THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com MARCH 2017 NO. 951 21 NEW TRAMWAYS TO OPEN THIS YEAR Pesa: From trams to metro cars – a study in growth Puebla: Mexico’s first tram-train KeolisAmey wins in Manchester Nantes plans line 4 and fleet renewal CRRC in the US Ostrava 03> £4.40 China’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 light rail 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 SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY 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 Czech Republic 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 Fuzhou, 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 England 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.