THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE
www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com
JULY 2019 No . 979
growing London’s
tram potentiaL
Brussels congress debates urban rail safety and sustainability
Doha launches Metro Red line service US raises Chinese security concerns India plans ‘Metrolite’ for smaller cities
Canberra
energy efficiency
Realising a 100-year light rail ambition
Reduced waste and greater profitability
2019
EntriEs opEn now!
SUPPORTED BY
ColTram
244
CONTENTS
263
the official journal of the light rail
transit Association
JULY 2019 Vol. 82 No. 979
EDITORIAL
Editor – Simon Johnston
AssociAtE Editor – Tony Streeter
WorldWidE Editor – Michael Taplin
256
NEWs Editor – John Symons
sENior coNtributor – Neil Pulling
WorldWidE coNtributors
tony bailey, richard Felski, Ed Havens, Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson,
Herbert Pence, Mike russell, Nikolai semyonov, Alain senut, Vic simons, Witold urbanowicz, bill Vigrass, Francis Wagner, thomas Wagner,
Philip Webb, rick Wilson
ProductioN – Lanna Blyth tel: +44 (0)1733 367604
NEwS
244
SAVING ENERGY, SAVING COST
258
dEsiGN – Debbie Nolan
Doha opens Metro Red line; US politicians raise Chinese security concerns; Brussels celebrates ‘tramway 150’; Arizona’s Valley Metro extends to Gilbert Rd; Bombardier UK to build new Cairo monorail; Luas-style system proposed for Ireland’s Cork; Kent-Essex tramway is feasible; India proposes ‘Metrolite’ LRT for smaller cities.
Len Vossman explains some of the current initiatives driving tramway and metro energy efficiency.
ADvERTIsIng
coMMErciAl MANAGEr – Geoff Butler tel: +44 (0)1733 367610
geoff@mainspring.co.uk
SYSTEMS FACTFILE: LONDON TRAMS 263
Neil Pulling looks at developments on the UK network formerly known as Tramlink.
PublisHEr – Matt Johnston
Tramways& UrbanTransit
13 orton Enterprise centre, bakewell road,
Peterborough PE2 6Xu, uK
wORLDwIDE REVIEw
269
Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring
on behalf of the lrtA on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date.
EU LIGHT RAIL 2019
Exploring the main debates on safety, sustainability and innovation from this year’s congress in Brussels. Geoff Butler reports.
250
Wuppertal services to restart; Durmazlar to double tram factory capacity; Denver LRT extends to Lone Tree; S-Bahn for Leeds?
GIVING EVIDENCE ON LRT’S VALUE 274
Tim Kendell explains the LRTA’s response to the UK Government’s Call for Evidence.
PREPARING FOR CANBERRA LRT
252
PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION
Warners (Midlands), bourne, lincs PE10 9PH, uK
Shany Shaked and Robert Wagner from DB E&C describe the process of commissioning Australia’s newest light rail system.
MAILBOX
275
LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription)
Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up
members of the light rail transit Association.
Is the Cambridge Autonomous Metro plan a white elephant; More on AI in light rail.
NEw CONNECTIONS IN TOULOUSE 256
SYSTRA’s Sandrine Vielhescaze and Yves Montaron talk through the latest points of evolution in Toulouse’s
lrtA WEbsitE ANd diArY
Brian Lomas
[email protected] [email protected]
CLASSICS: NORTHERN POLAND
276
Mike Russell describes the heritage efforts of developing transport network. two Polish towns: Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk.
sUbscRIpTIOns, MEMbERsHIp AnD bAck IssUEs
lrtA Membership secretary (dept t06), 38 Wolseley road, sale M33 7Au, uK. tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785
[email protected] Website: www.lrta.info
Why celebrating the past creates future bonds
If ever proof were needed that tramways are well-loved elements of the urban fabric, in recent weeks we have seen it – and in fine style.
fOR cORpORATE sUbscRIpTIOns vIsIT
An estimated 50 000 people took to the streets in Brussels in May for a series of events and a gala tram parade that marked 150 years of tramway operation. Operator STIB pulled out all the stops for this very special
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anniversary, spending millions on a range of special events and even reinstating a section of metre-gauge track in Place Royale to display electric trams brought in from collections around Belgium, and operating a 19th Century steam tram.
lrtA cHAirMAN – Paul Rowen
The Belgian capital is undoubtedly one of the world’s finest examples of the tramway art. For 150 years it has connected people to work, leisure, family and friends – and the city would now be unimaginable without it.
