THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE

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APRIL 2015 No. 928 EMERGING MARKETS DRIVE WORLDWIDE ORDERS

The roadmap to an efficient urban rail timetable New Turkish tram builder unveiled Ansaldo rail takeover confirmed UK calls for Tube extension plans ISSN 1460-8324 Good vibrations Modern 04 £4.25 Examining tramway Observations on impacts on urban life modern LRT growth 9 771460 832043 2015 INTEGRATION AND GLOBALISATION

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D O C K L A N D S 153 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association APRIL 2015 Vol. 78 No. 928 www.tramnews.net EDITORIAL 146 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 157 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, Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. PRODUCTION Lanna Blyth NEWS 132 TIMETABLING – A ROADMAP 150 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] Sydney chooses latest Citadis X05 ; An efficient timetable increases confidence, DESIGN Glasgow rejects tram-train plan; record drives ridership and promotes efficiency. Debbie Nolan snowfall cripples Boston services; Hitachi By Dr Marc Andre-Klemenz. ADVERTISING signs takeover deal for Ansaldo rail assets. COMMERCIAL MANAGER Geoff Butler

SYSTEMS FACTFILE: KASSEL 153 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] WORLDWIDE TRAM ORDERS 138 When Kassel introduced tram-trains it PUBLISHER Michael Taplin presents his annual review expanded a system that already reached Howard Johnston of LRV orders, which show strong growth beyond the urban area. Neil Pulling reports. Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the for the industry’s leading players. LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each WORLDWIDE REVIEW 157 month preceding the cover date. CREATING GOOD VIBRATIONS 142 Dhaka metro tenders; Cuiabá tram works LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Scott McIntosh considers some of the halted; Bratislava cross-river line funded. Brian Lomas causes of light rail-related vibration – and E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] how to mitigate their effects. MAILBOX 162 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up Tramway noise solutions; snow in Boston. members of the Light Rail Transit Association.

CHINA’S NEW CITY TRAMWAYS 146 SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES An exploration of two of of China’s latest CLASSIC TRAMS: TROLLEY-POLES 164 LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), modern tramway systems – and the one old In part one of a series, Alan Pearce and Mike 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. survivor – by Dennis Schulz. Russell look at the decline of the trolley-pole. Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 BACK ISSUES Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 No light rail system can live on its own PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Both on my own travels this month, and through too many conversations, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. a major deficiency in modern systems has become all too LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE apparent. It relates to poor signposting and passenger information. c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. In the past couple of months I have stood at major international stations Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 and seen passengers wandering aimlessly looking for their onward in England and Wales. connection and struggling to buy tickets. Quite often websites aren’t clear LRTA CHAIRMAN on which tariffs apply and where to buy your tickets (for those who wish to check their Andrew Braddock E-mail: [email protected] travel in advance) or give advice for the casual city visitor. Ticket machines that are LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN broken or only accept the correct change are also unacceptable – especially if Paul Rowen no-one is on hand to ask for assistance. LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: My next issue comes with what happens when have bought your ticket, taken your c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, journey and alighted at your chosen stop. Some stations and stops have regional or wider UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 city maps to allow you to easily find your eventual destination – others have nothing. This in England and Wales. can be solved by a simple map. Place one by each exit of a terminus, or for intermediate © LRTA Publishing 2015. Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also stops just stick one to the side or back wall of the stop – in TAUT we try to include route later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution maps wherever possible to help with city identification (not always easy with complex is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the systems), or at least links to where you can find them, but for an operator this is a must. opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of It’s about thinking like a passenger. Some operators do this, but sadly not enough do. LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in For the next few weeks, I'll be undertaking the punishing 113km trek to Everest Base any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including Camp to raise funding for the international children’s charity Railway Children. photocopying, recording or by any information storage and Sadly there's no funicular to take me to almost 18 000ft (5380m), retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from but I understand that there is some wi-fi coverage so at least the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. I can post updates if anyone cares to follow my progress – http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SJTrainToEverest. Wish me luck! Simon Johnston, Editor COVER: The Sydney South East LRT tram order marks a debut for the latest Citadis version. /NSW

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 131 News Obama budget calls for 55% increase in mass transit funding Signs of the US public transport renaissance continue with increased funding proposals

urther to the announcement reported in TAUT last month, New Starts USD(m) the US Government is proposing to increase its financial Baltimore Red line 92 support to mass transit projects from USD2.1bn to USD3.25bn. Maryland Purple line 100 The budget must be approved by Congress, however, where Denver Southeast line 150 Fboth houses are now controlled by the Republicans who may not agree with all the Democrat President’s proposals. San Diego Mid-Coast line 100 Most of the budget will support projects already under construction. Minneapolis Southwest LRT 150 Projects entering the programme for the first time are as follows: Fort Worth TEX Rail 100 Los Angeles Westside metro 2 100 Small Starts USD(m) Tacoma TacomaLink tram 75 Reno 4th St/Prater Way BRT 6 Provo Provo–Orem BRT 71 Charlotte Gold 75 San Rafael – Larkspur Diesel LRT 20 El Paso Montana BRT 27 San Francisco Van Ness BRT 30 Fresno Blackstone BRT 11 Baltimore’s proposed Red line LRT will run in subway under the city centre. MTA Columbus Northeast BRT 38

Glasgow study Canberra expansion open to consortia rejects tram- The request for proposals for future links to the airport and Initial research suggests train proposal the Canberra tramway has been parliamentary triangle. the tramway will be more expanded to include a further The federal government has favourably received than a A study into a possible tram-train 3.2km (two miles) from the city promised AUD60m (EUR42.3m) new bus route: a survey of service between Glasgow city centre to Russell. This would towards the project; the initial Gungahlin residents revealed centre (UK) and the airport comprise three stops and run link from Gungahlin to Civic that nearly 70% would use the over the heavy rail route from from the proposed terminus is expected to cost AUD783m tram. Forecasts estimate that Paisley has concluded that the at Northbourne Avenue and (EUR552.6m), a cost that will the extension would increase project would not be feasible Alinga Street, around London only increase with the Russell daily passenger trips by 30% due to timetabling and capacity Circuit and down Constitution extension and a factor that will (5600 passengers per day). issues. Significant timetable Avenue; this would also be weigh heavily in any decision Works will start in 2016, with alterations and extended journey well positioned for potential to proceed with plans. services beginning in 2019. times would be required during peak hours, adversely affecting journey times on other rail routes. During off-peak hours NEWS IN PICTURES Kraków tests supercapacitor tram it would be possible to provide technology a 15-minute , but this In the Polish city of Kraków a three-month trial with a would not offer better journey Solaris Tramino S100 began on 23 February, to test a vehicle times than existing bus services. equipped with supercapacitor energy recovery technology, The report also found there which should reduce energy consumption by 30%. was little spare capacity at The 32m five-section car, 451, is in use from Podgórze depot on MPK . It was built as the Tramino prototype in Glasgow Central station and 2009 and operated in Poznán from 2011 until the end warned that the Office of Rail of last year. Regulation may be concerned about the intensive running of The 100% low-floor Solaris Tramino car on test in the trams and heavy rail trains on Polish city of Kraków. Solaris the same tracks.

Cemetery tunnelling front-runner for Luas extension to Dublin Airport The North Dublin Transport the front-runner in the list of six has not been ruled out. This is a although deemed expensive Study consultation launched in transport options put forward. combination of the Cabra Luas remains a potential option. December has come out in favour The Luas option from Cabra line and a DART extension from It is hoped that a ministerial of a EUR1bn Luas extension to the airport (known as LR3) is Clongriffin to the airport. Either response will be made at the end to Dublin Airport via a tunnel considered the most likely, but scheme would replace the original of March, with the preferred under Glasnevin Cemetery as option C1 costing EUR1.3bn Metro North proposal, which option announced in the summer.

132 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Sydney South East Light Rail gets final approval; new trams on order With advance works already underway, vehicles and electrification are ordered for city link line

ydney’s South East Light The Citadis 305 as supplied to Rail Project received final Sydney will run in coupled bi- planning approval on directional units, 67m in length, SYDNEY SOUTH EAST LIGHT RAIL TECH 23 February. The ALTRAC and feature permanent magnet Q Will the new permanent magnet motors be fitted to all new Alstom consortiumS contracted to build motors, LED lighting to reduce trams – and can you explain the benefits? The permanent magnet motors are fitted to the Citadis X05 range, but the new tramway to Kingsford energy consumption, and design A are also used for the Citadis Compact for Aubagne, in service since and Randwick will supply 30 innovations to reduce lifecycle September 2014, the Citadis-Dualis that began services with SNCF in 2011 and XO5 trams for the and maintenance costs. The the Citadis trams in service in Istanbul since 2010. 12km (7.5-mile) line, power- trams are being assembled with There are various benefits in terms of environment and weather supply equipment – including components from across Alstom’s protection, simplified maintenance and also noise levels – not to mention a new third-generation version various European manufacturing energy consumption savings (4% on traction scope) with a high motor of the APS surface current sites, with the first scheduled for efficiency of 96%. We believe this is a major trend for our tram and LRV supply on a 2.1km (1.3-mile) delivery in May/June 2017. Citadis products. section in the city centre that The consortium will also take However, on other Citadis products we remain committed to more traditional motors (asynchronous – water-cooled or self-ventilated in promises greater robustness and over the existing Inner West 750V dc or even in 1500V) such as in particular on the Citadis Spirit for easier maintenance – signalling tramway, with its 12 CAF-built the North American market. equipment, the depot and trams, from mid-2015. maintenance. Can you explain a little more how the claimed reduction in Q lifecycle costs is achieved? Benefiting from an optimised product architecture and further A experience from more than 1500 Citadis already in service around the world, and especially from maintenance activities (25% of our Citadis contracts), the Citadis X05 will reduce total maintenance costs by 11%. This is especially true thanks to reduced preventative maintenance thanks to better component accessibility, maintenance steps occurring at a later stage, optimised daily checks and improvements with our Ixege double-stage suspension bogies.

Is this the first time that your Hesop reversible substation Q solution has been used on a tramway installation? No, Hesop has been in operation on Paris T1 since July 2011, allowing us A to validate the system’s efficiency. The system gives priority to the exchange of energy between trams with any remaining energy fed back to the AC network, for example to power auxiliary equipment, or returned to the grid. Depending on the specifics of a network (rolling stock, density of traffic, line configuration etc), an operator could achieve savings of up to 40% on their energy bill. As Hesop’s energy quality is very high with low harmonics, the operator can then sell it back to the grid owner, depending on local context, or achieve a lower power subscription.

Thanks to François Giraud (X05 Product Director), François Maurin (Hesop R&D An artist’s impression showing one of Alstom Citadis X05 trams to be delivered in Programme Manager) and Patrick Duprat (APS Solution Manager) of Alstom. 2017 at the future Moore Park stop. Alstom/Transport for NSW

Record snowfall cripples New Turkish tram builder emerges Ankara-based Bozankaya Engineering used the Eurasia Boston urban rail services Rail Fair held in Istanbul on Record snowfall in February MBTA figures suggest the 5-7 March to launch itself as a saw all transit services in Boston recovery programme could cost tram builder in its own right. suspended. For over three weeks USD30m, with around USD6m Starting life in 1989 as a bus and the Ashmont – Mattapan light in lost revenue from ‘T’ services. coach producer, the company rail line saw services temporarily With commuters demanding later began manufacturing replaced by buses, with PCC reimbursement – totalling rail vehicle body shells at its service resuming on 27 February. between USD3.6-USD10.5m – the Kazan Tesisi factory, acting as a Artist’s impression of the Bozankaya The date for full re-opening for MBTA told local media that the sub-contractor to such rolling low-floor tram. Bozankaya Engineering commuter rail services has been agency’s need for urgent repairs stock producers as Siemens suggested as 30 March. and upgrades took priority. and Stadler, holding ISO 9001 from Kayseri to supply 30 Groups of contracted workers MBTA Chief Executive Beverley certification. vehicles in 2016 for EUR46m. were hired in for snow clearance Scott resigned on 11 February. Now the company has The Kayseri tramway opened work as the Massachussets The total cost of modernising developed its design of a 100% in August 2009 using 22 Bay Transportation Authority Boston’s transit network has low-floor 33m five-section car, AnsaldoBreda Sirio trams, but (MBTA) came under public now been placed at USD6.7bn, double-ended and capable of has already added 16.9km criticism from State Governor more than double the USD3.1bn multiple-unit operation, and (10.5 miles) to its original Charlie Baker. reported in 2009. claims to have won an order 17.5km (10.9-mile) length.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 133 News Hitachi acquires Ansaldo rail assets Italian conglomerate ends long-running rail asset disposal with the signing of a binding agreement

uesday 24 February saw testament to the long-term vision an agreement signed that we have for the growth of between industrial Hitachi. By combining forces we conglomerates strengthen our market position TFinmeccanica and Hitachi for significantly, aspiring to become the latter to acquire a 100% a leading global total solution shareholding in Napoli-based provider to the rail sector.” rolling stock manufacturer Finmeccanica said that Hitachi AnsaldoBreda and a 40% stake had been selected as the best in Genova’s signalling and train partner to ensure a long-term control subsidiary Ansaldo STS. repositioning of its transport The deal is reported to be activities. AnsaldoBreda has seen worth about EUR810m, of which several recent contracts result EUR36m relates to AnsaldoBreda. in disputes over reliability, but Financial close should be is actively marketing its Sirio achieved before the end of 2015, low-floor tram withTramWave after which Hitachi will launch surface current supply, with a bid for the remaining 60% of some success in China. Boston was hit by a series of severe snowstorms in January/February that Ansaldo STS. Hitachi Global Hitachi was up against a rival brought havoc to the city’s transit system. Here are a pair of Green line cars, led by Rail CEO Alistair Dorner said, Chinese bid, but this expired AnsaldoBreda 3852, on the Riverside Line. The MBTA spent several years sorting “Today’s announcement is on 20 February. out issues before these cars became reliable members of the fleet. bostinno

Alstom inaugurates Brazilian factory Amiens tram scheme On 3 March Alstom Citadis ordered for the Rio de inaugurated a new Citadis Janeiro tramway in September makes way for BRT production line at its Taubaté 2013 – the first five are to be plant in the state of São Paulo, constructed in Europe with The tramway project, which The new scheme proposes a Brazil. The new facility covers final assembly in Brazil. was to have shared rolling stock first (Red) line that follows the 16 000m2 and forms part of the In addition to supplying with Caen, has officially been discarded tram route, beginning much larger 822 000m2 Alstom the low-floor catenary- abandoned by Amiens. The at the university campus to hydroelectric manufacturing free trams, Alstom is also city (urban population 135 000, the south-west of the city and site – the largest in Brazil – to supply signalling and regional 300 000) is the only one running through the city to the that employs almost 2000 telecommunications to the VLT of its size in France with no fixed northern districts. A second line people. The plant is capable Carioca consortium delivering urban rail system. (Blue) is planned to run from of producing eight trams per the BRR1.164bn (approx. The scheme had its fate sealed Longueau in the south-east month to cater for expected EUR350m), six-line system as with the victory of the centre- through the city centre before growth in South and Latin part of the Porto Maravilha right UDI-UMP in elections serving Dreuil-lès-Amiens in America. Alstom has invested programme designed to in March 2014 that prefers the north-west. A north-south EUR15m in the site, which, modernise the city’s port area. as a solution (Green) line completes the when fully operational, will Covering 28km (17.4-mile) to accessibility and better planned initial network. employ around 150 people. and 42 stops, the trams are to integration of the city’s growing An estimated investment of The first trams to be built be delivered in 2015-2016, in university and hospital sites. EUR85m will be required for in Taubaté will be 27 of the 32 time for the Olympic Games. On 31 January a European infrastructure, including a new tender was launched for a bus depot. Construction and prime contractor to design works could begin in 2017 and build three BRT lines, with an opening for passenger totaling 45km (28 miles). service in 2019.

Osborne calls for Tube proposals UK Chancellor of the Exchequer The European Investment George Osborne has asked Bank has agreed to a GBP480m Transport for London for detailed (EUR657m) loan to finance proposals for an extension of 50% of the cost of building the the Bakerloo line to South East 3.3km (2.1-mile) branch from the London. The line, which currently Northern line to Nine Elms and terminates at Elephant & Castle, Battersea. The long-term loan will would continue to Catford via be repaid using a combination of Camberwell and Peckham, or via contributions from developers Old Kent Road. Local politicians that will benefit from the campaigning for the May extension, plus business rates General Election are pressing for generated from an Enterprise An aerial view of the massive Alstom Taubaté manufacturing facility that will both branches to be built; 96% of Zone to be created next year. soon see production of Citadis low-floor trams for the emerging South and more than 14 000 consultation Work is expected to begin this Latin American markets. Alstom respondents backed the scheme. spring, for opening in 2020.

