THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE

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SEPTEMBER 2015 No. 933 WIRE-FREE LIGHT RAIL: POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES

Opposites attract – Ottawa’s twin LRT systems Hong Kong to replace stock Centro seeks ten-year partner plans new EUR250m line B ISSN 1460-8324 £4.25 Trailers & trains 09 Alternatives to An exemplar of articulated 21st Century design 9 771460 832043 London, 7 October 2015

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SUPPORTED BY 348 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association SEPTEMBER 2015 Vol. 78 No. 933 www.tramnews.net EDITORIAL EDITOR Simon Johnston Tel: +44 (0)1733 367601 E-mail: [email protected] 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tony Streeter E-mail: [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR Michael Taplin Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. E-mail: [email protected] NEWS EDITOR John Symons 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST9 0LW, UK. E-mail: [email protected] SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR Neil Pulling WORLDWIDE CONTRIBUTORS Tony Bailey, James Chuang, Paul Nicholson, 367 354 Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Bill Vigrass, Andrew Moglestue, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Vic Simons, Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. NEWS 348 TRAMS, TRAILERS AND TRAINS 363 PRODUCTION West Midlands plans ‘alliance’ for Midland Scott McIntosh weighs up the pros and cons Lanna Blyth Metro expansion; Charlotte Streetcar opens; of using trailers instead of articulated cars. Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] Tel Aviv LRT works; LU Sub-Surface Lines DESIGN signalling and control contract awarded; HBLR AND 8TH STREET 366 Debbie Nolan Wabtec to acquire Faiveley Transport?; Vic Simons revisits New Jersey to sample ADVERTISING Angers and Odense tenders launched. the most recent Hudson-Bergen extension. COMMERCIAL MANAGER Geoff Butler Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] OTTAWA: A TALE OF TWO SYSTEMS 354 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: TOURS 367 PUBLISHER From a diesel LRT pilot 14 years ago to a Neil Pulling visits a design masterpiece in Howard Johnston new under-development modern low-floor the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department. Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the tramline, Herbert Pence reports from the LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each Canadian capital. WORLDWIDE REVIEW 373 month preceding the cover date. New Toronto trams in service for PanAm LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY OFF-WIRE DEVELOPMENTS 359 games; metro expansion started; Brian Lomas Tomorrow’s tramways can be sympathetic Chennai inaugurates metro services. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] to both aesthetics and the environment, as LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up SYSTRA’s Hervé Mazzoni explains. MAILBOX 378 members of the Light Rail Transit Association. Obsolescence and wheel/rail interface clarity. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES 361 LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), Already operating one of the most succesful CLASSIC TRAMS: AT 150 380 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. US light rail systems, Dallas now has an Mike Russell celebrates the history of one of Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 innovative new battery-powered streetcar. ’s greatest tramways. BACK ISSUES Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Putting rivalries aside for long-term benefits Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE In the UK one of the hottest debates in transport at the moment revolves c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. around the devolution issue, where local authorities have the opportunity Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 to gain more independence from central government to decide their own in England and Wales. funding priorities. So rather than having to go ‘cap in hand’ to London LRTA CHAIRMAN each time they want to develop a major transport scheme, more powers Andrew Braddock E-mail: [email protected] will be given to regions to forge their own destinies. LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN The compromise revolves around greater collaboration between cities and regions; Paul Rowen in that collaboration brings proof of responsibility – and with this success and LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: self-determination. Crucially, putting all rivalries and competition aside sits at the c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, heart of the challenge in making this happen, alongside the need for the public sector UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 to work closer with the private sector in developing and de-risking schemes. in England and Wales. Yet this is not unique to the UK. Cities and regions globally are being asked to work © LRTA Publishing 2015. together to achieve growth – and it makes perfect sense. Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution Local politicians the world over like impressive statements that give their areas status is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the and prestige and show a forward-thinking mentality. Urban rail schemes certainly deliver opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of this. Their legacy of permanence and clear visual appeal makes them attractive (such as LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. the stylish Tours system featured in this issue), and hopefully worth the disruption that No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including building them causes. New highway projects don’t have the same appeal, neither do new photocopying, recording or by any information storage and fleets – only light rail has the power to move people, in every sense of the word. retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from We’ve seen more than a few recent examples of disputes that have either halted the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the projects before they’ve started or added significant delays and costs, so having a clear magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. plan of what you want to achieve and maintaining open and honest dialogue with all COVER: The Zaragoza tramway was one of the first to stakeholders will pay obvious dividends for the future. Simon Johnston, Editor employ CAF’s ACR wire-free technology. Neil Pulling

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 347 News

Tyne & Wear fleet modernisation Centro seeks ten-year complete expansion partner The GBP30m (EUR43m) refurbishment of the Tyne & Wear Metro fleet has been completed West Midlands plans ‘alliance’ contracts for future Midland Metro lines by Wabtec Rail and operator DB Regio Tyne & Wear, five months est Midlands Geoff Inskip National Exhibition Centre/ ahead of schedule. A total of 86 Passenger has been Airport/International/HS2 cars have been modernised over a Transport instrumental Interchange, and then on to the five-year period during a Executive Centro in growing UK Central developments in ‘three-quarter life’ extension W(UK) plans to appoint a single the Midland Solihull. This has an estimated Metro; he programme designed to extend designer and contractor to deliver cost of GBP470m (EUR669m). announced on the cars’ service life by ten years. extensions to the Midland Metro 6 August that Centro Chief Executive Geoff The Metrocar fleet was tramway over the next decade. he is to step Inskip has announced that he transported by road in batches It follows acceptance of the down at the is to step down at the end of the to Wabtec Rail in Doncaster Metro expansion package under end of 2015. year after nine years in charge of where they have been stripped the Midlands Growth Strategy Neil Pulling the body. to their frames and built back up being developed by the Greater Inskip was appointed in again, with key improvements Birmingham & Solihull Local Expressions of interest were 2006 from Greater Manchester including better accessibility, Enterprise Partnership. expected by 10 August with a Passenger Transport Executive new passenger alarm and door As well as the current extension contract to start on 1 April next (GMPTE) where he oversaw control systems and energy- from Snow Hill to New Street year and run to 31 March 2026. development of the first two efficient lighting. Station (expected to open at the West Midlands politicians have phases of the Metrolink network. Cosmetic updates include the end of the year), funding is now in endorsed a proposed GBP1.6bn Inskip said: “It has been a great renewal of all interior and exterior place for the following extensions (EUR2.3bn) package of transport privilege to have led Centro... Not fittings and the replacement of which the new ‘alliance’ contracts improvements as part of an HS2 only have we delivered improved drivers’ seats. The refurbished will cater for: New Street to Growth Strategy, which they say public transport services for trains have a new grey, black Centenary Square; Centenary would support delivery of high- passengers but more recently, and yellow livery, replacing the Square to Edgbaston (Five Ways); speed rail to the conurbation. with the onset of HS2, we are ‘red, green or blue’ liveries which Wolverhampton Pipers Row to The high-speed line to London is already on course to deliver date back to the mid-1990s. Railway Station; Birmingham expected to open in 2026. major extensions to the Midland Completion of each car was Eastside including Curzon Street The top priority is extending Metro tram system and the undertaken by DB Regio at the HS2 station and Bordesley. The the proposed Bordesley light rail Sprint transit programme, Metro’s South Gosforth depot. overall package could be worth line through East Birmingham to ensure we have the necessary The fleet refurbishment forms GBP900m (EUR1.3bn). to Chelmsley Wood and the local connections into HS2.” part of the GBP389m (EUR550m) Metro: all change programme designed to modernise the Tyne & Wear Metro that serves over 38m passengers each year. Charlotte CityLYNX streetcar opens Nexus Director of Rail and Tuesday 14 July saw the Infrastructure Raymond opening by Anthony Foxx Johnstone said: “The (US Transportation Secretary refurbishment of the Metro fleet and former Mayor) of the is a vital part our modernisation CityLYNX Gold line tramway programme. This will extend in Charlotte, North Carolina. the service life of Metro trains Although currently just into the 2020s. 2.4km (1.5 miles) long, linking “Our long-term goal is to the Times Warner Cable Arena make a strong business case to and Presbyterian Hospital Government for a new fleet and along Trade Street in the city that work is already underway.” centre, it is planned to extend it to 16km (ten miles) from Rosa Parks Place to Eastland Mall, with a second phase opening by 2019. The project has been instrumental in sparking a redevelopment boom, with 550 new apartments under construction as well as new Gomaco-built tram 91 at the Gold line’s Arena terminus during the opening shops and restaurants. ceremony on 14 July. In the background is a link track to the Blue line light rail. J. Siner Phase 1 cost USD37m (with a USD25m federal grant); CATS already has three replica ground-breaking took place bogie trams (91-93) 06.00-0.00 on Fridays, 08.00- on 12 December 2012. Phase 2 built by Gomaco in 2003-04 0.00 on Saturdays and 09.00- is estimated at USD150m with and used on a portion of the 19.00 on Sundays. No fares are Nexus and DB Regio staff celebrate USD7.7m already allocated LYNX line near the Convention charged. completion of the GBP30m Metrocar for design work. The full line Center before light rail service Charlotte’s original tramway refurbishment in late July. During its 35-year lifespan, the fleet has should be complete in 2023. was inaugurated. system operated from 1891 undergone two major refurbishments, It meets the LYNX light rail The Gold line operates a 15 until 1938. The 15.4km the latest should see its operational life line at the Arena. Rolling stock or 20-minute service 06.00- (9.6-mile) Blue light rail line extended into the 2020s. Nexus did not have to be purchased as 23.00 Monday-Thursday, opened on 26 November 2007.

348 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org 25 years of light rail in Los Angeles Simple celebrations mark the opening of the Blue line; Expo line extension to open later this year

os Angeles, the sprawling 1991 – it now carries 80 000 southern passengers/day – and was metropolis that thought followed in 1995 by the 32km it could adapt to the (19.9-mile) east-west Green line, privateL car by building a network linking Norwalk and Redondo of freeways and abandoning its Beach. The Gold line to Pasadena trams (1963) and Pacific Electric followed in 2003 and now runs interurbans (1961), soon found over 31.5km (19.6 miles) of track. that motoring was not the answer The 13.9km (8.6-mile) Expo line to its transportation challenges. to Culver City opened in 2012. In 1976 the State formed the Opening later this year is the Los Angeles Transportation extension of the Expo line to Commission to co-ordinate Santa Monica, and next year the planning for transit systems and Gold line Foothill Extension to in 1980 a half-cent sales tax was Azusa. Under construction is the approved to raise funding for the Crenshaw/LAX line, expected to construction of a light rail system. A small ceremony to mark 25 years of light rail expansion in Los Angeles took open in 2019, while a new subway In 1985 work started on the place on 14 July when a vinyl-wrapped LRV was unveiled to display a special in the central area will open first line, linking the central commemorative livery. D. Clarke in 2020 linking all these lines area with Long Beach, the route together. By then the system will of the last of the Pacific Electric Transportation Authority anniversary marked 25 years reach 163km (101 miles). lines. In 1993 transit planning (LACMTA, but known as Metro), later by the roll-out of LRV 131 in System expansion has been and construction became which carries on its work today. a special livery. financed by two further half-cent the responsibility of the Los Operation of the first section The 35km (21.7-mile) north- sales tax increases, in 1990 Angeles County Metropolitan began on 14 July 1990, an south Blue line was completed in and 2008.

On 23 July Sound Transit revealed The unanimous vote gives the in construction and land Seattle identifies its preferred option to extend the I-5 alignment preferred status in acquisition costs and is backed city’s LRT line south from SeaTac environmental impact studies by the four suburban cities along preferred light to Federal Way – alongside the and detailed design work will the route to minimise wider western side of the I-5 motorway now be undertaken before a final construction impacts. rail route to instead of over Highway 99 – with board vote in November 2016. Pending approval, final intermediate stops at Kent/Des Estimated at USD1.4bn, the I-5 design would begin in 2017 and Federal Way Moines and South 272nd Street. alignment could save USD300m construction in 2019.

Tel Aviv begins Red line NEWS IN PICTURES LRT construction Major street closures Tel Aviv for many years. At the surrounding construction end of the day, this project is of the first phase of the Tel supposed to improve public Aviv light rail system began transportation, so it’s worth on 3 August – with none of the effort.” the major traffic disruption Many main roads will that had been anticipated by be closed, turned into one- residents and business owners. way streets, or be off limits Commenting on business to private vehicles during owners’ unsuccessful legal bid construction of the 23km to delay the project over fears (14-mile) Red line that links around the negative impacts of Petah Tikva and Bat Yam The first Rio Citadis is unveiled at the depot site in Porto Maravilha. construction, Tel Aviv Mayor through the heart of the city Ron Huldai said: “Business in a project expected to take arrives in Rio owners need to adjust. We will six years. The city’s police After 20 days at sea (shipped from Antwerpen, Belgium), the first of 32 help them physically with have been allocated 168 seven-section 44m 100% low-floor Alstom Citadis trams destined for Rio de accessibility. I hope that like additional staff to deal with Janeiro’s VLT Carioca consortium was delivered at the beginning of July. The tram was built in Alstom’s facility at La Rochelle, , and will be followed today the fear is greater than issues associated with the by four more from the same factory. The remaining 27 will be delivered from the reality and that businesses construction project, but so far Alstom’s Taubaté plant, recently opened in São Paulo. will continue to flourish… I none have been recruited. The trams are equipped with the APS surface current collection call on everyone to be patient. Project promoter NTA system and supercapacitors, so that the 28km (17.4-mile) network under “There will be traffic jams completed four park-and-ride construction will not have to be equipped with overhead wires. Alstom’s tomorrow. They’ll say it’s sites in advance of the launch contract also includes power supply, signalling and telecommunications. because of the train, as if there of the first construction sites The first 15km (nine-mile) section of the new network in Porto Maravilha were no traffic jams yesterday. to encourage drivers to take will open in mid-2016, in time for the Olympic Games. We’ve had traffic jams in public transportation.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 349 News

Wabtec moves for Faiveley Thales awarded SSL Transport modernisation contract Wabtec Corp has announced plans to acquire French rail signalling and train control completion due by 2023. vehicle equipment supplier Faiveley Transport in a deal to ‘create one of the world’s largest n 3 August Transport public rail equipment companies’, for London (TfL) with revenues of EUR4.1bn. announced that it had Shareholders owning 51% of awarded sole bidder Faiveley Transport have entered OThales the GBP760m (EUR1.16bn) into exclusive discussions around signalling and train control Wabtec’s offer of EUR100/share, systems contract for London payable 25% in cash and 75% Underground’s Circle, District, in Wabtec preferred stock to be Metropolitan and Hammersmith converted into common shares & City lines. Known as the after three years. If successful, Sub-Surface Lines (SSL), the four Wabtec – formed through the lines total around 184 route km merger of the Westinghouse Air (114 route miles) and carry 1.3m Brake Company and MotivePower passengers each day. Industries Corporation in 1999 Work is expected to begin later – would then make a tender offer this year, with the first increase for the remaining public shares at in capacity delivered on the EUR100m/share or an equivalent Circle line in 2021, and allowing London Underground’s SSL modernisation plan includes new rolling stock such in Wabtec preferred stock. a frequency increase to 32 trains/ as the Bombardier S8 stock already seen on the Metropolitan line. Neil Pulling Faiveley Transport’s Paris hour in central London by 2022. headquarters at Gennevilliers The final improvements would the ‘complex nature of the private partnership arrangements, would become Wabtec’s global come in 2023, with an increase railway’ meant that the supplier’s ended by the Mayor five years ago.’ transit headquarters under the in peak and off-peak services programme ‘was simply not The project is part of the four- Faiveley Transport name. It is on the Metropolitan line. ‘Once progressing and there was no line GBP5.41bn (EUR7.64bn) reported that Wabtec plans to completed, around 60% of the guarantee it would have worked’. programme that includes fund the EUR1.64bn purchase, London Underground will have Although marking a significant providing 191 new modern air- including assumed debt, from been modernised using Thales cost increase, TfL claims this conditioned walk-through trains. cash reserves, credit facilities and signalling technology’, said Thales is 18% less per km than ‘the Once the SSL have been other debt financing if required. Chairman & CEO Patrice Caine. successful modernisation of the modernised, work would begin Faiveley has 5700 employees in The award replaces a GBP345m Northern line which was around to introduce new trains and 24 countries, while Wabtec has (EUR490m) contract with half the cost of the Jubilee and control systems for the Piccadilly, 13 000 employees in more than Bombardier, terminated in Victoria line modernisations Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo 20 countries. December 2013 with TfL saying delivered under the flawed public- & City lines.

Maxwell tie-up for Siemens ships firstAvenio to Qatar Chinese development US-based Maxwell for the growing Chinese rail Technologies has signed a long- market, with a focus on LRVs term strategic partnership and metro cars. with CRRC subsidiary China “The current expansion Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock of rail transportation The first Avenio for the Education City light rail project about to embark on its Research Institute (CRRC SRI) infrastructure in China four-week, 12 225km (7600-mile) journey to Doha, Qatar. Siemens to develop next-generation will continue well into the energy storage solutions. next decade and has higher The firstAvenio low-floor tram to signalling and telecoms Capacitive energy storage requirements on energy-saving for the Education City light rail systems, electrification and offers high-power density and environment protection project left Siemens Wildenrath depot equipment, the agreement performance under extreme now and in the future, test centre in Germany in late includes 19 Avenio trams. temperatures with long particularly for onboard rail July for transport to Qatar via the Each tram has a capacity operational lifetimes and vehicles,” said Liu Baoming, port of . for 222 passengers, 60 seated, Maxwell has significant chairman of CRRC-SRI. The 27.7m three-section tram and the system will be capable experience in developing Dr Franz Fink, Maxwell – which has also undergone of transporting up to 3300 transport ultracapacitor President and CEO, added: climatic testing at Vienna’s passengers/hour in each direction, solutions such as start-stop “Our partnership with Rail-Tec Arsenal facility to requiring 16 trams during peak cars and hybrid , which CRRC-SRI represents an prepare for the dusty and humid periods operating at four-minute require rapid braking, energy excellent opportunity for us to operating environment where intervals. The maximum operating recuperation and power generate meaningful revenue temperatures can reach 50°C – speed is 40km/h (25mph). delivery. in a three-to-five-year horizon is part of a EUR100m turnkey The fleet will also be equipped The new multi-year through the co-development of contract signed in May 2012 to with the Sitras HES onboard agreement will see Maxwell application-specific technology equip the 11.5km (7.1-mile) line, energy storage system for work closely with CRRC-SRI and products for the expanding linking Education City with catenary-free operation, with to develop solutions tailored China rail market.” the Doha Metro. In addition recharge points at each station.