© lrtA 2019
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The cynical may dismiss such things as just a PR exercise, but without the passion of the people working on these systems such celebrations wouldn’t happen. Quality transport creates a relationship with people and events such as these, executed with style, create a virtuous circle that only further cements residents’ attachment to their city. So it is important that we don’t underestimate the importance of reaching out in this way. Technology is great for connecting with people in real-time, but let’s not forget the simple actions such as personal engagement and the value of making people smile. So while last month we celebrated Prague’s tramway and metro networks, in the next couple of issues – as well as all the usual topical news and technical content on new systems
COVER: South London’s tramway network is poised for long-overdue expansion to Sutton. Neil Pulling
– we’ll take a detailed look at Belgium’s fabulous tramways.
Simon Johnston, Editor
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News
Doha opens Metro Red line for service
First section of the state-of-the-art automated metro in Qatar’s capital welcomes passengers
he capital of Qatar is building a four-line automated metro
The remainder of the 40km line, from Al Qassar to Lusail via the university, and the airport branch, will open before the end of 2019, when 110 trains should be available. At Lusail there will be an interchange with the LRT system, due to open later this year. Also now under construction are Gold and Green lines with completion programmed in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when up 650 000 passengers/day are expected.
T
eventually extending to 164km (102 miles) with 100 stations. Work began in 2013, and a total of 21 Herrenknecht tunnel-boring machines are in use. Phase one comprises 40km (25 miles) of Red line, 22km (13.6 miles) of Green line and 14km (8.7 miles) on the Gold line. Metro operation began on
8 May when the 13-station
Opening day on the Red line of the Doha Metro. Qatar Rail
southern portion of the Red line from Al Qassar to Al Wakra was opened. Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani travelled to Al Wakrah, where he inaugurated the new stadium. A six-minute service is operating 08.00-23.00 Sunday-Thursday after the soft launch and 86 500 passengers travelled during the first two days of service.
By 2002 Doha should have a three line metro
system. Qatar Rail
Gold Club class has 16 seats and Family class 26 seats. A one-day ticket in standard costs QAR6 (EUR1.5); a Gold class day pass is QAR30 (EUR7.3). The operating company is a joint venture of Hamad Group and RATP Dev/Keolis, which has a 20-year EUR3bn contract. KinkiSharyo has supplied 75 three-car trains in co-operation with Mitsubishi Corporation; automation featuring CBTC technology is supplied by Thales.
Bombardier UK to build New Cairo monorail
At the end of 2017 the Egyptian Government announced plans for two monorail projects serving greater Cairo – a 42km (26-mile) line from 6 October City to Giza, and a 54km (33.5-mile) line from Nasr City to New Cairo Administrative Capital. It then invited expressions of interest from companies that had experience with similar projects; it was hoped to complete the projects by the end of 2020. In January 2019 it was announced that three companies had submitted bids, CRRC of China, Scomi of Malaysia and Bombardier Transportation. On 27 May Bombardier was announced as preferred bidder for a EUR1.2bn design and build contract, with an additional EUR1.1bn for 15 years of operations and maintenance. The company said it would work with local contractors Orascom Construction and Arab
Contractors, and announced that a monorail production line would be set up at its Litchurch Lane factory in Derby (UK); 70 four-car trains of the Innovia 300 straddle design will be required. Bombardier has supplied monorail systems in the US, Thailand and Brazil. Its Innovia 300 is said to be capable of carrying 4800 passengers/hour/ direction using Citiflo 650 train control. The contract is subject to final confirmation. The New Administrative Capital is being built on a 5.6km2 (2.2 square-mile) site 45km (28 miles) east of Cairo. The USD58bn development will house government departments and embassies as well as housing for over five million people. The project has the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi. Once built, the monorail will be the world’s largest carrying regular transit users.
