THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE HEADLINES l Grand Paris Express project approved

l Chicago invites new L-Train bids

l New cross-industry lobbying group formed

crossing the river: portland’s big step 120 years of the Manx Electric Railway

Budapest renewals Czech car building The challenges of From Tatra to modernising one PRAGOIMEX: of Europe’s Proven tram

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Untitled-2 1 03/04/2013 11:26 TS_Rail Sector Ad_Revised.indd 1 25/09/2012 08:57 Contents The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association 164 News 164 MAY 2013 Vol. 76 No. 905 European electrified transport lobbying group launched; Not- www.tramnews.net tingham enters intensive works phase; US public transport’s EDITORIAL 57-year high; 200km Grand Paris Express metro network Editor: Simon Johnston approved; Chicago invites bid for next-generation L-train cars; Tel: +44 (0)1832 281131 E-mail: [email protected] Eaglethorpe Barns, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TJ, UK. Zaragoza completes first tramline. Associate Editor: Tony Streeter 170 Portland: LRT systems cross the Willamette E-mail: [email protected] Vic Simons reports on Portland’s ambitious expansion of Worldwide Editor: Michael Taplin both its Streetcar and MAX light rail systems. Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. 177 E-mail: [email protected] 175 Los Angeles LRT update News Editor: John Symons A short report on progress with the city’s Gold and Expo lines. 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST9 0LW, UK. Rugged and proven tram technology E-mail: [email protected] 177 Senior Contributor: Neil Pulling Robert Davidson looks at technological development from the Czech Republic and the move from Tatra to PRAGOIMEX. Worldwide Contributors: Aare Olander, Nikolai Semyonov, Sergei Tarkhov (CIS), Mike Russell, Norman Bartlett, 183 Systems Factfile: Szczecin Thomas Wagner, Pedro Costa, Richard Felski, Jordi Ibanez (Europe), Yoshiri Poland’s seventh-largest city has an extraordinary history, and Nogi (Japan), Anthony Bailey, Ian Hammond, Paul Nicholson (Australia), 183 Vic Simons, Charles Lietwiler, Steve Morgan, Tom Swinney (US). its tramway is now benefitting from major EU project funding. Production Executive: Carla Corrado 188 Budapest: Reconstruction challenges Tel: +44 (0)1832 281134 E-mail: [email protected] Senior figures from Budapest’s transport authority and operator Design: Debbie Nolan discuss the challenges of modernising a diverse urban rail network. Commercial Manager: Vicky Binley 195 Worldwide Review Tel: +44 (0)1832 281132 E-mail: [email protected] Dhaka receives first funding offer for metro ambitions; Bres- Advertising Manager: Andy Adams Tel: +44 (0)1832 281135 E-mail: [email protected] cia opens automated metro; Göteborg completes Sirio fleet deliveries; Further upgrades for Glasgow Subway stations; Eaglethorpe Barns, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TJ, UK. 188 Publisher: Howard Johnston Oceanside diesel LRT services close due to brake queries. Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the LRTA and LRTA 201 Letters Publishing on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. Will the UK’s HS2 high-speed rail project assist or hinder LRT LRTA Website and Diary: Brian Lomas projects; Paul Rowen discusses light rail safety regulation. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 204 Classic Trams: Spanning the Andes – Part 1 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the In the first of a four-part series, Mike Russell considers Light Rail Transit Association. You are welcome to join the LRTA. tramway survivors in South America – starting in Buenos Aires. subscriptions: LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. BACK ISSUES: Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 Climate change: Preparing for the unexpected PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION: Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. SIMON JOHNSTON, Editor LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE: c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 After a few editorials discussing the The challenges come as operators are in England and Wales. economic climate, I sit here in late March forced to prepare for the unexpected – LRTA Chairman: Andrew Braddock. LRTA Deputy Chairman: Vic Simons as extreme winter conditions sweep across who knew it was likely to snow heavily LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: c/o 8 Berwick Place, Northern Europe. So my thoughts turn to in late March? Making sure networks are Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 in England and Wales. the real climate and the challenges for clear, vehicles are well-maintained and light and urban rail systems – but more that engineering teams are on alert to © LRTA Publishing 2013. importantly, the opportunities. the breaking conditions to keep services Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that The weather, by its very nature, is running all year round are key. The fact its author is responsible for the opinions expressed in it, and such opinions unpredictable. However in recent years we have to be prepared for winter lasting are not those of LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. what would previously have been well into late Spring is another matter… No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording considered ‘freak’ occurrences, are now We can only hope that Indian summers or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior becoming more common. I defy those prevail in those countries suffering hardest permission in writing from the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the who refute/deny climate change to say at the moment, and that previous years’ contents of the magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. that there is no link between the two. experience will bear out and that we’ll We all know that rail-borne transport is all be wearing shorts and outfits without

THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE HEADLINES generally more reliable and efficient than sleeves into early November. l grand paris express project approved l l chicago invites new l-train bids the automobile, and in extreme weather Next month, you’ll notice a new-look

l new cross-industry lobbying group formed conditions this is brought into ever sharper TAUT. It’s not a radical departure from focus. Simple messages such as DB’s the current design that we know you all MAX and Streetcar marketing from the 1960s ‘Everybody’s appreciate, but an evolution to reflect the services on 5th Street talking about the weather… we’re not’, fact that we’ve listened to comments over in Portland, Oregon. are powerful ways to get people out the past few years. We have endeavoured crossing the river: Both LRT systems are of their cars – not only improving their to give you a fresh-looking publication portland’s big step expanding across 120 years of the Manx Electric Railway transport options, but also potentially that’s easier to navigate to further take Budapest renewals Czech car building The challenges of From Tatra to the Willamette River, modernising one PRAGOIMEX: reducing accidents on the roads. If that advantage of the growing number of you of Europe’s Proven tram

largest tramways technology MAY 2013 for a full report see No. 905 w w w . l r ta . o r g l w w w . t r a m n e w s . n e t £3.80 isn’t a win-win, I don’t know what is. who are subscribing online.

TAUT_1305_Cover.indd 1 04/04/2013 16:59 page170. Vic Simons

www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org MAY 2013 163

163_TAUT1305_Contents.indd 1 08/04/2013 14:39 News European electrified transport lobbying group launched The Platform for the Electrification of Sur- and oil products account for 96% of trans- The Transport White Paper also calls for face Transport, an influential group of busi- port energy needs and the newly-formed the phasing out of conventional combustion- nesses and trade associations, was launched group says the development of light rail, engined vehicles from cities by 2050, some- on 19 March to promote the benefits of elec- trolleybuses, electric buses, cars and motor- thing the Platform for the Electrification of tric transport technologies across Europe. cycles as well as light commercial vehicles Surface Transport supports. Further policies It brings together leading transport manu- can improve this. surround complimentary taxation policies facturers such as Alstom and Nissan, trade The group aims to follow on the back of and pricing based on carbon emissions for bodies for the power industry, UNIFE (the the success of the European Union power vehicles in urban and suburban areas in align- Association of the European Rail Industry, generation sector’s considerable progress in ment with sustainability and climate goals. and UITP. The group has issued a state- terms of efficiency and sustainability. Ac- MEP Gesine Meissner said: “The vision ment which argues that the surface transport cording to the International Energy Agency, of the group is for fully electric door-to-door sector will need to undertake a fundamental total CO2 emissions from power generation multi-modal transport solutions. The Euro- technological transformation to help meet fell by 13% from 1990 to 2010, although pean Commission’s 2011 Transport White EU climate change goals. further work is required to boost network Paper lays out the stark challenges facing the The European Commission’s 2011 Trans- capacity and load and energy management, transport sector. We need to promote fuel port White Paper lays out the stark challenges including smart charging, to ease stress on diversification, strengthen energy security and facing the transport sector; at present oil the electricity grids. improve air and noise quality in urban areas.”

Nottingham tramway enters intensive work phase A new 46m-long bridge has been rolled into place at Lenton Lane to carry the Chilwell extension of the Phase 2 extension of the Not- tingham Express Transit over railway tracks leading to Toton freight yards. This is the second of five bridges needed on the new network – the first was rolled into place over Nottingham station in February. Improvements to stops are to be carried out over the existing network later in the year and preparatory work is currently underway at major intermediate stops, including Bulwell, Wilkinson Street and The Forest. The first of the existing fleet of Bombardier Incentro trams to be refurbished by Alstom in a GBP300 000 (approx. EUR355 000) programme was completed in March; tram 215 now sports new LED lights, new seating and has had a deep clean. It has also received a re- styled silver-based livery. The work was undertaken at Wilkinson Street depot over a four-day period; the rest of the fleet will be similarly treated over coming weeks with the last vehicles completed by July. Paul Robinson, NET General Manager, said: “For a system that is nine years old, our trams are in good condition and our customers have played their part in keeping them this way. However, the time was right to give them a comprehensive refresh as we build up to the launch of the expanded network.” Above: Councillor Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for The new look is designed to complement the 22 new Alstom Citadis trams, which are expected to enter service on the existing line Planning and Transportation, and NET General Manager Paul Robinson with the in advance of the phase 2 extensions to Chilwell and Clifton. The first refreshedIncentro tram. NET first batch of the new vehicles are nearing completion at the manu- a lifetime transport investment. Sound planning and stakeholder facturer’s facility in Barcelona and should be delivered to the city in engagement are key to the project’s success so far.” August, with the depot nearing completion in early October. A survey by market research company Osiris MR found 94% of Chris Deas, Project Director at Nottingham City Council told 1500 tram users surveyed were satisfied and 97% of them would TAUT: “The next 12-14 months should see an intensive work recommend the tram to other users. The system is currently running programme, and we’re now seeing the first benefits of this once in at 99.5% reliability.

NS to buy into Den Haag Duisburg tram tenders US public transport use Tenders have been invited for transport operator the refurbishment of Duisburg’s reaches 56-year high fleet of 45 ten-axle articulated NETHERLANDS national rail operator Neder- GT10NC trams built in 1986- A total of 10.5bn trips were made on US public landse Spoorwegen (NS) is expected to proceed 94. Via Verkehrsgesellschaft transport in 2012, 154m more than in 2011, and the with the acquisition of 49% of the share capital of hopes this will keep the cars second highest figure since 1957.L ight rail patronage Den Haag city transport operator HTM, in a deal running until 2024. increased by 4.5% to 510.3m and heavy rail by 1.4%. worth EUR45m. The municipality is to keep a 51% As well as mechanical Dallas, Memphis, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Salt majority share. work, the contract is to include Lake City and Seattle light rail systems all showed NS and the city have developed a programme corrosion rectification and double digit increases; bus patronage was up by of EUR75m of investment in HTM, including the repainting and is aimed at 1% and commuter rail was up 0.5%. extension of tramline 11 to Norfolkterrein in 2017. completion by the end of 2018. Nearly 76% of the public transport trips were for Work is in progress in Delft on the construction Details have been published commuting. Volatile fuel prices and a recovering of the 3km (1.86-mile) branch for line 19 diverging on the European Union’s economy are the main reasons attributed to the rise, from the existing line to Tanthof near the railway Tenders Electronic Daily. achieved despite the extensive disruption to east station and running to Technopolis (Technical coast networks caused by Hurricane Sandy. University).

164 may 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

164-169_TAUT1305_News.indd 1 05/04/2013 13:07 second Paris metro network approved in eur26.5bn plan The 200km (125-mile) second metro in 2025. To the south it will reach Villejuif Line 18 will link Aéroport d’Orly and network for Paris, Grand Paris Express, (Institut Gustave Roussy) in 2025 and Aéro- Versailles-Chanters by 2030 as a light metro was approved by the French Government port d’Orly in 2030. Existing platforms will or light rail. Further extension from Versaille on 6 March in an announcement from Prime be extended to take eight-car trains. to Nanterre and St-Denis-Pleyel is no longer Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Line 15 will link Noisy-Champs and Pont- in the financing scheme. The project was initiated under the admin- de-Sevres in 2020, eventually becoming a The first public inquiries for the new lines istration of former President Sarkozy and has circular line to La Défense by 2030. will be launched this year. a budget of EUR26.5bn (including EUR7bn Line 16 will run from St-Denis-Pleyel to improve existing lines) and a timescale of to Le Bourget RER and Noisy-Champs by 2015 to 2035. Mr Ayrault said the pro- 2025. It will probably use VAL light metro gramme was “unprecedented in its ambition”. technology. While the extensions of existing lines 11 Line 17 will link St-Denis-Pleyel and and 14 will almost certainly be operated by Gonesse by 2025, later continuing to Roissy RATP, the new lines 16-18 will be put out to and Mesnil-Amelot, and will also feature tender to find an operator. VAL operation. Line 11 linking Châtelet-les-Halles and Noisy-Champs will be extended to Rosny- Bois Perrier by 2020; studies will start to consider full automation. Line 14 (rubber-tyred) will be extended north to St-Ouen in 2018 and St-Denis-Pleyel

Paris’ second metro network should be completed by 2030. Hektor

Zaragoza tramway Majority state funding confirmed for completes line 1 Såo José Dos Campos LRT project The final section of Zaragoza’s first tramline The Brazilian government has approved Estimated ridership for the system is opened on March 26, taking the line across the BRR800m (EUR310m) in funding to build 13 000 passengers/hour once the BRR1.1bn River Ebro from the former terminus at Plaza de a 15km (9.3-mile) light rail line in the (EUR425m) project is completed in 2017. Pilar Murallas to Avenida de la Academia in Parque research and industrial centre of Såo José Under regulations surrounding the Goya. There are 15 new stops. Dos Campos, 50km (30 miles) north-east funding, 80% of the manufactured content The tramway opened in April 2011 and has been of the country’s largest city, São Paulo. should come from domestic suppliers. extended in stages with the final section taking the The first phase will serve an area of A longer-term plan to implement a line to 12.8km (eight-mile) with a further 15 stops. 215 000 population; current figures show 94km (58-mile) metro awaits approval, Services are provided by CAF Urbos 3 trams that 184 000 public transport journeys per but initial schedules aim for completion equipped for catenary free operation in the city centre. day are made along the current corridor. by 2030.

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164-169_TAUT1305_News.indd 2 05/04/2013 13:07 News CTA invitation for l-train cars In February the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for manufactur- ers for a new-generation fleet of metro cars for its expanding and modernising 390km ‘L’ system. The next-generation vehicles, the 7000 Series, will complement the energy-efficient 5000- Series currently being delivered by Bombardier and already in service on three CTA lines. With the first cars entering service on the Pink line in November 2011, and arriving at the rate of one six-car set per week, over 200 of the 706 cars are already delivered, with completion of the order scheduled for 2014. The IFB moves from previous practice of waiting as long as 20 years between vehicle orders, with the new 7000-Series replacing the oldest cars (delivered in the 1980s) on the CTA fleet, agency officials said in a prepared statement. Additional orders would allow the replacement of the 3200-Series cars from the early 1990s, as well as supporting modernisation of the system’s Red and Purple line and planned expansion of the network. First deliveries are anticipated shortly after the last 5000-Series car is delivered, reducing the average age of the CTA’s fleet to less than 10 years by 2020. “The CTA is continuing its aggressive plan of investment and modernisation of the nation’s second-largest mass transit system, benefiting our customers and the regional economy, which depends on a vibrant, modern transit system,” said All of CTA’s current 5000-Series cars now have colour LED signs, the first cars delivered have been CTA President Forrest Claypool. retrofitted with the signs – the final deliveries are scheduled for 2014. CTA Web

Dallas signs Liberty deal Severe snow halts Le Havre tramway DART and Brookville Equipment signed the USD9.4m contract Although showing greater for two 20.3m 70% low- resistance to worsening weather floorLiberty trams on 26 conditions than the bus services February. They will be used in the Le Havre’s LiA transport on the 2.6km (1.6-mile) Union network, the new French tram- Station to Oak Cliff city centre way was unable to operate on 12 tramway and feature off-wire March. Abnormally heavy snow- battery capability, which will falls that cut off much of Nor- be required on the Houston mandy from the SNCF national Street viaduct. There is an rail network also left Le Havre option for two additional cars. with no public transport in the The project is supported by city except for the funicular. USD23m in FTA Tiger funding. The LiA tramway opened Passenger service is expected three months earlier and is oper- to start in late 2014. ated by Veolia-Transdev sub- sidiary CTPO on behalf of Le Havre metropolitan authority, CODAH. The two-route 13km (8.1-mile) system with 23 stops became the core of the network Above: More on 12 December 2012. It is the trams than The Liberty cars for Dallas will main connection between hilltop people at offer off-wire capability for northern suburbs and the city La Plage as the first time on a US system. centre, port and beachfront. conditions Brookville Equipment The tramway, with a fleet of worsened at the 20 Alstom Citadis 302 vehicles, beach terminus La Rochelle plan to maintained services on 11 March on 11 March. incorporate test track when worsening weather led to Further to previous news, it buses being withdrawn during Left: A CMAR looks likely that the 1.6km the afternoon. Particularly dif- Unimog helps (one-mile) test track at Alstom’s ficult conditions in Le Havre’s up- per level, where the depot is sited restore services manufacturing facility in La on 13 March Rochelle, France, is likely and lines A and B diverge, ruled to be incorporated into an out operation on the next day. between urban tramway worked by In spite of further snowfalls, Université and short Citadis 202 cars. the tram service was restored Gares. during 13 March. Both: Neil Pulling

166 may 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

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164-169_TAUT1305_News.indd 4 04/04/2013 17:06 News

Elaine Holt joins RATP Škoda wins contract for Dev for Crossrail bid Former CEO of the UK’s Directly Operated Railways, konya low-floor trams Elaine Holt, has joined RATP Dev as UK Rail Franchise Director, leading the operator’s pre-qualification bid for London’s Crossrail operating concession. With a 25-year background in transport, beginning at British Airways, Ms Holt has held senior commercial and operational positions at UK rail operators First Capital Connect and National Express.

City rejects Derby tramway plan Artist’s impression of the stylish new Derby City Council has Škoda 28T destined for the Turkish rejected plans for an 11km city of Konya. Škoda Transportation (seven-mile) tramway to link Mickleover and Mackworth to Pride Park in the heart of the On 4 March Škoda Transportation announced the While Škoda Electric has previously supplied city, with a possible extension to award of an EUR104.7m contract for 60 100% electrical equipment for light rail vehicles for the HS2 rail hub at Toton. low-floor bi-directional28T trams to the Turkish Istanbul, the Czech firm said this is its first contract The proposal, developed by city of Konya. The five-section air-conditioned to supply complete vehicles to Turkey. Light Rail Transit Association cars will be to the same design as ordered for “Škoda’s win in this competitive environment is Regional Officer David Gibson Miskolc in Hungary. another great step in confirming our strategy to ex- is estimated at GBP100m and To cope with rapid population growth, the city’s pand internationally. We are very pleased for this win has received strong backing municipality – the seventh largest in Turkey by in Turkey, a dynamic and fast-growing market with from local business groups, population – is planning to expand its 21km (13- major investments in urban transportation in many including Marketing Derby. mile) tramline, currently operated by second-hand other cities such as Bursa, Gaziantep, Izmir or Adana. Mr Gibson said the tramway Düwag GT8 high-floor trams acquired from Köln Turkey is also a gateway to Middle East countries,“ plan is vital to drive the local in the 1990s. said Zal Shahbaz, Senior Vice President for Sales. economy and is made even more relevant when added to plans for another 19 000 homes and the planned HS2 station at Toton, Further calls for Tramlink link to Crystal some 10 miles from the city. He said: “The problems we Palace backed by business community have on the inner ring road demonstrate just how near Business leaders in South London are services between Elmers End and Therapia Lane to breaking point things are. pressing Transport for London to fund the exten- Wimbledon. Imagine adding another 50 000 sion of Tramlink to Crystal Palace as part of its Mr Johnson has also indicated that TfL is journeys to that. Then there is latest business plan. However, London Mayor working with the London boroughs of Bromley, the connection to HS2 at Toton. Boris Johnson has re-affirmed that an extension of Croydon, Merton and Sutton to assess the potential To make Derby attractive, we the Croydon network will depend on proving the economic benefits of various extension options are need a good transport con- economic benefits of any schemes. in terms of their contribution to employment and nection to the city.” The current business plan sees the improve- economic growth, and to examine the extent to However, the council said in ment of the service to Wimbledon with GBP30m which funding from future development could be late March that the GBP100m (EUR35.2m) allocated to removing sections of available to fund these schemes. It is expected that scheme was unaffordable and single track, building an additional Tramlink this work will be completed in June. that the route proposed would platform at Wimbledon and the purchase of four Sutton Council, in particular, is pressing hard for not sustain the required ridership. new trams. This will facilitate extension of line 4 Tramlink to be extended into its borough.

Speed limit for Stadtbahn under Köln’s cathedral

THE speed limit in the subway tunnel under KVB is now faced with replacing rail clips with Köln’s famous cathedral has been reduced from an elastic variety, and the whole cost of investiga- 30km/h (18.5mph) to 20km/h (12.5mph) after tions and work is estimated to be EUR250 000. It complaints of vibration and noise in the building. seems the first part of the ‘new’ subway is actually The subway is part of the new extension of the the 1969 tram subway resurrected, which has rails Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe Stadtbahn line 5. laid in sleepers in ballast, as opposed to the con- Line 5’s extension opened on 9 December and crete with rail clips in the completely new section. Rathaus station on the Köln tram runs from the former terminus at Dom/Hbf to a The north-south project is a multi-stage scheme subway, with a Stadtbahn-B car on new stop at Rathaus, which has been built as part to create a Stadtbahn tunnel running under the city route 5. J. Gribble of the new north-south subway project. in parallel to the River Rhein (Rhine).

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164-169_TAUT1305_News.indd 5 05/04/2013 13:07 The final nail in the Sydney commits another AUD40m to LRT project Merseytram coffin? On 25 March the City of Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive Merseytravel Chairman Councillor Liam Sydney voted to increase Merseytravel has decided not to renew compulsory Robinson commented: “We are conscious the its total contribution towards purchase orders along the proposed 6.8km tram project’s line 1 would have represented a the CBD’s light rail network (11-mile) route of the dormant Merseytram significant boost to the communities along the by AUD40m (EUR32.5m) to scheme. The orders were made in 2005 and route to Kirkby. I am not prepared to allow the AUD220m (EUR180m). renewed in 2008 but expired in February this year. tram scheme to finally end without exploring all the The total cost of the light The Passenger Transport Executive has not ex- ways available to enhance transport links between rail project, from Circular tended them as there is little prospect of the tram Liverpool and the Kirkby area, which is why I Quay through Central and scheme being implemented. think it’s appropriate for us to have discussions Surry Hills to Randwick, is Having already spent GBP70m (EUR82m) on with all appropriate stakeholders.” estimated at AUD1.6bn the tram proposals, including purchasing some “It is disappointing that Merseytram is unlikely (EUR1.3bn). Subject to properties and even rails, the PTE now intends to to be part of the city region’s integrated transport planning approvals, work allow 150 000m2 (1.6m/ft2) of property that was development, but we have to explore other ways of is expected to begin in under threat to be sold on or redeveloped by their furthering our overall strategy to develop a world- 2014 with opening owners. Compensation claims from many land- class service.” anticipated for 2020. owners are also under review. l David Brown, currently head of the South York- Politicians are still not prepared to officially de- shire Passenger Transport Executive, will shortly Sofia chooses PESA clare the tram project dead however, until alterna- take over as chief executive at Merseytravel. The Swing low-floor rams tive proposals to improve public transport between PTE has been without a permanent chief executive Sofia’s tram operator has Liverpool and Kirkby are investigated. since the departure of Neil Scales a year ago. named Pesa as preferred bidder to supply 20 2.3m-wide Swing low- “It is disappointing that Merseytram is unlikely to be part of the city floor trams in a deal worth region’s integrated transport development, but we have to explore EUR50m. other ways of furthering our overall strategy to develop a world-class Deliveries are planned for 2014 under the contract, service.” Merseytravel Chairman Councillor Liam Robinson which includes EUR16.8m for vehicle spares.

New rolling stock for Buenos Aires line A New York judge backs Buenos Aires metro line A reopened on 6 March, rail photographers following two months work to adapt the infrastructure, A federal judge has overturned a New York raise the traction supply from City transit system rule that allowed police officers 1.1kV to 1.5kV dc system to demand identification documents from anyone and the testing of the new riding the subway. The ruling came as the result of fleet of 45 cars supplied by a lawsuit filed by two railfans who were stopped China CNR Corporation. while taking photographs The new air-conditioned There is no statute preventing photography, but cars, each accommodating the police officers demanded identification, and 36 seated and up to 100 arrested the fans when this request was declined. You can take transit photos on the New York system. This standing passengers, replace th The judge said the ID rule was unconstitution- view shows a train of R62-A stock on line 1 at 207 St, wooden-bodied rolling stock ally vague and encouraged arbitrary and discrimi- demonstrating that much of the subway is in fact elevated. almost a century old. natory enforcement. W. Castillo

Stadler NExT boosts RBS service The first of the second batch of air-conditioned Stadler NExT (Niederflur-Express-Triebzug) LRVs entered service on the Bern–Solothurn service on 6 February as RABe4/12 27. Eight of these 60m cars will be delivered this year, permitting the complete Solothurn service to be operated with the latest stock from the Decem- ber timetable change. The new cars have only minor differences from 21-26, which have been in service since 2009. In June 2009 one of these cars achieved a metre-gauge speed record of 134km/h (83.3mph), though nor- mal top speed is 120km/h (74.5mph). Right: RBS NExT car 26 stands at the underground station Bern HB. This station is due to be rebuilt to increase capacity in the coming years. G. Bannister

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164-169_TAUT1305_News.indd 6 05/04/2013 13:08 Portland Portland: LRT pathfinder looks to the future One of the most impressive LRT operations in the US, the city of Portland, Oregon, is embarking on an ambitious expansion programme of both Streetcar and MAX systems. Vic Simons reports.

ith modern LRT, heavy rail and Streetcar Above: Portland's taken in the mid-1970s to halt new highway construction operations, the city of Portland, Oregon, is one of two well-patronised and make provision for public transport when building the most progressive cities in the US in terms of light rail services – the then new freeway, Interstate 205. Fox described the Wurban rail development. MAX and Streetcar – 35-year delay in filling the available transport corridor now With forward-thinking policies surrounding transit and in action in 2009. successfully occupied by the MAX Green line. an early recognition of the regenerative impact of fixed links, the city and wider region have reaped the benefit of MAX light rail street-running light rail for nearly 30 years, with a vital link MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) is the LRT system in across the Willamette River currently under construction to Portland and vicinity, with four colour-coded routes. The close the loop and bring growth to other areas of this vibrant first route, the eastern segment of the Blue line running region. The sytem’s popularity is well demonstrated in that from Gresham to Portland City Centre, opened in 1986. ridership has increased in all but one of the last 23 years. It was not until 1998 that the Westside line opened to The main transport agency, TriMet, has an operating area Hillsboro. This was a major project requiring a tunnel covering the three counties of Multnomah (in which most through the West Hills. The whole east-west segment is of the city is located), Washington and Clackamas. TriMet operated as one 53km (33-mile) route. is responsible for the MAX light rail system, buses, and the The 8.8km (5.5-mile) Airport extension followed which WES commuter rail line. The other light rail system in the joins the Blue line at Gateway Transit Centre and onwards area is the Portland Streetcar, which is owned and operated into downtown Portland. It was branded the Red line by the City of Portland. TriMet tickets are valid on all and some years later was extended through the city to modes. There is also an aerial tramway. Beaverton Transit Centre, sharing the Blue line alignment. In the October 2009 edition of TAUT (862) former TriMet Images from the In 2004 the 9.3km (5.8-mile) Yellow line opened LRT corridor development engineer Gerald Fox reported author and by kind from the Expo Centre in North Portland. Running along on the foundation of MAX and the far-sighted decisions permission of TriMet. Interstate Avenue it joins the other three MAX lines at the