350 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Croydon pushes for ‘Tube’ Hong Kong places largest- Croydon Council is to bid to bring the London Underground to the borough following Bromley Council’s reluctance to support ever rolling stock contract the proposed GBP3bn (EUR4.3bn) Bakerloo line extension that was to 744-car metro order with CRRC subsidiary to replace first-generation trains terminate at Bromley. The project is supported by all political parties, which believe ong Kong MTR Corp The new trains will feature received and after weighing the there is a good business case for the has awarded CRRC passenger improvements such as benefits of having a uniform extension. Any line would likely subsidiary CSR dynamic route mapping, double- fleet equipped with up-to-date be partly over-ground and could Qingdao Sifang the branched handrails and softer systems, we decided that it would connect to East Croydon or West HHKD6bn (EUR705m) contract for handstraps. Deliveries are to be better value for money to Croydon, and make use of a disused 93 eight-car metro trainsets to begin in 2018 with the final cars exercise the option in the tender platform at Norwood Junction. replace all first-generation trains entering service in 2023. to replace all 93 first-generation Work would not start until 2025 on the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Announcing the largest rolling eight-car trains in one go.” with completion possibly in 2030. Island and Tseung Kwan O lines. stock order in its history on The order comes as new Luxembourg operations MTR will second staff to 22 July, MTR Corp CEO Lincoln rolling stock for the Shatin to assistance CSR Qingdao Sifang to monitor Leong said: “Originally, we had Central Link railway is set to be Luxtram has awarded a three- manufacturing and assembly, planned to replace 78 eight- delivered. The 37 new trainsets, year contract for operational while retaining responsibility for car trains which have been in manufactured by Hyundai assistance with its tramway costs relating to implementation service for about 30 years. But in Rotem, will arrive in batches project for the city of Luxembourg of the replacement programme. view of the competitive tenders from September 2015. to a consortium of , Transamo and public transport operator Semitan. The first rails on Luxembourg’s 15-stop tramway are to be laid next year, with the initial section Jeddah tests construction market between Pont Rouge and Luxexpo Metro Jeddah has invited market to undertake the metro The light rail network would expected to open in 2017. By expressions of interest in civil project and is to consider feature three east-west lines 2021 the full EUR565m 16.2km contracts for the city’s future the technical capabilities, along Sari Street, Tahlia Street (ten-mile) project – with a 3.6km (2.2-mile) catenary-free section four-line metro network, as financial strength and local and Palestine Road, with 43 between Pont Rouge and the city’s well as prequalification to experience of respondents. stations and 65 LRVs, while the main station – will cater for an design and build its planned In a separate procurement, double-track Corniche Tramway estimated 40 000 passengers/day. light rail and tramlines, and consortia are invited to would run 16km (ten miles) the provision of overall project prequalify for the design, build from the Globe Roundabout in Ottawa extension funding management services. and rolling stock for the 39km the north to a terminus near With construction of the 12.5km (7.8-mile), CAD2.1bn (EUR1.5bn), The authority is gauging (24-mile) three-line LRT network Tahlia Street, with 15 stops and Confederation light rail line on capacity of the construction and coastal Corniche Tramway. a fleet of around 11 trams. track for completion in 2018, the City Council has approved 23km (14 miles) of extensions of the east-west line, west from Tunney’s Tenders issued for to Bayshore and east from Blair to Timisoara launches rebuilt trams Place d’Orléans; CAD7m (EUR4.9m) Odense Letbane Wednesday 8 July marked the disabled customers, passenger has been earmarked for planning. The Trillium diesel LRT line 142nd anniversary of the start information screens, LED would be extended 7km (4.3 miles) Odense Letbane, Denmark, has of horse tramway operation in lighting, Wi-Fi, two 200kW from Greenboro to Riverside South invited tenders for the supply of the Romanian city of Timisoara, asynchronous motors and in Bowesville. All these projects 14 30m low-floor trams, and for with a parade led by a replica regenerative braking. Up to 30 could be completed by 2023. the trackwork, signalling and horse car. The occasion was also will enter service by 2020. The two lines will interchange electrification for its planned used to launch two rebodied and at Bayview. The Trillium line 14.4km (8.9-mile) , due to re-equipped four-axle articulated could have a 2km (1.2-mile) spur to open in 2020. The deadline for trams (3504 and 3517) based on Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport. prequalification is 31 August, ex- Wegmann GT4 trams. For more on Ottawa’s light rail development, see page 354. and contract awards will be The Armonia design is from made in autumn 2016. a consortium of Astra of Arad Metrolink vandal attacks Further tenders covering civil and VFU Electroputere of Vandalism on engineering, operations and Pascani featuring a single- has been causing major problems with late evening trams particularly maintenance will be advertised ended 18.4m body equipped The first two modernised ex-Bremen prone to window smashing and next year – the operations and with air conditioning, a lift for trams at their launch. S. Danescu other anti-social occurrences. maintenance contract will An incident on the Didsbury include an eight-year agreement and Airport line in early July saw a and seven-year extension option. tram pelted with bricks and stones, The line will run from Tarup RTD awards Southeast LRT contract smashing windows and causing Centre to Hjallese station, via passengers to take cover. They were the city centre and Odense Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Running along the west side of transferred to another tram, which University Hospital; with has been selected by Colorado’s Interstate 25 from Lincoln Station, derailed on the branch of the two routes, it is thought due to debris weekday ridership estimated at Regional Transportation District the line will cross the highway left by the attack. CCTV control has around 35 000. Services will run for a USD140m contract to design and run along its east side to been stepped up, leading to the 05.00-01.00, with a ten-minute and build the 3.7km (2.3-mile) RidgeGate Parkway in Douglas identification of the perpetrators. headway and 42-minute end-to- extension of Denver’s Southeast County. The project budget is Further incidents occurred end journey times. LRT line into Lone Tree. Works USD233m, including USD34m during late July and early August, A second 7km (4.4-mile) line are expected to start next spring, already spent on environmental with more than ten similar attacks is planned, although funding for with completion expected by analysis, preliminary engineering on trams in recent weeks. this has yet to be confirmed. early 2019. and eight additional Siemens LRVs.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 351 News Angers launches tenders for line B French tramway builds on success with second EUR250m line; construction could start in 2016

tender for design and the existing six-hectare Raymond project management of Perron depot to accommodate a second 19-stop 9.9km the 18 additional low-floor trams (6.2-mile) tramline required for the new line. Ahas been launched in the city of A public inquiry for line B was Angers in western France. recently completed and Angers Line B would start at Belle- Loire Metropolitan Council Beille in the western suburbs, will vote on an implementation running along Avenue Patton programme for the estimated into the city centre, where it will EUR250m project in early 2016. briefly share tracks with line A – Following the results of a creating a loop – before turning second public consultation, work east along Avenue Montaigne. could begin at the end of 2016 From here it will turn north onto with the aim of commissioning Boulevard de Deux Croix and the line – that will allow the Boulvevard Alloneau to reach the city to bring around 50% of the eastern terminus at Monplaisir. population within 500m of a The scope includes three park- tramstop – in late 2019. A third Angers’ tramway has proved a huge success; the new line will bring 50% of the and-ride sites and expansion of line is also planned. city’s population within 500m of a tramstop. Neil Pulling

Zhuhai commissions wire-free trams Federal approval for Canberra LRT The first ten catenary-free trams for the Chinese city of Zhuhai, built The Australian Government has Federal Highway, Flemington SA, Parsons Brinckerhoff, by CRRC Dalian using Sirio LRV announced it intends to make Road and Hibberson Street to Aurecon, Cox Architecture, and Tramwave ground-supply an AUD375m (EUR252m) capital the city, built, operated and Itochu Australia and Partners technology licensed from contribution to the Gungahlin financed by a private consortium Group) and Canberra Metro AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS light rail project, about half under a three-year construction (Pacific Partnerships Pty, under ten-year agreements signed the cost of the 12km (7.5-mile) period (2016-18) and 20 years of Mitsubishi Corp, Aberdeen in 2012, have been commissioned. Trial operation started on a line. The project is suggested to operations (2019-38). Infrastructure Investments, 1.7km (1.1-mile) section in November cost between AUD600-800m Two consortia were shortlisted John Holland, DB International, 2014; the full 8.9km (5.5-mile) line (EUR400-540m). to build and operate the system Leighton Contractors, CAF and connects Shangzhong with Haitian The 13-stop line is to start in in March: ACTivate (Downer Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi). Park, and is entirely catenary-free. Gungahlin and follow the median EDI, Plenary Origination, A contract award is expected strip along Northbourne Avenue, Bombardier, , in 2016.

Constantine extension announced NEWS IN PICTURES The contract to extend and is programmed to take Constantine’s 8.1km (five-mile) three years. Alstom is to tramline was announced by supply track, electrification, Entreprise Metro d’Alger on 30 signalling and telecoms and July, to a consortium of Alstom, ticketing systems, and will act Corsan, Corviam and Cosider. as systems integrator. The 10km (6.2-mile) Additional trams will be extension would take the line built at the Annaba facility south from Zouaghi Slimane which the CITAL joint venture to Ali Mendjeli and Mohamed of Alstom, Ferrovial and EMA Boudiaf International Airport inaugurated earlier this year.

CAF Urbos tram pictured near the future Star of Cianjhen station on 25 July. Howard Pulling Kaohsiung one step closer to October opening Tuesday 21 July saw the start of dynamic testing on the first light rail line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with trams running at half-hourly intervals on the four- station southern section of the Circle line between Lizihnei and Kalsyuan. Following the completion of this phase of testing, an initial review was submitted to the municipal government, with 21 minor issues found that are to be addressed before a free trial passenger operation begins at the end of August. Full services are expected to begin on the remainder of the 8.7km (5.4-mile) Stage 1 to Hamaxing in October. Construction began on the first phase, with 14 stations, in June 2013. The Constantine’s tramway opened in July 2013; the new extension will serve the next 13.4km (8.3-mile) phase completes the circle with a further 22 stations. twin-runway Mohamed Boudiaf International Airport. M. Russell

352 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Advertorial

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URBAN TRANSPORT NETWORK DATE OF EXPIRY OF CURRENT CONTRACT Calais 31/12/2015

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www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 353 Ottawa

ABOVE: An artist’s OTTAWA: A TALE rendering of Blair station on the Confederation line at twilight; the new low-floor system opens to passengers in 2018. OF TWO SYSTEMS City of Ottawa From a pilot diesel LRT scheme 14 years ago, the Canadian capital is now building a low-floor electric tramway that runs, in part, under the heart of the city. Herbert Pence explores both systems.

ince the establishment of Canada Ottawa (696), at OC Transpo’s St. Laurent evaluate the possibility of replicating the in 1867, Ottawa has been its capital Garage (905) and at OC Transpo’s Merivale TransitWay in their communities. city. From horse cars to streetcars, to Garage and Canadian Railroad Historical Proponents of electrified LRT had argued, electric and diesel buses, the city’s Association, Ottawa (954). to no avail, for . Both LRT and public transit has evolved – and From 1973, the transit operator has been metro-type heavy rail schemes were mooted, toS date mostly towards road transport. OC Transpo (Ottawa-Carleton Regional yet the final decision fell in favour of rubber Yet with a population of nearly 900 000, Transit Commission), a City of Ottawa tyres on asphalt. Articulated buses would be Ottawa is growing at a faster rate than the department. Previous operators were purchased to increase vehicle capacity and as national average with a local rate for the the Ottawa Electric Railway until 1948, a concession to the rail proponents, a promise past 14 years of over 7.9%, whilst Canada’s is when the City acquired the company was made to investigate the possibility of 4.8%. More importantly, the more transit- and traded under the name Ottawa converting the TransitWay to steel-wheel- dependent population aged 65 and over Transportation Commission. on-steel-rail once expected ridership rose was 11.5% in 2001 and is forecast to grow From 1959 to the early 1980s, city to support the investment. to 16.3% in 2021. With such growth, it is buses on city streets held sway. As with all important for public transport to keep pace. North American cities, studies continued Welcoming the O-Train Going back over 55 years, the greatest to investigate transit options and with In the meantime, there was a transit need setback for light rail in the city came in worsening congestion a serious search for in southwest Ottawa which offered an 1959 with the closure of the last four a remedy was undertaken. The chosen opportunity for the disappointed rail streetcar routes following two consultants’ solution was unique. supporters. Carleton University sits to the recommendations – the deck-roofed Following years of planning and south of Dows Lake; its current enrolment streetcars were subsequently replaced by discussions – rubber versus rail – the concept is 28 000. As a passenger generator, typical diesel buses. Sadly, the 17.7km (11-mile) of a (BRT) scheme was of all colleges and universities, it was only Britannia route was lost; this line travelled accepted and a system of busways, called served by an east-west bus service so besides westerly to Britannia Park on mostly private TransitWay, was recommended and approved students, faculty and staff, residents of the right-of-way. Just one month later, the only in 1980. Operating much like a traditional area were forced to travel around the lake, trolleybus line, Bronson, converted to diesel streetcar system, a grade-separated, private- before turning north to their destinations. operation, ending electric transit in the city. right-of-way was created. Constructed Dows Lake is a large recreational area within As mayor in the mid-1950s, George Nelms in segments, close to the downtown area Ottawa’s boundaries so the thought of a bridge heartily wished all streetcars off the city’s routes were trunked to speed passengers past over it was unacceptable and a motorway streets. He was so opposed to streetcars congested highways whilst in the suburbs tunnel was just as unfundable. There was also that he tried to have them all scrapped, separate routes exited the TransitWay for the Central Experimental Farm’s vast acreage fortunately, at least five have survived: local distribution of passengers. This was blocking highway construction. ExpoRail, Saint-Constant, Quebec (859); a true bus rapid transit (BRT) service and There was, however, a little-used Canadian Seashore Trolley Museum, Maine, USA (825), visitors from around the world came to National Railway freight line that ran north-

354 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org south through the area. Was it possible to LEFT: Trillium line C6 upgrade the line to accommodate passenger departs Greenboro for carriages? Yet another study concluded that the northern terminal this was indeed possible, even desirable. at Bayview; the line diverging to the right In October 2001 such a service commenced – leads to the sheds at although initially as a ‘pilot’ project. Walkley. H. Pence The line is about 8km (five miles) long with the northern terminus at Bayview, under the BELOW: Southbound western leg of the TransitWay. Connections Coradia Lint C4 enters east to the city centre and to western Ottawa Confederation Heights; destinations are a little challenging as there this station has recently is a steep asphalt walkway between the rail had its name changed station and the bus stops. Protection from to avoid confusion with the Confederation line. winter snows and cold winds is provided by The platform edge in the standard open bus shelters. foreground is used to Electrification into the downtown area, protect passengers’ feet. on the surface, was strongly proposed yet the H. Pence final decision for the O-Train selected diesel LRT, with the route as it is now. One major deciding factor was resistance from property owners, concerned about the impact on their businesses during construction of an at-grade line. With the service ending at Bayview station, west of downtown, establishment of the O-Train did nothing to solve downtown and commuter traffic congestion. Proceeding south, high-platform stations are situated about 2km (1.2 miles) apart, with connecting OC Transpo bus routes. The first is Carling, while Carleton University is at the mid-point. Originally, the 20-minute scheduled O-Train passing loop was located here, but with improved headways two additional passing loops were recently built and the Carleton loop now receives little scheduled use. The next station is Confederation, recently renamed Confederation Heights to distinguish it from the under-construction Confederation line. The southernmost stop is at Greenboro. Here the O-Train connects with the southern leg of the TransitWay. Contrasting with Bayview station, an elevated enclosed walkway There is integrated fare collection between In 2014, according to Pat Scrimgeour, and elevator are used by passengers to travel bus and rail modes and as with the remainder Assistant General Manager for Customer across the TransitWay and down to the bus of the OC Transpo service, fare collection is Systems and Planning, the O-Train carried platforms. Beyond the end of the metals by proof-of-payment – ticket dispensers are 2.1m passengers – all this on an 8km (five- extends right-of-way toward the Ottawa on each platform. mile) line with five stations! With the success Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Train operators are Transit Services of of the service, the time came to upgrade Initial rolling stock was Bombardier Talent OC Transpo employees; Rail Term provides to a greater frequency and, in order to do three-unit articulated Diesel Multiple Units dispatching services and maintains the so, a major rebuilding programme was (DMUs) with two for scheduled services and line and infrastructure, while Bombardier undertaken. As mentioned, two passing loops a third held for maintenance and as a spare. maintains the trains. Michael Moore has were installed and the civil works refreshed. These three DMUs were the first of their recently been appointed Director of Rail With the requirement for four scheduled modern kind to operate anywhere in North Operations. He is an electrical engineer DMUs, a decision was needed: should two America, although they have since received by training, educated in the province of new units be procured to operate alongside acceptance elsewhere. British Columbia. the three Talent DMUs or should a new fleet be

ABOVE LEFT: Confederation line subway construction at Lebreton, west of Ottawa’s city centre. The motor ABOVE: LeBreton Flats construction and utiliity coaches are on the TransitWay, but when the trams arrive their roadway will become a railway. H. Pence works on 24 June. City of Ottawa

