luxembourg tram progress The rolling stock contract for the The first of 21 Urbos vehicles for the new Luxembourg tramway 13.4km (8.3-mile) second phase of was under test at CAF’s manufacturing facility in Zaragoza, Spain, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung tramway has in January; it is due to arrive at Kirchberg depot on 9 February. been awarded to Alstom, which When complete, the city’s tramline will be 16.2km (ten miles) with will deliver 15 Citadis XO5 trams in 15 stops. Ridership is estimated to be 40 000 passengers a day. readiness for the line’s 2019 opening. Like the CAF trams delivered for Project promoter Luxtram confirmed that around 900 people phase one, they will feature an applied for 30 positions to drive the city’s new trams; to be eligible, onboard energy storage solution. candidates needed to be aged 21 or above and to have held a Thales has been awarded a category B driving licence for at least two years. They also need contract to install a co-ordinated knowledge of the country’s languages. signalling system between the Following medical, psychological and simulator tests, the completion of the full 22km (13.7-mile) final candidates will undergo five weeks of training, with some tramline and traffic signals, including F. Wagner F. beginning in April 2017. automatic vehicle location.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 85 News KeolisAmey wins Metrolink contract joint venture to take over the UK’s largest light rail network

joint venture of Keolis 300 new jobs will be created over and Amey will take the course of the contract to cater over the operations and for the system’s growth. maintenance of the UK’s The announcement comes in ManchesterA Metrolink light rail Metrolink’s silver jubilee year, network in July when the current and as completion of the Second contract with RATP Dev and MPT City Crossing (2CC) is expected ends. The KeolisAmey partnership imminently following successful (60% Keolis/40% Amey) already testing in January. Work has operates and maintains London’s also started on utility works Docklands Light Railway and for the new 5.5km (3.4-mile) beat completion from three line to Trafford Park, which is other shortlisted bidders: expected to take four years to incumbent RATP Dev, National construct. Councillor Andrew Express and Transdev. Fender, Chair of the Transport for The new contract is for an Greater Manchester Committee, initial period of seven years with commented: “After investing an option for a further three so heavily in transforming the to run until 2027. It includes a infrastructure, this was always focus on improving operational going to be a pivotal appointment reliability and customer service without compromise. What and security, with an increased we have here is a long-term, staff presence on the network affordable commitment to – particularly in the evening providing a world-class service. This year marks a number of important milestones for Metrolink: 25 years of and at weekends. There is also “In reaching this decision, operation, a new operator, a new line across central Manchester and the beginning a commitment to source a I would like to pay tribute to of long-held ambitions to reach the Trafford Centre retail park. Looking west from minimum of 40% of supplier the operational staff who have Pomona on the , the stub beyond the curve shows the original provision contracts within 40km (25 played a crucial part in managing made for this major extension. TfGM miles) of Greater Manchester, a period of great change with and customer and community the delivery of the network’s on any Greater Manchester tram there’ ticketing. It is expected engagement, including ‘Meet expansion in recent years.” or bus from the summer with that the use of contactless the Manager’ and ‘Tweet the Passengers will be able to use the further rollout of Transport bankcards will be extended Manager’ sessions. More than a single smartcard for journeys for Greater Manchester’s ‘get me to Metrolink in 2019.

SPT to trial virtual smartcard app Trump infrastructure list includes transit On 25 January Rambus Ecebs A USD137.5bn list of 50 priority the Red and Purple transit lines announced that its Nevis infrastructure projects from the modernisation in Chicago (see Technologies joint venture with incoming Trump administration page 85). Strathclyde Partnership for in the USA, under the title The list is one that is being Transport is to use the Glasgow Emergency and National Security circulated for comment, and Subway (UK) to pilot the Projects, includes several transit may end up being financed company’s latest mobile ticketing schemes. These include extension through tax credits to private product using Host Card Emulation of New York’s new Second infrastructure companies. It is (HCE). The trial is to take place Avenue Subway; the Purple LRT still not clear to what extent this with selected users in mid-2017. line in Maryland (Bethesda – will replace the traditional grant HCE technology is already well New Carrollton); extension of funding provided through the proven in the banking sector and The long-planned extension the QLINE tramway in Detroit to Federal Transit Administration. loyalty and reward card schemes, of MBTA’s north from Eight Mile Rd; the MBTA Green The final list, and further and Rambus Ecebs’ suite of apps Lechmere could be built using federal line light rail extension in Boston details, should be available by enables passengers to load ‘virtual credits. A. Boghosian (Somerville and Medford); and the end of 2017. smartcards’ onto NFC-enabled devices which can then be used to buy, store and use tickets. Compatible with existing Jakarta places light metro rolling stock order infrastructure that complies with the UK’s ITSO interoperable Hyundai Rotem has been Work on the initial five- under construction. A second specification, real-time journey chosen to supply 16 light station elevated section phase will add extensions at information can also be added to metro trains for the first phase between Cibubr and Cawang both ends of the line and a new the system, which can be easily of Jakarta’s light metro in a began in September 2015. A line from Palmerah to Tomang integrated into existing apps. contract worth USD33m. The 10.5km (6.5-mile) extension of and Grogol. Operators can also use the app two-car 1067mm-gauge units line 1 from Cawang to Dukuh Once complete, a two-minute to collect travel data to optimise are to be delivered next year to Atas is expected to open later in peak headway is projected; the service demand and pricing, while allow inauguration ahead of the 2018 with a 17.9km (11.1-mile) rolling stock contract includes also delivering targeted offers. Asian Games in August 2018. third section to East Bekasi also options for further 94 cars.

86 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ENGINEERING LRT EXCELLENCE The Imperial Hotel BLACKPOOL 5 April 2017

Mainspring’s LRT Engineering Excellence Days enhance understanding and co-operation between the teams responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the light and urban rail systems, those with procurement responsibility and the supply chain.

Supported by UKTram and Blackpool Transport, the first of these days in 2017 focuses on infrastructure, depots and maintenance and looks at how efficiencies can be achieved through innovation and the sharing of best practice, and how these can deliver real benefit to users across the industry.

Sample topics include: Rail selection, installation and maintenance Level crossing safety Depot and maintenance development Rail grinding and welding innovation Managing EMI Cost effective rail monitoring solutions Lubrication of running rails and S&C Better management of the wheel/rail interface

To book your place visit www.mainspring.co.uk/events

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Driverless upgrades for Lyon Metro Utrecht unifies tram fleet Lyon transport authority Sytral has awarded Alstom a EUR91m contract to upgrade signalling New CAF order to create one fleet as Dutch city links old and new lines systems on lines B and D of the city’s metro. The firm will supply n 18 January the its Urbalis 400 CBTC technology provincial authority to line B, due for conversion to for Utrecht, driverless operation to coincide , with the introduction of new Ocontracted with CAF for the rolling stock in late 2019. It will also upgrade the already driverless line supply of 22 seven-section 41m D with the same technology. trams for delivery from 2020. The upgrade is part of Sytral’s They will replace the 27 Swiss- Future Metro 2020 project to built high-floor 29.8mSpectrum increase capacity on lines A, B and used on the 13.3km (8.3-mile) D in response to a predicted 30% Nieuwegein line since 1983, a increase in ridership; in October line that carries 5.6m passengers/ 2016 an order was placed with Alstom for 30 new rubber-tyred year on two services, Utrecht – trainsets with an option for a Nieuwegein Zooid and Utrecht – further 18. The new 36m vehicles Asselstine (services 60 and 61). feature capacity for up to 325 This light rail line was built in passengers and promise a 25% the early 1980s to improve public reduction in energy consumption; transport in the area south of The five-section Urbos trams currently being delivered for the Uithoflijn will they are also 96% recyclable. Utrecht. The high-platform soon be joined by seven-section versions to replace 1980s high-floor stock. CAF Lund breaks ground stations will be replaced with Ground-breaking for the new 5.5km conventional tramstops during a section 32.9m CAF trams, 100% braking, with provision (3.4-mile) double-track tramway three-month closure in summer low-floor, to serve the Uithof for onboard energy storage in the Swedish city of Lund took 2020. This will permit through tramway. permitting operation away place on 15 February. The SEK1.13bn operation with the new 7.5km Converting the Nieuwegen from the overhead. The depot at (EUR120m) project, with nine stops, (4.7-mile) Uithof line, due to sneltram to the same standards Nieuwegein is being extended is expected to start operating in open in 2018 between the city will permit flexible operation, to accommodate the combined 2019. Seven trams will be ordered shortly. The line may be extended to centre and the eastern suburbs of with multiple-unit operation of fleet. The UtrechtUrbos trams Dalby and Staffanstorp in the future. Utrecht, serving the University 32m and 41m trams possible. The differ from deliveries to other and Science Park. Delivery new trams will be equipped with cities in not having doors in the New President for started in December of 27 five- LED lighting and regenerative end sections. Brookville named Rick Graham has been promoted to President of Brookville Equipment Corporation after serving for 14 months as Chief Financial Officer of the custom rail equipment Tramlink safety measures… but no manufacturer. Mr Graham succeeds Marion Van Fosson, more money for Sutton extension who had served as Brookville President since December 2014. Transport for London (UK) has tram speeds and locations. Road and Merton Park, as well indicated that various safety An in-cab ‘driver-alert system’ as both track and signals in the measures will be introduced on is also to be introduced; this is Dundonald Road crossing area. Grenoble’s the Tramlink network, although already in place on various buses. A bus replacement service was pollution-busting these are stated to not be in Fatigue management courses are in operation calling at direct response to investigations also being offered with operator Wimbledon, Morden Road tram trial into the fatal crash that took First Tram Operations. and Mitcham tramstops. A trial using pollution sensors place at Sandilands in November. Although passenger use of the Local reports have stated mounted on tram roofs in the New chevrons have been network reduced following the that London Mayor Sadiq Khan French city of Grenoble is coming put into place at the site of the Sandilands incident, it has now has reallocated GBP100m to an end. The GreenZenTag accident and five new safety recovered to normal levels. (EUR118m) previously project involves ten microsensors measures are to be introduced Due to track replacement earmarked for the proposed which measure and geotag air over the whole network. These work, tram services between extension of Tramlink to Sutton. pollution levels, transmitting the include upgrading of CCTV on Wimbledon and Mitcham were It has been suggested that some data in real time, and has been all vehicles, reduced speeds at to be suspended 11-20 February. of the money could instead monitoring air quality and fine certain locations and installation The work involves replacing be found from an alternative particulate matter (PM2.5 and of technology that would monitor 750m of track between Morden Transport for London fund. PM10) on line A between Fontaine and Échirolles since December 2016. This data will complement measurements already being Tempe Streetcar construction contractor selected taken by Atmo Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, the organisation that has selected Stacy The USD186m project is Tempe CBD. Connections to the monitors the region’s air quality. & Witbeck to build the first expected to begin construction Valley Metro LRT system will The two-month data collection 4.8km (three-mile) line of the this year, using a twin-track be offered at Mille Avenue and phase will be followed by two streetcar project in the city of alignment linking Marina Dorsey/Apache Blvd stations. months of analysis. If successful, Tempe, (US). The firm Heights on East Rio Salado Six vehicles will run every the system could be permanently will now work with the city Parkway heading south on ten minutes on weekdays, 20 integrated into the city’s pollution of Tempe and project designer South Mill Avenue and then minutes on weekday evenings monitoring infrastructure and a Stantec Consulting on the east along Apache Boulevard and every 15 on weekends. smartphone app showing pollution 14-stop line which is planned with a 1.6km (one-mile) single- For more on Valley Metro, see levels could also be rolled out. to open in 2020. track mid-way loop through our April 2017 issue (TAUT 952).

88 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Register Now!

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On 15-17 May 2017, the international public transport community, that covers all urban and regional transport modes. It combines mobility decision-makers and industry will come together in a full programme of congress sessions with an exhibition of the Montréal for the Global Public Transport Summit, the not-to- latest solutions, innovations and products in public transport miss rendez-vous for urban mobility players. It is a unique event and urban mobility.

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In collaboration with Supporting organisations Local hosts NEW Michael Taplin presents TRAMWAYS his annual round-up of the new tramways FOR planned to open over the next 12 months… perhaps 2017 as many as 21.

The eastern terminus of Chengdu’s first modern tramline in Xinjin district; a three-section low-floor vehicle from local manufacturer Xinzhu Corporation undertakes test runs on 30 September 2016. Bernhard Kußmagk

he surge in new tramway A year ago, looking ahead at 2016, we Washington, DC (USA). Yangon in Myanmar openings, which we have predicted several new openings that were (Burma) achieved the dubious distinction of recorded annually for the last not achieved by 31 December. There is opening a line on 10 January and closing it seven years, is a worldwide no doubt that while the construction of on 1 July (this was a demonstration project trend; the issues of urban infrastructure and the delivery of rolling using secondhand trams from Japan on dock congestionT and pollution have run stock can be achieved using international railway tracks). It has also been established alongside the need for investment in fixed experience, bringing the two together to that tramway operation in Huai’an, China, infrastructure to drive growth following produce a passenger-carrying system offers began on 28 December 2015 and initial the global economic recession at the start up challenges that are as much to do with reports suggest that the 20.3km (12.6-mile) of the decade. Indeed, this surge is bringing local bureaucracy as for technical reasons. line, which runs entirely away from the new systems to areas of the world that have From Algeria to China these challenges overhead between Huai’an Gymnasium and traditionally relied on buses to provide city have delayed openings by some months, but South Gate, has been a success. transit, but now realise that for economic success is now likely to be achieved in 2017. There was one closure in 2016, the and environmental reasons tramways are the Other systems remain on the list that have Toshkent system in Uzbekistan, victim of mode for the future. been delayed even longer, largely due to an old-fashioned mayoral decision. Of course there are large cities where constrained national and local finances – However, the newest trams have been extreme population growth and the it is hoped that systems such as those transferred across the country to Samarkand resulting passenger flows are such that only in Cádiz and Granada can finally serve for a new system. a full metro will cope, but the huge cost of passengers in the next 12 months. So to 2017... and the new year was still in its tunnelling makes a reserved track surface The cities that did achieve passenger first month when Mexico's Puebla tram-train tramway offering substantial capacity, at a service in 2016 are Rio de Janeiro and Santos operation was inaugurated (see News). lower price, very attractive for many (Brazil); Qingdao (China); Kaohsiung These pages detail those new systems that smaller urban areas. (Taiwan); and Cincinnati, Kansas City and are expected still to open this year.

