THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE HEADLINES l Alstom enters North American LRT market l Jaén seeks bids for unopened tramway l Extensions and new boss for Manchester WORLD TRAM ORDERS: FULL LIST AND ANALYSIS Crossrail for Cardiff? The case for tram-train United Streetcar Green tracks Behind the scenes The challenges with the newest of implementing entry to the US and maintaining streetcar market green systems APRIL 2013 No. 904 WWW . LRTA . ORG l WWW . TRAMNEWS . NET £3.80 TAUT_1304_Cover.indd 1 28/02/2013 13:52 CATEGORIES Best Customer Initiative Operator of the Year Supplier of the Year under EUR10m Supplier of the Year above EUR10m Project of the Year Most Signi cant Safety Initiative SUPPORTED BY Environmental Initiative of the Year Employee/Team AWARDS of the Year SPONSORS Rising Star of the Year Entry forms are available to download now at www.tramnews.net Innovation of the Year Worldwide Project For further details about the event, or to book your place, contact: of the Year Vicky Binley: +44 1832 281132 / [email protected] Worldwide Supplier Andy Adams: +44 1832 281135 / [email protected] of the Year 60th UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition # 21 Congress sessions and 10 Regional workshops # 15 Expo forums to share product development information # Platform for innovations, networking, business opportunities # Multi-modal Exhibition, 30,000m² # Over 150 speakers from 30+ countries # A special Swiss Day! www.uitpgeneva2013.org Organiser Local host Supporters Under the patronage of 122_TAUT1304_UITP_LRA13.indd 1 01/03/2013 14:30 Contents The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association 124 News 124 APRIL 2013 Vol. 76 No. 904 Manchester Metrolink welcomes two new extensions and new www.tramnews.net Director Peter Cushing; US Transportation Secretary LaHood EDITORIAL to stand down; UK high-speed routes spark further LRT Editor: Simon Johnston debate; Looming ‘auction’ for Jaén’s ‘tram to nowhere’. Tel: +44 (0)1832 281131 E-mail: [email protected] Eaglethorpe Barns, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TJ, UK. 129 LRT rolling stock market review Associate Editor: Tony Streeter Michael Taplin analyses the past year’s tram orders and E-mail: [email protected] explores some of the trends and prospects for the future. Worldwide Editor: Michael Taplin Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. 132 A Crossrail for Cardiff? 129 E-mail: [email protected] Consultant Mark Barry argues the case for a network of tram- News Editor: John Symons train routes to revitalise the prospects of the South Wales region. 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST9 0LW, UK. United Streetcar E-mail: [email protected] 136 TAUT goes behind the scenes with the Clackamas, Oregon, Senior Contributor: Neil Pulling car-builder manufacturer and looks at its facilities. Worldwide Contributors: Aare Olander, Nikolai Semyonov, Sergei Tarkhov (CIS), Mike Russell, Norman Bartlett, 139 Systems Factfile: San Francisco Thomas Wagner, Pedro Costa, Richard Felski, Jordi Ibanez (Europe), Yoshiri Vic Simons tours the ‘City by the Bay’, taking in street-running Nogi (Japan), Anthony Bailey, Ian Hammond, Paul Nicholson (Australia), 144 Vic Simons, Charles Lietwiler, Steve Morgan, Tom Swinney (US). LRT, heritage streetcars, cable cars, the BART metro and more. Production Executive: Carla Corrado 144 A network for green track systems Tel: +44 (0)1832 281134 E-mail: [email protected] Germany’s Grüngleisnetzwerk examines some of the challenges Design: Debbie Nolan in implementing and maintaining green track systems. Commercial Manager: Vicky Binley 147 Worldwide Review Tel: +44 (0)1832 281132 E-mail: [email protected] Three new metro projects for Chinese cities; Medellin LRT Advertising Manager: Andy Adams Tel: +44 (0)1832 281135 E-mail: [email protected] awards first civil engineering contracts; Paris approves T1 extension; EU funds agreed for Timisoara tramway Eaglethorpe Barns, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TJ, UK. 156 Publisher: Howard Johnston extension; Atlanta streetcar begins track construction. Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the LRTA and LRTA 152 Letters Publishing on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. More opinions on the green track debate; Why ridership holds LRTA Website and Diary: Brian Lomas the keys to investment; and voltage questions examined. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 156 Classic Trams: Farewell to Warszawa’s 13N LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the Mike Russell observes the final days of the Polish capital’s Light Rail Transit Association. You are welcome to join the LRTA. Konstal 13N fleet and considers its impact on the city’s tramway. SUBSCRIPTIONS: LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. BACK ISSUES: Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 We need subsidies, but what level is acceptable? PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION: Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. SIMON JOHNSTON, EDITOR LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE: c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 Following last month’s editorial, to get ensure ongoing prosperity and growth. in England and Wales. people out of their cars and onto urban This will almost inevitably involve a subsidy. LRTA Chairman: Andrew Braddock. LRTA Deputy Chairman: Vic Simons rail systems for their everyday lives – But what is an acceptable level of public LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: c/o 8 Berwick Place, commuting, shopping, leisure – LRT must subsidy – especially in these tough times Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 in England and Wales. offer them good value for money. of budget cuts and slashing of resources We have highlighted the growing for many local authorities? © LRTA Publishing 2013. challenges from car manufacturers who Relying on fare revenues alone Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that are fighting amongst themselves for cannot be the sole key to sustainable its author is responsible for the opinions expressed in it, and such opinions increased market share, but what are we services. Private sector operators often are not those of LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. all doing to make urban rail transit a do an exceptional job of providing such No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording ‘no brainer’ for everyday travel? services, but they need support and such or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior It comes down to the question of local social services should be, in many ways, permission in writing from the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the authority subsidies maintaining services at seen as ‘loss leaders’ for authorities to contents of the magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. affordable levels. The effective delivery of provide them wherever possible in the such infrastructure projects is, of course, name of responsible urban management. THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE HEADLINES The second CAF Urbos 3 an essential part of the mix, as trying to It is a shame to see new LRT systems like l Alstom enters North American LRT market l Jaén seeks bids for unopened tramway tram for Besançon – repay initial capital investment through the starter line in Jaén, Spain, falter, but l Extensions and new boss for Manchester named after famous fare revenues in the short-term to create short-term pain in the respect of subsidies Besançon residents truly commercially viable services is must be accepted for the sake of longer- the Lumière brothers nigh-on impossible. So we need to make term city development strategies. – at CAF’s static test sure we are delivering robust, cost- Finally, I’d like to thank all of you who track in Bagnères, effective infrastructure in the first instance. continue to fill my inbox and post tray with WORLD TRAM ORDERS: France, in February. Yet in the same way as utility provision, comment on the editorial in TAUT. We FULL LIST AND ANALYSIS The 24m vehicle is Crossrail for Cardiff? The case for tram-train education and refuse collection, decent pride ourselves in offering a platform as United Streetcar Green tracks Behind the scenes The challenges also prepared for with the newest of implementing quality mass transit opportunities should a voice for the industry and its supporters entry to the US and maintaining streetcar market green systems APRIL 2013 future supercapacitor No. 904 WWW . LRTA . ORG l WWW . TRAMNEWS . NET £3.80 be the responsibility of local authorities to and observers, so keep them coming. TAUT_1304_Cover.indd 1 28/02/2013 13:52 operation. CAF www.tramnews.net . www.Irta.org APRIL 2013 123 123_TAUT1304_Contents.indd 1 01/03/2013 11:18 News MANCHESTER: DROYLSDEN AND ROCHDALE EXTENSIONS OPEN PUBLIC services on the 6.3km (3.9-mile) by M5000 trams, but they do fill in as single crossing opened in January. The new line Droylsden extension began on 11 February, cars on the through Bury – Altrincham ser- is to link St Peter’s Square with Victoria with passengers carried free on the previous vice or the MediaCity short workings. The station via Princess Street and Cross Street; three days provided they had one of 20 000 majority of M5000 cars delivered are now if approval is given after the two-week invitations distributed along the route and also in service and able to operate on all lines. Inquiry construction could start by the end available from Metrolink staff on platforms. Withdrawal of more T68 trams is expected of the year as funding is guaranteed from Services are currently provided by extend- shortly; the most recent withdrawal, 1025, the GBP1.5bn (approx.