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 355 Ottawa

ABOVE: Driving of the first spike for the Confederation line on 12 June, led by ABOVE: Upper drifts of the Parliament station being reinforced; the concourse will Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. City of Ottawa. City of Ottawa sit 15m underground, while the platforms will lie at a depth of 19m. City of Ottawa purchased? The decision was made to re-equip Assistant General Manager of Transit central portion of the TransitWay. Finally, the roster and six Coradia Lint DMUs, built in Operations Troy Charter said that both the the light rail advocates had their day. Salzgitter, Germany, were purchased under Talent and the Coradia Lint trains are owned The new route would be 12.5km (7.7 miles) a CAD34m (EUR24m) contract with Alstom. by the City of Ottawa; the future of the three long, partially sub-surface, and would be built The trains are maintained in 1955-built sheds Bombardier units will be decided later this primarily over the TransitWay beginning at the Canadian National’s Walkley Yard year. With only 14 years of service, these at Blair station in the east and ending at and entered service in March 2015. Like the three trains would be an excellent acquisition Tunney’s Pasture in the west. The estimated Bombardier DMUs before them, they also for a start-up passenger line. cost is CAD2.1bn (EUR1.45bn), with the mark a first as Ottawa is the launch customer In order to recognise the improved O-Train Province of Ontario, the City of Ottawa and for the Coradia in North America. and also to differentiate it from the new the Federal Government all contributing Confederation route, it has been rebranded as CAD600m (EUR418m) each, plus CAD287m the Trillium line, a nice tribute to a three-petal (EUR200m) of provincial fuel taxes. flower. To the untrained eye, not much has In order to complete a project of this changed. The Coradia Lint DMUs look similar magnitude, specific skills are needed and this to their Bombardier predecessors and they has required the adoption of an international are appropriately painted in the Canadian consortium. The Rideau Transit Group national colours of red and white, as with the (RTG) became the successful bidder under a rest of the OC Transpo rolling stock. 25-year Design, Build, Finance and Maintain Forward planning looks to the Trillium contract awarded in early 2013. Led by ACS line. The international airport is an attractive Infrastructure Canada, the consortium destination and planning has taken place includes other familiar light rail names such for such an extension. However, with the as Dragados, SNC-Lavalin, Alstom, Thales, Confederation line construction receiving Hatch Mott MacDonald and IBI Group, everyone’s attention and funding, for the paired with domestic contractors. foreseeable future the airport will continue There were four alternatives for downtown ABOVE: Ottawa Electric Railway 696 was built in to be served by Route 97 buses, via the alignments, all in-tunnel. Beyond downtown, 1917 by Ottawa Car Co. and was saved by the Canadian TransitWay. Yet with the undertaking’s no on-street tracks would be laid; all routing Railway Historical Association in 1958. In 1963 it passed improvements and impressive ridership, would be on private right-of-way with grade- to the Canadian Railway Museum and was donated to the Trillium line’s future looks bright. separated road crossings. The tunnel section OC Transpo in 1989; it is housed at the St Laurent Garage. is 2.5km (1.6 miles) long and will run under It is currently being restored by a group of Rideau High Low-floor LRT in the city Albert Street with three stations – , School students for operation in the 100th anniversary Every five years, a new transportation Parliament and Rideau – each measuring 120m year of its construction, 2017. J. L. O’Donnell, 1958 masterplan must be prepared and the in length. Currently, construction is centred BELOW: Ottawa's future O-Train network: the one from 2008 called for a new solution on the stations and the digging machines existing north-south Trillium line is shown in green, to congestion – the construction of an were named following a contest with school with the new east-west Confederation line in red. electrified light rail system to replace the children. The names are Jawbreaker (Lyon), Chewrocka (Parliament) and Crocodile Rouge

Parliament (Rideau). Latest reports reveal that Lyon is Tunney’sBayview approximately 69% complete, Parliament Ottawa River Pimisi Lyon Rideau 25% complete and Rideau 28% complete. The first turn of dirt took place on 19 April 2013 at Belfast Yard, site of the Confederation uOttawa Canal line depot and maintenance facility. Lees Mayor Jim Watson, accompanied by representatives of the Canadian Parliament HurdmanTremblaySt-LaurentCyrville Blair Carling and Provincial Parliament participated Dows Lake alongside Antonio Estrada, CEO of RTG. The 16-hectare Belfast Yard was also the site Carleton of the first tracks laid for the new line, with Rideau River Station the initial spike being hammered into a Underground wooden sleeper on 12 June 2015. Station The new service will feature 34 Alstom Confederation Heights Citadis Spirit articulated four-section sets. A new design for North America based upon the platform that has seen success in many Greenboro cities around the world, the Citadis Spirit for

356 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Ottawa is 48.8m long and 2.65m wide and will multiple into two-unit trains for base day service. During low ridership, single units will be used. There is an option for an additional 21 cars under a EUR400m contract (including 30 years maintenance) signed between Alstom and RTG in February 2013. Top speed of the cars is 100km/h (65mph). The new low-floor cars will be assembled in Ottawa at Belfast Yard, from components produced at Alstom sites in the United States (Hornell), France (Saint-Ouen, Valenciennes, Ornans, Le Creusot, Tarbes, Villeurbanne), Italy (Sesto), and Poland (Katowice). During LRV construction 100 workers will be on site and for maintenance after the LRVs are built about 50 workers will be employed. Thirteen stations are being built on the line, including the three in the central tunnel – as the new LRVs are low-floor, station platforms will be raised from grade to provide for stepless entry and exit. Station names were selected following consultations with local communities, with one loss being the quaint TransitWay name of Tunney’s Pasture to just Tunney’s. Platforms will be 122m in length, easily enough space for a two-unit train. With the ABOVE: A full-size mock-up of the Alstom barrier-free, proof-of-payment fare collection Citadis Spirit ordered for the Confederation line was system, passengers may use all open doors made available for public display at the Aberdeen to board a train. Pavilion in the city’s Lansdowne Park between Some related construction is being January and March. Alstom undertaken on the Trans-Canada Highway, Route 417. This is the major east-west multi- INSET: The interior of the Citadis Spirit low-floor lane road that parallels the Ottawa River, car shows longtitudinal, transverse and flip-up seating; the 48.8m vehicles have a passenger to the south of Ottawa’s core. A travel lane capacity of 300, 120 seated. Alstom is being added to temporally accommodate displaced TransitWay buses between improvements, accruing to the benefit of In 2018, the Confederation line will open Blair and Hurdman and between the two the community – these expenses are not and Canada’s capital will finally see electric stations rail right-of-way will be built onto identified, as the howl is raised about traction return to its streets after a near the TransitWay. The cost of this two-lane ‘gold-plated’ rail transit projects. 60-year absence. expansion is CAD226m (EUR159m). The LRVs will call Belfast Yard home. On 8 July the City Council unanimously Other construction projects are budgeted This is being built adjacent to and west of approved a CAD3bn (approx. EUR2.1bn) at CAD240m (EUR168.5m), including 69 the St. Laurent Blvd bus garage and OC plan to extend both the Confederation and bridges and structures, 53km (33 miles) of Transpo headquarters. The building will Trillium lines by 2023, and move forward highway lane paving, 13 sewer projects and house maintenance and operations once with funding requests to both Federal and four water projects. Critics of major urban the LRVs enter service. In order to access the Provincial government for three extensions. rail projects often fail to understand site, a tunnel was built under the VIA Rail Phase two will see the Confederation line that there are ancillary infrastructure right-of-way, east of Ottawa Station. extended west by 13km (eight miles) from Tunney’s to Baseline and Bayshore stations, with ten new stations, and east from Blair to Place d’Orléans with four new stops. A further CAD160m (EUR112m) extension to Trim Road will continue to be explored. On the Trillium line, a southern extension from Greenboro to Riverside South will add five new stations; a further 2km (1.2-mile) link to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport, at an added cost of CAD155m (EUR108m) will also be considered. This allies to a commitment from the airport authority to contribute to the CAD35m (EUR24.4m) cost of building a stop inside its passenger terminal. The City has also tasked staff to explore the feasibility of extending light rail further west to Kanata sooner than 2031 and connecting Riverside South to Barrhaven Town Centre via bus rapid transit, agreeing to transfer CAD7m (EUR4.9m) to the phase 2 team to proceed with preliminary planning.

Acknowledgements are due to Harry Gow’s January 1998 TAUT article, the City of Ottawa, Ottawa’s Streetcars by Bill McKeown and David The interior of a section of the Belfast Yard depot and maintenance facility, showing raised inspection tracks. Jeanes, Treasurer, Transport Action in Canada The Alstom low-floor vehicles for the Confederation line will be assembled here. City of Ottawa and member of the Bytown Railway Society.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 357 systra.co.uk

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Transport excellence from planning to delivery Catenary-free systems DEVELOPMENTS IN OFF-WIRE SYSTEMS Developments in alternative power systems will mean that tomorrow’s tramways can be sympathetic to both aesthetics and the environment. Hervé Mazzoni, tramway product line manager at SYSTRA, explains.

n the mid-1990s it was the Mayor of Bordeaux’s ambition to see his city designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site that pushed wire-free trams from aspiration to reality. The beauty of the Iport city’s historic architecture was being blighted by cars and car parks. Bordeaux wanted an at-grade transport system, as an underground metro project had ABOVE: An APS-equipped Alstom Citadis crosses Bordeaux’s Pont de Pierre, a stone bridge built to cross the failed. The solution was a light rail network, river Garonne in the early 19th Century and a point of particular beauty in the city. Neil Pulling but there was a caveat: Mayor Alain Juppé did not want catenary wires spoiling the views of have been looking for ways to power trams tram is directly over it. The conductor rail is Bordeaux’s streets, squares and buildings. without catenary wires. At the time Bordeaux divided into alternate 8m-long conductive Thanks to the commitment of Bordeaux’s was looking for wire-free solutions, at least sections and 3m-long neutral sections, politicians and the engineers’ determination, three systems were under development, with the traction current collected by two the city did get a new tramway, with a wire- none of them proven. Alstom chose one and collector shoes under the tram. free section, in 2004 – as well as its UNESCO purchased the design patent; this became the It was a long, hard struggle to produce a status in 2007. The off-wire solution sees APS (alimentation par le sol) system. reliable system. The biggest challenge was the vehicles powered at ground level, and Bordeaux’s politicians made a bold move ensuring that the buried power boxes, which following Bordeaux several other cities in agreeing to fund the development of APS. contain sensitive electronic and electro- around the world have used the same system. However they were shrewd too: in return mechanical components, were robust enough The next generation of wire-free trams are for their investment, they agreed a deal to cope with the operating conditions. likely to go a step further, combining ground- with Alstom to receive royalties for each There was a lot at stake during this period, level supply with onboard storage to take subsequent scheme that used the system. not only the time and money that had been advantage of regenerative braking. The APS system, powered by 750V dc invested, but also the reputations of the Wire-free trams are not a new concept. supplied via cables and switching boxes organisations involved – including SYSTRA, Since electricity took over from horses at the buried in the ground, works by activating project manager for the scheme. beginning of the 20th Century, engineers the current in a conductor rail only when a Since Bordeaux’s first tram ran in 2004, other French cities followed suit with APS on sections of their lines: Reims, Orléans, Angers and Tours. But the most extensive use of ground-level power has been in Al Sufouh, Dubai, the first tramway to be entirely powered without a catenary wire in sight. Al Sufouh is unusual in that the choice of a wire-free solution has not been driven by the need to preserve the aesthetics of a historic cityscape. Here the aspirations of client Dubai Road Transit Authority, to which SYSTRA was consultant, were to create a state-of-the-art system that would enhance Dubai’s status in the region. The APS system had to be adapted for Dubai’s hot and dusty environment, with brushes fitted to the trams to sweep sand from the and air-conditioning for the buried switch boxes. Cuenca in Ecuador will also make use of APS over a 2km (1.2-mile) stretch of tramway that runs through the city’s historical centre, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to start operation in 2016, the 10km (6.2 miles) tramway will be the city’s first. LEFT: A CAF Urbos tram crosses the Puente de Santiago in Zaragoza, powered by the manufacturer’s ACR system that uses batteries and supercapacitors. Neil Pulling

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 359 Catenary-free systems

ABOVE: The latest generation APS system can be seen in the hot and dusty climate ABOVE: 19 Siemens Avenio trams are being supplied for the new 11.5km (7.1-mile) of Dubai; here a Citadis 402 passes the Jumeirah Beach Residence. Neil Pulling tramway in Doha, equipped with the Sitras HES energy storage system. Siemens

Other options CAF’s Rapid Charge Accumulator (ACR) systems have been a deterrent to some While Alstom’s engineers battled to has been used on sections of tramlines in would-be clients. Alstom patented the design perfect the APS system for Bordeaux, other Seville and Zaragoza. It has also been selected of its vehicles powered by APS, but was asked manufacturers were working on their own by Kaohsiung City Government in Taiwan by the French Government to share the alternative power supply solutions. to build a 22.1km (13.7-mile) catenary-free patent of the current collection interface Ansaldo developed TramWave, which, like tramway with 36 stops, due to open late 2015. with others during the procurement of APS, uses a third conductor rail activated Siemens is supplying its own solution to phase 3 of Bordeaux’s tram network. when a tram is above it. TramWave uses a Doha in Qatar for an 11.5km (7.1-mile) line, The future for wire-free trams will see a magnet that lifts a buried magnetic belt to equipping its Avenio trams with the Sitras combination of both onboard storage and make a connection to the third rail. Officially HES energy storage system. ground-level power. This allows the power launched in 2009, TramWave has – to date – June saw Alstom launch a ground-based from regenerative braking to be stored, only been used on a 600m stretch in , static charging system, SRS, which can be improving energy efficiency even above a although at the end of 2013 it was announced used for both trams and electric buses; the traditional system where the electricity is that the system will also be supplied to the firm has also extended the use of APS returned to the catenary wire with a loss of Chinese city of Zhuhai. to hybrid trucks. around 7% of energy. Manufacturers are Bombardier came up with a very different In fact, almost all rolling stock providers targeting 30% savings. solution, using induction to transfer power now offer an off-wire solution, with most This combined solution will be put to work from ground to tram. Using the same principle using a combination of batteries and on Rio’s tramway in . Here, Alstom is as a transformer, the plan was to have a supercapacitors. Many of these systems are supplying its Citadis trams which will run primary coil under the tracks, transferring either on test or specified for application for 80% on APS and 20% on supercapacitor. to secondary coils on the vehicles. the latest orders from cities around the world Despite ongoing improvements, it seems Following trials on an 800m (half-mile) keen to realise efficiency savings, reduced unlikely that wire-free solutions will take test section in , Bombardier found infrastructure costs or to mitigate the over completely from catenary trams, which that this system did not have sufficient aesthetic impact of overhead wires. remain the most reliable, require less capital power to achieve the acceleration required outlay and lower spend on maintenance. by modern tram systems. Its solution was to Constraints and challenges Additional equipment for collecting and add an onboard supercapacitor, charged by The biggest drawback of the first generation storing energy can also add up to 10% of the induction at station stops, to store energy of ground-level power-supplied trams is that price of a vehicle. Ground level equipment, that could then be used to boost acceleration. they cannot make use of regenerative braking such as cables, inverters, a third rail and One challenge of using induction is that – this means they are 15-20% less energy switches can add up to EUR1.8m/km an alternating current (ac) rather than a efficient than a traditional catenary system of double track. The layout of the track is direct current (dc) is required, while tram with regenerative braking. also more complex and some solutions systems are commonly fed with a dc supply. Onboard energy storage solutions have are incompatible with a grass trackbed; Bombardier has developed an inverter that had their own challenges too. Perhaps the maintenance is also more costly. converts from dc to ac; this is required in most significant is the amount of energy they However, in situations such as Bordeaux, addition to the conventional substation are able to store; if one station’s recharging where a tram network wouldn’t have been which converts electricity from the city grid facilities are out of use, there is a question allowed with overhead wires, this technology of 10kV ac (or more) to 750V dc. over how far a tram could continue without is extremely important. We can also expect Bombardier is now promoting its having to conserve energy by turning off that development on supercapacitors induction-charged onboard energy storage systems such as air conditioning, for instance. and next-generation batteries will find its systems for a range of vehicles under the There are also concerns over the performance way onto trams running on conventional name of Primove. For tramways, the Li-Ion of the current generation of supercapacitors; overhead wires, with resulting improvements batteries can also alternatively be charged their life expectancy has not been proven and in energy efficiency and operating costs. via the , potentially reducing could be as low as seven to ten years. some of the complexities and costs of However, supercapacitor and battery induction-charging, and also working well technology is developing every day. ABOUT THE AUTHOR for converting sections of existing systems. Hyundai-Rotem has developed a lithium-ion The first trams powered by Bombardier’s polymer battery that it claims can run for Hervé Mazzoni has over 30 years’ experience traction batteries began operating in Nanjing 50km (over 30 miles) on a single charge. of light rail projects around the world, gaining a in August 2014. The network is catenary- The firm is supplying a hybrid catenary broad range of technical expertise and leading free for 90% of its length, with the batteries and battery-powered system for two international teams on a variety of schemes. His current role at SYSTRA sees him supporting charged by pantograph at stops. new tramlines in Izmir, Turkey, the all activities related to tramways, from feasibility Siemens and CAF have also been manufacturer’s first tram contract. studies through to commissioning and working on onboard energy storage using Issues around lack of interoperability maintenance: [email protected] supercapacitors, batteries, or a combination. and competition for ground-level powered

360 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Dallas Streetcar DALLAS STREETCAR: A US FIRST In April, Dallas opened its first modern streetcar line. An extension is already approved, allowing the new mode to more completely complement the impressive DART light rail system. Vic Simons reports.

side of its comprehensive light rail system and M-Line Trolley , new ground for Dallas was broken in April with the opening of the modern Astreetcar line that runs from Union Station for 3km (1.6 miles) to the Methodist Dallas ABOVE: Dallas Streetcar 302 at the Union Station terminus in downtown Dallas with the Union Station Medical Center in the southern suburb of building behind the streetcar. All images by Vic Simons, 22 May 2015, unless otherwise stated. Oak Cliff. The line is a first as it uses modern streetcars designed and manufactured in the supplied by a pair of 550v DC lithium-ion the budget includes provision for a further USA at the Brookville Equipment Corporation battery packs, charged when running from two streetcars to operate the service. manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania, the overhead wire; an integrated battery Phase 3 will take the streetcar two blocks utilising battery operation in part to obviate management system (BMS) monitors north-east from Union Station along Young the need for overhead wires over an historic the charge state of the batteries. There Street to the Dallas Convention Center. bridge across the Trinity River. is overhead power at the Union Station The route will loop on Lamar Street and From its city terminus just across the road terminus, but this is only for depot runs. return to Union Station along Wood Street. from Union Station in Houston Street, at its The line is single-track across the viaduct The longer-term vision calls for linking the junction with Young Street, the line heads and turns west onto Zang Boulevard where route with the M-Line Trolley operation. southeast for a short distance before turning the first stop is located at Greenbriar; at south across the Houston Street Viaduct, this point the pantograph is raised for entry Liberty cars in service Amtrak and DART light rail lines. The viaduct onto the double-track section. Each double-ended, three-section streetcar opened in 1912 and was the first permanent There is one further stop at Oakenwald is 20.2m long, 2.46m wide and 3.4m high. crossing of the Trinity River; it has also before the line reaches the Methodist The vehicles are 71% low-floor with two steps undergone a two-year renovation programme Dallas Medical Center. Here there is a stub between the boarding height of 350mm where it remained closed to traffic until June. end terminal in the middle of Colorado and each end near the driving cabs, giving For aesthetic reasons the City of Dallas did Boulevard just short of its junction with a passenger capacity of 135, 30 of which are not want overhead wires to interfere with Beckley Avenue. A Dallas City Council vote seated. Two doors are on each side of the the appearance of the 103-year-old Houston in June approved USD27.5m for an extension car, both of which are located in the central Street Viaduct – listed on the US National to take the line south and rejoin Zang low-floor section, equipped with automatic Register of Historic Places. Boulevard to a new terminus in the Bishop levelling system for loading/unloading. Streetcars leave Union Station with the Arts District just south of Davis Street. This When not running in battery mode, power pantograph lowered and traction power extension is planned to open next year, and supply is 750V dc drawn from the overhead