90 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ALGERIA EXTENSION PROJECTS Building completely new tramways in Europe is Last year we predicted two tramways much reduced compared with other parts of the opening in this north African nation world, though there are still some French schemes in 2016, but neither were achieved. to come. However, there is plenty of work on We are confident they will deliver extensions, including Manchester’s Second City passenger service in 2017, however, and Crossing (UK). This is due to open in the Spring, possibly be joined by a third. increasing capacity and reducing bottlenecks in Ouargla is a Berber city and a the city that have come about due to the system’s provincial capital in the Sahara Desert rapid expansion over the past few years. One of the more significant openings this month A Strasbourg Citadis on a test run on future line D in southern Algeria, with an urban is the new international tramway linking the towards the crossing of the river Rhine. CTS population approaching 200 000. French city of Strasbourg and the German town of Temperatures can reach 43°C in the Kehl, via a new bridge across the River Rhine. December. Bergen’s trams will reach the airport, summer. A EUR310m, 12.6km (7.8-mile) Elsewhere, Antwerpen’s metre-gauge tramway the latest stage in this Norwegian city’s ambitious tramline from El Ksar to Hai Nasr via will be extended north of the city to a new park- light rail plans. In Switzerland, Basel’s trams will the railway and bus stations, built by and-ride, while the Austrian city of Innsbruck will start another international journey, to a Spanish consortium, is designed to extend its tramway west and east of the city centre. St Louis in France, while the Italian city of Firenze carry 14 000 passengers/hour at peaks. Austria’s smallest tramway, at Gmunden, will be (Florence) will open its second tramline. In the USA, Charlotte will extend its light A fleet of 23 seven-section 44mCitadis joined up with the Vorchdorf – Gmunden light railway on new tracks through the town centre. rail to the university while in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro trams are being built by Alstom’s CITAL In Germany, Freiburg-im-Breisgau will complete will open further sections of its VLT Porto Maravilha joint venture factory in Annaba, with its new extension to Messe, while ’s tramway. After an extensive test period, Kaohsiung the first arriving in December 2016. Bahnstadt extension should be ready to open in in Taiwan will complete phase 1 of its new tramway. Passenger service is expected to start in the third quarter of 2017. Mostaganem is an historic port city on the Mediterranean coast in LEGEND Victoria north-west Algeria with a population Existing network

around 245 000. Two tramlines are Manchester Second under construction, with the first, a City Crossing 12.2km (7.6-mile) link from Kharouba (University) in the north-east to Salamandre in the south-west (Lycée Oukraf Mohammed). will be a 2km (1.2-mile) branch to the SNFT station. Corsan Isolux/Alstom Shudehill were awarded a EUR240m contract to build and equip the system in August 2013 and the CITAL factory in Exchange Annaba is supplying 25 44m Citadis Square trams. Passenger service is likely to be achieved in December. The agricultural and university city of Sidi Bel Abbés can be found 120km (74.5 miles) inland in north- west Algeria, 70km (43.5 miles) south of Oran, with a population of around Market 215 000. A 17.8km (11-mile) tramline is Street being built by Yapi Merkezi to link Gare du Nord with a new railway station for Piccadilly high-speed services and Cité 20 Août Gardens via the university. The first of 34Citadis 402 44m trams built at Annaba was delivered in July 2016 and testing is in full swing. It is expected to launch passenger service in April 2017. Since 2011 Algeria has opened new tramways in Algiers, Constantine and St Peter’s Oran. Lines are also under construction Square in Annaba, Batna and Sétif.

BRAZIL Work on the stalled tramway project in the city of Cuiabá could resume this Spring, following legal disputes Deansgate and a funding shortfall for the new Castlefield line that was originally planned to carry passengers attending 2014 World Cup football matches. It is reported that the works could Deansgate be finished in mid-2019 for an Manchester opening later that year. Oxford Road

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Chengdu, famous for its panda where a four-line tramway totalling 62km CHINA sanctuary, is a city where explosive (38.5 miles) is under construction. Regular A sort of tramway mania amongst Chinese population growth has led to huge passenger service will start in 2017. cities was overshadowed in 2016 by new expansion of the metro system. Although Shanghai may have the world’s largest metros and metro extensions, with only one two tramlines totalling 39.4km (24.5 metro, but tramlines are needed to act as new tramway inaugurated. However, 2017 miles) are under construction, reports are feeders to suburban metro stations; the promises better, with several long-planned frustratingly vague. The city achieved more 15.7km (9.8-mile) tramline T1 and the schemes coming to fruition. publicity for the inauguration of a trial 15.1km (9.4-mile) line T2 are expected to The capital, Beijing, ordered 31 suspended monorail line in 2016. carry passengers in 2017. T1 runs east– five-section 32m low-floor trams from Although test running began on the first west from Xinqiao to Chenta Rd, with T2 CNR Dalian in 2014, to be built under 9.7km (six-mile) section of the Xinjin line in branching off to reach Songjiang University licence from AnsaldoBreda, for a 9.4km early 2016, the full line isn’t due to Town metro (line 9). Alstom has delivered (5.8-mile) line in the Fragrant Hills area open until later this year or possibly even about half of the 30 five-section double- of the western suburbs. Since then CNR early in 2018. Construction on a second ended 33m Citadis ordered from its Chinese has been merged into the CRRC combine, 27.7km (17.2-mile) line began in September joint venture with Shanghai Rail Traffic while AnsaldoBreda was taken over by 2016, with an additional branch adding Equipment Development Company and Hitachi to become Hitachi Rail . 11.6km (7.2 miles). This is also due to open is testing on T2. The planned use of the Ansaldo STS in 2018, operated by a fleet of five-section Tramway operation in Shenzhen (just Tramwave surface contact system may low-floor trams. across the border from the Hong Kong be being re-evaluated, as no further news We have already illustrated trial tramway Special Administrative Region) is expected of the project has been issued. operation in Mengzi City (TAUT 945) to start in the first quarter of 2017 on an

92 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org 11.5km (7.1-mile) north–south line linking Citadis trams outside the new tram depot in Qinghu metro station on line 4 with Cuenca; their interior design (below). OVPM/Alstom Guanlan Strategic New Industries Park. A 3.8km (2.4-mile) branch will form line 2. ECUADOR This is being carried out as a 20-year PPP project by Group and The city of Cuenca is building an 11km Construction Investment (6.8-mile) tramway which includes Corporation at a cost of CNY1.38bn 4km (2.5 miles) using the Alstom APS (EUR190m). surface contact system throughout the In the city of Wuhan a 16.8km city centre, designated a UNESCO World (10.4-mile) tramway has been built Heritage Site in 1999. as a feeder to metro at Chelun Alstom has supplied 14 32m 100% Square. The first 36m five-section 100% low-floorCitadis trams. With dynamic low-floor tram from an order for 21 was testing in progress since October 2015, delivered by CRRC Zhuzhou on 31 May service was supposed to be inaugurated in 2016, so passenger service should start July 2016, but work in the old town area in the first quarter of 2017. The fitting was suspended in November following of supercapacitors on the trams means a petition from business owners along that most of the line does not have to be the route. Construction work resumed in equipped with overhead. Siemens supplied January 2016, but is still in progress, so no the electrical equipment. opening date is known.

LUXEMBOURG The first part of the new tramway being built in the capital city, Luxembourg, will be operational in the third quarter of 2017 according to present plans. This will be the outer end of the planned line, from Luxexpo to Pont Rouge (Hamilius) on the Kirchberg plateau north of the city, running on a north-eastern alignment along Avenue John F. Kennedy and totalling 6.4km (four miles). Extensions will then follow east from Luxexpo exhibition and conference centre to Findel (international) airport, and south from Pont Rouge to the western bank of the Alzette river to Cloche d’Or. The full line into the city via Gare Centrale is expected to be open in 2018, with the route from Cloche d’Or into the city centre to the international Airport expected to follow in 2021 – giving a total route mileage of 16.2km (ten miles). This latter route will connect with the city’s main railway station with a 3.6km (2.2-mile) catenary-free section between there and Pont Rouge. The first section, which will be worked by nine trams, includes the rail interchange at Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg, though the railway station here will not open until the timetable The Stadler Tango tram-train undergoes public inspection; services will be based on the Danish city change in December 2017. The EUR565m project will have a route length of 16km of Aarhus. Jens Hasse/Midtrafik (ten miles) and be worked by 32 CAF-built Urbos 45.4m seven-section trams. The vehicles, from a concept by renowned tram designer Avant Première, are equipped with the ACR ultracapacitor power supply system to permit operation without overhead in the historic DENMARK city centre. When the concept was originally unveiled to the general public in January 2016, more than 30 000 people were allowed to have their say on the final design: grab bars, seat This year will see the inauguration of coverings and floor finishes were therefore all specified according to public opinion. Denmark’s first new tramway of the The rolling stock contract is worth EUR83m, with the entire project estimated at modern era in the city of Aarhus, Jutland EUR345.8m; the first tram should arrive in February. (neatly coinciding with its European Capital of Culture designation). The project combines a 12km (7.5-mile) traditional low-floor tramway on city streets with light rail extensions over existing railway lines linking the city with Odder and Grenaa. Because of this two types of rolling stock were ordered from Stadler, the 32.4m five-sectionVariobahn for the tramway (14 cars) and the 39.2m three-section Tango tram-train for light rail operation (12 cars). The Variobahn come from Stadler Pankow () and the Tango from the plant at Altenrhein in Switzerland. The DKK2.4bn (EUR322m) project cost is being funded by the city (47.2%), the state (47%) and the region (5.8%). A limited service will start in May on the tramway between Aarhus Skejby (university) and Lisbjergskolen, followed in August by tram-train operation on the Odderbanan. Service on the Grenaabanan will follow in October, with full operation of the whole system by the end of the year. The first Urbos tram for Luxembourg is due for delivery in February; it is seen here undergoing tests at CAF’s Zaragoza factory, where two further trams are currently under construction. F. Wagner

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QATAR Although the city of Doha is building its colossal metro and the LRT system, the first tramway in the Qatari capital will be an 11.5km (7.1-mile) line in the campus of the Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, which will become a car-free zone. The project was awarded as a USD412m turnkey contract to Siemens, which is supplying 19 three-section 100% low-floor 27m Avenio trams with Sitras HES (Hybrid Energy Storage) units to permit catenary- free operation. The system also claims a

reduction of up to 80 tonnes of CO2 over traditional catenary operation thanks to its energy efficiency. The new trams are designed with boosted air conditioning for extreme heat and humidity and have undertaken extensive testing in the Rail Tec Arsenal facility in Wien (Vienna). Opening was originally planned for September 2015, but put back by a year. This new deadline was not achieved due to recruitment and training difficulties, and passengers are now expected to be A Siemens Avenio undergoes climactic testing at the Rail Tec Arsenal facility in Vienna in preparation for carried in the second or third quarter of 2017. the extreme operating conditions it will face in service in Doha. Siemens

SPAIN TURKEY The two Spanish tramways that should open in 2017 have both been listed in previous years, The city of Izmir (Turkey’s third but although essentially complete, have yet to carry passengers due to funding constraints and largest) has had a light rail system political delays. since 2000 with ADtranz (now In Cádiz the tram-train project dates from 2008 and involves 10.3km (6.4 miles) of shared Bombardier) vehicles of the type track with RENFE trains from the city station to La Ardila, then 13.7km (8.5 miles) of new developed for Istanbul. However, over tramway through San Fernando to La Chiclana. CAF has delivered seven dual-voltage, 1668mm- the years, as traffic has grown, this gauge 38.1m three-section articulated cars. Different door heights accommodate the railway fully-segregated line has become more platforms and street stops. The service will be operated by RENFE and it is hoped to carry like a metro. Funding for additional passengers in the second quarter of 2017. The latest delay was to enable a contract to be awarded rolling stock will enable trains and to Thales for modification of security and communication systems on the shared section of line. platforms to be lengthened. In the province of Andalucia, the city of Granada started building a 15.9km (9.9-mile) In 2014 the city announced a EUR502m north–south tramline from Albolote to Armilla ten years ago. There are three EUR211m project to build two subway stations in the city centre. There was a long hiatus in works due to Spain’s economic tramlines to serve the districts of crisis, but eventually the EU came up with an additional EUR262m. It is now hoped that Konak and Karsiyaka, located each passenger service will start in late March. side of the bay on which the city sits, Testing of the 15 CAF five-section 32mUrbos 100% low-floor trams began in 2014; all use its and linked by ferry. The Konak line ACR system to permit operation without an overhead power supply, which will be a feature on will be 9.7km (six miles) long and the four sections of the line. An operating contract has been awarded to the Avanza group. Karsiyaka line 16.6km (10.3 miles); 38 five-section low-floor 32m trams were ordered from Korean manufacturer The first of 15 double-ended cars was Hyundai Rotem, but with local TAIWAN delivered on 27 December 2016. After assembly at the Adapazari railway The Green Mountain Line tramway commissioning and training takes place, it workshops. Following delivery of project is designed to serve the Danhai is hoped to start trial operation in August. the first cars, test running on the New Township in the New Taipei Karsiyaka line started in December region, which surrounds the island’s 2016 and it is hoped to start carrying capital. Initially, a 9.7km (six-mile) line passengers in November 2017. (4.5km/2.8 miles on elevated alignment) Another city with a similar name costing NTD9.7bn (EUR289m) has been but different characteristics is Izmit, built to link Hongshulin station on Taipei about 100km (62 miles) north of metro’s Tamsui line with the Danhai Istanbul, with a population of just district, where rapid population growth over 300 000. There a 7.2km (4.5-mile) is expected. A second line is planned east–west tramline has been built for completion in 2024. linking Seka ferry terminal and The Taiwanese Government is anxious Otogar bus station via the railway that tramway expertise should be station. It will be worked by 12 developed locally through technology Durmazlar Silkworm 100% low-floor transfer, and therefore retained Voith 28.3m double-ended trams, and it is Engineering Services to design a five- The first locally-built tram for the Green hoped to carry passengers in the third section 34.5m low-floor car that could be Mountain line in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei. quarter of 2017. Izmit is twinned built by Taiwan Rolling Stock Company. Taiwan Rolling Stock Co. with Kassel in Germany.