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170-174_TAUT1305_Portland.indd 1 02/04/2013 12:51 Rose Quarter Transit Station, sharing tracks into central Above: Type 3 car TriMet tickets. Using the same track gauge and profile as Portland. The 13.3km (8.3-mile) Green line extension from 304 approaching MAX, it does not at present share tracks with the heavier Gateway Transit Centre to Clackamas Town Centre, adding Gateway Transit LRT system, but will do so when the new transit-only a second alignment through downtown Portland to PSU, Centre en route to bridge across the Willamette River opens as part of the opened in 2009. The Yellow line was rerouted at the same the Airport. Portland – Milwaukie MAX extension in September 2015. time to share the second downtown route. It was the last The original Streetcar line runs on a 12.9km (eight-mile) extension and brings the total system length to 84km Top and above route from the Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital through the (52 miles). There is an 11.7km (7.3-mile) extension right: Single railcar city centre to a loop at the South Waterfront, all in the City scheduled to open in September 2015 south from the WES operation at of Portland, and operates at 14 to 15-minute intervals during existing PSU Green and Yellow line terminus to SE Park most of the day. Seven air-conditioned, centrally low- Avenue in Oak Grove in Clackamas County. the Wilsonville floored, Škoda-Inekon cars (001 to 007) built in the Czech There are four main types of rolling stock. The first terminus; the Republic, were purchased for the service together with vehicle type was manufactured by Bombardier and Colorado Railcar a further three cars (008 to 010) manufactured solely by comprised 26 articulated double-ended high-floor vehicles vehicles for the Inekon. These three cars are similar to the earlier vehicles. A with boarding steps, delivered for the opening of the east service were prototype locally-produced vehicle manufactured by United segment of the Blue line in 1986. These cars have since delivered in 2008. Streetcar was delivered in 2009 and is now part of the been retrofitted with air-conditioning. operational fleet, numbered 015. Between 1997 and 2000 52 new LRVs were delivered The system opened in 2001 with further extensions in by Siemens. Designated ʻType 2ʼ these are 70% low-floor 2005, 2006 and 2007. The first phase of line 2, known as double-articulated, air-conditioned vehicles. All entrances the East Side Loop, opened in September 2012. Costing were in the low-floor sections providing step-free access for around USD148m (approx. EUR114m) the line runs from the system for the first time. A further 27 Type 3 vehicles OMSI on the east side to Southwest Market Street on the were ordered from Siemens for delivery for the opening west side. The loop will be completed in September 2015 of the Yellow line. These are very similar to the Type 2 when the Transit Bridge across the Willamette opens. vehicles, but with improved HVAC systems. Starting at Southwest Market Street, it runs north on the The latest deliveries have been of 22 Siemens S70 LRVs, 10th and 11th Street one-way system, sharing tracks with delivered for the 2009 opening of the Green line. These line 1, before turning east and crossing the Willamette via single-ended double-articulated units are designed to run in the Broadway Bridge. The line then turns south utilising coupled pairs and are designated Type 4. A further 18 vehicles the Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard one- of this type have been ordered for the Portland – Milwaukie way system before reaching a temporary elevated terminus extension. Designated Type 5, they are similar to the previous near OMSI and the site of the under-construction transit generation cars, but with an improved internal layout. bridge. All stops on both lines are equipped with shelters, All cars operate on all lines. There are two maintenance seating and timetable information. Line 2 operates every 18 depots, at Ruby Junction on the original Blue line near minutes during most of the day. Gresham and near the Elmonica SW 170th station on the Existing operations are currently undertaken using the west side between Beaverton and Hillsboro. All types of imported fleet. New vehicles are gradually being delivered rolling stock are maintained at both depots. and brought into service from United Streetcar. These are A quirk of MAX operation is that the 60m (200ft) length manufactured in Clackamas County (for more on United of most city blocks means that train lengths have to be short Streetcar see TAUT 904). enough for two trains to be in one city block at the same The first new vehicle from the six-car order (021 to time; MAX is thus restricted to operating two-car trains. 026) was delivered in January 2013. These double-ended, double-articulated air-conditioned vehicles have two double Portland Streetcar doors on each side of the centre low-floor section with a The Streetcar is operated separately by the City of Portland, single leaf door on the near side of the car body behind the which sets its own fare profiles although it also accepts driver’s cab. Power supply is 750V dc delivered from an

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170-174_TAUT1305_Portland.indd 2 02/04/2013 12:52 Portland

overhead pantograph. Maximum operating speed is 70km/h (44mph) although actual running speeds are signifi cantly lower at around 48-55km/h (30-35mph); this is much lower than MAX operating speeds. Streetcar operations are housed and maintained at a depot located under the Interstate 405 freeway on NW Northrup Street just north of Downtown Portland. There are plans in place to extend Streetcar south from South Waterfront along the bank of the Willamette River to Lake Oswego. The project is at the preliminary planning stage with no costing or funding plans in place. This system is like the MAX, well-patronised and popular with passengers and judging from TAUT’s visit, the ride is comfortable with the air-conditioning working well in the very damp late October weather. Running times seemed a little generous outside the peak hours with streetcars paused for extended periods at a number of stops. There may well be a case for differential scheduling, but this a minor criticism of a well thought out, well constructed and well operated system. � Westside Express Service The Westside Express Service (WES) is a 23.5km (14.7-mile) Captions commuter diesel rail line connecting the MAX Blue and Red lines at Beaverton Transit Center with the cities of Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville in Washington and Clackamas LEAD counties. Mostly following the busy Oregon Highway 217 and Interstate 5, WES runs in Monday-Friday peak hours. Built by the now defunct Colorado Railcar organisation, Images taken in September 2009 the two powered cars and one trailer car are unusual in that the two driving cab ends have completely different body shapes. The two powered cars have two 600hp diesel engines and are rated for a maximum operating speed of 97km/h (60mph), although average service speeds are reduced to 60km/h (37mph). 0288 – View of aerial tramway th LRT extension to Milwaukie 0302 & 0306 – 2 views of the tram light rail crossing on SW 6 The Portland – Milwaukie extension is the major current LRT construction project on the TriMet schedule and this USD1.49bn (EUR1.15bn) project incorporates the Images taken in October 2012 construction of the new river crossing as mentioned above. The 530m (1720ft) long cable-stay bridge will be transit only, designed to carry three bus routes and the Streetcar in 1711 – Streetcar at the temporary OMSI terminus addition to the MAX system. There will also be 4.3m-wide (14ft) pathways on each side for pedestrians and cyclists. Some 50% of funding for the project has been sourced from federal funds with the remainder sourced locally. The line is designed to help meet the transit needs for PSU, OMSI and OHSU, three of the most important traffi c 1733 – Type 2 car 218 on a Gresham service objectives in the TriMet area. 1736 – Type 3 car 319 with Type 4 car 412 Clackamas Town Centre terminus The line runs from the existing Green and Yellow line terminus at PSU to SE Park Avenue, Oak Grove, in Clackamas County. There will be ten new stations on the 11.7km (7.3-mile) extension with provision for an eleventh as and when density and ridership requires it. Starting from the existing PSU loop, the line runs southeast to the South Waterfront with an intermediate station at Lincoln Street. At the South Waterfront, where there is an interchange with the Streetcar, the line turns east and will cross the Willamette River via the transit bridge to the OMSI station where there will be a second interchange. From there the line turns south-east with fi ve further stations before crossing into Clackamas County just beyond the SE Tacoma Street/Johnson Creek station. The fi nal two stations are in Clackamas County in Milwaukie at Main Street and in Oak Grove at SE Park Avenue. There are plans to recast the various bus routes that either run parallel with or cross the new lines so many of these will become feeders to MAX. Environmental issues have been a major concern in project planning for the extension, and the development team has been conscious to promote sustainability Portland Streetcar 6 – from the original Škoda-Inekon order for the system – at South throughout the design and construction phases. This is Waterfront in September 2009.

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170-174_TAUT1305_Portland.indd 3 02/04/2013 12:52 achieved by making special provision for such actions as Above: Streetcar 6 on and delivery of the Green line project. It seems that restoring the shallow water habitat in the South Waterfront, 11th Street at Glishan Barnard is set to do it again. TAUT understands that the installing a fish-friendly culvert in Crystal Springs Creek, in October 2012. current project spend (as at mid-March 2013) is around and – with the help of a US Department of Agriculture USD550m (EUR420m) with spending proceeding at a rate wildlife expert – protecting significant birdlife reserves Top right: The two of USD1m a day as construction activity is ramped up as during construction activities. major construction the weather improves. Furthering the cultural integration of the new transit projects in Portland's Over the past month a dispute has emerged between line into the surrounding environment, there is a public art Innovation Quadrant, TriMet and Clackamas County as, following the November programme for the various stations on the line. Innovative which spans the 2012 election that seated a new governing board, opponents use of lighting, structures and sculpture should ensure that Willamette. In to the scheme have demanded a halt to light rail construction the new line cements itself as part of the community in the foreground is in Clackamas County. This appears to be political posturing, years to come. There are also two park-and-ride areas with the OHSU/OUS however, and TAUT understands that not only have most a capacity for 675 cars and over 400 bicycles. These are Collaborative Life contracts on the project been let, but that TriMet has asked located at SE Tacoma Street/Johnson Creek station and at Sciences Building, the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Clackamas the SE Park Avenue terminus. scheduled for County to require Clackamas County to fulfil its obligations regardless of the vote, on legal grounds. TriMet ‘satisfied with progress’ completion in Halting the scheme at the County boundary at this stage TriMet project director Rob Barnard expressed some 2014. The other would almost certainly result in massive compensation satisfaction to TAUT that the project was on time and is the Portland – claims (possibly in the millions of dollars), of which the on budget when we met in late October 2012, with 29% Milwaukie Transit resultant costs would fall entirely on Clackamas residents. completed to date. He was not complacent over the Bridge. The white project’s success however, and is clearly aware of the columns are two MAX expansion to Vancouver, Washington? challenges to come. pylons of the The Columbia River Crossing is the next major project in Barnard outlined the major project issues, particularly West Tower. In the design and planning stage. This is planned to extend the relating to the wildlife protection measures. He explained the background is existing MAX Yellow line north across the Columbia into the need to plan carefully around the time restrictions southeast Portland Washington State and into the City of Vancouver. imposed by the wildlife constraints in that some of the that includes OMSI, TriMet explained to TAUT: “The extension is part of a project actions could only be undertaken in fairly short time Portland Opera and multi-modal project that addresses safety and congestion windows in any year. This was one of the key challenges the Oregon Rail in the Interstate 5 corridor. The project will result in the for Barnard and his team as it requires 34 different work Heritage Center. replacement of the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River, permits from various agencies. Managing these time The LRT line will extension of MAX, improvement of highway interchanges constraints requires detailed planning to deliver the include stations at and the enhancement of bicycle and pedestrian pathways. necessary outputs in the short time slots available. the Collborative LIfe The project received federal approval in December 2011 The Transit Bridge over the Willamette River is a mini Sciences Building and is currently working to obtain permits and secure project in its own right with the City of Portland having and one near OMSI. construction funding.” a major say in its type and design. Barnard stressed the The current plan is for a 4.6km (2.9-mile) extension of practical necessity of treating the project as a partnership by Courtesy of TriMet the Yellow line from the Expo Center across the river and working in conjunction with the other major stakeholders Above right: An into the Washington/Broadway one-way system through to deliver the objective in a manner best suited for the Downtown Vancouver before turning west on 17th Street environment and community development. Underlying aerial view taken and terminating at Clark College. One new station is the entire scheme is the ambition to improve community from above the Ross planned for Hayden Island in Oregon, with a further four sustainability and liveability. These parameters define Island Bridge shows new stations in Washington State. The first Vancouver matters such as station location and future development. progress on the station on leaving the crossing will be at a park-and-ride It is clear that Barnard is passionate about the transit only bridge site on US Highway 14. Further park-and-ride sites are presentation and focus of the project and it is impressive to in November 2012. planned on Washington Street and at the Clark College see that he is following up on his successful management Courtesy of TriMet terminus.

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170-174_TAUT1305_Portland.indd 4 03/04/2013 10:03 Portland

The plan includes a separate LRT alignment underneath the freeway bridge crossing where a walkway and cycleway will also be provided. Again TriMet clarifiedTAUT' s understanding of the scheme, saying: “Funding for the extension of the MAX system is planned to come from the Federal Transit Agency’s New Starts programme. Additional project funding would come from bridge tolls and the two states. The State of Oregon recently authorised construction funding and the Washington Legislature is considering funding in the 2013 session. Provided funding is secured, bridge construction would begin in late 2014 and MAX service would begin in 2019.” Portland is a vibrant city with much to offer any transit advocate. In addition, thanks partially to MAX and the Streetcar, the city’s downtown area is thriving with Pioneer Square at its heart. This is the location of the main transport and tourist information offices. MAX passes the Square with the Streetcar running just two blocks away. TAUT

l Thanks to Rob Barnard and the staff of TriMet for their assistance in the preparation of this article. Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project Above right: An artist's impression of the finished Portland – Milwaukie Transit Bridge. Completion is scheduled for 2014. NE Halsey St Courtesy of TriMet Portland

City NE Glisan St Below: The construction site for the bridge's East Tower in February vd Bl Center dy 2013, as well as the temporary work trestle stretching from the east an E Burnside St S E bank of the Willamette River. The Portland Opera building is on the S waterfront on right edge of this view, and just behind the tower is SE Stark St the Portland Streetcar bridge that leads to the OMSI stop for the

SE Grand Ave SE Belmont St Central Loop. Courtesy of TriMet PSU South / SW 5th & Jackson St SE 12th St SE Hawthorne St Right: The Portland – Milwaukie route. Courtesy of TriMet (opening 2012) OMSI / SE Water Ave

SE 60th Ave Lincoln St / Clinton / SE Division St SW 3rd Ave SE 12th Ave

South Waterfront / SE 39th Ave SW Moody Ave SE Powell St SE 17th Ave & 26 5 Rhine St

SE 17th Ave & SE Holgate Blvd Holgate Blvd

SE Steele St SE 52nd Ave Future SE Harold St

SE McLoughlin Blvd Willamette River Willamette

SE Woodstock Blvd

SE Milwaukie Ave Ave Milwaukie Milwaukie SE SE SE Bybee Blvd SE Bybee Blvd

Ave SE Flavel St

SE 13th SE Tacoma St / SE 17th Ave 17th SE SE Tacoma St Ave 17th SE Johnson Creek M U LT N O M A H C O U N T Y C L AC K A M A SSE C OJohnson U N T YCreek Rd

PMLR route Milwaukie SE Harrison St

PMLR station SE Monroe St 43 Future station Milwaukie / SE Railroad Ave Main St 224 Park & Ride SE Lake Rd more on portland SE Linwood Ave SE Linwood Existing MAX lines SE Park Ave SE Aldercreek Rd For further Portland transport information, see www.trimet.org SE Park Ave and www.portlandstreetcar.org. For tourist information on the County line city, visit www.travelportland.com

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170-174_TAUT1305_Portland.indd 5 08/04/2013 11:10 News Analysis Update from Los Angeles The City of Angels has really embraced light rail in recent years, and with current major expansion projects underway, Vic Simons reports on the latest extensions.

os Angeles Metro has opened two major extensions in the last three years, the first in November 2009 is Lthe 9.6km (six-mile) USD898m Gold line Eastside extension. The other is the 2012 opening of stage 1 of the Expo line. The Gold line extension links Atlantic in East LA with the city’s downtown and Pasadena. There are eight new stations, two of which are located in the 2.9km (1.8-mile) tunnel under Boyle Heights. This segment links with the original Gold line to Pasadena at LA Union station. On leaving Union station the line crosses the railroad tracks and Route 101 on a new LRT-only bridge before descending to ground level just ahead of the first new station at Little Tokyo. One design concern is that there are major speed restrictions on the sharp (90-degree) turns around Indiana station, but these could only be eliminated by major construction work via bridge or tunnel, both options of which are clearly not cost-effective. This apart, the extension is fast and efficient and provides an approximately 25-minute running time between Atlantic and Union Station. General headways are every 12 minutes throughout the day, with reductions at evenings and weekends. Above: Looking east from the present Gold line A further extension is being built to the terminus at Sierra Madre Villa (east of Pasadena) north, extending the line eastwards from along the alignment now under construction to Azusa. its current Sierra Madre Villa terminus to Azusa. Running initially in the median and Right: Car 783 at Atlantic awaiting departure to then roughly parallel with Interstate 210, the Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. USD735m 18.5km (11.5-mile) next stage is planned to open in 2015 with seven new with the trackwork at this junction, causing stations. A further extension is in the planning delays to Blue line trains and major delays to stage to take the line to Ontario Airport. Expo line services. The Los Angeles County The second extension, the first 13.8km Metropolitan Transportation Authority (8.6-mile), ten station segment of the Expo (LACMTA) authorised modification works line opened largely in April 2012. It can only that were carried out in late February with be described as a work in progress. The line engineers adjusting the track gauge to starts at the underground Metro Red / Purple improve the movement of Blue line LRVs The City has also approved a contribution interchange at 7th and Flower Metro Centre turning from Flower to Washington and of USD352m for the 6.4km (four-mile) city and emerges to street level at a point just north correct issues that had the potential to cause centre tram loop, covering operating and of Pico station. The line shares tracks with the excessive wear on vehicle parts. maintenance costs for up to 30 years. This Blue Long Beach line as far as Washington There is clear evidence of construction of leaves just a federal grant as the final part of Street where the Blue line turns south-east. the seven-station 10.6km (6.6-mile) extension the funding jigsaw for the line, now expected From this point the new trackage begins. to Santa Monica. This will create many more to open in 2016. TAUT As reported in the Worldwide Review travel and connection opportunities, with . Additional information on the city centre of TAUT 903 there have been major issues Santa Monica being a major traffic objective. tram loop provided by E.B. Havens. Left: A view from the Culver City platform of car 106 arriving from Downtown Los Angeles Right: Looking west from Culver City station showing the alignment of the Expo line extension to Santa Monica.

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175_TAUT1305_News analysis 1p.indd 1 05/04/2013 18:25 Untitled-1 1 04/04/2013 11:37 Pragoimex: Tatra’s spiritual heir

Rugged and proven tramcar technology for smaller systems Robert Davidson looks at the rolling stock supply sector in the Czech Republic, particularly PRAGOIMEX – the intellectual heir to the biggest tram builder of them all, Tatra.

he global LRV/streetcar market is seen as being Above: The Czech the marketplace for smaller orders and looking beyond just dominated by a few large manufacturers. Thanks to city of Brno is a domestic territories. In Europe, PESA and Solaris in Poland, their large international R&D and marketing budgets key PRAGOIMEX Stadler in Switzerland and, to a lesser extent, HeiterBlick andT multi-national facilities with which to develop and customer, operating in Germany, are snapping up low-run vehicle orders and tailor their products, there are some fine offerings in the a range of modified building their reputations through exporting established modern low-floor sectors from such firms. Tatra and new-build domestic expertise into international markets. In the USA The global leader is Bombardier, the Canadian aerospace the Oregon Iron Works subsidiary, United Streetcar, has and rail giant with much of its light rail development and trams from the begun manufacturing domestic ‘streetcars’ based upon local manufacturing capacity in Europe – it currently supplies firm. Here three developments of Škoda-based design concepts (for more on around 30% of the world’s production. France’s Alstom two-section VarioLF2 United Streetcar see TAUT 904). group and Siemens, headquartered in Germany, are currently are seen in central The important market advantage these companies have the next largest producers of trams and light rail vehicles, Brno; the city has 15 is that they are more geared towards small runs of cars with about 20% each of global sales. Spanish manufacturer in total on its fleet. suitable for ‘small start’ systems, or to cope with growth CAF has an increasing market share, with an impressive on existing systems. Whilst the ‘big boys’ are excellent at order book substantially bolstered over the past 12 months. building long runs of cars for major systems and in fulfilling Škoda claims to be the world’s fourth-largest producer, options to existing orders and re-orders of similar vehicles, with a global market share of about 10%. Japanese and the production logic of their factories can make it very Russian manufacturers tend to concentrate on their respective difficult for them to quote attractive prices for short runs. home markets. The growing Chinese market seems set to All images courtesy This can be mitigated by the negotiation of joint orders be dominated by joint ventures, with leading western firms of course, as in the recent case where the French cities of partnering state-owned Chinese rolling stock companies. of Pragoimex a.s. Brest and Dijon joined together to place an economically An interesting development over the past two decades has unless otherwise attractive order for 52 cars. As well as other streamlined been the emergence of smaller firms or new entrants into stated. procurement initiatives, this is reported to have contributed

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177-180_TAUT1305_Pragoimex.indd 1 03/04/2013 10:10 PRAGOIMEX: Tatra’s spiritual heir

Right: One of the firm’s most popular platforms is the 15m VarioLF, with a passenger capacity of 150. Ostrava 1332, part of its 47-strong fleet of 15m cars, is seen at Vitkovice in August 2009. Mike Russell

to savings of over 20% on the capital cost of the systems. Under the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, the Yet the sheer political, technical and logistical problems of COMECON organisation allocated the production of items ensuring that two systems – often on different sides of the to different countries and the former Czechoslovakia was same country, or even continent, want the same product at granted a virtual monopoly on the production of trams Below: The Evo2 is the same time makes this likely to be a very limited option. and shunting locomotives. It is said that up to a third of the latest barrier- Therefore a firm that can offer a good price for a small all trams in the world come from the Czech factories, with less low-floor delivery of cars, or that can easily tailor a standard product over 18 000 being delivered to Eastern Bloc countries. six-axle modern to meet the aspirations of new tramways, could have a In the brief period between the end of World War Two tramcar from the significant market advantage in a world of small starts and and the communist takeover in 1948, Czechoslovakia had Czech Republic, downtown circulator systems. concluded an agreement for the use of US PCC patents and constructed by the designs and almost all Tatra products were a development Alliance TW Team The world’s largest tram supplier of those technologies, with the iconic T3 and T4 cars and currently on TAUT has focused on many of these smaller manufacturers accounting for the majority of production. Czechoslovakia trial in Liberec. If in recent years, and this time we’re casting the spotlight soon became famous for three things; good beer, good succesful the city onto a firm that is a relative newcomer in the manufacturing shoes and good tramcars – and many of the country’s best has an option for field and an unfamiliar name to many in the west, but which graduate engineers went to work for ČKD Tatra. eight such cars. has a heritage that goes back to the biggest manufacturer of After 1989, with worldwide economic and political tramcars in the world – ČKD Tatra. changes, the company lost many of its traditional trade European readers will be familiar with the Tatra trams outlets in Central and Eastern Europe and the nations that Below right: The produced in the former Czechoslovakia. ČKD was formed in made up the Former Soviet Union. In 1994 the company interior of the 1927 and was one of the main suppliers to the Czechoslovak was privatised by the Czech Government (the ruling Evo2 shows the state of advanced military vehicles during the 1930s. Seized in authority in one of two states formed in the dissolution of latest passenger 1939, the company was compelled to make tanks and artillery Czechoslovakia the year before, the other being Slovakia), comforts, including for the Axis powers. The company was nationalised by the but the new structure was unsuccessful and in 1998 ČKD multimedia post-war communist government. Its ČKD Tatra subsidiary Holding was close to bankruptcy. The state intervened again, information systems. went on to become one of the world’s leading tram producers. breaking up the group and selling off its subsidiaries.

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177-180_TAUT1305_Pragoimex.indd 2 02/04/2013 12:39 New and modernised trams delivered to February 2013 Type

Customer EVO T3R. T3R.PLF T3RN.EV ML8LF VarioLF VarioLF2 VarioLF3 VV60LF TOTAL 2 PV (T3R.SLF) (VarioLF+) (VarioLF2+)

MTC Brno 10 4 30 7 15 4 70

MTC Liberec 1 12 14 27

MTC Most 1 1

MTC Prague 38 33 40 111

MTC Pilsen 2 18 12 22 54

MTC Ostrava 1 16 47 2 5 2 73

MTC Olomouc 14 14

MTC Bratislava 5 5

MTC Košice 8 1 9

MTC Volgograd 2 2

MTC Osijek 17 17

MTC Moscow 1 1

MTC Tashkent 20 20

TOTAL 1 86 65 5 106 113 17 5 6 404

* MTC - Municipal Transportation Company

In 2001 transport company ČKD Dopravní systémy (ČKD On a personal note, the author remembers standing Transportation Systems, known until 1997 as ČKD Tatra, or under a KT8 (an eight-axle, articulated development of the simply Tatra), was sold to Siemens AG’s Czech subsidiary. KT4, first developed in the mid-1980s) in Prague when This marked the end of production of Tatra tramcars. examining rolling stock options for the UK in the late 1980s. When we discovered that there was only a battery From Tatra to PRAGOIMEX case under the high-floor centre section of the car our team The Communist government of Czechoslovakia had traded proposed that Tatra should make a low-floor section. its engineering products abroad through a state agency and This idea was not taken up at the time, but PRAGOIMEX PRAGOIMEX a.s. was established in 1991 as an indirect has now done something similar and has since retrofitted successor to the earlier activities of that foreign trade most remaining KT8s in this way. All 106 of these cars in agency. Times were hard during this period, no-one the Czech Republic and the eight in Slovakia will have been in Eastern Europe was buying new trams and the firm modernised and fitted with low-floor sections by the end was forced to cut staff – at one time it had less than 30 of 2013. employees. However the crisis in Tatra in 1998 was PRAGOIMEX’s opportunity. Alliance TW Team: A very Czech consortium Tatra had many experts in rolling stock design and The company rapidly recognised that it could progress manufacture and PRAGOIMEX saw the opportunity to from limited modernisation, through rebodying and make use of their skills and personal experiences in uniting remanufacture of old cars, to the production of wholly-new the technical expertise of ČKD Tatra (manufacturers cars. This development was made possible by co-operation of the mechanical parts for trams) and ČKD Tracke between Czech manufacturersPRAGOIMEX a.s., Krnovské (manufacturers of power control parts) in the new company. opravny a strojírny and VKV Prague. Working as part So although PRAGOIMEX has no legal or financial of the as the Alliance TW Team consortium the work is connection with the historic Tatra organisation it is heir to divided up as follows: the design and manufacturing skills of the group. l PRAGOIMEX a.s.: Sales and servicing, project The first commissions concentrated on the renovation management, power and control equipment, door of trams for Czech networks. Although they had been well equipment and spare part supply. designed, Tatra trams only had a design life of 20 years l Krnovské opravny a strojírny: Production technology and suffered from the poor quality of many of the materials and tramcar design. from which they were built. This was particularly true l VKV Prague: Project management and final assembly. of the steel used in the bodyshells and many cars were At present PRAGOIMEX employs around 50 people showing significant signs of corrosion. and across the Alliance TW Team there are around 700 Initially the company provided a like-for-like bodyshell employees in total. exchange, but the firm’s designers soon realised that by Cars modernised under the leadership of PRAGOIMEX extending the shell by the equivalent of one window bay are in operation in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, Plzen they could incorporate a drop centre into the T3/T4 series, and Liberec and in total 200 cars have been supplied to giving an affordable accessible tramcar for those with undertakings in the Czech Republic. The company has also mobility challenges. It is estimated that a remanufactured modernised trams in Kosice and Bratislava in Slovakia, car costs 50-60% of the cost of a new vehicle and will have Osijek in Croatia and Moscow and Volgograd in the a commercial life of 25 years. Russian Federation.