ABOVE: The first day of service for the Dallas Streetcar, 13 April, with Liberty car 302 crossing the Houston Street Viaduct. DART

RIGHT: The approach to the Houston Street Viaduct; the wired line that deviates to the right is for depot runs.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 361 Dallas Streetcar

“The smartly-presented Liberty cars ride very well and initial experience of the off-wire operation is good.” catenary. The maximum running speed Joining Streetcar, heritage and LRT is quoted by the manufacturer as 70km/h Dallas Streetcar is owned by the City of Dallas (44mph), although in practice operation is under powers granted by the North Central unlikely at more than 50km/h (30mph). Texas Council of Governments (NCTCG). The two vehicles cost USD9.4m, with the Around half of the USD56m project was contract including an option for a further funded by federal sources, of which USD23m two streetcars – recently taken up for the came in the form of a TIGER grant awarded Phase 2 extension. in December 2010. A further USD13.8m During our trips on the streetcar, two came from Regional Toll Revenue, with police vehicles accompanied the Liberty car the remainder coming from local sources. from the bottom of the Houston Street Bridge Construction was undertaken in a to the Medical Center terminus to ensure no USD28m joint venture by Stacey and ABOVE: A driver’s view across the Houston Street encroachment onto the tracks by other road Witbeck Inc. and Carcon Industries under Viaduct heading back towards Union Station, showing downtown Dallas in the background. users. Readers may compare this approach a design-and-build contract. The rest of the viaduct opened to traffic in late June. with the problems experienced with other The new single-track McKinney Avenue road users in Atlanta (see TAUT 932). (M-Line) Trolley extension opened in June streetcar line north and west to link with the The line is operated by DART (Dallas Area 2015 – although short, at just 0.9km (0.65 heritage line close to the St Paul DART light Rapid Transit) on behalf of the city and no miles) long, it is a crucial addition. Not only rail station, thus providing a streetcar link fares are currently charged. DART has stated does it provide a southern connection to across the downtown area to Oak Cliff. it is pleased with the modest initial ridership DART at St Paul station, it also forms a loop The M-Line extension has been designed levels that average around 300 passengers around St Paul, Federal, and Olive Streets, and built to accommodate both the existing per day with 30-minute headways facilitating the use of single-ended cars. heritage fleet as well as more modern cars. Monday-Friday with no weekend service. Whilst a turntable has been built at the The new track, traction power substation and When the second car enters service, this northern end of the route at City Place, until signal systems have all been future-proofed will reduce to a 20-minute headway. the downtown loop had been completed the as far as is practicable to minimise any The smartly-presented Liberty cars ride use of single-ended cars had been precluded. disruption to operations. very well and initial experience of the The USD9.9m project has been funded locally The next urban rail milestones in 2016 off-wire operation is very good. Certainly with half coming from NCTCG and the other are the Oak Cliff streetcar southern from our experience passengers could not half coming from an urban circulator grant. extension and the 4.2km (2.6-mile) Blue tell whether the vehicle was in pantograph The ultimate aim of the city is to link both line southern extension to the University or battery mode. streetcar systems by extending the modern of North Texas. Making History Means Focusing on the Future. BROOKVILLE is the proud American designer and manufacturer of the off-wire capable streetcars operating for Dallas Area Rapid Transit and serving the City of Dallas.

Congratulations to the agency, the city, and its citizens on the successful inauguration of off-wire streetcar transit in the United States.

brookvillecorp.com • 814.849.2000

362 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Trailers and coupled cars TRAMS, TRAILERS AND TRAINS

Scott McIntosh asks whether the fascination for ever longer and more ABOVE: Metrolink runs M5000 trams in pairs on a daily basis; complex articulated trams is leading us down a dead end when trailers 3068 leads a coupled service near the Midland Hotel in central and coupled cars can offer more cost-effective and flexible operations. Manchester on 15 May. Neil Pulling

eaders of the article Tram Design: which adopted bogie cars – failed to follow economically advanced European nations Issues and Constraints in TAUT this pattern. Germany followed this model that retained tramways. 925 will be aware of some of the during post-war reconstruction, with the challenges presented by the use quickly-built, rugged but somewhat basic Arguments for the ‘artic’ of modern articulated low-floor KSW and Rekowagen; a three-car set would The perceived economic attraction of trams;R this month I want to go further and typically have a length of around 30m and articulated cars was bolstered by a series of ask whether articulated cars are always the accommodate 180 passengers at crush load. second-order justifications: security was best option for urban tramways. German regulations required a Schaffner improved because the driver could see the (conductor) on each car, plus a driver, giving whole interior space, passengers could move A little history a staff:passenger ratio of 1:45. The manpower through the car and distribute themselves Articulated cars had been attempted by the losses of the war, plus the huge demand for evenly, making the best use of the space etc. Boston Elevated Railway in 1912. Here two labour during the West German ‘Economic A little thought shows that these arguments older four-wheeled cars were linked together Miracle’ meant that staff costs were rising are largely specious; drivers would find it by a suspended low-floor entrance section, rapidly (assuming that staff could be found) difficult to observe the goings-on at the rear of thus providing a ‘new’ car with a capacity and so the Düwag articulated car became a a 30m car from their cab (particularly if they equivalent to a then-current bogie car – very attractive proposition. adopted the annoying practice of lowering plus an entrance suitable for ladies wearing The early six-axle version could the blind behind them), better observation the then-fashionable ‘hobble skirt’ – at a accommodate 180 passengers, fitted within of passengers can now be conducted by on- much lower price than a new car. Various the length constraints of the old three-car car CCTV, something fitted to all modern prototypes were tried out in Europe before train and offered a staff:passenger ratio rolling stock. Even with this facility many World War Two, but it was in Germany in of 1:90, with the introduction of off-car operators find that thinly-populated off-peak the 1950s that the mass production of ticketing this rose to 1:180 and the later services provide opportunities for anti-social articulated cars became the norm. eight-axle car could offer 1:256. These huge behaviour towards the back of the car; Ever since the introduction of electric staff cost savings, coupled with the urgent this has been countered by fitting gates to tramcars in Europe the overwhelming need to replace life-expired and obsolescent lock-off part of the car and concentrate the majority of systems adopted the four-wheel cars led to the rapid adoption of articulated passengers in a smaller area. Whilst this motorcar hauling a string of trailers, only cars in . solves the immediate problem, it does Great Britain – with its enthusiasm for single So attractive did they seem that mean that a lot of redundant space and double-deck cars and some of the larger cities, they rapidly became the standard in all dead weight is carried in the off-peak.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 363 Trailers and coupled cars

LEFT: Duwag's six-axle car was one of the first ‘modern’ articulated designs and had capacity for 180 passengers; single-ended 238 is at Bahnhof Beuel terminus in May 1979. M. Russell RIGHT: trailer 2355 and motorcar 1252 in Königstrasse on 7 June 1975; 2355 is an immediate post-war KSW trailer, while 1252 is a Düwag eight-axle car converted from a six-axle model. M. Russell

Similarly, there seems to be little evidence Maintenance or accident damage will that passengers move very far from the door require the withdrawal from service of a by which they boarded when travelling in complete 30-50m long unit, whereas it busy urban transit vehicles. The ‘advantages’ might only require one car from a train. of this free movement seem to be negated This inevitably results in a higher initial in systems that couple cars; one cannot investment in the fleet. move between the two cars on a Manchester Cars are longer and more difficult to ABOVE: ‘two rooms and a bath’ 260 was a Metrolink service, or the three cars on DLR. manoeuvre in depots and maintenance halls prototype articulated vehicle formed of two old four- Only Hannover has ever gone to the trouble must be bigger to accommodate a whole car. wheeled cars; at Lindenberg on 2 June 1976. M. Russell of providing inter-car connections – and then But the biggest argument against large only on a small proportion of its fleet. articulated cars is that the peak load capacity process, all that is needed is a suitable site on Yet the benefits come at some cost: is only needed for limited periods each day. – or close to – the route to store the spare cars The cars are far more sensitive to track For the rest of the time the operator is paying and (possibly) a parking assistant. alignment, kinks, dips and rail wear. This to haul a lot of redundant metal and fresh air Train operation is practiced in a wide range may not have seemed a problem in Germany, around. It would be far more efficient to tailor of cities, with both articulated cars and bogie where major route realignment was carried the capacity to match the demand. cars. Cities such as Prague continue to run out during post-war reconstruction, or in Some systems already do this, dropping trains of refurbished Tatra cars and it is noted countries such as Switzerland where track the second (articulated) car from a train that some cities in eastern Europe are buying maintenance was meticulous. The German off-peak, but it is arguable that we should up good examples of the simple, robust T6 BOStrab[1] and VdV[2] alignment criteria set go further and adopt smaller, simpler bogie cars to replace more troublesome articulated out a minimum horizontal curve radius of cars, running one, two or three-car trains units. It is also interesting that when the 25m, with correspondingly generous vertical to meet passenger demand. By contrast it tramway was converted to curve radii. It must be assumed that these are will be argued that making and breaking operation the chosen cars were coupled pairs at least partly driven by the requirements of trains during the day is a complex and time- of single-ended, double-sided bogie cars. long articulated cars. Whilst achieved (at some consuming process, but that need not be expense) in Germany they do increase the the case. Auto couplers, which also connect Continental bus experience problem of urban insertion in cities elsewhere. power, control and data lines simplify the It is possibly instructive to compare what we do on tramways with what the bus operators are doing. Bus services are often run on narrower financial margins than tram systems and many operators are experienced in wringing every penny out of their operations. Bus trailers were popular in a number of countries in the 1940s and 50s; these were usually tractor buses and simple trailers, although the USSR operated trolleybuses in multiple units. Many of these bus-trains were replaced by ‘bendy buses’ and it seemed that trailer operation had faded away. The continuing need for operational cost savings has led some operators to re-examine the case for trailers and modern technology such as electronic axle steering and CCTV monitoring have led to a revival of this operational concept. is the first German metropolis to operate bus-trains, although they were already used in several areas of Germany, as well as Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. When Munich took LEFT: Over 1000 Tatra T3 cars were delivered to Prague over a near four-decade period, and still prove reliable to this day; 7094 leads the descent from the Castle in August 2009. Neil Pulling

364 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org delivery of new 12m bus + 11m trailer trains TOP LEFT: in 2013 the Chair of MVG (Münchner Paired single- Verkehrsgesellschaft) said: “Bus-trains offer ended, double- good opportunities to flexibly adjust the sided DT8.4 Stadtbahn cars capacity of buses via uncoupling the trailer near Mineralbäder to achieve a more efficient operation in in March 2009. the bus system. This operational concept SSB (Stuttgarter further helps to reduce fuel consumption and Strassenbahn) emissions. These vehicles do not needlessly has been ordering spend energy in off-peak hours due to variants of such overcapacity. In the case of low demand the cars from various trailers will be parked at the depot.”[3] manufacturers since the 1980s. A medium-sized bus operator in Germany Neil Pulling has found that bus trailers achieve flexible capacity that could be adaptable to be MIDDLE LEFT: substantially more cost-effective and Some German efficient. Depending on passenger volume a operators are still trailer is attached to the bus. In rush hours, using trailers, or for school pupil transport, the capacity such as these of a bus is nearly doubled. During non-busy Bombardier-built periods, including weekends or holidays, cars designed to add low- only the towing bus is required to meet floor options to demand. As a result, no additional weight then-widespread is carried, fuel costs are lower, and no Tatra services relief buses or extra drivers are necessary. in . With The cost benefits of using a modular incoming Vossloh unit show that the system provides high low-floor rolling flexibility, has minimised both maintenance stock, these are and operational costs, and provided a positive now surplus to requirements with environmental impact. some sold to other systems to add “Could coupled or trailer line capacity. Neil Pulling

operation be suitable for BOTTOM LEFT: A MAN-Göppel new build tramways? The bus and trailer combination answer must be ‘Yes’.” in Neckarsulm, Germany. E. Mundle The bus industry has the benefit of a number of vehicle builders with approved trailer designs already available; Munich bought from Solaris and other German operators have bought from the long- established firm of Göppel. It may be argued that tram operators do not have off-the-shelf simple bogie and trailer cars available to them; this is certainly true in the case of Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens, but many of the second-tier car builders do offer such cars. The VarioLFplus series from Pragoimex offer extremely attractive and well-engineered cars (Pragoimex is the successor to Tatra) and they are in regular operation in the Czech Republic [4]. When I last spoke to the company it was keen to consider exporting more widely across Europe. Belkommunmash of Belarus manufactures and sells a partly low-floor four-axle car [5], as do a number of Russian suppliers. Such a product would not that show the lowest operating cost. be beyond the competence of a number of A flexible approach to vehicle specification manufacturers across the EU and may even and operating practices can make the value REFERENCES provide an opportunity for a UK firm to for money of tramway undertakings even 1 – Verordnung über den Bau und Betrieb der break into modern-day tramcar building. more attractive than it is today. Straßenbahnen – Kurztitel Straßenbahn-Bau- und Clever operators and informed designers Betriebsordnung, available in English from ORR – Conclusion can minimise the inconveniences of train www.orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/.../ So, could coupled car or trailer operation be making and breaking and capture the ttgn5-bostraben-main.pdf suitable for new build tramways? The answer significant benefits that an optimised 2 – Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen must be ‘Yes’. approach to rolling stock and operations – www.vdv.de The ongoing obsession with austerity could offer. Passengers will experience few 3 – MVG chairman Herbert König, August 2014, www.eltis.org/discover/news/munich-orders- means that funding for new tramways will be disadvantages – in many cases they could buses-trailers-passenger-transport-germany-0 extremely tight for years to come. Financiers, experience a better quality ride – and they 4 – www.pragoimex.cz whether governmental or private sector, could even get the tram that they want 5 – Tram model 62103 – http://bkm.by/?id_ will want to extract the maximum value rather than be fobbed off again with a page=8&path=8_2&id_product=65 for every Euro spent and will look for options facelifted bus.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 365 Hudson-Bergen HBLR AND 8TH STREET In May 2015 Vic Simons revisited New Jersey to sample the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail extension to 8th Street and examine its plans to extend its fleet.

he final 1.5km (one-mile) extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) opened in January 2011, taking the southernmost segment of the Tline out to 8th Street in Bayonne. On leaving the previous terminus at 22nd Street the line becomes single-track running parallel with a freight line and freight sidings. These in turn are parallel with the Highway 440 freeway and Avenue E; as the line approaches Broadway it rises to an elevated alignment on the approach to the 8th Street terminus. Here the line becomes double-track as it approaches the still elevated station platforms. The station has all the usual North American light rail facilities, including lifts ABOVE: HBLR 2047 leaving 8th to street level, but is differentiated with a Street about to join the single-track very unusual street-level façade based upon section and cross the viaduct over the design of the original Central Railroad Broadway – 16 May. of New Jersey station that occupied the site th and closed in the late 1970s. The station has LEFT: 8 Street station from ground level; the elevated light rail a small car park and bus connections are line is in the background. a short walk away; beyond the station are a turnback and storage sidings. The total extension project cost around USD100m – main construction was carried out under a USD58.4m contract with George Harms Construction of Howell, NJ – and completes extended from three to five sections (around but with street running in central Jersey the current phase of HBLR development. 12m) to double each vehicle’s capacity; City. Services on both HBLR and the Newark No new vehicles were acquired for the as part of the same contract a further ten Subway are provided by the 21st Century Rail extension as the existing fleet of Kinki Sharyo vehicles will undergo the Corporation on behalf of New Jersey Transit. six-axle, three-section LRVs had sufficient same treatment. The project is expected capacity to cope with the increased service. to cost USD54m, equivalent to USD1.55m Where does HBLR go from here? Although visually identical to the cars seen per vehicle, showing a significant cost The biggest issue is a political one as at present on the Newark Light Rail system, the LRVs reduction compared with the estimated cost all services are operated in Hudson County, have a key difference in the wheel flange to of USD4.6m for a new five-section vehicle. although both state and local politicians are fit the slightly different Newark track profile. The first extended LRVs are expected to enter anxious to extend service into Bergen County Wheelsets have to be changed when switching service later this year or early in 2016. to the north of the current system. between systems. The operating voltage is Services operate as three lines: 8th Street – The most advanced project is a northern 750V dc from overhead current collection. Hoboken; West Side Avenue – Tonelle Avenue extension from Tonelle Avenue into Bergen and Hoboken – Tonelle Avenue (Monday County some 16km (ten miles) to Englewood Extending the fleet to Fridays only). Each line has a 20-minute using an abandoned railroad right-of-way. In July 2014 it was confirmed that 25 HBLR headway, enhanced at peak times. It is The original plan was to go further north cars (out of a total of 52 vehicles) will be largely operated on a separate right-of-way to Tenafly; however local residents objected strongly resulting in the project being cut back one station to Englewood. Costs are estimated to be USD800m-USD1bn, although the cost cannot be finalised until all approvals are in place. At present the project appears to be on hold; clearly finance is a major restraining issue. There are other projects in the planning stage, such as a western extension from West Side Avenue and a southern and eastern extension from 8th Street across the Bayonne Bridge into Staten Island to link with the light rail system proposed for the island. These are all still in the planning stage so that no costs Car 2047 on the elevated structure north of 8th Street. Public art outside the station building at 8th Street. or timescales are known.