94 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org USA Opening of the Woodward Avenue tramline in the Midwest city of Detroit is due this spring (probably April). The 5.3km (3.3-mile) line is part of the city’s attempt to regenerate itself after many major automakers scaled back their huge factories in and around the city, and the subsequent troubled period that saw the local council enter bankruptcy. It is unusual in being built by private investors, albeit with federal funding of USD37.2m towards the USD142m cost. Grand M-1 Rail is the private company that has built the line, to be NEW known as QLINE after Quicken Loans purchased the naming CENTER Amstal rights. About 40% of the line will be equipped with overhead wire; elsewhere trams will run on battery power. After a short Amsterdam dalliance with Czech company Inekon, a definitive order was (future) placed with Brookville Equipment Corporation for six three- section 20m 70% low-floorLiberty trams. The last of Detroit’s previous trams, a PCC, was numbered 286, so the new cars carry fleet numbers 287-92. The first trial

run was made on 13 December 2016, the first time Woodward Ferry Avenue had seen a tram since 1956. The other new tramway operation in the US starting in LEGEND 2017 is the 3.5km (2.2-mile) heritage tramway known as Warren the Delmar Loop Trolley in the city of St Louis. Serving Planned streetcar the museum district, the line offers interchange with the service MetroLink light rail at Forest park-DeBalviere and Delmar Potential Loop stations. A federal grant of USD25m was secured extension towards the USD51m project cost. After plans to use St Louis-type Peter Witt bogie trams refurbished by Canfield Stop

GOMACO were abandoned, the line will be operated by an Existing ex-Seattle, ex-Melbourne W2 tram (512) and two ex-Portland MIDTOWN Amtrack GOMACO-built Brill replica cars (511-2). The fleet number service clash remains to be resolved. People- The city of St Louis has mover MLK two more ex-Seattle cars “The QLINE is unusual in being Depot in store (482 and 518), but no funds to refurbish them built by private investors, yet. The line is single-track with passing loops; initially albeit with federal funding a 20-minute service will be provided 11.00-19.00 of USD37.2m towards the Sibley Monday-Thursday and 11.00-24.00 on USD142m cost.” Foxtown Friday/Saturday. Grand Circus Park

Campus Martius

DOWNTOWN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

Congress

Trial runs began in December 2016 on the Woodward Avenue tramway (QLINE) in Detroit using Brookville Liberty tram 289. QLINE

Despite not being decided until Samarkand, which has a population UZBEKISTAN October 2016, the line is predicted to of 500 000 and is twinned with the One of the most surprising tramway open in the second quarter of 2017. Turkish tram city of Ekisehir, previously stories of 2016 was the decision by the A factor which makes this likely is the operated trams from 1947 to 1973. city of Samarkand to create an 8km transfer of eight 2011-built Pragoimex The city is a UNESCO World Heritage (five-mile) tramline connecting the Vario LF bogie trams from the capital site, and the current scheme is the railway station and Sat-Tepo using Toshkent, where the mayor decided to personal initiative of Acting President grassed median strips. end tram operation in May 2016. Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

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The first mock-up of a CRRC MA car for the MBTA; Orange line cars are slightly narrower, and shorter in both height and length than their Red line counterparts. MBTA CHINA’S GIANT WEIGHS INTO THE US MARKET Much has been made of subsidiaries of China’s CRRC entering into the US urban transit market. Herbert Pence reviews the story so far, gets a behind-the-scenes look at CRRC MA’s new facility in Springfield and discusses its ambitions for the future.

he Chinese Railway Rolling Stock of jet aircraft decimated long-distance rail small manufacturers today, build bodyshells Corporation (CRRC) is entering travel, especially overnight services, and the overseas then ship them to their US facilities the US railcar manufacturing market for passenger rail cars slumped. Only for final assembly and fitting out. Smaller sector in a big way, announcing the five cities with legacy metros remained as all-American builders are in the minority. its presence with the finesse potential markets, plus three with streetcars. Tof a 300kg gorilla entering a room. Such a One by one the established car builder names Enter the dragon decision was anticipated, but when and how disappeared: St. Louis Car Co., Budd Co., China has a huge domestic market for rail it occurred surprised the industry – both in Pullman-Standard Co.; J.G. Brill delivered cars of all types. Its high-speed railway the US and elsewhere. its last rail car to The Philadelphia Suburban network is now the largest in the world – and While winning (in 2014) its first order Transportation Co. in September 1941. still expanding – and the pages of TAUT for 284 metro cars for the Massachusetts After the war, city bus companies were in carry reports of new metro line openings Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for a death spiral of suburbanisation, slumping monthly. But while domestic commitments the Boston Subway rattled the established ridership and rising fares. The Federal are keeping the rolling stock factories busy, manufacturers’ windows, the second order Government responded with the Urban they are also ambitiously looking to export for 846 metro cars for Chicago shattered the Mass Transportation Act of 1964, to provide technology and products around the world. glass. In both instances, new state-of-the-art monies for lower-tier governmental entities So why enter the US market now? manufacturing plants will be built to fulfil to purchase failing operations. With the One answer is that Chinese rail operations the orders. The next big question concerns associated funding came the requirement are becoming saturated with new cars the plants’ future once these two major that a percentage of the value of bus or rail and route growth demand is slowing; orders are fulfilled. cars (including project infrastructure) be replacements will not be required for 20-30 The US metro and LRV market has been sourced in the US. This reinforced the 1933 years. Secondly, the US replacement market limited since World War Two. Sixty years Buy American Act, brought into force during is becoming increasingly sustainable. ago, Congress gave a rocket boost to the the early days of the US Great Depression Finally, new rail services are opening or are national transportation matrix change (1929-39), requiring Government preference being seriously considered across the in passing the Interstate Highway Act, of US-sourced goods. The percentage is country and the market is already ripe for providing for a network of high-speed currently 60%. To meet this requirement, overseas manufacturers, for which there is a motorways. Shortly thereafter, the advent large railcar manufacturers initially and strong precedent.

96 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Siemens is the grandfather of late 20th ABOVE: The initial single-car prototype bound At the same time, CRRC is looking Century car builders to enter the US for Boston is loaded onto a cargo ship at the port to go one further. It signed a deal with LRV market, while Bombardier and its of Qingdao following a 1500km (932-mile) journey Bombardier in September 2016 to bid predecessors, Hawker-Siddeley and Urban from CRRC’s manufacturing facility in Changchun. jointly on international projects and CRRC MA/MBTA Transit Development Corporation, of also has ambitions to acquire complete Canada, once dominated metro car supplies. BELOW: The interior of the Orange line mock-up transportation manufacturing businesses. Japanese manufacturers were active in the looking towards the end cab; plastic seating The venerable Czech rail and bus building 1980s and latterly European firms such as replaces cloth on the new cars. MBTA company, Škoda Transportation, is the latest Alstom and CAF established production potential investment in CRRC’s sights. facilities in New York State. Breda entered Already the companies work jointly on the market to supply metro cars for WMATA, bid responses; CRRC subsidiary Zhuzhou the Washington Metro, and has delivered Electric Locomotive Company (ZELC) is the LRVs to systems in Boston and California. suitor. Should the deal be completed, CRRC But no one company has dominated the full railway equipment manufacturing will be spectrum of rail car supply: metro, commuter augmented for the first time by both motor rail, Amtrak, LRVs and streetcars. bus and trolleybus construction. CRRC’s potential production output is massive – and, in China, it is not the only rail Valuable local knowledge vehicle builder. Alone, its bogie (truck) shop A retired MBTA Wellington Car House constructs 5000 units annually. Each year (Orange line) superintendent, Bobby Doyle, CRRC has the capacity to manufacture 1000 was working in Asia. Keeping in contact with metro cars, 1000 high-speed rail cars, 800 his former Massachusetts Bay Transportation commuter rail cars and 600 LRVs. Not all of Authority friends, he knew the agency was these are used domestically; the company has 2016, the value of non-domestic CRRC planning to replace 120 Hawker-Siddeley an extensive international presence. orders increased by 126%. Rolling stock metro cars (class 01200, built 1979-81). CRRC is 51% owned by the Government of manufactured in China is currently With longer station platforms, six-car trains the People’s Republic of China, with the other being delivered to Argentina, Kenya, India, became the norm and the 37-year-old rolling 49% of ownership listed on the Hong Kong Thailand, Turkey and even Russia. The stock was being worked to breakdown. and Shanghai Stock Exchanges. In June 2015, company has also signed an agreement Thus, there was the possibility of additional the China North Railway and the China with Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway cars being added to the fleet. South Railway, and their numerous regional (MTR) to enter into a strategic relationship Meanwhile, the MBTA was considering divisions, merged to create CRRC. As the where CRRC handles vehicle building and a joint order for its Red line. Seventy of new company moves into related businesses MTR is the infrastructure construction and its 47-year-old cars (classes 01500-01600, and new countries it establishes subsidiaries, operational partner. There are ‘technology built from 1969) were beyond need for currently numbering 46. Often government- transfer’ agreements and joint ventures replacement. Although the lines’ cars differ owned businesses are not nimble, but when with other manufacturers such as Alstom, slightly, there could be a common use of it comes to decision-making, governments AnsaldoBreda (now Hitachi Rail Italy), components. In the 1979 Hawker-Siddeley can sometimes move quickly without the Bombardier and Siemens to the point that order, there were 70 Blue line and 120 impediments of public reaction. the international vehicle manufacturing Orange line cars, so the idea of a joint order Overseas engagements are growing at business may be compared to a tangle of had precedent. A 190-car order was a plum an unprecedented rate. In the first half of multi-coloured yarn. and when the Request for Proposals was

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issued, it called for both Red and Orange line one per day. Plans call for the initial Boston cars, totalling 284. The specifications were order schedule to be four cars per month, one unusually flexible, based on performance per week – this creates a steep learning curve and not an existing MBTA design. Thus, for the 150 employees. After a three-month the bidders effectively started with a outfitting of the new plant, car building ‘clean sheet of paper’. should start in July 2017; the order should To the extent possible, governmental be complete in 2019. Once this order is entities desire local procurement. New York complete, wider engineering activities will be City Transit Authority, for example, established in Springfield. orders metro cars from Kawasaki built in The stainless steel carbodies will be Yonkers or Bombardier in Plattsburgh, NY. manufactured in Changchun, China; Having a knowledgeable local person on a spot and fusion welding will be used bid team is usually an ace-in-the-hole. predominantly, but areas visible to the Mr Doyle knew that Western Massachusetts CRRC MA Vice President Jia Bo is one of the chief public will be laser welded for a neater finish. suffered from high unemployment and representatives relocating to the US. He has worked The first three married pair prototypes will a feeling that the Commonwealth (state) for the Chinese parent organisation since 1993 and has be built in Changchun in their entirety – government favoured the eastern half, also led the design of the mass transit division. Dave although using many US-manufactured anchored by Boston. In its bid response, Roback/Republican Newspaper of Springfield, Mass components – and then shipped to Boston CRRC proposed the construction of a for MBTA evaluation. This first car is already manufacturing plant on a 161 800m2 new plant. The original Westinghouse office on its way. Production carbodies will be (40-acre) site in Springfield, the largest city building is being retained and remodelled fabricated in China and sent to Springfield for in Western Massachusetts. There were other as the CRRC subsidiaries’ US headquarters final assembly and testing. tangibles. Engineering and design for the and soon a 672m (2240ft) test track will Although the external designs for the Red cars would be in China, with employees paid be constructed parallel to motorway I-291. and Orange line cars may look identical, in Yuan. The depressed Yuan offers a great Of course, once the MBTA order is fulfilled, there are subtle differences due to slightly labour cost advantage. CRRC was sharpening the company will be seeking other car different dimensions: Length – 21.28m its bid pencil to ensure success. building contracts and has already identified (Red), 19.91m (Orange); Width – 3.05m (Red), In Springfield, CRRC MA (the MA that its Springfield site has the capability 2.82m (Orange); Height – 3.66m (Red), 3.35m indicating it is the Massachusetts subsidiary, to house a facility more than double the (Orange). Despite these differences, as many in contrast to the Chicago manufacturing size if it is required (as it hopes) to scale common components are being used as subsidiary CRRC Sifang America) is building up production upon the receipt of possible to ease maintenance and keep spares its USD95m facility on the site of a former further orders. costs manageable. Westinghouse manufacturing plant on Page Manufacturing capacity is designed to be The question arises about the availability Blvd. Tax incentives are helping build the 20 cars of all types per month, at a rate of of skilled labour to build railway cars. Current plans are for CRRC MA to hire a few local employees, called Team Leaders, who will be sent to China to learn how metro cars are built and how to successfully build them for Boston. When they return to Springfield, they will head teams of new workers and supervise their activities. Employees will be represented by SMART Local 63 (sheet metal workers). With 27 years of car maintenance experience, Mr Doyle was able to add design features to reduce upkeep. As an example, sliding door pockets gather debris as the confined space into which the door slides can be difficult to clean; to remedy this, the new CRRC MA-built cars feature door pockets that have a door with piano (continuous) door hinges. This allows maintenance personnel easier access. Otherwise the car design is unique for the US. Two cars will be semi-permanently coupled on four bogies and while there will be no gangways, a form of articulation will allow passengers to pass between the cars without opening doors. This will give a near-15% increase in the two-car passenger capacity. The new cars reveal a greater awareness ABOVE: The cavernous of the needs of passengers with reduced interior of the Springfield mobility. On metro cars, from time to time, plant, seen in December a single door of a pair is taken out of service, 2016; the first car building is due to take place resulting in a ‘half-door’; currently the half in summer 2017, with opening is 610mm (24in) wide, insufficient completion of the order for a wheelchair to pass through. The new programmed for 2019. door pairs are 1525mm (60in) wide, allowing a standard size wheelchair (660mm/26in LEFT: The exterior wide) to pass through the half-door. The gap of the new CRRC MA between the station platform and the car manufacturing facility on door threshold has also always been an issue Page Boulevard. BOTH: Dave Roback/ for wheelchair users if the gap is too great. Republican Newspaper of With the new cars, the familiar ‘Mind the Springfield, Mass Gap’ notice will be a thing of the past as, for the convenience of all passengers, a bridge plate at each door will deploy at each station

98 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ABOVE: The cars that CRRC will replace – Red line 01819 (the latest Bombardier deliveries from 1993-94) at Cabot Yard; this series of cars draws 600v dc power from the third rail and converts it to ac power for the motors.

RIGHT: Orange line 01221 – delivered in 1979 from Hawker-Siddeley (now Bombardier) – on an inspection pit at the line’s heavy maintenance facility, Wellington Car House. Both: H. Pence platform. Levelling valves on each car will a 64-car order for Los Angeles’ Red and Purple car than overhauling the old cars currently need to be more sensitive to car loading. So lines, with options for an additional 218 cars. in use.” These two series cannot work in that ice and snow will not jam the bridge It will be instructive to observe if the two multiple; thus it would be possible for the plate deployment, the bridge plate and its CRRC subsidiaries bid against one another Red line to have three series of pocket will be heated. for future contracts. non-compatible metro cars. It was decided One concern is passenger seat When first acting on the recommendation by MBTA staff to recommend the additional construction. Presently, Orange line cars that CRRC should expand into the US, purchase of compatible cars. This will focus have a two-part fabric seat cushion and trade was a routine affair – all CRRC and its car house employee skills and consolidate back. While the new cars keep the current predecessors had to do was to wait for the parts inventory and operating practice. longitudinal arrangement, they will have proper opportunity. Even in 2013 and 2014 If all options are exercised, the Red line solid plastic seats, colour-coded either red or as the bid was being considered, there were order will be complete in 2023, allowing orange as required. These do not provide a no anti-trade clouds in the sky. With the for a three-minute headway and significantly grip to passenger’s clothing as with the cloth election of Donald Trump as US President, enhanced service. seat cushions, resulting in potential sliding As concrete is being poured in Springfield during train acceleration and stopping; “In the space of one year, and the first Boston prototype is being they are also likely to prove colder to the constructed in China, before any metro cars touch in winter months. A case may be made the CRRC subsidiaries have been delivered, CRRC MA’s salesmen that the plastic seats are more sanitary and continue knocking on doors. As mentioned hard-wearing, but comfort will likely suffer. have garnered orders earlier, Los Angeles has already placed a Concerns have also been raised with the provisional order and this new entrant to MBTA over its decision to accept the bid of for over 1400 metro cars, the US market is eyeing a major order for a railcar manufacturer which has not built over 1000 cars for the New York Subway, metro cars for the US market – after all, 284 without one turning a perhaps in collaboration with Bombardier cars is not a small order. Recent experience if news reports are to be believed. The MBTA’s with Hyundai Rotem should provide caution. wheel in US service.” Board of Directors has already awarded Hyundai Rotem had not built commuter rail CRRC MA a follow-on order for up to 134 cars for operation in the US before the the footing changed. The new President has cars. Thus, in the space of one year, the MBTA accepted its bid and following (late) threatened to ‘get tough’ with a number of CRRC subsidiaries have garnered orders delivery, the 75-car order required extensive countries which are part of the US supply for over 1400 metro cars, without one re-work before the cars could be placed into chain, notably Mexico and China. It will be turning a wheel in US service. service. Being aware of this, the MBTA sent interesting to see his reaction to CRRC MA The future for established US subsidiaries a team of consultants from STV to China to and CRRC Sifang America building Federally- of foreign car manufacturers is clouded review CRRC manufacturing practices. funded railcars for the US market. and it will be fascinating to see if other The report was positive. The MBTA’s additional no-bid 134-car collaborations are on the horizon as CRRC order came as a surprise. The ‘T’, as it is chases further US business now that it has Looking elsewhere known to Bostonians, has 58 01700 series its first firm footholds in the mass transit When CRRC sought the 846 metro car cars built in 1987, and 86 01800 series cars market. Or perhaps the LRV market is the contract for Chicago’s ‘L’, it created the built in 1993. Given that it will be 2019 next one it sets its considerable eyes on... CRRC Sifang America JV. The new cars will before the initial 284 car order is complete, be numbered in the 7000 series and the these older cars will continue to age. The Grateful thanks are due to CRRC MA: USD1.31bn contract calls for an initial 446 cost of rebuilding them was estimated and Vice-President Jia Bo, Bobby Doyle and metro cars, with options for an additional compared to purchasing new cars. MBTA Lydia Rivera; MBTA Media Relations: Joe 400 in the coming years. Already CRRC MA Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gonneville said: Pesaturo, The Boston Globe, The Springfield has, subject to competitive challenges, won “The new cars will cost USD310 000 less per Republican.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 99 Metro technology ‘WE HOPE TO BE READY IN TWO TO THREE YEARS’