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177-180_TAUT1305_Pragoimex.indd 3 02/04/2013 12:39 PRAGOIMEX: Tatra’s spiritual heir

The firm is also optimistic about the Russian market and those in former Soviet states as many systems seek to re- equip and modernise ageing fleets; Czech trams in Russia are said to have substantial advantages over the competition from the east and west. They are 30% cheaper than western vehicles and are well-proven in even the most demanding weather and operating conditions seen in Russian cities. In 2011 the Alliance TW Team signed a deal with the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, under which they have supplied 20 VarioLF trams worth USD19.8m. Traction packages can vary according to the requirements of operators. For modernisation programmes both dc and ac drives are available, for new-build trams only asynchronous drives are offered. The main supplier of traction equipment for Pragoimex is Škoda Electric, although in some projects equipment from Cegelec has been used. So what is the offering? A look at the firm’s website (www.pragoimex.cz) show two main families of cars – the VarioLF and VarioLF Plus. The main constituent, the VarioLF, consists of four variants, all with low-floor sections:

VarioLF: 36% low-floor 15m bogie car, using a pair of Above: Ostrava, the cars. However, a number of commentators have argued that classic PCC bogies, with a capacity for 93 passengers. Czech Repulbic’s it is actually better for passengers to have a series of flat third largest city floors, linked by clearly defined steps, than to have a car VarioLF2: 22.6m six-axle car using three classic PCC and bordering that gives the illusion of 100% low-floor which in reality bogies, with a capacity for 140 passengers. Poland, is another has many of the seats mounted on plinths and podiums that VarioLF3: 30m eight-axle car using four classic PCC key customer for can make them difficult to access by very small children or bogies, with a capacity for 186 passengers. the modern partial passengers with stiff joints and failing eyesight. low-floor VarioLF Use of the PCC bogie, with its conventional form and VarioLF4: 37.6m ten-axle car using four classic PCC Plus tramcar, soft suspension gives these cars a comfortable ‘limousine’ bogies and an unpowered centre bogie, with a capacity for oredering all three ride, far removed from the sometimes stiff and jolting 236 passengers. variants. ‘sports car’ ride that can sometimes be delivered by the high-tech trucks used under many 100% low-floor All cars are the typical Tatra width of 2.48m and have a articulated cars. floor height above the top of the rail of 860mm at the bogie The trams in the VarioLF Plus series differ mainly with and 350mm in the low-floor sections. Obviously, these cars regards to their lowered floor over the bogies, giving a do impose changes of level within the vehicle against the level of 650mm above the rail surface in comparison with current requirement of many systems for 100% low-floor previous 860mm. This is achieved by use of the Komfort Left: The Komfort bogie, fully fitted with primary and secondary springing (see left). bogie is fitted By comparison to the classic PCC bogie, the primary with primary stage higher vertical suspension will reduce unsprung mass and secondary and also dynamic imposed load of vertical forces; reduce springing. This wheel wear and wear of the rail surface; reduce internal diagram shows and external tramcar noise levels and the improve the ride that first stage is quality for both the passenger and driver. formed by rubber- The car has had a subtle facelift from the 1960s design metal chevron classic T3; this is mainly shown in the cab front, which now suspension, with has a more subtle curve than with the earlier design. the secondary stage The basic 15m two-bogie car is a type that is not offered formed by duplex by the major manufacturers any more, who concentrate on spiral springs with the more complex and track-senstive articulated designs. hydraulic shock This is a huge pity which means that many of the smaller absorbers. Streetcar/downtown circulator systems already in existence or in the planning stages have to buy reproduction ‘heritage‘ cars or remanufacture 1940s PCC cars at great expense. “Over 200 The ready availability of these relatively simple bogie cars, coupled with their reasonable price and the willingness modernised cars of the Alliance TW Team to supply short runs of cars should make the VarioLF and VarioLF Plus strong contenders for have been supplied the growing streetcar market. It is understood that at least one streetcar project in Western Europe has already been in contact with PRAGOIMEX to check the budget cost and to transport availability of these cars for a new system. Their rugged reliability, based on 60 years of accumulated experience, undertakings in the could make them an ideal choice for such new, small systems and their ability to run in multiple should future- Czech Republic.” proof the system if ridership grows rapidly. The articulated cars offer a proven, reliable solution for bigger systems and should make them a contender for cities Left: As well as offering complete trams and where value for money is a significant consideration.TAUT vehicle modernisation, PRAGOIMEX can also supply traction packages and tram frames Thanks to the management of PRAGOIMEX a.s. for its and bodywork. assistance in the preparation of this article.

180 may 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

177-180_TAUT1305_Pragoimex.indd 4 02/04/2013 12:39 SUPPLIERS SERVICES THE INFRASTRUCTURE &To advertise on this page, please contact us on SPECIALISTS +44 (0) 1832 281135 or e-mail [email protected] Legal | Strategy | Public Affairs | Communications

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135_TAUT1305_Supplies.indd 1 05/04/2013 17:04 SAFE • RELIABLE • VERSATILE • FLEXIBLE ERECTING CATENARY AND CONTACT WIRES - THE SRS WAY

THE BASE VEHICLE SRS wiring ‘trains’ are based on a single 26 tonne SRS road rail wiring unit. It carries two hydraulically operated cable drum carriers and is fi tted with wire manipulating rollers both fore and aft. The drum carriers are designed to dispense wire at up to 75% full tension. They can push wire out and reel it in. The manipulating rollers move both laterally and vertically, and horizontal rollers within the roller assembly allow two wires to be dispensed simultaneously, one above the other. This versatile vehicle may be used for many different wiring tasks. Typical is its incorporation in an SRS ‘train’ for putting up catenary and contact wires together.

Using four vehicles, the SRS wiring train eliminates the Using this SRS procedure: need for temporary rollers and slings. The vehicles are: Kinks and wire deformation are virtually eliminated because One 26 tonne SRS wiring unit wires are run at 75% full tension. Also wire run at 75% full tension is unlikely Two 17 ton SRS mobile elevated platforms (MEWPs) to roll over. Thus the task of chasing and fl ushing out twists is removed. A single run through to check the groove is usually suffi cient. One 17 ton SRS scissors platform Sag between rollers and temporary tie wires is minimised They proceed, at half span intervals, as follows: by running near to full tension reducing the risk of kinks and protecting 1. The base vehicle carrying two cable drums, one with catenary and the wire from the damage or contamination which may occur if it one with contact wire. This moves along the track dispensing both touches the ground. catenary and contact wires simultaneously, the catenary above the Flaking is made easy by the variable resistance of the hydraulic contact wire. drum, particularly at the start of a new run. 2. The fi rst MEWP with the catenary wire running in a purpose Correct positioning is ensured by hydraulically controlled guide made grooved roller which is fi xed to the MEWP basket. It can be rollers which may be manipulated both vertically and horizontally so positioned precisely by moving the basket so that the linesman can that wire may be run out as close to the required route as possible clip it directly into the catenary clamp on the contact registration arm. Pulling or towing wire out is eliminated because the drum can ‘pump’ wire out. 3. The second MEWP follows. This time the contact wire is running through a purpose made grooved pulley fi xed to the MEWP basket. Safety is ensured by guide rollers which completely encompass the Again it is positioned by moving the basket and, if the span is long, wire so that it cannot jump free, important for the safety of following fi xed to the catenary by a temporary wire. linesmen. 4. Finally, the scissors platform follows closely, carrying droppers to be It is possible to dispense wire at 5 kph. Speed is usually clipped to both catenary and contact wires limited by the rate at which linesmen can work.

This is just one of many wiring tasks which SRS vehicles can perform with their highly trained and motivated operators. Tell us the task. We will provide the tools and the people.

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Untitled-2 1 03/04/2013 11:22 SRS0069_Railstaff.indd 1 19/03/2013 21:13 systems factfile No. 68 Szczecin, Poland szczecin A population of around 407 000 makes Szczecin the

POLAND seventh-largest city in Poland. After years of declining infrastructure and vehicle quality, the tramway is receiving much-needed new investment through EU project funding.

Words by Neil Pulling

zczecin emerged as a defendable trading community Above: The Szczecin lies within Poland. The centre is 10km overlooking channels of the Odra (Oder), a river Cathedral Basilica (6.2 miles) from the border and about 130km (81 miles) reaching well inland yet joining the Baltic about of St James the north-east of Berlin; Polish capital Warsaw is 450km 60kmS (37 miles) to the north. However conflict was a Apostle overlooks (281 miles) away. regular partner to trade – and being fought over is part of multi-platform Trams are now part of the network administered by Szczecin’s extraordinary history. Originating as a Slavic Wyszyńskiego Szczecin’s roads and transport authority, Zarząd Dróg i settlement, possession by Sweden, the Soviet Union and stop, one of the Transportu Miejskiego (ZDiTM). In January 2009 the Prussia/Germany as well as Poland brought not only tramway’s busiest city’s tramway operating arm was reconstituted as a destruction, but also ethnic and linguistic shifts. locations. limited liability company, Tramwaje Szczecińskie, with Formerly Stettin, Szczecin was one of the cities that Neil Pulling headquarters just off revenue tracks near Krzekowo ceased to be German after World War Two. Accompanied terminus. Like the tramway in having fleet updates in recent by deportations, its current national identity came with years, buses – run by separate companies – are significant the border’s westwards shift to the 1945 Oder-Neisse line. in the ZDiTM network; they incorporate the night service Here the line diverged from the river, thus all of the city of which included trams until 1996. ➤

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183-186_TAUT1305_SF_Szeczin.indd 1 04/04/2013 11:41 Systems Factfile

network facts

. Opened: 1879 (electrified 1897) . Routes: 12 . Approximate route: 60km (37 miles) . Depots: 2 . Approximate weekday hours: 05.00-23.00 . Main frequency: 12 minutes . Gauge: 1435mm . Power: 600V dc overhead supply . Transport Network: ZDiTM (Zarz d Dróg i Transportu Miejskiego) . Tram Operator: Tramwaje Szczeci skie Sp. z o.o.

INFORMATION . Operator: www.ts.szczecin.pl . Timetable detail (with English): www.szczecin.poloko.pl . Network: www.zditm.szczecin.pl/rozklady . Civic and tourism information: www.szczecin.eu

Above: A city centre convergence of several The initial horse-drawn tram service of 1879 included routes at Plac Rodła with ex-Berlin KT4Dt Brama Portowa, the one-time Berlin Gate and a surviving 7046, and modernised 106 in Floating fragment of the city walls. With track layout amended in Garden livery on 23 July 2012. recent rebuilding, this remains a busy tramway location, Howard Pulling one of many central intersections and junctions. The expanding operation was fully electrified by 1898. Left: Szczecin’s initial Swings have a high In August 1945, while still effectively under Soviet proportion of seated accommodation. control, a new Polish regime took over a severely depleted Howard Pulling and damaged system, yet seven lines were active by 1948. Further re-openings, extensions, some closures and line Below: Tram jam – problems with 105Na restructuring followed. Replacing previous German sources, 762 on 20 May 2011 cause a tailback new trams came from Polish manufacturer Konstal (Alstom leading up to Brama Portowa. Neil Pulling from 1997) of Chorzów. Major Konstal classes surviving into the 21st Century were the 102N, withdrawn by 2007, and the 105N which made its Szczecin debut in 1975. These were built in modified form, despite its archaic appearance, as late as 1992. Several 105N variants remain in Szczecin.

Left: From the end of 105Na production in 1992, 1027 and 1028 at riverside Gocław line 6 terminus on 19 August 2006. Neil Pulling Right: Szczecin’s new ‘fast tram’ line will extend from Basen Górniczy: 105N2k 784 arrives there on 23 July 2012. Howard Pulling

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183-186_TAUT1305_SF_Szeczin.indd 2 02/04/2013 13:01

Left: Pairs of Alstom 105N2k on the battered roadway at Brama Portowa in August 2006, an area subject to infrastructure renewal in 2012. Neil Pulling

Below: Swing 804 on track between the Energetyków carriageways on the Odra’s eastern bank, 23 July 2012. Howard Pulling

Over 30 ex-Düsseldorf Düwag GT6 operated from 1996, their withdrawal by 2009 prompted by spares shortages and alternatives becoming available. This took the form of 105N rebuilds and stock becoming redundant by transition to low-floor trams in Germany. Although high-floor and visibly not modern, the ČKD Tatra ex-Berlin KT4D and T6A2D trams have nevertheless improved service reliability and reduced the fleet’s average age. This will fall markedly as more PESA Swing, built in Bydgoszcz, Poland, are added to the initial batch of six delivered in 2010-11. Palpably a new generation with five sections, low-floor throughout and an advanced passenger information system, Szczecin’s 120NaS Swing forced infrastructure modification. The newcomers needed more clearance and are less tolerant than the Konstal/ČKD types of varied track conditions; they are still accordingly limited to certain routes. Rebuilding after World War Two and limited resources gave Szczecin a patchy look, leaving austere blocks next to careful restorations and many open spaces. Historically the city’s fortune, the river remains a distinguishing feature with the fleet a mixture of port, ship repair and leisure activities. There is a small ‘old town’, but it is away from the commercial Most depleted by newer stock arrivals, original Konstal 105/105Na seem likely centre. There is no central showpiece restoration and to remain until late 2013. The 14 Alstom 105N2k/S/2000 with rounded ends for guidebooks tend to be lukewarm about Szczecin. This is not easier damage repair are very apparent Konstal derivatives, introduced in 2001 with justified however, and in 2008 the local authority launched six more from Protram in 2007. Less obviously so are the Modertrans Alfa105N/S/ a promotional corporate theme, Floating Garden 2050. HF; following 501/502 of 2009, there is a current programme for ten such rebuilds. Difficult to disentangle tangibles from general branding, at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe's yellow with Szczecin branding is a prominent livery due least in English explanations, the campaign has however to the scale of arrivals from Berlin. Szczecin has bought over 70 KD Tatra articulated brought a new livery to Szczecin’s newest trams and buses, 1984-87 KT4D since 2006, with the latest 42-strong arrivals continuing into 2013; and is now appearing on rebuilt older trams. some have been further modernised locally. Some 52 of the newer single car T6A2D The first Swing trams were delivered in the new corporate have entered service. The six PESA Swing 102NaS are 31.8m long and 2.35m wide. colours: a white background, rounded grey shapes plus The first of the second batch, 22 102NaS2, arrived in January 2013, with completion of deliveries due by spring 2014. These are closer to the Swing specification for blue and green detailing. Similarly tagged, the latest Warsaw, the type’s main customer, being 1.5m shorter and with 200 rather than 211 ZDiTM network diagram with German and English content capacity. The 28 Swing should approximate to a quarter of Szczecin’s fleet. (www.zditm.szczecin.pl/schematy/tramwaje.pdf – Polish Several Szczecin liveries remain pending wider application of the Floating Garden language must be enabled) is a great improvement on its 2050 scheme or vehicle withdrawal. predecessors, now showing all stop names and with better ➤

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183-186_TAUT1305_SF_Szeczin.indd 3 02/04/2013 13:01 Systems Factfile

szczecin: essential FACTS How do I get there? By rail: Berlin is a likely entry point for Szczecin. From Berlin Hbf – some trains start at Gesundbrunnen – around two hours, most with a change at Angermünde. DB’s Brandenburg–Berlin Ticket, EUR29 for up to five people, covers regional train travel to Szczecin and ZDiTM trams and buses. By air: Direct Ryanair from London Stansted, Liverpool, Bristol, Edinburgh and Dublin to Szczecin Goleniów airport, about 45km (28 miles) from central Szczecin; bus connections timed according to flights. Local travel: If not covered by a DB Ticket or 1-3 day Szczecin Tourist Card, there is a range of time-limited ZDiTM network tickets, from 15 minutes/ PLN2 upwards. The PLN12 (approx. EUR2.87) day ticket is more convenient. Ticket validation essential to avoid a PLN182 spot fine. What is there to see? Excellent free ‘Mini Guide’ is available from tourist offices. Red-lined pavement route links main sites, although Szczecin’s patchwork nature and relaxed atmosphere makes wandering rewarding. The Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle is amongst several impressive restorations and viewpoints near the Odra. River and port tours from the quay near tram 6 route. The Baltic resort and port of winouj cie is an interesting side trip by train or hydrofoil from Szczecin. T6A2D 209+210 with the Odra and Dworzec Główny, the main railway station’s stop in the background. Howard Pulling

line designation. Ideally print versions will also be much Right: 1962-built more readily available to visitors than has often previously Konstal 4N1 293 on been the case. a special service at With line 10 (the shortest at 5.8km/3.6 miles) reinstated Plac Grunwaldzki, after a 20-year absence in 2012, the 1435 mm gauge transformed to a uni-directional system now has 12 lines (numbered 1-12) city beach resort in totalling around 110km (69 miles). Like Szczecin itself, summer 2011. most of the system is on the left (Lewobrzeże) Odra bank. Neil Pulling On the right bank is just the line through a mainly industrial area to Basen Górniczy. In January 2013 the Polish- Austrian consortium Mytoll-Strabag won the contract to Below: The initial build a 4km (2.5-mile) extension from Basen Górniczy to ul pair of Modertrans Truskawkowa, adding four new stops east of the Odra. EU 105N/S/HF, project funding contributions require completion by 2015. Szczecin’s most Although large areas of this low-density population city comprehensive are not tram-served, the lines give wide coverage with rebuilds. Neil Pulling several termini on the edge of the built-up area. There is dedicated right of way, about two-thirds of the total, and street running. In places this is superimposed on a central layout that drew inspiration from French city boulevards. Most stops are basic, some just being designated pavement sections. Some feature news/tobacco kiosks, also a source of transport tickets. Trams connect the riverside main railway station, Szczecin Główny, with the uphill city centre. There are two active depots, denoted by Zajezdnia on adjacent tram stops. Allocations are indicated by the fleet number of their respective vehicles. Begun in 1934 and subsequently rebuilt, the large Pogodno (four-digit trams) depot on the northern end of lines 1 and 9 is now designated for major reconstruction for completion in early 2015 to maintain the enlarged Swing fleet. Riverside Golęcin (three-digit trams) on line 6 has origins with the initial electrification. Former Niemierzyn depot has been converted to house the Museum of Technology and Transport (en.muzeumtechniki.eu) that includes tram exhibits. A summer weekend Line 0 tour uses heritage vehicles. TAUT

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LRA_1305.indd 1 05/04/2013 18:47

187_TAUT_LRAand Frauchser.indd 1 05/04/2013 18:48 Budapest Budapest: Rebuilding one of Europe’s largest tramways The Hungarian capital has a wide and varied urban rail network, with busy services and the longest trams in the world; Gergely Horn from transport authority BKK and Dr Zoltán Varga and Illés Fodor from operator BKV explore the complex task of upgrading these vital services.

urrently there are two main actors in the public transport sector in Budapest: BKK Centre for Budapest Transport, the public transport authority, Cand its main internal operator BKV, the Budapest Transport Company. Additionally, one private bus operator is also currently contracted by BKK to provide public services. BKK was established in 2010 and integrates the financial and professional management of road and local rail transport and the operation of other transport modes. BKK is responsible for strategy and project management of transport investments and developments, as well as the management of the public service contracts of BKV and private bus operators. In its new role, BKK is also the beneficiary of all EU-funded major projects of public transport infrastructure and rolling stock. BKV manages several types of vehicles and transport modes in an integrated transport system in the city and vicinity of Budapest, including trams, buses, trolleybuses, the metro, suburban railway, cog-wheel railway, chairlift, riverboats and funicular. The operation of the urban surface railways, i.e. trams, the cog-wheel railway, funicular and chairlift is managed by one directorate. A history of public transport in Budapest The city’s first horse tramway opened in 1866 and electrified services began 21 years later. At the time the municipality Above: The track a fixed base; the method became very popular, not just in did not approve the installation of overhead wires to avoid of Kőrösi Csoma Budapest but in other Central and Eastern European cities. visual intrusion of the street view, and a conduit system Sándor út has been Operators have to pay special attention to the condition of provided power for the first tramlines. The first line with suffering from the this track. Panels had to be lined with asphalt for isolation overhead wire was opened in the suburbs in 1891. typical problems and require regular changes of the railbed. These actions, The conduit system suffered from several problems, of BKV ’panels’ in practice, mostly failed, causing a sag in the panels, and however, and its operation was quite expensive. These require and is one of the the deterioration of lateral and vertical stability of the rails; a special rail profile called Haarman, a twin-rail profile with many sections the condition became critical in the late 1990s, with the most a gap between the two rails where the plough could reach the serious problems on routes with the highest traffic. power rail. The last conduit track was replaced with catenary of the Budapest Although some major problems have been tackled, many in 1923 and is still used on some depot tracks in Budapest. tramway under sections of the tram network were forced to adopt speed Electrified lines using a catenary system are usually built reconstruction. restrictions; of course, reducing service speeds caused with a grooved or Vignoles rail. Freight traffic ran on Illés Fodor increased travel times. To remedy this situation complex tramlines from the beginning until 1996, with goods wagons transferred to and from the main line railway. Special tracks Below: The were needed where freight traffic was regular. Grand Boulevard Special rails were used on bridges and in ’BKV panels’ of Budapest in (slab track with embedded rail). In recent years S49 profile the 1890s. The rails have been used for the ballasted tracks and Ph69 profile plough of the rails for the paved ones. trams reached the conductor rails The situation after the 1990s in the conduit. The political and economic changes of the 1990s Cleaning the dramatically altered the opportunities available to the conduit was a very transport operator. Unfortunately, the amount of revenue complicated process. and the owner’s regular financial support has continuously Collection of BKV decreased. This economic crisis caused a lack of maintenance of the infrastructure, and especially of track maintenance; track conditions deteriorated further as several refurbishment projects had to be cancelled. Wear and tear across on the whole network, but the most serious problems emerged on the tracks built by the so-called ’BKV panel’ technology. This technology was expanded in the 1970s as a simple and fast method of track construction. Special rails were laid in prefabricated concrete panels which were then laid onto

188 may 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

188-192_TAUT1305_Track Feature.indd 1 08/04/2013 12:55 service development projects were planned using external Refurbishment and extension route 1 Budapest’s tram financial resources such as loans from the World Bank and Refurbishment of route 3 network, with later European Union funding. These projects concentrate Connection between middle and north Buda projected extensions. on the reconstruction and extension of the main tramlines Extension to route 42 with high traffic volumes. At the same time, local funding is used for the maintenance of the other network branches with lower passenger volumes. Recently, BKK and BKV have concentrated on the annual amortisation replacement part of the public service contract for maintenance of the tram network. This programme focuses on those deteriorated tram sections where the speed limit is below 30km/h (18.5mph), or the track condition jeopardises the safety of parallel road traffic. Permanent way reconstruction The Grand Boulevard, Budapest’s main ring road, is by far the busiest route on the tramway network and is served by two lines, 4 and 6. These two lines transport around 10 000/hr/direction and generate almost half a million weekday trips – similar to the volumes of a small metro. This is possibly the busiest tramline in the world. The most important elements of any urban public transportation are journey comfort, safety, reliability, accessibility and public participation in the planning process. To satisfy these demands, a complex programme was carried out in 2006-07. The main technical elements included the purchase of modern rolling stock, introduction Tram network data of a revised maintenance system for the older trams and reconstruction of the infrastructure involving upgrades to the . Number of lines – 31 . Total length of lines – 247km (153.5 miles) track, stops and the energy supply system. . Network length – 159.9km (97.5 miles) . Number of stops – 627 . Such intensive services requires a short headway – the Average vehicle fleet – 622 headway on this route is two minutes during peak hours – and large-capacity vehicles. Record-holding trams run on the Combino vehicles. The articulated Ganz vehicles that Below left: Combino this line: the Siemens Combino NF12B vehicles are 53.99m formerly served this route do not have this capacity. With this 2018 arriving at long, the longest passenger trams currently in service development, about 30% energy savings can be achieved. Nyugati pályaudvar anywhere in the world. In a later phase, prioritisation was given for trams on lines (Western railway New maintenance facilities were created for the Combino 4 and 6, entailing the new co-ordination of the traffic lights station) on the vehicles, so construction was also carried out at the depot, with a 120-second cycle time whereby trams get the green Grand Boulevard – including a lathe for reshaping wheel profiles. On account light twice per cycle. Also, the new two-minute headway has the busiest tramline of the low-floor design, much of the vehicle’s equipment is seen a decrease in overall travel times of around 10%. in the world. mounted on the tram’s roof, so new podiums had to be built The outstanding load of the more than 110-ton-vehicles Dr Zoltán Varga for maintenance. With the help of 18 newly-equipped jacks, (with passengers) has a significant impact on the permanent the whole 54m vehicle can be lifted at once. way. This attrition requires continuous maintenance. The Comprehensive infrastructure maintenance works were non-stop service is therefore regularly suspended for four Below: Entire carried out, with the track in the worst condition, especially hours each fortnight to facilitate minor maintenance, such 54m trams can in sharp curves, renewed. Continuously supported track as reshaping the track profile with rail grinders. Large-scale be maintained was installed, with rubber isolator profiles for reducing refurbishment can be carried out only during longer outages. and serviced maintenance time and cost as well as for decreasing noise within Budapest’s and vibration. New stops were built, raising the platform Track expansion through EU funding expanded and height to meet the vehicle floor. EU-funded projects are in progress on two major transversal modernised depots. The power supply system was rebuilt through the lines (1 and 3) and on another, currently rather neglected Here Combino 2030 restructuring of energy supply sections and converting the line (17). Substantial sections of these routes require urgent is under inspection. radial supply system to a parallel one, so the system can reconstruction. The northern half of line 1 will be completely Dr Zoltán Varga utilise recuperated energy effectively that is supplied by renewed, while the southern end will be extended south from

www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org may 2013 189

188-192_TAUT1305_Track Feature.indd 2 08/04/2013 12:55 Budapest

routes, establishing an interconnecting network on the Buda side of the city. Detailed design plans of these projects have been completed and are under approval at the national railway authority. Construction is planned to start in 2014, co-financed by the Cohesion Fund. This project also entails reorganisation and refurbishment of Széll Kálmán tér, the busiest section of North-Buda with six tramlines, metro line M2 and several local and regional bus routes. The total cost of this programme is projected at HUF13.6bn (EUR45m), with a co-financing rate of 70%. Further plans include the extension of line 42 eastwards to Pestszentlőrinc. The 2.9km (1.8-mile) line is one of the shortest routes in Budapest and runs in the residential Kispest district. The state railway line forms a barrier at the terminus of the tramway at present. A new underpass is planned for the trams and 3km (1.86 miles) of new track is projected to reach two large housing estates, Havanna and Gloriett. It is hoped implementation of this project can begin in 2014 for completion in 2020, subject to approval of final plans. Studies for other new routes are currently under public procurement. The most important issue is the rebuilding of the left bank of the River Danube to the right bank via Rákóczi track on the busiest city centre roads (Rákóczi and Bajcsy- híd (bridge) to Fehérvári út, where it will be connected to Zsilinszky roads), where tram traffic ceased in the 1970s north-south arterial lines 18, 41 and 47 thereby forming an when the underground sections of metro lines M2 and M3 extended high-capacity ring crossing the Danube twice. were completed. These projects are intended to revitalise the In the next phase, line 1 will join Kelenföld railway station most important arteries of the city centre, which currently and intermodal junction, which will also be the western function mainly as highways for car traffic within the city. terminus of the new driverless metro line M4. In the north, In line with these infrastructure developments, BKK has an extension of the tramline to the town border is also under created a separate plan for rolling stock development. In analysis. This feasibility study also contains an intermodal the first phase of this programme, 12 long (52-56m) and hub with the Budapest-Esztergom suburban railway and 25 ‘normal’ (32-36m) fully low-floor trams will be procured, also the reconfiguration of an existing bus depot for tram and three existing depots will be partially refurbished for operation and maintenance. their operation and maintenance. The new vehicles will be The reconstruction of tramline 3 involves track replacement operated on the refurbished and extended lines mixed with of sections that are in poor condition. All platforms will be Tatra T5C5 and TW6000 (ex-Hannover) trams, and represent rebuilt, preparing them for the new low-floor trams planned an accessible transport supply between 33-50% in peak hours to start operation from 2015. Line 3 has a short single-track (every second or third departure). The rolling stock contract section at the crossing with MÁV Hungarian National will contain options for further cars to be distributed on every Railways’ track; a second track is planned, removing the important line of the city. The Cohesion Fund co-finance rate last single-track section of the Budapest network. The exact for this programme is 84%, with the European Commission routing of the further phases to extend line 3 are under approval process ongoing as TAUT went to press. dispute, however in the future it will reach Csepel Island and the Buda side in the southern area of the city via new bridges. Improving infrastructure for people The projects for lines 1 and 3 are approved by the European with reduced mobility Commission as a major project and are co-financed by One of the main goals of these tramway development the Cohesion Fund. BKK is to start construction in the projects is facilitating the mobility of disabled passengers. summer of 2013 with a total investment cost of HUF41bn In-depth consultation has been carried out with different (EUR135m) with a co-financing commitment of 80%. associations representing the interests of handicapped The Buda Interconnected Tram project links routes people and passengers with small children. Also organised 19/41 and 17 between Batthyány tér and Margit híd on the were platform tests where the usability of different types of Danube embankment opposite the Parliament buildings and wheelchairs and prams were studied. Taking these practical reactivates the connection between Grand Boulevard lines experiences, a 26cm (10.2in) high standard platform was 4/6 and 17. Line 17 is currently isolated from the other parts developed, which has been widely used in recent projects. of the network of Buda with only a connection to line 1. In Budapest many types of trams are operated with Completing this project will result in two north-south trunk different car widths – 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5m – and the platform distance from the track centre line is varied. On the Grand Boulevard, where only 2.4m-wide Combinos run fitted with a supplementary threshold, the distance is 1.3m, creating a 5cm gap. On other lines, served by wider trams, the distance is 1.33m. This raised platform allows boarding and alighting Above: The without assistance for the majority of the wheelchair users. signalling system EU-funded projects on lines 1 and 3 and the Buda of Bécsi út was Interconnected Tram Network project will transform all built on the base of platforms on these lines to ensure accessibility once low- state railways’ D55 floor operations begin. system. Illés Fodor Questions of the signalling system Below: Snow-broom Budapest’s tramway has its own signalling system, similar to heavy railways’ equipment at some termini originating from 7117 is the newest the pre-metro period when there was a larger network with one in Budapest, big termini, and high traffic tram routes crossed the tracks of built in 1965 with other lines. BKV employed staff who operated the switches a steel body. It is and signalling system at every terminus until the early 1990s. working on line 17 Some of these huge termini were abolished when several on 14 January 2013. tramlines were shortened simultaneously with the expansion Illés Fodor of the metro, and many have been automated.