366 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Tours

Neil Pulling explores the French tramway SYSTEMS central to a policy of reducing the appeal of Tours car use by providing FACTFILE alternatives – and which FRANCE features a flamboyant No. Tours, France interpretation of 96 Alstom's Citadis.

round 240km (150 miles) ABOVE: Old and south-west of Paris, Tours new symbols – is the capital of Indre- Tour's Hôtel de et-Loire department Ville and the city’s version of Alstom's and the Centre-Val de Citadis 402 at Place ALoire region’s largest city. France’s Jean Jaurès. longest river is part of Tours’ identity, but like many Loire settlements, the RIGHT: The new centre evolved at a respectful distance tramway has been from its fragmented flood-prone added to Pont course. The grandeur of the Hôtel de Wilson's eventful Ville overlooking Place Jean Jaurès history as the nevertheless leaves little doubt of city's central Loire crossing. where that centre is. It is a measure of the importance accorded to the tramway that opened on 31 August 2013 that it was routed along the spine-like main thoroughfare and past the enormous city hall. As with Strasbourg or Le Havre, All pictures by areas of Tours within the system’s Neil Pulling.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 367 Tours

THE FLEET All services are operated by 21 September 2012. All 21 were received “A focus of industry attention when air-conditioned, bi-directional Alstom by June 2013 and 18 are needed at peak trams with low floors throughout; they times. Damaged in the collision by an first opened, the Tours system is are numbered from 051, the old system automobile driver suicide between the having reached tram 50. Supplied as part platforms at Place Jean Jaurès in April distinguished by striking design.” of a EUR73m contract agreed in autumn 2014, 057 has since returned to traffic. 2010, the Fil Bleu Citadis 402 are 43m long, The combined depot and network 2.4m wide and have capacity control centre was completed in for 204 standing and 76 seated. September 2012. It is partially in village Using components from eight surroundings at the end of non-revenue Alstom plants, they were assembled at track extending beyond the northern Reichshoffen in Alsace. The first tram terminus, Vaucanson. A spacious site, was tested at Alstom’s La Rochelle facility it could be modified to provide for a from where it was delivered to Tours in second line.

TOP: Part of the transformation of central Tours, the gardens at Place Jean Jaurès.

LEFT: One of the busier non-central stops, Liberté displays the system's black and white platform markers.

LEFT: Leading north from Place Jean Jaurès towards the Loire, Rue Nationale is the main shopping street.

RIGHT: Mainly together, the tracks diverge slightly for a short section in the university district: 071 on Allée Ferdinand de Lesseps.

368 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org catchment will seem very different for A focus of significant industry those whose previous visit was before attention when first opened, Tours’ trams returned to the streets. system is distinguished by striking Styled as Tour(s) Plus, the design at the lineside and on vehicles. agglomération has grown to Previously engaged on tram projects incorporate 22 communes. in Paris, Algeria, and Angers, It registered 296 506 residents on locally-based RCP Design Global 1 January 2015, of which 138 323 were in concert with other designers in Tours commune. The new tramway formulated many of the system’s was created under the agglomeration’s features. This extended to the former transport body SITCAT, surroundings in a broad strip either its role since assimilated within side of the double-track installation. Tour(s) Plus. With preliminary works Although many French cities focus begun in summer 2010, the formal heavily on urban integration for their declaration that enabled the Cité Tram new tramway schemes, Tours has consortium directed by SYSTRA to taken this to a new level with close ABOVE: With shared road space, tram platforms are staggered and proceed was signed in December 2010. co-operation between the main face their bus counterparts at Jean Jaurès. Tours’ line A is 14.8km (9.3 miles) project partners and leading urban long with services scheduled to take design and architectural practice 47 minutes between termini. Richez_Associés (familiar for its work The original system opened in 1877 on other tramway projects in Le Mans, but closures began in 1932. World Reims, Brest, Orléans and Casablanca). War Two disruption including a To preserve or improve vistas in split network and the relative ease of the central district and on the Loire replacement by trolleybuses (used until crossing, Tours installed the Alstom 1968) saw Tours follow the national APS ground-supply system, the fifth trend, closing its tramway by autumn such application in France. The single 1949. Fil Bleu (blue thread or wire) – APS section is 1.8km (1.1 miles) long rendered as filbleu – was the identity between Place Choiseul and Gare de adopted for the urban bus network Tours, these stops being the changeover in 1992. Unlike several French cities points for power supply. It thereby that changed their public transport covers Place Jean Jaurès, the main identity when opening a new tramway, shopping street, Rue Nationale, also the Tours added trams to the brand. Loire’s Pont Wilson, named after the The urban network is operated by a First World War American president. local subsidiary of the Keolis Group, A designated national monument, ABOVE: Heading places along line A, there is dedicated while the regional bus service titled this bridge is the direct connection south from Gare space for pedestrians and cyclists. Touraine Fil Vert is run by Transdev. between the centre and suburbs SNCF, where trams Ready for growing patronage, the Tours’ current urban transport plan that begin at the river’s northern change from APS to system opened with 43m platforms has a prominent policy of giving embankment near Place Choiseul. overhead supply. and, rather than later lengthening, priority to transport alternatives other Used by the first-generation tram seven-section trams. Both feature than ‘individual motorised mobility’, system, this 434m multi-arched black and white banding that for some with ‘ambitious but realistic targets bridge was completed in 1778. may recall World War Two’s D-Day for changing modal shares.’ It projects It was breached in war and a flood recognition stripes; they are used here reducing urban journeys by car from prompted partial collapse in 1978. 55% (2008) to 47% (2023) and raising The latest significant event was BELOW: Part of combined bus and tram use from rebuilding for new tracks to be placed the tramway project, NETWORK FACTS 8% to 13% for the same timescale. on the upstream side of a single uni- the new bridge over Cycling is also favoured for growth. directional road lane. As in most other the Cher. Opened: August 2013 Lines: 1 Stops: 29 Distance: 14.8km (9.3 miles) Depots: 1 Approx. weekday hours: 05.30-00.30 Main frequency: 6-8 minutes Gauge: 1435mm Power: 750V dc overhead and APS ground supply Fleet: 21 Alstom Citadis 402 Transport authority: Tour(s) Plus City network: Fil Bleu Operator: Keolis Tours

INFORMATION City network: www.filbleu.fr (essentials also in English) Civic information: www.tours.fr Agglomeration: www.agglo-tours.fr Tourist information: www.tours-tourisme.fr

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Tours line A Coppée Marne P+R P+R Park-and-ride Beffroi Vaucanson Bicycle parking Monconseil P+R Trois-Rivières

Christ Roi

P+R Tranchée Mi-Côte Place Choiseul

Loire Anatole France

Nationale “Ready for growing patronage, the system opened with 43m platforms Jean-Jaurès Gare de Tous and, rather than later lengthening, Palais des Sports Tours Liberté Sanitas seven-section trams.”

Suzanne Charcot Valadon Verdun Cher L’Heure Tranquille Fac 2 Lions P+R Pont Volant République

Joué Hôtel de Ville

Rotière

Rabière Stade Jean-Bouin

P+R Lycée Jean Monnet Richez_Associés/Cyrille Dubreuil Richez_Associés/Cyrille

LEFT: Tram 066 descends to Pont Volant, here part of the system’s 6km (3.7 miles) plus of planted track.

RIGHT: White at the front and red at the back, cab-end markers leave little doubt about a tram's presence and directional intention: 051 at Anatole France.

370 / JUNE 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ABOVE AND INSET: Tours’ interior interpretation of the Citadis is filled with clever design details. to denote positioning of the tram’s TOP RIGHT: Tram double doors and their platform 061 draws into alignment. The banding also appears Place Choiseul, on tall posts at stops and in parking the northern overhead/APS sites. It is a motif echoed by the changeover point. vertical parallel strips of LED lighting on the tram ends, white for the leading RIGHT: Room to end and red to denote the rear. grow: the spacious The tram’s exterior features a matt maintenance centre chrome coating that gives a hazy beyond Vaucanson reflection of its surroundings designed terminus. to reflect the changing environments along the route. Interior lighting varies according to ambient conditions using what Alstom calls ‘sensorial design’, again to act as a visual northern Loire bank. Contributing to on the Bordeaux – Paris route do not indicator of the districts as the tram reduced car dependency, line A links use the grand city terminus, Gare de passes through. There are multiple outlying traffic generators and the Tours, instead calling at the through- seating types and much use is made central district and this underlies station Saint Pierre des Corps in the of wood finishes, including for partial the zig-zagging within a dominant southern suburbs. City connections partitions; yet perhaps most unusual north-south axis. are made by the rail shuttle or other is the asymmetric interior colouring. Educational centres are a significant trains using both stations. The main Overhead screens provide passenger influence on demand patterns. There bus terminal (gare routière) is directly information, supplemented by are large schools at each end of the in front of Gare de Tours, with the custom-created audio by musician and line and a university campus around tram stop a few paces away along the sound designer Louis Dandrel; sound the stops Fac 2 Lions and L'Heure city side of the station. Joue-les-Tours that in places links to the location, like Tranquille, the latter also a modern station in the south-west is near the the singing tone for Christ Roi stop, shopping and entertainment centre. tramway at République, but Gare de named after the nearby church. Housing concentrations are scattered Tours is the only realistic tram to Although the city centre is level, along the line, one such being train interchange. there is more variation elsewhere, unusually near the centre around Palais Five of the inclusive-ticketed exemplified by the long rise from the de Sport and Sanitas. In the north, line Fil Bleu park-and-ride sites (parking A serves the recently developed Europe relais) are by the tramway. The other district centred around Beffroi stop. two are on the Tempo bus route. ESSENTIAL FACTS To include the large southern This and the tram are classified as commune Joué-lès-Tours, a new 225m having the network’s highest service Local travel: For maps and timetables, visit the filbleu office long bridge was built over the Cher level with a 6-10 minute frequency. between Gare de Tours and Jean Jaurès at 9 Rue Michelet. Single river, a substantial Loire tributary. A prospective tramline B, also mainly journey with one-hour validity including transfers from EUR1.50; lower pro-rata for the multi-trip variants. The '1 Journee' day ticket The tramway bridge is also used by north-south, would likely serve the is EUR3.70. Ticket machines that can also recharge tickets are set buses and has pedestrian and cycle CHU Trousseau regional hospital in in the tall red column at stops. Onboard validation required. paths. With unusual local railway the south-east, replacing at least part arrangements, the tramway’s main of bus line 2’s coverage. What is there to see? The spectacular Saint Gatien de Tours interchanges are with the 27 regular A year after opening, the tramway cathedral, dating from the 12th Century and completed in 1547. Filbleu bus routes. was already intermittently reaching its The main tourist draw is the Old Town with Place Plumereau The LGV Atlantique high-speed 55 000 daily target ridership and peak at its centre – walk west from line A between Anatole France line opening in 1990 altered the weekday usage has been identified and Nationale, or use filbleu line C2 operated by electric Gruau Microbuses. Tours is convenient for the Touraine wine area and service between Tours and Paris. as being between 16.00 and 19.00. Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for chateaux- In the capital, the principal station Currently the tramway and bus lines like Amboise (20 minutes by train) and Chinon (50 minutes). for Tours changed from Austerlitz 2, 3, 4 and 5 account for around 75% to Montparnasse. Most TGV trains of passengers carried by Fil Bleu.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 371 Yes! A successful tramway requires the vision of an architect. Richez Associés is at the forefront of this activity both in France and worldwide. Our track record includes Le Mans, Rheims, Orleans, Paris T2 and T3, Bordeaux, Tours and Brest tramways (in France), Casablanca To reach the global light rail, tramway, metro (in Morocco), Brussels and Liege tramways (in Belgium) and La Reunion Island LRT. and interurban markets, there is no better commerical platform for your organisation than Tramways & Urban Transit.

For more information on how you can make these pages work for you, please contact us on +44(0) 1733 367610 or email [email protected]

THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE

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AUGUST www.lrta.org 2015 N O. 932 www.tautonline.com JULY 2015 N O. 931 ST CENTURY ATLANTA CONTINUES THE WARSAW’S 21 STREETCAR REVOLUTION URBAN RAIL REVOLUTION

UK debates safety, technology and integration Examining the tramway wheel/rail interface China’s metro fund-raising drive Suburban Washington to get trams Houston opens two new LRT lines Hope for Andalucía’s ‘ closed’ lines? Vienna reveals driverless U5 plan UKTram backs seven innovations ISSN 1460-8324 £4.25 World Congress 07 Freiburg UITP faces the issues ISSN 1460-8324

Orléans ’s £4.25 Rolling stock of urban growth 08 LRT’s vital role in a 9 771460 832043 ‘green’ capital Global mergers and historic French city 9 771460 832043 2, rue de la Roquette - 75011 Paris - France acquisitions analysis 297_1508_cover v2.indd 1 tel +33 (0)1 43 38 22 55 - [email protected] - www.richezassocies.com 08/06/2015 10:31 257_TAUT1507_cover v2.indd 1 06/07/2015 14:21

Trams of Central Germany Trams and Christmas Markets Thursday 8th October to Thursday 15th October 2015 Thursday 3rd December to Thursday 10th December 2015

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372 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Worldwide Review

AUSTRALIA matching the batch of 23 ADELAIDE. The 2013 plan to delivered in 2011-12 (060-82). BS extend the tramline to Outer WIEN (Vienna). E1 trams Harbor, Port Adelaide, Semaphore 4738/9/41 and trailers 1229/42, and West Lakes appears to have 1341/55 have been withdrawn. Of been replaced by a commitment the original 338 E1 trams, just 104 to electrify the Outer Harbor remain in the fleet; the last should rail line and build branches be withdrawn in 2019. BS to the other destinations. WIEN–BADEN (WLB). A However community groups 26-month project to rebuild are arguing that light rail would Inzersdorf depot started in July. better serve the area. Instead the A new 6500m2 office, depot South Australian Government and workshop with roof-fixed wants to build a new tramline solar panels will be built, along along North Terrace to The Parade with 1.7km (1.1 miles) of track – in Norwood. Weekly Times 200 employees will be BROADBEACH – SOUTHPORT. based here. EB Prime Minister Tony Abbott has rejected calls for federal funding BELGIUM towards the extension of the Gold OOSTENDE. Consultants are A pair of Stuttgart DT8 cars on line U8 (3399+3400, the last second-generation Stadtbahn cars delivered by Bombardier, in 2005) pass through the new station at Coast tramway to Helensvale being appointed to investigate Wallgraben, due to open at the end of August. The old stop was displaced by the railway station. Courier-Mail the feasibility of an express new junction for the future U12 line to Dürrlewang. E. Stuart MELBOURNE. The tram route tramway between Zeebrugge changes planned for 21 June and Brugge. The line would start 1500V dc line will link the FINLAND were postponed following public at Zeebrugge port to serve cruise city centre and Bitou via the INDUSTRY. On 4 August Škoda criticism. A new consultation ship passengers. tram-2000 airport when it opens in 2016 Transportation announced started on 1 July: the northern – 39.4km (24.5 miles) will be the acquisition of a controlling terminus of route 1 would move BRAZIL underground. RGI stake in Finnish rolling stock from East Coburg to Moreland, . Metro SUZHOU. A C N Y 3 2 6 m manufacturer Transtech from with route 6 extended from linking Niterói and São Gonçalo (EUR48.4m) contract has been investment company Pritech University to East Coburg. will be neither bus rapid transit nor placed with CSR Nanjing Puzhen Oy, owner since 2007, for an Routes 8 and 55 would be monorail, but a 22km (13.7-mile) to provide trams for light undisclosed sum. Ilka Brotherus combined to operate as route 58 metro, likely to open in 2018. rail line 2. will remain as a minority from West Coburg to Toorak. Four of the new replica trams shareholder, and the Transtech With more than 20 E class resumed testing on the Santa COLOMBIA name will be unchanged. low-floor trams in service, Teresa tramway on 7 July. IRJ MEDELLÍN. CAF has been The manufacturer has a withdrawal and scrapping of awarded a EUR89m contract to framework agreement to supply Z class trams has resumed. CANADA supply 20 three-car metro trains. Artic low-floor trams to Helsinki, Notable scrappings were car 1, TORONTO. TTC managed to The company is already building produces double-deck coaches and 100. get seven of the new Bombardier 16 trains, with delivery about and wagons for Finnish national AUD3.5m (EUR2.4m) is to low-floor trams into service for to start, and the new order will freight and passenger operator be spent reconfiguring tram the weekend of 11-12 July for follow on. RGI VR Group and also undertakes tracks at Moonee Ponds Junction the PanAm Games. other engineering projects as a to create a ‘superstop’ for lines CLRVs 4005 and 4172 plus ALRV CZECH REPUBLIC subcontractor. It has 530 staff 59 and 82, facilitating bus 4231 have been withdrawn PRAHA (Prague). T3 trams based in Oulu and Otanmäki. RGI interchange; 800m of track for scrapping. D. Drum 7085, 7139/71/85/98/9 and in Pascoe Vale Rd will also be VANCOUVER. Voters have voted 7228/9/53/63 have been sold to GERMANY re-laid. The two-week project is 62% against a 0.5% regional Kyiv in Ukraine; 7126/64/81, AUGSBURG. Work is in progress scheduled for mid-January 2016. sales tax, designed to help fund 7210/22/60/78 and 8065/91/7 to build the 400m tram subway P. Nicholson a CAD7.5m (EUR5.3m) transit have been scrapped. BS under Hbf, with a new tram PERTH. Tenders are being invited and transportation plan, station and an underground for 50 six-car EMUs for delivery including the 5.1km (3.2-mile) FRANCE turning circle, but completion is to the network extension of Skytrain to Arbutus LYON. The first refurbished not expected until 2022. Before from 2019. TA and 27km (16.5 miles) of light rail metro train (338/9) for line D then there will be a new 4.2km SYDNEY. The last Variotram in Surrey. I. Fisher entered service on 10 July – (2.6-mile) tramway for line 5 (2102) was withdrawn after 36 two-car MPL85 rubber-tyred from Luitpoldbrücke on line 3 to operation overnight on 27-28 May, CHINA sets will be delivered by CAF by Klinikum via P+R Augsburg West and the last car of this type (2107) HEFEI. With delivery of the metro mid-2018. RGI on line 2. The EUR62m project was removed from the depot to trains for line 1 about to start, PARIS. Work to extend metro should open in 2019. IRJ storage on 29 June. TA CRRC subsidiary CSR Nanjing line 4 to Bagneux started on BERLIN. In readiness for the Puzhen has secured a CNY2.1bn 6 July and is to be completed extension of services to Hbf from AUSTRIA (EUR0.3bn) contract to supply in 2020. The 2.7km (1.7-mile) 29 August, routes M5, M8 and GRAZ. The last ex-Duisburg tram, the trains for line 2, due to open line south from Marie-de- M10 were cut back to temporary 531, was withdrawn on 11 July. in 2017. IRJ Montrouge is projected to cost termini from 1 August. The remaining high-floor trams, SHANGHAI. C SR Na njing EUR380m. Le Parisien The 150th anniversary of the 501-10, are in limited use at peak Puzhen SR has been selected TOULOUSE. Plans have been start of tramway operation was periods; 38 low-floor Variobahn to provide rolling stock worth announced for a third metro line, celebrated in two phases at the end cars were in use by mid-July. CNY808m (EUR119.9m) for the linking Matabiau station and the of June. On the anniversary day, The opening of the extension of third phase of metro line 8. IRJ city centre with Colomiers Airbus Monday 22 June, an official line 7 to the hospital LKH Uni SHENZHEN. CSR Zhuzhou factory and a planned research ceremony was held at Med has been fixed for delivered the first of 33 eight- and technology park at Alexanderplatz during the 10 September 2016. EB car metro trains for line 11 on Montaudran. It is hoped the 25km midday off-peak period, in LINZ. Bombardier is delivering 6 July. Each train includes two First (15.5-mile), EUR1.5bn, line can be which official speeches were Flexity Outlook trams 083-8, Class cars. The 51.9km (32.2-mile) ready to open in 2024. IRJ made, birthday cake was