An Innovia 300 destined for Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) was unveiled at the 2014 edition of the InnoTrans rail exhibition in Berlin. TAUT
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US politicians say Chinese metro interest ‘threatens national security’
Washington senators seek to propose legislation to ban CRRC from USD1bn Metro order
our senators representing local districts have threatened to seek
CRRC has replied saying that many of the components for its US rail cars are made in the country, that its products meet specific requirements set by the transit agencies, and that the manufacturer doesn’t control the cyber components it installs. It added that it would have no control or access to the cars once they have been accepted for service. However some software and systems experts say this cannot be ruled out as manufacturers send periodic software updates to operators. The tender for up to 800 exclude a bid by CRRC unless a law is passed to this effect. However the senators supporting the move to exclude CRRC are planning to achieve this by inserting a clause into the reauthorisation of the annual USD150m towards metro capital improvements forbidding the award of a contract to
(64), as well as commuter rail cars for Philadelphia (SEPTA) (45), where bids undercut established manufacturers by 20-30%. All the US stock is being built in a plant at Springfield, MA, and another plant in South Chicago for the CTA order. The calls from Washington and New York come amid rising tensions between the US and China after trade talks between the two nations broke down in May without agreement. President Donald Trump subsequently signed an executive order to empower the federal government to ban US telecommunication companies from installing foreign-made equipment and technology that could be used to intercept communications.
F
legislation that would withhold federal funding from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) if the agency awards a contract for its next generation of metro cars to Chinese rail
- manufacturer CRRC.
- any manufacturer from a
The group of politicians has expressed concern that the Chinese Government could force spyware to be installed on the new rolling stock to listen in on passenger conversations – many of whom are military or government officials – citing Chinese laws that require
‘non-market economy country’. The news coincides with a request for an investigation into CRRC’s involvement in a design contest for New York’s MTA that sought innovations in train control technology, citing ‘potential threats to national security’.
8000-series cars has a potential
value of over USD1bn and was due to close on 31 May. Alstom and Hyundai Rotem have indicated they will bid and WMATA says it cannot legally industrial concerns to co-operate with state intelligence and other government agencies.
CRRC is already building metro cars for Boston (404 cars), Chicago (400) and Los Angeles
NEWS IN PICTURES
Kent-Essex tramway under the River Thames is ‘certainly feasible’
Engineering consultancy Cowi has suggested that proposals to create a tram link between the neighbouring English counties of Kent and Essex using a prefabricated tunnel under the River Thames show “great merit” and are “certainly feasible”. The proposed tramline would run from the Bluewater shopping mall in Kent and through Ebbsfleet (offering connections to the HS1 highspeed international rail link) before crossing the Thames to Grays in Essex.
Gordon Pratt, Managing Director of Thames Gateway Tramlink, said: “Having now had our tunnel feasibility
Project promoters Thames Gateway Tramlink (Kenex), believe the line would cut congestion around the Dartford Crossing motorway bridge and tunnels further west, an area affected by some of the UK’s highest levels of pollution. A further east-west link in Kent between Dartford and Gravesend is included within the promoter’s future plans. confirmed by international experts we are very pleased that another significant step forward has been achieved by the project. By following many other countries in not relying on a road tunnel, KenEx can lower pollution and provide an efficient, inclusive and sustainable rapid transport solution for all.”
The first night-time test of a 15G on Amsterdam’s tramway was carried out on 28 May. GVB
Amsterdam tenders for tram collision warning systems
The two proposed lines for the KenEx tramway in south-east England.
Following testing on seven trams on tram line 17 in Amsterdam, municipal transport operator Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrij (GVB) has invited tenders for the supply, installation and maintenance of a collision warning system for 155
Siemens Combino trams.
The tender calls for 159 systems, including four double-ended trams, with the first units to be installed before the end of the year. The intention is that all Combinos are to be equipped by the middle of next year. The 63 CAF Urbos trams on order for the Dutch city feature such a system as original equipment. The first of GVB’s 15G trams was delivered to Diemen workshops in late April.
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News
Light rail schemes may be ‘more suitable for smaller Indian cities’
Concerns over metro costs and disappointing passenger numbers prompt ‘Metrolite’ plans
n an address to a conference at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi on 31 May, Urban Affairs looking at a number of light rail schemes for smaller cities across the country. With the Nagpur, Kochi and Jaipur metro systems achieving low ridership and revenues, the government is looking at lower-cost solutions.
A refurbished tram with airconditioning and a new interior was introduced on Kolkata’s Shyambazaar – Esplanade route (now christened AC5) at the start of May. Making six round trips a day, this 11m car seats 32 passengers. The renovation cost INR2.5m (EUR32 000). The service has been a success, bringing in three times the fare revenue of the non-AC vehicles. West Bengal Transport Corporation is looking at
Specifications and standards for ‘LRT (Metrolite)’ schemes have been drawn up, the official said, and while the government has committed to introduce metro systems in 50 cities, “the traditional metro, which requires huge capital investment, may not be viable in many smaller cities. There won’t be enough ridership as well. In those cases we can go for Metrolite networks.”