Pesa has high hopes for its innovative metro concept, here resplendent in the current Warsaw Metro livery. All images courtesy of Pesa

In March 2016 Pesa announced plans for its first ever metro. Witold Urbanowicz examines the project in detail and finds the ambitious manufacturer ready to compete on the European stage.

olish rolling stock manufacturer Why has Pesa decided to extend its dramatically increasing each unit’s cost. Pesa has seen success with its tram Q product portfolio to metros now? This is the basic philosophy which we want to and LRV portfolio, securing major Pesa manufactures rail vehicles of all present to our customers. orders in both its domestic market A types and we came to a conclusion that We always try to make an impact with our and in the wider Eastern European the time has come to develop in the field of interior and exterior designs – how it will Pcontext with a commitment to significant metro as we see a place for us in this market. look, what colours, materials and shapes investment into research and development. Metro systems in European cities are it will have and the choice of the front Pesa has supplied diesel and electric constantly evolving, so at least for some cab design etc. This is the place for us to multiple units to rail systems in Poland, European capitals we are preparing a manoeuvre and show off – if we win a tender, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and Lithuania and development project with the considerable we hope that the client will feel satisfied fulfilled orders for its modern low-floorJazz, participation of the National Centre for with the possibility to co-operate in the Swing, Fokstrot and Twist tram designs from Research and Development in Poland. composition of the vehicle. Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia and 11 Polish cities – Bydgoszcz, Częstochowa, Elbląg, Gdańsk, Q What stage in the project are you Q Tenders often have specific Kraków, Łódź, Szczecin, Toruń, Tramwaje currently at? requirements for bidders to Śląskie, Warsaw and Wrocław. We have finished our analysis of the demonstrate experience based upon Utilising PLN24m (EUR5.4m) in grant A market, collected all the necessary data the numbers of trains produced – do funding from the Polish National Centre and are at the initial stage of preparing the you forsee that being a problem? for Research and Development, the project conceptual design. In other words, we are The customer must trust us at the to develop a next-generation energy-saving just starting, although we expect that the A beginning. The same customer may also metro trainset was announced in March 2016. first prototype will be ready within two to want to allow a wider group of manufacturers Making this project all the more relevant is three years. into the process than just a closed cluster of the forthcoming tender for 13 new trainsets large, more established companies. to serve the extension of Warsaw Metro’s line There is a lot of competition in the M2. EU funding announced in September Q metro equipment market in terms So are you counting more on 2016 is contributing 60% to extensions at both of companies with an established Q the extension of the conditions ends of the east-west line (3.5km/2.2. miles position – what will make Pesa stand of tender participation, than, for west and 3.1km/1.9 miles east) that opened out in the race for new orders? example ‘borrowing’ the experience in March 2015. As a company, we are very flexible. from other companies? Witold Urbanowicz spoke to Pesa’s Director A We have always tried to meet specific We don’t know at the moment. We are of Research and Development Arkadiusz customer requirements, customise the A not participating in any tenders yet, we Sobkowiak about the firm’s metro concept. design and personalise the product without are only starting to develop the product, and

100 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ABOVE AND BELOW: Pesa's design concept includes innovative door and panel designs that feature digital passenger information displays .

Pesa has already released computer-generated visuals of its metro concept that, according to the company, represent some very loose ideas as it is initially concentrating on the technical approach. we consider various scenarios for different them we will prepare the concept that can of a large number of passengers, like trams, cities. For example, it doesn’t mean that if we then be customised. and the technical requirements appropriate have our own metro train that we won’t also for railways and trains. We have both and we bid as part of a consortium. You have already released need only to connect these areas. These are two completely separate things: Q computer-generated visuals of the That’s a task for the marketing department, metro concept – how close to reality is How many existing tramway and which conducts product strategy, rather than this, or is it just a loose suggestion? Q urban train elements can you the development of engineering which is my It’s some very loose ideas, the first include in Pesa’s metro offering? field of expertise! A concept of what our metro train could The method of driving, traction look like. At the moment we are focusing on A performance, quick start-up and What trends do you see emerging the technical approach. acceleration, rapid braking and energy Q in terms of metro production? recovery systems are elements that can be We see three big players in the market “Warsaw is our adpated from our tram platforms, while A and they are setting the trends, which construction and bogies are something that could be seen at the recent InnoTrans fair in capital city and also can be taken from our railway products. Berlin. We will try a little to break this trend However, it is too early to talk about specific and do it our way. As you can see in our other an important customer details; we have prepared a configuration railway vehicles, we break and cross the style and we are now at the stage of validation and lines and try to alter the image of the train. of ours so it would verification of our first calculations.

Will adapting your manufacturing be nice if vehicles How closely are you thinking Q works for metro production Q about the Warsaw Metro within require a large logistical effort? of Polish production your concept design? We are far more than a pure and simple Today we cannot answer this question, A assembly plant; we do everything, could run there.” A but of course we’d like to take part. starting from the raw metal sheets. If we Warsaw is our capital city and an important don’t decide to change completely to a The most difficult step is to enter customer of ours so it would be nice if different technology, to aluminium bodies, Q a new market; as Pesa lacks the vehicles of Polish production could run there. for example, then we are fully prepared for experience of production of metro Will Warsaw allow us to participate? What this project. We can immediately implement trains, how are you addressing this? will be the reference requirements? Those are production of vehicles with all kinds of steel. It’s true, we do not have any experience questions for those announcing the tender. A in the construction of metro trains Have you ruled out aluminium hence the decision to develop our company When you have a prototype Q construction? Often lighter car in this direction. We have a positive decision Q it will be essential to run a bodies are important for operators. and financial support from the National comprehensive programme of tests on We are considering it, but we have Centre for Research and Development a network somewhere, so are you in A not yet made a decision as to which (NCRD) which will enable us to gain any early talks with metro operators technology we will develop. experience and build a demonstration about testing the vehicle? vehicle so we won’t go into any future tender We are conducting such talks with As each metro system has its own without any experience. A two different cities, as well as with the Q individual requirements, is it Metro trains are metropolitan, urban management of a reference track which is possible to create a universal product vehicles. In this area we are strong as we able to be rented out specifically for this for use by more than one operator? have produced a fairly large fleet of trams purpose. Most probably the first tests will be Of course we can’t talk about a metro of different types. Trams and metros serve held on the test track. A train for everyone, but it can be a similar type of operation – very intensive, This is not a commercial implementation, universal enough to enable its development dynamic services with large passenger traffic but a research and development programme, and adaptation to various metro systems. numbers. Of course, the metro is a specific that is the purpose of the product we will We are aiming at several major cities and for mode of transportation – the combination manufacture with the support of NCRD.

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Political and economic changes since SYSTEMS the 1990s have Ostrava forced big changes CZECH REPUBLIC on Ostrava’s public FACTFILE transport network – Neil Pulling explores the No. Ostrava, role of the Czech Republic's third-biggest 113 Czech Republic tramway that forms its core.

Words and pictures by Neil Pulling

detailed map or satellite ABOVE: With Dolní Vítkovice in the background, Vario LF3/2 1652 heads towards the city centre on 16 June 2016. image confirms that BELOW: One of 16 Tatra part low-floor KT8D5, 1507 at Ostrava hl.n., also a multi-line terminus for DPO’s trolleybuses. Ostrava is an unusual settlement; such views also help to explain the configurationA and extensive reach of its tramway, the Czech Republic’s third largest after and Brno. Mining enormous coal deposits for around 200 years up to the 1990s drove Ostrava’s industrialisation, notably for iron and steel production. This spread particularly to the south and east, with large railway installations being added to support the works. Incorporating other communities and adding housing for the post-World War Two population influx led to Ostrava’s centre becoming far from the geographical middle of

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 103 Ostrava

Martinov Zátiší

5

Depot Poruba Vozovna

Vřesina

Poruba Koupaliště

Vřesinská 5 7 8 9 17

today’s urban area. It is set well to the TOP: Tatra K2G made use of the nearby Ostravice and Ostrava’s standing as one of Europe’s north-east, with the main railway 806 descends Lu ina, close to where these converging biggest industrial concentrations station, Ostrava hl.n, even further from the bridge tributaries joined the Odra (Oder) continued into the late 20th Century. out. With approximately 300 000 near Forum Nova river. About 10km (6.2 miles) from the The city authority is clearly aware of Karolina. residents, Ostrava is the third most border with Poland, Ostrava combines the need to fill the vacuum created populous Czech city, yet is placed CENTRE: the identities of Silesia and Moravia. by successive industrial closures, second by area, being around 20km A maintenance Local railways had begun in the deciding to build upon the industrial (12.5 miles) across the main compass worker pauses for 1890s, with the long Nádražní inheritance rather than trying to points. The city is 350km (219 miles) 1985-built T3R.P (station road) being an early hide it. Sporting and cultural events east of Prague by rail, the journey 938 and 970 at the installation; steam power on such like the Golden Spike athletics and taking three hours by Pendolino. delta junction near lines was replaced by electricity Colours of Ostrava music festival Constituted as a company in 1996, Josefa Kotase. from 1901. Being rebuilt at the city broaden the appeal. the municipally-owned Dopravní ABOVE: Karolina end during 2016, Nádražní remains The uni-directional 1435mm podnik Ostrava (DPO) runs an urban stop with the DPO amongst the tramway’s busiest tramway, with 17 lines numbered network with trams, motor buses and headquarters sections. It includes spurs for K ivá between 1 and 19, carries about half trolleybuses. City transport is included in the left of the street (Moravská Ostrava) depot, of DPO’s annual passengers. Most in the ODIS multi-operator network background. the nearest to the system’s core. of the remainder use the 50-plus covering the wider Moravian-Silesian DPO identifies extensions west and bus routes, with a 12-line trolleybus region. Although near the Western south from the centre which opened in system begun in 1952 having the Carpathian foothills, most of Ostrava 1907 as “the laying of the foundations smallest share. Most trams operate occupies a level site. for the Ostrava tram network as we in dedicated road space or with Ostrava was designated a town know it today.” Since then it has seen separate rights of way. The bundling by 1279 with a core around today’s disruption by occupation and war, of tramway with wide roads Masaryk Square. Early fortifications and also by flooding in 1997. necessitates bridge and subway

104 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

THE FLEET An expression of local identity and autonomy, the mainly blue and white livery (previously the red and 11 14 Hlučínská cream factory finish) was one the system changes after the 1989 'Velvet 4 19 Revolution'. External advertising has Hlavní Martinov a minor presence, while DPO also 1 2 Nádraží 8 18 maintains a fleet of heritage vehicles Depot which are deployed on events through the year. 9 Regularly used as single units or Plynárny paired, DPO’s 14m trams have Depot space for 103, 31 seated. A metre longer than the T3, the Vario LFR entered Depot Elektra service in 2005; capacity 93, 33 seated. Poruba The most capacious single vehicles Vozovna Náměstí Karolina Výstaviště Republiky with space for around 220 are the Mariánské 30-31m three-section LF3 and 3 6 Náměstí KT8D5.RN1. The two types of Nová Ves 10 12 three-section 20m Inekon trams Vodárna have 50% low-floor space with a Hranečník Svinov passenger capacity of around 150. Mosty H.Z. The procurement of 40 part-low-floor, 25m uni-directional trams was announced in July 2016, with completion of deliveries to DPO due by the end of 2020; they will be Ostrava’s first trams with air conditioning in passenger compartments. In November 2016 Stadler was announced as preferred Nádraží Vítkovice bidder for the order, using a three- section variant of its Metelica already being delivered to St. Petersburg.

Nová Huť Již.Brána 4 14 “Most of the system lies in the greater part of 11 Josefa Zábřeh Kotase Ostrava that is south and east of the Oder. It is here that the system is at its Výškovice Dubina 1 3 10 12 Interspar 2 6 15 17 18 19 most intricate with lines 7 15 crossing and diverging.”

access at some stops. Tramlines Illustrating DPO’s mixed criss-cross the city, threading fleet, Vřesinská is terminus through closed and active for several cross-city lines industrial sites, in places giving and the Zátiší branch. way at heavy rail crossings. Trams also reach the housing estates built during the years of Communist direction. Hosting ten lines, Karolina is probably the system’s busiest stop and is very close to DPO’s imposing headquarters and central information office. The tramway is not present in the historic centre and, with Elektra and Výstavišt, Karolina is amongst the closest stops. The nearby Forum Nova Karolina shopping centre on redeveloped land illustrates just how close heavy industry was to Ostrava’s core. A viaduct rising west of Karolina takes the road and tramway over a railway and motorway to the enclosed

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 105 Ostrava

“Tramlines criss-cross ABOVE: An the city, threading early morning repositioning of T3G through industrial 1028 at Křivá depot, Moravská Ostrava. sites, in places LEFT: Traffic giving way at heavy halted near Ředitelství Vítkovic rail crossings.” stop for the passage of a steel works train.

BELOW LEFT: At the southern edge, NETWORK FACTS Dubina terminus  Electric tramway, May 1901 Opened: was previously Lines: 15 + 2 night-only services titled after the now (lines subject to seasonal reduction) renamed Interspar Length : 66km (41 miles) hypermarket.  3 Depots/works: BELOW: Svinov Approx. weekday hours: mosty h.z. forms part 04.00-23.00 (wide variations) of a large elevated Line frequency: Ten minutes structure on the (wide variations) busy western arm. Gauge: 1435mm Power: 600V dc overhead supply Fleet: 272 (2015) City network/operator: Dopravní podnik Ostrava a.s.