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The Danish tramway museum at Skjoldenaesholm has almost completed the restoration of København 890 (retrieved from Alexandria) and it was able to take its place in the cavalcade to mark 50 years of the society on 26 June. J. Borchers Budapest’s new CAF Urbos 3 trams lined up ready for driver training. P. Haseldine distributed to all attendees and Severinstrasse and Rodenkirchen/ DELHI. 27 six-car broad-gauge machines to read contactless ‘Go a number of tramcars spanning Sürth through the southern part of Movia metro trains have been Cards’ as well as for the sale of the period were exhibited. the new north-south subway. ordered from Bombardier for individual tickets. For a full report see Classic Trams The ten-minute service is at the INR15bn (EUR0.2bn), with . on page 380. limit of capacity as points will delivery in 2016-18. Assembly will The annual Manx Heritage The shortage of large-profile have to be hand-operated pending take place at the company’s Salvi Transport Festival took place U-Bahn stock led to a decision to commissioning of the electronic factory in Gujurat state. J IR between 29 July and 2 August and move the three F79 sets used on the signalling system. DS saw restored mail van 16 operate U55 shuttle to the main network, MÜLHEIM/Ruhr. The first IRAN a special Derby Castle to Ramsey and replace them with stored D two of 15 Bombardier Flexity NF2 TEHRAN. Abdoladab station postal service on 31 July. The van class sets 2000/1 and 20201 (built low-floor trams entered service on metro line 3 was opened for has been restored to 1957 olive- 1956-58). DS, M. J. Russell, BS on line 102 from 6 July. Five had passenger service on 30 June. green livery. Restoration was BREMEN. The final decision on been delivered by that time. DS urbanrail.net carried out by Culture Vannin on the tram fleet is that tenders will be MÜNCHEN (Munich). The city behalf of the Laxey and Lonan issued for 67 new cars, and ten GT8 council released its first general IRELAND Heritage Trust, with support from trams will be refurbished. mobility plan since 2003 on DUBLIN. Tracklaying on the Isle of Man Post Office. Restored 1900 open-balcony 6 July. In addition to expansion cross-city extension started on Services between Laxey and tram 49 was shown during of the U-Bahn, it contains 18 20 July. From 10 August bus access Ramsey were suspended on celebrations to mark 125 years of new sections of tramway, either to the College Green area was 7 and 8 July when trailer 58 fell electric tramways on 19 July. DS extensions of existing lines or to be restricted to 07.00-19.00, on its side during shunting just . Four more Citylink new links between lines. The with general traffic encouraged north of Laxey station. The out- dual-voltage tram-trains have plan covers the period to 2023, to use the Inner Orbital route. of-service tram and trailer set was been ordered from Vossloh but is not a budgetary document. Work is expected to last until using the crossover outside the Kiepe for EUR23.7m. The 37.2m Finance will have to be agreed. DS mid-2017 but will be suspended station to reverse, as is now normal 600/750V dc electro-diesel cars STUTTGART. DT8 Stadtbahn in April-May next year to operating practice following the will be delivered by October 2017, set 3519/20 has received the facilitate the 1916 Centenary refurbishment of the station area. joining the eight that will arrive name Cardiff/Caerdydd and the Commemorations. The vehicle was subsequently before the end of 2015. DS coat of arms of the twin city. BS righted by crane from the DÜSSELDORF. The opening date ISLE OF MAN adjoining road and taken to Laxey for the Wehrhahn tram subway HUNGARY DOUGLAS. Proposals to relocate sheds while an investigation was will be 20 February 2016, BUDAPEST. Russian company tracks are proving contentious carried out into the incident. meaning the disappearance of Metrovagonmash has been with Douglas Borough Council all surface tramways from the awarded a HUF69bn (EUR200m) being advised that the government ITALY Altstadt – 3365+336 have been contract to refurbish 222 metro has received more objections to INDUSTRY. Firema Trasporti, used for test running in the cars that were built in Russia; the proposal to put the tracks which has been bankrupt since completed subway. BS there is an option for a further down the promenade walkway 2010, has been sold to Indian FREIBURG/Breisgau. With 42 cars. The work will take than any other previous scheme. goods wagon manufacturer six cars delivered, the first CAF three years. Councillors were discussing a Titagarh Wagons, a company Urbos 100 low-floor tram entered CAF trams 2201-10 were planning application made by seeking to expand its European service on 17 July. A. Moglestue undergoing tests and driver the Department of Infrastructure, presence and enter the metro . Line 5 resumed training on the tracks of route which is in charge of plans to refurbishment market. Amongst through-operation to Bad 1 during July. DS refurbish Douglas promenades. Firema products were the Dürrenberg from 18 July. DS Proposals to create shared space 26 original cars for Manchester’s . The Vossloh INDIA for traffic and pedestrians with light rail system in 1991-92. RGI Citylink LRVs have been certified CHENNAI (Madras). Metro the introduction of a single-track ROMA. The 5km (3.1-mile) for suburban rail operation, service was inaugurated on 29 June horse tramway were not accepted section of metro Line C from Parco permitting them to be used on when the 9km (5.6-mile) elevated and the original proposal of tracks di Centocelle to Lodi was opened Albtalbahn services S1 and S11. section of line 2 from Koyambedu along the carriageway was also on 29 June. urbanrail.net These are not dual-voltage cars, to Alandur opened for passenger considered unacceptable. Further so cannot run over DB electrified service. A fleet of 42 four-car discussions are to take place. JAPAN tracks. Global Rail News Alstom Metropolis metro trains Horse tram ticketing has been TOKYO. Plans have been KÖLN (). The timetable assembled in Brazil are entering integrated into the ‘Ticketer’ announced for two new rapid change in December will see service; line 2 will extend to 22km web-based management system. transit links, from Tokyo Station line 17 operating between (13.7 miles). IRJ Conductors use portable to the Rinkai waterfront area

374 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org (5023/4 arrived on 10 July), new 71-911 trams (002-6) at a driver training was in full swing. ceremony on 27 June, with the The former Norfolk Line cars entering passenger service terminal at Scheveningen Haven afterwards. transphoto.ru is being redeveloped with 700 residential units. Work is in SAUDI ARABIA progress to identify how a tram MAKKAH. A EUR2.3bn contract connection can serve the area has been awarded to a consortium from the end of 2018. OR of Isolux Corsan, Kolin Insaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret and Haif NORWAY for civil engineering work on OSLO. The 600m of new tramway metro lines B and C. RGI to Bjørvika was tested on 28 May RIYADH. The tunnel-boring and used for passenger service on machine (TBM) for the 38km 27 June as a diversion for lines 13, 17 (23.6-mile) metro line 1 started and 18 during a parade in the city. work on 6 July. A total of seven Museum trams will be operating TBMs will eventually dig and in public service between Bjørvika build more than 35km (21.7 miles) (new tracks passing the Opera of tunnels as part of the 176km The type 71-409 prototype four-axle low-floor tram unveiled by Russian builder House) and Majorstuen on Sundays (109.4-mile) network. RGI Uralvagonzavod at an exhibition in Yekaterinburg on 8 July. R. E. Zident to 30 August, with departures from Jernbanetorget (railway SINGAPORE (for the 2020 Olympic Games) MALAYSIA station) at 12.00, 13.30 and 15.00. MASS RAPID TRANSIT. The and between Shirokane-Takanawa KUALA LUMPUR. Arup has The trips are free and normally second phase (16.5km / 10.3 miles) station and Shinagawa station, been appointed by MTR as see 1913 set 70+647 in use. LTF of the Downtown metro line, from the future terminal of the design consultant for the 52.2km Bugis to Botanic Gardens, is to Maglev Shinkansen (due to open (32.4-mile) Klang Valley mass POLAND open in December. Global Rail News in 2027). Japan Times rapid transit line 2, which includes INDUSTRY. The European 13.5km (8.4 miles) in tunnel Investment Bank (EIB) is SPAIN IVORY COAST and 38.7km (24 miles) on viaduct. providing two loans totaling over BARCELONA. With the change ABIDJAN. The Build-Operate- On 29 June, Vix Technology PLN320m (EUR78m) to finance of party in power as a result of Transfer concession for the first was awarded a USD27m contract the purchase of modern, low-floor the recent municipal elections metro line was awarded to a by the Malaysian Government’s trams for Krakow and the Upper at the end of May, the question French-Korean consortium on public transport regulator to Silesian region and modernise of joining up the two Barcelona 6 July. The consortium includes unify payments for the country’s infrastructure in the latter. tram networks, Trambesós and Hyundai Rotem, Bouygues, Keolis multiple transit operators under a The Krakow Municipal Trambaix, via the Diagonal has and Dongsan Engineering. single ticketing system. Transport Company (MPK) come back on to the agenda, Hyundai Rotem will supply The new integrated cashless received a loan of PLN92m with the new Mayor Ada Colau rolling stock for the 37km payment system will see a single (EUR22.3m) to purchase 36 low- saying that she would like to set (23-mile) line, which should be integrated smartcard rolled out floor trams from Pesa; the low- the tendering process for the opened in 2020. RGI from early 2017, supporting both floor, air conditioned trams will necessary work in motion within the Touch-n-Go card as well as be 43m long, with a passenger her first 100 days, that is by the KAZAKHSTAN the new myDebit card currently capacity of 300. Each tram will end of October. ALMATY. Only ex-Berlin Tatra being issued by Malaysian Banks. have luggage and bicycle spaces. However, as her party does not KT4D trams are in service on At the same time, the EIB have an absolute majority, this surviving lines 4 and 6, which MEXICO is providing a PLN231m goal and the realisation of the do not run after 20.00. The fare MEXICO CITY. The government (EUR56.1m) loan to finance the whole project will be dependent KZT80 (EUR0.40) must be paid of the Federal District has awarded reconstruction of the traction on getting cross-party support: in coins to a machine; tickets are a MXN1.68bn (EUR95m) contract system and modernisation of some groups support the idea, not issued. D. Vis for the 3.9km (2.4-mile) extension almost 63km (39 miles) of tracks in some are against and others are ÖSKEMEN. Only run-down of steel wheel metro line 12 to a the Upper Silesian region, as well in favour but do not view it as an KTM-5 trams are in service with consortium of Prodomex, Mexico, as purchasing 42 low-floor Pesa urgent priority. a flat fare of KZT55 (EUR0.27). and Proacon, Spain. trams and having 95 more Tuesday 28 July saw the The terminus of route 1 is now The new section will link modernised by Modertrans. opening of the 4.5km (2.8-mile), designated KAZ-Tsink. Route Mixcoac to an interchange with Bank Pekao, thanks to the EIB EUR401m, FGC S1 extension 2 operates morning peaks line 1 at Observatorio and should loan, is able to offer more attractive from Terrassa Rambla to Nacions only. Zashita railway station is open by the end of 2016. J IR terms to Tramwaje Slaskie, which Unides, including a depot at the renamed Öskemen-1. A high will implement the project. new terminus. A 4.4km (2.7- footbridge must be crossed to NETHERLANDS mile) extension from Sabadell to reach tramline 3. D. Vis AMSTERDAM. Tenders have ROMANIA Can’Oriac is to open in 2016. R. Felski PAVLODAR. New Ust Katav been issued for the supply of 63 BRAIILA. The state has 71-623 trams 146-152 were noted low-floor 30m trams to replace 45 advertised in the European SWITZERLAND in service in June. They feature free high-floor cars in the fleet from Journal for six second-hand BASEL. After six months of Wi-Fi. The end doors with steps are 2020 and provide for increased trams, but within a budget of trials with two prototypes, series not used in service. capacity on the Amstelveen and EUR60 000. Second-hand KT4D delivery of 44 43m Bombardier Basic frequency is every 14 Ijtram lines. The double-ended from German systems are selling Flexity trams started on the night minutes, but routes 3, 4 and 6 trams will need to be able to cross for EUR35-40 000 at present. DS of 1-2 July with the arrival of only run every 28 minutes. The flat the city’s many steeply-graded 5003. Two trams per month are fare of KZT55 (EUR0.27) is collected canal bridges and be capable of RUSSIA expected and this series will be by roving conductors. D. Vis multiple operation. A preferred NIZHNIY NOVGOROD. Riga followed by 17 32m cars. TERMITAU. Only route 4 supplier should be selected RVZ-6 tram 2199, dating from remains in operation with in 2016. EUR209m has been 1980, which has been a works car TAIWAN run-down KTM-5 and a few earmarked for the order by the for a number of years, has been TAIPEI. Metro line 5 was extended ex- KT4D. The KZT50 regional authority. OR restored to original condition for by 2km (1.2 miles) from Yongning (EUR0.25) fare must be paid to the DEN HAAG. With 21 Avenio museum operation. transphoto.ru to Dingpu on 6 July, completing driver when alighting. D. Vis trams delivered by mid-July TVER. The city unveiled five the Blue line. urbanrail.net

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With the Piccadilly Gardens – Deansgate section closed during July and August for reconstruction work at St. Peter’s Square, all Metrolink services were running only from the three-platform stop at Deansgate–Castlefield. On 15 July, 3089 (left) and View of Second City Crossing construction progress in Manchester (UK), looking 3027 are waiting to depart to Eccles via MediacityUK and Altrincham. Mike Haddon south along Corporation Street towards Cross Street on 15 July. Mike Haddon TURKEY LONDON (UNDERGROUND). guided section, cutting journey an integrated Metro system, IZMIR. The Metropolitan Improvements are underway times to the city centre. estimated to cost GBP500- Municipality has revealed the across the Victoria line, including NOTTINGHAM. As part of the GBP600m (EUR712-EUR854m), design of the metro cars ordered increasing capacity at Victoria and final testing phase prior to the would be an integral part of Welsh from CRRC subsidiary CNR Vauxhall stations and making start of passenger services on the Government negotiations for the Corporation in March. The 17 them step-free. Step-free access new tramlines to Chilwell and All-Wales rail franchise. Work on five-car sets will increase the is also planned for Finsbury Park. Clifton, tram destinations and the scheme could start in 2017. city’s fleet to 182 cars. The first Visitor Centres have opened information screens show the TYNE AND WEAR. Three trainset is due to arrive in the city at King’s Cross St Pancras destinations Toton Lane or Clifton Metro bridges in South Tyneside in October 2016, with deliveries and Victoria. South when travelling towards that have been prone to bridge to be completed in May 2017. RGI GREATER MANCHESTER. The the city centre, although trams strikes by cars and lorries are to focus of work for the Second City will not carry passengers beyond have new crash barriers installed. UKRAINE Crossing (2CC) has switched to Nottingham station. A new The bridges are at Monksway KHARKIV. Tram operation on St Peter’s Square. The existing timetable was to be introduced near Bede Metro station and Hill routes 23 and 26 was restored stop is being demolished and a from 31 July showing the full Street in Jarrow, as well as the on 4 July. new one – with two platforms and network services, although it was Black Road bridge in Hebburn. The first new metro rolling four lines – is to be built closer to emphasised that trams would not Nexus is also working with South stock since 2004 has arrived, a the Art Gallery. Improvements carry passengers past the station. Tyneside Council to deliver a new five-car train built by Vagonmash will also be made to public and Beeston’s new integrated bus transport interchange in South Kryukov. transphoto.ru pedestrian areas to complement and tram station opened on Shields town centre as part of the Manchester City Council’s 12 July featuring two tram stops G B P 1 0 0 m ( E U R 1 4 2 m ) UNITED KINGDOM redevelopment of the Square. and six bus bays modelled regeneration of the town. BLACKPOOL. L a nc a sh i r e After a full closure of the line on Strasbourg’s bus and tram A television campaign has County Council is to commission between Deansgate-Castlefield interchange, a model of excellence. been implemented to boost a study of transport options and Piccadilly Gardens from Wilkinson Street depot has been Metro passenger numbers. This for the North Fylde Coast near 29 June, services were to be extended and now houses the full started early in July and features Blackpool, including a GBP200m restored through the Square on a fleet of 37 trams, including the 22 popular local visitor attractions. (EUR285m)-plus road link and single line with no stopping from new Citadis vehicles, the majority the case for re-opening the late August. of which are now in daily service. USA railway to Fleetwood that closed The new Wythenshawe The work has also involved a CINCINNATI, OH. A f te r to freight traffic in 1999. It is also transport interchange opened on major refit and upgrade of overcoming a legal challenge from exploring how the South Fylde 29 July. It includes a Transport for Nottingham Express Transit’s the transit workers’ union, SORTA railway line can be integrated with Greater Manchester Travelshop, central control room. awarded a USD19m, five-year, the tramway. cycle facilities, enhanced CCTV The first section of line on the fixed-price operating contract for EDINBURGH. Bikes are to be and passenger information expanded network opened on the modern tramline to Transdev. allowed on trams following a two- systems, and adjoins Metrolink’s 27 July when the existing service There is an option to extend the month trial. Restrictions include Wythenshawe Town Centre stop. was extended slightly from the contract up to ten years, which if no access during weekday peak It replaces the older bus station Station Street terminal to the exercised would bring its value to times or during the Edinburgh in Ronaldsway. new Nottingham Station stop on USD38.3m. Festival period in August each Metrolink operator RATP Dev the bridge link over the station. Transdev will be responsible year. Passengers with disabilities, and TfGM celebrated the arrival This offers better access to the for operations, safety, rolling or those with prams or buggies, of tram 3100 – the 100th M5000 – railway platforms and the station’s stock and track and overhead will take priority over bikes and a week after it arrived from Wien southern concourse as well as the maintenance, and will hire 26 staff members have discretion on 7 June. Since then a further two adjoining car park. The Station of its own employees to fulfil the to decline bikes if they think have been delivered and a full fleet Street platforms closed at the end contract. The city council will the service is too busy. A maximum of 120 will be in service by 2017. of tram services on 26 July; access provide up to USD4.2m/year of two per tram will be applied. Around 150m of track per day arrangements via Station Street towards the cost of the contract. Advertising rights on the trams is being laid along the guided were also temporarily closed while E. B. Havens have been added to an existing busway between Leigh and the stairs and lift are refurbished. DALLAS, TX. The Houston Street council marketing contract with Manchester; services are expected SOUTH WALES. Welsh Assembly viaduct, which carries the Oak JCDecaux, which is contracted to to begin early in 2016. Eight buses Minister for Economy, Science Cliff tramway in wire-free mode manage advertising on all council per hour (four from Leigh, four and Transport Edwina Hart has on a single track, re-opened for property including bus shelters. from Atherton) will use the new said that ‘Phase Two’ work for westbound road traffic on 29 June.

