THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com APRIL 2015 NO. 928 EMERGING MARKETS DRIVE WORLDWIDE TRAM 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 China 04 £4.25 Examining tramway Observations on impacts on urban life modern LRT growth 9 771460 832043 2015 INTEGRATION AND GLOBALISATION Nottingham Conference Centre, UK: June 17-18 2015 The tenth edition of the UK Light Rail Conference returns to Nottingham and promises to be the biggest and best yet. From planning and finance debates through to presentations on light rail construction, regulation and operation, the Conference brings you together with key industry players, whether attending as a delegate or exhibitor. Nowhere else can you join 300 light rail decision-makers to debate the burning issues of the day. • Unrivalled networking opportunities • Over 70 leading speakers and panelists • Biggest ever exhibition area • Technical tour of Nottingham Express Transit • Networking dinner hosted by international transport operator Keolis Book your place NOW! Download the schedule at www.mainspring.co.uk/events SUPPORTED BY 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 trams; 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 public transport 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. COVER: The Sydney South East LRT tram order marks Wish me luck! Simon Johnston, Editor a debut for the latest Citadis version. Alstom/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 line 2 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.