INFORMATION City network: www.dpo.cz Regional network: www.kodis.cz Civic and tourist information: www.ostrava.cz

106 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Nám stí Republiky stop, the nearest for the main bus station, Ostrava ÚAN. Most of the system lies in the greater part of Ostrava that is south and east of the Oder. It is here that the system is at its most intricate, with lines crossing and diverging at many points, in part an expression of the city’s development from 1950 onwards. A notable installation is the track convergence at the spacious delta junction near Josefa Kotase stop, with the southern arm ending at the city’s southern edge. The surrounding Dubina estates built from the 1980s are home to around 6% of Ostrava’s population. There are complaints about insufficient parking in such locations, a provision probably not uppermost in the planning yet still indicative of the DPO’s task in keeping public transport competitive. To the west, the tramway takes the centre of a long crossing of the Oder flood plain and a fan of railway tracks. ABOVE: Tatra T3SUCS 990 and 986 Here Svinov mosty h.z. tramstop is on Nádražní. Reconstruction included built into the viaduct to serve the temporary closure, single-track working and temporary removal of Elektra stop surface main line station and a retail during 2016. park. The long western arm carrying many of the system’s lines is important RIGHT: Vario LF2R.S 1403, built in 2013, for residential districts also featuring heads into the countryside from Vřesinská the large Poruba depot and DPO’s with a Zátiší service. works near Martinov terminus. A rural contrast is found west of 11 April 2008; three passengers were the V esinská terminus loop, killed and around 40 injured. being mainly single-track for the The most easterly arm also has twice-hourly line 5 service to Zátiší. contrasting aspects. The track to A fatal head-on tram crash occurred Nová hu jižní brána terminus passes on this section between Poruba through land in varying stages of koupaliste and Vresina on reclamation before ending at the

DPO Škodas at Hranečník interchange: 21Tr trolleybus 3308 gives way to Astra 1209.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 107 Ostrava

“One of several CKD Tatra classes in Ostrava’s all-Czech fleet, versions of the high-floor T3 are still the largest type.” edge of an industrial complex. Trams clearly now represent a minor support for activities here, but the spacious intermediate Hrane ník stop has been developed as an outer transport interchange with parking spaces. Opened in 2015, it is a terminus for many tram and trolleybus lines and is served by ODIS network buses. One of several KD Tatra classes in Ostrava’s all-Czech fleet, versions of the single-car high-floorT3 with 115 examples (2015) are still the largest type. With an Ostrava debut in 1965, there were 218 active in 2001. There are ABOVE: Inekon 38 of the newer four-axle T6A5 and 16 01 Trio 1258 by the articulated KT8D5 in RN1 specification junction for the which represents modification between workshops where 2003 and 2008 with an added low-floor it was assembled. Dílny DP Ostrava section. The second most numerous are stop takes its name the 63 Vario LFR, a partially low-floor from the works. derivative, produced by Pragoimex. Possibly reflecting local modification FAR LEFT: and manufacturing resources, there are Tram 1401 between some Vario types represented by one, the arrival and two or three examples. departure areas In 2001 DPO was a co-founder of at Nová Huť jižní brána in the eastern the Inekon tram company, selling its industrial district. interests by 2005. The DPO workshop site now houses its own production LEFT: Inside and rebuilding subsidiary, Ekova 1401, the 2007-built Electric (founded in 2011), with prototype Vario Inekon trams continuing to be made LF2.E. here. DPO has 14 Škoda-Inekon 03T LTM 10.08 Astra introduced in 1998 (1201-1214) and nine (1251-1259) of the later derivation, the Inekon 2001 Trio being an Ostrava product.

ESSENTIAL FACTS Local travel: Tickets covering all city lines are available from machines with English instructions, as well as from DPO offices which have useful system leaflets. Note that system diagrams and line numbers/routings are not always integrated, so internet-sourced maps may help. Allowing transfers, 10/30/60-minute tickets cost CZK16/20/28 (approx. EUR0.60/0.75/1). Much simpler is the CZK80 (EUR3) 24-hour ticket, the coverage extending at weekends. All tickets must be validated at the first boarding.

What is there to see? Tourism offices are located near Elektra and Karolina stops. The Dolní Vítkovice former industrial site (www.dolnivitkovice.cz) houses many attractions and can be reached by tramlines 1, 2, 6, 10 to Vítkovice vysoké pece. Other industry-based attractions include mines and a noted local viewpoint... a mining waste slagheap. A more conventional lookout is the New City Hall’s viewing platform. Ostrava’s livelier nightlife concentrates on Stodolní street, off Nádražní near Elektra. Tours of the Ostravar brewery on Hornopolní are also available from CZK60 (EUR2.20); pre-booking is advised. Just off revenue tracks, 2001-built Škoda 03T Astra 1214 heads towards Poruba depot.

108 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Worldwide Review

AUSTRALIA to be built under a PPP contract. BROADBEACH – SOUTHPORT. The line would use former railway Patronage on the Gold Coast public alignment and be operated by transport network has grown by 20 low-floor LRVs. If construction 32% since the light rail line was starts this year, passengers could opened, and is now 21.8m/year. be carried in 2020. IRJ H. Ballement MELBOURNE. When large scale CANADA metro construction starts in St EDMONTON. A contract for rails Kilda Rd and Doamin Rd later this and pointwork for the 13.1km year, route 8 trams will no longer (8.1-mile) first phase of the Valley be able to turn right from Domain Line light rail project has been Rd into St Kilda Rd. New tracks will awarded to Ontario company be laid in Toorak Rd West to allow London Trackwork. Construction trams to reach St Kilda Rd south of of the new line, due to open in the Domain Rd construction site. late 2020, is being carried out Routes 8 and 55 will be combined under a PPP contract awarded to into a new route 58 from Toorak a consortium of Bechtel/ to West Coburg. Route 6 will be Bombardier/Transdev/Arup. RGI One of the new Bombardier LRVs for Frankfurt-am-Main has received a special extended from the University MONTRÉAL. The Québec livery to mark 50 years of twinning with Birmingham. D. Osyert over existing route 8 tracks to environmental review agency has Moreland. New track connections declined to approve the planned sharp curves on the Kennedy will also be built on Park St in South privately-financed light metro Town loop. SCMP ISKANDARIYAH (Alexandria). Melbourne and on Flinders St to project pending a fuller review NANJING. Wednesday 18 January Tram services 7, 21, 25 and 36 allow trams to turn out of Elizabeth once more information was saw the opening of the first phase no longer operate, removing St, in readiness for service revisions available. CBC of metro line 4, a 33.8km (21-mile) trams to El Wardian and the when the metro is complete. OTTAWA. The National Capital east-west line; 29 six-car trains through-operation between city The Department of Environment Commission has finally given its have been supplied by CRRC and Ramleh lines. A new Ramleh of the Victorian government has approval for the second stage of the Nanjing Puzhen with Alstom line 5 has been introduced from invited tenders for large-scale solar east-west light rail line to be built traction equipment. RGI Place Zaghloul to San Estefano power plants that could produce in a 1.2km (0.7-mile) tunnel under SHANGHAI. CRRC Nanjing on the tracks of line 2, then on enough energy to supply all the part of the Sur John A. Macdonald Puzhen has delivered the first tracks of line 1 to El Wezarah. needs of the tramway system. TA Parkway in Westboro. E. B. Havens Bombardier-type automated Six ex-København Düwag trams SURFERS PARADISE. The Gold TORONTO. The latest schedule peoplemover set for the southern have appeared on the Ramleh Coast Monorail linking the Oasis from Bombardier for the delivery section of metro line 8, due to service turning at a loop at Shopping Centre and Jupiters of Flexity low-floor trams predicts open in December. Eleven four-car Gamea’ Ibrahim. Casino was closed on 29 January that 40 will arrive in 2017. All 204 APM300 trains are being built at Trams 867/93/9 have been fitted after nearly 30 years of operation. ordered should be delivered by the Chinese factory. RGI with pantographs, refurbished myGC.com the end of 2019. D. Drum ZHENGZHOU. On 12 January and painted blue-and-white. trial operation started on three They operate as coffee cars, with AUSTRIA CHINA metro extensions, at each end of a fare five times the regular price; WIEN (Vienna). Delivery of type FUZHOU. Metro line 1 was line 1 (15.4km/9.6 miles) and the 833/54/9 also refurbished without B1 ULF trams reached 793 by the end extended by 15.1km (9.4 miles) southern end of line 2 (42km/ coffee house equipment operate at of 2016. E1 4745/56/68/72,4740, north from Sanchajie to Xiangfeng 26 miles). An initial section of normal fares in an orange and white 4803/65 and c4 1302/45/58 have on 6 January. A second east-west line 3 will open in 2018.. IRJ livery. On city lines refurbished been withdrawn. The extension line is under construction. IRJ Düwags in green and white of U-Bahn service on U1 to QINHUANGDAO. Local new CZECH REPUBLIC livery are 805/10/25/36/48/69/73. Oberlaa is set for 2 September. BS reports suggest that the company BRNO. Škoda 13T 100% low-floor Double fares are charged on the behind the radical rail-based trams 1943-9 were delivered by refurbished fleet. BELARUS ‘straddling bus’, described in the end of 2016. BS Ganz trams 1201-12/21/2/9/30 MINSK. Stadler has been selected TAUT 946, is no longer active, OSTRAVA. The contract for are also green-and-white and to provide ten metro trains for fuelling rumours that the project 30 new 24.8m two-section 100% operate the premium fare. BS line 3, due to open at the end of was an elaborate hoax. low-floor trams (with an option MASR-EL-GEDIDAH the year. Belkommunmash will fortune.com for a further ten) was signed (Heliopolis). The only remnant supply bodyshells. RGI HARBIN. The first section of with Stadler on 18 January. The first of tramway operation is between metro line 3, 5.3km (3.3 miles) will be delivered in March 2018; Almaza and Al Mahkama (line 36), BELGIUM from an interchange with line 1 rather than being built at Stadler operated by just two trams. BS ANTWERPEN. The opening to Changxianglu via West railway Minsk, they will be assembled of from Metropolis to P+R station, was opened on 26 January. at a new factory in Praha (Prague) FRANCE Luchtbal was set for 1 March. Eventually it will form part of a in order to increase Czech content. PARIS. SNCF has selected the On 1 April line 7 Klapdorp – MAS 37.6km (23.4-mile) circular line RGI Alstom-Bombardier consortium will be inaugurated. On 1 June lines for completion in 2022. For more detail on Ostrava’s to renew the fleets on RER lines 8 and 10 will start using the new urbbanrail.net tramway network, see our Systems D and E; 130 double-deck trains will subway ramp between Astrid and HONG KONG. HKT has approved Factfile on page 103. be delivered to line D and 125 to Stadspark. Line 10 will start using the equipment of ten more PRAHA (Prague). Delivery of line E by 2021-22. The contract is the new tram subway between trams with air conditioning after Škoda 15T trams reached 9396 by worth EUR3.75bn. Alstom Zegel and Hof tér Lo with a ramp to extensive trials with the prototype. the end of 2016. Tatra T3 trams Cogelsplein from 15 September. They are likely to command a sent to Ukraine are GERMANY urbanrail.net higher fare. The government has 7065/7/143/93/287 to Zaporizhzhya BERLIN. Delivery of Bombardier also agreed to make a HKD20m and 7064/175/201/46/58/70 Flexity Berlin trams reached 9057 BRAZIL (EUR2.4m) grant towards the to Dnipro. Metro station Jinonice by the end of the year. Seventy- SALVADOR. Consultation HKD40m (EUR4.8m) cost of was closed for seven months seven Gt6 trams had been rebuilt has started on proposals for an installing rubber-encapsulated from 7 January to permit with new electrical systems from 18.5km (11.5-mile) light rail line, track on 2.4km (1.5 miles) of reconstruction work. BS, DPHMP Cegelec; the latest was 1069, now

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1569. Five KT4D have been shipped by the end of 2016. Surviving meetings, which resulted in a were supported and omitting those to Iskandariyah (Alexandria) in 6000-series eight-axle cars are final decision on 15 December to that were criticised, if the Ramsey Egypt: 6098, 6141/2/3/57. Fourteen 6102/4/6/7/10/2/6-23/5-31/5-8/40- retain the tramway in a rebuilt Commissioners are in support. T6A2 +B6A2 sets are being held 9/55-6/9-64/6/7/9/70/3-5/7-81/4-9/ Bahnhofsplatz, with provision for a SNAEFELL. The full report into for the same buyer, while the 94/6-6260. Twenty-four more future link along Kopernikusstrasse the runaway of Snaefell 3 has been remaining 48 KT4D in passenger cars are to be ordered to to permit trams to reach Städtisches released and confirms that the tram service can be seen on lines M5(E), replace 6000-series trams. BS Klinikum. BS was parked on the downhill track at M17, 37/67 and 68 (the latter JENA. Driver-training T2-62 two- Snaefell in order to allow the arrival schooldays only). axle tram 145 left for an enthusiasts INDIA of the next service tram. This was Stadler IK17 U-Bahn sets group in Liberec on 1 December. GUWAHATI. The Government due to over-running platform entering service this year are 1027/ Trailers 156/87 were sold to a of Assam has approved a four-line renovation works at the terminal. 1-4–1037/1-4. private buyer on 15 December. BS metro plan for the region’s largest The tram was secured but the crew The international garden KARLSRUHE. The new timetable city. RGI left the vehicle, against the rules. exhibition (IGA) will open in from 11 December saw some There were alleged defects with Marzahn on 13 April, featuring a renumbering of tram-train services IRELAND the mechanism on the parking 1.5km (0.9-mile) Leitner cableway to the south. S4 became S7 (Tullastr DUBLIN. At 34.1 million, Luas brakes of the tram and despite it with 65 cabins. BS – Achern), S32 became S71 (Hbf – passengers were down slightly on being secured it rolled away on the BOCHUM – GELSENKIRCHEN. Achern), S41 became S8 (Tullastr 2015 in 2016, due to industrial slope, eventually de-railing close New trams 101-8 – Eutingen, and S31 became S81 action and the closure of the Red to Bungalow after travelling had been delivered by the end of (Hbf – Eutingen). Work will start line east of Jervis for six weeks in 2.8km (1.8 miles). The report December; the new cars differ from in May to build a vehicle tunnel the summer. also revealed shortcomings in the first batch by a revised livery under Kriegstrasse, which when Overall passenger numbers on the recording of inspections incorporating blue trim. complete (summer 2021) will Irish transport in 2016 increased by and maintenance of the parking Trams 410/25 have been permit a surface tramway line to 10m (4.4%), with 234m passengers brake on the trams, and failures scrapped and 432 sent to Mülheim be built. BS using services provided by Dublin in the way changes to railway as a source of spare parts. Party tram KASSEL. The first two ex- Bus, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann infrastructure were managed. 88 has returned to service after low-floor trailers to be used in and Luas. refurbishment in a new livery. BS passenger service on line 1 were Luas Cross City line and ITALY CHEMNITZ. EUR43m has been 501-2 (Ex-Rostock 857/4). 503 (762) associated street improvements will CAGLIARI. The 950mm-gauge allocated to building a Stadtbahn was to follow. BS be completed in 2017, with a view tramway is to be extended by extension from Stollberg to KÖLN (Cologne). The 11th rebuilt to commissioning public services 2.5km (1.6 miles) at its southern Oelsnitz, with work on the 3.5km Stadtbahn-B car is 2404 (ex-2104). before the year-end. However, the end through the city centre to (2.2-mile) line scheduled for 2103 (2403), 2105 (2405) and 2109 more costly Metro North project the FS station by 2020. EA 2018-19. BS (2409) will follow. BS still has no firm delivery date. CATANZARO. Work has started . Now in service . The first Solaris-built This is despite the Department on an EU-funded EUR103m is the new works car 1501, rebuilt NGT10 38m four-section 65% of Transport’s strategy statement project to build a 5km (3.1-mile) from Stadtbahn-M 8001. low-floor tram was delivered to for the next three years renewing underground metro that will BS the workshops of HeiterBlick on the commitment to deliver the link with existing suburban rail . With Volkswagen 21 December, numbered 1001. It is line from the city centre to Dublin lines presently worked by DMUs. adapting the Dresden plant for likely to appear on test in February, Airport and on to Swords, with the Work should be completed the production of the E-Golf car, but will not carry passengers until hope that it could be operational in 2019. RGI the coming Spring should see the the summer. Leoliner 1392 is being by 2027. TRIESTE. Work to repair and resumption of the freight tram rebuilt as driver-training car 5002. restore tram 404, damaged in last service. The Schwebebahn rack line BS ISLE OF MAN August’s accident, has started is out of service until Easter while . The City Tunnel DOUGLAS. A proposal to and should be completed this electrical equipment is replaced. BS at Hbf will be closed for 21 months reconstruct only the Derby spring. Tram 405 will follow. DUISBURG. DVG left the VIA from April, requiring significant Castle to Villa Marina (Broadway) The service remains suspended. consortium with Mülheim and route alterations. BS section of the horse tramway, with Ilpiccolo.gelocal.it Essen on 31 December. MÜLHEIM/Ruhr. A shortage provision for possible extension Daimex Service GmbH, the of trams occasioned by the need to the Sea Terminal, has been JAPAN company that acquired historic to return the bogies of the new amended by Tynwald (parliament). TOKYO. KinkiSharyo is delivering Haekort tram 177 and Variobahn low-floor cars to Bombardier for The amendment requires the 44 seven-car metro trains for use 2000, was declared insolvent on 1 repair led to Essen loaning three tramway to be retained in single on the Hibiya line. RGI December. The future of the trams Stadtbahn-M trams (initially line form between Villa Marina was unclear as we went to press. BS 1403/5/11) to operate on the joint and the Sea Terminal, either on ESSEN. A further 15 low-floor route 112 to Oberhausen. BS the carriageway or elsewhere. This DAUGAVPILS. Belkommunmash trams are to be ordered in 2018 for NAUMBURG. Lindner-built two- would require a further planning has been selected as preferred delivery in 2020-22; 1404/9 have axle tram 17 carried passengers in application. bidder for the delivery of eight been scrapped. The modernisation service for the first time in 38 years In view of this decision, the bogie trams worth EUR2.1m. They programme for the ex-Docklands on 24 December. BS Department of Infrastructure has will join the fleet of 2014 Ust Katav LHB cars has been completed, POTSDAM. The first KT4D set to asked for deferral of consideration cars to replace all older rolling and these are now in service as be refurbished in Praha (Prague), of its planning application stock, including the only KTM-5 5231-40. BS 148+248, returned to Potsdam on for replacement depot and trams in the EU. DS FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN. The 6 January; 159+161 were next to be stables on part of the former 200th Bombardier Stadtbahn car, sent to Hostivar workshops. BS Summerland site. MEXICO U5-25 693, received an all-over WIESBADEN. Federal and State MANX ELECTRIC. The Ramsey GUADALAJARA. The first of 18 livery marking 50 years of the funding for the planned 20km Transport Interchange scheme, Alstom Metropolis three-car metro twinning between Frankfurt and (12.4-mile) Citybahn light rail rejected by a Planning Inspector trains for line 3 was unveiled on Birmingham. It is normally used link to Mainz has been secured. A in 2012, is being resurrected. The 24 January. Built in Barcelona, the on line U5. BS second stage will link Wiesbaden Department of Infrastructure new stock will enter service by the GOTHA. The last of the ex- and Bad Schwalbach. The line is has reviewed the scheme, which end of the year. Construction of the Mannheim eight-axle trams, proposed to be metre-gauge to would amalgamate the current line is 80% complete. RGI 521, finally entered service on permit joint running in Mainz. BS bus station with the MER station MEXICO CITY. On 19 January 21 December. BS ZWICKAU. Debate about the at the Plaza. It will submit a further CAF delivered the first of 30 five-car HANNOVER. Delivery of GTZ6-H future of the tramway link to application replicating those EMUs for use on the 57.7km (35.9- Stadtbahn cars had reached 3040 Hbf saw several special Council elements of the earlier scheme that mile) Toluca suburban line. RGI

