THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com FEBRUARY 2019 NO. 974 REVIVING MILWAUKEE THROUGH LIGHT RAIL China opens two new tramways and 372km of metro Lisboa tram overturns injuring 28 Projects on hold due to TfL shortfall Ulm opens line 2 to double its tramway Sounds of silence Tram-train £4.60 Managing light rail Lessons shared from noise and vibration the UK pilot scheme “I am delighted that the UK Light Rail Conference is coming back to Greater Manchester in 2019. “Metrolink forms a key backbone of sustainable travel for the region as it continues to grow, so this important two-day event offers an invaluable chance to network with peers from around the world and share knowledge and best practice as we all aim to improve the way we plan, build and deliver exceptional light rail services to passengers.” Manchester Danny Vaughan 23-24 July 2019 head of Metrolink – transport for Greater Manchester “An excellent event, providing a stimulating and varied two-day programme addressing current The industry’s premier exhibition and knowledge-sharing and future issues pertinent to Voices event returns to Manchester for 2019! today’s light rail industry” V from the clive Pennington With unrivalled networking opportunities, this invaluable technical Director – Light rail, industry… two-day congress is well-known as the place to do amey consulting & rail business and build long-lasting relationships. There is no better place to gain true insight into the “I thought the whole conference was great – there was a workings of the sector and help shape its future. great energy about it.” to discuss how you can be part of it, visit us online at Dr stuart thomson – head of Public affairs, Government and Infrastructure, BDB Pitmans www.mainspring.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1733 367600 SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY CONTENTS 50 The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association FEBRUARY 2019 Vol. 82 No. 974 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOr – Tony Streeter [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR – Michael Taplin 64 [email protected] NewS EDITOr – John Symons [email protected] 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 44 PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 [email protected] NEWS 44 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: olomouc 64 New tramlines in Shanghai and Chengdu; This Moravian city has a small network, DESIGN – Debbie Nolan Ulm doubles the size of its tramway; but one that is gradually growing despite ADVertiSING TfL funding shortfall grows; Construction financial constraints, finds Neil Pulling. COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 contracts awarded in Parramatta and Dallas; [email protected] Mumbai cancels Monorail concession. WORLDWIDE REVIEW 70 Budapest confirms EUR3.1bn HÉV upgrade; PUBLISheR – Matt Johnston MILWAUKEE on THE hop 50 Indian cities start work on three new metro Tramways & Urban Transit Vic Simons visits the Wisconsin city to find projects; Tel Aviv plans 130km three-line 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK out how the new streetcar service is helping metro; Corruption inquiry halts latest Rīga to revitalise the downtown core. tramline; Five offers received for 213-tram Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring Warsaw order; Taipei opens first LRT line; on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. no MORE COMPLAINTS 55 Metrolink’s record-breaking month. Thomas Lorent looks at how modern innovations can help to keep the peace MAILBOX 74 between residents and rail. Where is the pipeline of new UK schemes? Why cost is the major barrier to light rail. PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION TRAM-TRAIN: LEARNING LESSONS 61 Warners (Midlands), Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK Tim Kendell and Ian Ambrose recount CLASSIC TRAMS: GRAZ 76 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) lessons from the UK’s tram-train pilot, and City-wide co-ordination ensured a perfect Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up consider how to apply these elsewhere. tramway celebration, explains Mike Ballinger. members of the Light Rail Transit Association. LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Bad news on accidents... shows how safe trams are Brian Lomas [email protected] [email protected] One of the best things about this job is that it allows me to indulge my SuBSCriPtioNS, MEMBERSHIP AND BACK ISSueS favourite pastime – reading. As well as magazines from around the globe, LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley the internet allows me to consume more information than ever. From press Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 releases to news reports, Twitter feeds to LinkedIn posts, the world’s news is [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info now literally at my fingertips. FOR CORPORATE SuBSCriPtioNS VISIT Yet the past month has shown a noticeable – and on the face of it worrying – trend. www.mainspring.co.uk Before I stopped counting, I came across no fewer than 40 reports of accidents between trams and other road users. If you believe everything you read then it might not be LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling DA16 2BY, UK. unreasonable to conclude that street-running rail vehicles are somehow accident magnets. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 However, before we get too carried away with that disturbing idea, the sad truth is that in England and Wales. accidents between motor vehicles, or even between motor vehicles and pedestrians, are so LRTA ChaIRMAN – Paul Rowen common that they are rarely news. Accidents involving trams most certainly seem to be. [email protected] Perversely then, while no accident is good, perhaps what those stories really indicate © LRTA 2019 is precisely that such incidents are still rare enough to be newsworthy. Maybe then, even Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also the number of recent reports indicates, in a strange way, the safety of the mode. later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution All this may seem to run somewhat in contrast to one of our major themes this month: is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the managing noise and vibration. Excess noise is undoubtedly a nuisance, but it’s also opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of worth considering to what extent we want to quieten trams as they run through city the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. streets... is the occasional wheel squeal or rumbling rail in fact a useful thing? No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including Of course, we must never be complacent, and there are always questions we can ask photocopying, recording or by any information storage and as to how we can improve safety for all. Here’s just one: are we doing enough in terms retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from of education about the potential consequences of getting too close to a 20-30t vehicle? the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the Luckily though, most of the incidents I have read about this month have involved only magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. minor injuries – more evidence that trams are fundamentally one of the safest ways to travel. And hey, at least we are making the news... Simon Johnston, Editor Cover images: Andrew Grahl, Tim Kendell, Pandrol www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org FEBRUARY 2019 / 43 News Oklahoma City Streetcar launch Openings in Shanghai and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt presided over the official Chengdu on the same day ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Oklahoma City Streetcar on China welcomes two new urban tramway services on 26 December 14 December. The 7.4km (4.6-mile) tramway serves the city centre, connecting he first 13.9km the Central Business District with (8.6 miles) of the the entertainment, Bricktown Songjiang tramway and Midtown districts, from Joe in the south-western Carter Avenue to St Anthony suburbsT of the Chinese city of Hospital. Service is provided every Shanghai, line T2 from Canghua 12 minutes Monday-Saturday. Road to Longma Road, opened The short-turn Bricktown loop on 26 December. A further runs as far as Myriad Botanical 16.9km (10.5 miles) is to open in Gardens and runs every 15 mid-2019. A partnership venture minutes on Fridays and Saturdays of Keolis and Shanghai Shentong 07.00-02.00. After three weeks of Metro Group will operate the free rides, a single ride is USD1, line for five years, aiming to with a 24-hour pass costing USD3. carry 170 000 passengers/day. The tramway project was A joint venture of Alstom and conceived via a regional transit Shanghai Rail Traffic Equipment study in 2005, and promoted as Development Co. was awarded part of the Metropolitan Area a EUR72m contract to build 30 Projects Plan 3 (MAPS 3), which five-section 33m AlstomCitadis provided the finance through trams, with delivery starting in A pair of Shanghai Alstom Citadis at the opening on 26 December. Shanghai Keolis a sales tax approved by voters November 2016. Testing with Passengers queue for their first tram ride in Chengdu on opening day. ECNS in 2009. No federal funding passengers began on 11 October was involved. The project was between Jiangxue Road and estimated to cost USD131.8m in Wenhui Road. 2017, but out-turn was USD136m.