134 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Calgiari extension open The 950mm-gauge tramway in Mitsubishi leads winning Cagliari, Sardinia, was extended with a 1.8km (1.1-mile) branch on elevated alignment from Monserrato Gottardo (interchange Doha metro consortium with tram-train services) to Policlinico on 14 February. Japanese partnership to supply Qatar’s first automated metro line The new line received EUR24m in EU funding. Three CAF Urbos cars bolster he preferred bidder for six Škoda 06Ts on the service, the USD3.36bn contract which is expected to receive an to supply electrical and increase of 9000 passengers per mechanical equipment day. There is an option for six Tto the 86km (53-mile) phase 1 more vehicles. of the metro system planned Izmit tender launch by Qatar Rail is a Japanese Turkey’s Izmit, a city of 302 000 consortium of Mitsubishi, population about 100km (60 miles) Hitachi and Kinki Sharyo. east of Istanbul, has issued a The latter two will supply tender for construction of a 10km and maintain 75 three-car (6.2-mile), 11-station east–west tramline linking Otogar with the automated trainsets, while ferry terminal at Seka, using 40m Mitsubishi will provide power low-floor trams. The submission supplies, trackwork, platform deadline is 31 March. screen doors, a depot, signalling and communications, as well as Vienna takes ULF option In order to fill the gap between the tunnel ventilation. Hitachi will Artist’s impression of Msheireb metro interchange in Doha. QR delivery of short ULF trams later be responsible for infrastructure this year and the arrival of the first and facilities maintenance. management contract has been for 2020 in time for the 2022 in 2018, Wiener Thales will supply CBTC awarded to a joint venture of FIFA World Cup. Linien has exercised its option automation, the control centre, Louis Berger and Egis Rail. The metro was originally with Siemens for the delivery of and automatic fare collection. A ground-breaking ceremony promoted by Qatar Railways 30 long ULF (772-801) in 2016-17. Civil engineering contracts took place on 10 October 2012, Development Corporation In other news, the 150th have already been awarded and opening of the first section (QRDC) and DB International, anniversary of tramway operation to various consortia, while to the airport should take place but DB sold its stake to Qatar Rail, will be marked by a parade along the Ringstrasse on 27 September. a separate USD79m project in 2018. Completion is planned which has since purchased QRDC. Manx stations lose staff in economy drive A decision to reduce taxpayers’ London Underground Victoria line support to 50% of running costs Solaris for the ’s heritage to gain UK’s most frequent service lines – a 15% cut in the GBP2.3m (EUR3.1m) annual subsidy – was wins third Works to improve Victoria only 24 trains/hour can run made by Infrastructure Minister line services on the London beyond Seven Sisters due to the Phil Gawne last September. The German Underground will take points layout at Walthamstow recently announced economies place this summer to enable Central crossover, which will make Ballasalla and Port operation of 36 trains/hour transfers northbound trains to St Mary stations on the steam tram order from April 2016. This will the southbound line for their section unstaffed, with most trains provide a train every 100 return journey. Renewal of the crossing at Castletown except in high summer when Ballasalla will Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) seconds in peak hours, giving crossover is due in August. be used and temporarily staffed. has chosen Solaris to supply its the Victoria line the highest Other improvements include Director of Public Transport new fleet of 45m 100% low-floor frequency in the UK. the redevelopment of Victoria Ian Longworth said the situation trams. Initially fiveTramino cars All peak-time trains will and Vauxhall stations to increase would be kept under close review. will be supplied for the 319km run the length of the line capacity; a similar scheme is In 2009 the railways covered (198-mile) network, but there from Walthamstow Central to planned for Finsbury Park. 18% of their direct operating costs, is an option for a further 36. Brixton, giving a 40% capacity The Victoria line currently by 2013 it was 36% and in 2014 Delivery should start in 2016, boost for passengers northeast carries more than 200 million rose to 43%. and Solaris has indicated that if of Seven Sisters. At present passengers each year. ordered, all 41 vehicles could be delivered within 18 months. LVB’s current fleet numbers NEWS IN PICTURES NET line 2 daytime tests over 300 trams, which will Daylight testing of Nottingham be reduced to around 215 if Express Transit’s new Alstom Citadis all of the longer Traminos are trams over the Clifton line began purchased. The current Tatra on 9 February following a series vehicles, which the Traminos are of night-time trials as far as Clifton set to replace, date from 1969-86. town centre and on the Chilwell Solaris previously won line as far as the ng2 Business Park. contracts for ’s Jena Daytime testing on the Clifton line is in 2011 (fiveTramino LRVs) initially limited to the section from Station Street to Wilford Lane and and Braunschweig in 2012 between 10.00 and 15.00. (18 vehicles), and beat off a bid from Bombardier to win this Testing on NET line 2 along third export order whose value Queen’s Walk in mid-February. is EUR7.7m – increasing to David Gibson EUR120m with all options.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 135 Dubai: First impressions The tramline beyond price: Dubai Australian contributor Paul Nicholson shares his impressions of the tramway built to a ‘money no object’ criteria that adds to Dubai’s already impressive rail palette of metro and monorail services.

pened on 11 November 2014, Cultural differences There is no mixed street running except at the first tramway in the United What strikes a visitor from a city such as highway crossings, all traffic light controlled. Arab Emirates serves the city of Melbourne, Australia, is the spotless condition Jumeirah Lakes Towers to Marina Towers Dubai, and is quite unlike any of the trams and infrastructure. There is no follows an elevated alignment. conventional system. Winter is overhead; the whole system uses Alstom’s APS Although the main system uses a ground Oa good time to visit, with temperatures in the surface current collection system. supply system, the Citadis trams are fitted pleasant 20s, rather than summer when the Eleven double-ended 44m Alstom Citadis with a for use in the depot area, heat can top 40°C day after day. 402 100% low-floor trams (001-011) provide that, obviously, is in the lowered position The tram is operated by Serco under contract service, with trams divided into two classes: during normal operation. to the Dubai Roads and Traffic Authority and at Gold and Silver. The Gold class section (1+1 Two stations short of the Al Sufouh present runs 10.7km (6.6 miles) from Jumeirah seating) is at one end of the tram and does not terminus is Palm Jumeirah. This is considered Beach to Al Sufouh. Beyond the latter terminus appear as well patronised – unsurprising as it the interchange station with the Dubai is a 2.6km (1.6-mile) depot access line, part of costs twice the normal fare. Another section monorail, opened in 2009, also operated by which will be used for passenger service when is reserved for women and children, enforced Serco but not part of the integrated Dubai phase two opens in 2020, taking the line to during regular ticket inspections. Passengers, fare system. The two are around 500m apart 14.6km (nine miles). Visitors should note that presumably unaware of the restriction, are with a lengthy walk across a road bridge and the depot is located in an area with military asked politely but firmly to move. through a car park. Signposting exists, but facilities so photography is not advisable. Each station has a security presence and can be confusing to visitors. Additionally, Non-Muslim visitors should also remember a customer service officer. Dubai is a intermediate stations on the monorail are not that as Friday is the Holy Day, first Metro multi-cultural city with a large number of in use and the operation gives the impression services start at around 13.00, although the visitors, so notices are in Arabic and English. of being something of a white elephant. Most tramway opens at 09.00. On other days service passengers appeared to be visitors heading is provided 05.30- 01.30. Stops are enclosed The routes for the lavish Atlantis resort that is built on stations, air-conditioned and with platform The service operates in two sections; the blue reclaimed land. The Hitachi-built monorail doors. They are more functional than their route (1) from the terminal at Jumeriah Lakes vehicles and infrastructure are clean but Metro counterparts and, of course, take up Towers to Al Sufouh is a distance of 10.6km not spotless like the Dubai tram and metro. a much smaller physical footprint. Being a (6.6 miles). A spare car is stationed just new system, not all facilities were operational beyond Al Sufouh stop. Fares and ticketing upon my visit (e.g. the escalator at Jumeirah On the westbound journey from Al Sufouh The Dubai public transport network is Lakes Towers station). One visitor described to Jumeirah Lakes Towers the trams loop divided into fare zones. The most convenient the system as the most difficult to photograph via two stations (that are only served by one ticket for visitors is the Red (encoded paper) ever, due to the layout of the infrastructure. direction!). The anti-clockwise loop traverses card that can be purchased for AED2 Safety considerations are key for the a canal area, a popular tourist attraction. (EUR0.50) and loaded with an AED20 operator with strict penalites for crossing the Soon after opening, route 2 commenced in (EUR4.90) day pass. Machines are located at tracks except at marked points, incurring the form of a ‘City Circle’, covering the same tram stops and metro stations. Residents and an AED1000 (EUR245) fine. Car drivers also as route 1 around Dubai Marina apart regular passengers would benefit from using have to be acutely aware of the new mode, from one connecting curve. Its introduction the Nol smartcard system. with strict fines ranging from AED5000 appears to be a late decision as the signage Unlike the ‘enclosed’ metro, the tram (EUR1200) for running a red light at tram is barely adequate and in the form of paper network is open with passengers required to intersections to AED30 000 (EUR7300) and signs rather than the smart computer displays touch on before boarding and touch off upon losing your licence for colliding with a tram used elsewhere on the system. alighting. Customer service officers were with fatal results, in addition to any criminal A ride takes about 40 minutes in each assisting tram passengers during the first charges. With active construction sites across direction (trams do not exceed 50km/h/31mph). months as clearly many were unfamiliar the city, life is often not easy for pedestrians Daytime headways are approximately every with the system. in this motorised city. six minutes; 12 minutes at quieter times. There is Red line metro interchange at Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes. The metro is the world’s longest automated rapid transit line, with end-to-end journeys on the Red line taking more than one hour. The trains comprise five carriages with a Gold class compartment at one end. It’s possible to look out the front of the train from the other end (in the direction from Jebel Ali to Rashidiya). The shorter Green line operates from Etisalat to Creek, connecting with the Red line at both Union and Kahlid Bin Al Waleed stations. The Red line is convenient for the Dubai Airport stations and a trip to Jumeirah. Impressions of Dubai’s tramway are very good, but considering the cost of the system (about AED3bn/EUR740m for 13km/eight miles), it is probably no better than the more conventional Gold Coast light rail in Australia. The common denominator, perhaps, is that eating and drinking are banned on both systems mentioned; which contrasts with older systems such The tram station at Jumeirah Beach Towers, showing the enclosed passenger building. P. Nicholson as Melbourne.

136 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Get ready! for the biggest event in public transport

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Full page 210x297.indd 1 19/02/2015 13:35:49 Worldwide tram orders ANOTHER YEAR OF GROWTH FOR GLOBAL TRAM ORDERS

Michael Taplin presents his annual review of worldwide LRV orders, showing strong growth for the industry’s leading players, and a few of the smaller firms dropping off the map…

s forecast last year, the number spreading its wings outside Europe, with (RBS) requirement could make it a hat trick. of trams and LRVs currently on Sydney the latest feather in its cap. It is also Belgium is the other focus of Bombardier’s order has increased by over the only manufacturer building tram-trains attention, with deliveries to De Lijn in 500, and the options on these in significant numbers. This is thanks largely progress and more orders to be placed. orders are up as well by more to the SNCF programme of converting The scene is not quite so sunny in its home thanA 150. Despite the so-called period of orbital rail lines around Paris to this style of market of Canada, with the Thunder Bay austerity, politicians of most persuasions operation (perhaps better described as train plant blotting its copybook with delayed (US Republicans excluded) are happy to operation with trams). deliveries to , although the lack support modernisation of their fleets, Bombardier remains the most successful of competition in that country is unlikely and new systems are being firmed up manufacturer in the business by far, with to see a long-term detrimental effect. around the world. And there are plenty outstanding orders up by over 50 despite AnsaldoBreda’s figures remain unchanged, more orders to bid for still, currently large-scale deliveries during the last year, with just a couple of deliveries in 2014, and a exceeding 1000 vehicles. thanks in particular to its breakthrough change of ownership is imminent. We have already covered the developments in Wien (Vienna). Its option figures look CAF has continued to aggressively chase in Algeria in depth (TAUT 916), which is healthy too. The company’s reputation orders, with some success as its figures are building so many new tramways that the should get a further boost if the professional up again, thanks to winning through in country justifies its own tram-building squabble between different authorities Boston, Budapest, St Etienne and Utrecht in factory. This is run as a joint venture with in Zürich is settled in the way that VBZ particular. The Spanish-based manufacturer Alstom, whose own order book would have (Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich) wants. For the does not seem too concerned with breaking dropped were it not for the 176 cars to be first time since theSwiss Standard tram of into the Chinese market, even as a joint built there. The company, now partly owned the 1950s, this will see the same car operating venture partner, unlike many of the multi- by the French state, seems to be increasingly in both Basel and Zurich, while the Bern nationals who have signed all manner of

138 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org ORDERS PENDING 1018 (+ 325 OPTIONS) Athina...... 25 Batna...... 30 Bern...... 16 ...... 15 (+ 62) Bursa...... 60 LRV and 12 tram Bydgoszcz...... 15 Caen...... 32 Chemnitz...... 10 Cosenza...... 11 Darmstadt...... 10 (+ 10) De Lijn (BE)...... 146 Dortmund...... 20 El Paso...... 8 Frankfurt/Oder...... 15 Göteborg...... 40 (+ 60) Graz...... 35 Hasselt...... 18 Innsbruck...... 20 (+ 10) Izmir...... 17 After display at InnoTrans in 2014, Jerusalem...... 46 Transtech-built 402 was København...... 27 tested on the Würzburg, Germany, Luxembourg...... 32 metre-gauge system. T. Wembske München...... 13 (+ 107) Odense...... 18 Oslo...... 45 LEFT: Bombardier Phoenix...... 11 Flexity 5001 in Plzen...... 18 traditional Basel St Louis (Mauritius)...... 31 livery, part of a San Diego...... 22 61-vehicle order Sassi...... 3 (+ 6) placed in 2012, shortly Skopje...... 22 following its delivery ...... 23 on 8 November Tel Aviv...... 90 (+ 30) 2014. The new trams Tiranë...... 20 Torun...... 12 operate over the Zürich...... 30 (+ 40) 2.8km (1.7-mile) cross-border line into Germany that opened ABOVE: Alstom, leader at the end of 2014. BVB of the CITA Cuenca RIGHT: San consortium, is to supply Francisco Municipal 14 Citadis low-floor trams Transportation to the Ecuadorean city of Agency (SFMTA) Cuenca, the nation’s first recently exercised modern tramway. Alstom an option to take the total number of SF200 RIGHT Kinkisharyo’s low-floor LRVs on only major current order order to 215; the first is the 175-vehicle contract prototype is scheduled for Los Angeles. The first for delivery from P3010 was delivered in Siemens’ Sacramento October 2014, following an facility in December order for 78 LRVs placed in 2016. SFMTA has one April 2012 followed by an remaining option for 45 optional 97 cars ordered additional cars. SFMTA in 2013. LACMTA partnerships and technology licensing to home orders from the Czech Republic clear where the provincial systems will get agreements in recent years. China’s own and Slovakia. In terms of remanufacturing funding from to order even the most basic of rolling stock business is being reorganised, and modernisation, PRAGOIMEX seems to these, given the parlous state of the Russian and most of the new tramways are using maintain a steady flow of business. economy. Moskva and Sankt Peterburg can the products of joint ventures, though Siemens’ figures have recovered too, afford new and complex trams, through joint some orders have still to be announced. though with a huge order from San Francisco ventures with Pesa and Alstom respectively. Trams form a very small part of Chinese it could hardly do otherwise. This is another Three companies that have left the listings rolling stock production compared with ‘traditional’ European manufacturer that are Brookville, Durmazlar and United burgeoning metro orders, and there has as yet now does the bulk of its business overseas, Streetcar, though Turkey’s Durmazlar is been no breakthrough into western markets with just a few vehicles for the German probably in line for the Bursa tram order, aside from an order for Samsun in Turkey market adding to existing orders for Den and perhaps the high-floor LRV order as (though the Boston metro order may be a Haag. Stadler has fallen back again, despite well. Of the US companies, Brookville has sign of things to come). success in Aarhus; its reputation is probably just delivered its first two new-builds to In eastern Europe there is relatively not helped by issues with the Variobahn trams Dallas, but continues in its main business of healthy business to keep the production lines delivered to München. Vossloh’s order book is renovating PCCs. However of Inekon, Pesa, Solaris and Škoda humming. pretty stagnant, and the company is looking found the meagre orders it could win in One advantage these small producers have is to dispose of its transit business in the near the US insufficient to stay in business and the ability to offer shorter delivery dates than future; hopefully its tram-train know-how recently announced its ‘hibernation’. most of the larger companies. Solaris seems will not be lost. A joint venture in China has The second-hand market is still very quiet. to be better at winning German orders, while apparently achieved nothing. Gdansk’s attempt to find double-ended eight- Pesa cleans up in its native Poland. Škoda’s Russia has enough new tram designs to axle cars was unsuccessful, and it has gone for figures look much healthier this year, thanks organise a Moskva exhibition, but it is not a smaller number of new Pesa trams.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 139 Worldwide tram orders

TRAMS/LRVS ON ORDER (+ OPTIONS) AS AT FEBRUARY 2015

MANUFACTURER ORDERS (+ OPTIONS) DELIVERY MANUFACTURER ORDERS (+ OPTIONS) DELIVERY 3877 (+ 1007)

Alstom 485 (+ 169) Hyundai-Rotem 38 Annaba 72 Citadis 2016 Izmir 38 low-floor tram 2015-16 Avignon 24 Citadis Compact 2016 Caen 24 Citadis 2017-18 Inekon/Pragoimex 90 (+ 21) Cuenca 14 Citadis 2015-16 Almaty 34 (+ 21) Superior+ 2013-15 Dubai 14 Citadis 2016 Detroit 6 Trio 2017 Liege 32 Citadis 2017-18 Kosice 38 Vario LF2plus 2014-16 Lusail 35 Citadis 2017-18 Oaklahoma City 6 (+ 6) Trio 2016-17 Ottawa 34 Citadis Spirit 2015-16 Seattle 6 Trio 2015 Ouragia 34 Citadis 2015-16 Paris 43 Citadis 2017-18 Kinkisharyo 175 (+ 97) Rio De Janeiro 32 Citadis 2015-16 Los Angeles 175 (+ 97) P3010 2014-18 Sétif 40 Citadis 2016-17 Sidi-Bel-Abbes 30 Citadis 2015-16 Pesa 373 (+ 6) SNCF 15 (+ 131) Citadis Dualis 2015-20 Bydgoszcz 12 Swing 2015 Strasbourg 12 (+ 38) Citadis 2016-17 Gdansk 5 Jazz Duo 2014-15 Sydney 30 Citadis 2017-19 Katowice 30 Twist 2014-15 Krakow 36 Twist 2015-16 AnsaldoBreda 70 (+ 7) Lodz 22 Swing 2015-16 Genova 7 (+ 7) high-floor LRV 2015 Moskva 120 Fokstrot 2014-16 with Uraltransmash FGC Genova 1 Tram-train 2015 Pavlodar 85 Twist 2013-16 Firenze 29 Sirio 2015-16 Torun 12 (+ 6) Swing 2014-15 Kayseri 21 Sirio 2015 Warszawa 45 Jazz 2014-16 Zhuhai 12 Sirio 2014-15 with CNR Dalian Wroclaw 6 Twist 2016