110 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org seven and 30 days unlimited travel RABAT-SALÉ. The council of remained unchanged at RUR the agglomeration has approved 210/400/800/2000 respectively. extensions to tramline T2 at both N. Semyonov ends. In Rabat a 2.4km (1.5-mile) TULA. Thirty KTM-19 acquired extension to Al Kifah Avenue in from Moskva are numbered 6, 16, Yaâcoub Al Mansour, while in Salé 31-5/7/9-46/9/50/3/4/8/60/1/3. BS a 4.6km (2.9-mile) extension will reach the new provincial hospital SLOVAKIA in Al-Hssaine. IRJ BRATISLAVA. A total of 78 withdrawn Tatra T3 trams have been NETHERLANDS sold to agents; 7759/60/5/6/93/4, AMSTERDAM. Cash payments 7815/6 have been resold to Kharkiv on buses will not be accepted from in Ukraine. BSi 26 March. The elimination of KOSICE. Tatra T3 392-7, cash on trams is scheduled for 400/1/14/5/6/8/22-4 have been sold 1 January 2018. Beveiliing Nieuws to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. BS DEN HAAG. The new timetable from 11 December saw the SOUTH KOREA introduction of a temporary tram SEOUL. The private operator of the The new design of Solaris tram delivered to the German city of Leipzig. service, 59 Centraal Station – Uijeongbu VAL automated light Stadt Leipzig Scheveningen, operated by GTL metro declared bankruptcy on 11 trams. This permitted more trials January. The 11.1km (6.9-mile) headway plus early morning/ LONDON (UNDERGROUND). with Avenio trams at the relaid elevated line was built under a PPP evening headways of ten-minutes Tunnelling to create the GBP1.2bn Scheveningen Noorderstrand concession, but passenger numbers every day, including Sundays. There (EUR1.4bn) extension of the terminus, which took place on fell far short of predictions. are now an extra two trams an hour Northern line between Kennington 2-6 January. The line will be handed over to Monday-Saturday and three trams and Battersea will begin in March, Line 59 was withdrawn when the city, which has a 45% stake in an hour on Sundays. The journey London Mayor Sadiq Khan has regular line 9 Avenio service the project. RGI time from York Place to the airport announced. The two 650-tonne started on 30 January. The first has been reduced from 40 minutes boring machines that will create test run with an Avenio tram SWITZERLAND to 36 or 37 minutes. two 3.2km (two-mile) underground on re-aligned track on line 15 was BASEL. Shipping of 28 (659-86) The tramline is still performing tunnels to extend the Charing on 28 January. OR Schindler Be4/6 trams dating ahead of expectations with 5.6m Cross branch of the Northern from 1990-91 to in Bulgaria journeys being made in 2016, a line were unveiled at Battersea in POLAND started on 17 January. BVB year-on-year growth of 10%. January. Work is expected to take BYDGOSZCZ. PESA has been NEUCHÂTEL The canton has Edinburgh City Council around six months to complete. selected to supply 15 30m and declined to provide the finance to remains committed to extending A new entrance to the three 19m Swing trams in 2017-18, enable the purchase of low-floor the route to Newhaven via Leith Underground at Victoria opened joining the 12 already in service. LRVs from the Trognerbahn in Walk, which is expected to cost to the public in January after IRJ St Gallen. BS GBP162m (EUR190m), but a final seven years of works. The entrance POZNAN. Poznan has become the ST GALLEN. The new provisional decision is not expected until after is the first part of the GBP700m first customer for the Modertrans terminus for the Apenzeller the May council elections. Lothian (EUR822m) upgrade to the station, Gamma 100% low-floor tram, Bahnen and Trognerbahn at Buses, the arms-length operating ongoing since 2009 and which is with 50 ordered from Moderus HB was brought into use from company under the Transport expected to be complete next year. for PLN397m (EUR91.8m); 20 10 December. The tracks will be for Edinburgh organisation, Victoria is the capital’s fourth will be double-ended, the rest linked from December 2018 to has agreed to transfer GBP20m busiest Tube station with more single-ended. Tram 911, the first of permit the through-service to be (EUR23m) towards the extension than 82 million journeys passing ten Moderus Beta double-ended inaugurated. EA over the next four years. This is to through each year. partly low-floor vehicles entered ZÜRICH. Sunday 21 May will see be in the form of an ‘extraordinary NOTTINGHAM. Bus services are service on line 1 on 13 January. a tram parade along Limmatquai dividend’ on top of an annual being withdrawn or amended by Prototype Solaris tram 451 has been with 19 trams dated 1882-2010. BS GBP6m (EUR7m) payment to the both Nottingham City Transport renumbered 560 to facilitate the council from company profits. and YourBus in the Beeston and delivery of Moderus Beta 441-60. BS THAILAND The Unite union is opposed to Clifton Estate areas now served PHUKET. The provincial governor this payment as it expects cuts by the tramway. Clifton area has pledged that a 60km (37.3- to services and fares increases. service amendments were to be BRAILA. Ex-Graz six-axle tram mile) tramway will be operational It suggests the council should made at the end of January in the 278 has entered service as 715. by 2021. An airport link line will follow the lead of Aberdeen Council light of a 30% reduction in the Only tramlines 21 and 24 are be included. Bangkok Post and raise the funds through a bond. number of bus passengers where operating. BS LONDON (DOCKLANDS). Work services overlapped. A revised BUCURESTI. The city council has UKRAINE to redevelop Custom House DLR network has been introduced voted to buy 100 new trams and MARIUPOL. DPHM Praha has station was to start on 3 February, which cuts services to the Estate 100 new trolleybuses by 2021. BS donated two Tatra T3 trams and include removal of the and concentrates on improving (7115/34) to help the civil war- station canopies and installation services away from the tram route, RUSSIA affected tramway to maintain of a new mezzanine deck above including the main road between MOSKVA. The Christmas and operations. They will receive the DLR platforms as well as two Nottingham and Loughborough. New Year period was marked 1520mm-gauge bogies in the additional staircases. Work is due TYNE & WEAR. Additional Metro for the first time by running an Czech capital. TR to be completed by late December. services were to be introduced from illuminated metro train of type VINNITSA. Rebodied Tatra T4 The work is designed to increase 5 February in the early morning Ezh on the circular line from 28 bogie tram 109 entered passenger capacity at the station by 50% period from Sunderland, South December to 15 January. The service on line 2 on 12 January, and and allow easy interchange with Shields and North Tyneside motorman was dressed as Father is now classed T4UA. transphoto.ru Elizabeth line (Crossrail) services, stations, with a better evening Frost. Three decorated tram sets due to start in December 2018. peak service between Pelaw and also ran from Apakov, Bauman and UNITED KINGDOM Trains will run non-stop through Monkseaton. There were some Krasnopresnenskoe depots. EDINBURGH. Service frequencies the station; passengers have been reductions in service at the end of Fares were increased from improved from 4 January to provide advised to use Royal Victoria or the peaks with daytime schedules 1 January, but prices for one, three, a basic daytime seven-minute Prince Regent as alternatives. starting at 09.00 instead of 09.30

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to start construction in 2018 and This will form part of an estimated open in 2021. E. B. Havens GBP400 000 (EUR470 000) needed OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. The to improve depot structures and ground-breaking ceremony for protect the vehicle collection. the new tramline was held on The winter closure period is 7 February, with construction being used to upgrade facilities, starting along E. Sheridan Ave. including creation of a storage E. B. Havens area for new track and other PHOENIX, AZ. Environmental metal fittings. Additionally, the approval has been received for the area adjoining the running track 8km (five-mile) South Phoenix has been cleared for eventual light rail extension, which should doubling between Victoria Park open in 2023. The new terminus and Wakebridge. will be at Baseline Road. E. B. Havens Access tram Berlin 3006 was SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Muni). sent to ’s The first of 215 Siemens LRVs was Queens Road depot in November unveiled to the media at Muni for re-profiling of its wheels on the Metro East depot on 13 January. underfloor wheel lathe there. The Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa has self-built this new design of bogie tram based The Sacramento-built car, which LOFTUS (AU). Arrangements have on a Tatra T4 frame and bogies; the T4UA entered service on 12 January, vn.ua should enter service in the summer, been made with Transport NSW carries fleet number 2001. for the preservation of ADtranz and evening services at 18.00 WEST YORKSHIRE. An inquiry Railway Age Variotram 2107 at the museum. instead of 18.30. The revisions by Leeds City Council into SAN JOSE, CA. The VTA light Initially the modern tram would also included new early Saturday the abandoned trolleybus and rail station at Milpitas was closed be put on display rather than morning services from South Supertram mass transport schemes for three months from 30 January operated. SPER Shields, plus a new Sunday began in January. It was to examine to permit work on a new elevated OOSTENDE (BE). Last month’s morning train through Wallsend. the key ‘lessons learned’ to help pedestrian crossing. E. B. Havens news was printed in incomplete The changes were to be minimise the risk of a future project SEATTLE, WA. A ground- form. TTO-Nordzee will be implemented by DB Regio, but will falling at the final hurdle. breaking ceremony for Northgate operating restored SNCV and Gent be continued by Nexus from March Leeds City Council is working light rail station was held on trams along the coastal tramway when the contract with DB Regio towards developing a new mass 13 January. The USD174m project during 2017: 26 March,10.30 is terminated. Nexus will manage transport scheme, part paid for will be served by a 4.3km (2.7-mile) Knokke – De Panne and return train operations and stations by the GBP173m (EUR203m) of extension north from University (SNCV SO+trailer); 7 May, 10.30 directly until 2019. Government funding previously of Washington. De Panne – Blankenberge WEST MIDLANDS. Tram 18 earmarked for the trolleybus. Sound Transit has selected a and return; (SNCV Standard); returned in January to CAF’s However, this is likely to be bus- route for the south light rail 1 October, 10.30 Knokke – Westende manufacturing facility in Zaragoza, based rather than in the form of extension to Kent and Federal and return (Gent motor+trailer). Spain, for fitting of lithium-ion a tramway or rail-based solution. Way. E. B. Havens WEHMINGEN (DE). The cell batteries to power it on future TAMPA, FL. A USD1.6m study tramway museum has acquired a catenary-free sections of new USA has started to determine if the second Berlin Tatra KT4D (6005) line between Grand Central and CHARLOTTE, NC. The ground- loss-making Ybor City tramline as a source of spare parts for its Centenary Square/Five Ways. breaking ceremony for extensions should be extended to improve the 6016. However in December the The vehicle will remain in Spain to the tramway were farebox ratio. E. B. Havens opportunity was taken to run the for testing until the autumn when delayed by bad weather to two trams in multiple for the only it will return to Wednesbury to be 14 January, and thus became the UZBEKISTAN time. BS used as a model for modification last such ceremony attended by TOSHKENT. After the mayor of the remaining fleet. outgoing Transportation Secretary closed the tramway system CONTRIBUTORS Midland Metro will be the first Anthony Foxx. E. B. Havens suddenly in May 2016, the Worldwide items for inclusion of the UK’s second-generation GALVESTON, TX. GOMACO government has announced should be sent to Michael Taplin tram systems to have catenary- has been awarded a USD3.8m that it will contribute USD170m at Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, free running; it was a pre-requisite contract to repair and restore three towards the cost of an 8km Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. of planning permission for the diesel-powered trams that were (five-mile) elevated metro for Fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or extension to Centenary Square. damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008. completion in 2020. RGI e-mail: [email protected] The cost of fitting out the fleet will Operation of the tramline should UK and Ireland items are be GBP15.5m (EUR18.2m), but resume in late 2017 or early 2018. welcomed by Home Editor, John this is expected to save GBP9.24m Around USD1.6m of the cost will HANOI. An Alstom-led consortium Symons, 17 Whitmore Avenue, (EUR10.1m) on infrastructure be met by the Federal Emergency has been awarded a EUR265m Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 costs. Further catenary-free Management Agency. There is an contract to equip metro line 3. 0LW, UK. E-mail [email protected] sections have been identified in option to deal with the fourth car Alstom will supply ten four-car Acknowledgements are due future extensions. for USD1.26m. E. B. Havens trains and CBTC signalling, power to Bangkok Post, Blickpunkt Vegetation clearance on areas HOUSTON, TX. The Green supply and depot equipment. Strassenbahn (BS), Canadian of the former South Staffordshire line extension to Magnolia Park Thales will supply the control Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Railway was undertaken by the started carrying passengers from centre and telecommunications. Edinburgh Evening News, Eisenbahn Midland Metro Alliance in January; 11 January. Free rides were offered The 12.5km (7.8-mile) line is due Amateur (EA), Fortune.com, this will allow a structural and until 22 January. E. B. Havens to open in 2021. Alstom Mike Haddon, Ilpiccolo.gelocal.it, environmental survey of the KANSAS CITY, MO. A citizens International Railway Journal (IRJ), planned Brierley Hill expansion. group has gathered enough MUSEUM NEWS Irish Independent, Manchester Work is expected to start in 2019 signatures on a petition to force CRICH (UK). The National Evening News, MyGC.com, with the 11km (seven-mile) a city-wide referendum before Tramway Museum has been offered Railway Age (RA), Railway Gazette route opening in 2023. The line any urban rail expansion can GBP100 000 (EUR117 000) from International (RGI), South China will branch from the existing take place. the DCMS/Wolfson Museums Morning Post (SCMP), Op De Rails line east of the depot at MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL (MN). & Galleries Improvement Fund (OR), Planning, Eric Pounder, Transit Wednesbury and will serve Dudley The FTA has approved engineering 2016-18 towards renovation and Australia (TA), Today’s Railways town centre, Merry Hill and the planning for the USD1.54bn improvement of the display of (TR), Transphoto.ru, Urbanrail.net, terminus at the Waterfront in 20.8km (12.9-mile) Bottinaeu tramcar exhibits in permanent John S. Wilson and Wolverhampton Brierley Hill. light rail line, which is scheduled galleries and exhibition spaces. Express & Star.