190 may 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

188-192_TAUT1305_Track Feature.indd 3 08/04/2013 12:55 Above left: The funicular of the Castle Hill transports passengers every day. This picture was taken at the lower station of the double-track line. Illés Fodor Above right: The cog-wheel railway is operated by BKV. Train 51-61 is waiting at Orgonás station on 3 March 2013. Illés Fodor However, the usual maximum speed is just 10-15km/h with artists, authors and actors, and as an excursion location (6-9mph) on the switches and crossings in the termini; for the city’s residents. This development demanded new official legislation requires traffic operators to plan, build transport links, achieved by an extended network of omnibus and operate these signalling systems. In the course of the and horse tram lines in the second half of the 19th century. newest developments of the simple termini, not involved in Nikolaus Riggenbach, designer of Europe’s first cog-wheel the sections equipped with automatic block signals, a more railway, the Vitznau-Rigi line, came to Hungary in 1870 and flexible control system is sought using risk analysis. three years later submitted a plan for a line to Svábhegy. Construction began immediately and the inaugural train ran Winter operation on 24 June 1874, with regular services beginning the next Budapest has a Continental climate. Summer can be very day. The entire line was built for cog-wheel operation based hot with temperatures approaching 35°C, but in winter the on the Riggenbach technology: it is a single-track, standard- total snowfall is about one metre per year. Snow and ice on gauge line with a length of 2.8m (1.7 miles). The altitude switches is melted by electrical heaters and snow-brooms differential between the two termini is 264 metres (289 appear six to eight times annually on the tramlines. yards). After the successful operation of the initial years, the The two oldest cars of this vehicle type were manufactured line was extended to the Széchenyi-hegy, so the total route by the Budapest Urban Tramway (BVVV) company in 1910. length has been 3.7km (2.3 miles) since 1890. They were initially built as covered motor wagons, and in When the concession expired in 1926, BSZKRT, the 1963 were converted to snow-brooms. Other motor wagons predecessor of BKV, took over operation and began extensive were fitted with brooms in the 1950s and 1960s: BKV modernisation works the following year. Besides track renewal currently has nine such vehicles. The broom is driven by an and the abandonment of the steam engines, electrification independent motor with its own controller. was introduced, and since that time the line has been part of the urban tramway operation. During a second major Special railway services reconstruction phase in 1973, the track was converted to a Owing to the hilly landscape of the Buda side of the city, Strub system, and high platforms were built for easier boarding. special railway services were established. Mechanised about the The trains operate on 1500V dc, compared to the 600V dc of urban transportation began very early on in Budapest, in the authors the tramway, and the line has a special structure gauge. 19th Century. The funicular began operation in 1870; the Gergely Horn: There are plans to integrate the railway into the city’s tram cog-wheel railway was built in 1874 and the first tramline Head of Division network within a future development project of the line. A opened in 1887 – the third in the world. We celebrated its Strategy, detailed feasibility study of this is ready, with BKK applying 125th anniversary last year (see TAUT 902, February 2013). for the detailed planning of this investment. The cog-wheel Development and The first underground railway in Europe, after London’s railway will connect Széll Kálmán tér intermodal junction in ‘Tube’, opened in 1896. Much later, in 1970, transport Projects, BKK a valley and Normafa recreation forest in the Buda hills. connections to the hills of Budapest were complemented The project covers complete rolling stock replacement and with a further transport operation, the chair-lift. All these Dr Zoltán Varga: a new signalling system. The new vehicles are to be capable modes have belonged to the tram division of BKV, except Head of of running both on cog-wheels and adhesion, just like a tram. the underground railway, which was assigned to the newly- Department Tram established metro division in 1970 when construction of Traffic, BKV Chairlift additional metro lines began. The highest peak of Budapest is János-hegy, 529m (1736ft) Illés Fodor: above sea level. The chairlift was built in 1970; covering the Funicular Head of Section 1041m distance from the lower to the upper station takes 15 In the second half of the 19th Century several Ministries Tram Technology, minutes, while it climbs 262m. There are 102 two-seat chairs, and Government offices were relocated to the Castle district, BKV following each other every 14 seconds. The chairlift is which increased traffic demands by employees and clients. To driven by an electric engine situated at the upper station. TAUT satisfy their travel needs, along with the additional demand of local residents, a funicular was built between the bank of the BKV Statistical data Danube and the castle in 1870, driven by a steam engine with Passenger transport Performance BKV TRAM the power house located at the lower end of the line. After . Number of passengers: 1 372 081 000 389 690 000 having been demolished in World War Two it was rebuilt in 1986, but driven by an electric engine at the upper station. . Passenger kilometres: 5 110 583 000 1 007 583 000 The length of the track is 101m, with a height differential of . Average travel distance: 3.72km (2.31 miles) 2.59km (1.61 miles) 50.5m. Besides commuter traffic, most passengers nowadays Quality-efficiency (traffic) indicators are tourists wishing to admire the breathtaking panorama. . Space (km) 19 275 313 000 4 106 422 000 Cog-wheel railway . Useful vehicle (km): 171 920 000 29 048 000 Until the middle of the 18th Century, the hilly Buda area of . Hours of operation: 1 397 670 Budapest was covered with vineyards and forests. Several . Train (km): 18 725 000 villas were built and the district gradients became popular

www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org may 2013 191

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192_TAUT1305_Track Ads.indd 5 08/04/2013 12:42 Advertorial STRAILastic: Simplifying the renewals process It may well be that the elephant in the room for The final seal, generally a poured curing many networks is what happens when you have elastomer, is also made simpler by the use to do something after that great ribbon-cutting, of STRAILastic_KFV, which can be used and your new, or upgraded system, requires in wet conditions (water enhances the curing track renewal or even general maintenance. rate) and with features that work to minimise If you are lucky the original track layout the ‘meniscus’ effect creating ridges and might permit ways to work around the removal stresses that can lead to early failure of of a section of track or other important the bond, with vertical irregularities in the infrastructure, but all too often there will be surface abutting the railhead, which some a need to sever a route to relay rails. Many of specifications pull in to +/- 3 mm (essentially the first sections of route for ‘reborn trams’ in to match tolerances applied to the rest of the the UK are now reaching the age where rail pavement to prevent trips and falls). renewal or major reprofiling is needed on the embedded rail street track sections. Renewals in Hannover Above: The final sealing process, using the versatile For some systems this has come earlier that The ability to break out track, with trams still STRAILastic_KFV, which can be used across a wide anticipated, due to more rapid deterioration of running, and get them back as soon as rails are temperature range and in wet conditions. early systems of rail embedding, which let in reconnected, delivers whole-life cost benefits. water or allowed rail movement with resulting The STRAILastic system builds in this ability damage to the road surface. In some respects as it can be removed and recovered without this has driven construction towards unduly specialist stripping kit, meaning the length of robust and heavyweight methodology with the time a route has to be closed is minimised, and potential of building in problems in 20-30 years recovered materials easily sorted for recycling. when the need to repair or renew comes around again – and a fearsome cost for remedial work. Grooved – or not? VeloSTRAIL marked a turning point with a Go green and save the crossing design that could viably be installed (maintenance) budget in the carriageway and then used by road One good maxim is to put as much track traffic running parallel with the rails. Since off-street as possible on reserved rights 2007 road-rail bridges in the Port of Hamburg of way. Proposals for the Wirrral Waters have used veloSTRAIL gauge panels to Above: veloSTRAIL installation in Geneva showing the Streetcar aim to do this and historically one make them substantially safer for cycling grooved rail cut back to install the veloSTRAIL units. can still see the broad grassed median strips In Chemnitz, substantial areas of where Glasgow’s extensive system once carriageway – crossing often tightly curved radiated out along major ‘boulevard’ corridors. track – have been fitted from tailored In this respect the renaissance of grass crossings on curves down to 25m radius, and track systems are significant, where standard mixing the heavy duty pontiSTRAIL with Vignoles rail sections and clip fixings are the light pedeSTRAIL to provide composite encased in close-fitted rubber or similar crossings for vehicles and pedestrians. insulation. This delivers the required In Geneva, locations where the flangeway electrical isolation and keeps the soil from the grooves caused issues for cyclists, a ‘Hamburg’ steel, making rail renewals relatively simple. conversion saw insertion of veloSTRAIL panels within the roadway. The ‘production’ Embedded track – Building in system delivered the converted section within costs for the future? an impressive four hours. The choice of street track puts a large amount For light traffic, profilSTRAIL of additional cost and issues into the mix. The accommodates Vignoles rail with access for STRAILastic system uses separate close- removal and replacement in apron areas such fitting rubber mouldings to encase the rail, as in depots and container bases. It is not Above: STRAILedge in use in Mulhouse. The removable where the traditional grooved rail with running currently offered for use on heavily-trafficked profile closes the gap between tram and platform surface and keeper are used. Advantages over roads, but it does point to a future that may no a basic encapsulation include: longer require unquestioned use of grooved with generous clearance at track level. rail for every tram system, with rail renewals l The ability to have firm lateral location of and maintenance no longer a disruptive activity Other services the rail, whilst introducing a variable level generating vast amounts of noise and dust. of vertical compliance – from basic STRAIL (UK) works closely with STRAILastic_L to STRAILastic_W. Mind what gap? SRS Rail System Ltd, with the latter l A close ‘fit’ at the road surface, with a As a retro-fit item it is also worth mentioning often using the Track Access Panel minimum number of joints to seal and align, STRAILedge. Developed for French (TAPSTRAIL) system to get their and equally to break out when the rail needs customers who required a 20mm gap for vehicles on track. to be accessible for repairs and renewals. level boarding of wheelchairs from platform The company hires out a growing l Easy removal and re-use of the to tram, it enables gaps to be bridged while fleet of specialist road-rail vehicles and STRAILastic units. keeping access for special/out of gauge highly-experienced operators. Recent vehicles by being designed for removal work for the Paisley Canal Line project This last point makes it a cleaner and easier or able to withstand the occasional knock erected OHL steelwork and wiring task to carry out welded repairs and refit the without damage to the platform or vehicle. within just 44 days, start to finish, blocks, rather than having to cut away (or With increasing concern over the risks ahead of time and on budget. otherwise prevent the issues arising from heat of passengers falling between vehicles and The SRS ‘wiring train’ of vehicles can affecting the polymers used) and then re-cast platform faces, and the benefits of roll-on recover and run-out OHL wiring as a polymer encapsulation, invariably in less than access for wheelchairs and prams, this co-ordinated operation. ideal site conditions. product has potential for wider use.

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www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org may 2013 193

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AUSTRALIA

BROADBEACH – SOUTHPORT. The first 43m Bombardier Flexity tram for the new Gold Coast Rapid Transit line is being shipped from Hamburg to Brisbane after construction at Bautzen. A. Bailey MELBOURNE. W-class tram 861, prepared by the Bendigo Trust, has been installed in Wattle Park to replace the previous example that was burnt out by vandals. Herald Sun

AUSTRIA Although the Alstom Citadis for Dubai will not be delivered until December, in February one of the first sets GMUNDEN. The town council has given was taken to RailTec at Wien-Arsenal for climate testing. RailTec approval to the planned 700m extension of the Stern & Hafferl tramway to link with service on route 510 in 2014. Work has started on BORDEAUX. The Council of the urban the Gmunden – Vorchdorf light railway. The the 8.6km (5.3-mile) Spadina metro extension community has awarded contracts for 7.2km EUR30m project should be completed in 2017. from Downsview to Vaughan Metropolitan (4.5 miles) of new line to link the Ravezies The province of Oberösterreich will contribute Centre. Completion is due for autumn 2016. terminus of tramline C and Blanquefort station, 80% of the funding. A tender will be issued for With bids for federal infrastructure funds, used by the tram-train service linking Bordeaux new low-floor LRVs. IRJ the TTC is expecting to request money for and Le Verdon. Completion is due in 2014. RGI LINZ. The city council has approved a city centre relief subway from Union to CLERMONT-FERRAND. The TVR line will the EUR70m, 4.4km (2.73-mile) extension Pape. However Mayor Ford has revived his be closed from 8 July to 26 August to permit of line 3 south from Leonding to Pasching idea for extension of the Sheppard subway to heavy maintenance of the infrastructure which, and Schloss Traun. Work starts in 2014 for Scarborough. Regional agency Metrolinx has it is hoped, will improve reliability. T-2000 completion in 2015. RGI already said Sheppard will be light rail. GRENOBLE. The eastern section of tramline WIEN (Vienna). New B1 ULF trams 755-62 GO Transit has ordered 28 more commuter rail C will be suspended for 13 weeks from July to entered service on route 43 in February. EB cars from Bombardier. J. F. Bromley, E. B. Havens permit construction for the new line E. T-2000 LYON. Metro line B will be extended by BANGLADESH COLOMBIA 1.8km (1.1 miles) to Gare d’Oulines from 11 December. T-2000 CHITTAGONG. Commuter rail service was MEDELLIN. A EUR70.3m contract has been PARIS. Metro line 4 was extended from Porte inaugurated on 16 March using Chinese-built awarded to Spanish civil engineering company d’Orleans to Mairie de Montrouge on 23 diesel trains. E. B. Havens OHL for a 4.3km (2.7-mile) Translohr rubber- March. A. Senut DHAKA. Japan has agreed to provide tyred tramline along Avenida de Ayacucho as TOURS. The opening of the new tramway JPY10.4bn (EUR86m) towards construction of part of the Corredor Verde project. E. B. Havens (15km, 9.3 miles, from Lycée Vaucanson to the 11km (seven-mile) first phase of a 20.1km Joué les Tours) has been fixed for 31 August.BS (12.5-mile) metro line, for completion in 2019. CZECH REPUBLIC VALENCIENNES. Tramline 2 from Croix d’Anzin to Vieux Condé (15.5km, 9.6 miles) BELGIUM BRNO. Expected this year are six VarioLFR.E will open on 16 December. A. Senut four-axle trams and two six-axle articulated cars BRUXELLES/BRUSSEL. On 31 August from Pragoimex. BS GERMANY tramline 94, the city’s longest, will be split OSTRAVA. Delivered in 2012 were eight into two routes: 93 (Stade – Legrand) and 94 VarioLF four-axle trams 1350-7; 41 modernised AACHEN. A vote on the Campusbahn tram- (Louise – Woluwe). Tatra T3 remain in the fleet. BS train project saw 66% votes against the project. Politicians are now considering the options. DS BRAZIL DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AUGSBURG. The Bombardier Primove test equipment on the Messe tram branch has been RIO DE JANEIRO. The Carioca tramway SANTO DOMINGO. Construction work on removed and normal service resumed. DS remains closed. The delivery of 14 new two- the east–west metro line 2 from Maria Montez BERLIN. Route 61 to Rahnsdorf is threatened axle trams built by TTrans of Trés Rios should to Eduardo Brito was completed to permit with closure. According to local media reports, start in November. Passenger service should be passenger service on 30 March. E. B. Havens the cost of renewing 2.5km (1.5 miles) of track offered by the 2014 FIFA World Cup. BS is too costly. ESTONIA A group of 30 stored Tatra T6 trams have CANADA been sent to Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine, while TALLINN. After losing its first court challenge, a kilometre of Berlin’s oldest U-Bahn tunnel EDMONTON. The P3 Canada Fund Stadler is continuing to dispute the award of a is being renewed under Bismarckstrasse and investment company is to contribute CAD250m contract for new trams to CAF. news.err.ee Richard-Wagner-Strasse in Charlottenburg. (EUR191m) towards a 30-year Public Private Work on the 107-year-old structure will run until Partnership to build the 13.2km (8.2-mile) FRANCE December 2016, while trains continue to run. south-east–west light rail line. E. B. Havens On the city’s S-Bahn, operations have TORONTO. The first on-street night-time tests AUBAGNE. Construction work started on regained 92.5% reliability, with 562 units of the new Bombardier articulated trams took 25 February. The first section should open for available for service. This compares with 459 place on 13-15 March. The first examples enter passenger service in spring 2014. A. Senut in February 2012.

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A fares increase is planned for 1 July, with a Theater; 12, extended from Damaschkestrasse Pleanála (Ireland’s planning board) suggested minimum fare of EUR1.50. The AB Tageskarte to Vogelweide. DS an island platform at the southbound stop would increase tickets to EUR6.70. BS HAMBURG. The city council has signed better handle the traffic but the RPA, National BIELEFELD. 14 Stadtbahn-M trams (521- a subsidy agreement with S-Bahn GmbH Transport Authority and Dublin Bus do not 3/5/6/8-34/6/7) have been sold to a Polish that runs until 2033 and is worth EUR75m/ favour this option on the grounds that it would dealer. It is believed they have been resold to year. By 2018 the company will order 146 new result in shared running with ordinary traffic. Lodz. Still in service are 516/24/38-559. BS S-Bahn units. BS Dublin City Council will advertise suggested BREMEN. Tenders were briefly issued for up HANNOVER. Regional elections produced names for the new bridge currently under to 80 100% low-floor trams up to 37m long. The a new Red-Green coalition in the Land construction from Marlborough Street at Eden notice in the European Gazette was withdrawn parliament, and it seems routes 10 and 17 will Quay to Hawkins Street at Burgh Quay over the shortly afterwards. be retained on surface tracks in the city centre Liffey. This will carry the link line between the Tramline 8 was cut back to Domsheide from instead of further tram subway construction. Red and Green lines of Luas. The council will 2 February, turning on a loop via Am Brill, for A new terminus will be created at Raschplatz, only accept nominations for deceased persons. road works lasting until October. despite protest marches against this decision. BS Sunday 10 March was the last day of KASSEL. To inform debate about whether ISLE OF MAN operation in usual passenger service for the two to purchase low-floor trailers from Rostock, surviving Wegmann sets of four-axle articulated preserved two-axle tram 228 has been used as MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY / ISLE OF trams+trailers; 3538 is still used for driver a virtual trailer for test runs, towed by low-floor MAN STEAM RAILWAY. Regular timetabled training. The event was marked by a special articulated tram 606. BS services began during March on all lines, with passenger service featuring the survivors and LEIPZIG. 20 withdrawn Tatra trailers have been the Snaefell Mountain Railway being the last museum cars. scrapped, while T4D works car 5032 has been to start ready for Easter on 27 March. Its re- The 800m extension of route 1 to Nusshorn to withdrawn. Tatra 2194 is being used to operate opening was to see the launch of tram 1, Mahndorf opened on 2 April. BS a special service, S, carrying technical centre completely reconstructed by local workshops CHEMNITZ. The ceremony marking the workers from Heiterblick casino across the and painted in a blue and cream livery said to extension of routes 2, 6 and 522 into the Hbf tram-only Tesla bridge into the new centre. BS be that from the opening of the line. took place on 15 February, with free rides for MAGDEBURG. The official ‘withdrawal’ of l For more on the Manx Electric Railway, see the following two days and regular service from Tatra trams has been followed by their continued this month’s special system focus. 18 February. BS appearance in service, with up to three T6 sets COTTBUS. 110 years of tramway operation noted, mostly on route 10. BS ITALY will be marked by a festival at Schmellwitz MAINZ. All nine Stadler Variobahn low- depot between 11.00 and 17.00 on 15 June. BS floor trams were in service by mid-March. The BRESCIA. The 13.7km (8.5-mile) automated DRESDEN. On 25 February, in a first since Stadtbahn-M cars will not be disposed of until metro opened on 2 March with a weekend of 1945, no trams operated in the city due to a 24- a decision is made on the option for six more free rides. The EUR575m project has been built hour strike in support of a new pay deal. Variobahnen. BS and equipped by the Ansaldo Group. The line The last Tatra tram to receive an overhaul MANNHEIM – HEIDELBERG. Bombardier links Prealpino in the north with S. Eufenia was 224 265 in December. Eight motor cars and is delivering Variotram cars 4151-4 to replace Buffalora in the south-east via Stazione FS; 13 six trailers remain available for service and can the oldest ex-OEG Düwag high-floor trams. BS of the 17 stations are underground, while 18 often be seen carrying passengers, more than MÜLHEIM/Ruhr. With five new trams three-car sets provide service. RGI two years after their official ‘withdrawal’. on order, a follow-on for up to ten more is MILANO. Saturday 16 March saw The tramway museum was to re-open for the expected. BS consequential changes to tram and bus routes. season on 20/21 April. BS NAUMBURG. The heritage tramway has Tramline 5 was cut back to operate Ortica – ESSEN. There are 14 trams out of service carried 500 000 passengers since the daily Ospedale Maggiore instead of to Parco Nord, with accident damage (1101/3/5/13, 1162/3/79, service resumed in May 2007. BS and line 31 now runs from Balsamo to Bicocca, 1404/9/11 and 1504/14/6/9) leaving Essen short STRAUSBERG. The first Bombardier Flexity where there is interchange with M5. H. Tschirner for the daily run-out of 70 cars – 1113 and 1179 Berlin was delivered in late February, numbered NAPOLI. The 1.3km (0.8-mile) extension of will be scrapped after cannibalisation. BS 41 and followed in March by 42; it marks the tramline 1 beyond Poggioreale to Viale Stadera FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN. After a spate of the tramway’s first new rolling stock since 1921. opened on 15 March. G. Florentine collisions putting trams out of service, museum Reko works car 13 (1971 ex-Berlin 5104) has cars, M+m set 112+1804 and N 102 have been been acquired by the Danish Tramway Museum JAPAN put into passenger service on route 14 and O at Skjoldenaesholm, but only as a source of 110 on route 17. These are likely to last until the spare parts for ex-Rostock 797. BS HAKODATE. 1965 tram 811 has been start of the summer holidays. M. J. Russell STUTTGART. Planning permission has been modernised and renumbered 8010, leaving just FREIBURG/Brsg. Following last month’s given for the 1.1km (0.7-mile) extension of line 812 in original condition. BS news, an order for 12 43m, 53t, seven-section U12 south from Wallgraben to Dürrlewang. HIROSHIMA. The two new 18.6m Kinki CAF Urbos 3 100% low-floor trams has now Completion is programmed for 2016. Sharyo low-floor trams of type Piccolo (1001- been officially announced in a contract worth WOLTERSDORF. The tramway centenary 2) entered service on 15 February and are used just under EUR40m. Delivery will run from will be celebrated by three days of events on on routes 7, 8 and 9. It is reported that 40 more 2015 to 2017. Contrary to some reports, they 17-19 May. Newly-restored tram 218 will be are to be purchased by 2027. BS will not be equipped for off-wire operation. launched on the first day. BS Tram service on the Zähringen line has been MEXICO cut back to Hornusstrasse until the new extension HUNGARY to Gundelfingen opens in 2014. Withdrawn MONTERREY. On 21 February a 1951 railgrinder 405 was sold to Halberstadt BUDAPEST. Tenders have been called for the MXN5.69bn (EUR358m) funding agreement in February. It was replaced by the new renovation of 8km (five miles) of tramline 1, with the federal government was signed to Windhoff grinder 406 last year. A. Moglestue, BS estimated to cost HUF41bn (EUR135m). Work permit work to start on building the 7.5km HALLE. The delivery to Freilimfelder Strasse should be completed by autumn 2014. bbj.hu (4.6-mile) metro line 3; 22 new cars will be depot of the first of 12 new MGT-K2 low-floor required. A. Bailey trams from Bombardier (691) was scheduled for IRELAND 21 February, but delayed a week by heavy snow. NETHERLANDS Public rides will be available on the open day DUBLIN. Approval for the cross-city line planned for 1 June. included deletion of the northbound stop AMSTERDAM. This summer should see Roadworks in Torstrasse forced the on Dawson Street planned by the Railway an extended tourist tram operation; 804 is the withdrawal of routes 6 and 11 from 11 Procurement Agency. Now traders in the street first of eight high-floor articulated cars being March. Other changes are: 1, Frohe Zukunft – have requested Minister for Transport Leo modified for this. Marktplatz – Beesen; 3, extended from Südstadt Varadkar to ensure the stop is reinstated. The Amstelveenlijn is to be rebuilt as a to Böllberg; 8, Trotha – Volkspark – Neue In issuing the Railway Order, An Bord tramway, losing its high platforms and metro

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BASEL. The public consultation on which shade of green should be chosen for the future tram livery showed a majority in favour of a shade lighter than the traditional green, but darker than the mint-green applied to the Combino trams. BS BERN. Marktgasse is closed for reconstruction from 6 April to 14 September, splitting the tram network in two. Trams from the west run as far as HB. To the east routes 7/9 (Ostring – Guisanplatz) and 8 (Saali – Wankdorf) are operating, while route 6 reverses at Zytglogge. Three bus routes link HB and Zytglogge via alternative roads. BERN – SOLOTHURN (RBS). The first of the second batch of NExT LRVs (RABE4/12 27- 34) entered service on 6 February. BS FRAUENFELD – WIL (FW). The first of five new Abe4/8 from Stadler arrived at the end The Strausberg tramline in the eastern suburbs of Berlin now has its two Berlin Flexity trams to replace the of March. An official welcome ceremony is high-floor TatraKT8 . JE planned for 26 June. EA GENEVE. Local rail service between Chêne- service. Buses will replace trams for two years Beta trams 423-7 in 2012, five more are expected Bourg and Annemasse (in France) ceased on while the work is carried out. OR in 2013. The Newag low-floor prototype has 31 March to permit work to start on the CEVA been returned to the factory. BS project. Buses will replace the trains until 2017. EA NEW ZEALAND SZCZECIN. The latest ex-Berlin KT4D to MONTREUX – ROCHERS-DE-NAYE enter service are 143-50 (ex-BVG 7072/4/7/83/ (MVR). Two rack locomotives of type Hem2/2 AUCKLAND. The Wynard Quarter heritage 6/29/70/92). The first PESA Swing low-floor 11 and 12 have been ordered from Stadler for tramway is threatened by an unexpected trams from the 22 on order were delivered on 29 the 800mm-gauge rack line. They will have a decision of the waterfront agency to withdraw January. The batch will be 807-28. At 30m, they small diesel engine for shunting. TR its funding from the operational budget. are 2m shorter than 2010 cars 801-6. For more on ST MORITZ – TIRANO (RhB). Passenger The city council has allocated NZD8.2m Szczecin, see Systems Factfile on page 183.BS, TR service between Poschiavo and Tirano resumed (EUR5m) towards the capital cost of extending on 17 February after the line was re-opened to the line to Britomart in the city centre, and was RUSSIA traffic following repair of a landslip. EA not consulted on the decision. J. Chuang VAUD/FRIBOURG. A joint order worth SANKT PETERBURG. OEVRZ railway car CHF150m (EUR123m) for 17 new metre- NORWAY repair plant was the only bidder to respond to gauge trains for delivery in 2015 has been the tender for 12 new metro cars and has been placed with Stadler by Biere-Apples-Morges BERGEN. The 17th of 20 Stadler Variobahn given the RUB330m (EUR8.3m) order. A. Bailey (BAM), Yverdon-Ste-Croix (TRAVYS), trams arrived in March. The final three of the Montreux-Zweisimmen (MOB) and Frobourg– order were expected before the opening of the SLOVAKIA Murten (TPF). MOB will receive four, BAM extension to Lagunen on 21 June. four, TRAVYS three and TPF six. EA Negotiations have started to lengthen all 20 BRATISLAVA. A Tatra T3 dating from 1975, ZÜRICH. Bahnhofstrasse is being rebuilt in cars from 32m to 42m (seven sections) and to and operating as 7706 until 2006, has been four phases in 2013-14. Tram operation will be purchase an additional eight trams for the opening renovated for further service to meet a rolling maintained through the work apart from some of the airport extension in 2016. A workshop will stock shortage, and now operates as 7719. BS specified weekends (20-21 April, 11-12 May, be built near the airport to permit maintenance 15-16 June and five weekends in 2014). BS of the longer vehicles (which cannot easily SPAIN be serviced in the existing depot). T. Potter THAILAND OSLO. Høka bogie tram 249 has returned to its DONOSTIA (San Sebastian). Work on home city after 20 years in Stockholm and will the underground section of the planned metro BANGKOK. Further to our March report, the be refitted as a party tram. BS has been suspended after costs ballooned from Silom Line extension on 14 February was from EUR99m to EUR200m. TR Wong Wiang Yai to Talad Phiu. D. vd Spek PANAMA MALAGA. The city is now saying it intends to open the light metro in October, running from TURKEY PANAMA CITY. Passenger service on the new El Perchel interchange to the University and to metro will start in February 2014. Alstom will Palacio de los Deportes. The extension into the ANKARA. Consultants have been appointed to deliver the first train in May 2013. E. B. Havens city centre remains to be completed. BS develop plans for a 27km (17-mile) rail link to ZARAGOZA. The tramway extension from Esenboga airport. RGI POLAND Murallas to Parque Goya (Avenida de la Academia) opened on 26 March. urbanrail.net UNITED ARAB EMIRATES GDANSK. A Polish consortium has been awarded the PLN716m (EUR171m) contract SWEDEN DUBAI. The first Alstom Citadis tram for the to build the 20km (12.4-mile) rail branch to the new tramline is to be delivered on 11 December. airport, for completion in April 2015. RGI GÖTEBORG. The last AnsaldoBreda Sirio, Passenger service should start at the end of 2014. LÓDZ. A PLN308.4m (EUR74m) contract 465, reached Gårda depot on 22 January. has been awarded to PRM Mosty Lódz to In February all the first series (40140) were UNITED KINGDOM modernise the Relkinia – Widzew tramline and withdrawn after inspection showed severe extend it 4km (2.4 miles) east to Olechów. Work corrosion; two have since re-entered service. BS BLACKPOOL. The Illuminations, which should be completed in 2015. STOCKHOLM. The European Investment contribute to the commercial success of the MPK has bought 18 ex-Bielefeld Bank has signed an SEK3.5bn (EUR419m) tramway, will operate for an additional week Stadtbahn-M trams from a dealer and is loan agreement with the city council to fund this year, starting on 30 August and running looking for 22 more. RGI development of the planned Red line metro, through to 10 November. The renovation of the POZNÁN. Following the delivery of Moderus including rolling stock and a depot. RGI Promenade, plus modernisation of the tramway,

