Global Mass Transit Weekly Information & Analysis on the Global Mass Transit Industry
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November 10, 2009 Global Mass Transit Weekly Information & analysis on the global mass transit industry INSIDE THIS ISSUE NORTH AMERICA 2 Keolis to operate commuter rail for Virginia Railway Express 2 LA MTA seeks funds to expedite mass transit projects 2 LA MTA invites fresh bids for supply of light-rail vehicles 2 SNC-Lavalin Graham Infrastructure wins light rail train extension contract in Calgary 2 Toronto mass transit projects to be deferred 2 Portland invites bids for TOD plan 3 LATIN AMERICA 3 CAF to fund BRTS construction study in Buenos Aires 3 Santiago metro Line 4 introduces new station 3 Contactless payment technology to be introduced in Rio de Janeiro 3 CENTRAL invites bids for Rio de Janeiro MRT project 3 Brazil government to decide on Porto Alegre metro project in December 4 ASIA PACIFIC 4 Scomi Engineering and Geodesic Techniques bid for Bangalore monorail project 4 SPN to extend Kuala Lumpur’s light-rail system and improve bus facilities 4 Thales to implement smart cards in Auckland 4 Sindh government requests release of ADB funds for BRTS project 4 Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation to provide collateral for its loan 5 Ansaldo receives AUD14 million contract from Australian Rail Track Corporation 5 EUROPE 5 UK’s Department for Transport to implement new tram system 5 National Express returns East Coast rail franchise to government 5 London Bus Services grants multiple contracts for operating buses 5 RDC, Locomore Rail and Michael Schwabs establish inter-city rail in Hamburg 6 Länstrafiken grants inter-city bus contract 6 Ratahallintokeskus launches railway signalling equipment tender 6 Alstom and CAF win rolling stock order from FGC 6 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 7 CSR wins metro car order from Izmir municipal government 7 GCC approves preliminary studies for proposed rail network project 7 Transport authorities invite EoIs from consultants for Kuwait metro 7 Kenya Railways launches tender for design of new railway lines 7 www.globalmasstransit.net NORTH AMERICA for 50 P2550 LRVs. AnsaldoBreda's proposal was provisionally accepted by the metro board on September 24, 2009 but rejected on October 30, 2009 Keolis to operate commuter rail for Virginia Railway after AnsaldoBreda requested last-minute Express contractual changes. The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has received a AnsaldoBreda’s original contracted deliveries final approval from the Northern Virginia and for LA MTA are running three years behind Potomac and Rappahannock transportation schedule; further, the 2.7-tonne cars supplied are commissions to terminate its 17-year-old contract heavier than specified and cannot operate on all with Amtrak and partner with France-based Keolis routes. However, AnsaldoBreda had offered LA Rail Services for operating and maintaining its MTA financial protection in the form of a USD300- commuter rail system. million performance bond and a USD75-million VRE is awarding a five-year, USD85.7 million letter of credit. The Italian rail-equipment contract to Keolis with two five-year renewal manufacturer had also offered to give LA MTA two options. Keolis will begin running services from additional light-rail vehicles in compensation, but July 1, 2010, when Amtrak's contract ends. VRE this offer has been withdrawn. Nevertheless, made its decision on the grounds that Amtrak did AnsaldoBreda is still eligible to bid for LA MTA’s not adequately address safety and security fresh contract. concerns. Amtrak had challenged the VRE board’s decision, but this has been dismissed. SNC-Lavalin Graham Infrastructure wins light rail Keolis operates 5,000 trains a day globally, but train extension contract in Calgary VRE will be its first US operation. The company has The Calgary city transport authorities have awarded hired US administrators and has opened an office in a CAD700-million contract to engineering and Washington DC. construction joint-venture group, SNC-Lavalin Graham Infrastructure, for constructing the 8.2-km LA MTA seeks funds to expedite mass transit west light rail transit project. projects The project involves building a six-station The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation extension of Calgary’s 202 light rail line, currently Authority (LA MTA) government is considering running across the city between 10 St SW and borrowing funds to expedite USD20 billion worth of McKnight-Westwinds. The joint venture will also mass-transit projects including new rail and bus build one elevated and two subway stations plus a projects. The time frame for the projects is 30 years five-block section in an open trench. but the LA government is aiming to reduce this to The total cost of the line, including property ten years by borrowing USD5.2 billion against its acquisition, a major highway interchange, sales tax revenues. It is also looking to garner replacement for a high school that will be razed, and another USD10 billion from federal and local funds new rolling stock, is estimated at CAD1.2 billion. and