Astra 4 (+ 51) Siemens 487 (+ 45) Arad 4 (+ 51) Imperio 2012-15 with Siemens Calgary 60 S200 2015-16 Charlotte 22 S70 2015-16 Bombardier 1043 (+ 120) Den Haag 60 Avenio 2014-17 Antwerpen 38 (+ 24) Flexity 2 2015-16 Doha 19 Avenio 2015-16 Basel 61 (+ 48) Flexity 2 2014-17 Portland 18 S70 2014-15 25 Flexity Berlin 2015-16 San Diego 34 S70s 2014-15 Brussels 30 Flexity 2015 San Francisco 215 (+ 45) high-floor LRV 2016-21 Düsseldorf 40 Flexity Swift 2017-18 order challenged Ulm 12 Avenio 2016-17 27 Flexity Classic 2013-15 Wien 47 ULF 2015-17 Frankfurt-am-Main 40 Flexity Swift 2014-17 Gent 10 (+ 16) Flexity 2 2014-15 Solaris 38 (+ 36) Karlsruhe 30 (+ 25) Flexity Swift 2013-15 Braunschweig 18 Tramino 2014-15 Köln (Cologne) 20 Flexity Swift 2017-18 order challenged 5 (+ 36) Tramino 2015-17 Krefeld (option 7 Flexity Outlook) 2016 Olztyn 15 Tramino 2015 Linz 6 Flexity 2015 Manchester 70 M5000 Flexity Swift 2014-16 Škoda 273 (+ 32) Melbourne 50 Flexity Swift 2013-14 Bratislava 60 30T 2015-17 Mülheim/Ruhr 15 Flexity Classic 2015-16 Brno 16 15T 2016-17 15 Flexity 2 2014-15 with CSR Nanjing Konya 72 15T 2014-15 Rotterdam 16 Flexity Swift 2016-17 Praha 125 (+ 32) 15T 2015-18 Toronto 204 Flexity Freedom 2014-17 Toronto (Metrolinx) 182 LRV 2015-17 Stadler 101 Waterloo-Kitchener 14 LRV 2015-16 Aarhus 8 Tango 2016 Wien 150 Flexity 2018-26 Aarhus 12 Variobahn + 12 Tango 2016-17 Basel (BLT) 19 Tango 2015-16 CAF 319 (+ 230) Bergen 8 Variobahn 2014-16 Boston 24 low-floor LRV 2017-18 Bochum 5 Variobahn 2015 Budapest 47 (+ 77) Urbos 3 2015-16 Mainz 10 Variobahn 2015-16 Cagliari 3 (+ 6) Urbos 2 2015 St Gallen (AB) 7 Tango 2016 Cuiabá 40 Urbos 3 2013-15 Stuttgart 20 DT8 2016 Cincinnati 5 (+ 20) Urbos 3 2015-16 Freiburg-im-Breisgau 12 Urbos 3 2015-17 Vossloh 204 (+ 98) Houston 39 high-floor LRV 2014-15 Chemnitz 8 (+ 2) Tram-train 2015 Kansas City 4 Urbos 3 2015 Gmunden 11 2015-16 Kaohsiung 9 Urbos 3 2014-15 Hannover 100 (+ 46) Typ 3000 2013-16 with Alstom/Heiterblick Monterrey 22 (+ 4) high-floor LRV 2015-16 Karlsruhe 25 (+ 50) Citylink 2013-15 St Etienne 16 Urbos 3 2016-17 Santos 22 Citylink 2014-15 Stockholm 22 (+ 99) Urbos AXL 2013-15 South Yorkshire 7 Tram-train 2015-16 Sydney 12 Urbos 3 2014-15 31 Schwebebahn 2015-16 Tallinn 16 (+ 20) Urbos 3 2014-15 Utrecht 27 Urbos 3 2017-18 Transtech 40 (+ 95) West Midlands 21 (+ 4) Urbos 3 2014-15 Helsinki 40 (+ 95) Artic 2013-16

CNR 137 Addis Ababa 41 low-floor tram 2014-15 Beijing 31 low-floor tram 2015-16 with AnsaldoBreda Chengdu 17 low-floor tram 2015-16 Manila 48 high-floor LRV 2015-16

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Questioning the LRT noise index

It has been said the question, “Should other people take public transportation?” is the one political question where you will get universal approval. It implies that public transportation is indeed recognised as a very good thing, but our own convenience is often believed to be paramount. As such, making public transport more accessible is key to its acceptance. For the noise analyst, LRT poses a very interesting challenge in terms of evaluating residents’ reactions, particularly where the right-of-way for the combined traffic and LRT is narrow. Road traffic is a more-or-less continuous source of noise for much of the day, and most criteria reflect this. LRT is a more sporadic or infrequent source, characterised by periods of no noise, punctuated by short periods of moderate to high peak levels that continue into the night-time, with the only change being the service frequency. Another difference in the noise generation for these two modes is the location of the dominant source. The majority of LRT noise is from the wheel-rail interaction, although the ‘singing’ of the catenary wires is also very noticeable. For motor vehicles, sources include the interaction of the rubber tyre on the paved road, exhausts and engines, all of which are at different heights. These factors influence the design and effectiveness of roadside barriers which may be required to mitigate the noise impacting residents. In Calgary, the city’s surface transportation noise policy dictates the use of the Leq (24-hour) index for non-truck routes, and the L10 for the peak hour for truck routes. Anecdotal data indicates that for busy roads, large trucks tend to avoid peak hours when traffic jams are more frequent, making the L10 index (for these periods) questionable. Whether the Leq is the best measure for a sporadic infrequent source is also debatable. Where LRT and road share the right-of-way, the noise parameters must be combined in some way to give the cumulative impact of the noise. If different indices are used to describe the noise from the different sources, this task can be complex. Patching Associates www.patchingassociates.com

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 141 LRT vibration mitigation CREATING GOOD VIBRATIONS

ABOVE: Trams and light rail vehicles travelling at speed in urban centres can cause unwanted vibration that Scott McIntosh considers can unsettle residents and business owners; it is a common complaint raised against new routes by opponents some of the causes of light of schemes. Flexity Outlook 875 is near Königsplatz on 15 April 2010. Neil Pulling rail-related vibration, plus “Different waves will almost certainly travel at different what can be done to reduce the effects in new schemes speeds… thus, the vibration may appear in unexpected and address issues in places and in different frequencies, making vibrations established systems. more difficult to predict.”

his article follows on from last These energy waves can take several Going underground or flying high month’s analysis of some of the forms; broadly speaking, some waves If trams or light rail vehicles are running challenges on tramway noise, spread out in all directions through the on or above the surface then the effects which seemed to arouse some earth in a similar manner to the way that of surface waves are important, and in interest. Again, I should start by sound waves travel through the air. As the subways or tunnel sections the underground Tpointing out that vibration, like noise, is an ground is more dense and more structurally body waves are the most important. These extremely complex issue and although not complex than air, the waves may be more underground waves are particularly effective an expert in this difficult field, I have been difficult to propagate initially than sound in transmitting to adjacent buildings. a promoter of tramway schemes for 30 years waves, but once started they may travel Vibration waves in structures will and have had the benefit of expert advice considerable distances. depend on the materials from which the on these issues. Noise and vibration are ‘hot The earth consists of numerous structures are built, the flexibility of joints button’ issues for opponents of tramway pockets and layers of material of different and the resilience of the foundation fixings. and railway projects, and I hope that these density and of outcrops of solid rock, Structures made of stone or brick (such articles may help the next generation of so these underground waves (sometimes as 19th Century railway viaducts) can tramway promoters. called ‘body waves’) may undergo distortion be very good at dissipating wave energy, As last month, it may help to start by and reflection as they pass through these whereas more modern structures made saying what vibration is not. Although low various materials and interfaces. from reinforced concrete or steel can be frequency airborne noise from sources such Other waves of vibration travel on the distressingly good transmitters of noise, as heavy lorries, trains or aircraft can have surface in a manner similar to the surface necessitating the resilient mounting of perceptible effects on buildings – rattling ripples generated by a stone being dropped the rail track. windows, shaking walls etc – and this is into a pool of water. These different waves Some readers may remember that the described by many people as vibration, this will almost certainly travel at different initial viaduct structures of the Docklands is really a mistake for the term ‘vibration’ speeds and be attenuated at different Light Railway (UK) had the rails mounted that is really restricted to the displacement rates. Thus, the vibration may appear on a thin concrete deck, which was directly of the ground or of structures due to the in unexpected places and in different affixed to steel girders for the longer spans, propagation of energy waves through the frequencies, making vibration more the whole structure being supported by ground and contiguous structures. difficult to predict. relatively tall, thin columns. Whilst this

142 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org structure may have been economical weighting of curves, like the A-weighting created by friction brakes, gearboxes and in the use of materials it did result in the discussed in the previous article. Readers transmissions and prime movers – as anyone unwanted effect of responding to the will be pleased to know that I will not revisit who has felt a typical North American diesel noise and vibration effects of passing those issues here… locomotive with a massive, slow-revving trains, transmitting the effects over Naturally, the sensitivity of a person – diesel engine pass by can testify. long distances. Later viaducts on DLR or a delicate piece of recording or measuring The first thing to recognise is that extensions use a much more massive machinery – will depend to a greater or newly-installed rails are not planar, nor box girder construction. lesser extent on the direction of position do they have a smooth rail head. The rollers Similarly, the writer recalls living in a at the time and the dampening effect of at the mill will suffer from wear and slight 1930s mansion block in south London in surface treatments, wall coverings, flooring, eccentricity and this will impose a wave the 1980s; the block had steel and concrete carpets etc. Vertical vibration of a floor is form and surface roughness on the pillars, reinforced concrete floors and perceived differently by a standing person, railhead. Outdoor storage of new rails – brick curtain walls. It was some way from a person sitting on an upholstered chair and which will lack the work-hardening a tube railway, but late at night London a person lying down; similarly, sensitive effects of trains passing over them – Underground’s engineering trains were very equipment will benefit from careful can lead to surface pitting and corrosion effective at making the building shake and mounting within the structure. and the laying of the track with the welding causing noise to be radiated within. So having established what vibration of rail joints can result in a very rough Whilst this may be a relatively minor is there are two important issues to consider; running surface. It is therefore important problem in a residential block at midnight, how can its generation be minimised on to ensure that rails are ground smooth and it can represent a serious issue in a concert our new urban rail system? And how can to a uniform railhead profile before regular hall, radio or television station, or scientific we mitigate the effects of vibration service commences. research facility during the working day. generated? As with any medical treatment, The most difficult problem to deal with prevention is better than cure. in tram track is rail corrugation; this is Defining the challenge Most vibration is caused by the wheels of one of the most serious and expensive The measurement of vibration relates to the a tram rolling along the rail, the slip-skip problems experienced by any urban rail movement of the surface that is vibrating. effect as wheels round a curve, the grinding system and it is a frequently occurring rail This can be measured in units of velocity caused by flanges interacting with rail gauge wear pattern that arises mostly in curves, in metres per second (m/s) or acceleration faces and the hammer blows generated by although it is also possible on tangential (m/s2). The decibel scale can be used for wheels passing over discontinuities of the track. Rail corrugation has been the subject measurement of vibration as well as noise, rail head (either at turnouts or at unwelded of debate and research for over a century with all the complications of scales and the rail joints). Secondary effects may be and its causes are seen to be diverse and

ABOVE: Elevated alignments in city environments, seen here near Luas’ Charlemont stop over the Grand Canal in central Dublin, bring their own challenges as vibration can be transmitted through the construction into surrounding structures. Neil Pulling

BELOW: A flexible mounting for the rail for embedded street track needs to be finished off with a flexible compound where it joins the finished surface to avoid additional vibration being passed through the surface, causing premature deterioration. Courtesy of STRAIL

ABOVE: Tramways that run close to hospitals, laboratories or research establishments often need to take additional measures to mitigate vibration that can affect sensitive equipment; Dijon Citadis 1020 winds around the sizeable university hospital complex. Neil Pulling

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 143 LRT vibration mitigation

ABOVE: Rail head corrugation causes excess noise and increases vibrationary effects. It affects all rails, but seems more prevalent for street track; if left, it gets worse at an exponential rate, but conversely rail life is curtailed every time the rail is ground. Thermit Welding (GB)

LEFT: A Schweerbau rail grinder on Middle Hill in Nottingham as it approaches the Collin Street viaduct. Rail grinding can only ever be a short-term measure, as removing the work-hardened surface of the rail will contribute towards a quicker return of corrugation. NET

complex; however one of the inhibitors previously. The same options will apply to outwith the corrugation frequency zone. for corrugation is the use of continuously- reducing vibration. For a more detailed discussion of this supported track with high vertical resiliency Some opponents of tramway projects phenomenon readers are advised to look and high or low horizontal resilience. have also claimed to fear that overhead at the numerous research papers on the line equipment can cause noise and that if subject (e.g. www.corrugation.eu/research/). The wheel issue the supporting span wires are attached to Corrugation can be very aggressive, Wheels will come from the manufacturer buildings this could cause vibration within growing over a longer length of railhead turned true, but again they will be ‘green’ the building. Whilst this may be a theoretical with each passage of a car, and the depth and lack work-hardening. Cars used during consideration, experience with modern of the corrugations can grow exponentially commissioning and testing of the system will systems is that the effect is vanishingly small once established. Excessive corrugation can suffer damage from running over irregular and the de minimis rule should allow one to only be cured by eliminating the cause: track and may also suffer tread damage ignore the issue. e.g. force factor; excessive disparity of from slipping and sliding whilst the slip wheel diameters, etc. Rail grinding is a protection controls are being tuned up. short-term measure and by removing the So, again it is important to ensure that all cars “It is important to ensure work-hardened surface of the rail will have uniform, truly circular wheels before that all LRVs have uniform, promote a rapid return of the problem. commercial operation is commenced. Secondary mitigation measures have If everything is then set up correctly the truly circular wheels included the installation of track on wheels and rails should inter-react to create floating slabs at sensitive locations, but work-hardened surfaces. before commercial these can be expensive and complex to As the problems of slip/skip with fixed install. There must also be a question as wheels on a rigid axle were discussed last operation is commenced.” to their long-term effectiveness – a single issue, it is only necessary to say that the breakdown in the resilient support or a same solutions to vibration issues are contact between slab and a solid element relevant; individually motored wheels, Mitigation bedded in the ground could cause a limited slip differentials, etc, can all Having accepted that some vibration may ‘vibration bridge’ to negate the value contribute to minimising the problem. arise from our new tramway, how can this of the installation. Similarly, gauge face engagement can be minimised? The first step is probably to Of course one major issue worthy of be reduced by effective transitioning into allow for resilience in the wheel – this is careful consideration is the reduction of the curves, an effective flange root shape for usually created by having a non-metallic overall mass of the tramcar. Less mass means the wheel, sufficient cant wherever possible, element in the wheel between the tread unit less energy transmitted to the track and gauge widening on extreme curves and and the hub. Nowadays this is normally a structure as the car moves along the track, good driver training to ensure that curves rubber element either used in shear (as in the and could form part of a virtuous circle of are passed at the optimum speed to ensure original PCC wheel) or in compression (as improvements in tramway performance. that the wheels ride on the wheel/rail in the Bochum wheel). The resilient wheel The reasons for weight growth are various – interface ‘sweet spot’. The overall design will give some cushioning to the wheel/ many of them are driven by an over-cautious of the car, location of bogies or trucks in rail interaction and can be effective against approach to safety concerns. It will be of relation to body overhang and suitable fixed very short pitch corrugation when specially considerable value to the industry if the wheelbases can also help to mitigate nosing designed to inhibit resonance frequencies issue of weight is approached systematically and intermediate bogie slop across the gauge, that initiate corrugation. and ruthlessly – every gram saved is a step resulting in flange engagement. The rails are most resistant to corrugation forward. As a lecturer of mine was wont to say The effects of hammer blows at railhead when they have a high vertical resiliency many years ago, “If mass is the answer you discontinuities have also been discussed and horizontal frequencies that take the rail asked the wrong b---- question”.

144 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

China’s new city tramways A QUIET REVOLUTION: CHINA’S NEW CITY TRAMWAYS Dennis Schulz explores three of China’s burgeoning tramway systems, reliving his personal rail journeys through developing landscapes.

