THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com JANUARY 2019 NO. 973 TRAVEL FREE FOR ALL IN LUXEMBOURG! World-first as new government plans to scrap fares Six new Guangzhou projects launched Housing funds to pay for DLR growth Two more new US streetcar systems Barriers to LRT Nagasaki £4.60 Why aren’t there Where the past and more UK tramways? present sit side by side “I am delighted that the UK Light Rail Conference is coming back to Greater Manchester in 2019. “Metrolink forms a key backbone of sustainable travel for the region as it continues to grow, so this important two-day event offers an invaluable chance to network with peers from around the world and share knowledge and best practice as we all aim to improve the way we plan, build and deliver exceptional light rail services to passengers.” Manchester Danny Vaughan 23-24 July 2019 head of Metrolink – transport for Greater Manchester “An excellent event, providing a stimulating and varied two-day programme addressing current The industry’s premier exhibition and knowledge-sharing and future issues pertinent to Voices event returns to Manchester for 2019! today’s light rail industry” V from the clive Pennington With unrivalled networking opportunities, this invaluable technical Director – Light rail, industry… two-day congress is well-known as the place to do amey consulting & rail business and build long-lasting relationships. There is no better place to gain true insight into the “I thought the whole conference was great – there was a workings of the sector and help shape its future. great energy about it.” to discuss how you can be part of it, visit us online at Dr stuart thomson – head of Public affairs, Government and Infrastructure, Bircham Dyson Bell www.mainspring.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1733 367600 SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY CONTENTS 12 The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association JANUARY 2019 Vol. 82 No. 973 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOr – Tony Streeter [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR – Michael Taplin [email protected] NewS EDITOr – John Symons [email protected] SenIOR CONTRIBUTOR – Neil Pulling WORLDWIDE CONTRIBUTORS Tony Bailey, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Vic Simons, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, Francis Wagner, Thomas Wagner, Philip Webb, Rick Wilson 5 20 PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 NEWS 4 nagasaKI: risen from ruin 20 [email protected] Trams return to El Paso; Luxembourg to One of Japan’s great survivors re-equips to DESIGN – Debbie Nolan make public transport fare-free; Keolis cope with urban growth. By Neil Pulling. ADVertiSING named as preferred operator for Odense; COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 Docklands to receive GBP291m to support SYSTEMS FACTFILE: gdansK 23 [email protected] housing growth; Surrey Mayor rescinds Neil Pulling visits this Baltic city to witness PUBLISheR – Matt Johnston light rail funding; Guangzhou launches six how light rail has grown from a traditional metro projects in EUR12.8bn scheme. tramway into vital integrated transport. Tramways & Urban Transit 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK LIGHT RAIL DAY 10 WORLDWIDE REVIEW 29 Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring Geoff Butler rounds up a few of the highlights Delhi opens elevated metro; Strasbourg’s on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each from the 2018 event in Stockholm. Kehl Rathaus extension opens; Sofia orders month preceding the cover date. more Pesa trams; Waterloo-Kitchener TRAMS across borders 12 inauguration delayed further. Reg Harman considers how Strasbourg and Basel utilise tramways as cross-border tools, MAILBOX 34 PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION also looking at Mulhouse’s tram-train. The importance of the right terminology. Warners (Midlands), Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) barriers to UK TRAM progress 16 CLASSIC TRAMS: THE MER at 125 36 Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up Tim Kendell assesses the barriers to UK light Mike Russell concludes his review of the members of the Light Rail Transit Association. rail development – both real and perceived. party held for the Manx Electric’s 125th year. LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Brian Lomas I now know why people wear surgical masks... [email protected] [email protected] SuBSCriPtioNS, MEMBERSHIP AND BACK ISSueS Exploring a few of the growing cities of South East Asia last month has given LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley me a real appreciation of the sounds, sights and smells of these unique Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 communities. It is with regret that the latter forms this month’s comment. [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info With increased urbanisation, their challenges are providing housing and FOR CORPORATE SuBSCriPtioNS VISIT essential services and, possibly most importantly, transport. But these seem www.mainspring.co.uk to be coming at the cost of the environment as a 20-minute walk through the busy streets LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE of Hanoi, Phnom Penh or Bangkok would see most struggling to breathe – it was soon 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling DA16 2BY, UK. obvious why the surgical mask continues to be a must-have and not just a fashion trend. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 Crowded, ageing buses fill the air with acrid tastes, while the high cost of car ownership in England and Wales. means millions of scooters ply the streets (and pavements), their single-cylinder engines LRTA ChaIRMAN – Paul Rowen adding to the toxic mix. These two-wheeled machines are fascinating everyman modes [email protected] – work van, school bus or shopping runabout for three, four or five people at a time! © LRTA 2018 If ever there was a case for efficient mass transit then these cities are it. But where is the Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also money to fund it? Foreign investors are queuing up to build airports and toll roads for later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution more immediate returns, while clean and efficient urban transport falls by the wayside. is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the Yet is this really too dissimilar to some of the more ‘developed’ nations in the northern opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of hemisphere? Investment in high-quality urban transport should take equal priority the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in with other public infrastructure as, in fear of becoming a broken record, this is not just any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including about moving people from A to B. We are proposing solutions that will enhance cities, photocopying, recording or by any information storage and improve productivity, encourage sustainable growth and offer clean and attractive retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from places for the ever-growing numbers choosing to live in dense communities. the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the A couple of days in Hong Kong en route proved this perfectly. Although the air quality magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. is far from perfect, removing metro, light rail and tramway services would make the city unliveable. These are my observations, but if you have experiences of places choking Cover images: Francis Wagner (Luxembourg), TAUT under the weight of their own growth, we’d love to hear from you. Simon Johnston, Editor (Manchester Metrolink), Howard Pulling (Nagasaki) www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JANUARY 2019 / 3 News PPP for Barranquilla LRT The Colombian Ministry of Finance has approved a PPP Trams return to El Paso project for a 12km (7.5-mile) north–south light rail line in the city Rebuilt PCCs provide passenger services after an absence of 44 years of Barranquilla. The plan calls for a route along Calle 30 from Fluvial Intendance to Ernesto Cortissoz Rebuilt PCC 1506 moves into position for the opening International Airport in this north- ceremony on 9 November. R. Ramirez eastern port city of 1.2m people. The consortium delivering the project is made up of Cointer Concesiones, Stadler Rail and Transdev, which will provide 70% of the COP1.8bn (EUR496m) funding in return for a 26.5-year contract. Stadler will provide 22 low-floor LRVs. Italy’s Palermo confirms two new tramlines Palermo city council has approved EUR426m plans for two new tramlines and two extensions to the existing network as well as new park-and-ride facilities. EUR200m treetcar service returned near the airport, where they sat The first rebuilt PCC (1506) will come from a state grant with to the Texan city of El Paso until 2015. arrived by road from Brookville a EUR50m contribution from (US) on 9 November after In 2012 the city decided it on 19 March 2018 for testing; the Municipality and the Sicily a 44-year absence. wanted to create a tramway loop 1504/11/2/4/5 followed. The six Region. The lines will be built SThe border city on the Rio to carry passengers through the cars carry three different liveries: by Amat, a joint stock company Grande river has been part of centre, to be worked by rebuilt blue/green with a white roof owned by the Municipality. the United States since 1848. PCCs from the desert. Final and red stripes representing the The new lines will be Viale It has a population of 684 000 approval for the 7.7km (4.8-mile) 1970s (1506/12), blue/green and Croce Rossa – Mondello and enjoys a desert climate project came in July 2014, white with a dark green stripe (20km/12.4 miles), and Via Duca with over 300 days of sunshine with an allocation of USD97m representing the 1960s (1504/14) della Verdura – Stazione Centrale each year.