THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE HEADLINES l Toronto Transit City plan reinstated l Alstom looks to take Translohr stake l Agreement reached on Budapest debt BLACKPOOL: TRAM PIONEER TO MODERN LIGHT RAIL ICON Pittsburgh Factfile: Expansion of the ‘T’ French lessons: End of an era: Tramway, metro, Poland waves tram-train... Lyon’s a fond farewell 75 model for urban to the distinctive rail integration 803n tram JUNE 2012 No. 894 1937–2012 WWW. LRTA . ORG l WWW. TRAMNEWS . NET £3.80 Pojazdy Szynowe PESA Bydgoszcz SA 85-082 Bydgoszcz, ul. Zygmunta Augusta 11 POLSKA - POLAND tel. (+48)52 33 91 100, (+48)52 33 91 104 fax (+48)52 3391 114 www.pesa.pl e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Contents The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association 208 News 208 JUNE 2012 Vol. 75 No. 894 Bombardier opens Brazilian monorail production centre; www.tramnews.net Toronto Transit City plan reinstated; Alstom looks with EDITORIAL French Stategic Investment Fund at joint purchase of Editor: Simon Johnston Translohr; Edinburgh debates temporary terminus; Cincinatti Tel: +44 (0)1832 281131 E-mail: [email protected] Eaglethorpe Barns, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TJ, UK. chooses CAF; Agreement reached on Budapest debt. Associate Editor: Tony Streeter 214 Blackpool: New life for an icon E-mail: [email protected] Following a four-year renwal designed to support local Worldwide Editor: Michael Taplin regeneration, the ‘new’ Blackpool Tramway has reopened Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. to the public. Neil Pulling reports. E-mail: [email protected] 214 News Editor: John Symons 223 Systems Factfile: Pittsburgh 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST9 0LW, UK. After the successful recent opening of an extension E-mail: [email protected] under the Allegheny River, the ‘T’ light rail system Contributor: Neil Pulling serving Pennsylvania’s second city may grow further into Design: Debbie Nolan Allegheny County. Production: Carla Corrado 227 Lyon’s expanding light rail landscape Tel: +44 (0)1832 281134 E-mail: [email protected] Arguably France’s second city, Lyon has supported major Worldwide Contributors: Aare Olander, Nikolai metro and tramway developments in recent years – with Semyonov, Sergei Tarkhov (CIS), Mike Russell, Norman Bartlett, Thomas Wagner, Pedro Costa, Richard Felski, Jordi Ibanez (Europe), more still to come. 223 Yoshiri Nogi (Japan), Anthony Bailey, Ian Hammond, Paul Nicholson 231 Worldwide Review (Australia), Vic Simons, Charles Lietwiler, Steve Morgan, Tom Swinney, Julian Wolinsky (North America). Hong Kong approves Shatin – Central metro; New Wroclaw branches open for business; Los Angeles Expo LRTA Website and Diary: Brian Lomas E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] light rail line opens; Tallinn to introduce free travel; Commercial Manager: Vicky Binley Tyne & Wear Metro celebrates tenth anniversary of Tel: +44 (0)1832 281132 E-mail: [email protected] Sunderland and South Hylton. Advertising Manager: Andy Adams 238 Letters Tel: +44 (0)1832 281135 E-mail: [email protected] Onboard storage questions and the role of nanotechnology; Eaglethorpe Barns, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TJ, UK. resurrecting old tram tracks for new systems; An 240 Publisher: Howard Johnston Australian perspective on high-speed rail v light rail Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the LRTA and LRTA investment; and is vehicle-mounted ‘catenary’ a solution to Publishing on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. power demand? LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the 240 Classic Trams: Polish melody silenced Light Rail Transit Association. You are welcome to join the LRTA. Mike Russell reports from Poland on the demise of two subscriptions: LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), independent operators and a classic design of long-lived 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. articulated car. BACK ISSUES: Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION: Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. More urban transit choice than ever before LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE: c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, simON JOhnstON, editOR Kent DA16 2BY. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 in England and Wales. Chairman: Andrew Braddock. Deputy Chairman: Vic Simons As we approach the 75th anniversary of means we can apply real vision to new LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn the Light Rail Transit Association (see TAUT transport solutions. One size definitely Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 895 for an in-depth piece from Chairman won’t fit all, but the myriad of realistic in England and Wales. Andrew Braddock) it is thought-provoking possibilities offers an exciting prospect © LRTA Publishing 2012. to think that light rail, trams, streetcars for the towns and cities of the future. Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used and metros make even more sense today From monorails in developing nations on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the opinions expressed in it, and such opinions than they did when the LRTA was set up such as India and Brazil, street-running are not those of LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. to fight for them back in the 1930s. light rail (including vintage trolleys) in No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form Far from now being an outmoded North America, urban maglevs in China, by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior technology as some detractors would have and rubber-tyred ‘trams’ across Europe – permission in writing from the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the you believe, the tramways created by our the issues being addressed are the same contents of the magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. Victorian and Edwardian forebears were, across the world, but the technologies in reality, way ahead of their time. being used to address them vary. The THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE HEADLINES l Toronto Transit City plan reinstated Open for business... l In the second decade of the 21st challenge is to enjoy the benefits of all Alstom looks to take Translohr stake l Agreement reached on Budapest debt This is the UK’s Century, now is the time to demonstrate – without creating undue complexity or reconstructed a similar sense of imagination to that generating excessive cost. Blackpool Tramway on of the planners of the past, in adopting Mass transit in all forms seeks to 4 April, with Flexity electrically-powered urban transport to move people quickly, efficiently and 2 008 nearest the camera at St Chad’s solve mobility issues in the world’s attractively; no matter what modes are BLACKPOOL: TRAM PIONEER ever-growing urban centres. chosen, the days for internal-combustion TO MODERN LIGHT RAIL ICON Road. The town’s Pittsburgh Factfile: Expansion of the ‘T’ As technology moves forward we now automobiles must surely be numbered French lessons: End of an era: famous tower is in the Tramway, metro, Poland waves tram-train... Lyon’s a fond farewell 75 model for urban to the distinctive have the ability to mix and match modes as we move towards fully-electric urban rail integration 803n tram JUNE background. 2012 No. 894 1937–2012 WWW. LRTA . ORG l WWW. TRAMNEWS . NET £3.80 Neil Pulling in a way never seen before – and that centres. TAUT_May12_Cover.indd 1 30/4/12 17:33:43 www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org JUNE 2012 207 News TORONTO TRANSIT CITY RE-INSTATED ON 25 April the board of the provincial tran- tion is expected in 2020. Conversion of the “Some councillors down here, and obviously sit agency, Metrolinx, unanimously approved Scarborough RT to light rail will start in 2014, the province, are ignoring the people... the a plan to build four light rail lines across To- to open in 2019. LRT on Sheppard East will people want subways and they’re totally ig- ronto (Canada) by 2020. The vote effectively start in 2014, for completion in 2018. Finch noring them. So let’s wait until the election.” re-instates a modified version of the Transit West light rail will start to be built in 2015 for “When you want to St. Clairise the whole City development that was withdrawn after completion in 2019. The lines will be worked city, turn Sheppard into the disaster on St. Mayor Ford’s opposition, since by-passed by by the 182 LRVs on order from Bombardier. Clair, turn Eglinton into the disaster on St. the City Council and Toronto Transit Com- Following his defeat in the city council, Clair, that’s a war on the car,” he added, ref- mission (TTC). The CAD8.4bn (USD8.5bn) Mayor Ford has pledged to do everything erencing the right-of-way streetcar that runs commitment for these projects remains. in his power to thwart light rail construction along St. Clair Avenue West. The Eglinton – Scarborough cross-town line on Eglinton and Sheppard. Councillor Doug . Canadian National Railway (CN) has sold is already under construction and will now run Ford, the Mayor’s brother and a key council Metrolinx two sections of commuter rail line above ground east of Laird Avenue. Comple- ally, was quick to denounce the vote, saying: for GO Transit service for CAD310.5m. Paris sets PESA confirms first Romanian tram contract tougher A PROCUREMENT challenge by Astra Vagon has been rejected, operating enabling the Romanian tramway in Cluj-Napoca to place an order targets with PESA for four trams to its 30m Swing design.