376 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org For more detail on the Dallas USD5.6m towards the extension Trams 49 (1909) and 34 (1919) now of the recently returned to Streetcar project, see page 361. of the Sugar House Streetcar to transport visitors along a shortened München from Wehmingen E. B. Havens Highland Drive. Salt Lake County ‘half route’ from the mine to the library tram 24, and two-rooms- KENOSHA, WI. On 6 July the will contribute USD6.5m and it is tram depot. The full route is to be and-a-bath four-axle articulated city council voted to reallocate hoped to raise USD3.1m through a restored by the end of the year. car 102. Both need extensive the funds earmarked for the special taxation district. E. B. Havens Tram 34 has had extensive work restoration. Also shown was proposed north-south tramline to SAN DIEGO, CA. California to its roof and body, and 49 has restored shunter 2973, a bogie car road repairs. USD8.1m in federal DoT’s rail capital programme had its braking system renewed. with railway buffers at one end funding will not be taken up. has awarded San Diego MTS 1920 Tividale single-decker 5 rebuilt in 1974 from a 1943 G class E. B. Havens USD31.9m that will be used to is at the Llangollen Railway passenger tram. DS LOS ANGELES, CA. Although purchase eight more Siemens where it has been the subject of a SKJOLDENAESHOLM (DK). Arcadia station on the Gold line S70S LRVs and build a new tram GBP75 000 (EUR107 000) Fifty years of the Sporvejshistorisk light rail Foothill extension stop to serve San Diego Central restoration scheme. The final Selskab were marked by a to Azusa was dedicated on Courthouse on C Street. Delivery GBP3500 (EUR5000) needed has grand parade at the museum 22 August, the 18.4km (11.4-mile) will start in 2017. E. B. Havens still to be raised. When returned on 26 June. Amongst the trams line will not open to passenger , CA. The to the museum it will replace tram operating was København Duewag service until next spring as Metro start of weekend service on the 34 in regular service. articulated tram 890, which awaits delivery of sufficient LRVs. E – Embarcadero heritage tram BLACKPOOL (UK). Brush car has not yet entered passenger The 10.6km (6.6-mile) extension service was put back a week to 290, displayed at the Pleasure service as body restoration is of the Expo line to Santa Monica 1 August to avoid the marathon Beach and which has advertised not complete. DS will open first. E. B. Havens held on 26 July. various events over the last three THUIN (BE). The ASVi museum MILWAUKEE, WI. Construction Ex-Milano Peter Witt 1814 years, is to be exchanged for group has commissioned the work for the 3.4km (2.1-mile) has returned to service on line F Centenary 641; this is to be part restoration to working order of city centre tramway will start in repainted in traditional two-tone of a display advertising Blackpool Vicinal steam tram locomotive October, to link the railway/bus green. Fares were increased from Football Club promoted by 303 (Tubize 1888). It hopes to have station in West St Paul Ave with 1 July with a cable car ride now Blackpool Heritage Trust as it in steam by 2018. ASVi East Ogden Ave. costing USD7, compared with the part of the 2015 ‘Illuminations’ Tenders for the trams will be basic adult fare of USD2.25 on events. Both trams are owned by CONTRIBUTORS announced in September. other Muni services. E. B. Havens Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust Worldwide items should be sent to E. B. Havens SAN RAFAEL–SANTA ROSA, and 290 will be stored at Rigby Worldwide Editor Michael Taplin NEW ORLEANS, LA. A 30-day CA. A USD11m California Road after removal from the at Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, project started on 12 July to install state grant has allowed the Pleasure Beach. Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. the half grand union connecting order for Sumitomo diesel cars EDMONTON (CA). The High Fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or e-mail: tram tracks in Canal St with the to be increased from 14 to 17, Level Bridge heritage tramway has [email protected] Ramparts extension. E. B. Havens including three three-car and four carried record passenger numbers UK and Ireland items NEW YORK, NY. The extension two-car sets. E. B. Havens this season, using ex-Melbourne are welcomed by the Home of subway line 7 to 34th St/Hudson SEATTLE, WA. A USD15bn SW6 930 and restored Edmonton News Editor, John Symons, Yards is expected to open before tax referendum will be included St Louis car 33 of 1912. The former 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, the end of September. ERA on the November 2016 ballot Hannover LRV 601 has also run on Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 0LW, UK. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. The to provide funding for light rail busy days. J. Kernahan E-mail: [email protected]. final route for the 7.4km (4.6-mile) expansion, including Lynnwood FORT SMITH, AK (US). 1904 Contributors this month Downtown Streetcar loop has to Everett, Federal Way to St Louis-built Hot Springs tram include BS Blickpunkt Strassenbahn, been approved. The USD58.3m Tacoma, Bellevue to Redmond 50 is approaching completion Business Korea, Courier-Mail, project will need five trams and and Ballard to West Seattle, all to of restoration and could be used Croydon Guardian, DS Drehscheibe should open in summer 2018. be completed by 2031. later this year to assist Fort Smith Strassenbahn, EB Eisenbahn, E. B. Havens The final section of the viaduct 224 (American Car Co Birney of Edinburgh Evening News, ERA Electric ORANGE COUNTY, CA. taking light rail from SeaTac 1926) when a new extension of Railroaders' Association, Global Rail The OCTA has approved an airport to SeaTac city was lifted the line from Garland St to S. 7th News, Mike Haddon, IRJ International agreement with the city of Santa into place on 13 July. E. B. Havens St and the Fort Smith Convention Rail Journal, Irish Times, Japan Times, Ana that should see a USD250m, WASHINGTON, DC. Further Center is opened. P. Ehrlich Le Parisien, Manchester Evening 6.4km (four-mile), tramline to previous reports, the peer LOFTUS (AU). The Sydney News, Nottingham Evening Post, built between Santa Ana railway review into the H St/Benning tramway museum will be holding OR Op De Rails, Eric Pounder, station and Garden Grove by 2019. Rd tramline prepared by APTA a Vintage Tramway Festival at its RGI Railway Gazette International, Seven modern trams will found some contractors lacked site on 28 February 2016. SPER TA Transit Australia, tram-2000, be required. E. B. Havens necessary experience, while there MÜNCHEN (Munich)(DE). transphoto.ru, urbanrail.net and PHILADELPHIA, PA (SEPTA). was confusion between project Friday 26 June saw the unveiling Wolverhampton Express & Star. The agency plans to launch a study staff and those responsible for to assess the status of former safety oversight, including the tramlines 23 and 56,which were fire department. It recommended ‘temporarily’ converted to bus rear-facing cameras on the trams operation 25 years ago. No action to permit drivers to gauge is likely before 2026. E. B. Havens clearance from parked cars, and a PHOENIX, AZ. A tax referendum review of pedestrian walk routes at was to be held on 25 August to Union Station. Vintage town plans and maps provide funding for light rail No opening date had been expansion by a sales tax increase fixed by mid-July. E. B. Havens with tramway networks of the past, 1890s-1920s. from 0.4 to 0.7%. E. B. Havens Available as fi ne prints or images for instant download. SACRAMENTO, CA. Testing MUSEUM NEWS Order online: on the 6.9km (4.3-mile) light BLACK COUNTRY LIVING rail extension south from MUSEUM (UK). Tra mway www.discusmedia.com Meadowview to Franklin and operation returned on 20 July Cosumnes College started on after track repairs. The line had 29 June. Passenger service should been closed since December 2013 start in September. IRJ when concerns were raised over SALT LAKE CITY, UT. The City the condition of the track and the Council has agreed to contribute two vehicles used on the service.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 377 Discus Media advert-TAUT.indd 1 14/07/2015 11:46 Letters

MAILBOX Get your views into print Letters should be clearly typed and preferably not handwritten. [email protected] +44 (0)1733 367615 We reserve the right to shorten contributions for publication.

Obsolescence: Is it necessary for light rail development?

Howard Johnston’s Comment in the latest TAUT offers some shareholders and allow for development cash to produce the interesting observations on obsolescence, but, playing devil’s next line of latest and greatest to stay ahead – so where is the advocate, if trams and infrastructure lasted for 40-50 years middle ground to be found? where would the development in new technologies lie? In very simple terms I think it comes down to honesty and Indeed, trams would almost certainly face a bleaker future if collaboration. Scheme promoters need to be more willing to operators had such long periods without re-equipment as the adopt new technologies and work with the industry to trial technology would look even more old-fashioned – trams have innovations, but the industry needs to be more flexible in its a problem in some quarters with that perception already. working agreements with longer-term agreements. If we all Manufacturers rely on constant pipelines of orders for work to the same aim, then hopefully we should see progress. components large and small to allow them to spend money T. Allinson, by e-mail on research and development. Consumables will inevitably wear out over time so there is always going to be a decent An interesting piece about obsolescence in TAUT 932. living to be made here, but if we make everything so that it Personally I am of the view that it is not always necessary lasts for decades I could see how the major suppliers would to buy the latest gadgets, rather that it may be better (and soon lose interest and move onto other markets that can cheaper) to let another system or operator buy all the new kit guarantee them a more steady revenue stream. then see if it works! You can then purchase a tried-and-tested Of course operators want everything to last forever, but design. Granted you might not have the latest stuff but at we must not forget the growing market for retrofitting and least there is a good chance that it works. I have an old TV, modernisation. As passengers, the ultimate masters at the albeit with a digital box plugged into it, I and don’t find it end of the day, will always desire creature comforts such as embarrassing at all. It still does what I expect it to… air conditioning, digital information screens and wi-fi, then I must take issue with some of the statements made about these must be provided to make for an attractive offering. Wolverhampton, however. Firstly, the Lorain stud system was Allied to their ultimate convenience for many journeys, that not closed straight away; the tramcars were fitted with trolley is still a large part of the appeal of the automobile – levels poles and overhead equipment was erected, most of which of comfort, ride quality and connectivity are only getting was used by replacement trolleybuses a couple of years later. better, so public transport needs to have a reply. Also, although it must have added complications, there The requirement for more energy-efficient technologies were some trams fitted with both trolley poles and studs such as batteries and supercapacitors will also grow as for a through service to and from the lines of the South environmental arguments for their adoption increases, Staffordshire tramways company. The lack of through again in line with the automotive industry. services in the Black Country had more to do with So the operators want bullet-proof trams and infrastructure complicated arguments about traffic abstraction from that will last for years with minimal maintenance and local shops and whether it was better to have municipal or renewal, while manufacturers and suppliers want to sell their privately-owned public tramways. Some things never change. latest and greatest to feed their bottom lines, please their Colin Brazier, by email

UK street track: Have we got it right? Instability is also worsened by the use of high Jim Snowdon (TAUT 929) was most charitable profile rails, which are inherently unstable, to the designers’ and constructors’ failures of like a stemmed wine glass. new UK street tramway tracks. In the 19th and early 20th Centuries tracks In Nottingham, Phase 2 tracks are were laid in unpaved streets, and they were seemingly being retro-repaired before completed with setts, providing a very stiff opening, due to design/installation faults. In road surface resisting rail overturning. other places there have been early failures, Low-profile rails are more stable. There have like Edinburgh before trams and after six been attempts at low-profile rails, notably ABOVE: 19th Century tram track. L. Lesley months of buses. This excludes the economic the Budapest system, and briefly a different Fatigue in railway and tramway track – Woodhead costs of delay and dislocation of towns whilst rail in Rotterdam. Neither survived well, for Publishing, 2009 streets are dug up, utilities moved and roads reasons which need not be dwelt on here. rebuilt. He is right that the track slabs used are Jim was also right to state that “rails need to BELOW: Low-profile rails in Budapest. L. Lesley good for mainline trains but, as Edinburgh be supported on something more load bearing discovered, not for buses. The other failure than the ground”. In urban areas, streets are is from premature wear, e.g. Manchester, strong load-bearing structures. They have Sheffield and Croydon from – amongst other to support 44-tonne trucks and 10.5-tonne causes – the tram centre-section trucks. bus axle loads. Recent UK tram tracks are Historic tramway curves were as tight as like putting a new roof on a house by first 8m, as Robert Hall in subsequent articles demolishing and then rebuilding the house! noted. Today 25m is the norm. Jim is One low-profile trackform that replaced also right that the outer rail on curves, if 80lb (36kg) rails, which failed under road overloaded, will overturn. This is why, as trucks in less than six months, has now been Robert stresses, historic tramways used the in service for over 19 years without needing inside (check) rail and back of to share any maintenance. It has at least another 20 the centrifugal forces between the two rails. years of wear left. Before being put into an

378 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Obituary: Ian Allan OBE (1922-2015)

Ian Allan, the transport aficionado whose produced by the Light Railway Transport enthusiasm led to his becoming a major League since 1938 and whose circulation transport publisher, printer, travel agent was largely limited to its members. With and railway preservationist, died on 28 its proselytising approach, the League June, one day before his 93rd birthday. aspired to a wider readership and the Ian was born on 29 June 1922 at Christ’s availability of copies on bookstalls. While Hospital, the venerable independent for Ian Allan Ltd the project called for school at Horsham, which his father access to an existing readership, expertise ABOVE: Rotterdam Rail. L. Lesley served as Clerk. He himself went to St and worldwide contacts. So negotiations Paul’s School, West Kensington. At the age took place in autumn 1961, leading to active tramway, it was tested in a bus station of 15, when on an Officer Training Corps the first jointly-published issue ofModern with over five million buses passing over it and training course, he injured his leg which Tramway (the definite article in the title no failure. Needing only 5% of the excavation had to be amputated. was dropped) in January 1962. of the failed tracks to which Jim Snowdon On the outbreak of war in 1939, he left The result was a larger, more attractive referred, with a maximum depth of 200mm, school and, given his interest in railways, magazine, placed on a sounder financial utilities can also be left in place, assuming joined the Southern Railway, working at footing and reaching a wider readership. there is somewhere to relocate them. Waterloo. One of his jobs was to handle Crucially, the League was able to maintain A city looking for a 4.5km (2.8-mile) street enquiries from the public and he soon its editorial independence, with Ian extension that has budgeted GBP145m found a large body of young railway applying only the lightest touches. The (EUR205m), has been quoted GBP80m enthusiasts creating a market which he masthead of the magazine occasionally (EUR113m) for this low-profile track, with a could tap. In 1942 he produced an ‘ABC’ changed until its present title was adopted construction rate per gang of 100m per week. booklet on Southern Railway locomotives, in 1998. The joint arrangement lasted in As for stray currents, Jim is right in that which proved extremely popular. Within a one form or another until 2007, when the these are not considered serious issues on year he formed the Ian Allan Loco-Spotters link with Ian Allan Publishing was finally the other side of the Channel, but are blown Club, and began producing similar booklets severed on amicable terms. Ian had by out of all proportion and add to cost in the on locomotives of the other railway then retired from active involvement, but UK. On a rainy day stray currents, no matter companies. The scope was later extended the League, later Association, owes him an what protection, will wander across the road to London Transport’s buses, trams and immense debt for his support over the years. surface into road studs, drain grids etc – trolleybuses and to the fleets of other cities. As a railway preservationist, Ian unless an unearthed supply is used. In 1945 he established Ian Allan Ltd, supported the return of steam to the The UK Government is calling for a 40% publishers, and this expanded into the Ian mainline, acquired two miniature cut in expenditure. How long can public Allan Group in 1962, with its headquarters railways, was President of the Main Line money be wastefully spent on tramways at Shepperton, where board meetings Steam Trust and a Vice-President of both when hospitals, schools and social housing were held in a Pullman carriage. A series the Transport Trust and the Heritage are much higher in the public’s priorities? of magazines were launched, including Railway Association. He held several other Prof Lewis Lesley, by e-mail Trains Illustrated (now Modern Railways), transport appointments, together with a Buses Illustrated, Model Railway Constructor, variety of other charitable positions. Wheel/rail interface clarity Hornby Magazine and similar titles. Ian He was made a Freeman of the City of Bob Hall’s two-part article (TAUT 932/933) then turned his attention to tramways. London in 1986, became an FCIT in 1992 on the way trams are steered through curves At that time, the prime monthly and was appointed OBE in 1995. was, I think, one of the most devastating I magazine dealing with the subject was He married Mollie Franklin in 1947 and have read in these pages for decades. The Modern Tramway which had been is survived by her and their two sons. GBC We can all appreciate how various national bodies want their own standards; Bob mentions how France has its own rail profiles, have paid a visit to London or Birmingham; I’m not a technical person, but when which happen to be very similar to the but that would have been out of the question. Bob demonstrated in a simple diagram how German ones. Nevertheless, track is a major Now we have e-mail, video-conferencing the correct guidance results in even flange component in a new piece of infrastructure, and trade fairs, and yet, when our new wear, such that the flange ‘back-to-front’ and its longevity should be safeguarded by generation of street tramways was designed, measurement remains the same, suddenly adopting known best practice. railway expertise was called upon. It beggars it all made sense. The flange contact, which In past generations national boundaries belief that no-one had the humility (I’m appears at first to cause extra wear, in fact made us more introverted: British tram track being diplomatic here) to look at the tried- evens out the wear, yielding longer tyre life. was characteristically inclined inwards, as and-tested know-how in countries with an I would like to think that, to use a horrible opposed to the flatter European profile. Think unbroken, evolving expertise in tramway cliché, ‘lessons have been learnt’, however I also of the American-built PCC running on technology. Were questions not asked, when have my doubts! the Belgian coast in 1949 – if only it could rail profiles were used in the wrong context? Martin Petch, LRTA Southampton Area Officer, by-email