private investment, and raising an additional The project is slated to be completed within three USD6.8 billion from federal and state transit funds. years, with commercial services due to start on Meanwhile, a coalition of fourteen Members of December 10, 2012. Congress has asked the LA MTA Board of Directors Calwest LRT Constructors Joint Venture and to include three local rail projects in its long-range PCL/KMC West LRT Joint Venture had also been transportation plan. The lines are the Gold Line shortlisted for the project. Foothill Extension, Gold Line Eastside Extension Phase II, and Crenshaw/South Bay Transit Corridor. (1 Canadian Dollar [CAD] = 0.9295 USD) LA MTA invites fresh bids for supply of light-rail Toronto mass transit projects to be deferred vehicles Some of Toronto Transit Commission’s capital LA MTA is seeking new bids for its tender to supply investment projects, valued at CAD548 million and 100 light-rail vehicles (LRVs). It has rejected scheduled to start in 2012 or later, will be AnsaldoBreda's offer to supply the LRVs at a cost of postponed. These include the installation of debit USD300 million as an option on an existing order and credit card ticket machines in subway stations; Global Mass Transit Weekly | November 10, 2009 2 the station modernisation programme (although the CAF is presently aiding the expansion of Lima's Pape and Dufferin stops will be completed as electric train system. scheduled); and a study of the proposed Downtown Relief Line. Santiago metro Line 4 introduces new station However, the Spadina subway expansion to Chile’s Metro de Santiago's Line 4 has introduced a Vaughn, the first three lines of the Transit City light- new station, San José de la Estrella. The station, rail network and the purchase of 204 trams from which was earlier slated to be completed in the first Bombardier will not be affected. This is because half of 2010, was built at a cost of USD17 million. funding totalling CAD10 billion for these projects has already been committed by the provincial and Located between Trinidad and Los Quillayes federal governments. stations in La Florida district, San José de la Estrella is the 23rd station on Line 4, which is 24 km long. (1 Canadian Dollar [CAD] = 0.9295 USD) Metro de Santiago of Chile is known to be one of South America's most extensive and modern metro Portland invites bids for TOD plan systems. It has a network of five lines connecting Portland transit authorities have invited requests for 107 stations, some of which are still under proposals from consultants for preparing a Transit- construction. Line 4 runs between Tobalaba Oriented Development (TOD) Strategic Plan. The (Providencia) and Puente Alto to the south. contract will be granted through an international competitive bidding process. Contactless payment technology to be introduced The metro TOD implementation programme in Rio de Janeiro strategic plan is outlined in the tender document MasterCard Worldwide, Citibank's credit card and the outline is expected to be refined by bidders. administrator in Brazil, Credicard and Redecard Further, sub-task deliverables can be added or have launched MasterCard's PayPass contactless redistributed between the metro and the winning payment technology for public transportation in Rio consultant team to meet the project budget. The de Janeiro, Brazil. closing date is November 12, 2009. The cards are being accepted for use on the city’s metro system. MasterCard PayPass is the first LATIN AMERICA contactless payment product to be introduced for public transportation in Latin America. CAF to fund BRTS construction study in Buenos Consumers can wave their card in front of a Aires PayPass-enabled terminal for transactions valued at less than USD25. There is no need to swipe the card The Andean Development Corporation, or sign a receipt. Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), has signed a technical agreement with the government of CENTRAL invites bids for Rio de Janeiro MRT project Buenos Aires in Argentina to finance a study for implementation of the city's bus rapid-transit Brazil’s State Company of Transportation system (BRTS). Engineering and Logistics, Companhia Estadual De CAF will provide funds from the Fund for Engenharia De Transportes E Logistica (CENTRAL) Promotion of Sustainable Infrastructure Projects has launched a tender for updating the urban transport master plan for the Rio de Janeiro (Proinfra), which it had set up in 2006 to improve the quality of infrastructure projects. The proposed metropolitan region. BRTS is expected to reverse the trend of declining The proposed project will involve updating use of public transport in Buenos Aires. structural network information and geo-referenced database, field surveys, trip matrices, evaluation of CAF has already developed 30 projects of this type and over ten operations are under way. It had service quality, a computational analysis model and earlier helped finance Colombia's TransMilenio a multimodal transportation model, environmental impact assessment, basic network operation system in Bogotá as well as the metro and urban train systems in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.