CHANGCHUN: PRESERVER AND TRAILBLAZER

read somewhere that Changchun has been termed ‘China’s Detroit’, which is perhaps a little unkind. Sure, the city is part of the so-called ‘rust belt’ in north-eastern China, but it is still a ABOVE: A line 54 service at Hongqijie in downtown Changchun. hugeI city; neither beautiful nor particularly vibrant it is still highly populated and definitely not deserted or abandoned. “Changchun is China’s only city that has established Changchun is capital of China’s Jilin Province with around 8 million inhabitants. a ‘real’ light rail system: tram-like trains running The term ‘light rail’ in China is usually used to refer to elevated metros. This on exclusive routes… elevated and even underground” can sometimes lead to confusion: how do you classify a metro line that is partly through the empty streets; road construction and do not connect to any downtown areas. underground and partly elevated? and track installation gives the impression Both meet at the Changchun railway station, Changchun is the nation’s only city that has that the routing for line 55 has been more of a but do not allow a direct interchange. established a ‘real’ light rail system: tram-like spontaneous decision than a long-term plan. opened to the public on 10 October trains, running on exclusive routes – sections The extended route towards the West 2002, and a line extension was added in 2007. of both lines 3 and 4 are at-grade, elevated, Station lies in the middle of the six-lane opened on 30 June 2006. and even underground. This makes it unique highway with island platforms (previously In the north the two lines run either side in China, especially as the system entered the road was eight lanes wide, so has lost two of the railway station. Since 2012 passengers operation in 2002, a time when a lot of other lanes, presumably to allow for the new route), have had to walk through a humid, dim and Chinese cities discussed metro systems and while the tracks for the original line 54 are almost abandoned tunnel. did not consider tramway networks. alongside the roads, having side platforms. To the south of the city, lines 3 and 4 have In fact, Changchun operates a modern Xian Dalu, the northern terminus of line 54, one transfer point, which consists of two light rail system as well as a heritage tramway: creates an interesting picture: the tracks run stations: Linhejie on line 3 and Weixinglu line 54 is the remainder of an extensive in front of a number of small restaurants, and on line 4. These are connected by a 200m network constructed under the reign of the while the trams are piling up at the turnback passageway. Interchange stations are clearly Manchuko Government and pushed by the track, leeks and other vegetables are stored not a strength of Chinese urban transit Japanese, who supported the puppet state. It between the tracks. But passengers queue up planners, based upon this example. was put into operation on 11 November 1941. and thus the trains, leaving every five minutes, Vehicles are manufactured by CNR Although lines had been decommissioned are nearly full when they leave the station. Tangshan (formerly the Tangshan from the previous 53km (33-mile) network, Both lines merge at Nanyanglu and Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works), and other cities in north-eastern China proceed to the south-eastern terminus at (Anshan and Harbin, for example) even Gongnong Dalu, which is at Hongqijie, one took their tram systems out of operation, of Changchun’s main shopping areas. Changchun renovated line 54 in 2000 and As of the end of 2014, the tramway fleet is CURRENT NETWORK applied modified rolling stock. On 25 August almost completely renewed; the vintage cars TRAMWAY 2014, the network was even extended: line 55 seem to have been taken off the tracks and Line 54: Xi'an Dalu – Gongnong Dalu was established as a branch line to the new replaced. The last remaining vintage trams, (7.6 km/4.7 miles) Changchun West Railway Station. which can still be seen at the depot, are those Line 55: Changchun West Railway Station – The final terminus at the West Station is not purchased from Dalian. Since 2012, 46 new Nanyanglu (– Gongnong Dalu) (5 km/3.1 miles) currently in operation, but as of November single-section trams have been commissioned. is still under construction. The next stop is The tramway and LRT meet at Kuanping LIGHT RAIL an 800m (0.5-mile) walk away, and lacking Qiao, the only interchange between the two. Line 3: Changchun Railway Station – signage it is not easy to find. Only a cartoon- Changyingshijicheng (31.9 km/19.8 miles) like map gives a hint of the station’s location. The light rail network Line 4: Changchun Railway Station – Deserted as so many of China’s new The light rail network consists of lines 3 and Chechang (18.7 km/11.6 miles) suburban stations are, it is a lonely ride 4, which form two semi-loops around the city

146 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org using 70% low-floor bodies. There are two versions currently in use: a single-articulated version, and a longer version with two middle sections as well as two coupled sections. As of the end of 2014, line 3 is generally serviced by the single-coupled trains, while line 4 sees the longer vehicles more regularly used. The seats onboard are all heated, a benefit as winters in this part of China can bring temperatures below -20˚C. Stations at-grade on line 3 look more like temporary facilities; but, by contrast, the elevated stations are massive structures. An extension of line 3 from Changchun Station to Yongning Lu is under preparation. Further extensions with new lines for either the tramway or light rail system are not currently planned as the city is now focusing on metro development – two lines (north- Rolling stock and stations south and east-west in direction) are already are impressive, with modern under construction. design and passenger comforts

SUZHOU: THE NEW Rolling stock has been manufactured DISTRICT’S STYLE GURU by CSR Nanjing Puzhen based on Bombardier’s 100% low-floorFlexity 2 Suzhou New District Tram opened on platform. The trams are 32.2m in length 26 October 2014 and runs in the new and 2.65m wide. Their maximum speed Gaoxin Qu district, connecting Suzhou reaches 70km/h (44mph), and each Amusement Land with Longkang Lu, vehicle can accomodate 382 people. taking 40 minutes to cover the 18.1km Starting from an industrial zone, the (11.2-mile) route in the city’s south-west. trams proceed on reserved track. Soon Arriving from the metro, the signpost the area becomes less built-up, but a pointing out the new is so temple can still be seen on the mountain big it cannot easily be missed. A tunnel – a view that probably cannot be enjoyed with a separate staircase leads to the from many other lines around the world. terminus: a station created as an island The station at Yanshanlu is reached after platform with stylish stainless steel a section where the line runs next to the benches. The interior of the station is a street. A bridge with long ramps appears friendly and fresh green colour and it to deviate the tracks back into the median appears that facility design was the key strip, with synthetic turf covering the priority here, not so much the cost. structure between the tracks. Each station is a massive structure, Distances between the stops become with construction following an obvious greater towards the western terminus, pattern to maintain continuity that passing wide highways typical of China’s includes either an overpass or an new city developments. The route passes underground connection for passengers. many remote office buildings and new No direct pavement access is possible, residential areas under construction. A TOP: Two modern Changchun LRVs at Xi'an Lu due to the fact that most of the route few villa quarters can be seen from the terminus. is in the road’s median, although one tram, but residents in such exclusive may wonder whether four staircases for housing are not necessarily using trams ABOVE: A vintage single carriage tram, formerly used in the eastern Chinese city of Dalian. underground connections is excessive. to get around. All on-tram announcements are Arriving at Longkang Lu terminus, BELOW LEFT: Suzhou is a city of diversity, with made in Mandarin, as well as the local the surroundings are scenic, but one intensely built-up areas and greenfield sites. dialect. This is unusual, as the central wonders where passengers might come government is strongly promoting a focus from in this remote area. The city BELOW RIGHT: CSR Nanjing Puzhen five-section on Mandarin. However, the new mode is intends to implement another five lines, tram 0108 at the Longkang Lu terminus in the south- west of the city of Suzhou. proving popular, as even on Sundays the with line 2 already under construction, service is well frequented by passengers. and expected to open by the end of 2016.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 147 China’s new city tramways

THE METROPOLITAN: NANJING’S ‘YOUTH’ TRAM Arriving at the underground station of line 2, there is nothing to indicate the direction to the Hexi Tram terminus at the Olympic Stadium East. Intuition leads me up a flight of stairs and along a route that ends in front of the tram; a white picket fence separates the station from the pavement. The western track is covered and used as a pavement as otherwise there wouldn’t be space for pedestrians around the exit of the metro station. Inaugurated in time for the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, the Hexi Tram has been in operation since 1 August 2014. Beginning at the Olympic Stadium, next to Hexi’s Central Business District (CBD), the service runs alongside some interesting architectural oddities. Hexi New City is part of Nanjing’s south- eastern Jianye district, currently one of the city’s urban development quarters. The route is 7.8km (4.8 miles) with 13 stops, connecting the Olympic Stadium, the International Expo Centre, and the security guards accompanied us as well. Youth Olympic Village with Qinxinlu at After travelling around a third of the the Fishmouth Wetlands Park. route, we left the built-up areas behind The tramway runs on reserved track, and entered areas of new development. mostly in the road median and in a few Cars are rarely seen in these areas, even sections beside the road. To increase though wide highways with six or eight aesthetic appeal, rolled lawns have been lanes have been provided. That’s China in set out along the route. Service frequency a nutshell: in two or three years there will is surprisingly low: on weekdays the tram be huge residential compounds all around. only operates every 30-40 minutes. After 5km (three miles) of straight The trams operate free from the alignment, the route turns left and two overhead catenary across the majority of stations later we reach the Fishmouth the route, with charging available at each Wetlands terminus, where – a little station as well as dynamically through surprisingly – there is nothing besides the regenerative braking. Hours of operation Nanjing Metropolitan Tram offices, two are 07.30-19.30 from Olympic Stadium highway bridges a kilometre away, and and 06.45-18.45 from Qinxinlu. mossy grassland. But more surprisingly I Rolling stock is 100% low-floor, and is saw ten senior citizens waiting to board manufactured by CSR Nanjing Puzhen, the tram towards the Olympic Stadium based upon the . who must have come from somewhere. Currently there are two metro transfer The park is part of the Hexi New City stations: Olympic Stadium and Yuantong development, designed as a recreational (both on line 2). Further interchanges to destination for Nanjing residents during future metro lines are under construction, the warmer spring and summer months. including Wuhao Jie and Pingliang Dajie. The Qilin Tram will soon join the Hexi During my ride on the system, three Tram, running through the north-eastern conductors rode on the tram, and two city areas along a 9km (5.6-mile) route.

TOP: CSR-built 002 leaving Yuantong Station, one of two interchanges with the metro in Nanjing. The rolling stock for Nanjing's Hexi Tram is another example of the technology transfer agreement between CSR and Bombardier signed in 2012.

ABOVE (1): An interior view of the CSR rolling stock; conductors are still prevalent along the new route, as well as security guards.

ABOVE (2): A five-section service leaving the Olympic Stadium stop; the Hexi Tram has a mixture of real and artificial grass between the tracks along the main alignment.

LEFT: Physically separated from the metro operation in the city of Nanjing, the Olympic Stadium terminus is nonetheless impressive with its steel and glass canopy structure. The city is to open its next tramway line, in the city's north- eastern quarter, later in 2015.

148 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Advertorial REMOTE MONITORING AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS

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www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 149 Timetabling THE ROADMAP TO A TIMETABLE Creating an efficient timetable increases passenger confidence, drives ridership and also promotes cost efficiencies in the construction and operation of urban rail systems. Dr Marc-Andre Klemenz of DB International explains one approach to the process.

TIMES OF OPERATION

PASSENGER DEMAND HEADWAY

TURNAROUND TIME

LINE CONCEPT RUNNING TIME TIMETABLE

DWELL TIME

ROLLING STOCK NUMBER OF TRAINS

INFRASTRUCTURE

he timetable is an important interface between the The following list summarises the key parameters for the passenger and the operator. Creating one involves a development of a timetable: complex process to confirm a conflict-free schedule; Mode of operation (automated or with a driver) confirm the headway; define turnaround times; confirm Maximum operational speed travelling times; dimension the stabling areas, the Length/unit Tdepot and the track layout; define a circulation plan (including Capacity/unit maintenance intervals) and calculate the required rolling stock. Acceleration To create a timetable several steps are necessary, and the ‘roadmap Deceleration to get a timetable’ (see main figure, above) contains the parameters Maximum gradient that have to be considered. Axle loading

Times of operation Infrastructure Urban public transport systems generally offer frequent services at Infrastructure considerations have a huge impact on the operation, regular intervals, especially in core areas; in some cities this can be 24 and therefore on the construction of a timetable. These include: hours a day and seven days a week. Other cities have reduced times Double track or single track of operation depending on passenger demand, and these can differ Maximum design speed on the main lines for school days, weekends/holidays and so on, and to cater for special Maximum speed on the switches events such as large concerts or sporting events. Interchange stations with transfer passengers Platform length Passenger demand Whether lines are designed to work independently or together Passenger demand is determined from a detailed planning and Radius and gradient of the alignment demand forecasting process, and is the defining input for configuring Turnaround facilities at terminal stations a system’s operations. This is dependent on a city’s future plans, Quantity of passing loops or pocket tracks including developments, growing populations and future land use. Number of crossings on the line These demand forecasts are required for the proposed alignment Number of stations and locations (per line and period) to dimension the operational concept – service Signalling systems frequency, capacity and operational lines (such as passengers per day and peak/off-peak demand). Line concept After determination of the first alignment, the definition of the train Rolling stock configuration and the analysis of the passenger demand, it is possible There is a large variety of possibilities for types of light rail or metro to create a line concept. The line concept depends on the layout of a cars, as well as for potential configurations, including variations in city, but the four main types of network designs are elaborated in the width, length, bogie arrangement, grade of automatisation, traction following figure: mode and power supply.

150 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org on the route that may influence acceleration; differing driver styles and other small causes of delays. When operating without delays this allowance can either be realised by driving slightly slower than line speed or accelerating to line speed and having a few seconds longer dwell time (this will increase the platform occupation) or by coasting. Between acceleration and braking the trains are travelling at a constant speed. In the figure below the red line shows the vehicle driving at maximum line speed, whereas the green line shows it travelling slightly slower, including a standard allowance.

Dwell times For timetabling a scheduled dwell time is agreed for each station The basic criteria for developing a line concept is traffic demand, and will vary for peak and off-peak times. Dwell time is the period and this varies enormously along each of the lines. Thus it is necessary between the wheels stopping and restarting, and is defined by vehicle to define sub-lines within a line concept, considering the traffic and platform door opening time, passenger alighting and boarding demand, dedication of rolling stock and the infrastructure layout. time, door closing time – and optional allowances for re-opening the doors if the door interlock cannot be obtained due an obstruction. Travel time For modern metros the time to open the platform screen doors Travel time (PSD) and train doors amounts to about three seconds, while is the time the closing time is around four seconds. The time allowance for Train run required by a passengers getting on and off depends on the ridership and the passenger to number of doors and their width. For the timetable it is important to get from have accurate scheduled dwell times that have been adjusted to real Departure his or her point world operating conditions, as a longer dwell time than that assumed Station of origin to the Running in the timetable will lead to delays. time destination on a particular Headways and frequency transportation Intermediate Dwell Travel A general design criterion of a timetable and operational concept time time system, which Station is the headway between services. The timetabling uses a scheduled includes the headway, which is defined by the ridership on the network and the running time Running rolling stock’s capacity. The line capacity – the number of trains per between the time hour multiplied by the capacity per train – provides the measure of stations and Arrival whether capacity suits ridership demand. the dwell times Station The average headway of a city’s urban rail system is between two at the stations. and ten minutes, differing for peak and off-peak periods.

Running time Min. headway 400 passengers/train 800 passengers/train A basic input for the creation of a timetable is the running time between stations across a network. This in part depends on the type of 2 minutes 12 000 passengers/h/dir 24000 passengers/h/dir rolling stock used (in the case of differing configurations) because of 4 minutes 6000 passengers/h/dir 12000 passengers/h/dir differing performance (for example, trains accelerate differently when non-motorised vehicles are coupled to a motorised set). 5 minutes 4800 passengers/h/dir 9600 passengers/h/dir This will be calculated according to the technical data of the rolling stock, the passenger loading and the results of the preferred 8 minutes 3000 passengers/h/dir 6000 passengers/h/dir alignment and infrastructure. High acceleration, high maximum speed, low gradients and large curve radii can reduce the running 10 minutes 2400 passengers/h/dir 4800 passengers/h/dir time on an infrastructure section. For reasons of robustness, the timetable is usually not based on the technical minimum running 12 minutes 2000 passengers/h/dir 4000 passengers/h/dir time, but includes a standard allowance; this means a small fixed 15 minutes 1600 passengers/h/dir 3200 passengers/h/dir percentage (e.g. 5%) is added on top of the minimum running time once this is known. For example, state-of-the-art metro trains with 30 minutes 800 passengers/h/dir 1600 passengers/h/dir frequent stops and short headways can offer a 3- 5% allowance. As a simple example, if the minimum time between two stops is 100 seconds, then the scheduled running time would be taken Scheduled headway is the extended operational headway to as 105 seconds. This allowance should cater for different technical cope with the transport requirements in compliance with the time characteristics of individual train sets; small changes in power supply schedule. This may vary between weekdays and time, and may also do

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 151 Timetabling

“An accurate timetable is an important influence factor for high passenger acceptance of any transport system, and must be easy to understand and remember.” so for special events; during peaks the scheduled headway might be Passenger timetables equal to the operational headway. An accurate timetable is an important influence for high passenger The planning of the headway can be demand driven, however – acceptance of any transport system, and must therefore be easy to and especially in a new traffic system – it may be service driven. understand and easy to remember. Generally there are two types That means a higher frequency is offered, even if initial ridership of published timetable: a fixed tabular schedule with exact arrival/ forecasts do not justify shorter headways. departure times for each station; or giving headway times and Dividing the number of passengers travelling in the most loaded additional information about the first and last trains in service. hour by train capacity gives the number of trains needed per hour; dividing that by 60 minutes gives the minimum headway per peak Operational timetables hour. The figure below compares the available capacity of trains (800 Another purpose of the timetable is to manage staff and rosters; it passengers with a 7.5 minutes headway) per hour with the demand- defines the itinerary, the route and the time of a public transport based line load per section. service. Important information for the construction of a timetable for this purpose includes the service number, operating days, the Passenger demand vs available capacity path or route, arrival time, departure time and the scheduled speed. A typical timetable as used by an operator, infrastructure companies and the control centre is the graphical timetable.

Timetable efficiency There are different strategies during the construction of timetables to reduce delays and to avoid delay propagation from a delayed train to the following train:

Limited capacity utilisation Longer dwell times Recovery times at the end of the line Scheduled speed being less than technical speed Alternative routing Turnaround times At the termini vehicles need to change their direction of travel. Causes of delays could include: This turnaround time may also include additional time for basic  Dwell time extensions because of longer passenger entry interior cleaning. If the terminus of a line is on a loop and no change and exit times of direction is required, the turnaround time can be reduced. Some Vehicle faults reserves are also necessary (e. g. for cleaning, change of operating Platform door faults staff etc) in addition to the minimum turnaround time to ensure Signal faults robustness of the timetable. This guarantees that during peak hours Damaged infrastructure with a peak passenger load any possible delay will not be transferred Outside interference (for example, passengers on the track) from one direction to the other. Turnaround times depend on the track layout at the terminal The degree of capacity utilisation of the infrastructure, depending station. The track layouts in the following figure are common at on the planned timetable, should not exceed 80%; the free system terminal stations: capacity guarantees that in case of delays the delay propagation will be reduced. Longer dwell time and recovery times at the end of a line have the same effect. The margins can also be used to increase dwell Type 1: Reversing at siding behind station times in case of an unexpectedly high number of passengers at one station. A combination of all strategies is recommended.

Track layout The track layout is based on the line concept. In order to reduce the investment cost for infrastructure construction several lines can use the same tracks. An advantage, besides cost, is that transfer passengers can stay at the same platform to change line. Type 2: Reversing while standing at the platform The disadvantage of this strategy is a reduction in operational reliability. In cases of long delays the first delayed service will transfer the delay to subsequent services on other lines. From the operational point of view it is therefore recommended to provide separate tracks for all lines. For high operational reliability, high punctuality and operational flexibility, the ideal track layout must contain crossover sections for For a very high reliability ‘indirect reversing’ should also be maintenance or disrupted trains, double-track routes considered. In this case a reversing siding is required behind the on all parts of the network, and grade-separated alignment at terminus of a line – at least at one end – and an additional trainset. heavily used junctions. If the timetabling indicates that the minimum turnaround time is not The track layout must support extended hour operations and much shorter than that scheduled, the punctuality and robustness of service reformation and recovery. The track layout must also the timetable can be highly improved by this kind of operation. guarantee the reliability and availability of the infrastructure.