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is increasing the number of visitors to the town after a number of years of decline. Some 3.7m adult visitors were received between September and December 2012; 28% of them specifically visited for the Illuminations. Blackpool Transport Services has named Flexity 2 tram 002 after Alderman Edmund Wynne, a councillor for 38 years as well as a Mayor and former chairman of Blackpool Transport before retiring in 2000. He is 96. Tram 002 has now been allocated to passenger service after being used only as a driver trainer since its return from Germany. The whole fleet of 16 trams is now available for passenger duties for the first time with the refurbishment of tram 006, which had been used as a donor for other members of the fleet. Balloon 723 has joined 701 as a snowplough allocated to Rigby Road. Balloon 701 is based at Starr Gate and saw some use during snowy weather in January. BRISTOL. The Bus Rapid Transit scheme that replaced aborted proposals for a light The first appearance on Toronto’s streets of the new Bombardier low-floor tram 4400. Note the trolley pole. TTC rail network is expected to proceed on its original alignment. The West of England progress against the revised timetable and there MANCHESTER (METROLINK). With Local Enterprise Partnership has reaffirmed is some optimism that services will start before Metrolink services to Rochdale Station and its commitment to delivering the scheme as the summer 2014 projected date. Droylsden now operating, testing of trams submitted to the Department for Transport, and Edinburgh councillors are to visit Manchester, beyond Droylsden has begun, with trams work is proceeding on the three routes. The DfT Nottingham, Sheffield and Dublin to see what having reached the Ashton Moss stop on the has been asked to conclude the decision-making lessons can be learned from cities that appear way to Ashton-under-Lyne. The new extension process on the Transport and Works Act Order to have made a success of trams. The council is not expected to open until winter 2013-14, following the Public Inquiry on the Ashton Vale wishes to obtain a greater understanding of being preceded during the summer by the East Temple Meads scheme. practical issues to lead to a smoother transition Didsbury extension from St Werburgh’s Road. Bristol’s new mayor has objected to the from the construction phase to operation. A campaign has been launched to retain the routing across the Prince Street Bridge and GLASGOW (SUBWAY). Upgrade work at Woodlands Road stop on the Bury line, now only has confirmed he is still investigating ways Kelvinhall and Ibrox stations has begun. Work in use 10.00-16.00 Mondays-Fridays following the scheme could be improved. The LEP has is also due to install escalators at St Enoch the opening of the nearby Abraham Moss stop. indicated it would support enhancements and and Govan, while old ticketing equipment is An application to permanently close the stop was improvements provided they are agreed by the being removed from stations to make way for made in late 2010 but a decision is still awaited DfT and will have no significant impact on the smartcard technology, which will be in place in from the UK Department for Transport. overall timescale and cost of the schemes. time for the Commonwealth Games next year. PARRY PEOPLE MOVERS. The company As part of the overall transportation strategy Other stations, including Bridge Street and – together with Pre-Metro Operations, which to create a Greater Bristol Metro network, Shields Road, have been re-branded with new is responsible for operation of the Stourbridge work has begun on clearing part of the disused signage and information boards with West Junction to Town service – has entered into Portishead railway line by North Somerset Street, St George’s Cross and Govan currently an agreement with the Chasewater Railway Council which has appointed contractors to start receiving the same enhancements. for testing and demonstration of PPML rail cutting back vegetation on a 5km (three-mile) LONDON (UNDERGROUND). Transport vehicles. Also discussed was the possibility of section of track it owns in the town. The council for London is finalising plans for the 3km (1.86- the Parry railcar project involving staff from hopes Government funding will be secured later mile) extension of the Northern line ready for an Chasewater with bogie engineering knowledge. this year to allow passenger trains to run from application for a Transport and Works Act Order TYNE & WEAR. Work has started on the Portishead to Bristol by 2017. in the spring. The proposals are still subject to a refurbishment of two of the busier suburban Some GBP10m (EUR11.7m) is needed to funding package being put in place. stations, South Gosforth and West Jesmond, upgrade 10km (six-mile) of track between New signalling is now live on the Northern which together are used by over four million Portbury and Parson Street station in Bedminster line between West Finchley and High Barnet. passengers a year. The work is expected to take to passenger-carrying standards. The Portishead The new system, when applied to the whole line about 15 weeks to complete. line closed to passengers in September 1964 in 2014, will allow more trains to run, equating Passenger Transport Executive Nexus has and to freight in 1981, with the freight line to to an extra capacity of 11 000 passengers per scaled back its original plans; the stations will Royal Portbury Dock re-opening in 2002. hour, and reduce journey times by 18%. not have new structures to house gate lines, the CAMBRIDGE. The guided busway has Reliability on the Underground in the last two existing buildings being refurbished instead. carried more than four million passengers since months of 2012 was more than 97%, despite the The major line closure between Byker opening in 2011 and numbers are expected system carrying three million more passengers and North Shields during February saw the to grow by half a million this year; it is than forecast. The continuing trend of long-term replacement of 200m of track, a new Carville expected that three million passenger trips improvement follows the success of the London Road bridge at Wallsend and modernisation of will be made during 2013. However, the Underground Reliability Programme. a number of stations. Some further weekend financial dispute between Cambridgeshire As part of the Underground’s 150th closures may be required. County Council and contractors BAM Nuttall celebrations, the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh Some 45 passengers were escorted from a still awaits resolution. and Duchess of Cambridge visited Baker Street two-car train on 8 January after a fire started EDINBURGH. The 2.8km (1.74-mile) stretch station on 20 March and inspected a restored under the rear vehicle. The incident took place of track between Gogar depot and Edinburgh coach plus one of the latest walk-through trains. between South Gosforth and Longbenton. International Airport was handed over to City With the population of Greater London The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is of Edinburgh Council at a ceremony in early expected to increase by a further million by investigating. March following a successful programme of 2020, a recent study commissioned by Siemens WEST YORKSHIRE. The proposed New testing by contractors. The section of line will be and undertaken by Professor David Begg (World Generation Transport trolleybus line has been used for testing and training as well as offering Class? London’s Transport: Progress and approved by Leeds City Council, subject to groups the opportunity of taking trial rides. Future Challenges) has indicated the transport further public consultation. This has been Construction works are making good system must not fall victim to cash cutbacks. requested by the leader of the local Conservative

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195-199_TAUT1305_WWR.indd 4 02/04/2013 16:17 party and will also be necessary as a result of a USD193m to repairs needed after the flooding Festival of Transport event had to be called off. proposed diversion in the Hunslet area caused by in New York’s transit system. F. Miklos However, Glasgow 1068 from Crich Tramway the announcement that the route of the HS2 high- NEW YORK – NEW JERSEY (PATH). Village and Lisbon 730 from the Wirral speed rail line would affect the original route. The Department of Transportation is awarding Tramway were expected to attend. It is expected that after the round of PATH USD195.7m to fund repairs to damage A book, Forty Years of Service, has been consultation a Public Inquiry will be held to caused by Hurricane Sandy. E. B. Havens prepared to commemorate the life of the consider any objections to the scheme which has OCEANSIDE – ESCONDIDO, CA. The tramway at the museum. been granted GBP173.5m (approx. EUR203m) diesel light rail service was shut down on 8 March CRICH. The National Tramway Museum is of Government funding towards its estimated and replaced by buses after a California PUC considering the disposal of some stored artefacts GBP250m (approx. EUR293m) cost. inspection identified irregular and accelerated for display at more locally appropriate locations. WIRRAL. The Wirral Tramway, which wear on brake discs on the 12 Sprinter trains. EAST ANGLIA TRANSPORT MUSEUM had been closed over the winter period for Operation and maintenance is under contract (CARLTON COLVILLE). Following a implementation of new safety procedures, to Veolia, which in turn subcontracts rolling bequest from the late Peter Mitchell, Glasgow resumed normal operation on 24 February stock maintenance on the Siemens-built cars Standard tram 488 has been transported from the and will remain open at weekends and school to Bombardier. The fifth anniversary AMTUIR Paris Transport Museum where it has holiday periods from 13.00 to 16.30, with a celebrations on 10 March were cancelled. been stored in two halves as the current museum 30-minute headway being maintained by one Remedial work is underway. E. B. Havens is not high enough to display the complete tram. tram. This would be increased for special events. PHILADELPHIA, PA (SEPTA). A ceremony The tram was last overhauled in 1960; its on 20 March marked completion of the delivery lower half was transported to the Ffestiniog USA of 120 Silverliner V commuter rail cars built Railway in early March with the top deck by Hyundai Rotem at a cost of USD330m. to follow. The FR will restore the tram to ATLANTA, GA. The first tracks for the city All will be in service by the end of October. operational condition for use at Carlton Colville, centre tramway were laid on 6 March, on E. B. Havens at which time the ownership of the tram will Edgewood Avenue. Passenger service is planned PHOENIX, AZ. The PHX SkyTrain revert to the EATMS. for spring 2014. The Board of the Atlanta peoplemover at the airport was to open to LANCASTRIAN TRANSPORT TRUST. Development Authority has approved USD1.4m terminal 4 on 8 April. Extension to terminal 3 is Blackpool Coronation 304 returned from to study expansion of the line. E. B. Havens planned for 2015. E. B. Havens Beamish in early March, but the transporter was BALTIMORE. The FTA has approved the ST LOUIS, MO. A private group, Partnership unable to access the LTT’s storage premises and environmental study for the proposed light rail for Downtown St Louis, is underwriting a the tram is currently being stored in Fleetwood. Red line, clearing the way for final design to USD200 000 feasibility study for a USD220m LLANDUDNO. The Bournemouth tram that start. Work could begin in 2015. E. B. Havens city tramway between the central area and West previously resided at the now closed Museum BOSTON, MA. Work has started on the End. It is hoped the line could be ready to open of Electricity in Christchurch has been offered USD1.3bn Green line light rail extension from in 2016. This is a separate project to the Delmar to the Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Tramway Lechmere to Sommerville. Passenger service is Loop Trolley already approved. E. B. Havens Society for GBP1 provided the society can find expected in mid-2017. ST PETERSBURG, FL. The Pinellas a place to house it. An urgent appeal is being Orient Heights station on the Blue line metro County Commission has decided in favour of made to secure a location locally. is closed for six months from 23 March to a November 214 tax referendum for a 38km WIEN (AT). Erdberg tramway museum will permit a USD51m renovation. E. B. Havens (23.6-mile) light rail line linking St Petersburg remain closed in 2013 as renovation continues. BS BUFFALO, NY. Studies are underway for the and Clearwater. E. B. Havens ZÜRICH (CH). Swiss Standard set 1379+737, extension of the light rail line to the new Buffalo SALT LAKE CITY, UT. Passenger service which went to St Mandé museum in Paris Niagara Medical Campus under construction at on the light rail Green line from Arena to the in 1996, has been re-acquired by the Zürich the north end of the city centre. J. May airport was inaugurated on 14 April. E. B. Havens museum group and since mid-March has been DENVER, CO. The groundbreaking ceremony SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Muni). The Market in the VBZ workshops for restoration. BS for the final leg of the I-225 light rail line was Street Railway, which preserves the rolling NÜRNBERG (DE). The historic St Peter tram held on 28 February. Passenger service should stock used on heritage line F, has proposed depot will re-open on the weekend of 4-5 May reach Aurora in November 2015. an extension from Fisherman’s Wharf to Fort after rebuilding of the tracks. BS Light rail service on the 19.3km (12-mile) line Mason, estimated to cost USD60m. A decision SHELBURNE FALLS, MA (US). The to Golden was to be inaugurated on 26 April. is unlikely to be made until 2014. E. B. Havens tramway museum has been awarded USD5500 Free rides were available on 27 April. The line TEMPE, AZ. The city has had its Small Starts in historic preservation grants towards a new cost USD380m and opened eight months ahead funding bid for a modern tramway rejected by fire-resistant depot. E. B. Havens of the original schedule. E. B. Havens the FTA. The city plans to cut the projected line FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. Broward County from 4km (2.5 miles) to 1.6km (one mile) and CONTRIBUTORS has given its final approval to the proposed go ahead using local funding. E. B. Havens modern city tramway, a 2.24km (1.4-mile) loop TUCSON, AZ. The first tram from United Worldwide items should be sent to estimated to cost USD83m. It is hoped to open Streetcar is not now expected until Junly, nearly Worldwide Editor Michael Taplin at Flat 1, the line in 2016, but news is still awaited on a a year behind schedule. E. B. Havens 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 federal grant. E. B. Havens WASHINGTON, DC. A new website explains 6EA, UK – Fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or HONOLULU, HI. Federal budget the capital’s tramway proposals: www.dcstreetcar. [email protected]. sequestration could reduce the USD1.55bn com. Work to complete the H St line restarted UK and Ireland items are welcomed by the grant by USD85m in 2013. E. B. Havens on 26 March and will run until November, when Home News Editor, John Symons, 17 Whitmore NEW ORLEANS, LA. 53 000 passengers used tram testing should start. E. B. Havens Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 0LW, the new Loyola Avenue tramway in its first six YAKIMA, WA. The city council is considering UK. E-mail [email protected]. weeks of operation. Final plans for the 2.4km a grant of USD13 000 to help the YVA restore Contributors this month include R. Ellis, (1.5-mile), USD75m, tramway branch from heritage tramway operation to Selah, where Mike Haddon, John Horne and Eric Pounder, Canal St to Elysian Fields were unveiled on 6 thieves stole the overhead wire in 2006. It is Acknowledgements are also due to bbj. March. The line will run along N Rampart Street hoped work can be completed by June to co- hu, Birmingham Post, Blackpool Evening and St Claude Avenue, partly on reservation and incide with the centenary of the line. E. B. Havens Gazette, Bristol Post, BS Blickpunkt partly in the street, and provide through service Strassenbahn, DS Drehscheibe Strassenbahn, to Union Station. The median strip cannot be MUSEUM NEWS EA Eisenbahn Amateur, Edinburgh Evening used due to buried utilities. E. B. Havens News, Fylde Tramway Society, Herald Sun, NEW YORK, NY. The MTA is to spend USD2m BEAMISH (UK). The museum tramway saw IRJ International Rail Journal, Manchester to re-open the old 1905 South Ferry station in the departure of Blackpool 304 in March, after Evening News, The Morning News, North Wales early April after pressure from line 1 riders. The its period of loan. Difficulties were experienced Weekly News, Nottingham Evening Post, news. new 2009 station below the old one was severely with transporting Stockport 5 from Heaton Park err.ee, OR Op De Rails, RGI Railway Gazette damaged during Hurricane Sandy and will take and the temporary exchange arrangement with International, T-2000 Tram 2000, urbanrail.net two years to repair. The FTA is contributing Beamish tram 31 for April’s Great Northern and Wolverhampton Express & Star.

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TAUT_1302_Cover.indd 1 28/02/2013 13:52 TAUT_1304_Cover.indd 1 29/01/2013 17:24 03/01/2013 13:54 urban rail developments. TAUT_1303_Cover.indd 1 We deliver comprehensive news and analysis, incisive technology features and key interviews with leading industry fi gures from across the globe each and every month.

200 MAY 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

200_TAUT1305_Subs_NextMonth.indd 1 05/04/2013 15:10 [email protected] +44 (0)1832 281145 LETTERS Letters should be clearly typed and preferably not handwritten. Get your views into print We reserve the right to shorten contributions for publication.

Further dimensions to the great track debate I would like to reply to Dieter Schopfer's comments on my original article on track construction in TAUT 903. The fi rst point I would like to make is that the Den Haag track pictured (see right) was actually in service, so the rails were adequately fi xed. It can be seen from the edge of the excavations that the void nearly up to the bottom of the rails is fi lled with aggregate, as it would be for a road, above this is then concreted nearly to railhead, then asphalted as the normal road surface. As I stated in the article, if slab track is used, there is no need for deep girder rail, and a shallower rail will take the wheel loading. This is what Trampower’s LR55 rail does. On ‘open’ sleeper track, the wheel loading is taken via the girder Vignoles rail to the sleepers, or often these days, twin-blocks, and then into Tram services were maintained during construction works on these tracks in Den Haag. D. Gibson the ground via the ballast – the ballast holding the sleepers in position, and In response to David Gibsonʼs article in A properly designed return circuit will, giving drainage. TAUT 903 on infrastructure costs, I have under the worst operating conditions Concrete slab track has been tried no wish to quarrel with the general theme of bunching trams and one substation on railways as a means of reducing of street track design for UK tramways, outage, average no more than 6-7 Volts. maintenance; British Rail laid an although there are other reasons to be This, incidentally, is of the same order of experimental section at Duffi eld near considered as well as tram loadings. value as the limit specifi ed in the original Derby in the UK, but it wasn’t pursued However, the latter sections on electrical Board of Trade Rules issued in 1894 after except for tunnel track. It was used for matters require some clarifi cation. the Roundhay Tramway judgement. the Merseyrail link and loop tunnels For the avoidance of doubt, stray However, with an insulated return in Liverpool, but has been an endless currents can be an issue on any dc under fault conditions the potential source of problems, and gives extremely traction installation – the law requires difference between rail and earth can rise noisy running and vibration transfer into tramways to consider this. With proper signifi cantly to the extent that it could buildings above. design and insulation of the return cause a danger. The limit is set at 60V For street track, the concrete blocks in circuit, principally the rails, stray current and should this be exceeded equipment is the Den Haag example replicate sleepers leakage can be controlled to well below provided for direct temporary connection and deal with the rail loadings; the rest is the acceptable limits. In this regard all between rail and earth. In practice this largely for the benefi t of road vehicles. recent UK tramways have been designed very rarely happens. Blackpool used sleeper track, to the same standards and materials as In the panel on page 106 it is claimed covered with paving, successfully on the are used in continental Europe. that permanent magnet synchronous promenade for over 100 years until the Further, the statement regarding track motors can reach effi ciencies of 97%. recent reconstruction. This of course reinforcement mesh highlighted at the However, it needs to be remembered that did not have to deal with heavy road top of page 106 is unfortunately wrong. It the industry standard of asynchronous traffi c, but did handle access vehicles. is true that in some of the early motors are near 95% overall in electrical New tramways should ideally not be laid second-generation UK tramways the effi ciency with a mechanical effi ciency in heavily traffi cked roads, and much is mesh was bonded and connected via a including the gear chains of not much more or less pedestrianised, yet heavy collector cable and diode to the rectifi er less. Therefore any gains in power slab track is still used, the Nottingham negative at the traction substation. The consumption would be marginal. It track shown being such an example. theory was that any stray current leaving therefore comes down to initial cost and We really must reduce construction the tramway would be given a low expected lifespan and maintenance. cost, and largely removing the need to resistance return. It is fair to say that this That may explain why none of the major relocate utilities would be a great help approach is now discredited and would players have taken this type of motor in this direction. This may well be a not be acceptable on any new installation. forward to a commercial offering. much bigger problem in the UK than The present standard is to provide Finally, hub motors also have the other countries due to our privatisation, no permanent connections between problem that they signifi cantly increase litigation, blame culture and high legal the negative and earth leaving the rails the unsprung mass loading compared costs; but it has to be faced if tramways ‘fl oating’. At least two early diode- with the now normal arrangement where are to have a future. Edinburgh is a connected systems have been converted to motor and transmission are almost horrible example of what can happen. a fully fl oating design with demonstrable fully supported on the frame. It will Reducing the weight of trams would improvement in stray current performance. be interesting to see the views of track also help of course. Some clarifi cation is also required of designers on this subject. David Gibson, Derby (UK) the quoted fi gure of a 60V voltage drop. Andy Steel, via e-mail

www.tramnews.net ● www.Irta.org MAY 2013 201

201-203_TAUT1305_Letters v2.indd 1 02/04/2013 14:52 HS2 benefits for UK light rail node with the city conurbation. It’s perhaps Even worse, the terminals selected are I thought Howard Johnston’s article about no surprise that France, which has created a on brownfield sites mostly remote from the the possible impact of HS2 in TAUT 903 was major national HSL network, has also been relevant city centre. Additionally, there seems well-timed and Roger Harrison of the Light a world leader in tramway regeneration, as to exist a vague assumption that building Rapid Transit Forum made several crucial TAUT has recorded in depth over the years. HS2 will of itself attract development of points about tramways in Britain today. But Investment in tramways is justified through the right scale and nature around the new my overall response to the question posed in their role in supporting city development stations. However this conflicts sharply with the title is simple: “of course it won’t, silly, by stringing together principal centres – Continental experience. this is Great Britain...” commercial areas, main hospitals, universities The probable outcome is that new In 2006 I wrote a report for Greengauge21 – and residential areas. Much of the commercial development will be split [a not-for-profit research company and think investment in tramway infrastructure comes between the new HSL station and the city tank] looking at the relationship between from the city authorities themselves. City and centre, where the existing intercity station high-speed rail lines (HSL) across the regional authorities may also provide some exists. Car access may be seen as more European Continent and the economic and funding towards HSL construction. important for the more scattered travel spatial development of cities. This study, based Of course the same principle holds good patterns and hence road construction more primarily on research across several European for city planning involving a central station important than tramway investment. institutes, generated three main findings. that is served by fast intercity trains rather In any case, without a single strong Establishing faster rail links between cities than by HSL. focus, the potential for tramway use would changes business and individual behaviour Sadly the approach for the UK̓s HS2 be seriously weakened, undermining any patterns and hence economic opportunities, high-speed rail scheme is very different. investment case. If so, there is a risk that HS2 especially for the service industries. But to However well managed, it is a central might even worsen the current gloomy picture ensure the opportunities are fully realised it is government project, being progressed largely which the article paints so clearly. essential that cities served by HSL implement in isolation from the current rail network Reg Harman, via e-mail planning strategies aimed at focusing major providers and from the city and district commercial development around their HSL authorities whose areas it affects. Is there budget for HS2 and LRT? station. They also need to follow transport Regarding your article on HS2 as an strategies aimed at supporting the core opportunity for LRT (TAUT 903), I read a developments and spreading their benefits very convincing article in, of all things The in the catchment region. Investment in city "Without a single Big Issue, written by Professor of Transport transit and local rail development should form Studies Paul Salveson. a major element of this. strong focus, I found his thesis convincing, yes we need As a basis for their actions, it is essential the extra track capacity, but not at such a that each city establishes a long-term strategy the potential for highly expensive specification. Racking up and implements it consistently. In this way top speeds from 250 to 400km/h everything comes together (literally, one might (155-250mph) cuts journey times by only say). Good examples of this approach are tramways would small amounts in a compact country like found in larger cities, such as Lille, Lyon, and Britain and requires more expensive hardware Turin, and also smaller ones, like Liege and Le be seriously and maintenance as track wear increases with Mans. Cities where a HSL station has arrived the square of velocity. without any matching development strategy, weakened. If so, Cutting journey times to the station with such as Tours, have not gained to anything like LRT, faster ticketing and embarkation is just the same extent. Implementing these strategies as important and much cheaper. An extension involves public and private bodies – local there is a risk HS2 of the Nottingham Tramway, through Toton authorities, commercial and development and on to Derby, is an obvious example. companies and investment groups. might even worsen As we see with nearly all big infrastructure In most cases tramways feature as a key projects corporate contractors are quite component in the network linking the HSL the current picture." shameless in their approach: “Oops, yes we

Westminster Watch is the imposition of high rail safety standards, make realistic safety costs. This needs to Paul Rowen, former MP which mean light rail is over-engineered and be developed with specific light rail safety for Rochdale and first over-expensive.’’ standards being developed. Chair of the UK’s All-Party Mr Baker’s reply was: ‘‘My Honourable The outline plans for HS2 provide a Parliamentary Light Rail Group Friend is right to draw attention to that matter, golden opportunity to develop and expand which was one reason why we produced the LRT systems to provide integrated transport Green Light for Light Rail report. We have opportunities. Derby/Nottingham seems A couple of months ago, whilst getting off made progress through the two summits particularly opportunistic with the possibility one of our recently refurbished tram systems, that I have held subsequently towards more of extending the Nottingham tram to the HS2 I noticed several people in high-vis jackets proportionate standards for light rail, which stop and onto Derby. As the next spending getting off the same tram accompanied by should bring the costs down while ensuring round develops we need to provide evidence a local transport official. Their jackets said that safety is maintained.” and support for the regeneration benefits of Office of Rail Regulation. Strange, I thought, So, why do we need to over specify safety light rail. I am currently talking with UKTram what have the railways got to do with light rail standards for light rail? Trams are not trains about the possibility of getting some research systems? As I discovered later there had been and generally travel at much lower speeds. published before the next election. Hopefully an accident on this system and the Office of Over-specification adds cost and does little to this could have the same influence as the Rail Regulation had been sent to investigate. ensure safety. Part of the reason I’m sure is the APPLRG report prior to the last election I was immediately reminded of a question fact that many people in the UK industry have which inspired Green Light for Light Rail. asked by my colleague Greg Mullholland a heavy rail background and automatically Finally, I’m delighted to announce that (MP for Leeds North West) to Minister apply those standards. the Metrolink extension to Rochdale is now Norman Baker. He said: ‘‘Having looked at The two Light Rail Summits following operational. I was able to use it when my train the success of light rail in other countries, the Green Light for Light Rail paper have to Manchester from London was late and I particularly across the Channel, compared provided ample evidence that costs in the missed my onward connection. However, the with the costs here, we see that one problem UK can be contained if we can control and trams were still running…..

