THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com APRIL 2016 NO. 940 DC GETS ITS STREETCAR, IS NEW YORK CITY NEXT? Worldwide LRV orders down, but options on the up Bratislava’s new Danube crossing Midland Metro trams to go wire-free Düsseldorf opens latest tram subway ISSN 1460-8324 £4.25 Gauging opinion Fordon 04 What’s the right Polish city realises gap for tram rails? century-old dream 9 771460 832043 “On behalf of UKTram specifically Voices from the industry… and the industry as a whole I send V my sincere thanks for such a great event. Everything about it oozed quality. I think that such an event shows any doubters that light rail in the UK can present itself in a way that is second to none.” Colin Robey – Managing Director, UKTram 27-28 July 2016 Conference Aston, Birmingham, UK The 11th Annual UK Light Rail Conference and exhibition brings together over 250 decision-makers for two days of open debate covering all aspects of light rail operations and development. Delegates can explore the latest industry innovation within the event’s exhibition area and Innovation Zone and examine LRT’s role in alleviating congestion in our towns and cities and its potential for driving economic growth. Topics and themes for 2016 include: > Safety and security in street-running environments > Refurbishment vs renewal? Book now! > Low Impact Light Rail > Delivering added value from construction and modernisation To secure your place > Managing timetable change and passenger disruption please call > Environmental considerations for LRT construction > Selling light rail: Who? When? How? +44 (0) 1733 367600 > What the Luxembourg Rail Protocol means for light rail or visit > Tram-Train: Alternative perspectives > Where next for UK LRT? www.mainspring.co.uk > Major project updates SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY 138 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association APRIL 2016 Vol. 79 No. 940 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL 124 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 156 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, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Bill Vigrass, Andrew Moglestue, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Vic Simons, Herbert Pence, Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. NEWS 124 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: SCHWERIN 143 PRODUCTION DC Streetcar opens at last; Midland Metro To get a true idea of the system in the capital Rick Wilson to adopt wire-free running; Düsseldorf of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, you need to Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] completes final subway; PESA to develop leave the centre. Neil Pulling explains. DESIGN metro train; will trams run in New York? Debbie Nolan WORLDWIDE REVIEW 149 ADVERTISING COMMERCIAL MANAGER WORLDWIDE TRAM ORDERS 2016 130 Alstom to supply 26 to Setif; 2021 Citadis Geoff Butler Michael Taplin presents his annual review target for Liege opening; ground-breaking Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] of the worldwide rolling stock market and for Munich’s Steinhausen tram extension; PUBLISHER finds that while orders have fallen slightly, construction starts on Kolkata’s airport line; Howard Johnston options and planned orders look healthy. Moscow Metro extension is open. Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each THE VITAL LINK TO FORDON 134 MAILBOX 154 month preceding the cover date. In January 2016 this north-eastern suburb Manchester expansion opportunities; praise LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY of Bydgoszcz realised a century-old for Olsztyn, and what about the maths of Brian Lomas E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] ambition of a tram link into the city. new systems? LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up GAUGING OPINION 138 CLASSIC TRAMS: BELGIUM 156 members of the Light Rail Transit Association. Scott McIntosh explores some issues around Mike Russell reviews some of the significant SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES tramway gauges, while Richard Buckley changes that have taken place in the Belgian LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), considers a few of the more unusual choices. heritage scene over the last year. 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 BACK ISSUES Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 Why brave early decisions are the key to success PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION This month the long-awaited streetcar line in Washington DC has opened; Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. although it is later than planned and considerably more costly, passengers LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE in the US capital can finally reap the light rail benefits seen by other cities. c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. Meanwhile, across the country, the Mayor of New York has unveiled an Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 ambitious multi-billion dollar plan for a new LRT link along the East River in England and Wales. to connect Brooklyn and Queens to the heart of the city. However, one LRTA CHAIRMAN thing that hobbles the DC Streetcar is relatively slow service speed, so in one of the most Andrew Braddock traffic-congested cities on the planet, the New York scheme needs to address this. E-mail: [email protected] Dedicated alignments, signal priority and simple connections to the Subway and bus LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN services will be its key markers of success. Such measures will also make the land around Paul Rowen the line more valuable to developers and raise ridership of the system. Get this right LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, from the outset and the so-called BQX could be a real game-changer for the residents of UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 the city so good they named it twice. in England and Wales. Our Mailbox this month contains a couple of interesting letters echoing this. Alan © LRTA Publishing 2016 Robinson believes that the UK’s Greater Manchester region is missing a trick in its Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also future plans by not considering a key central Manchester corridor for expansion of later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the its Metrolink network. This is not the easiest option – after all we’ve all seen that opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of construction of new infrastructure on busy urban corridors has the potential to cause LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. major disruption – but whoever said the best solutions were the easiest ones? No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in Another commentator questions how planners can get their cost and timescale any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and estimates so drastically wrong. It’s something we see time and time again with light rail retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from projects – and it does nobody any favours when promoting new schemes. the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the Which brings us full circle. The early planning phases of new lines are key – so if magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. New York and other cities get this right from the start, their light rail future will be a COVER: Hundreds gather for the opening of the smoother one, paved with less opposition and greater rewards. Simon Johnston, Editor DC Streetcar in Washington on 27 February. A. Grahl www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2016 / 123 News Bratislava trams cross the Danube DC Streetcar opens at last The first tram to make a test run US capital’s delayed tramway opens with six months of free rides on new dual-gauge tracks across the reconstructed 460m Danube River crossing to Petržalka was fter 18 months of trials, 7530 on 16 February. Operator the DC Fire Department Dopravný podnik Bratislava finally signed off expects passenger services to the safety case for begin in March or April. Athe 3.9km (2.4-mile) H Street/ Running south from Šafárikovo Benning Road tramway (Union námestie, the new route is the Station – Oklahoma Avenue NE) only one in the city to cross the in Washington on 16 February. Danube, also passing over the D1 It was then announced that the motorway on two viaducts before opening would be on Saturday terminating at Bosákova. 27 February, with free rides for The three-stop 2.4km (1.5-mile) at least six months, but no extension has cost EUR76.8m, Sunday service. with EU Cohesion Funds After a number of false providing 82% (EUR63m), and is starts, this time the schedule mostly dual-gauge as while the was kept and Mayor Muriel existing network is metre gauge, Bowser, the fourth city mayor standard gauge express suburban to be responsible for the lines have been proposed. project, performed the opening DC Streetcar 101, a Inekon 12 Trio model, passes 201, a United Streetcar 100 A second stage will involve a ceremony at 10.00, thanking vehicle, at Benning Road and 15th Street on Saturday 27 February. Andrew Grahl 4km (2.5-mile) extension from residents for their patience Bosáková to Janíkov dvor.