THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com JULY 2019 NO. 979 GROWING LONDON’S TRAM POTENTIAL Brussels congress debates urban rail safety and sustainability Doha launches Metro Red line service US raises Chinese security concerns India plans ‘Metrolite’ for smaller cities Canberra Energy efficiency £4.60 Realising a 100-year Reduced waste and light rail ambition greater profitability 2019 ENTRIES OPEN NOW! SUPPORTED BY ColTram www.lightrailawards.com CONTENTS 244 The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association 263 JULY 2019 Vol. 82 No. 979 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOr – Tony Streeter [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR – Michael Taplin [email protected] 256 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 PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 [email protected] NEWS 244 saving energy, saVING COST 258 Doha opens Metro Red line; US politicians Len Vossman explains some of the current DESIGN – Debbie Nolan raise Chinese security concerns; Brussels initiatives driving tramway and metro ADVertiSING celebrates ‘tramway 150’; Arizona’s Valley energy efficiency. COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 Metro extends to Gilbert Rd; Bombardier [email protected] UK to build new Cairo monorail; Luas-style SYSTEMS FACTFILE: london trams 263 PUBLISheR – Matt Johnston system proposed for Ireland’s Cork; Neil Pulling looks at developments on the Kent-Essex tramway is feasible; India UK network formerly known as Tramlink. Tramways & Urban Transit proposes ‘Metrolite’ LRT for smaller cities. 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK WORLDWIDE REVIEW 269 EU LIGHT RAIL 2019 250 Wuppertal services to restart; Durmazlar to Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring Exploring the main debates on safety, double tram factory capacity; Denver LRT on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. sustainability and innovation from this year’s extends to Lone Tree; S-Bahn for Leeds? congress in Brussels. Geoff Butler reports. Giving evidence on LRT’S VALUE 274 preparing for CANBERRA lrt 252 Tim Kendell explains the LRTA’s response to Shany Shaked and Robert Wagner from DB the UK Government’s Call for Evidence. PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION E&C describe the process of commissioning Warners (Midlands), Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK Australia’s newest light rail system. MAILBOX 275 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Is the Cambridge Autonomous Metro plan a Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up neW connections in TOULOUSE 256 white elephant; More on AI in light rail. members of the Light Rail Transit Association. SYSTRA’s Sandrine Vielhescaze and LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Yves Montaron talk through the latest CLASSICS: NORTHERN POLAND 276 Brian Lomas points of evolution in Toulouse’s Mike Russell describes the heritage efforts of [email protected] [email protected] developing transport network. two Polish towns: Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk. SuBSCriPtioNS, MEMBERSHIP AND BACK ISSueS LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 Why celebrating the past creates future bonds [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info If ever proof were needed that tramways are well-loved elements of the urban FOR CORPORATE SuBSCriPtioNS VISIT fabric, in recent weeks we have seen it – and in fine style. www.mainspring.co.uk An estimated 50 000 people took to the streets in Brussels in May for a LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE series of events and a gala tram parade that marked 150 years of tramway 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling DA16 2BY, UK. operation. Operator STIB pulled out all the stops for this very special Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 anniversary, spending millions on a range of special events and even reinstating a in England and Wales. section of metre-gauge track in Place Royale to display electric trams brought in from LRTA ChaIRMAN – Paul Rowen collections around Belgium, and operating a 19th Century steam tram. [email protected] The Belgian capital is undoubtedly one of the world’s finest examples of the tramway © LRTA 2019 art. For 150 years it has connected people to work, leisure, family and friends – and the Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also city would now be unimaginable without it. later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution The cynical may dismiss such things as just a PR exercise, but without the passion is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the of the people working on these systems such celebrations wouldn’t happen. Quality opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. transport creates a relationship with people and events such as these, executed with style, No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in create a virtuous circle that only further cements residents’ attachment to their city. any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including So it is important that we don’t underestimate the importance of reaching out in this photocopying, recording or by any information storage and way. Technology is great for connecting with people in real-time, but let’s not forget the retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from simple actions such as personal engagement and the value of making people smile. the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the So while last month we celebrated Prague’s tramway and metro networks, in the next magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. couple of issues – as well as all the usual topical news and technical content on new systems COVER: South London’s tramway network is poised – we’ll take a detailed look at Belgium’s fabulous tramways. Simon Johnston, Editor for long-overdue expansion to Sutton. Neil Pulling www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JULY 2019 / 243 News Doha opens Metro Red line for service First section of the state-of-the-art automated metro in Qatar’s capital welcomes passengers he capital of Qatar is The remainder of the 40km building a four-line line, from Al Qassar to Lusail via automated metro the university, and the airport eventually extending branch, will open before the end Tto 164km (102 miles) with 100 of 2019, when 110 trains should stations. Work began in 2013, be available. At Lusail there will and a total of 21 Herrenknecht be an interchange with the LRT tunnel-boring machines are in system, due to open later this year. use. Phase one comprises 40km Also now under construction (25 miles) of Red line, 22km are Gold and Green lines with (13.6 miles) of Green line and completion programmed in time 14km (8.7 miles) on the Gold line. for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Metro operation began on when up 650 000 passengers/day 8 May when the 13-station are expected. Opening day on the Red line of the Doha Metro. Qatar Rail southern portion of the Red line from Al Qassar to Al Wakra was By 2002 Doha should opened. Emir of Qatar, Sheikh have a three line metro Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani system. Qatar Rail travelled to Al Wakrah, where he inaugurated the new stadium. A six-minute service is operating 08.00-23.00 Sunday-Thursday after the soft launch and 86 500 passengers travelled during the first two days of service. Gold Club class has 16 seats and Family class 26 seats. A one-day ticket in standard costs QAR6 (EUR1.5); a Gold class day pass is QAR30 (EUR7.3). The operating company is a joint venture of Hamad Group and RATP Dev/Keolis, which has a 20-year EUR3bn contract. KinkiSharyo has supplied 75 three-car trains in co-operation with Mitsubishi Corporation; automation featuring CBTC technology is supplied by Thales. Bombardier UK to build New Cairo monorail At the end of 2017 the Egyptian operations and maintenance. Contractors, and announced four-car trains of the Innovia 300 Government announced plans The company said it would that a monorail production line straddle design will be required. for two monorail projects serving work with local contractors would be set up at its Litchurch Bombardier has supplied greater Cairo – a 42km (26-mile) Orascom Construction and Arab Lane factory in Derby (UK); 70 monorail systems in the US, line from 6 October City to Thailand and Brazil. Its Innovia Giza, and a 54km (33.5-mile) 300 is said to be capable of line from Nasr City to New carrying 4800 passengers/hour/ Cairo Administrative Capital. direction using Citiflo 650 train It then invited expressions of control. The contract is subject interest from companies that to final confirmation. had experience with similar The New Administrative projects; it was hoped to complete Capital is being built on a the projects by the end of 5.6km2 (2.2 square-mile) site 2020. In January 2019 it was 45km (28 miles) east of Cairo. announced that three companies The USD58bn development will had submitted bids, CRRC of house government departments China, Scomi of Malaysia and and embassies as well as housing Bombardier Transportation. for over five million people. On 27 May Bombardier was The project has the patronage of announced as preferred bidder President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi. for a EUR1.2bn design and build Once built, the monorail will contract, with an additional An Innovia 300 destined for Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) was unveiled at the 2014 be the world’s largest carrying EUR1.1bn for 15 years of edition of the InnoTrans rail exhibition in Berlin.