202 MAY 2013 www.tramnews.net l www.Irta.org

201-203_TAUT1305_Letters v2.indd 2 02/04/2013 14:52 are years behind schedule and it will cost you will mix historic and modern LRVs using the No report on San Francisco is complete double now.” Personally I would have their same track and stops. without including this remarkable volunteer pensions linked to delivering on time, on In the Network Facts panel, of course, as organisation. They have a website, budget and on spec. noted in the text, Muni started operation in www.streetcar.org giving full details of The danger is that a gold-plated HS2 will 1912 not 1980, celebrating its centenary last the historic fleet including a real-time map take up the entire budget leaving other worthy December 28. Streetcars and LRVs run from showing the location of F line cars. projects, including LRT, penniless. two depots, Geneva and Metro East. However, Mr Simons is absolutely right Duncan Fitton, Lancs (UK) The trolleybus fleet numbers 313, mostly when he says “The City by the Bay has Škoda ETI, 240 rigid and 33 artic; 40 of the everything anyone interested in public transport San Francisco: Further details older New Flyer artics remain. Whilst they do could wish for.” If you haven’t been, go. I find the Systems Factfile feature interesting handle some of the busiest lines, 1 California, Roger Davies, Kendal (UK) as it explains operations in towns and cities I 5 Fulton for example, the busiest line of them have no knowledge about. However, when one all, 38 Geary (incidentally the first Muni crops up I know well and includes omissions streetcar line), is run with articulated diesel and inaccuracies, I feel compelled to buses. Trolleybuses match cable car’s hill LRTA Annual comment. I refer to No. 67, San Francisco, in climbing qualities. TAUT 904. This is a city I spend a lot of time The Transbay terminal handled cross- General Meeting in and I am a regular user of the public transit. Bay streetcar operations from 1939 until Going through the piece, the East Bay 1958, notably, but not exclusively, by the The date of this year’s Light Rail Transit Association Annual General Meeting operator is AC Transit – which stands for Key System, when they were replaced by is now confirmed as Saturday 21 Alameda and Contra Costa Transit – and this buses. The Bay Bridge had two decks from September in the Manchester area. is one outfit not two as inferred in the article. the time it was built in 1936, in 1958 it In view of the uncertainty surrounding The F line story starts with the suspension merely lost its lower deck streetcar tracks. dates for home football matches of both of the cable car network in 1982 for a total The many commuter buses continued to Manchester United or City on that rebuild. Tracks had been left on Market and use the Transbay terminal until about two Saturday, it has been decided to hold a streetcar festival was organised that year in years ago when it was demolished. It was the AGM and the Annual Dinner at compensation. So successful was this event never the city’s main railway terminal. It Rochdale Town Hall. that it started the movement to introduce has been replaced by a temporary Transbay Negotiations with a hotel close to New historic streetcar running back on Market, terminal on Main/Folsom whilst a new one Hey Metrolink stop, part way between something achieved by 1995, so whilst is built nearby. This will accommodate all Oldham and Rochdale on the newly- successful, not exactly immediate. the commuter buses, the metro, Caltrain and opened extension of the local light rail The city's historic streetcar fleet is made up High Speed but how much of this will be network, are in hand and a booking of 31 PCC cars and 11 ex-Milan Peter Witt achieved given California’s parlous financial form will be circulated with the next cars; the latter being just as important to the state is doubtful. issue of Tramways & Urban Transit. F line as the PCCs, yet no mention of these is Whilst BART is an impressive urban transit As usual, there will be a Metrolink made. Most of these 42 cars are now available operation, it offers little of interest to the tour on the Saturday or Sunday for service. visitor. San Francisco itself has much to offer, (depending on football fixtures) and There are eight cars from around the world, although quite what is meant in the Essential visits to the Manchester Transport such as Blackpool 228, and a further five Facts section by East of Market is puzzling. Museum, the Heaton Park Tramway San Francisco vintage cars but these tend I think it means South of Market (SOMA) and the East Lancashire Railway during in the main to be used for special occasions and South Bay which has experienced much the AGM weekend. only, not part of the F line roster. No mention regeneration over the past years and has lots Further information about all the activities will be provided with the is made of the E Embarcadero line either, of interest, not least the AT&T Ballpark. accommodation booking form. which is in place awaiting sufficient staff and Much of what has been achieved with equipment. In particular it needs double- the F line and historic streetcar fleet has Andrew Braddock, ended cars as there is no turning facility at come about from the efforts of the Market Chairman, Light Rail Transit Association Caltrain. A limited service is planned for the Street Railway which also runs the shop and 4 Borderside, Yateley GU46 6LJ America’s Cup in September but no official museum in Don Chee Way between Stuart [email protected] opening date is available. When running it and Embarcadero mentioned in the article.

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

April General meeting. (TLRS) . Monday 20. Liverpool 19.30. Models . Tuesday 7. Southampton 19.30. Peter Night: Bring your own. (TLRS) . Saturday 20. Taunton 14.00. Robert Hall and Doug Cross: World tour by tram and . Monday 20. Sheffield 19.30. Tony Manders: Debdale to Docklands – 25 years train. (LRTA/SEG) Williams: Developments on Metrolink. of the DLR. (TLRS) . Wednesday 8. Brighton (Southwick) . Monday 20. Wickham 19.30. Martin . Thursday 25. Manchester 19.00. 19.40. David Brown: Sir Herbert Walker's Petch: Southampton trams. (TLRS) Derek Shepherd: Bolton Tramways to 2013. Revolution – The Southern Railway. (TLRS) . Tuesday 21. London 19.00. Alan . Friday 26. Leicester 19.45. John . Wednesday 8. Richmond 19.30. Williams: Rail Options from Brussels to Lessells: Video evening. (TMS) Bernard Norgate: 80-plus years as a Tervuren . Saturday 27. Beeston 14.00. Dave tramfan. (TLRS) . Saturday 25. Beeston 14.00. Carson: Lion City Tramways. (TLRS) . Tuesday 14. Leeds 19.00. Ian Dougill: John Lessells: Classic European trams of the . Saturday 27. Garstang 14.00. Jamie Llandudno and Colwyn Bay tramway and the 1960s and '70s. (TLRS) Guest: Leeds Horse Tram 107. (TLRS) Hill of Howth line. . Saturday 25. Garstang 14.00. . Thursday 16. Dartford 19.30. John Workshop session, ideas and information. May Prentice: Tramways of East London. (TLRS) (TLRS) . Saturday 18. Taunton. No meeting . Thursday 30. Manchester 19.30. Tony . Saturday 4. West Midlands 14.00. National AGM in Newcastle area. (TLRS) Williams: Developments on Metrolink.

www.tramnews.net l www.Irta.org MAY 2013 203

201-203_TAUT1305_Letters v2.indd 3 08/04/2013 10:32 Classic Trams: South America

PART Spanning the Andes ONE

atin America used to be awash with tramways; worked 1 by various traction methods and on a variety of gauges; no principal city was without its tramway, nor were mostL medium-sized and many smaller towns. Even into the 1950s, many were served by brightly-coloured four-wheelers of American appearance (and often origin), scuttling along dusty single-track lines to provide a modicum of passenger service in the style of the earliest days of electric tramways. Now they are all gone; with two exceptions, the survivors are a few museum cars and heritage lines. Modern Latin America presents a logistical challenge to the tramway student, but perhaps these articles will encourage a few more intrepid TAUT readers to seek out what remains. They feature only those operations of a ‘heritage’ nature and do not set out to present full coverage of current light rail developments, which are encouraging. We start in Buenos Aires, the scene half a century ago of one of the most rapid and politically-motivated wholesale tramway abandonment programmes of all time. The Argentine capital had a large and comprehensive tramway system, from 1909 operated by cars belonging to four companies, which were municipalised into one in 1939 and subsequently nationalised in 1948. The following modernisation programme rejuvenated the tramways and Many older Buenos Aires trams had borne a striking 1 The car that heralded a resurgence of patronage, but by official decree, resemblance to the semi-convertible type popular in Portugal inaugurated almost the entire system was swept away from early and the AAT wanted a car resembling the 300 two-axle operations in 1962 to February 1963. By 1964, every trace of the once Brill cars that operated on the Lacroze system. Thus its first 1980 was Porto renowned ‘City of Tramways’ had gone. acquisition, in August 1980, was of Porto four-wheeler 258, semi-convertible In 1976, a city-based enthusiast organisation, Asociación built in 1927 at Boavista works. It retained its Porto fleet car 258. In this Amigos del Tranvía (AAT), was created (the precursor of number, but was repainted into a green/white livery based November 1981 several similar groups now flourishing elsewhere) and a on that of the erstwhile Lacroze company. A second car of view passengers plan devised to create a heritage tramway in the capital. the same type, Porto 252, was imported in 1982, rebuilt by are boarding in AAT was no doubt encouraged by the case of Montevideo, AAT members in Polvorín works and repainted in the cream Uruguay, where, on 15 October 1967, the world’s first livery with brown lining-out of the former Anglo-Argentine traditional manner street-running heritage tramway operation had been tramways company, resembling the former Métallurgique and in the centre of inaugurated, using rolling stock salvaged from the former Baume et Marpent cars of the CTAA. It assumed nominal the street outside municipal tramways’ fleet after closure of the network in fleet number 652 and re-entered service in November 1983. Polvorín depot; on 1957 and subsequently renovated in the workshops. Neither of these cars was a genuine Buenos Aires tram, but safety grounds this Sadly, this operation ceased in 1974 as a result of street in 1989 efforts to obtain one bore fruit. Car 3361, one of the was later changed, reconstruction works and much of the rolling stock was squat four-wheelers built by the local aircraft factory in 1955 and cars now later burned at the behest of unsympathetic politicians. that led to the tramway renaissance in the late 1950s, from load at a kerbside the closed tramway in the Buenos Aires suburb of Lanús, section a short Heritage plans coming to fruition was located at a local college. It was eventually acquired in distance beyond. That the AAT plan came to fruition largely related to the 1997. The body, in excellent structural condition, was refitted existence of street-running tracks still used by Subte trains with a truck from car 599 of the disbanded Montevideo 2 The rectangular of the city’s original underground line A requiring access operation, re-motored and repainted into its former silver track layout to the depot and works at Polvorín in the Caballito district. livery with blue lining. It re-entered service in 2000. followed by the This works access track was not required late on Saturday A former Bruxelles four-wheel car, 9069, with a new route of the afternoons or Sundays, and agreement was reached for its body built on an old truck in 1961 – of the type also once tramway passes use by the heritage tram service at these times. Operation operated in Asunción (Paraguay) – was gifted from the through the elegant began on 15 November 1980, and has been maintained STIB in 1987 and entered service in May 1988. It is used quarter of Caballito. continuously ever since. Visiting tourist groups often on the heritage line in the cooler winter months. Another In November include a private trip on the line in their city tour itinerary. addition has been car PM2 of 1986, one of four used on the 1981, ex-Porto 2 3 258, repainted to represent the former Lacroze company, is seen in Emilio Mitre. 3 FM car 3361 – built locally in 1955 – showing the short- wheelbase two-axle truck reminiscent of American PCC practice, in Av. Rivadavia on 9 March 2008.

204 may 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

204-205_TAUT1305_Classic.indd 1 08/04/2013 11:13 South America has for some time been a virtual tramway desert with all but two of the currently-operating survivors being heritage operations. In the first of four articles, Mike Russell considers those tramway survivors in Argentina, east of the Andes.

pre-metro tramway (see below) before delivery in 1987 of 4 FM-class two-axle 4 the main batch of cars that still work that line today. car 3361 was The AAT fleet also now features several other survivors, one of many that including two examples of the first four British-built helped rejuvenate United Electric Subte cars of 1910 (S1-S4), which have the Buenos Aires occasionally been operated on the heritage circuit. The tramway. On 9 Anglo-Argentine company had begun construction of its March 2008 it first Subte line in 1909 and in 1912 and 1913 ordered further prepares to load a batches of 46 and 70 cars respectively, again from the United Electric Car Company of Preston, which in this case further contingent sub-contracted construction to La Brugeoise et Nicaise et of passengers Delcuve in Brugge, Belgium. The last of these 116 Belgian- opposite Polvorín built cars were withdrawn on 11 January 2013, failing depot for a journey to make their centenary by just a few months; hopefully around the heritage examples will join the AAT fleet. Subte line A, opened on 1 circuit in the December 1913, reopened on 6 March (See News). Caballito district. Another prized exhibit is a horse car dating from 1870, last operated on the final day of Buenos Aires trams in 1963. 5 The rather 6 spartan interior of Well organised, widely publicised FM car 3361 seems The year-round AAT operation is well organised and to be no deterrent widely publicised. A board posted at the Polvorín depot to passengers. On 9 gates specifies summer (December to February) hours March 2008 a group of operation as 17.00-20.30 on Saturdays, Sundays and settles in to its holidays and additionally 10.00-13.00 on Sundays. From two-and-two wooden March to November the late afternoon service operates one slatted seats for a hour earlier. There is no fixed timetable but departures leave every 20-25 minutes. No fares are charged and passengers journey around the board and alight solely at a temporary kerbside stop in heritage line circuit. Emilio Mitre adjacent to Polvorín depot. The track-fan in the depot is still laid out with its original 6 The second Porto Hadfields (Sheffield) pointwork. The heritage line, a little tram acquired over 2km (1.2 miles) in length, is entirely street-running, by the AAT was with single track laid in the centre of the road, and passes semi-convertible through an affluent residential and commercial area. On car 252, which 5 each trip, the car is brought to a halt on a delineated section after refurbishment of the main Avenida Rivadavia whilst AAT members sell a in Polvorín depot variety of fund-raising souvenirs, books and magazines. reappeared in the We are accustomed in these pages to recording instances guise of car 652 of where genuine tramway systems have spawned the creation the former Anglo- of local heritage operations, but in Buenos Aires, probably Argentine company, uniquely, the converse has occurred and given rise to the painted in that only conventional full-service tramway in the continent of company’s cream South America, except for Santa Teresa (where operation is livery with brown currently suspended) and Campos do Jordão in Brazil. Prompted by the huge success of the heritage tramway, the lining. In this view city promoted a scheme for a westward extension beyond the from 9 March 2008 terminus of Subte line E to a new housing development, to be it is seen opposite served by a completely new tramway, partially on reserved the depot with FM track and partially street-running. Opened in 1987, this self- car 3361 behind. contained pre-metro network – one main route and a branch – is served by 17 double-ended bogie cars built at Córdoba. 7 Tramcars and 7 It is living testimony to the role that a well-run museum- metro rolling type operation can play in reawakening awareness of the stock have happily contribution tramways can make to modern urban planning. co-existed within Not content with its existing operations, the AAT has Polvorín depot for longer-term ambitions. In the south-east quarter of Buenos more than three Aires lies the suburb of Quilmes, which once had its own decades, with the tramway (see Rosario, next issue). Some street track remains AAT being granted and in 2008, the AAT experimentally operated car 652 over use of one lye for its these lines, assisted by a petrol-driven generator. Later that historic vehicles. Car year the exercise was repeated for a few days using car 652, formerly Porto 3361, but in this case temporary wiring was erected and the operation conducted in the conventional manner with 252, heads the overhead current collection. It was repeated in 2010. tramcar line-up on While the operation has since been discontinued, the AAT 9 March 2008. hopes it can in future become a permanent feature – which would enable the city to share with Istanbul the accolade of All photography by supporting two distinct heritage tramway operations. TAUT Mike Russell. To be continued next issue.

www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org may 2013 205

204-205_TAUT1305_Classic.indd 2 02/04/2013 16:24 BOOKSHOP Order online from: lrta.info/shop – or by post from: LRTA Publications, 35 High Street, Moulton, Spalding PE12 6QB Postage & packing: Any UK address: Add 10% (minimum £2.00, maximum £7.50) All addresses outside UK: Add 20% (minimum £4.00, maximum £15.00)

Charleroi’s trams since 1940 – Coal, steel and cornfi elds New book from the LRTA

By Geoffrey Skelsey & Yves-Laurent Hansart Geoffrey Skelsey & Yves -Laurent Hansart The story of the Belgian industrial town of Charleroi’s two tramways,have put togetherwhich the were story ofpart the Belgianof industrial town of Charleroi’s two tramways, which were one of Europe’s most extensive networks. part of one of Europe’s most extensive networks. Traditional two-axle trams still ran in the 1970s and then, in a remarkable Traditional two-axle trams still ran in the metamorphosis, part of the local network of the celebrated Vicinal1970s national and then, in undertaking a remarkable evolved - with considerable diffi culty - into a regional light rail system,metamorphosis, extended part of the in local 2012. network of the celebrated Vicinal national undertaking evolved This wide-ranging book explores the colourful history of the two tramways- with considerable since difficulty 1940, - into a regional light rail system, extended in 2012. with insight into the political and economic problems which lay behind their decline and This wide-ranging book explores the partial revival. colourful history of the two tramways since 1940, with insight into the political and Supported by outstanding images from photographers who kneweconomic the problems networks which laywell, behind their decline and partial revival. this is a unique contribution to transport history. Supported by over 200 outstanding Softback, A4 size, 112 pages, with over 200 illustrations in colourillustrations and by blackphotographers & white who knew and numerous maps including a large fold-out plan of the combinedthe networks STIC/SNCV well, this is a uniq ue contribution to transport history.

network in 1969. Softback, A4 -size, 112 pages with over 300 illustrat and black & white ions in colour Price: £22.50 – An LRTA publication. Trade rates available to bookshops, librariesand numerous and mapsmuseums. including Contact a l arge fold plan of the combined STIC/SNCV -out [email protected] for more details. network in 1969.

Order on-line from: lrta.info/shop The Belgian Vicinal: Tram & Light Rail Fleetor 1885-1991 by post from: LRTA Publications, 35 High Street, Moulton, Spalding PE12 6QB

£22.50 plus £2.25 postage & packing to a ny UK address £22.50 plus £4.50 postage & packing to a By Dirk Eveleens Maarse ll addresses outside UK (by Airmail to Europe; surface mail to rest of world – dispatch to for Airmail addresses outside Europe , please add £6.75 This long-awaited new book from the LRTA complements the late Keith Davies’ The P&P)

Vicinal Story: Light Railways in Belgium 1885-1991 and covers in great detail all the steam, diesel and electric vehicles operated by this iconic system from its inception through to the split into the Flemish and Wallonian regional transport companies 21 years ago. Dirk Maarse has created a masterful compendium of the amazing variety of Vicinal rolling stock, operated on three different track gauges, with illustrations in both black and white and colour of most types. Numerous tables set out the details of numbering schemes, construction and withdrawal dates, manufacturers and a host of other information for the passenger and goods fl eets. A must-have for fans of Belgium’s vast secondary tramway network!

Price: £45.00 – Hardback A4 – 246 pages. An LRTA publication. Trade rates available to bookshops, libraries and museums. Contact [email protected] for more details.

To place an advertisement please contact Andy Adams Telephone: +44 (0)1832 281135 Email: [email protected]

206 MAY 2013 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org

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WATER | ENERGY & RESOURCES | ENVIRONMENT | PROPERTY & BUILDINGS | TRANSPORTATION A typical mid day scene at Laxey Station on 30 July 2012, as ‘Winter Saloon’ motor car 21 (1899) runs round its trailer, 40, one of three bought in 1930 to replace cars lost in the Laxey depot fire. Snaefell line engineering staff exchange a few words with the Laxey regulator. MER’s historic purpose

The Manx Electric Railway (MER) has been a remarkable Numerous other events have increased awareness of and are survivor. 120 years ago it was at the forefront of the Isle of Man’s reflected in growing passenger numbers. A recent survey showed development, opening up new areas and allowing the expansion the railways contributed GBP11m (approx EUR12.7m) to the of tourism with new places to stay and new destinations to Island’s economy and endorses the importance of the railways as travel to such as Groudle Glen and the Laxey Wheel, as well as an asset to the Island. providing a pioneering attraction to the enterprising Victorians. The daily operation of vintage Victorian rolling stock is best Its first financier was Dumbell’s Bank, which ceased trading on described as challenging and the Island is investing heavily to ensure Saturday 3 February 1900. In the next six months the tramway their ongoing safe and reliable operation. Track and overhead line share price fell from 27/- to 1/- and ultimately led to the sale of the renewals are now taking place along with structure surveys to business to a new company (The Manx Electric Railway Company plan asset maintenance. Two substations, Derby Castle and Laxey, Limited), which was incorporated on 12 November 1902. have been renewed which just leaves Groudle operating mercury The tramway prospered until World War Two when passenger arc rectifiers from the 1930s. The trams are being refurbished to numbers fell and the need for renewals was hastening. It was ensure reliability and the image kept fresh but traditional. taken over by the Isle of Man Government on 1 June 1957. The The tramway’s survival in different financial times is dependent remainder of the Island’s transport, excluding the Douglas Horse on residents and visitors finding that reason to travel. During a Tramway, was nationalised in 1978 to form the present Isle of bus strike this winter the MER demonstrated its value, carrying Man Transport. children from schools in a way not seen for decades. The full original tramway has survived and can be seen along The tramway is an important asset to the Island and its staff are its 28.5km (17.7-mile) coastal route. Sadly some key buildings proud to maintain its traditions. It is not a working museum, but have been lost to fires over the years, including Laxey station’s it does provide students of history with the rare opportunity to refreshment rooms in 1917 and the Dhoon Glen Hotel in 1932; immerse themselves in a past era. Preserving not only the historic the most significant fire, in the Laxey tramway sheds in April 1930, operation, but also its historic purpose provides the line with the claimed the only members of the original fleet not to survive today. ability and reason to celebrate many more anniversaries to come. MER passenger numbers in the inter-war years peaked at Ian Longworth 500 000 in August; today the number of carryings of the three Director of Public Transport, Isle of Man Government heritage railways was 330 000 in the 2012 season. For some time

the number of visitors equalled the number of railway passengers, Cover image: Mike Russell MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY which required the railways to receive significant subsidy. Special review by Tramways & Urban Transit © 2013. In the last three seasons attempts have been made to increase Report and images: Mike Russell. Design: Debbie passenger numbers, especially amongst the Island population Nolan. Production: Carla Corrado. Advertising of 85 000. The recent increase of over 30 000 passengers per Manager: Andy Adams. Grateful thanks are due to Ian Longworth, Peter Maddocks and Richard Little year reflects the success of new special events including Sunset from Isle of Man Public Transport and contributor A Special Review from Dinners and Pie in the Sky (stargazing) at Snaefell, which allow John Boyd. MANX supplement 28pp_REVISED.indd 1 04/04/2013 14:35 evening operation to return to the MER.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 3 Manx Electric Railway: a special place in history

Some are perhaps tempted to regard the Manx Electric Tramway – between Douglas and Groudle – opened for traffic Railway as little more than an anachronism – an honourable on 7 September 1893, what we now know as the Manx Electric survival from the formative years of electric traction. It is thus Railway was born. Electricity for the line was supplied at 500V dc very easy to forget how, on its inception in 1893, it was right and a primitive form of bow collector was initially used on the at the cutting-edge of the new electric traction technology and cars, proving unsatisfactory after a short time and being replaced how its rolling stock designs, heavily influenced by contemporary by the trolley-poles that are still in use today. American practice, were revolutionary in the Europe of that time. The initial operation to Groudle was a relatively short-term That this ambitious project has survived is in itself remarkable feature. During the ensuing winter, construction work pressed and a tribute to many determined folk who, in the face of ahead northwards on a long projection to Laxey, a principal financial adversity and at times a degree of local apathy, struggled traffic objective, and this major extension was opened for traffic to ensure the continued operation of this unique line. on 28 July 1894. It gave a run of approximately 11km (seven miles) northwards from Douglas, affording magnificent views Creating the MER over the sea on one hand and the beautiful Manx countryside The MER was far from being the Isle of Man’s first railway. on the other. Tourism was developing steadily during the second half of the The line’s promoters had further ambitions, however, and 19th Century and various enterprises were launched to cater for construction began in 1897 of a less developed, and arguably its demands. risky, northwards extension to Ramsey, the alignment following In 1873, the Isle of Man (Steam) Railway had commenced a steadily graded and curvaceous route throughout its journey. operation of its line between Douglas and Port Erin (still in The need to construct a significant viaduct at Ballure, just south operation today) and in 1879 the Manx Northern Railway of Ramsey, inhibited progress and when this ‘northern line’ was opened a line from Ramsey, which connected with the 1873 line opened in August 1898, services terminated here for the first 12 at St John’s. This approached the northern part of the island by months. The triumphant entry into Ramsey took place amidst the flatter lands to the west, and although a number of proposals local festivities on 24 July 1899, at which point the totality of the were advanced for a railway between Douglas and Ramsey via MER – just as it remains to this day – was complete. the more direct but tortuous eastern seaboard route, all were Depots were constructed at Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; that stillborn. The engineering complications were daunting, the at Douglas incorporating workshop facilities. route being littered with steep gradients and sharp curves, and Company activity had a wide reach, and included operation being peppered with deep, steep-sided ravines. of refreshment and tea rooms at strategic points, and mineral The first promotion that made any progress was for a light exploitation at the Dhoon quarry, but the long northern railway, to be worked by electricity using what was at the time extension proved its financial undoing, receipts no longer keeping state-of-the-art equipment. Construction began in spring 1893 pace with expenses, and liquidation followed in 1902. At this under the supervision of contractors Mather & Platt of Salford, point, the Douglas horse-car and cable-car lines, which had been and when the first section of the Douglas & Laxey Coast Electric operated by the company, passed to Douglas Corporation, and a

South Cape, on the 1894 extension to Laxey, is one of several lineside halts provided with attractive wooden shelters embellished with flowers often provided and maintained by residents. ‘Winter Saloon’ 21 of 1899 and trailer 44 of 1930 are heading southbound to Douglas on 28 July 2012.

4 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY Manx Electric Railway: a special place in history

Below: There are very few places in the world where one can still ride an unvestibuled electric tramcar in normal passenger service. On the MER, passengers can take advantage of fine weather to ride with the motorman. This is 1906-built crossbench car 32 with saloon trailer 57 of 1904 heading southbound at Preston’s Crossing (between South Cape and Fairy Cottage) on 28 July 2012.

Displaying the lettering of the undertaking that would have carried when new in 1893, MER 1, one of the two oldest working electric tramcars in the world still on their original line, stands at Derby Castle terminus on 27 July 2012 awaiting departure for Ramsey. The Brush D-type bogies were a later exchange for the original equipment.

“If any tramway or light railway anywhere is worthy of UNESCO World Heritage status, it surely has to be the Manx Electric Railway”

new company, the Manx Electric Railway Company Limited, was complete closure of this section and operation ceased at the formed to take over and work the electric line, which it did with end of September 1975. However, it was soon evident that general success for more than half a century. During this period, operating losses, far from being stemmed, were increasing. Faced the Laxey depot and all its rolling stock were consumed by fire by vociferous protests orchestrated by, but not limited to, Manx in April 1930 and the insurance payment was sufficient only to residents, Tynwald courageously acknowledged that the Ramsey replace three of the trailers lost. closure had been a serious error and, the permanent way and infrastructure having been kept intact, the line was re-opened Postwar troubles throughout in June 1977. It has remained so ever since. After World War Two, the MER suffered a progressive decline in ridership, the victim of changing holiday habits, competing or Recent investment complementary motorbus services and the growth of private Although for many years the MER has been operated primarily motoring. The remoteness of the Douglas terminus (Derby as a tourist service and was for a long time administered as such, Castle) from the main commercial centre of the capital and thus changing financial fortunes for the Isle of Man as a whole have the main traffic objectives did nothing to assist MER finances more recently resulted in substantial capital being made available and remains a serious handicap. The financial situation ultimately for renewal and improvement of the infrastructure both on the became so serious that the company reached the view that it MER and its associated Snaefell Mountain Railway. could no longer continue trading and the whole undertaking was Recently, the backlog of deferred engineering maintenance has offered to Tynwald (the Isle of Man Parliament) in 1955. been tackled (a task that will probably take until the end of this After much debate, the undertaking was nationalised in decade to complete), such that from a maximum of five MER November 1956, thereafter being under the supervision of an motor cars available for traffic in 2009, that total is expected MER Board of Tynwald. The level of service was progressively to have risen to 13 by the middle of 2013. This is no mean feat reduced as passenger numbers declined further, and winter given the age of the rolling stock, the fact that many replacement services were at one stage completely suspended, though later parts have to be individually made and that the railway has only a skeleton operations were reinstated. At one stage a proposal for small number of full-time skilled engineering staff. total closure was defeated only by the narrowest of margins. What the future holds only time will tell, but it does seem that A major incident which could, but fortunately did not, spell the MER has been put on a much firmer financial and operational the end for the northern line was the failure of the cliff face at footing than has been the case for many years. That it has Bulgham in January 1967, where erosion caused collapse of part survived its many vicissitudes and remains in operation today of the formation on which the MER rested. Major reconstruction is a remarkable tribute to the tenacity of those few visionaries works lasted almost six months and involved temporary single who were determined not to lose this priceless example of an line working, but this was only one part of the continuing saga authentic transport service from the late Victorian era. If any of the future of the Laxey – Ramsey section. An investigation tramway or light railway anywhere is worthy of UNESCO World commissioned by Tynwald, the Transmark report, recommended Heritage status, it surely has to be the MER.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 5 Flexibility in all weathers

Left: The workhorses of the MER are the ‘Winter Saloon’ motor cars of 1899, which maintain basic services throughout the year. Here car 20 is hauling trailer 40 of 1930, purchased to replace Laxey depot fire victims, on the side reservation of King Edward Road at Onchan Head on 27 July 2012.

