A Lighter Future? VLR to Trial in 2021
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THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com SEPTEMBER 2020 NO. 993 A LIGHTER FUTURE? VLR TO TRIAL IN 2021 Coventry’s vision for affordable, accessible LRT Regulators agree Bombardier takeover Dismay as Sutton extension is ‘paused’ Berlin approves 15-year transport plan Vienna Russia £4.60 A Euro a day to battle Reversing decline one climate change used tram at a time... 2020 Do you know of a project, product or person worthy of recognition on the global stage? LAST CHANCE TO ENTER! SUPPORTED BY ColTram www.lightrailawards.com CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail 351 Transit Association SEPTEMBER 2020 Vol. 83 No. 993 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston 345 [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOr – Tony Streeter [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR – Michael Taplin [email protected] NewS EDITOr – John Symons [email protected] SenIOR CONTRIBUTOR – Neil Pulling WORLDWIDE CONTRIBUTORS Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Vic Simons, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, Francis Wagner, 364 Thomas Wagner, Philip Webb, Rick Wilson PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth NEWS 332 SYstems factfile: ulm 351 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 EC approves Alstom-Bombardier takeover; How the metre-gauge tramway in a [email protected] Sutton extension paused as TfL crisis bites; southern German city expanded from a DESIGN – Debbie Nolan Further UK emergency funding confirmed; small survivor through popular support. ADVertiSING Berlin announces EUR19bn award for BVG. COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler WORLDWIDE REVIEW 356 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 Vienna fights climate change 337 Athens opens metro line 3 extension; Cyclone [email protected] Wiener Linien’s Karin Schwarz on how devastates Kolkata network; tramways PUBLISheR – Matt Johnston Austria’s capital is bouncing back from extended in Gdańsk and Szczecin; UK Tramways & Urban Transit lockdown and ‘building back better’. Parliament petitioned on climate law; Work 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, begins on Los Angeles’ Gold line extension. Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK coventrY’S mobilitY vision 340 Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring Nicola Small and Dr Nick Mallinson share MAILBOX 362 on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each the vision of a UK city that hopes to radically More background on Tramlink; memories month preceding the cover date. change the way it moves. of Curt Elmberg; and... without passengers, how long can we last? ReneWal in russia 345 PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION Luc Koenet explores the growing role of CLASSICS TRAMS: dunedin 364 Warners (Midlands), Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK Russia’s private sector – and how Moscow’s How a New Zealand city plans to bring back gifts are keeping other city tramways alive. its cable-worked cars. Mac Gardner explains. LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the Light Rail Transit Association. Without heritage and wise experience we are all poorer LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Brian Lomas Rather than talking about the politics, finances or other high-level effects of [email protected] [email protected] the coronavirus crisis, let’s kick off this month by considering a less obvious consequence of the pandemic that has the very real prospect of hitting us all SuBSCriPtioNS, MEMBERSHIP AND BACK ISSueS hard without us even realising – our heritage and skills. LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 I know many astonishing older people who still dedicate themselves to our [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info industry, not because they are paid the same as when they worked full-time – but because they are passionate and have ‘been there, done that’. Often, there won’t be an obvious FOR CORPORATE SuBSCriPtioNS VISIT www.mainspring.co.uk solution when fixing a system that was installed 100, 50 or even 25 years ago: knowing how best to respond requires instinct and experience. So without Fred, Claire, Dieter or Juan LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE around, just how much institutional knowledge are we at risk of losing? Documents can be 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL7 4TU, UK. produced, manuals written (although sometimes they aren’t or haven’t been, and can never Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 in England and Wales. cover every possibility – just remember where we are now). So how is this crucial information being captured and fed through the system? After all, experience lives in people’s heads. LRTA ChaIRMAN – Paul Rowen [email protected] Such wise heads have contributed much to the continued operation of transport systems during these past few months. These are people who have lived through crises © LRTA 2020 before and can offer valuable guidance on how to ‘keep calm and carry on’. They share Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution their time and learning, offer practical engineering or operational solutions, or even is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the just act as a sounding board. Such resource is invaluable – but with shielding and other opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of restrictions many have recently been removed from circulation. Safety and well-being the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. must come first of course, but there is no substitute for in-person interactions. And while No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in there are some very, very good people ‘coming up’ through our industry, there really is no any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including replacement for real-world education. photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from This vital knowledge – and often volunteer labour! – is similarly key to keeping our own the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the transport heritage alive. I fear for the continued existence of such important institutions magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. if the doors remain closed, visitors aren’t attending, and willing and capable indiviudals are not allowed to indulge their passions. As we have said before, please consider COVER: Coventry's innovative Very Light Rail vehicle supporting your nearest museum or working heritage tramline: without celebrating and technology is expected to hit the tracks for trials maintaining our heritage we are all so much poorer. Simon Johnston, Editor during 2021. Courtesy of WMG www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2020 / 331 News EC approves Alstom-Bombardier deal Concessions on high-speed trains, signalling and production facilities ease the path of takeover n 31 July the European February. Under the deal, CDPQ Commission gave (Caisse de dépôt et placement du conditional approval Québec), which currently holds to Alstom’s proposed a 32.5% stake in BT, will become Oacquisition of Bombardier Alstom’s largest shareholder with Transportation (BT), a decision around 18% of capital. CDPQ will welcomed by both companies. reinvest EUR2bn in Alstom as Two weeks previously, Alstom well as investing an additional announced its response to the EUR700m. Bouygues will remain EC’s questions about the planned a 10% shareholder in Alstom. EUR6.2bn takeover, offering The takeover will reshape commitments designed to the worldwide rail market, with overcome concerns over reduced some commentators suggesting competition, in particular that the need for approval was around railway rolling stock driven by a need to secure long- and signalling. These were: the term employment given the transfer of the Bombardier V300 economic instability caused by Zefiro high-speed train (built in the coronavirus pandemic. Italy) to a third party (Hitachi) Maria Leenen, Managing Amongst Alstom’s trams are the short Citadis for the French city of Avignon, seen as well an IP licence for Hitachi Director of industry analyst running on this traditional street tramway in Avenue St Ruf. P. Haseldine to use the Zefiro in future UK SCI -Verkehr, said: “The approval tenders; the sale of Alstom’s sale of the Reichshoffen factory, main line trains and main line is surprising given the strong Coradia Polyvalent EMU and its which employs around 800. signalling, the Commission has market presence of the new French factory at Reichshoffen; The EC has accepted these been able to speedily review and company in important vehicle divestment of the Bombardier conditions as part of its approval. approve this transaction.” segments and countries, and Talent 3 EMU and dedicated “Alstom and Bombardier are Completion of the acquisition the critical stance that the EU production facilities at Berlin leading providers of state-of- is expected in the first half of Competition Commission had Hennigsdorf; access for third the-art trains used every day by 2021, giving Alstom access to the taken during the attempted parties to interfaces for some of millions of passengers across the largest train fleet in the world, Alstom-Siemens deal. BT’s onboard signalling units European Union,” said Margrethe although Chinese conglomerate “To what extent the European and train control systems. Vestager, Vice-President of the CRRC is still the largest vehicle railways will be pleased with These concessions were only EU Competition Commission. manufacturer.