I
Secretary D S Mishra announced that the Indian Government is
The Metrolite concept as described uses light rail refurbishing more vehicles for routes in other parts of the city.
- Two trams were fitted with
- standards, with dedicated surface
corridors instead of elevated or underground alignments. Such corridors would reduce the cost of new systems by 40%, air-conditioning in 2013 for tourist operation in central and northern Kolkata, but this is the first to be used in regular service. Those vehicles had a capacity for 24 seated passengers and included television and FM radio. A tour cost INR250 (EUR3.2), including snacks, and they ran four times each day.
Mr Mishra suggested. At present, 657km (408 miles) of metro projects are currently operational in India, with another 800km (500 miles) under construction in 27 cities.
Some Indian metros have struggled with ridership; Kochi’s first line opened in
2017 and carries an estimated 30 000 passengers/day. Jinoytommanjaly / CC-BY 2.0
The Pioneer is the first
tramcar from CRSC; the company says it has the capacity to build 100-150 vehicles per year. CRSC
Sydney inaugurates first phase of Metro North West scheme
The 36km (22.4-mile) automated Sydney Metro North West
Bus routes have been adjusted across the Upper North Shore and North West areas to better serve the rail operations as feeder services. project opened from 11.00 on 26 May, with 140 000 passengers taking advantage of free travel on the first day. Australia’s first metro line offers a four-minute peak service on weekdays and an average of 72 000 passengers/day were recorded in the first week. The AUD7.3bn (EUR4.5bn)
The operator is MTR Corp, using 22 six-car Metropolis trains supplied by Alstom from its Sri City factory in India with train control provided by the company’s Urbalis 400 CBTC signalling technology; 15 years of maintenance is included within the deal. More than 20 000 people were employed during the eight-year construction of the line and work is now underway to extend from Chatswood under Sydney Harbour to Sydenham and Bankstown via the city centre. This section will take the line to 66km (41 miles) and is expected to open in 2024. driverless line runs from Chatswood to Tallawong via Epping, on a converted heavy rail alignment for most of the route and using a new twin-bore tunnel to emerge on an elevated route to continue the final stretch to Tallawong. Eight new stations have been built, and a further five upgraded; all stations feature lifts, platform screen doors and video help points. After the opening, the T1
First tram for Tianshui unveiled
- The first of 17 five-section
- suburb of Jihe Beilu and is
expected to open in 2020.
The new Pioneer trams
vehicles for the new tramway in Tianshui, the second-largest city in China’s Gansu Province, population 3.5 million, was rolled out by CRSC Changsha on 6 May. The 100% low-floor five-section tram uses onboard energy storage to operate independently of the overhead, charging via pantograph at stops. The 20.2km (12.6-mile) line 1 in Tianshui will connect the railway station with the western were built at the CRSC Changsha Industrial Park in Hunan Province, a CNY5bn (EUR641.6m) facility that opened in March 2018 and has the capacity to build 100-150 trams per year, according to the company. CRSC has also developed monorail vehicles and is involved in tramway projects in Dujiangyan and Yuncheng.
North Shore commuter line has seen increased services and the T1 Northern line has been renamed the T9 Northern line.
In the longer-term, a second line to Parramatta and the under-construction Western Sydney Airport is planned.
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Work begins
Spectacular celebrations for 150 years of Brussels trams
on Edinburgh extension – city loop proposed
Plans for significant expansion of Edinburgh’s tram network are contained in a new ten-year city centre transformation
Crowds of 50 000 take to the streets in the Belgian capital
plan. An additional loop would be created by extending the existing line from Haymarket to the university and across North Bridge to the BioQuarter and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The proposals are part of a wider package of measures designed to reduce car traffic and pollution in central Edinburgh by 30%. In addition, four vertical lifts would be provided around the city centre from Market Street to the top of The Mound; Waverley station to North Bridge; Cowgate to George IV Bridge; and Grassmarket to Edinburgh Castle. The plan was the subject of public consultation that was due to close on 28 June. n 1869 the first horse tramway line was opened in the Belgian capital, running