Rolling stock requirement Conclusions The rolling stock requirement is a function which includes a vehicle’s By considering future passenger demand, the planned infrastructure capacity and is the result of the passengers per direction per hour. and the proposed rolling stock characteristics, a timetable with To calculate this additional information about the frequency, details all these elements can be developed to satisfy passenger needs of the travel time and turnaround time for each line are needed. and benefit the operator. Sophisticated timetable planning gives It can be expanded by up to 20% for reserve (spares required for important and cost-relevant input for the construction of the maintenance etc). The spare trains must be permanently available to infrastructure and helps to reduce investment cost by planning guarantee the reliability and availability of the system. an adequate infrastructure which satisfies future demand.

152 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Kassel

When Kassel introduced tram-train coverage in SYSTEMS 2007 it expanded a system that already Kassel had trams reaching far beyond the urban area. FACTFILE GERMANY Neil Pulling explores No. Kassel, the fan of integrated 91 Germany networks.

n the north of Hessen state, A section By contrast, the commercial, Now busy with a convergence Kassel (population 197 000) originating in cultural and transport recovery is of tram and tram-train services, the lies amongst hills and, as 1877, Königstrasse clear. Around 20% of city journeys are central avenue Königstrasse and indicated by -tal endings and central stop by public transport, a relatively high Königsplatz stop suggest a traditional Königsplatz host around the transport map, figure for comparable settlements that street system. Overall however, today’s Kassel’s main tram valleys.I Although not naturally at local government is keen to increase. 1435mm-gauge system is characterised and RT convergence. ease with such a landscape, railways All pictures by The former West Germany’s first by a fan of long arms forming have interwoven with Kassel’s history Neil Pulling high-speed main line, Neubaustrecke links with suburbs and outlying since the 19th Century. The mid- Hannover-Würzburg included Kassel. settlements. Two interconnected tram 1920s transition from Cassel to From a decision to prove especially routes now link central Kassel with Kassel is witnessed on works plates significant for urban transport, this the Wilhelmshöhe transport hub and of the eminent locomotive builders was not at the existing Hauptbahnhof residential areas beyond. The more Henschel. Passing via ABB, (Hbf) terminus on the centre’s western southerly of them runs arrow-straight to Bombardier, its factory site now edge, but on through tracks about 4km but far from level along the broad assembles the successful TRAXX series. (2.5 miles) further west. Enlarged and Wilhelmshöher Allee. A trip on the Kassel’s Credé and Wegmann rebuilt, Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe opened straight section alone takes about supplied tramways, with Wegmann in its new role in 1991. The station 15 minutes – few tramways can have and Henschel also becoming buildings merge with the road bridge so many stops on the same tracks armaments manufacturers for Nazi over the railway, with a high-roofed visible from one viewpoint. forces. Combined with Kassel being multi-lane bus and tram stop in the Known for tram-trains with a a principal railway junction, this forecourt. The Wilhelmshöhe area’s regional reach, Kassel also has trams output made the city a target for Allied steam tram connection dating from operating over long routes, some bombing that obliterated much of the 1877 and Kassel’s horse-drawn services over freight railway lines that were centre by 1943. There is some well- were absorbed in a city network that wired for tram use in the 1990s. regarded 1950s architecture, much was electrified from 1897. In spite of Except for the long south-eastern green space and buildings on a human closures and realignments, the small Lossetal route to the town of Hessisch scale, but reconstruction generally did central area of Kassel remains boxed Lichtenau, all are west of the deeply- little for central Kassel’s visual appeal. by tracks. set Fulda river valley. This route

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 153 Kassel

Start of the latest tramway extension, RT “Two interconnected tram routes and line 5 Holländische Strasse terminus is now link central Kassel with the next to Bombardier’s locomotive works. Wilhelmshőhe transport hub.”

ABOVE: Bergpark Wilhelmshohe dominates the background as Düwag NGT6C 474 starts the long line 1 run to Vellmar.

ABOVE: Street access for RegioCitadis vehicles combined new infrastructure at Kassel Hbf with this 1960s tramway ramp.

THE FLEET

With few remaining examples and withdrawn from normal passenger service, many 1980s Düwag high-floor N8C trams were sold to Poland’s Gdansk system in 2014. In procuring its current types, originally totalling 79 vehicles, Kassel worked with manufacturers to create trams for its needs, both subsequently developed for other systems. Amongst the 70% low-floor DüwagNGT6C , built 1990-1994 (451-475), some are being modernised for an expected 15 more years in service, a move prompted by the saving over buying new stock. Also spawning many derivatives is Kassel’s Bombardier Flexity Classic. Delivered in batches since 1999 and numbered from 601, KVG has single- and double-ended versions of these trams. ClassifiedNGT8 , the newest are 651-672 built 2011-2013. With insufficient trams to pair enough line 1 services, extra capacity will be provided by Bombardier trailers bought from Rostock. With infrastructure modifications, their operations may broaden. Built 2001-02 and originally deployed to bring low-floor space to Rostock’s Tatra-operated services, that role was obviated by new Vossloh stock. The site of KVG’s control centre, Wilhelmshöhe tram depot is very close to the splendidly sited Wilhelmshohe (Park) terminus. RegioCitadis stock is maintained at Sandershäuser Strasse depot – also home of the transport museum: www.strassenbahnmuseum-kassel.de. ABOVE: Abnormally grand for a tramway terminus, Wilhelmshohe (Park) is however fitting for the adjoining World Heritage Site.

154 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

NETWORK FACTS Opened: Electric system 1897 Lines: 9 Tram; 4 RegioTram Depots: 2 Approx. weekday hours: 04.30-23.30 Main frequency: Tram – 15 minutes; RegioTram – 30 minutes Gauge: 1435mm Power: 600V dc (RegioTram + 15kV ac) overhead supply; RegioTram diesel hybrids City network/operator: Kasseler Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (KVG)

INFORMATION Network: www.kvg.de Regional network: www.nvv.de Civic information: www.stadt- kassel.de Tourist information: www.kassel-marketing.de ABOVE: Dedicated RT platforms at Kassel Hbf. The tunnel leading to Scheidemannplatz is immediately behind dual-system RegioCitadis 711.

ABOVE: Kaufungen Papierfabrik terminus on the tram-served Lossetal line to Hessisch Lichtenau, 26km (16.2 miles) from central Kassel.

ABOVE: Kassel-built in 1970, rail care ABOVE: Weinberg overlooks the tram stop conversion Wegmann 317 at Sandershäuser of the same name, with hybrid RegioCitadis Strasse depot. 751 approaching. leaves the northern end of the city transfers between trains and trams centre with a marked gradient from at the Hbf and Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe. the busy Am Stern intersection. Identified as RegioTram, the Like other key public transport project was launched in 2001. locations, this complex junction Early limited operations used six is shown in detail on the website Bombardier Flexity Link www.kvg.de: follow ‘Haltestellen in 3D’. dual-voltage vehicles. The southerly Baunatal line also ends Kassel’s own tram-trains are over a railway, en route including a 28 bi-directional, three section tramway spur giving extra coverage Alstom-LHB RegioCitadis built of the large Volkswagen parts facility. 2004-05 at Salzgitter in neighbouring Where necessary, interlacing a Niedersachsen state. The mix of 15kV ABOVE: Leaving central track allows for keeping electrified and unwired track on an arm that includes wide railway stock at a safe distance surrounding DB lines called for two heavy rail sharing, from tramway platforms. versions to allow through-running 8NGTW 607 on the with the tramway’s 600V dc power delta junction at Trams and trains combine supply. Numbers 701-718 are two- Oberzwehren Mitte. Formed in 1994, the North Hessen system electric, with 751-760 being transport association NVV sought diesel hybrids. About 37m long RIGHT: Suited to increased integration between railway and 2.65m wide, the centre section longer journeys, and tramway services, a need that has no outer doors, with train-like a Kassel RegioCitadis centre car. increased when long-distance trains seating and luggage racks making it began bypassing the Hbf in favour suited to longer journeys. As befits of Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe. With jobs the RegioCitadis’ considerable urban and student places concentrated coverage, the other sections are more in Kassel, there were many daily tram-like. There is fixed seating on the

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 155 Kassel high-floor ends, with the remainder buses during peaks. RegioTrams the Den Haag tramway, Kassel follows being low-floor with tilting and perch and 15 trams are badged RBK for the Karlsruhe model of using main seats, cycle space and a ticket machine. Regionalbahn Kassel, a joint venture line infrastructure and interspersing Main line to tramway running of KVG and state-owned Hessische with conventional trains. came in September 2007 with the Landesbahn (HLB). Previously a The tram system remains under opening of a new 170m tunnel at the joint venture with Deutsche Bahn, development. The most recent Hbf. Three tracks on the station ramp in December 2013 RegioTram substantial addition was in 2011, converge to two under the Hbf, joining operation passed to KVG/HLB. extending line 1 to around 13km the re-engineered southern ramp of a Entering 2015 there were nine (8.1 miles) and adding eight new longer tramway tunnel (1968-2005) regular tramlines designated 0-8: no stops. This continued the system’s beneath the Hbf forecourt. Even with line 2, with 5 and 5E. Although recent high level of traffic segregation, redeployed space and the activity in Kassel’s rail history, the RegioTram has about half grassed surrounds brought by the RegioTrams and DB (RT) service has already been and like most KVG termini, ends regional trains, Kassel Hbf remains amended. The changes have generally with a return loop. Starting next to oversized for present needs, the ‘main shortened tram-train reach from Bombardier’s locomotive works, the station’ by name only. For two-system Kassel, these cutbacks freeing stock to 4.1km (2.5 mile) extension is from RegioTrams the voltage changeover increase frequency or, with multiple the reconfigured Hollandische Strasse is just west of the Hbf, with hybrid operation, capacity. RT3/4/5 routes terminus loop north to the town of versions changing from diesel to the combine main line and tramway Vellmar, the western part of which tramway supply at the platforms. running, the first two heading north also enjoys RT main line services. Within the NVV network, most city of Kassel via the Harleshäuser curve. The operator identifies added public transport operates under the Terminating at the Hbf’s ground-level demand from university students KVG identity of Kasseler Verkehrs- BELOW: platforms, RT9 counterparts using and tourists as particular prompts Gesellschaft AG, part of Kassel’s multi- Wilhelmshöher conventional railway stock run as to increase capacity on line 1, which activity holding company KVV. For Allee from Rotes R9. The RT5 and RT9 routes serve since late 2013 has seen regular use Kreuz. Widespread 2013 it identified 93km (57.8 miles) of southern communities via Kassel- of paired trams. at the time, the tram track in its care (around 50km/ sign on city-bound Wilhelmshöhe. 31 miles of route) and 44.8m passenger 656 celebrates Unlike the much larger RandstadRail For detailed interactive maps of this journeys within city limits. It deploys Germany’s 2014 RegioTram fleet where the ‘railway’ complex system, see www.nvv.de/ 60 trams and a similar number of World Cup progress. aspect uses dedicated track when off uploads/media/SVP_KSPlus.pdf

ESSENTIAL FACTS Local travel: Zone-based, all-mode tickets are available from machines, NVV information points and agents. Single short trips EUR1.60, within the city EUR2.80. The 24-hour ticket is now called MultiTicket Single, EUR7 for the large Kassel Plus area – check for detailed coverage. KVV customer centre in Kurfürsten Galerie, Mauerstrasse near Königsplatz.

What is there to see? Literally towering above all is Bergpark (mountain park) Wilhelmshöhe. This 2013-designated UNESCO World Heritage Site is topped by a city symbol, the ‘Herkules’ statue. Transport links and event times: www.kassel.de or see the tourism office at Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe. Karlsaue Park is a more central integration of art, engineering and landscape. Devoted to the Brothers Grimm who spent over 30 years in Kassel, nearby Weinberg opens the new ‘Grimmwelt Kassel’ during 2015. Technik-Museum Kassel includes tramway exhibits: www.tmk-kassel.de

ABOVE: The first of Kassel’s Flexity Classic types, 601 heads an 8NGTW pair over line 1 near Rathaus.

LEFT: Düwag N8C 411 at Wilhelmshohe depot, one of 16 sold to Gdansk in 2014.

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ALGERIA the BRL1.58bn (EUR500m) budget ALGIERS. The short tramway is running out. Work has been extension from the eastern stopped and the State Secretary terminus at Dergana to Carrefour of Strategic Planning has set up a Café-Chergui was to be opened in task force to investigate. Reuters April. Al Jazheera RIO DE JANEIRO. The first new CNR Changchun metro car AUSTRALIA arrived on 28 January; 34 six- MELBOURNE. Collins St tram car trains will arrive in time for stops at King St and Queen St are the 2016 Olympics. China Daily to be replaced by a new accessible stop at William St. CANADA State government has provided HAMILTON. Ontario Premier AUD40m (EUR27.8m) in funding Kathleen Wynne has promised to establish the Melbourne Metro provincial funding for the Rail Authority, responsible for proposed 14km (nine-mile) light the 9km (5.6-mile) cross-city rail rail line, provided a spur is tunnel to provide extra capacity. included to serve James St North Wien (Vienna) suffered its worst snowstorm of the winter on 9 February. Trams on line 60 had to be cut back from Rodaun terminus turning circle while a E. B. Havens Work on the project should start GOTransit station. snow-clearing crew attended to drifts using ULF tram 717. G. Kempel in 2018. Yarra Trams, IRJ TORONTO. A new delivery schedule from Bombardier will line that will link Lundtofte and passengers. Network patronage AUSTRIA see 30 Flexity low-floor cars in Ishøj via Lyngby and Glostrup has increased by 20%. A. Senut GRAZ. Withdrawn eight-axle Toronto by the end of the year, in 55 minutes by 2021; 65 000 BORDEAUX. The new depot at tram 238 has been donated to the to be used on routes 509, 510 and passengers/day will be carried in La Jallere was brought into fire brigade for training. EB 511. The whole fleet should be in a fleet of 27 LRVs. IRJ use at the end of February, service by the end of 2019. ODENSE. Only one consortium accommodating 12 trams used BANGLADESH The cost of withdrawing from bid for the light rail turnkey on services B and C. The depot can DHAKA. Tenders have been the Metrolinx plan to extend the contract. In order to reduce risk be extended to accommodate 26 invited for 24 six-car metro trains Eglinton light rail to Scarborough and attract more bids, four separate trams. The extension from Terres for delivery in 2018-19. A Japanese will be CAD74.8m (EUR53.4m). tenders will now be advertised for Neuves to Terre Sud at Begles was consortium is working on plans The city still wants to replace the construction, equipment, rolling opened on 6 March. T-2000 for the 20km (12-mile) line. IRJ RT line with a subway extension stock and operation. Letbane.dk PARIS. The grant of public utility estimated to cost CAD900m for planned tramline T9 came on BELGIUM (EUR642.3m). E. B. Havens EGYPT 2 February. The 10km (6.2-mile) ANTWERPEN. The new line EL QAHIRA (Cairo). Alstom line will link metro line 7 at Porte 8, Wommelgem park-and-ride – CHINA has been awarded a EUR80m de Choissy with Orly airport, Astrid, will be extended by one BEIJING. A CNY49.5bn (EUR7bn) contract to supply infrastructure replacing overloaded bus route further subway station in 2016, to 30-year PPP contract has been and signalling for metro line 3 183. The EUR359m project should Opera. Line 24 will be able to use signed with Beijing MTR for the eastern extension to the airport open in 2020, using 22 trams. the subway from that time. T-2000 50km (31-mile) metro line 16, (5.7km/3.5 miles) in 2018. Line T10 linking Anthony and BRUXELLES/BRUSSEL. which should see its first stage Clamart will cost EUR351m, plus Woluwe depot received open in 2017. IRJ EUR42m for rolling stock. Bombardier Flexity 3121-5 to take HANGZHOU. The first section HELSINKI. Consultants have Work has started on the line over workings on line 4/6 from 23 of metro line 4, 9.6km (six miles) been appointed to study the costs T4 branch from Clichy-sous-Bois February (for the first time since from Pengbu to Jinjiang, opened and feasibility of a 25km (15.5- to Montfermeil. STIF/RATP have May 1987). on 2 February. RGI mile) orbital light rail line that signed a framework agreement The last tram on withdrawn SHANGHAI. The first 13km would link Itäkeksus in the east with Alstom that should see the evening route 83 was 7930 on (eight mile) line of a tramway and in the west via Pakila delivery of 217 new rubber-tyred 22 February. The last 31 also construction programme will in the north, at present served MP14 trains over 15 years. A ran. They were replaced by the be along the Huangpu River by the area’s busiest bus route. EUR500m contract for 35 eight-car introduction of evening service on between Xupu and Nanpu bridges, One matter to be considered is trains will see the new rolling stock lines 81 and 82 (Midi – Berchem). starting in 2017. ecns.cn whether the line should be metre replace existing trains on line 14. Route 92 is cut from Fort Jaco to gauge to ensure compatibility A further 37 trains will follow to Dieweg from 23 March to 30 August CZECH REPUBLIC with the existing tramway. cater for line 14 extensions. to permit infrastructure work. LIBEREC. T h e r e b u i l t Plans for a partly Future tranches will be The last of the 220 Bombardier metre-gauge tramway as far as underground suburban rail contracted to replace existing Flexity trams to be delivered was Vratislavice was due to re-open loop have been abandoned trains on lines 1, 4, 6 and 11, 3150, which arrived in March. The on 15 April. DS due to a budgeting dispute. RGI bringing the total contract value last PCC in yellow livery, 7759, was PRAHA (Prague). The first TAMPERE. Four consortia have to EUR2bn. The new trains will still in service (on line 93) after of the second batch of 125 pre-qualified for the construction feature all-electric braking with the 23 February changes. T-2000 Skoda ForCity 15T trams will and equipment of the proposed regenerative capability. GENT. New Bombardier Flexity arrive in May, carrying a revised 23.5km (14.6-mile) tramway, that Alstom is to supply ten 6351 carried out night trials in external appearance and livery, should be ready for service on the additional MI09 RER trains for Mannheim in January, for dynamic air conditioning and WiFi, plus first section between the city centre line A. IRJ, A. Senut testing at speeds not achievable plastic seats instead of wood and Hervanta in 2019. They are: on ’s test track. T-2000 laminate. There is an option for Lemminkainen/Ramboll/Alstom; GERMANY another 32 cars. T. Prescott Gülermak (Turkey); Destia/ BERLIN. Monday 22 June, the BRAZIL Siemens/Sito; VRTrack/YIT/Pöyry. 150th anniversary of the city’s CUIABA. Although the new 22km DENMARK The contract is expected to be tramline, will see an exhibition (13-mile) tramline has a depot full KØBENHAV N. Metroselskabet worth EUR250m. RGI of old and new cars at of CAF trams, the infrastructure is has awarded consultants Arup Alexanderplatz. There will be an only 30% complete (the line was and Ramboll the design contract FRANCE open day at Lichtenberg depot supposed to be running for the FIFA for the DKK3.75bn (EUR500m), BESANÇON. In its first six on 27-28 June, including a tram World Cup in June last year), and 28km (17-mile), orbital light rail months the tramway carried 6m parade on the Sunday. M. J. Russell