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

AUGUST 2015 John Huddlestone: Derby and Piatra Neamt, April 2015. Monday 21. Wickham 19.30. Trolleybuses, Pt 2. (TLRS) Wednesday 9. Brighton 19.30. Gus Martin Jenkins: More vintage images Wednesday 12. Brighton 19.30. Seipp: Pointing East pt 1, Poland. (TLRS) from the Online Archive. (TLRS) John Scott-Morgan: Light Railways SEPTEMBER 2015 Tuesday 15. London 19.00. John Thursday 24. Manchester 19.00. of Britain. (TLRS) Parkin: Europe in the ’70s and ’80s. David Beilby (TfGM Rolling Stock Monday 17. Wickham 19.30. Tuesday 1. Southampton 19.30. Wednesday 16. Bristol 19.30. Engineer): The Metrolink M5000. Ian Gledhill: San Francisco, Pt 3 – John Goodrich: 100 years of Southern Brian Lomas: Italy, pt 3. Saturday 26. Beeston 14.00. Interurbans. (TLRS) Electric rolling stock. (LRTA/SEG) Thursday 17. Dartford 19.30. TBA. What’s on your workbench? (TLRS) Tuesday 18. Bristol. Cancelled. Thursday 3. Liverpool 13.30. Monday 21. Liverpool 19.30. Saturday 26. Garstang 14.00. Arthur Thursday 20. Dartford 19.30. TBA. Peter Jackson: Tramways and AGM followed by vintage transport Dawson: Continental tram slides Saturday 29. Beeston 14.00. Trolleybuses of Bucharest, Iasi, DVDs. (TLRS) from the F.E. Ward Collection. (TLRS)

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 379 Classic Trams BERLIN AT 150 Sesquicentennial tramway anniversaries in the great European cities are coming thick and fast – after Genève in 2012, Peterburg in 2013 and Den Haag in 2014, this year’s big anniversary was in Berlin. Mike Russell reports. 1

erlin holds a special place in an enormous area, allowing generous space city’s Museumsinsel (Museum Island). It is European tramway history, for it for exhibits. In addition to several BVG remarkable that tramway operation here has was here in 1881 that Werner von information points, there were enthusiast been continuous since the initial horse- Siemens laid his first electrically- sales stands, an exhibition of motor buses, car route between Brandenburger Tor and powered line from which all opportunities to inspect and tour the Charlottenburg was extended here in August developmentsB have stemmed – an event workshop facilities, and to drive a tramcar. 1865, save for a brief period at the end of marked in 2006 by a small-scale celebration. The office building fronting Siegfriedstraße World War Two when all tramway services This year the celebration was bigger, marking serves as the headquarters of the BVG’s were suspended. the 150th anniversary of the start of tramway tramways division. Berlin’s tramway was once Cars that participated in the parade were operation, using horse traction, both in the one of the world’s largest but following the Cöpenick 10 (Herbrand, 1903); maximum- city and Germany as a whole. division of the city with the Wall in August traction bogie car 2990 (Herbrand, 1910) The birthday fell on Monday 22 June. It is 1961, the authorities embarked hauling trailer 808 (built in the Grosse not normally practicable to stage a weekday upon a policy of abandonment, completed in Berliner Straßenbahn workshops in 1906); parade of historic tramcars through a city 1967. Thereafter, operation was confined to rebuilt class T24 two-axle car 5984 of 1925 centre, and so events were concentrated at the eastern sector and not until shortly after with contemporary trailer 339; class TM34 Alexanderplatz. These featured a small static the reunification of Germany in November 3802 (Schöndorff, 1927) hauling trailer 984 display of tramcars spanning 120 years and 1989 did tramways start to reappear in what (another 1906 product of the GBS workshops); official speeches and addresses, programmed had once been West Berlin. Now trams are three-car Rekowagen set led by TE59 motor between peak periods so that normal tramcar in the ascendant again, aided by BVG Chief car 217 055 (1961) with trailers 267 006 service could resume for the afternoon peak. Executive Officer and enthusiastic supporter, and 267 428 (1960 and 1965 respectively); The opportunity was also taken to launch the Dr Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta. Grossraum Gotha prototype bogie car 218 Berliner Vekehrsbetriebe’s anniversary book, During the open days, a special 20-minute 001 of 1958; Tatra KT4D articulated car 219 Die Bahn, die Berlin bewegt, by Horst Bosetzky. shuttle tram service was operated linking 481 of 1986; and from the current fleet Tatra There was then birthday cake for all. Lichtenberg S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations T6/B6 pair 5117 and 5563 of 1988/1990 On display were former Städtische with the depot, to reinforce the normal respectively, coupled Tatra KT4D articulated Strassenbahn Cöpenick veteran four-wheeler 20-minute service provided by regular route set 6059+6097 (1982/1984), six-axle double- 10 of 1903, while representing the East 21. The historic cars used were unvestibuled ended Bombardier low-floor car 2021 of 2001 German (DDR) era was Grossraum bogie motor maximum-traction bogie car 2990 of 1910 and Flexity seven-section eight-axle low-floor car 218 001, whose restoration had only been and Tatra KT4D 218 481, now part of the articulated car 9035, the most recent delivery completed 48 hours previously. The present museum fleet and restored to DDR era of this continuing series. fleet was exemplified by 9035, the latest condition with orange livery and seven-digit low-floorFlexity seven-section articulated EDV fleet number. Similar cars remain in Move to Köpenick car, whilst coupled Tatra T6 bogie cars 5117 regular service, sporting the BVG yellow. At around 16.00, it was all over and and 5563 represented the remaining high- The grand finale to the weekend was a onlookers dispersed. This was not the true floor fleet, although only the KT4 articulated Sunday afternoon cavalcade featuring both end of activity, however, for the historic version remains in service. For enthusiasts historic and modern tramcars between fleet is not based at Lichtenberg. Its home in possibly the most exciting appearance Lichtenberg depot and the city centre. The recent years has been Niederschönhausen was that of double-deck horse car 627, parade went first from the depot south to depot in the north of the city, a superb propelled into Alexanderplatz by a Berliner the side-street turning loop for Lichtenberg example of a traditional tram depot from Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) support vehicle. S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations, returning via 1901. No longer used operationally by Car 627 is a remarkable survivor, having Siegfriedstraße and Landsberger Allee to BVG, this is currently physically isolated previously been exhibited in ’s Alexanderplatz, where cars described a loop from the main system by extensive track Verkehrsmuseum (transport museum) from through tracks north of the S-Bahn viaduct, reconstruction works at Pankow. 1952-2012. This Herbrand-built car dates returning to Lichtenberg depot via the same In any event, the collection of historic from 1890 and was part of the fleet of the route. Progress was initially delayed by a cars housed there and cared for by volunteer Grosse Berliner Pferdeeisenbahn. Double- market in Herzbergstraße but was afterwards members of Denkmalpflege-Verein deck horse cars were a feature of Berlin in the quite closely-formed with assistance from Nahverkehr Berlin (DVN) has to vacate pre-electric era, and this example features police motorcycle outriders who closed road Niederschönhausen later this year as the upper-deck knifeboard seating. An even junctions to general traffic, permitting the site is required for redevelopment. A new older Berlin horse-drawn tram exists in the cavalcade to pass unhindered. All cars carried home for the operational historic cars is city’s Deutsches Technikmuseum; Berliner passengers during their journey. being established within the equally historic Pferde-Eisenbahn Gesellschaft car 1, one of Devising a route for a cavalcade such as Köpenick depot of 1903, the original base of the original 1865 fleet built by Lauenstein of this is never easy, as it needs to combine the former Städtische Straßenbahn Cöpenick, and the oldest surviving tramcar in exposure to a wide section of the public with a separate undertaking until subsumed with the world, but its condition was too fragile to minimal interference to scheduled services. other Berlin tramway companies to form the allow it to be brought out for this occasion. However, it is sad that on this most special amalgamated Berliner Straßenbahn in 1920. of occasions it was not possible to include The non-operational DVN cars will move Weekend celebrations a traversing of the sole surviving section of south later this year and are expected mainly The bigger anniversary events were staged tram route dating from 1865, namely a few to find a new home at the non-operational over the following weekend, with an open hundred metres in Dorotheenstraße between Nalepastraße depot at Oberschöneweide. day at Lichtenberg depot on Saturday 27 Planckstraße and Am Kupfergraben. This and Sunday 28 June. The premises, now the is currently used as part of the terminal With thanks to Bernhard Kußmagk of Berlin for largest tramway depot in Europe, occupy loop for routes M1 and 12 close to the additional information.

380 / SEPTEMBER 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org 1. The magnificent Gotha-built Grossraum bogie cars dating from the DDR years were latterly all concentrated in Berlin, providing rolling stock for the network based on the south-eastern district of Köpenick. Restoration of 218 001 (1958) was completed just before the event.

2. Onlookers examine rolling stock in Alexanderplatz on anniversary day. Nearest the camera is Cöpenick 10 of 1903, whilst seven-section Flexity car 9035 is positioned beyond and a memory of the DDR era, Grossraum bogie car 218 001, is on the southbound track.

3. The ultimate contrast: given that horse car 1 of 1865 was not present, the difference of 125 years between double-deck horse car 627 of 1890 and Flexity seven-section low-floor articulated car 9035 was the most striking in the line-up.

4. The open day shuttle 2 service and regular line 21 came together at the Lichtenberg Stations terminal point in Gudrunstraße. Here, Maximumwagen 2990 of 1910 has arrived out of turn and is preparing to reverse and overtake a double-ended Bombardier low-floor car.

5. Two-axle works and freight cars were a familiar sight on the Berlin tramway, providing support services and also some regular freight services on a contract basis. Car 4508 of 1964 was built 3 4 by the Reichsbahnaus- besserungswerk at Schöneweide.

6. Type TM34 3802 claims to be bound for Invalidenstraße as it crosses Roederplatz with trailer 984 attached during the Sunday cavalcade.

7. The majority of the Rekowagen supplied to Berlin by RAW-Schöneweide were of single-ended configuration though a smaller number of double-ended cars were also built. Restored to original 5 6 condition are this trio of the main series: motor car 217 055 and trailers 267 006 and 267 428, all from the early 1960s.

8. Berlin’s double-ended Bombardier low-floor car 2036 turning from Dorotheenstraße into Am Kupfergraben. The track at this point has been continuously served by trams since August 1865. The ochre-coloured house in the background is occupied by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 7 8

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org SEPTEMBER 2015 / 381 BOOKSHOP Order online from lrta.info/shop – or by post from: LRTA Publications, 31 Ashton Road, Wokingham RG41 1HL Postage & packing – Any UK address: add 10%; All addresses outside UK: add 20%. For Airmail despatch outside Europe: add 30% – minimum & maximum values no longer apply.

Mind the Curve! Swiss Tram & Trolleybus Systems A history of the cable trams Past and Present The definitive history of Melbourne’s A useful guide to the tram cable trams – once the largest system and trolleybus installations of in the world, operated as an integrated Switzerland, with notes on those entity between 1885 and 1940. no longer in operation.

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£7.50 plus postage & packing as shown above. £8.50 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Bondi to the Opera House Die Bahn, die Berlin bewegt The trams that linked Sydney 150 Jahre Straßenbahn A great selection of images from both The definitive book on the city’s past and present tram networks in tramway from 1865 to 2015. From Australia’s largest city, presented as a Germany’s first horse cars to the large round trip across the original system. electric network of today. German text.

250 x 240mm hardback; 96 pages, A4+ hardback; 342 pages, 366 black 115 black & white and 154 colour pictures, five maps. & white and colour pictures, nine-segment map.

£16.50 plus postage & packing as shown above. £25.50 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Straßenbahn-Großraumwagen Die Straßenbahn im Bezirk Berlin, Dresden, , Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf The story of ’s high-capacity 150 Jahre Straßenbahnverkehr bogie cars and trailers built before in Berlin 1865 bis 2015 construction went to Tatra. Includes a detailed fleet history. German text. The story of the growth and decline of tramways in Charlotteburg. German text.

A4 hardback; 224 pages, 400 black & white and colour A4 hardback; 192 pages, 213 black & white pictures plus numerous drawings. and 20 colour pictures, 20 maps.

£24.50 plus postage & packing as shown above. £22.50 plus postage & packing as shown above.

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For more information and a free sample copy, please email the Editor at [email protected] Vol. 51 No. 321 May-June 2015 or write to him at 24 Heath Farm Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 8JW

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NTA LRTA Ad 06.indd 1 3/14/2015 2:44:11 PM IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE OF via Flickr. GraffitiPictureTaker SYSTEMS FACTFILE: SPECIAL REVIEW DEFEATING THE BASEL NET PHASE 2: VANDALS Two operators, new trams, network The expansion of Nottingham Express Keeping open access networks clean, expansion – and three countries involved. Transit adds two new lines that serve safe and secure is a major challenge. Neil Pulling explores the extensive Beeston, Chilwell and Clifton – and brings TAUT talks to light rail operators around tramway centred on the Swiss city of Basel the system very close to the planned the world to see how they manage the that sits on the French and German borders. HS2 station at Toton. associated issues. PLUS... OCTOBER + What makes an ideal depot? Scott McIntosh takes a peek inside ISSUE + The latest news, rolling stock orders and movements, system developments, transport policy and leading industry comment on sale from around the world 18th September

THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE Ottawa

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SEPTEMBER 2015 N O. 933 WIRE FREE LIGHT RAIL: POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OTTAWA: A ABOVe: An artist’s TALe rendering of Blair station Now in its 78th year, Tramways & Urban Transit is the on the Confederation line at twilight; the new OF low-floor system opens TWO sysT to passengers in 2018. ems City of Ottawa From a pilot diesel LRT scheme 14 years ago, the Canadian capital is now building a low-floor electric tramway that runs, in part, under the heart of the city. Hebert Pence explores both systems.

ince the establishment of Canada Ottawa (696), at OC Transpo’s St. Laurent in 1867, Ottawa has been its capital Garage (905) and at OC Transpo’s Merivale evaluate the possibility of replicating the city. From horse cars to streetcars, to Garage and Canadian Railroad Historical TransitWay in their communities. electric and diesel buses, the city’s Association, Ottawa (954). Proponents of electrified LRT had argued, public transit has evolved – and world’s leading monthly publication dedicated solely to no avail, for rapid transit. Both LRT and tos date mostly towards road transport. From 1973, the transit operator has been OC Transpo (Ottawa-Carleton Regional metro-type heavy rail schemes were mooted, Yet with a population of nearly 900 000, yet the final decision fell in favour of rubber Ottawa is growing at a faster rate than the Transit Commission), a City of Ottawa department. Previous operators were tyres on asphalt. Articulated buses would be national average with a local rate for the the Ottawa Electric Railway until 1948, purchased to increase vehicle capacity and as past 14 years of over 7.9%, whilst Canada’s is a concession to the rail proponents, a promise 4.8%. More importantly, the more transit- when the City acquired the company and traded under the name Ottawa was made to investigate the possibility of dependent population aged 65 and over converting the TransitWay to steel-wheel- was 11.5% in 2001 and is forecast to grow Transportation Commission. From 1959 to the early 1980s, city on-steel-rail once expected ridership rose to 16.3% in 2021. With such growth, it is to support the investment. important for public transport to keep pace. buses on city streets held sway. As with all Going back over 55 years, the greatest North American cities, studies continued to investigate transit options and with Welcoming the O-Train setback for light rail in the city came in In the meantime, there was a transit need 1959 with the closure of the last four worsening congestion a serious search for to light and urban rail developments. in southwest Ottawa which offered an streetcar routes following two consultants’ a remedy was undertaken. The chosen solution was unique. opportunity for the disappointed rail recommendations – the deck-roofed supporters. Carleton University sits to the streetcars were subsequently replaced by Following years of planning and discussions – rubber versus rail – the concept south of Dows Lake; its current enrolment diesel buses. Sadly, the 17.7km (11-mile) is 28 000. As a passenger generator, typical Britannia route was lost; this line travelled of a bus rapid transit (BRT) scheme was accepted and a system of busways, called of all colleges and universities, it was only Opposites attract – Ottawa’s twin LRT systems westerly to Britannia Park on mostly private served by an east-west bus service so besides right-of-way. Just one month later, the only TransitWay, was recommended and approved in 1980. Operating much like a traditional students, faculty and staff, residents of the Hong Kong to replace metro stock trolleybus line, Bronson, converted to diesel area were forced to travel around the lake, operation, ending electric transit in the city. streetcar system, a grade-separated, private- right-of-way was created. Constructed before turning north to their destinations. As mayor in the mid-1950s, George Nelms Dows Lake is a large recreational area within Centro seeks ten-year tram partner heartily wished all streetcars off the city’s in segments, close to the downtown area routes were trunked to speed passengers past Ottawa’s boundaries so the thought of a bridge streets. He was so opposed to streetcars over it was unacceptable and a motorway that he tried to have them all scrapped, congested highways whilst in the suburbs Angers plans new EUR250m line B separate routes exited the TransitWay for tunnel was just as unfundable. There was also ISSN 1460-8324 fortunately, at least five have survived: the Central Experimental Farm’s vast acreage £4.25 local distribution of passengers. This was 09 ExpoRail, Saint-Constant, Quebec (859); blocking highway construction. Seashore Trolley Museum, Maine, USA (825), a true bus rapid transit (BRT) service and Tours visitors from around the world came to There was, however, a little-used Canadian Trailers & trains National Railway freight line that ran north- An exemplar of 9 771460 832043 Alternatives to 354 / september 2015 www.tautonline.com. www.lrta.org articulated trams 21st Century design We deliver comprehensive news and analysis,

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Personal membership with TAUT subscription: Commercial – online only (12 issues) £39.44 To December 2016 (15 issues) Invoices available for Commercial membership only. UK £61.25 International £76.25 For online payments visit: www.lrta.info/commercial Personal membership with TAUT and Tramway Review: To December 2016 (15 TAUT + 5 TR) UK £80.31 International £100.31 Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Forename...... Surname ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Personal membership with online only access to TAUT: Address ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� To December 2016 (15 issues) £44.38 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Personal membership with online access to TAUT and Tramway Review: ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� To December 2015 (15 issues + 5 TR) £60.01 Postcode...... Email...... For online payments visit: www.lrta.info/personal I enclose a cheque for £ ...... payable to ‘LRTA Subscriptions’ For details of Student membership and other membership queries email: [email protected] Please complete this form and send it with your payment to: LRTA Commercial members (12 issues) Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK UK £54.44 International £67.78 Prices valid to end of September 2015. SEPTEMBER RUBBER CROSSING SYSTEMS FOR CITY RAILWAYS

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