Below: With the MER’s long overall length, net end-to-end running-time of 75 minutes and three operating depots, there is a need to ensure all staff return to their ‘home’ depot at the end of each shift. A feature once common on long country tramways but now possibly The MER often appears under the category of a heritage line. unique to the MER is the Yet while service is provided by rolling stock none of which is practice of crew changes under 100 years old, this is a proper transport service – albeit mid-route where cars operated seasonally; it is a fully-integrated part of the Isle of pass. This view from 30 July 2012 near Ballagorry Man’s transport network. The fact that the stock includes the shows just such a crew two oldest working tramcars in the world still in regular service exchange, which normally on their original line is an added bonus to the route’s charms. (as here) takes place on the Service levels vary by season, because a high percentage of northern section between passengers are tourists. Gone are the days when the Isle of Man Laxey and Ramsey. was the holiday destination of choice for hundreds of thousands of Britons, requiring an intense service on the MER, which even for the set out-stationed at Ramsey (which rotates on a daily in post-war years rose to a maximum 20-set summer service. basis) to be headed by a ‘Winter Saloon’ motor car. Since the These days the normal summer maximum is five sets, and renovation of the Laxey depot building, this depot now provides service levels gradually increase to this level in July and August, one set for peak summer service, working the first inward declining thereafter. The shoulder levels are of two, three or four journey from Laxey to Douglas and avoiding the need to send a sets, and although winter services have not operated in recent set empty from Douglas, as was the case in recent years. years to permit extensive track maintenance, a solo motor car Services run daily throughout the operating season, there being has provided a skeleton service, mainly catering for schools traffic. no Sunday variation from the weekday pattern, but are now The MER is responsive to passenger demand fluctuations, and generally confined to daylight hours. The only regular evening intensive services are provided on one or more days outside operations are in summer, when on Wednesdays and most the peak holiday season; for example during the annual TT Fridays, Douglas – Laxey and Douglas – Ramsey journeys connect motorcycle races at the end of May and beginning of June, when with the Snaefell evening service conveying diners to the Summit all available rolling stock is pressed into service. The busiest to partake in the Sunset Dining experience, which has proved to two days in this period are ‘Mad Sunday’, the Sunday between be an extremely popular addition to the range of special events. the practice runs and the races themselves, and Ramsey Sprint, The greatest level of service is normally provided over the held on the Tuesday of Race Week. In 2012, for the first time in southern section between Douglas and Laxey, where the various many years, 12 sets were operated on this occasion, including a intermediate stops provide a small measure of local traffic, and substantially reinforced service on the Laxey – Ramsey section. because of the connectional facilities at Laxey with the Snaefell line. The advertised service level over this southern section rises Varied services to every 30 minutes at peak times during the summer season. The main operating centre is at Douglas, where the principal The more rural and sparsely-populated northern section between depot and workshops are situated a short distance from the Laxey and Ramsey enjoys an hourly service, except on special line’s southern terminal at Derby Castle. The majority of the occasions (see page 9) when extensive reinforcement is provided. maximum tramcar output is supplied from here, and its location Services normally operate with a motor and trailer set. Tunnel is ideal for extra ‘relief’ journeys to cater for unforeseen peaks, or Winter Saloon cars provide basic services unless maintenance subject as ever to staff availability. requirements dictate that unvestibuled and crossbench motor The line’s considerable length, and total end-to-end running cars be used, but these also appear on scheduled services during time of over one hour, means there is great advantage in out- high season. Even in inclement weather, a motorman clad in stationing a set at Ramsey to work the first morning southbound protective clothing may be seen nursing his unvestibuled journey to Douglas and this is a feature of operations century-old motor-car up and down the gradients and around the throughout the season. For engineering reasons, it is normal tortuous bends of the line if no enclosed motor car is available.

6 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY Advertorial Replacement and maintenance for the steam and electric railways

The Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure is rolling out a replacement and maintenance programme for the Island’s steam and electric railways. The Department has maintained all new and old level crossing systems for the IoM Steam Railway and Manx Electric Railway since 2006. It’s recent replacement programme for the Steam Railway level crossings have provided a ‘fit for purpose, low maintenance system’ that has improved reliability, safety and traffic flow by offering improved train detection. The system also features remote monitoring for preventive fault recognition and maintenance. The equipment used was adopted from tried and tested technologies already used within the Douglas Marine lift bridge automation system and highway traffic management systems. The Department also maintains MER level crossings, having updated the 1972-installed systems by integrating new technology to improve reliability and safety. The renovated systems incorporate LED traffic signals that provide reliable Above: This image is from the SCADA, giving a visual representation and low-cost maintenance, while future work will include the of the crossing as well as all its status and any alarm conditions. installation of a full replacement of the level crossing control. Heritage work carried out by the Department’s craftsmen After a formal tender procedure, Tycon Automation Ltd has been ongoing for almost ten years on a number of projects, was selected to carry out the control system development and including the refurbishment and rebuilding of rolling stock manufacture of the trackside control panels. Tycon Automation such as the Donegal carriages, repair work to the signal box at has years of experience in control panel design, manufacture, Douglas Station, repairs to station boxes at Strathallan and Port development and implementation of automation control systems Soderick, and masonry and painting works to Castletown station. across multiple vendor platforms. Based in Wrexham, North As well as updating level crossing systems, the Department Wales, the firm is a certified Mitsubishi Systems specialist, is also working towards a number of future projects, including employing Mitsubishi MCE-certified engineers. This enables the the large-scale renovation of the Promenade in Douglas. As team to deliver and support projects across a wide spectrum of part of this project, there is a requirement to incorporate tram applications and market sectors. signalling into a new traffic management system. Similarly, there Tycon Automation Director Chris Tye said: “The system we are plans to provide priority signalling in Ramsey and a new developed in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure project is underway at Port Erin station to introduce track point not only meets, but exceeds their expectations. Designing a monitoring and the automation of semaphore flag signalling. standard approach with so many variables at each crossing was a challenge, but one we relished. The visibility the operations team now has of the system and train movements is really effective in enabling them to carry out their tasks more efficiently.” A Mitsubishi Q series PLC system was conceived utilising a Mitsubishi GT1055 graphical interface for immediate display of alarms, trends and status information. Information from each crossing is transferred via Westermo GSM modems to the Department of Infrastructure control centre. A Mitsubishi MX4 SCADA system monitors the island-wide crossings; all alarms and statuses are logged at this operator workstation. As well as providing robust telemetry architecture the system has been designed with ease of operation in mind for track and train staff. Moving to cutting-edge control and automation technology has allowed the Department of Infrastructure to reduce the number of reactive incidents, while also allowing the system to be interrogated remotely from a centralised location. Specialist support can also be Above: offered from Tycon Automation’s base in Wrexham. Double These robust and reliable technologies are easily transferrable to barrier other rail crossing applications across the globe. The design allows system the flexibility to create a system that meets their requirements and level is scalable so it can be applied to much larger or smaller applications. crossing Port Erin. Tycon Automation, Unit I, Left: LED Schappe Building, Llay Industrial wig wag Estate, Wrexham LL12 0PB UK signals, T: +44 1978 855662 | W: www.tyconautomation.co.uk Ballabeg.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 7 Making the mer ‘special’ Manx tourist and promotional literature extols the virtues Saturday evenings. With two departures by MER special cars of the railways and tramways as prime attractions. In addition from Derby Castle to Laxey, passengers transfer to SMR cars for to providing regular timetabled services, a series of special an early evening sortie to Snaefell Summit, where a three-course promotions developed in recent years have increased ridership dinner with drinks is served in the Summit hotel (itself owned by and revenue and many of these inspired developments have Isle of Man Transport and operated by a concessionaire). proved real money-spinners. Many are staged on the Isle of Man The descent from Snaefell is completed at dusk or, later in Steam Railway, but others are dedicated to the Manx Electric the season, in darkness and participants return to Douglas by and Snaefell Mountain lines. The extended range of these special 23.00. During the 2012 season, over 2000 passengers availed events has been instrumental in the 10% overall patronage themselves of this opportunity. increase achieved by the three operations in the period 2009-12. Shoulder and off-season evening special events are also Of special interest is the annual Manx Heritage Transport jointly operated by the MER and SMR, giving opportunities for Festival, which has recently developed into a regular feature of stargazing from Snaefell Summit in addition to a supper in the late July, spanning a period of about five days. The 2013 event is restaurant (‘Pie in the Sky’) and a return journey arriving back from 24-28 July. Attempts are made to vary the bill each year at Derby Castle at midnight. On the first weekend of October and the return to service of long defunct rolling stock – and there will be a Murder Mystery event at Snaefell Summit. operation of strongly reinforced timetables – makes this period An innovation for 2013 is the themed Victorian Extravaganza an ideal time for a visit by any transport enthusiast. to be held at the end of June, whilst for enthusiasts, there will be This year it is hoped to achieve a 12-car timetable on one a special day of early winter MER photography on 2 November, day of the festival, as programmed last year but unfortunately and a seasonal MER service on three pre-Christmas December not quite achieved because of last-minute car availability weekends – the first such timetabled operation for many years. issues. Amongst the features of this timetable are intensive However, the special MER highlight this year is the celebration reinforcement of the basic service over the Laxey – Ramsey of the 120th anniversary of the opening of the line on 7 section, operation of cars into the early evening and use of stock September. It is intended that this event, to be staged over the that otherwise seldom appears, including the ‘Royal’ trailer 59, weekend of 7-8 September, will include features to increase rack motor cars 32 and 33, and both the 1893-built cars 1 and 2. awareness of the MER amongst the island’s resident population, The greatest additional discretionary revenue, however, comes as well as provision of an intensive service on one of the days to from non-enthusiast visitors who want to savour a unique appeal to the enthusiast fraternity. Victorian experience in the context of a conventional public Full details of this event were not yet available as we closed for service. A particularly successful venture has been the summer press but will be provided on the MER website shortly: evening Sunset Dining experiences on Wednesday, Friday and www.manxelectricrailway.co.uk

‘Tunnel’ motor car 6 (1894) hauling trailer 48 of 1899, now in blue and ivory livery, starting a northbound journey approaching Port Jack on 27 July 2012.

8 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY RMS Locotec specialises in supporting the requirement for cost effective renewals and maintenance of infrastructure including track, formation, drainage and station facilities for tourist, secondary and industrial railways of all gauges.

A fleet of special and general purpose equipment is maintained to tackle all types of construction, renewal and maintenance tasks that include locomotives, road rail machines and tools designed for the job or adapted to meet particular demands of the customers railway.

The company has a service record spanning more than 20 years throughout which the specialist needs of railway operating businesses have been served by commitment, innovation and delivery - On Time, On Price and On Standard.

Contact Mike Fairburn, General Manager

RMS LOCOTEC Stanhope Station, Stanhope, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 2YS T: 01388 526203 | W: www.rmslocotec.com

Supporting the Isle of Mans Industry and Infrastructure for 35 years through quality products and services in civil engineering, construction and quarrying.

Visit our website www.colas.co.im

F or more information on the Manx Electric Railway’s 2013 calendar of special events:

www.manxelectricrailway.co.uk

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 9 Advertorial maintaining the manx electric railway

There are many challenges in maintaining this narrow gauge impacts on the MER’s operation. Access issues can involve steep, railway which dates from 1893, including the rolling stock, the deep ravines, remoteness from highway access, limited ability to newest of which dates from 1906. Since 1978 the DCCL have use the narrow rail corridor for construction plant and material undertaken an extensive refurbishment programme with several access, overhead power lines and working at height. of the coastline cars rebuilt with new control resistances, air BSA use their experience and that of the DCCL to ensure whistles, speedometers and roller bearing motors, reducing construction challenges are overcome by extensive planning maintenance and oil consumption. of each project. We commission investigatory surveys where The rail infrastructure has also received significant investment necessary, develop designs which can be undertaken using Manx over the years including a programme of track renewals, ensuring contracting resource, develop clear working constraints advice the future enjoyment of this unique railway. and establish achievable safe methods of work. The rail line runs from sea level in Douglas and Ramsey to Our positive relationship with the DCCL is based on a 2,000ft at Snaefell (if the SMR is included), passing through commitment to understand our Client’s business aims and to embankments and cuttings and across culverts, steel bridges appreciate and work within their operational constraints. Our and masonry viaducts, with in excess of 40 various retaining and attitude is to be responsive, flexible and reliable. supporting structures. Burroughs Stewart Associates’ services include: l Civil and structural engineering P roaCTIve and reactive maintenance l Project management Burroughs Stewart Associates (BSA) are consulting engineers and l Site supervision project managers and we have worked closely with the DCCL, l CDM Coordination developing a good working relationship, as we assisted them in their objectives of maintaining and operating the MER. The DCCL aim to ensure their maintenance programme is planned and proactive, though given the age and location of the MER this is not always possible and at times quick reactions are required to support its safe and continued operation. BSA have over the years undertaken various projects including: l Multiple Principal Structural Inspections encompassing all of the MER engineering structures intended to support a planned preventative maintenance programme Principal Structural Inspection of Groudle Viaduct using rope access. l Designed and procured engineering remedial works at a number of rail crossing sites l Undertaken computer modelling for bridge strength for Ballure Bridge, a wrought iron truss bridge built in 1896 with a span of 55m, determining a package of remedial works for the bridge l Designed and managed remedial works to a number of culverts, including the sudden catastrophic failure of Ballabeg Culvert, which closed a section of the MER. With the assistance of the DCCL, BSA mobilised staff and contracting resource to remediate and rebuild this embankment and culvert within two weeks Our staff are qualified civil and structural engineers and Completed works on the Laxey Viaduct. experienced construction professionals. Many of our personnel are PTS (Personal Track Safety) trained for the MER, confined Burroughs Stewart Associates 17A Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man IMI 2LW space and rope access trained. We work directly with the operational staff at DCCL to ensure the work we design and T: +44 (0)1624 662155 oversee the construction of is undertaken as safely as possible E: [email protected] and with minimum disruption to the operation of the MER. W: www.bsa.co.im There are many challenges in achieving construction work on the MER; the main ones relate to access and minimising the

10 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY Below: Fine weather on 29 July 2012 affords passengers spectacular views over the beautiful Stunning views, Manx lansdscape and the Irish Sea. ‘Tunnel’ motor car 5 (1894) and trailer 47 (1899) have just started their descent towards Dhoon rural scenes from the line’s summit at Bulgham whilst on a Ramsey-bound journey.

It might be expected that a wide variety of features will be the line was first pushed on northwards, and before long the encountered during an end-to-end journey on the MER in the MER is again on a roadside alignment before negotiating the course of its twisting 28.5km (17.7-mile) route, but one feature first of three road crossings. Two of these are found in close dominates the scene throughout – the stunning coastal scenery, succession near the Halfway House public house; following which is interspersed with glimpses of a rural way of life. collisions and near-misses as road traffic increased, these Setting off from the Douglas terminal at Derby Castle, cars are now protected by warning signs and flashing signal lamps pass through one of the only two substantial areas of urban activated by approaching tramcars. The MER still suffers from development on the entire route. The line starts to climb almost collisions but fortunately the robust rolling stock is well-tested immediately on leaving Derby Castle and winds its way past Port and the rubber-tyred vehicles inevitably come off worse. Jack and Onchan Head, where the first high-level views over the Although technically still on roadside alignment north of the Irish Sea appear. A further roadside section passing the urban second crossing, the MER line is now partly concealed behind development at Onchan follows, with a series of four stops a shallow embankment before a slight diversion away from mainly used by island residents. the road to call at Baldrine halt, one of several on this section Before long, the urban sprawl of Douglas is left behind and provided with wooden shelters and adorned with floral displays soon becomes a distant memory as the cars progress slowly supplied by local inhabitants. The MER then engages in its first to the first summit of the line at Howstrake. This was once a section of private right-of-way away from the road alignment as vital traffic objective, the now-closed Howstrake Camp having it loses height before approaching Garwick Glen. The Glen was been a popular holiday venue and requiring provision of many a major tourist attraction and a cross-over evokes memories of extra local journeys to cater for the traffic. A sharp curve here the days when ‘extras’ reversed here, but it has been closed to leads to the descent to Groudle Glen, the initial 1893 terminus, the public for many years and the stop is now seldom used. commemorated by a special memorial plaque unveiled by the A sharp left turn brings the line back parallel with the main Governor on the occasion of the centenary in September 1993. road and at the Ballagawne stopping-place is to be found the only instance of a stop flag served by southbound MER tramcars Groudle Glen – Laxey and northbound buses on the parallel road. After a further few A horseshoe bend follows on a viaduct spanning the Glen and hundred metres the line swings slightly inland in order to attain a Groudle River, largely disguised by the growth of foliage since better angle to cross the main road at Ballabeg.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 11 Ramsey From now on, the MER is on the seaward side of the main road to Laxey and starts its decline into the latter township, Ballure at first gradually and then significantly more steeply, with Bellevue intermediate stops at Fairy Cottage and South Cape. The Lewaigue appearance of the recently-refurbished Laxey depot on the left heralds the approach of the line’s main interchange at Laxey Dreemskerry Station, reached by a crossing of the impressive Laxey Viaduct, Ballajora refurbished in the last two years at a cost of GBP120 000 Cornaa Ballaglass Glen (approx. EUR139 000). At Laxey, many of the passengers are likely to alight. Some will Ballaskeig take the opportunity of refreshment at the MER’s café or the Glen Mona nearby Mines Tavern; others will transfer to a waiting Snaefell Mountain Railway car for the ascent to Snaefell – maybe first Dhoon Quarry having inspected the weather forecast for the Summit displayed on a chalkboard outside the Laxey regulator’s office – whilst Dhoon Glen others will no doubt be starting their walking tour of Laxey by Bulgham Bay inspecting the giant Laxey Wheel, a waterwheel built in 1854.

Laxey Minorca Laxey – Bulgham Other than on the first journey of the day, or when reinforced South Cape services are operating in connection with special events, Fairy Cottage

Ballabeg Goods traffic was at one time of vital importance to the prosperity of Baldrine the MER, providing a lifeline to the remote Half Way House communities in the north-east of the island. Groudle Restored open wagon Glen N 10 is seen on the siding Derby Castle at Laxey on 26 July 2012 (Douglas) in company with a pair Howstrake of closed wagons. Port Jack

The essence of the country tramway – a scene that has vanished from almost everywhere else in Europe. Two passengers for Ramsey greet the arrival of ‘Winter Saloon’ 19 (1899) and trailer 48 (1899) at the wayside Ballajora halt on 29 July 2012.

12 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY Above: It isn’t sunshine all the way in the Isle of Man and the ‘Winter Saloon’ motor cars of 1899 provide a protected travelling experience in inclement weather. Motor car 21 with crossbench trailer 46 set off from Laxey for Ramsey on 26 July 2012. The 3ft 6in-gauge track nearest the camera is that of the Snaefell Mountain Railway line.

Below: The late Michael Goodwyn was one of the MER’s strongest supporters but also a trenchant critic of the practices of earlier managements. His life and work are commemorated by this plaque attached to rocks flanking the line at Bulgham Bay, its highest point.

Gentle reverse curves on the southbound approach to Ballaglass Glen, with crossbench motor car 32 of 1906 and saloon trailer 58 of 1904, seen on 29 July 2012. ridership north of Laxey is likely to be significantly lower than A long almost-straight section of track brings the car to Glen on the southern section. The northern part of the line is much Mona and beyond, whereupon the MER leaves its alignment less developed than the south, the MER has far greater stretches close to the main road and cuts across country through fields of private right-of-way well away from public roads, and the and woodland to Ballaglass, Cornaa (a particularly attractive halt scenery is if anything even more breathtaking. on a sharp curve intersected by a country lane), Ballajora As the motorman negotiates the two road crossings beyond and Dreemskerry. Throughout this section of the journey a Laxey Station and observes the SMR diverging to the left to glance out of the right-hand side of the car will afford glimpses begin its ascent to Snaefell, he will prepare for probably the over the sea and of rolling farmland. longest non-stop section of his journey. Unless a passenger A further cross-country stretch brings the line to Lewaigue wishes to board or alight at Minorca (a halt above Laxey and Bellevue halts, and after leaving the latter point the main effectively used only by locals), he will quickly build the car up to road is again paralleled on its seaward side for the initial full parallel for the long, steady climb to Bulgham. approach to Ramsey. On this section, the MER is once again laid on the seaward Immediately before the entry into Ramsey itself the MER side of the road and on rounding Laxey Head, spectacular views traverses Ballure Viaduct. This was built for the line to cross the over the Irish Sea become visible. Around 15 minutes after steep-sided Ballure Glen and its prolonged completion delayed leaving Laxey, the car will arrive at the line’s summit at Bulgham opening of the line throughout to Ramsey until 1899. Bay, 179m (588ft) above sea level. In an inspired move, this The final approach to urban Ramsey is initially on roadside remote spot has been equipped with a rudimentary platform for track in Walpole Road; this section was originally planned to passengers on southbound cars, which are brought to a halt here function as street-running track, an unachieved ambition. for two minutes to enable them to alight to take photographs. We know that journey’s end is near as the diminutive Ramsey It was at Bulgham Bay that cliff erosion in 1967 caused single- shed is passed on the right side of the car, which comes to a halt line working to be instituted for almost six months pending in the specially-built station at Ramsey, where today’s buildings reconstruction of the cliff face. are a shadow of the edifices that once adorned the site. The journey will have taken around 75 minutes and the Bulgham – Ramsey interested observer will not immediately wander off but linger It is steadily downhill almost all the way from Bulgham but the a while to watch the well-practised fly-shunting manoeuvre, line is far from being without scenic interest. The first halt is at whereby the motor car is detached and run round the trailer, Dhoon Glen and then, after a further couple of minutes, Dhoon whilst the latter is propelled by the conductor to the limits of the Quarry is reached. The MER retains some permanent way sidings line, being brought to a halt on the handbrake whilst the motor here and occasionally a works train may be found in occupation. car is recoupled to prepare for the return journey to Douglas.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 13 Advertorial GHD: sharing the island’s JOURNEY THROUGH A RAilway renaissance

The Isle of Man Railways are a railway heritage jewel, central from the Island’s Parliament, Tynwald. GHD managed the to the Island’s important tourist industry. Their continued safe procurement of the contractor for each annual renewal winter and successful operation is vital to the future of the Isle of Man. contract, administered those contracts and supervised the Over much of the latter half of the 20th Century, the Isle construction. Some 32km (20 miles) of track, 55% of the MER, has of Man Railways’ dedicated maintenance and engineering team been re-railed or renewed over the programme under GHD’s carefully managed the railways through a period of very limited management. funding and investment. However, by the late 1990s, despite Initially the programme had to urgently deliver sizable lengths their care, the aged infrastructure was becoming increasingly of improvement to very poor track where sleepers were rotten worn out. This, combined with the opportunity to renew some (potentially allowing gauge widening and causing derailment risk), 19.3km (12 miles) of the Isle of Man’s Steam Railway track when where the combination of bonding failures and the aggressive Port Erin’s principal sewage outlet pipe was re-constructed costal environment had led to badly corroded rail and where the in the railway formation, triggered the 15-year programme of ballast was very badly silted. The Isle of Man Railways and GHD renewal of the Island’s fixed infrastructure. faced a classic railway asset management dilemma: Renew all the Though GHD’s role (initially as CDL – acquired by GHD in track components whilst you have possession and a renewals 2011) has been akin to a Programme Delivery Partner, under team mobilised, or replace only those components needed to Isle of Man procurement rules GHD’s support has been subject continue safe and reliable operation of the railway, recognising to regular (annual or bi-annual) review and market testing. that the next intervention will have to be sooner because of the GHD is therefore particularly proud that, as a result of the continued decline of the assets you didn’t replace? strength of its service and commitment to the Isle of Man In the face of the track condition, constrained funding and the Railways and the continuous value improvement it has provided, limited construction period during the MER winter close-down, GHD’s involvement in the renewals programme has been almost the latter approach was adopted, applying innovative planning, continuous since 2002. During this time the focus has been practical track engineering and imaginative cascading of materials. on the Manx Electric Railway (MER) and the Snaefell Mountain 75lb rail, cascaded from the steam railway renewals and still Railway, building on GHD team members’ involvement from the good for the 3-ton axle loads on the MER (steam railway axle programme’s inception. loads are 10 tons), combined with the replacement of every GHD has been both Project Manager and Engineer on the fourth sleeper, was installed in the worst areas, achieving over renewals programme, specifying the renewals and managing the twice the metre rate of a full renewal and allowing the railway capital investment approval process to gain funding approval to reopen each year. Once the worst areas were addressed, “The Isle of Man Railways are a heritage jewel, central to the Island’s tourism, and their safe and successful operation is vital to its future.”

14 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY GHD: sharing the island’s JOURNEY THROUGH A RAilway renaissance

the latter stages of the programme moved increasingly to full adept at reacting to problems as they emerged, but had had renewal of the remaining areas. limited opportunity to develop skills in forward planning and The unique, charming isolation of the Isle of Man, so close delivering preventative maintenance. to, yet so far away from the UK, also brings unique challenges. GHD drew on its considerable experience of railway asset Logistics complexities are overlooked by many consultants management on systems such as Manchester Metrolink, and contractors new to the Island. The range and volume of Heathrow Express and London Underground. GHD also drew materials held by local materials stockists is understandably upon its experience of managing rail industry change such as less comprehensive than in the UK and when materials are not Network Rail bringing maintenance in house in the Wessex area, available on the Island, delivery by ferry increases cost and time, and on its clear understanding of the particular conditions that particularly when winter storms cause delays. Simple items exist on the Isle of Man Railways. A change programme was such as drainage pits can become unexpected sources of developed including implementation of a safety management significant programme delay. GHD required tendering system and the creation of formal track inspection guidelines. contractors to demonstrate they clearly understood these GHD support on this change programme was delivered at dimensions and were able to plan for this; a contributing factor a number of levels, from auditing of current practice through to the continuous improvement in delivery efficiency over the to seconding a senior member of the GHD team to the Isle life of the programme. of Man Railway for 15 months as interim professional head of Another key success factor in the Isle of Man is effective engineering. The interim professional head of engineering led the management of stakeholders. This must take account of a initial stages of the change programme and assisted the Isle of number of unique aspects including very rapid communication Man Government in the recruitment of the new Chief Engineer by word of mouth around the tight-knit community and the for the Isle of Man Railways. ability of all to lobby politically; the latter is both greater and As this special publication demonstrates, the Isle of Man more commonly exercised than in the UK. The nature of the Railways’ leadership team is today maintaining and continuously relationship between adjacent landowners and the railway improving the assets with a lesser need for outside support; a is another example: landowner access across the railway is reflection of their skill and the success of the renewals programme more common than in the UK (and in many cases alternative and wider changes that have taken place over recent years. routes do not exist) and historically established shared drainage GHD is very proud to have played an important role in the arrangements must be respected. GHD’s own part in managing transformation of the Isle of Man Railways and looks forward to these relationships was a key success factor, as was ensuring that providing further assistance into the future as the railways enjoy the contractor respected these issues. a much deserved renaissance. As the renewals programme progressed, the Isle of Man Government turned to GHD for advice on how to apply best practice in railway safety and railway asset management GHD from other railways. This would enable the Government to 4 Innovation Close, York Science Park, York YO10 5ZF UK continue improvements in the safety of the railways, to maintain the new infrastructure and to increase the efficiency of the T: +44 1904 436100 railway. Operating through decades of very limited funding, the W: www.ghd.com committed maintenance team had, by necessity, become highly

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 15 Motor car no. 2 has been out of service recently but, following extensive workshop attention, it is hoped Maintaining a that it will reappear in service this year. This is one of the two surviving motor cars of 1893, now the oldest working electric tramcars still on their original precious fleet line anywhere in the world. It is here seen at Derby Castle depot, Douglas, on 27 July 2012.

Above: A rewound traction armature motor awaiting fitting in the the promoters’ ambitions to furnish a domestic and commercial Derby Castle workshops. electricity supply as well as that for the tramway.

Above middle: The depot and workshops at Derby Castle contain Above right: The Derby Castle output board, showing the disposition several reminders of the line’s origins, including this clock dating from of rolling stock (motor cars in red, trailers in blue) on the eight depot the earliest years and bearing the name of the line’s second company, roads. The cars out-stationed overnight at Laxey and Ramsey are The Isle of Man Tramways & Electric Power Co. Ltd., as successor to shown on the board on the left, whilst the day’s Douglas allocation has the Douglas & Laxey Coast Electric Tramway Co. Ltd. Its name reflects yet to be posted.

Maintaining a fleet of motor and trailer trams comprising off from maintenance staff to the traffic department ensures that almost entirely stock dating from Victorian or Edwardian times only serviceable vehicles are despatched. Due to the condition of presents MER staff and management a set of challenges unique some components, such as traction motors, the replacement and in today’s worldwide light railway scene. That task might appear overhaul programme is still largely driven by instances of failure daunting to many engineers brought up on modern equipment; one or assessed condition. The intention is in due course to move to of the secrets of the MER’s longevity is the loyalty and devotion a system of cyclical overhaul, refurbishment and body painting. of engineering and operating staff who have successfully striven The following is a summary of recent and current engineering to keep the wheels turning in the face of very daunting odds. work carried out on MER rolling stock, both internally and by Most motor cars and trailers still have plain brass bearings. outside specialist contractors: These have to be checked and oiled daily before service. Brakes Car 1: Fitted with new wheels and axles, with motors are also inspected and adjusted daily. A daily ‘fitness to run’ sign- refurbished at Derby Castle.

16 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY ‘Tunnel’ car 9 (1894) running round its trailer (48) at Laxey on 26 An array of rolling stock at Derby Castle depot, Douglas, on 27 July July 2012, with the conductor guiding the trolley-pole through the 2012. ‘Tunnel’ car 9 (1894) is prominent, with 1906-built crossbench overhead wiring layout. Well-practised rituals like this have been motor car 33 to the left and 1893 veteran car 2 on the right. taking place many times daily on the MER for almost 120 years.