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encompasses the construction of CAF on 30 January. Delivery twin-bore tunnels, cross passages, to Nieuwegein SUN depot will and station boxes on the eastern start in spring 2017 in readiness segment of the 11km (seven-mile) for the opening of the 8km section between Manshiyya/ (five mile), EUR440m, Uithof line Neve Tzedek in Tel Aviv and Geha in 2018. Each tram will carry 216 Interchange. The deadline for passengers, 62 seated. submission of proposals is 25 June. NEW ZEALAND ITALY AUCKLAND. Extension of the COLLALBO/KLOBENSTEIN. rail line in subway east from The Rittnerbahn has purchased Britomart will be achieved thanks a third twin-set from the to a deal with a property developer Trognerrbahn in Switzerland, that will erect a 36-floor building Be4/8 23. EA over the alignment. 3News.co.nz TORINO. On 17 February the CHRISTCHURCH. New tram city council approved plans for tracks in Oxford Terrace and the western extension of metro Cashell Mall to High St, not used line 1 from Fermi to Cascine before the earthquake, were Moskva is providing testing facilities for many new Russian tram designs, Vica (3.4km/2.1 miles). The new inaugurated by Prime Minister including the PT Transportnye Systemy 71-931 Vityaz low-floor car, temporarily terminus will feature a park-and- John Key on 12 February, co- numbered 0203. I. Kartyashov ride for 350 cars and should open inciding with hosting the World BOCHUM-. extension from Damaschkeplatz in 2020. The EUR340m project Cup cricket match. Newstalk ZB Concerns about axle shears led to Hermann-Bruse-Platz in will be financed by the Italian to the Siemens NF6 trams being Neustädterfeld, with construction Government. IRJ PANAMA restricted to 30km/h (19mph) in expected to start in 2017. DS PANAMA CITY. Bids to build the New Year. This led to service NÜRNBERG. The Bavarian MALAYSIA metro line 2 were received from disruptions, with some routes Railway Authority has awarded the KUALA LUMPUR. MRT is Odebrecht/FCC, Dragados/ICA/ worked in two sections and line 12-year regional S-Bahn contracts tendering for the 56km (35-mile) Gran y Montero and China Harbour 308 replaced by buses between to National Express Rail GmbH. Klang Valley metro line 2, which Engineering/ First/ Bochum and Hattingen. This National Express will procure 38 will run from Sungai Buloh Corsán-Corviam. Two five-car lasted until 22 February, when the five-car Škoda EMUs for services to Serdang and Putrajaya and trains will be required for the 2km line was cleared for operation with S1-S5 from December 2015. RGI should be completed by 2020. IRJ (1.2-mile) elevated line. RGI Variobahn trams. The company retained to carry out ultrasonic HUNGARY NETHERLANDS POLAND tests on the axles was not able to BUDAPEST. The first of 47 CAF . T he t r a m KATOWICE. Line 18 between start work until April. DS, K-H. Röber Urbos 34m five-section low-floor passenger fleet at 1 January Bytom and Ruda Chebzie was . Modernised trams, 2201, was to be delivered in included 780/1/4/6/7/94, abandoned on 14 February. DS KTNF6 176 (with low-floor centre March. The new cars should enter 801/4/5/9/13/5-41, 901-20, 2001- WARSZAWA. T he 1. 5k m section) entered service on 2 service on line 3 in September. BKK 151, and 2201-4. By mid-January (0.9-mile) tramway link between February. Tatra KT4D tram 173 has delivery of new metro sets had Bemovo Ratusz and Radiowa in been withdrawn for scrapping. DS INDIA reached 143+144. OR the western suburbs opened on DUISBURG. The Land of DELHI. Alstom has been awarded DEN HAAG. The last train over 14 February, used by line 11 (Metro Nordrhein-Westfalen has agreed a EUR25m contract to provide the Delft railway viaduct ran at Marymont – Metro Mlociny to pay 80% of the installation costs trackwork on the new 59km 01.25 on 22 February, with the via RondoRadoslawa). urbanrail.net for new train control equipment (37-mile) metro line 7, due to open replacement subway and station on line U79. DS in early 2017. opening on 28 February. Additional ROMANIA DÜSSELDORF. In order to avoid trams were run on line 1 while the TIMISOARA. The city council delay caused by legal challenge ISLE OF MAN service was suspended. Four tracks has decided to build an 8km (five- to the award of a contract for 65 . should be available from 2019. mile) metro between Gara Nord new cars to Bombardier The Ramsey coast road was Demolition of the viaduct will and the airport via Gara Est. TR (joint order with Köln), Rheinbahn closed in January to enable permit the tramway to regain its decided to issue a new revised installation of new railway alignment. RUSSIA tender, hoping that a foolproof lines on the Ballure crossing, Trams available for regular DZERZHINSK. The city council order could result. RP-Online when the GBP1.2m (EUR1.64m) passenger service at 1 January has voted to abandon its tramway, FRANKFURT/ODER. Tenders refurbishment of the bridge at were 3001/2/4/6/8-17/9/21/2/4- which has about 45 cars operating are being prepared for 15 new Ballure was around 75% complete. 6/8/9/32/3/5/7/8/42/3/5-50/2- on four lines. No timescale is trams for delivery in 2017-21. The New steelwork has been provided 95/7-3100, 3101-47, 4001-72. OR known yet. transphoto.ru city council is trying to agree a and the structure cleaned by INDUSTRY. APTS, the company INDUSTRY. Aeroexpress, the joint order with Brandenburg, grit-blasting and painted. 70% owned by Dutch bus builder operator of city – airport trains, has Cottbus and Görlitz to obtain a Track replacement has also VDL and responsible for the withdrawn operations in Kazan, better price. DS been carried out in the Howstrake Phileas guided bus concept , has Sochi and Vladivostok, leaving HALLE. Highway works at and Dhoon Quarry areas, and declared itself insolvent. Just just the three Moskva services in Rannischen Platz from 9 March refurbishment of the Rose 98 vehicles were produced in operation. N. Semyonov and at Steintor from 20 July will Gardens has included creation 14 years, and the magnetic MOSKVA. Baumanskaya metro see a summer of diversions. DS of a new ramp from the station guidance system has been station closed for renovation on KÖLN (Cologne). The rebuilding area to facilitate disabled access. abandoned in the locations that 8 February, expected to re-open in programme for Stadtbahn-B cars Overhead wiring in the Minorca used it. SV January 2016. N. Semyonov is seeing 2101-17/9-22 becoming area has been replaced. ROTTERDAM. Stored trams SAMARA. The metro was extended 2401-17/9-22, 2192 becoming at 1 January were 702-6/9- by one station to Alabinskaya on 2418, 2193-6 becoming 2423-6, ISRAEL 14/20/3/49/50, while 2001-60 1 February. urbanrail.net 2198 becoming 2427 and 2199 TEL AVIV. NTA has issued a tender and 2101-53 were in the regular SANKT PETERBURG. A n becoming 2428. Withdrawn 2118 notice for the contract to design passenger fleet. OR Uraltransmash 71-407 bogie and 2197 are not being rebuilt.DS and build tunnels and station UTRECHT. The contract for 27 tram with low-floor central area . Approval has boxes for the 24km (15-mile) Red air-conditioned 33m Urbos 100% entered service on route 23 from been given for a 3.5km (2.2-mile) line light rail project. The contract low-floor trams was signed with 19 January. transphoto.ru

158 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org VOLGOGRAD. A n e w snowfall brought considerable Uraltransmash two-rooms-and- disruption to the network in mid- a-bath four-axle articulated tram February, and a tram on line T4 is on test, classified 71-409 and derailed when ice became packed numbered 2855. transphoto.ru in points. Daily Sabah

SLOVAKIA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES BR ATISLAVA. The EU has DUBAI. Metro and tram ridership approved a EUR63m grant from reached record levels in January. its Cohesion Fund towards the The two metro lines carried 14.8m EUR78.6m project to build the riders, up 9.6% on January 2014. cross-river tramline, due for The tram (opened in November) completion this year. IRJ carried 101 300 passengers. Traffic light phasing along SOUTH KOREA the line around Dubai Marina is DAEGU. Shadow service on the being reviewed after complaints new 23.1km (14.3-mile) monorail by motorists of increased highway line 3 started in mid February, with congestion. RTA the aim of full service opening on 10 April. Korea Bizwire UNITED KINGDOM . It is planned to use SPAIN three of the Balloon double-deck BARCELONA. The city’s two tram trams that have been modified networks carried a record 24.5m with built-out entrances at peak passengers in 2014, an increase of times, following a successful trial 2.9% on 2013. Trambaix carried with a pair running a scheduled 16.3m and Trambesos 8.2m. IRJ service between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham during the SWEDEN February half-term holiday. STOCKHOLM. The re-opening of The modifiedBalloons have seen the Lidingöbanan (line 21) has had little use since the introduction of to be postponed again, from 28 the Flexity light rail vehicles. March for about six months, due The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure to problems with the interaction Trust is to replace static tram 290 between axle counters and the displayed adjoining the Pleasure new signalling system. The same Beach loop with 641, which will Advance utility works on Pinfold Street, Birmingham (UK), for the future Midland problem means that through be repainted with a Blackpool Metro tramway extension, on 21 February. TAUT operation across Alvik on the Football Club theme as part of specifications for the new Subway The council is also proposing Tvärbanan (line 22) will now the 2015 Illuminations. The trust fleet. A recommendation on a new Hounslow – Brentford – happen sometime in 2016. is underwriting the costs of the the award of the contract and Willesden Junction Overground Line 7 platforms at presentation along with a number commencement of delivery is rail service running via the Styrmansgatan in Strandvägen of commercial sponsors; football likely to be put to the partnership currently freight-only Kew East will be rebuilt to barrier-free access fans are also being asked to donate board later this year. Junction and calling at a new Old in March. Climbing points will GBP15 (EUR20) in exchange for LONDON (TRAMLINK). Tram Oak Common station, providing be used in order not to interrupt their name being incorporated 2550 has been repainted in a interchange with the London – tram traffic. During spring the in the display. The tram will be yellow livery with slogans to raise West Midlands high-speed line. terminus will be Norrmalmstorg revealed at a ceremony as part awareness of the need for vigilance Hounslow plans to consult on the for a few weeks, and then of the ‘Ride the Lights’ event when crossing tram tracks. proposals in May as part of the Kungsträdgården instead of in the week before the 2015 Tramlink Director Sharon preparation of an area action plan. Sergels Torg, due to the coming Illuminations are launched. Thomson has confirmed in a LONDON (UNDERGROUND). extension some 400m further GLASGOW. The next subway social media session that there London Mayor Boris Johnson and west, nearer to the Underground station to be modernised will are no immediate plans to pursue UK Chancellor of the Exchequer and commuter train stations. be Buchanan Street; Strathclyde extensions to South Croydon or George Osborne have announced The narrow-gauge Roslagsbanan Partnership for Transport has Crystal Palace, saying that neither that all-night weekend services was re-extended to its northern indicated that it will stay open funding nor a business case had will be extended to London terminus at Kårsta in February throughout the works, which are yet been established. However, Underground’s sub-surface lines, after extensive upgrading. costed at GBP3.1m (EUR4.2m) and she did confirm that the four extra part of London Overground’s East Public consultation has started will be undertaken by contractors trams on order would be in service London Line and the Docklands on plans to extend the T-bana Blue Graham Construction. The early in 2016. Light Railway. line from Kungstrådgårde to Sofia reconstruction is being tied in LONDON (HOUNSLOW). The All-night services on Friday and and Nacka. D-E. Göransson with the building of a southern London Borough of Hounslow is Saturday nights are due to start on extension to Buchanan Galleries, investigating converting a freight- the Victoria, Jubilee, Piccadilly, SWITZERLAND which will require closure of the only line into a Docklands Light Central and Northern lines in BASEL. Work starts in April on Dundas Street entrance. Railway-type operation; this would September. Extension to the a second international tramway Two consortia – Ansaldo/ involve the Brentford branch from sub-surface lines will take place extension, 3.3km (2 miles) from Stadler/Babcock and CAF/Thales the Great Western Main Line at after on-going modernisation Burgfelden Grenze to St-Louis – are competing for the GBP200m Southall to aggregate and waste projects are completed, probably Gare in France. It is hoped this will (EUR274m) contract to provide terminals at Brentford. Hounslow by the end of 2018. Weekend open in December 2017. tram a fleet of driverless trains and has aspirations to convert the Great services would operate between ST MORITZ – TIRANO (RhB). automated signalling systems. West Corridor (along the A4 and Highbury & Islington and New Bernina line Abe4/4 49 has been It is expected that the design of M4 roads) into a digital and media Cross Gate on the Overground’s rebuilt as a works vehicle Xe4/4 the trains will include large district with leisure facilities. East London Line from 2017 and 23202 for Poschiavo depot. EA windows at each end allowing A report on converting the on the DLR by 2021. passengers views of the tunnels. Brentford branch into ‘Skyline’ MANCHESTER. The stop at TURKEY SPT said it was too early has been prepared by Urban Victoria Station reopened in mid- ISTANBUL. Unexpected heavy to comment on the design Initiatives Studio. February, some 12 months after it

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closed as part of a wider GBP44m passenger shelters and provision centre trams has been opened by Authority and head of Nexus, said: (EUR60m) refurbishment of the of new platform paving during Oxfordshire County Council, as “We are very encouraged ministers main station building. During a week-long closure. A longer part of its Connecting Oxfordshire recognise the benefit Metro the closure, trams have run passenger shelter will be initiative. This is designed to provides for local people and the through the station on a limited constructed. Work is likely to be cope with expected population economy, and the argument we frequency over single line tracks. finished by the end of May. growth by 2031, which requires have made for further investment. The redesigned and expanded A planning application is being 80 000 new jobs and 100 000 new “Nexus shall be developing Victoria stop has new platforms prepared to move the Oldham homes. The proposals also include the detailed business case for the and tracks, which will ultimately town centre park-and-ride facility a new station and larger buses. essential new Metro train fleet allow more frequent and flexible to a new site. The existing site is The consultation is open on the this year on behalf of the North services to operate as part of the needed for a new store as part council’s website until 2 April. East Combined Authority, as new Second City Crossing and of a regeneration scheme being SOUTH YORKSHIRE. The 2015 well as continuing to explore the wider network expansion. promoted by Oldham Council. programme of Supertram track potential for new routes.” After the stop opening, The provision of second- works has been announced. The WEST MIDLANDS. Dedication trams from Bury and Rochdale hand London Underground first phase between Hillsborough of the new GBP13.8m (EUR18.9m) terminated here while the trains reworked by Vivarail and and Infirmary Road is expected extension of Midland Metro’s connection to Shudehill in converted for diesel operation to take around six weeks from 28 Wednesbury depot has taken Balloon Street was restored, with now seems more likely on the local March. A revised timetable will place. The work was conducted through services from Bury to Manchester heavy rail network. operate on Yellow and Blue routes in two stages and includes a Piccadilly operating for the first These would replace some Pacer with replacement bus services testing and commissioning shed, time in 12 months. This service trains on local services. covering Hillsborough and Malin new trackwork and overhead has not been running to Ashton as Vivarail, a company formed by Bridge sections. Subsequent line electrification, and a 42m before the Victoria restrictions, the ex-Chiltern Railways staff, has planned stages cover Park Square extension to the maintenance remaining Ashton section linked purchased 70 former District line – Castle Square (11 May-3 June); shed. The work was undertaken across Manchester to Eccles, until units and is refurbishing a set of Castle Square – Cathedral (4 June- by contractor Morgan Sindall. this summer’s St Peter’s Square three for demonstration purposes. 28 June); and City Road – Gleadless Expansion of the depot is part closures. During a 14-month The proposals have been criticised Townend (29 June-28 August). of the GBP128m (EUR175m) metro programme, St Peter’s Square stop by the RMT union and passenger Over 22km (13.7 miles) of track expansion programme. By mid- will be closed but trams will run groups who say new trains is being replaced in total, in a March, 19 of the 21 new CAF Urbos on a single line for ten months; should be ordered. Department scheme expected to take around trams were to have been delivered. services will be suspended for for Transport proposals do not five years. The GBP32m (EUR44m) The 18th Century mine two eight-week periods. envisage any new diesel units project, delivered by South workings found between An upgrade of Market Street being ordered before 2020. Yorkshire Passenger Transport Steelhouse Lane and Hospital stop started in mid-February OXFORD. A consultation that Executive, Stagecoach Supertram Street in Wolverhampton during with demolition of the existing includes the possibility of city and VolkerRail, began in 2013. reconstruction of street tracks Network Rail is consulting have now been stabilised and tram on construction of the Tinsley services between The Royal and St Chord, which will facilitate George’s were expected to resume operation of tram-trains under in March. The works needed to the UK’s Sheffield – Rotherham stabilise the area have resulted in pilot scheme. The chord will link a GBP1.7m (EUR2.3m) overspend Supertram tracks with the railway on the project. Approval had network and will involve 150m of originally been given on the basis new track. Network Rail will also of a cost of GBP4.5m (EUR6.2m) for install equipment the construction of a crossover at and other trackside equipment. The Royal and for the lengthening TYNE & WEAR. A 400m length of the St George’s tram stop of track on the busiest section to accommodate Urbos trams. of line between South Gosforth GBP500 000 (EUR685 000) was and Haymarket in Newcastle was also granted to stabilise the mine replaced in February. The bulk of workings, all costs being met by Step back in time the track between South Gosforth the Department for Transport. and Haymarket, about 6km However, costs have risen to for a journey you (4 miles) in total, was replaced GBP6.7m (EUR9.2m), the balance during a 27-day closure in 2013. coming from Centro’s reserves. North by Electric The Metro’s smart ticket system Consultation has been opened will never forget... Step aboard your tram car at the Manx Electric Railway terminus at Douglas known as Derby has been voted the best in Europe on the provision of a new Experience the grandeur of the Isle of Man’s Castle. Sit back and relax as the spectacular Manx countryside passes slowly by. The Manx at the 2015 Transport Ticketing 196-space park-and-ride next to Victorian steam and electric railways, Electric Railway hugs the Island’s east coast scenery as it winds its way north towards Awards in London. The Pop card Bradley Lane stop on the border perfectly frozen in time. and Ramsey. Laxey is the starting point for the Snaefell Mountain Railway, a unique Victorian system has been developed by of Moxley, Walsall and Bradley, Sit back, relax and enjoy a journey through the beautiful enterprise which winds its way up above 2,000 and ever changing Manx countryside thanks to Victorian feet for breathtaking views. Passenger Transport Executive Wolverhampton. The proposal engineering that has well and truly stood the test of time. Nexus in conjunction with Ecebs was first suggested in 2013 to ease and Scheidt & Bachmann. nearby car-clogged streets. 2015 Season Special Events Passenger Transport Executive UKRAINE Isle of Man Steam Railway Rush Hour on Nexus has welcomed support Friday 6 March to the Railways from Chancellor of the Exchequer DONETSK. Shelling continued Sunday 8 November 2015 3-6 April 2015 South by Steam George Osborne, who said: “We to result in temporary withdrawal Manx Electric Railway Manx Heritage Opened in 1873, this narrow gauge railway Friday 20 March to Transport Festival are inviting local authorities to of tram and services in Sunday 8 November 2015 still operates its original locomotives and 29 July to 2 August 2015 carriages. The railway runs through an ever present a business case for future early February, but line and track Snaefell Mountain Railway changing landscape to a choice of destinations Island at War in the south of the Island. Board the train at Friday 27 March to 22 and 23 August 2015 investment in the Tyne and Wear crews always managed to get Sunday 8 November 2015 Douglas and step back in time to the golden age of steam. Metro, which could include new services running again within high-spec trains and potential a few hours. At the time of the

FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, NEWS AND INFORMATION, CALL 01624 662525 extensions to the network.” ceasefire in late February trams Tobyn Hughes, Managing were running on routes 3, 4, 5, www.gov.im/publictransport isleofmanrailways @IOMRailways Director for Transport Operations 8, 9, 10 and 15. Route 1 could for the North East Combined not operate due to infrastructure

160 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org damage, but part of the line was GALVESTON, TX. O n tramway to West Sacramento, due of windows, to ensure a return served by route 6. transphoto.ru 26 February the city council for completion in 2018. Property to passenger service for the first voted to restore the diesel heritage owners have agreed to taxes that time in five years. Work has also USA tramway by 2017. The line has contribute USD30m. F. M. Cain continued on the Lakeside depot ATLANTA, GA. The tramway not run since the infrastructure ST LOUIS, MO. Construction with the provision of track in road carried 51 000 passengers in its and cars were damaged by of the 3.5km (2.2-mile) Delmar one to allow storage of Blackpool first four weeks of operation, Hurricane Ike in September Loop heritage tramway started in 680, due to be returned from 18% fewer than forecast, despite 2008. E. B. Havens March. It is hoped the USD43m Beamish in the spring. the free fare strategy. The HOUSTON, TX. The new light project will be ready to open by KENNEBUNKPORT, ME (US). mayor has announced plans to rail station at Central Station December 2016. E. B. Havens The Seashore Trolley Museum extend the line east by 1.2km Main was opened on 18 February, SAN DIEGO, CA. 28 January has received a USD50 000 private (0.8 miles). E. B. Havens facilitating interchange when the saw the launch of the first Siemens donation for site improvements BETHESDA – NEW Green and Purple lines open in S70 LRVs on the Blue line to San and building repairs. E. B. Havens CARROLLTON, MD. After the April. E. B. Havens Ysidro; 28 of the 76-car fleet will SEATON (UK). The tramway Republicans won the November HUDSON – BERGEN, NJ. Ice be used on the system’s busiest is offering the opportunity to election with Governor Larry on the overhead caused light rail line linking the city centre and discover the history of the Seaton Hogan, there was doubt as to service to be suspended from 13.00 the Mexican border. The planned branch line during three-hour whether the Purple line light rail on 2 February; service resumed at Mid-Coast light rail line to UC morning tours. There will be project would continue. However 09.00 the next day. Jersey Journal San Diego is expected to receive eight tours during 2015 from it seems it will, and the four bidders LARKSPUR – CLOVERDALE, USD150m in federal support in mid-March to late September at a have been given an extended CA. SMART has been allocated a the FY2016 budget. cost of GBP17.50 (EUR24), which deadline of 19 August to bid, with USD20m federal grant to complete At the end of February a second includes a day explorer ticket, a request they examine cheaper the diesel light rail line from San restored PCC was launched on the refreshments and a memorabilia construction options. The 25.6km Rafael to Larkspur. E. B. Havens city centre heritage service, 530, pack of nostalgic postcards. (15.9-mile) line is expected to LOS ANGELES, CA. The FTA ex-Newark 10, built in 1949 for SYDNEY (AU). The last tram in open in 2020. E. B. Havens budget for FY2016 includes Minneapolis-St Paul. SANDAG the former Rozelle depot, R1 1995, BIRMINGHAM, AL. The city USD115m for the light rail regional SAN FRANCISCO (BART). BART has been moved to the Bendigo has been chosen to host the connector and USD215m for the has received a USD5m federal Tramway workshops where it 2021 World Games, prompting a Purple line metro extension to grant to fund a demonstration will be cosmetically restored revival of plans for a light rail line Westwood. E. B. Havens project for a new safety system for display in the Harold Park between the airport, city centre MILWAUKIE, WI. On 10 to warn track workers of shopping precinct. SPER and CrossPlex venue. E. B. Havens February the city voted 9-6 to oncoming trains. E. B. Havens TRENCIANSKE TEPLÁ – CHARLOTTE, NC. Phase II of approve the construction of TACOMA, WA. The extension TRENCIANSKE TEPLICE the city’s tramway expansion a 4km (2.5-mile) city centre of the TacomaLink tramway from (SK). After three-and-a-half plan is in line to receive USD75m tramway estimated at USD124m. Theater District to 19th St has years of closure the 760mm-gauge in federal support, about half the Ground-breaking should take been awarded USD75m in the FTA tramline linking the town and its construction cost. E. B. Havens place late in 2015, with passenger FY2016 budget. E. B. Havens railway station has been promised CHICAGO, IL. Cermak- operation from late 2018. A WASHINGTON, DC. United central and local government McCormick Place station on federal grant of USD54m has Streetcar tram 202 (originally support with three pairs of regular the L Green line opened on been promised and an additional 13-002) suffered a flash fire at the trains on Friday-Sunday in July 8 February. The FTA has USD10m requested. E. B. Havens pantograph mounting during an and August, worked by class announced a USD120m loan to MINNEAPOLIS, MN. Although ice storm on 21 February, and was 411.9 EMUs owned by operating finance improvements to the Blue the proposed Southwest light towed back to the depot. This will company TREZ. There are nine rapid transit line that links the rail line to Eden Prairie still faces further delay the often-postponed other operating dates in 2015. TR city centre and O’Hare obstacles to its implementation, opening of the H/Benning line for International Airport. urbanrail.net, the FY 2016 FTA budget includes passenger service. E. B. Havens CONTRIBUTORS CINCINNATI, OH. The first 50% support for the USD1.68bn UK and Ireland items are welcomed trolley wire for the new tramway project. MUSEUM NEWS by the Home News Editor, John was strung on Elm St on NEW ORLEANS, LA. RTA is EAST ANGLIA TRANSPORT Symons, 17 Whitmore Avenue, 28 January. E. B. Havens planning to extend the Canal MUSEUM (UK). The Terminus Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 DALLAS, TX. Although the two tramline north from Cemeteries Tearoom now has a display on the 0LW, UK. E-mail [email protected] new Brookville trams were not to a new interchange on preservation history of London Worldwide items should be sent delivered until February, DART Canal Blvd. E. B. Havens HR2 tram 1858, which arrived 50 to Worldwide Editor Michael has announced that passenger OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. The city years ago; 2015 also marks 50 years Taplin at Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, service on the Oak Cliff tramway is to revive the Santa Fe station as of the Carlton Colville museum. Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, will start on 13 April. The city a transportation hub by autumn Tram operation was expected UK – Fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or centre extension of the McKinney 2016, including a Downtown to resume with the opening of e-mail: [email protected]. Avenue heritage tramway was Streetcar loop. Negotiations with the museum at Easter as track Acknowledgements are due tested for the first time on Inekon have been authorised reconstruction and drainage to 3news.co.nz, Al Jazheera, Mike 15 February. E. B. Havens to secure trams with off-wire work had been completed by Ballinger, BKK Budapest Centre for DENVER, CO. The RTD FasTracks capability. Funding will come early February and the ‘street’ Transport, Richard Buckley, China projects will receive further from a local sales tax. E. B. Havens had received new surfacing. Daily, Daily Sabah, DS Drehscheibe support in the FY 2016 FTA budget, PHILADELPHIA, PA (PATCO). HEATON PARK (UK). Strassenbahn, EA Eisenbahn USD92m for the I-225 Southeast Passenger service with the first Operations restarted at weekends Amateur, EB Eisenbahn, Edinburgh light rail line and USD165m for Alstom-refurbished cars had still in mid-February after a break Evening News, Globes, ecns.cn, commuter rail to the airport and not been achieved by early March during which Blackpool Brush 623 Irish Times, IRJ International Wheat Ridge. E. B. Havens due to problems with ATCO had repairs to its airbrake system, Rail Journal, Jersey Journal, Korea DETROIT, MI. Work has started communications. E. B. Havens compressor and governors in Bizwire, Letbane.dk, Manchester on the USD6.9m depot for the PHOENIX, AZ. T he 5k m preparation for the main season. Evening News, Newstalk ZB, future tramway, between Bethune (3.1-mile) Mesa light rail extension Work to return Stockport 5 to Nottingham Evening Post, OR Op and Custer streets. E. B. Havens is to be completed in mid-June, service has started, with rotten De Rails, Eric Pounder, Reuters, RGI EL PASO, TX. A Request for with passenger service from timbers removed from the top Railway Gazette International, RP- Proposals has been issued for the 15 November. E. B. Havens deck and a start made on replacing Online, transphoto.ru, TR Today’s project to restore seven stored SACRAMENTO, CA. A federal and strengthening. Railways, Tram-2000, urbanrail.net, PCCs to operating condition. grant of USD75m has been offered Hull 96 is receiving repairs Wolverhampton Express & Star, and J. Marinoff to help fund the 5.3km (3.3-mile) to the woodwork and reseating Yarra Trams.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 161 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.

A lack of integration + a lack of information = a lack of passengers

In his letter to TAUT 926, Tony Fawthrop expresses misgivings (or give any details as to the ‘some’ tickets that allow use on regarding the supposed benefits of the integration and trams and trains). regulation of public transport, with reference to Manchester. First Group has introduced a South Manchester Day pass, In particular he asserts that public transport executives and undercutting the new Metrolink extensions to East Didsbury the like “simply do not integrate services in the public interest”. and the Airport. These passes are available all day at half The most important aspect of regulation and integration the price of a peak Metrolink return from Wythenshawe to is the provision of uniform system-wide fares, easily Piccadilly. Perhaps TfGM can be excused for not wanting to understood and communicated to the public, at an attractive mention these competing fares, which may in part explain why price, available on all modes. the new airport extension had only carried 266 000 passengers The current Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) since opening (after 45 days, according to TfGM).That is a website contains the following information regarding fares: mere 5900 per day, or 328 per hour, less than 20 per tram. “Choosing the right ticket... Some bus operators have their It is also telling that the tickets section of the website own versions of tickets which only allow travel on their own does not mention the price of any ticket (you have to look buses. If you only use the services provided by that operator up individual operators’ websites to find this out, and First these tickets may suit your needs, but be careful; if you buy Group does not list its ordinary single fares on its website). a return ticket, make sure you can use it on the return bus; if The only genuine fare information on TfGM’s website is by you can’t make your return journey on a bus run by the same means of the link to Metrolink fares. There is no information bus company, you won’t be able to use the return ticket and on ‘heavy’ rail ordinary fares either. will have to pay another fare." This inability to provide prospective passengers with clear "It is important to keep in mind that buses on the same and unambiguous fare information is symptomatic of a service with the same service number may be run by different deregulated and un-integrated transport system, and must bus companies. A different bus company may run the buses form a deterrent, especially to casual or occasional travellers. in the evening or at weekends from the company running the By contrast, I am now planning my European travels for daytime service. Check that the company which runs your 2015, and have consulted the urban transport websites of over service is not going to change during the period for which 20 cities. In each case, the range of fares is instantly and easily your travelcard is valid.” accessible, sometimes on the home page in large letters and Of System One Travelcards: “System One Travelcards are nearly always simply understood, and available on all modes universally accepted by all the bus, train and tram companies (cheaper than the UK, too). It is a wonderful and effective running locally, meaning you can transfer seamlessly inducement to use public transport, lacking in the UK – from bus to bus or from one transport mode to the other excepting London, which is a public transport success story. (dependent upon which ticket is purchased from the range of Is it really surprising that UK bus ridership (outside of tickets available), as many times as you want to.” London) has reduced by 30% over the last 30 years, and the NOTE: The TfGM website does not tell you these tickets cost second generation UK light rail systems have mostly failed to a premium price compared with mode-specific cards, neither generate the high levels of ridership evident in France? does the site give clear instructions as to where to buy them Alan Robinson, by e-mail

Planning should include hospitals hospitals, providing a fast, comfortable sounds expressed using an index such as It is great to see new tramway schemes service. Could such spurs be included as new Leq, the smallest noticeable change is about expanding across the UK – in particular, routes are considered? 3dB(A)’. [Taylor 1992]. Manchester’s Metrolink. I was pleased to see in the January issue Given that tramway noise is generated by I have also been pleased to see that there of TAUT (925) that the western side of the the passage of the tramcar and that this only are plans to expand the new tramway even proposed circle around Wythenshawe occurs at discreet intervals – usually no more further. At present, a great deal of care has (abandoned due to excess cost), may be than once every two minutes with the busiest been taken in providing good interchange reinstated as far as Wythenshawe Hospital. service – this can be considered as non- points with bus services and the railways and Peter Barnard, Malvern (UK) continuous sound. I thus stand by my view good access to the city’s important places, that 3dB(A) would be the smallest perceptible especially for tourists. However, there is one Noise level clarification change in relation to a tramway, but regret group of buildings that are not so well served I am grateful to David-Lloyd Klepper for that I inadvertently gave the impression that – that is the city’s hospitals. pointing out an error that appeared in my this is the lowest perceptible change in all If someone’s close relative or a friend is in article in TAUT 927. circumstances. hospital for treatment for a serious accident I had made notes on the relevant issues Scott McIntosh, by e-mail or major surgery which means they will be in and then edited them down to prepare an for say, several months, then their relatives article of suitable length for publication. On No ploughs mean it’s snow-go and friends may well want to travel to see this particular issue I prepared my notes with During the last two to three weeks, transit them. If those relatives and friends who don’t reference to evidence, written and verbal, (and commuter rail) service has all but drive arrive at the major railway station of presented to a number of Parliamentary Bill broken down in Boston, US, as a result of the city, not having any idea how to reach the Committees and Public Inquiries in relation blizzard conditions – several repetitive heavy hospital, then they may be faced with taking to a number of UK railway and tramway snowstorms and a blizzard have resulted a bus (which could involve several changes), schemes. In one case the expert evidence in massive line closures, particularly on or taking an expensive taxi. stated: ‘The smallest perceptible change in the PRW rapid transit lines. Some current tram routes could have loudness, in the case of continuous sound, is These routes lack adequate snow removal relatively short spur lines to these larger about 1dB(A). In the case of non-continuous equipment, as historically the practice was