112 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org There is still no sign of the new Sheffield tram-train units entering service on the existing system (UK) and they remain mostly confined to Nunnery Depot, where 399 204 with 399 202 behind are seen on 13 January 2017. Mike Haddon PMP Transport Films Check out our website for recent releases and new locations. Still serving electric traction enthusiasts worldwide – and yes we are happy to supply those with no internet access. 1310. Another look at Czech Rep. Aug 2005. Trams & 1337. Blackpool. UK. Trams. The Tram Collection CMondition onitoring Trolleybuses. Picturesque Olomouc trams, Ostrava 1997-1998. All your favourite scenes transferred via interesting trams and trolleys plus Plzen ditto. digital lm to enjoy with all the quality of the original.

1314. , Vaslui. Trams, Trolleybuses. Romania 1338. Blackpool. UK. Trams. The Tram Collection September 2005. Capital Bucharest with modernised 1998-2002. All your favourite scenes right up until we local trams, plus tiny Vaslui trolley route. started producing them from new in DVD format.

1319. Arad, Timisoara. Trams. Trolleybuses. Romania. 1340. Crich. . . UK. September 2005. The sun still shines, Arad what a delight A retro compendium with three visits to the Tramathon and Timisoara tramway investment, great mix. days in 1991, 1992 and 2002 now on DVD.

1320. Resita, Craiova, Ploesti, Targoviste. Trams. 1342. Vienna. Austria. Trams. 1998. A Retro Compendium Trolleybuses. Romania. September 2005. What a great album with the visit condensed down to one volume selection to nish our 2005 tour with, and still sunny. containing nothing but tramway action.

1335. Blackpool. UK. Trams. The Tram Collection 1343. Melbourne. Australia. Trams. December 1993. 1989-1992. All your favourite scenes transferred via A Retro Compendium Album with all the best tram action digital lm to enjoy with all the quality of the original. condensed down to this single volume.

1336. Blackpool. UK. Trams. The Tram Collection 1344. Melbourne. Australia. Trams. December 1995. 1993-1996. All your favourite scenes transferred via A Retro Compendium Album with all the best tram digital lm to enjoy with all the quality of the original. action condensed down to this single volume.

Travel the world of trams, you can even travel back in time with the PMP archive.

Hundreds of tram and trolley titles always available. Numerous overseas and UK Signalling systems being covered in 2017, see them rst on our website and follow our blog. A SELECTION OF FILMS FROM OUR EXTENSIVE RANGE, SENT POST FREE WORLDWIDE. Track DVDs £15 EACH, TWO OR MORE £12 EACH. CREDIT CARDS WELCOME. PMP, 17 BIRCHWOOD DRIVE, LOWER PEOVER, Civils CHESHIRE, WA16 9QJ Tel: 01565 722045 Fax: 01565 722038 E-mail: [email protected] www.pmpfi lms.com

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 113

PMP 1702.indd 1 31/01/2017 15:32 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.

Celebrating the return of street-running trams to Britain When Sheffield’s last tram disappeared inside Tinsley depot in October 1960, the last city tram in England, nobody thought trams would ever be seen on the country’s streets again. Two years later in September 1962 Britain’s last city trams ran in Glasgow, leaving only Blackpool to retain street-running trams. Even the most ardent enthusiasts were convinced that was the end. Blackpool was regarded as merely an anachronistic relic. By the end of the 1960s it was beginning to dawn on some transport professionals – and a few politicians – that getting rid of trams from our cities was a big mistake. Anybody who had ventured across the Channel to see how tramways were being developed in European cities, with segregated tracks and long articulated trams, realised Britain was losing out. By the Seventies ‘light rail’ were not quite the same dirty words that ‘tram’ had become, and a possible network for Greater Manchester was included in the SELNEC (South East Lancashire North East Cheshire) PTE’s statutory long-term plan in 1972. Light rail technology had been accepted for the new Tyneside Metrolink LRV 1007 at Manchester’s Victoria Station on 27 April 1992. T. Young Metro, although any thought of street-running was still taboo. Another decade gone and light rail appeared a genuine option street-running trams in Britain. It ran through the city centre in various transport studies for major conurbations. The first to before the rush hour traffic to terminate at G-Mex, the temporary be approved was for Manchester with the first Parliamentary Bill terminus until the service could be extended to Altrincham on for a new street-running tramway for nearly 40 years deposited in 15 June. The final street-running section opened from Piccadilly 1984. A series of consultation exercises had shown that light rail Gardens to Piccadilly Station on Monday 20 July, three days after (the word ‘tram’ was still forbidden in case anybody should get Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had officially opened the system. the wrong idea) would be very popular with the travelling public. Amazingly, it is now 25 years since these historic events and Far from trams being regarded as old-fashioned, they were 27 April 2017 represents the silver jubilee of a new generation held in high regard by many and the idea of bringing them back of street tramways in Britain. This quarter-century has seen the proved extremely popular. Study tours to European cities for Metrolink network expand from the initial 31km (19 miles) to senior politicians and chief officers convinced the doubters that nearly 100km (62 miles). Further street-running sections have this was just what Manchester needed. Progress was rapid in been included on the Salford Quays/Eccles, Ashton, Airport and developing plans, obtaining parliamentary powers and eventually /Rochdale lines. The latest section to open is the Second Government financial approval. Several hurdles were thrust in City Crossing (2CC) and a further 5km (three-mile) extension is the way, including abolition of Greater Manchester Council (the under construction to the Trafford Centre. key promoting authority), deregulation of bus services (making While Manchester has been expanding, new street-running integration virtually impossible) and the inevitable cuts to satisfy systems have opened in Sheffield, the West Midlands, Croydon, scrimping ministers (e.g. 26 trams instead of the planned 47). Nottingham and Edinburgh. The has been To cut a rather long story short, the system was built inside of upgraded to light rail standards with new articulated rolling ten years, faster than most major UK urban projects, although stock. All this would have been unimaginable in the 1960s. only the last three years were actually spent in construction, the Sadly, progress has not been as rapid as in some countries, previous seven in shunting paper. Metrolink began operation notably France, Spain and the USA. Much-needed tramways in from to Victoria Station in Manchester city Liverpool, Leeds and London have been cancelled by governments centre on 6 April 1992 over the former electrified railway. unable to comprehend the benefits that city trams can bring to the On Monday 27 April 1992, tram 1007 burst through the wall at local economy or the environmental imperatives that we now face. Victoria Station to become the first of a new generation of Tony Young, by email

The real problem with automation Collision avoidance, emergency braking controlled vehicles on our streets. A key A fascinating round-up of innovations and and even fatigue monitoring systems are comment made in Mr Johnston’s editorial arguments for automated tram driving in the now not uncommon on many autos, but I concerns cyber security, however, and this last issue (950), but what about the other side believe we are a long way away from having applies to all computer-controlled vehicles. of the debate? Although many manufacturing the trust and reliability of machines to cover As cyber crime figures are now starting to and data processing jobs are being replaced full automation of services on street-running surpass those of physical crime – and even by robots that act as programmed and don’t mass transit vehicles. Even then, having a then it is disputed how many instances of suffer fatigue, aren’t affected by illness or human onboard for emergencies or customer cyber crime are accurately reported – it is susceptible to distraction, the nuances of support will always be valuable, such as the frankly terrifying to think of the ramifications driving a rail vehicle on busy streets often very helpful ‘Passenger Service Agents’ on of a criminal or terrorist being able to require the quick-thinking of an experienced London’s Docklands Light Railway. remotely control vehicles from thousands of driver who can think outside the box. With the development of artificial miles away. This should be the biggest concern The driver assistance systems highlighted intelligence and machine learning, especially for early adopters – not the technology itself, could be very valuable, as long as they don’t as applied to the next-generation of driverless but the less tangible, cloud-based nature of all add onerous additional cost and complexity autos, we will start to see a maturity that the interconnections that surround it. for operators – the key word there is assistance. will build public confidence in computer- A. Tenham, by e-mail

114 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Trams for pollution resolution Railway, and the Deepdale terminus reverted routes 9-10-16 to Zlicín. Elsewhere in Prague, Simon Brown (TAUT 949) is not the first person to that of a goods and coal yard until final the open track on the new extension of routes to suggest a monorail in central London. cessation of local coal services in 1994, with 4-5-12 to Sídište Barrandov is laid entirely Before the days of providing disabled access, the land transferred to the Borough Council. in grooved rail. The second (2), taken at the such systems might have been practical. Now Graham Whiteley, Torthorwald (UK) heavily-used Zborovská three-quarter grand the footprint of a monorail station is large, and union junction, shows clearly how grooved expensive. So the idea of replacing bus services Keep it simple: The sound of shame rail helps with the management of wear on by a monorail would be costly and take time Huge effort has gone into automated driving small-radius curves. Wear on the check is to implement, ignoring the need to provide a of free-running road vehicles, and it is easy sustainably reclaimed by metal-deposition. depot for stabling and repairing trains. Plus, to see why as there is such a huge market. But Prague’s tramwaymen are clearly masters Crossrail is due to open between Tottenham automated driving of trams is a much simpler of their art. We need to follow them, instead Court Road and Bond Street in 2018. task if it is made law that a tram has right of of ‘re-inventing the wheel’ – or the rail! The pollution problems in Oxford Street way over all other road users. Then either that David Holt, Manchester (UK) and other busy streets in most UK cities need other road user is not trespassing onto the tackling – toxic traffic pollution kills 60 000 track, in which case no action need be taken, people a year, in London 9000 a year. Buses, or that other road user is trespassing onto the even with zero emitting engines, still exceed track, in which case action needs to be taken. safe health limits from PM10 carcinogenic What action? It is important to get away from particles arising from tyre and asphalt debris. the all-or-nothing railway thinking. George Street in Croydon and Market In the picture (page 88, TAUT 950) where it Street Manchester provide two UK examples might seem that the young woman is merely of trams in pedestrian areas. Proposals for holding back the tram’s acceleration, a single a network of tramways in central and inner clang of the bell might be enough. There London are set out on www.london-trams.com, should be a scale of warnings and braking 1 which includes a line along Oxford Street, rates, according to how near the miss might between Limehouse and Shepherds Bush. be and how heavy the braking needs to be. A pilot line, the Southwark Supertram, At the worst end the sound should clearly is being prepared to apply for planning shame the trespasser. It is important to not go permission with Southwark Borough too far; few platforms are guarded. Council. Discussions with stakeholders Michael Bell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK) are progressing. It has considerable local support as bus services are overcrowded and We should groove as they do in Prague unreliable. The Supertram will attract about I was disappointed to see the lack of any a third of its patronage from car drivers, that cross-referencing in the January issue (949) currently account for 50% more trips than between the item on page six “Praha network 2 public transport in Southwark. digitised for speed control” and the related item Holt David Both: Prof. L J S Lesley, Liverpool (UK) on page four covering the investigations Washington streetcar correction into the fatal London Tramlink derailment, Please permit me to point out two errors in More on Preston’s original tramway plus the lead letter on page 34 and the LRTA the recent DC streetcar article. Others may have pointed out that Preston’s Chairman’s response to that letter. The first concerns the disposition of first-generation tramways closed in 1935 I question the Chairman’s statement Washington DC PCC cars. By the time these (actually 15 December). Interestingly, the that “Indeed, there is a tendency to use cars became surplus there was not much Preston Trampower’s proposed depot at conventional Vignoles rail on many off-street of a market for PCC cars in North America, Deepdale Street is only a short distance sections of tramways to help reduce wheel- however 15 were sold to the Tandy Corporation along Deepdale Road from the Corporation’s flange wear”. How the absence of the grooved for a short private transit line connecting electric car shed and power station. rail’s continuous check can reduce wear a parking lot to Tandy’s Department Store The old yard at Deepdale was the original is quite beyond me, and to me reflects the in Fort Worth, Texas. No cars were sent to terminus of the horse-drawn Preston & school of thought which led to Manchester Toronto or elsewhere in North America. Longridge Railway (1840), chronologically Metrolink’s 2008 St Peter’s Square derailment. The second error is the site of the 2009 only the second railway in the Preston area. I provide two relevant photographs taken Metrorail crash. This should be Fort Totten as By 1850 the railway had been absorbed into recently in Prague. The first (1) shows there is no Fort Grove station on the network. the Fleetwood, Preston & West Riding Junction grooved rail on open track at Kavalirka on Ken Joseph, Pittsburgh (USA)