Two cars in the Derby Castle workshop on 27 July 2012. ‘Winter Car 58 is one of two unvestibuled full-length saloon trailers supplied saloon’ 22 (1899) is undergoing a truck overhaul. Trailer 60 (1896), is in 1904. On 28 July 2012 it was being hauled by crossbench motor car receiving rebuilt equipment to replace defective axles/trucks. It should 32 (1906) and is seen at Baldrine heading for Laxey and Ramsey. return to traffic in 2013.

Car sheds at Derby Castle on 29 July 2012. Prominent are ‘Tunnel’ motor car 9 of 1894, trailer 48, now in blue/ivory livery, of 1899, and Car 7 is the only MER tram in blue/ivory livery (car No. 1 is a Snaefell crossbench motor car 16, the sole operating example of the 1898 batch Mountain Railway car). It stands here at Laxey car shed in late 2012, supplied by G F Milnes & Co of Birkenhead. ‘Tunnel’ car 6 is far left. with open crossbench trailer 48 attached. Peter Maddocks

Car 2: New wheels and axles fitted, and bogies from car 7. Car 21: Fitted with refurbished brake valves, and two motors Motors refurbished by CPM Engineering of Manchester. refurbished at Derby Castle. Car 5: Fitted with new wheels and axles and new compressor. Car 22: Currently in workshops with wheels being reprofiled Repainted and fitted with four motors overhauled by CPM. and motors being rebuilt. Car 6: Fitted with new wheels and axles. Repainted in 2010. Trailer 48: Roller-bearing bogies fitted in 2011. Car 7: Roller-bearing truck conversion and refurbished Trailer 51 (ex-13): Being refurbished at Derby Castle. motors by Sulzer, Dowding & Mills of Birmingham. Complete Trailer 55: Brill trucks recovered and in course of being body rebuild and repaint in 2011. motorised for fitment to ‘Winter Saloon’ cars (19-22 series). Car 9: Repainted and fitted with new illumination units. Trailer 56: Currently undergoing repaint. Car 19: Repainted in 2012 and fitted with new saloon heaters. Trailer 57: Floor and bolster repair completed in 2012. Car 20: Fitted with new saloon heaters. Trailer 60: Full truck, wheels and axles overhaul in 2012.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 17 Manx Electric Railway: Current Fleet List as at March 2013

Rolling stock not in the ownership of the MER is excluded from this list

Fleet No. Year built Builder Type of body Seating Livery Bogies Controllers Status MOTOR CARS 1 1893 Milnes Unvestibuled saloon 34, longitudinal D&LCET Brush D GE K12 R 2 1893 Milnes Unvestibuled saloon 34, longitudinal MER Brush D GE K12 W 5 1894 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 32, 2+1 transverse MER Brush D GE K12 R 6 1894 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 36, longitudinal MER Brush D GE K12 R 7 1894 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 32, 2+1 transverse D&LET Brush D GE K12 W 9 1894 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 36, longitudinal MER Brush D GE K11C R 14 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 GE K11 S 15 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 GE K12 S 16 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER green Brush D GE K12 R 17 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 GE K12 S 18 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 GE K12 S 19 1899 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 48, 2+1 transverse MER Brill 27CX GE K12 R 20 1899 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 48, 2+1 transverse MER Brill 27CX GE K12 R 21 1899 Milnes Vestibuled saloon 48, 2+1 transverse MER Brill 27CX GE K12 R 22 1899 Milnes Vestibuled saloon* 48, 2+1 transverse MER Brill 27CX GE K12 R 25 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse Undercoat None None S 26 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 1 GE K12 S 27 1898 Milnes Open crossbench 56, transverse MER None GE K12 S 28 1904 ER&TCW Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 None S 29 1904 ER&TCW Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 None S 30 1904 ER&TCW Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 GE K11 S 31 1904 ER&TCW Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Milnes series 3 GE K11 S 32 1906 UECC Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Brill 27CX GE K12 R 33 1906 UECC Open crossbench 56, transverse MER Brill 27CX GE K12 R 34 1995 MER Electric locomotive (Works car) Yellow Brush D GE K11 R

TRAILER CARS 36 1894 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 2 S 37 1894 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 2 S 40 1930 EE Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 R 41 1930 EE Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 R 42 1903 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 3 S 43 1903 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 3 R 44 1930 EE Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 R 45 1899 Milnes Flat wagon (works car) Yellow/black Milnes series 2 R 46 1899 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1,2 W 47 1899 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 W 48 1899 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER blue Milnes series 1,2 R 49 1893 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER maroon Milnes series 1 S 50 1893 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 S 51 1893 Milnes Unvestibuled crossbench 44, transverse D&LCET Milnes series 1 W 52 1893 Milnes Permanent Way car (works car) Yellow/black Milnes series 3 R 53 1893 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 S 54 1893 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Milnes series 1 S 55 1904 ER&TCW Open crossbench 44, transverse MER none S 56 1904 ER&TCW Enclosed crossbench 12, transverse** MER Brill 27CXT R 57 1904 ER&TCW Unvestibuled saloon 32, 2+1 transverse MER Brill 27CXT R 58 1904 ER&TCW Unvestibuled saloon 32, 2+1 transverse MER Brill 27CXT R 59 1895 Milnes Unvestibuled saloon 18, 2+1 transverse MER Milnes Series 2 R 60 1896 Milnes Open crossbench 44, transverse MER green Milnes Series 1 W 61 1906 UECC Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Brill 27CXT S 62 1906 UECC Open crossbench 44, transverse MER Brill 27CXT S

NOTES: ER&TCW: Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Co. Ltd., Preston. EE – The English Electric Co. Ltd., Preston. Milnes: G F Milnes & Co. Ltd., Birkenhead (later Hadley). UECC: The United Electric Car Co. Ltd., Preston. D&LCET – Douglas & Laxey Coast Electric Tramway. DLET – Douglas & Laxey Electric Tramway. MER – Manx Electric Railway (red and ivory with teak panels unless otherwise shown). * New body to original design built 1991 following destruction of original body by fire in 1990. ** Rebuilt by MER from open to enclosed form and fitted with disabled access lift. R – Currently operational. S – Stored out of service. W – Receiving workshop attention and expected to return to traffic in 2013.

18 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY Modernising historic island infrastructure When the initial section of the MER between Derby sleepers in traditional tramway practice. In recent years Thermit Castle and Groudle was opened in 1893 only a single-track line welding of 18.3m (60ft) rail lengths and concrete sleepers have was provided, with passing loops at Onchan, but already the been used during programmed relaying; during winter 2012-13, formation had been prepared in a way that would easily permit no fewer than 400 concrete sleepers have been laid and 80 rail conversion to double-track layout. This was achieved in 1894 welds have been installed. As part of this programme, expansion when the Laxey extension was opened and, ever since, the MER switches have been installed. The concrete sleepers were part of has been operated throughout as a double-track line with the an initial purchase for use on both the MER and the steam railway. exception of short-lived sections of single-line working. Other trackworks have used Pandrol baseplates to support With all rolling stock being double-ended and an absence of any the running rails, an improvement on the traditional practice turning facility, intermediate crossovers are provided throughout of dog-spiking to sleepers. Between 2006 and 2009, 27% of the the entire length of the line. Although only one or two are track mileage was relaid and 31% re-railed; at the same time, scheduled for regular seasonal use, most are used from time to the surfaces of a number of the smaller road crossings were time, either to facilitate temporary single-line working during renewed. In 2011 and 2012-13, 15 long timbers were renewed infrastructure work, or in the event of unforeseen circumstances. on Ballure Viaduct. Refurbished point ends and blocks have been Although current was initially collected by early forms of bow fitted to two crossovers at Ballamenagh and Ballaskeig. collector, their unsatisfactory operation resulted in replacement Future plans hold out the prospect of yet more extensive by under-running trolley poles before the opening of the Ramsey renewals. The crossing surface in Groudle Road was renewed section in 1899 and these, with fixed-head trolley-wheels, have in early 2013 and the surface in Harbour Road was due to remained ever since. With the exception of the station at Laxey and follow later in the spring. At Ballure Road, Ramsey, a new the Walpole Road section in Ramsey, laid for on-street running that Programmable Login Controller level crossing controller with was never achieved, the line is equipped with 903 centre traction proximity detectors is to be installed and new crossing lights poles, with the running-wire generally suspended from short are to be fitted at the Ballabeg crossing. At Ballure, a track relay bracket arms, though span wires are employed where necessary. is to be undertaken in conjunction with installation of a deep interceptor drain as part of cliff stabilisation works. Extensive renewal A major capital project that will be spread over three winter The track formation has been sound from the outset and running seasons is being planned, namely the complete overhaul of rails of 9.1m (30ft) length have been spiked to wooden softwood Ballure Viaduct. The preparatory work will take place during the

The summit at Bulgham Bay affords spectacular views over the cliffs and Irish Sea beyond and a viewing platform has been built for passengers to use during a brief halt on southbound journeys. This point is close to the site of the 1967 cliff fall, which saw the line being for almost six months during stabilisation works. With sightseers re-embarked, crossbench motor car 32 of 1906 and unvestibuled trailer 58 set off for Douglas on 29 July 2012.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 19 The Halfway road crossing north of the Liverpool Arms has been fitted Winter saloon 21 and trailer 46 cross the Laxey Viaduct on the with traffic warning and control since before World War Two, and approach to Laxey Station on 26 July 2012. Constructed for the upgraded in recent years. Motor car 1 of 1893 heads Ramsey-bound tramway in 1894, this viaduct was rebuilt under the winter 2011-12 with short unvestibuled ‘Royal’ saloon 59 of 1895 behind. capital programme.

2013-14 closed season, with the actual remedial works to be Laxey and Ramsey carried out over the following two winters. The two single most significant redevelopments in the near A new permanent way depot is to be established at Derby future will involve the interchanges at Laxey and Ramsey. The Castle to service all three railways. whole of the trackwork in the precincts of Laxey station is now A complete survey of the MER track geometry is to be carried life-expired and proving difficult and expensive to maintain. The out using a recording trolley; clearance surveys have already proposal is to renew the entire layout plus the tracks north of begun using a pre-developed model. Some track standards the station, and the scheme will incorporate relocation of the relating to flangeways and check-rail clearances have already station pointwork to the renewed tracks between Mines Road been revised; this was driven by a wheel/rail interface study and Ramsey Road. Work on this project will start on site in the carried out by Manchester Metropolitan University. coming winter of 2013-14. At the same time, the electrical power distribution system is A different but equally substantial change is envisaged for far from being ignored. A new substation at Derby Castle was Ramsey, where a totally remodelled interchange (to be called installed in the winter of 2010-11, and in winter 2012/13 a new Ramsey Plaza in an evocation of the historic name), is to be substation was installed at Laxey. Commissioning of the latter created. A redeveloped tram station will incorporate a facility took place as we closed for press and when brought into use, for buses, allowing the present bus station area to be released the mercury arc rectifier in the old Laxey substation, the last for building. This scheme will require complete reconstruction in that needed a full-time attendant, will fall out of use. A strategic the area of the tram shed and paving of this section of track to review of the MER’s power supply points, isolating sections and allow bus movements and parking (clear of the running lines). earthing is currently in hand. The alignment of the station area itself will be amended to Some 4km (roughly 2.5 miles) of 10mm grooved overhead turn tracks eastwards towards the town centre and will have trolley-wire was renewed in 2011-12 and a further 4km during a double-faced platform for trams and buses. A new office and winter 2012-13. All crossbonds have been renewed and a rail- staff facility will incorporate a passenger waiting area and ticket end bonding programme is in hand. sales point. This project will run during 2014-15.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY: COMPLETED AND PLANNED PERMANENT WAY RENEWALS 2007-19 Plain line Plain line Plain line Insert Points complete rerailed reballast / baseplates renewed track only resleeper & track weld Timeframe renewal only previous relays Track km: 57.56km (36 miles). 67 points. PREVIOUS Renewals 2007 - March 2011 27% 31% 0% 54% April 2011 - March 2013 1% 0% 0% 0% Totals completed to 2013 28% 31% 0% 54% CURRENT Work programmed April 2013 - March 2019 2% 4% 2% 0% 9% PROGRAMME Funded by other schemes (eg Laxey Station, Ramsey Interchange) 3% 22% Totals completed to 2019 33% 35% 2% 0% 85% % of plain line track planned to be renewed by 2019 70% FUTURE Other work required April 2013 - March 2019 Not yet programmed 3% 3% 5% 33% 12% % plain line track requiring renewals after 2019 19%

Large sections of the MER works have been completed by spiking track directly to sleepers. There are significant life-extension benefits in modifying this to current standards of baseplates and welded joints.

20 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY   TREFOIL STEEL CO. LTD.  FOUNDERS & ENGINEERING PATTERN MAKERS    Our specialised products are for use in the  following industries:   Mining | Quarrying | Petro-Chemical | Mechanical   Handling and Rolling Mills  We supply:   Chocks | Housings | Valve Bodies | Guides | Impeller Bars | Crusher Teeth and Drums | Chain Sprockets | Goaf and Face Side Shoes | Wheels of various designs | OCIMF mooring equipment | General engineering casting requirements

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MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 21 the Manx connections

The Manx Electric Railway is operated as a part of the on the upper section above The Bungalow is removed to Isle of Man Government public transport department, which forestall wind and storm damage. The timetable specifies only is also responsible for all scheduled bus services, the Snaefell first and last departures from Laxey and Snaefell and these are Mountain Railway and the Isle of Man (Steam) Railway. Only the specifically designed to connect with appropriate services to and Douglas Corporation horse tramcar line is outside its remit. from Douglas, whence most visitors emanate. Connectional and interchange facilities are afforded between the Within the relatively short span of the Snaefell operating day, MER and other modes at a number of points. cars operate in accordance with traffic demands and these vary This situation should naturally bring about a high level of greatly with weather conditions. Snaefell is a windy outpost and integration and co-ordination, but as the three railways are when in adverse weather only the very brave (or foolhardy) are discrete undertakings (albeit with a connection at Laxey between tempted to make the journey to the Summit, a two- or three- the MER and SMR), in practical terms this is limited. The MER car service is quite adequate to cope with passenger numbers. operates as a free-standing semi-autonomous unit within the In fine weather during high summer, however, the volume of department, and the staff (both regular and seasonal) here, on visitors multiplies several-fold and all six cars will be found in the SMR and IMR, all enjoy different conditions of service and operation to meet demand by providing a ten-minute frequency. negotiating rights to those of their colleagues in the bus division. The Snaefell running-time is around 25 minutes each way. Through tickets are available for travel between Douglas or Snaefell mountain railway Ramsey and Snaefell Summit, changing from the MER to SMR One of the most popular interchanges is at Laxey, the lower at Laxey, and the invaluable Manx Explorer tickets afford the terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway. This line opened in opportunity of unlimited rides up and down the mountain line 1895, one year after the MER reached Laxey, but was built to within the period of validity. the wider 1067mm gauge (3ft 6in) – the MER is 914mm (3ft). The Snaefell line is of particular value to spectators during A short length of interchange track is located within the Laxey the annual TT motorcycle races, permitting direct access to station layout to enable Snaefell cars to be transported on the the TT circuit, which crosses the SMR at The Bungalow. At MER if necessary. these times, direct pedestrian access across the mountain road, The Snaefell operating season runs from March to October used by the TT riders, is strictly prohibited and they must use a each year and during the closed winter season, overhead wiring nearby footbridge. The SMR service is divided and operated in

A wet day at Laxey on 26 July 2012, and the interior lights glow through the clerestory of ‘Tunnel’ car 9 (1894), with trailer 48 (1899) understandably deserted by passengers. The demand for trips up Snaefell mountain is much reduced in such conditions and two of the SMR cars on their terminal stand to the left await what meagre traffic is on offer.

22 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY Derby Castle terminus in Douglas, where easy interchange can be made with the Douglas Corporation horse trams at their adjacent terminus, and transfers to and from local bus services can also be made. ‘Tunnel’ motor car 6 (1894) and crossbench trailer 46 (1899) stand ready to make the first departure of the day to Ramsey on 29 July 2012. two distinct sections, upper and lower, in each case reversing by by a small amount. Specific connection between arriving MER crossovers installed each side of the mountain road crossing. trains and the horse-cars is not – and realistically cannot be – guaranteed, because the scope for delay and late-running on the Buses and horse trams 75-minute journey from Ramsey is considerable. At Ramsey, the most substantial township in the north of the Isle Connections at Derby Castle with local and interurban bus of Man (population around 7 300), interchange is offered with services provided by Isle of Man Transport are not ideal. A local bus and minibus services which terminate adjacent to the problem is that the hilly terrain of Douglas (as with the rest of the MER terminus. Island) dictates that many bus routes feature large uni-directional At Douglas, the MER has historically always terminated at circular terminal loops, and those serving the Onchan area Derby Castle, at the north end of the Promenade, overhead exhibit this characteristic. As a result, intending MER passengers wires being strongly disfavoured further south for fear of approaching Derby Castle by bus from the south customarily disfiguring the main Douglas promenades. Derby Castle is some have to alight at the stop before Derby Castle, adjacent to the distance north of the main hotel area and shopping centre and horse-tram stables, and walk the last few hundred metres to the onward travel connections are available by bus and horse tram. MER terminus. For southbound journeys, the bus stop is more The horse tramway, dating from 1876, is considerably older satisfactorily located opposite the MER terminus but the frequency than the MER and is now the only full-service, albeit seasonal, of service is not always conducive to awaiting a connection. public service horse-drawn tramway in the world. It remains in This rather unsatisfactory state of affairs holds out the the ownership of Douglas Corporation – the last remnant of the promise of improvement within the foreseeable future. As part corporation’s once substantial public transport operations to do so. of the intended Promenade improvement works, a scheme is This lack of common ownership has resulted in recent years being developed to relocate the track of the horse-tramway and in an unfortunate lack of timetable co-ordination between convert it to single-line-and-loop configuration, permitting the the modes, fortunately substantially rectified from the 2012 MER tracks and overhead to be extended south as far as Villa season. In stark contrast to previous seasons, the 2012 Marina, roughly at the mid-point of the Promenade and much timetable featured a first departure from the line’s southern better situated for direct access to the main commercial centre end at Victoria Pier at 09.20, affording connection with the first of Douglas and most hotels. The connectional problem would timetabled MER departure at 09.40. In a welcome but belated thereby largely be solved and MER ridership should increase example of integration, the MER’s Derby Castle timekeeper substantially, with the MER attaining far greater visibility and habitually kept a look-out for the approach of this journey presence in the eyes of visitors than it does at present at its and would hold the first MER service if its arrival was delayed somewhat remote Derby Castle terminus.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 23 Ticketing However, the Isle of Man Department of Tourism promotes The principal form of integration is in respect of ticketing. Both a range of Island Explorer tickets, affording holders unlimited the MER and SMR issue their own tickets for single and return travel within the period of validity on almost all public transport journeys wholly on their respective lines and for connectional services including (since 2012) the Douglas Corporation horse journeys between the two, but these are not inter-available for tramway. For those making an extended visit, or intending to return by bus, or vice versa. Tram fares are set at double the undertake lineside photography, these ride-at-will tickets are equivalent bus fares, it being deemed reasonable to charge a invaluable and generally very good value within the context of premium for travel by a vintage transport service. Island prices generally.

It’s approaching the end of the operating day on 29 July 2012 and ‘Tunnel’ motor car 9 (1894) and trailer 43 (1903) return empty towards Douglas on the long descent from Bulgham to Laxey, with views over the fields of Skinscoe and the Irish Sea beyond.

Sample fares (2013 season)

Manx Electric Railway return: GBP13 (approx. EUR15) Ramsey Station and should be of charge. Additional child Explorer Douglas to Laxey adult return: Ramsey to Snaefell Summit adult inspected by the conductor during tickets are available at half the above GBP10.80 (approx. EUR12.50) return: GBP13 (approx. EUR15) the journey. Passengers joining cars at prices. Douglas to Ramsey adult return: intermediate stops pay the conductor GBP12.40 (approx. EUR13.50) The MER fare table is arranged in 12 on the car. Manx Heritage Laxey to Ramsey adult return: stages with intermediate fares available Explorer tickets GBP10.80 (approx. EUR12.50) between all. In every case, single fares Island Explorer tickets These are issued for five days at are half the return fare. The SMR fare (adult prices for 2013 a cost of GBP55 (approx. EUR64) Snaefell Mountain table has just one intermediate stage season) adults, GBP27.50 (approx. EUR32) Railway at Bungalow and through fares to and One day: GBP16 (approx. EUR18.50) children, and in addition to the above Laxey to Summit adult return: from Douglas and Ramsey are identical Three days: GBP32 (approx. EUR37) unlimited public transport usage allow GBP11 (approx. EUR12.80) to those for the full journey to or from Five days: GBP39 (approx. EUR46) free admittance to all Manx National the Summit. Seven days: GBP47 (approx. EUR55) Heritage sites. Manx Electric Railway Tickets should be purchased in and Snaefell Mountain advance of joining the car from the Adult Explorer tickets allow one Railway MER booking offices at Douglas child aged between five and 15 years Douglas to Snaefell Summit adult (Derby Castle), Laxey Station and to accompany the ticket-holder free

24 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONSULTING CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS PROJECT MANAGERS & PLANNING SUPERVISORS T: 01624 664242 | E: [email protected] | www.bbconsulting.co.im

LAXEY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

CPM Engineering, specialists in the repair of rotating equipment are proud to have participated in the restoration of the Isle of Man DC Traction motors for the 120th Anniversary of the Manx Electric Railway.

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MANX RAILWAY MEMORABILIA NDT TESTING ON SITE Made on the Isle of Man by Ultrasonic, Eddy Current, Magnetic Particle and Penetrant THE LAXEY BLACKSMITH Regarding specialist NDT Wheelset enquiries contact Roy Archer (Technical Manager– Rail) Details at www.laxeyblacksmith.com 07977980491 / 0141 577 0186 / [email protected]

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 25 making connections: 21st Century electrics

The Manx Electric Railway’s tramcars may be vintage – but equipment had been in service since the 1930s, which presented that’s not stopped a progressive modernisation programme from difficulties with like-for-like replacement and with spares. taking place on the ‘behind the scenes’ electricity supply. As of March 2013 three substations on the Island have been Cars operate from a 550V dc electricity supply and power re-equipped two of the substations are in new buildings. The delivery to the trolley wire is provided by six substations, which other is a refit in an existing building. are located at 4km-6.5km (3-4 mile) intervals along the routes of First to be replaced was the substation at Bungalow on the the MER and the Snaefell Mountain Railway. SMR line. This resulted in a new building that included a ticket Primary supplies to the substations were originally provided office. The second replacement was at Derby Castle Depot by the railways’ own generating stations at Douglas, Ballaglass in Douglas; this was a refit in an existing building. The third and Snaefell, with underground feeders to remote substations/ substation replacement at Laxey was also a new building. battery houses at Groudle and Belle Vue. In the 1930s the In each case, the electrical equipment installed in the upgrades power stations were decommissioned, with power now coming is the same, in order to provide consistency in switching and from the local electricity supply company at either three-phase operational activities and to limit the variety of spares required. 3300V volt ac or three-phase 6600V ac, whichever was available Primary supplies to the upgraded substations are provided in the area. by the local electricity company, Manx Electricity Authority The primary supply voltage was then transformed to 443V (MEA), at 11000V three-phase ac. The historic 3300V and 6600V three-phase ac and delivered to six-pole Mercury arc rectifiers. supplies were being phased out. The 550V dc from the rectifiers was connected to dc switching Primary supply voltage was then transformed to 443V panels with a combination of circuit breakers and knife switches three-phase ac and delivered to a three-phase ac switchboard protecting and distributing supply to the overhead trolley wires. and onwards to two three-phase solid state bridge-connected diode stack rectifiers, each capable of delivering 300kW at 550V Modernisation begins dc. The outputs from the rectifiers were then delivered to a In the 1980s the mercury arc rectifiers at Belle Vue and Ballagorry cubicle type switchboard equipped with dc circuit breakers and on the Ramsey section were replaced with diode rectifiers. In distributed to the overhead trolley wires. 2003 a progressive upgrading of the substations began. The upgraded substations no longer have live copper parts The replacement programme was considered necessary exposed and switching operations have been simplified. Bungalow’s following Health and Safety assessment and on consideration of upgraded substation has now been in service for ten years and the age of the equipment. The dc switching panels had live copper Derby Castle for two years; both have provided trouble-free parts exposed during switching operations. Also, some of the operation. Laxey substation was commissioned in March 2013. “The dc switching panels had live copper parts exposed during switching operations. Also some of the equipment had been in service since the 1930s.”

From this… Installed in the 1930s, the mercury arc rectifier is very much a reminder of a bygone age; the large glass bulbs contain mercury …To this. Replacing the mercury arc recitfiers with this 300kW through which the current passes, making the liquid bubble and spark. bridge rectifer unit; moving the MER firmly in the 21st Century. The process converts alternating current (ac) to direct current (dc). John Boyd

26 MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY making connections: 21st Century electrics

SMR no 1 Complete with bow collector (now very unusual in public tramway service anywhere in the world. The Island’s electrified rail systems now benefit from safer and more reliable power supplies thanks to substation upgrades.Isle of Man Public Transport

And from this… the old dc switching panel, that from its very To this... A modern state-of-the-art dc switchboard as now found in appearance shows that it has seen better days. John Boyd the Manx Electric Railway’s substations at Bungalow, Derby Castle and Laxey. John Boyd

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY 27 Advertorial Overhead Line Equipment Inspection and data collection on the mer

Centre: Typical contact wire clamp arrangement at a support pole.

Above: Hard work, but still in good spirits!

In 2010 I contacted a former colleague from British Rail The wire thickness does not tell the whole story and more days, Pete Maddocks, who had recently taken the job of Chief information was needed on each location. So we took high- Engineer with Isle of Man Transport who operate the Manx definition close up photographs at each measurement location. Electric Railway (MER). I wanted to keep Pete up to date with Throughout the cold wet January and into February 2011 the my role in Sperry and we discussed various aspects of MER but Sperry team took measurements and photographs. And after quickly came round to particular problems with Overhead Line five weeks of inspection we had taken over 3300 pole thickness Equipment (OHLE) failures. measurements, over 4000 wire measurements and over 5000 The MER OHLE system is supported by poles of mostly steel high-definition photographs. Documenting this amount of data or cast iron construction. Many of these have suffered various into a manageable format was a challenge in itself and, after each levels of corrosion over the years due to the harsh weather hard day suffering the elements, the Sperry team formatted the conditions and salty atmosphere associated with an island sitting collected data into spreadsheets with embedded links to each in the middle of the Irish Sea. The most corroded of which were photograph for each support pole. suffering eventual catastrophic failure, collapsing to the ground For the first time in its history the MER had a complete survey without any warning. And upon failure, of course, the collapsing of its OHLE system’s condition and was able to identify areas of pole brings down the overhead line system with it. high risk to target its maintenance and prevent future problems. MER’s problem was that of the 1100 plus poles in service the John Tansley, European Business Development Director, level of corrosion in each pole was unknown and it did not know Sperry Rail International which pole might fail next! But that was not the only problem MER was having with its OHLE. The contact wire is a trolley-wire fixed system, which does not have tensioning by weights as in modern OHLE systems. The wire is simply clamped at each pole. This clamping arrangement has two major downfalls: l High mechanical stresses are introduced into the contact wire at the clamping point as trams pass along the span. l The contact wire is unable to expand and contract evenly as the ambient temperature varies. The consequence of these stresses is the contact wire becomes stretched in the area of the clamp and thins or “necks”. This necking where it becomes significant can result in the contact wire breaking – further catastrophe. Above: Ultrasonic pole thickness measurement. MER eventually decided to tackle the problems and issued an Invitation to Tender to have all of its OHLE network inspected Right: Live line contact in an effort to pre-empt further issues. The inspection of wire thickness the poles for residual thickness is fairly straightforward, and measurement using Sperry’s insulated pole. ultrasonic thickness measurement techniques have been around for some time. But determining the residual wire thickness was a very different issue. To measure the wire thickness at 4000-plus locations Sperry Rail International Ltd without turning the power off meant developing a special tool. Trent House, rtc Business Park, In Sperry’s workshops we developed an insulated pole which London Road, Derby, UK could be operated by a person standing on the ground below T: +44 1332 262565 the contact wire. The insulated pole enabled the operator to E: [email protected] attach it to the live contact wire and take a wire thickness W: www.sperryrail.com measurement accurate to within +/- 0.1mm.