162 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Scott McIntosh: Lewis Lesley makes a number of interesting points which support the observations in my article of TAUT 927. Breaks in the rail head are significant generators of noise and common crossings should use flange running in all sections of track traversed at up to 60-70km/h. I agree that swing-nose crossings are expensive, they are also difficult to maintain on turnouts with tramway curve radii and should be avoided. The point about wider treads is very important and does need careful consideration. Independently rotating wheels have great potential to reduce slip-skip effects on curves. As well as advantages in traction optimisation Lewis’ City Class tram uses a mechanical differential to allow independent rotation (a similar solution is used in the Bremen and Berlin GT6N cars) and SET in Derby is developing a digital control system to manage independently motored wheels. I look forward to seeing independent wheels ABOVE: Inbound PCC 3132 is shown passing the plow in Boston in 1966. Unfortunately this was the last winter being developed and widely adopted in the of Watertown through service as it was discontinued the following June. Larry MIlls next generation of rolling stock. to keep trains running on these lines during Tram wheels will fall into the gap on railway the storms. On the Green line LRT routes and crossings, and derail. Blackpool had a more Mattapan lines Type 3 snow ploughs were robust and economical solution with a plate used which are no longer available. As the between the rails to support the flanges. ploughs were retired they were not suitably The newer UK tramways have 130mm-wide replaced; instead, sleds pushed by Type 7 wheels, which are nearly twice as heavy and vehicles are used on Green line routes now. add several tonnes to tram weight. When The Mattapan line was closed in late January street rails wear, these wider wheels run over and it isn’t planned to reopen for a week. and wear the surrounding tarmac/concrete I have included a few pictures I took of the surface, reducing rail head adhesion. lines when they had ploughs, and some from The other noise nuisance is squealing on the 1969 storms. curves. Rail-side grinding is one source of These current and extended closures are that noise, the other is the tyre skip-sliding a tragic result of not having the expertise over the rail head ‘pinging’ the rail and or equipment to run the system properly. vibrating the web like a guitar string. Side-rail It remains to be seen if the political winds greasing reduces one source, but rail head force a real wake up call. greasing would be unsafe. Larry Mills, by e-mail Howard Burford commented on the practicality of David Gibson's independent More thoughts on tramway noise and self-steering wheels which have been Scott McIntosh's noise article in the last issue demonstrated successfully in Blackpool. The ABOVE: A switch at Cleveleys (UK), showing the (927) was useful in dispelling the myths City Class tram developed by TramPower also plate between the rails to support the flanges. around urban noise, and that trams do not has independent wheels and there are lots L. Lesley increase the noise level, since on most streets of video clips on the internet showing how motor traffic is far noisier. quiet it is curving in both Birkenhead and Classics correction: Porto Spectacular There are two tram noises that are a Blackpool. This of course saves the expense Photographs 2 and 4 in our Porto Spectacular nuisance. One is the open crossing, like that in of rail greasing and the problem of grease (TAUT 927) article were taken about 100m Nottingham which annoyed residents for ten migrating to the rail head and reducing west of Gás, not at Fluvial as stated. years before being replaced by a ‘silent’ (flange braking, for which sand is then applied, Also, the first Porto electric trams running) crossing. For open tracks, swing- which when mixed with grease gives a (1895) had Thomson-Houston controllers. nose crossings are an expensive solution. wear accelerating compound on tram The retro-fitted Siemens-Schuckert Railway wheels are usually 130mm wide, running components. controllers came from a later series of cars. whereas tram wheels are only 85mm wide. Prof. Lewis Lesley, Liverpool (UK) Mike Russell

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

MARCH 2015 environment. (LRTA/SEG) two cities. (TLRS) Monday 20. Wickham 19.30. Brian Wednesday 8. Brighton 19.30. Godfrey Monday 13. Thames Valley 19.30. Boddy/Tony Sullivan: . (TLRS) Friday 27. Edinburgh 19.30. Scott Gould: Tashkent – Trams, trains, Alan Holmewood: Second-hand Tuesday 21. London 19.00. M.Eady: McIntosh: Smaller light rail systems. and a Lambretta. (TLRS) trams and works cars. (TLRS) California/New Zealand/HK (2014). Saturday 28. Beeston 14.00. Modelling: Friday 10. Glasgow 19.30. Brian Thursday 16. Dartford 19.30. David Saturday 25. Beeston 14.00. What’s on your bench? (TLRS) Hardy: London Underground in Rivers: Eastbourne tramways. (TLRS) Bob Bracegirdle: Australia. (TLRS) Saturday 28. Garstang 14.00. Peter black & white (1906-90). (STTS) Saturday 18. Oxford & Chilterns Saturday 25. Garstang 14.00. Stevenson: Tramway trips. (TLRS) Saturday 11. Birmingham 14.00. 14.00. TBC. (TLRS) Nick Howell: TLRS Archives; APRIL 2015 Eric Pounder: LRTA AGM in Saturday 18. Taunton 14.00. North Lancs Area AGM. (TLRS) Edinburgh. (LRTA/TLRS/ERS) Bob Manders: Italian trams. (TLRS) Thursday 30. Manchester 19.00. Tuesday 7. Southampton 19.30. Monday 13. Liverpool 19.30. Monday 20. Sheffield 19.30. Tony Dr Peter Banister: European Steve Bigley: The railway Richard Hargreaves: A tale of Williams: . wanderings.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 163 Classic Trams WHAT ABOUT THE TROLLEY-POLES? In the first of a three-part series, Alan Pearce and Mike Russell consider the decline of the trolley-pole, once synonymous with early tramcars, and the rise of the plate collector and its development from bow to pantograph. 1

t now often seems that the In the early days speeds were low, with that went with the sliding head was that of opportunity to travel on a tramcar little available motor power allowing the grooved contact wire, allowing suspension using a traditional trolley-pole for poles to track the wires, provided care was with slim clamps on the upper part of the current collection needs a visit to taken with positioning of the pivoting on wire; the lower part was then unimpeded, one of the world’s working tramway the car roof. Very soon the wheeled head allowing a sliding head to pass with less museumI lines. In fact, there are still small was further developed to include an extra likelihood of being knocked off the wire. pockets of trolley-pole operation scattered vertical pivot, allowing tracking of the The system works well at reasonably around the continents of the globe, with a wire not positioned directly over the rails. low street traffic speeds because all the total of around 15 tramways using poles with This so-called side-running (‘Dickinson’) mechanical tolerances are slack and need all the different types of trolley-head; some pole allowed for much simpler overhead not be maintained to costly standards. are still impressively big systems. Thus it has wire suspension. As speeds increase, though, the complexity become rare to experience trolley-poles in The pole itself was developed with of the whole system makes reliability a very service operation and hear the distinctive insulation so that the British open- expensive proposition. Dewirements and noises made, particularly by the trolley top double-decked car design could be increasing wire wear were reduced with the wheel interacting with the wire. safely operated, paving the way for rapid introduction of the sliding carbon insert Trolley-poles for current collection on development of double-deck cars for use in head, but the cost of maintenance rose. street tramways are fundamentally an many towns and cities, principally in the For much of the Americas the trolley- American invention, and many different UK. Worldwide British influence resulted in pole was the principal established system methods were tried in the early days. When major tramways developing elsewhere, some of current collection. Only the it was realised that current return through using double-deck cars; Kolkata (Calcutta) is lines using higher voltages were built with the rails was practicable, the placement of still running under poles with swivel heads, plate collectors, and these often also needed the dangerous supply conductor raised over whilst Melbourne only recently converted trolley-poles for street-running sections the car was the safest arrangement. Next, a from fixed-head poles. supplied at lower DC voltage. reliable means of collecting the current was In the early days many European systems arrived at by Frank Sprague in his pioneering Incremental improvement used poles, also supplied by contractors 1887-88 installation in Richmond, Virginia: In the development of for many years after plate collectors a brass wheel with a deep groove around its bigger cars and longer-distance became widely available. The British Isles circumference, pressing on the underside became widespread, using the same fixed- retained poles, often to allow side-running of the wire and mounted on a pole pivoted head wheeled poles. The system developed overhead with lower visual intrusion, but on the tram roof. incrementally, with the actual wheel more importantly as only a pole could be replaced by a deep-grooved sliding head operated on fully open-top double-deck Standardised fleet with renewable insert for easy maintenance. trams and protect passengers from electrical With a standardised fleet it was soon Originally, this insert was metallic. The current. This was not without secondary discovered that a simple fixed head for the carbon insert for trolleybus operation was complications as the total weight of the wheel could work reliably. With single-deck developed in the later 1930s, and this was pole was much higher; it had to include an cars the pole need not even be insulated, also used for trams. Sliding heads were insulated cable within the pole and totally making it light-weight. The normal supply an improvement, as the area available non-metallic connections from the pole of 550 to 600V was practical for insulation for electrical contact with the wire was to the trolley head. Extra weight needed against leakage, and steel trolley-poles significantly increased, allowing the stronger springs, whilst the reduced could handle the current draw of these early passage of more current with less wear. ability of the pole to react to changes in trams. Several associated parts had to also For many years, trolley-poles with direction when running put more side be perfected. Holding the wire up was sliding heads and poles set to run at an thrusts on the wheel. Reliability was clearly most important, and the rotating optimum angle were used to attain speeds therefore more difficult to maintain. brass wheel allowed simple clamping of up to 90mph (140km/h) on several Mainland Europe had many trolley-pole around early round wire. Arrangements were major interurban operations. Trolley-poles systems before World War Two, but closures developed to hold the wire up onto all the with wheeled collectors also remained in greatly reduced system numbers before different types of support, the only need widespread use, allowing the retention of the arrival of modern higher-powered being to allow a narrow path for the wheel older overhead wiring. developments needing pantographs. and pole. This was to sow the seeds of later The geometry of the trolley-pole system Germany introduced many mandated problems when running plate collectors. in both horizontal and vertical planes is improvements after the war that, actually, The following American tramway quite complicated, and great care has to be so often led to abandonment as the cost revolution standardised on the Sprague exercised in positioning the pole base on the of change was too high for some small system; it is a tribute to the soundness of car relative to the wheels on the track and tramways. It was only where systems then the concept that two big and several smaller for the wire to follow the rails such that the using poles were modernised that the North American tramways continue to fixed head trolley wheel remains in line with financing of collector change could also this day to rely on it. Many early tramways the wire. This requires the wire to follow a be found. , the last German elsewhere customarily used trolley-poles for sharper curve radius than the track. Keeping tramway still using poles, closed in 1978. current collection, such as the Isle of Man's the head directly in line with the wire is Manx Electric Railway after initial trials the key to running a fixed head trolley- With acknowledgments to Graham Bilbé, with other methods. pole system reliably. The key development Brian King, Pedro Milheiro and Garth Tilt.

164 / APRIL 2015 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org 1. Alexandria (Egypt) is now one of two remaining full-service tramways to retain trolley-poles fitted with swivel-head trolley- wheels for current collection (the other is Kolkata, India). The mainstay of the fleet are these former København Düwag articulated cars, acquired in 1967 and 1972, which have served in Egypt for longer than in Denmark. Car 879, seen here on 13 December 2003, illustrates the trolley-pole fitted with twin retriever ropes, one each side of the car, to assist in rewiring the pole where the trolley-base is mounted in the front body section of an articulated car.

2. The swivel-head trolley-pole of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, works car RSC1 (Rail Scrubbing Car 1) is nursed through the overhead fittings in the yard of Nonapukur works in 2011. This is common on company property where standards of overhead maintenance are not necessarily practised as on the public highway.

2 3. The surviving tram routes in Porto (Portugal) are worked by cars fitted with fixed-head trolley wheels, a feature shared with older Portuguese tramways and the Isle of Man's Manx Electric Railway. The Porto cars are fitted with trolley ropes and retrievers and on the double-ended four-wheel cars, the retriever has to be unlocked at stub termini and walked around with the trolley-pole to the opposite end. Car 205 is at Massarelos on 13 May 2011 heading for Passeio Alegre.

3 4 4. Some German tramways had converted from trolley-pole to pantograph operation before World War Two, but wholesale reconstruction afterwards was the impetus for change on other systems. Hamburg was the last tramway in Germany operating with trolley-poles until its closure in 1978. Bogie cars 3575 and 3626 of class V6E are shown outside the city’s Hauptbahnhof on 13 May 1976.

5. The Manx Electric Railway, when opened in 1893, exper- imented with early forms of before settling on trolley-poles with fixed- head trolley wheels. Seen at Port Jack on the approach to Derby Castle on 25 July 2013 are 1893-built Milnes motor car 2 and cross-bench trailer 48; the former has been equipped with this form of current collection for almost all of its 120 years. This view illustrates the number of hangers necessary for accurate overhead suspension around curves used by cars fitted with fixed-head trolley wheels. 5 All photography by Mike Russell.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org APRIL 2015 / 165 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% (minimum £2.00, maximum £7.50) All addresses outside UK: Add 20% (minimum £4.00, maximum £15.00)

Mit der tram durch Lissabon Die Gelenkwagen des Typs Gotha G4 A superb little picture A detailed history of the book of Lisbon’s iconic development of ’s trams and funiculars. first articulated car type, in German text. production from 1960 to 1967 185 x 125mm and operated in just eight cities. hardback; 160 pages, German text. 3 black & white and 193 B5 hardback; 192 pages, colour pictures plus map. 298 pictures (25 in colour), 15 drawings, 5 tables. £8.50 plus postage & packing as shown above. £21.50 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Edinburgh trams through time Swiss Narrow Gauge The author explores the city’s Volume 1: West & Volume 2: East love affair with the tram from This pair of full-colour guides give cable days through to the new details of this enchanting country’s line from the Airport. 46 railways (many with street- B5 softback; 96 pages, 180 running sections) with a track pictures in black & white and colour. gauge of 1000 mm or less. A4 softback; 72 pages in total, £13.00 plus postage & packing 217 colour pictures. as shown above. £22.00 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Komunikacja Publiczna Mit 5 und 25 unterwegs Warszawy 2010-2014 Eine Straßenbahn-Zeitreise von A picture album of Warsaw public Wuppertal nach transport, everywhere from classic The story of the amazing 20km tram Konstal 13N PCC cars and Ikarus route between these two industrial buses to the low-floor trams and cities, part of which remains today as buses of today. Polish text with a museum line. German text. summaries in English and German. A5 hardback landscape format; 240 x 280 mm hardback; 224 pages, 525 black & white pictures, 20 drawings. 164 pages, 130 colour pictures. £14.00 plus postage & packing as shown above. £22.50 plus postage & packing as shown above.

Museum Fleet Handbook Twilight of Southampton’s Trams The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft Images of their final years A second edition of the guide A nostalgic look at the port to the interesting collection city’s tramway decline, leading at the UK’s largest trolleybus up to closure of the system on museum. 31 December 1949. 178 x 126 mm softback; 80 pages, B5 softback; well-illustrated in 80 colour pictures. colour and black & white.

£8.00 plus postage & packing £14.50 plus postage & packing as shown above. as shown above. IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE OF

THE DANISH LIGHT CONTRASTING LRT SYSTEMS FACTFILE: RAIL RENAISSANCE SYSTEMS IN DUBAI CONSTANTINE Following a break of over 40 years since Tony Streeter and TIG/m look in detail at A new tramway in 2013 recently opened the last tram operation, David Steele two new tramway systems in the United up the traffic-clogged ‘City of Bridges’ in from SYSTRA looks at the drivers behind Arab Emirate city of Dubai – a state of the Algeria – Mike Russell bears witness to the four new light rail systems under art modern LRT system, and an equallly the burst of new life given to the city development in Denmark. high-tech heritage style circulator. since the tramway’s introduction. PLUS... MAY + Where have all the trolley-poles gone? ISSUE + The latest news, rolling stock orders and movements, system developments, transport policy and leading industry comment on sale from around the world 17 April

THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE Worldwide tram orders AnoTheR yeAR of www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com gRowTh foR gLobAL APRIL 2015 N O. 928 TRAM o SUBSCRIBE NOW! RdeRs EMERGING MARKETS DRIVE WORLDWIDE TRAM ORDERS Now entering its 78th year, Tramways & Urban Transit is

Michael Taplin presents his annual review of worldwide LRV orders, showing strong growth for the industry’s leading players, and a few of the smaller firms dropping off the map… the world’s leading monthly publication dedicated solely s forecast last year, the number spreading its wings outside Europe, with of trams and LRVs currently on Sydney the latest feather in its cap. It is also (RBS) requirement could make it a hat trick. order has increased by over the only manufacturer building tram-trains Belgium is the other focus of Bombardier’s 500, and the options on these in significant numbers. This is thanks largely attention, with deliveries to De Lijn in orders are up as well by more progress and more orders to be placed. thanA 150. Despite the so-called period of to the SNCF programme of converting The scene is not quite so sunny in its home austerity, politicians of most persuasions orbital rail lines around Paris to this style of operation (perhaps better described as train market of Canada, with the Thunder Bay (US Republicans excluded) are happy to plant blotting its copybook with delayed support modernisation of their fleets, operation with trams). Bombardier remains the most successful deliveries to Toronto, although the lack and new systems are being firmed up of competition in that country is unlikely around the world. And there are plenty manufacturer in the business by far, with outstanding orders up by over 50 despite to see a long-term detrimental effect. The roadmap to an e cient urban rail timetable more orders to bid for still, currently AnsaldoBreda’s figures remain unchanged, exceeding 1000 vehicles. large-scale deliveries during the last year, thanks in particular to its breakthrough with just a couple of deliveries in 2014, and a to light and urban rail developments. New Turkish tram builder unveiled We have already covered the developments change of ownership is imminent. in Algeria in depth ( in Wien (Vienna). Its option figures look TAUT 916), which is healthy too. The company’s reputation CAF has continued to aggressively chase building so many new tramways that the orders, with some success as its figures are Ansaldo rail takeover con rmed country justifies its own tram-building should get a further boost if the professional squabble between different authorities up again, thanks to winning through in factory. This is run as a joint venture with Boston, Budapest, St Etienne and Utrecht in Alstom, whose own order book would have in Zürich is settled in the way that VBZ UK calls for Tube extension plans (Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich) wants. For the particular. The Spanish-based manufacturer ISSN 1460-8324 dropped were it not for the 176 cars to be does not seem too concerned with breaking £4.25 first time since theSwiss Standard 04 built there. The company, now partly owned tram of into the Chinese market, even as a joint by the French state, seems to be increasingly the 1950s, this will see the same car operating Modern China in both Basel and Zurich, while the Bern venture partner, unlike many of the multi- Good vibrations nationals who have signed all manner of 9 771460 832043 Observations on 138 / April 2015 www.tautonline.com Examining tramway . www.lrta.org impacts on urban life modern LRT growth

138-140_TAUT1504_Tram orders.indd 1

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Rosehill Rail_TAUT APR 2015 Advert.indd 1 04/03/2015 13:02