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

FEBRUARY 2017 Friday 24. Leicester 20.00. David Tuesday 7. Southampton 19.30. John Saturday 18. Taunton 14.00. Witt and John Lessells: Budapest and Laker: Tramway cine film. (LRTA/SEG) David Edwards – , Nice and Saturday 18. Taunton 14.00. Andrew Hungary – then and now (TLRS) Wednesday 8. Brighton 19.40. Keith Marseilles (TLRS) Hunt – /2016 German Saturday 25. Beeston 14.00. Modelling: Carter: A Manx potpourri. (TLRS) Monday 20. Liverpool 19.30. Roger model tram exhibition. (TLRS) What’s on your workbench? (TLRS) Friday 10. Glasgow 19.30. Mike Russell: Davies: Ribble on Merseyside (TLRS) Monday 20. Liverpool 19.30. Sharon Saturday 25. Garstang 14.00. Tram & trolleybus travels in 2016 – Monday 20. Sheffield 19.30. Ian Brown, Curator of Land Transport and Tony Young: Bury Corporation From a frozen Siberia to the heat of Dougill: A tour of the Ukraine. Industry, Liverpool Museum. (TLRS) Tramways and Ramsbottom UDC Texas and more inbetween. (STTS) Monday 20. Wickham 19.30. AGM: Monday 20. Sheffield 19.30. trolleybuses. (TLRS) Saturday 11. Birmingham 14.00. Meeting, models, photos/DVDs. (TLRS) Mel Reuben: Iberian tramways. General modelling meeting. (TLRS) Tuesday 21. London 19.00. Eddie Monday 20. Wickham 19.30. MARCH 2017 Saturday 11. Norfolk (Holt) 14.00. Dawes: London during the Great War. David Lusby: Ffestiniog and other Cedric Greenwood: Trams on Friday 24. Edinburgh 19.30. narrow-gauge railways. (TLRS) Friday 3. Edinburgh 19.30. Brian professional film, 1898-1952 (pt 4) Neil MacKenzie: A personal look at Tuesday 21. London 19.00. Mike Patton: Rails above, in and under Paris. (TLRS Norfolk) trams old and new Russell: Tramways of North Africa. Saturday 4. Birmingham 14.00. Monday 13. Thames Valley 19.30. Friday 24. Leicester 20.00. Brian Thursday 23. Manchester 19.00. Roger Monk: Tram memories: Eddie Dawes: Members’ London Edwards: Panama. (TLRS) TramPower: Preston Guild line, the first Walthamstow and wherever. requests from the TLRS archive, Saturday 25. Garstang 14.00. Ron new tramway in England for ten years . (LRTA/TLRS/ERS) Pt 2 (TLRS) Philips: Southport Tramways. (TLRS)

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2017 / 115 Classic Trams JUST VISITING: TRAMS ON TOUR An aspect of the British heritage tramway scene in recent years has been tramcar loans between various organisations. Mike Russell reviews some recent activities. 1

t is now almost 60 years since the One arrangement that did not go entirely to season and being used frequently as part of genesis of Britain’s first full-size plan was that to assist Blackpool in marking its the Promenade heritage service. Car 31 had heritage tramway, when investigations 125th anniversary in 2010. Crich had agreed to previously returned to Blackpool in 1997-99 of the disused mineral railway site supply several cars but the first – Johannesburg and Autumn 2010. In exchange, Beamish at Crich, Derbyshire, resulted in a 60, a particularly tall car – sustained bodywork received fully-enclosed Blackpool Standard Inational tramway museum now recognised damage from overhanging trees during the 147, repatriated from the United States. worldwide as a centre of excellence. Other transfer and the remainder of the double-deck Enclosed bogie cars are prized at Beamish smaller operations have since been created in car movements were aborted. for shifting the museum’s crowds in all the UK and tramcar restoration has resulted One car from Crich that did go, Porto Brill conditions, and thus being more suitable to in many beautiful working exhibits, some bogie car 273, suffered a derailment during the vagaries of north-east weather than the of which have been placed on loan at other driver training at Blackpool and was denied open-top cars. The fact that this exchange heritage sites. the opportunity of further participation. On coincided with the long-awaited return Rolling stock loans, not just between that occasion, the only visiting cars operated to service of Sheffield open-balcony car heritage or museum lines but also established were Blackpool & Fleetwood Rack 2 and 264 following its complete overhaul in the transport operators, started in the tramcar Pantograph 167 from Crich; and the Wirral museum’s workshops was an added bonus. preservation movement’s infancy. Such was line’s Liverpool Priestly bogie car 762, one July 2016 brought a ‘first’, when Crich the return of Sheffield horse car 15 from Crich of five surviving English Electric cars that loaned London County Council 106 to to its home city during Christmas 1961, when lasted in Liverpool service until March 1955. Carlton Colville in connection with its it operated on a short stretch of surviving The latter was withdrawn upon the closure London weekend, at which examples of track on The Moor on 3 December – a of routes 10B and 41. It was the first time that old motor buses from the capital were reminder of the system lost in October 1960. one of the Wirral fleet had operated elsewhere exhibited and could be seen alongside One of the most extreme examples is and the first occasion for over 50 years that a long-term London residents HR/2 bogie car that of Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40, from Liverpool tramcar had operated on a full- 1858 and four trolleybuses. This was the Crich, but which has spent most of its life service tramway since withdrawal of the last first time visitors had the opportunity to at Manchester’s (where it was Liner, Glasgow 1036, in summer 1960. ride on an open-top double-deck tramcar restored) and Blackpool. It briefly revisited Lisboa (Lisbon) four-wheel car 730, one at the museum, and was a portent for the Crich in 2014. of only two Lisboa cars in the world on hopeful return to service of Lowestoft Early examples date from 1984-85, when standard-gauge tracks and part of the resident open-top four-wheeler 14. This has been the Crich and the (operated fleet at Birkenhead, went to Beamish for the subject of extensive rebuilding by museum by the Manchester Transport Museum Society) latter’s April 2013 event marking 40 years volunteers. Its eventual return to traffic will loaned several of their fleets for operation of electric operation. The occasion also not be entirely authentic, however, because at Blackpool for its centenary celebrations, marked the first loan of a restored car from Lowestoft tramways were laid to the narrow respectively receiving in exchange a double- Crich to another heritage tramway. This 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge whereas track at deck Balloon (710) and an open Boat single- involved Glasgow 1068, which had operated Carlton Colville is standard gauge (1435mm). decker (600, originally 225). In 1988, Crich at Crich in its original form as Paisley District Operation of 106 at Carlton Colville was not loaned five cars for operation at the Glasgow Tramways 68 and in 2012 had been repainted the first case of a tramcar loan to that museum. Garden Festival and a similar exercise, to Glasgow condition to mark 50 years of that As part of an excellent relationship with involving just three cars at any one time, took system’s closure. Reciprocating, in September Beamish, Sheffield Roberts car 513 went to East place for the 1990 Gateshead festival. 2014 Beamish’s open-top uncanopied Anglia in 2011 for an extended period. The car Newcastle car (114) went briefly to Crich to had caused problems at Beamish because its New trend mark half a century of electric operation. long-wheelbase truck failed to negotiate the A different trend latterly developed, also Several Blackpool cars have visited Beamish track, and although it has not seen a great deal involving the Wirral heritage tramway, in recent years. First was Coronation 304, which of use in Suffolk it has benefited from covered the North of England Open Air Museum stayed for a few weeks in autumn 2012. In 2013 storage until its future is reviewed. In return, at Beamish and the East Anglia Transport came open Boat 233 – always very popular in Carlton Colville loaned Blackpool VAMBAC Museum at Carlton Colville. fine weather. Two further cars paid visits in 11 to Beamish for its ‘Power from the Past’ Beamish was in the vanguard. The first loan April 2014: from Crich came 1927 Pantograph weekend in September 2011. involved cars from the Heaton Park collection. car 167 – one of the cars that in 1990 operated The increasing number of these Hull 96, repainted in the grey livery carried the service on the Gateshead Garden Festival inter-museum loan arrangements has created after its transfer to Leeds as permanent way line. Railcoach 680, repainted in all-over cream much interest and encouraged repeat visitors car 6, was the first to arrive, in April 2010; its and reverting to its original fleet number 280, to attractions that would otherwise operate stay was longer than envisaged and it did not also operated here during the 2014 season; an unchanging fleet. More importantly, it return to Manchester until 2013. Manchester it has since been placed on two-year loan to is surely a sign of the increasing maturity of California 1914-built single-deck car 765, Blackpool by its owners, MTMS. the transport heritage movement in Britain, constructed for operation on the semi-circular whereby museums and heritage lines feel belt-line 53, followed in April 2011 for the Great An interesting year confident enough of the standards developed North Steam Fair. Subsequently, Birkenhead Last year was especially interesting. An by their counterparts to entrust them with 20, the open-top, unvestibuled double-deck car exchange of Blackpool cars in the Spring treasured exhibits. normally operated on its hometown heritage found open-top bogie car 31 of 1901, Long may the process continue. tramway, paid a visit. Car 20’s stay at Beamish normally resident at Beamish and rebuilt was one of the shorter-term loans and it from its previous incarnation as engineering Note: This essay does not purport to be an returned to the Wirral at the end of April 2012. car 754, returning to its old haunts for the exhaustive survey of tramcar loans.

116 / MARCH 2017 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org 1. A short-term visitor to Beamish in 2012 was Blackpool Coronation car 304, risen to fame through its restoration as part of the Salvage Squad programme on Channel 4.

2. The first occasion that a Liverpool tramcar had operated on foreign metals outside a museum since 1960 was when Priestly bogie car 762 appeared at Blackpool’s 125th celebrations. It is seen on 26 September 2010 at the Foxhall.

3. During the London Weekend at the East Anglia Transport Museum on 10 July 2016, London County Council B-class open-top four-wheeler 106, on loan from Crich, passes two London General motor buses from the London Transport Museum collection, double- deck K424 and Scooter LT1076.

4. The first loan of a tramcar from the Beamish tramway to Crich took place in September 2014 to mark the National Tramway Museum’s 50th 2 anniversary of electric operation. On 14 September Newcastle-upon-Tyne car 114 is shown passing the adjacent quarry infrastructure bound for Town End.

5. Most loans involving Manchester’s Heaton Park tramway are to other lines, but an exception was a winter Blackpool-themed event in November 2010 when, inter alia, Princess Alice, open-top Balloon car 706, made a guest appearance. Also visible is 3 4 Marton bogie car 31, one of the historic Blackpool fleet.

6. One of the distinctive features of transport-themed special events held at Beamish is the opportunity for tramcars to be seen alongside a variety of other vehicles. On 11 April 2014 Blackpool Pantograph car 167 of 1927 is seen alongside a Fowler traction engine.

7. No fewer than 111 years separate these two tramcars. Flexity 2 008 of the current Blackpool fleet is seen at North 5 6 Pier on 15 May 2016, while Marton bogie car 31 of 1901 stands on the recently-laid siding awaiting its next heritage service trip to Pleasure Beach.

8. Sheffield Roberts car 513 arrived at the East Anglia Transport Museum in 2011 for an extended stay and remains there today. By contrast, the EATM’s Blackpool VAMBAC car 11, seen here at Chapel Road terminus alongside 513 on 12 June 2011, made a brief visit to Beamish that summer. 7 8 All photography by Mike Russell.

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Strassenbahn Jahrbuch 2017

This popular annual reviews the past year’s events on tramway systems in Germany and the rest of Europe, listing service changes, route extensions and fleet developments. Details include vehicle manufacturers’ progress and historic operations. An indispensible companion for readers’ travels. German text.

> A4 softback; 100 pages, 250 mainly colour pictures.

£18.00 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Mit der Straßenbahn durch das Berlin der 60er Jahre Band 6: Die Linien 44, 47 und 49

The sixth part of this series covers three more lines in the divided city of the 1960s with atmospheric full-page pictures and extended captions. German text. > 215 x 240mm hardback, landscape format; 96 pages, 100 mainly black & white pictures, three maps.

£20.00 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Please visit our website for previous volumes still available in this series.

MULTI-BUY Bargain offer DVDs DISCOUNTS

Limited quantities available – first come, first served. Available for online orders only from Monday 6 March. £5 per DVD, two for £9, three for £12, four for £15, five for £18, six or more for £3.60 each. No multiple orders for the same title. Postage & packing charged per item at £1.50 (UK); £3.00 (outside UK); £4.50 (Airmail beyond Europe). Berliner Doppeldeckerbusse Blackpool’s Western Train Restored Dublin’s New Tramways - LUAS French Tramway Revolution Volume 1 French Tramway Revolution Volume 2 in the 1980s Isle of Man vintage transport extravaganza Lisbon’s Trams – past and present Mediterranean Trilogy San Francisco’s ‘F’ Market Line Pt. 1 San Francisco’s ‘F’ Market Line Pt. 2 Straßenbahnen in der DDR Streetcars of New Orleans Trambahnen in der Schweiz damals Tramwaje v České a Slovenské republice: 1 - Typy Vozidel Tramwaje v České a Slovenské republice: 2 - Dopravni Podnik Whispering Death (Brisbane trolleybuses)

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PHOENIX SPREADS ROLLING STOCK SYSTEMS FACTFILE: ITS WINGS ORDERS NANTES With two extensions in the last 18 The past 12 months have been kind to The recently-announced creation of a months, and another on the way, the manufacturers once again, with orders for fourth tramline and plans for a major Arizonan State Capital has big ambitions. new systems and fleet replacements still tram order are the latest enhancements Vic Simons revisits Phoenix to look buoyant despite mergers and acquisitions of a service that launched the French at both expansion of the existing LRT and new players entering the market. light rail revival in 1985. Neil Pulling system and and new streetcar plans. Mike Taplin examines the order books. explores the Nantes TAN network. PLUS... APRIL + Mike Russell explores the heritage lines in Washington State ISSUE + The latest news, rolling stock orders and movements, system developments and transport policy and leading industry comment on sale from around the world. 17 March

Ostrava THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE Political and economic systems changes since the 1990s have

forced big changes Ostrava factfile on Ostrava’s public czech rePublic www.lrta.org transport network – www.tautonline.com No. Ostrava, Neil Pulling explores the role of the Czech Republic's third-biggest 113 Czech Republic tramway that forms its core. MARCH 2017 N O. 951 SUBSCRIBE NOW! 21 NEW TRAMWAYS TO OPEN THIS YEAR Now in its 80th year, Tramways & Urban Transit is the world’s leading

Words and pictures by Neil Pulling

detailed map or satellite ABOVE: With Dolní Vítkovice in the background, Vario LF3/2 1652 heads towards the city centre on 16 June 2016. image confirms that Ostrava is an unusual BELOW: One of 16 Tatra part low-floor KT8D5, 1507 at Ostrava hl.n., also a multi-line terminus for DPO’s trolleybuses. settlement; such views also help to explain the configurationA and extensive reach monthly publication dedicated solely to light and urban rail developments. of its tramway, the Czech Republic’s third largest after Prague and Brno. Mining enormous coal deposits for around 200 years up to the 1990s drove Ostrava’s industrialisation, Pesa: From trams to metro cars – a study in growth notably for iron and steel production. This spread particularly to the Puebla: Mexico’s rst tram-train south and east, with large railway installations being added to support the works. Incorporating other KeolisAmey wins in Manchester communities and adding housing for the post-World War Two population Nantes plans line 4 and  eet renewal influx led to Ostrava’s centre becoming far from the geographical middle of

£4.40 03> CRRC in the US Ostrava China’s giant breaks Tramway’s role in a 9 771460 832050 www.tautonline.com. www.lrta.org into North America post-industrial city mArch 2017 / 103

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