THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com MARCH 2015 NO. 927 HOW GOOD DESIGN CAN REDUCE TRAMWAY NOISE Melbourne: Modernising the world’s largest tramway UK Minister: ‘Clear need for trams’ China’s new rolling stock superpower Billions recommended for US transit ISSN 1460-8324 Shenyang Edmonton 03 £4.25 21st Century light Canada’s pioneer rail developments of ‘urban style’ LRT 9 771460 832043 2015 INTEGRATION AND GLOBALISATION Nottingham Conference Centre, UK: June 17-18 2015 Choose from plenaries, presentations, panels and 300 people! The tenth edition of the UK Light Rail Conference returns to Nottingham and promises to be the biggest and best yet. Select from the vast array of plenaries, presentations, panels and people to create an event that delivers to your needs. From planning and finance through construction to 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 – book your place NOW! • Unrivalled networking opportunities • Biggest ever exhibition area • Technical tour of Nottingham Express Transit • Complimentary two-day Nottingham Express Transit pass • Dinner hosted by international transport operator Keolis Book now via www.tautonline.com SUPPORTED BY D O C K L A N D S CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association MARCH 2015 Vol. 78 No. 927 www.tramnews.net EDITORIAL 97 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 101 E-mail: [email protected] WORLDWIDE EDITOR Michael Taplin Flat 1, 10 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight 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, 113 Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. PRODUCTION Lanna Blyth NEWS 92 TRAMWAY NOISE SOLUTIONS 109 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] Guangzhou trials first tramline; Addis Ababa Scott McIntosh examines the key issues DESIGN launches LRT service; Moscow Metro orders around tramway noise – and what can be Debbie Nolan 768 cars and rolls out network-wide wi-fi. done to mitigate them. ADVERTISING COMMERCIAL MANAGER Geoff Butler SHENYANG: CHINA’S RENAISSANCE 97 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: DAUGAVPILS 113 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] High-tech and built in record time: Neil Pulling visits Latvia’s second city to PUBLISHER Mike Russell visits the first of China’s study the reconstruction of the central core. Howard Johnston new wave of modern tramways. Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the WORLDWIDE REVIEW 117 LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each EDMONTON: HIGH AND LOW-FLOOR 101 Jinan approves 80.6km metro; Helsinki month preceding the cover date. One of Canada’s first modern LRT systems cancels troubled metro automation project; LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY is still expanding, and now also looking to a Stockport prepares tram-train study. Brian Lomas low-floor future. Vic Simons reports. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] MAILBOX 122 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up GIVING STREETCARS A SECOND LIFE 106 Ideal tram vehicle designs debated. members of the Light Rail Transit Association. Gomaco’s refurbished streetcars serve many SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES cities across the US. Vic Simons visits its CLASSIC TRAMS: PORTO PARADE 124 LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), headquarters in Iowa. Mike Russell reviews the tram spectacular. 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 BACK ISSUES Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 Do UK politicians finally see the value of trams? PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Although convened at the last minute, it was encouraging to see 50 Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. senior figures from the light rail industry gather to hear the current UK LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE Minister responsible for light rail outline her commitment to the mode's c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. development at the ‘high level tram summit’ in early February. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 Baroness Kramer spoke of her dedication to seeing more trams in more in England and Wales. cities across the country, and confirmed her whole-hearted support for the LRTA CHAIRMAN work of the reinvigorated UKTram. This is an organisation that had somewhat lost its Andrew Braddock E-mail: [email protected] way, but now has a sharpened focus and full-time resource to take the steps it needs to LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN fulfil its remit as the single voice of the industry and uniting street-running tramway, Paul Rowen metro, heritage operations, Ultra Light Rail and Personal Rapid Transit. LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: Although the funding pledged to the latter two and further innovation in the wider c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, industry may seem paltry when compared to that given to other transit modes, you have UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 to start somewhere and these are all the right steps to take – it’s perhaps just that the UK in England and Wales. is taking them a few years (or decades) later than most of us would like. Bringing down © LRTA Publishing 2015. Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also costs and helping to clarify and simplify some of the issues around regulation, planning, later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution construction and ‘red tape’ will also help, but ultimately most people left the meeting is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the with one questions on their lips – where is the next new system? opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of With delays in some major projects looming large, it is promising that cities such as LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in Cardiff and Oxford are still exploring LRT options, and that there are even some private any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including sector working parties in Derby, but it is anyone’s guess as to who will take the plunge next. photocopying, recording or by any information storage and On the other side of the world, Melbourne has not only the world’s largest operational retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from tramway but also one that, at 130 years old this year, has grown in maturity with the the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. area it serves to form a true backbone that the city could now not live without. Operator Keolis Downer gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the current modernisation and improvement programme in this issue’s special supplement. Simon Johnston, Editor COVER: Plzeň KT8D5 295 runs close to houses and market stalls in the city centre. Howard Pulling www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2015 / 91 News East Link project gets USD1.33bn Guangzhou’s first tramway funding boost line opens in 2014 (just) On 16 January US Transportation Secretary The latest Chinese catenary-free line undertakes ‘trial’ operations Anthony Foxx announced a USD1.33bn Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan to Sound Transit towards construction of the (23.3km 14.5-mile) East Link LRT Extension project. The loan will expand the Link system serving the Puget Sound region, adding ten stations and connecting some of the region’s fastest-growing areas to Sound Transit’s existing system at the International Yiyuan Diglo station on 30 December with construction still The terminus of the Guangzhou line at Canton Tower on 31 District/Chinatown Station. in progress, and little evidence of operation. T. V. Runnacles December as the first passengers are carried. easycitygo.com Sound Transit claims that the project will create hat is described to Wanshengwei (interchange energy on the vehicle and permit 40 000 jobs in construction and as trial operation with metro lines 4 and 8), with a catenary-free operation, aided future economic development, on the 7.7km tram every 13 minutes, 09.00- by regenerative braking. They as well as increasing access (4.8-mile) 17.00. Construction started on operate from Modiesha depot. to developing software and Wtramway along the shore of 11 November 2013. Passengers Each of the 11 stops is biotech hubs in the greater Haizhu Island in the Chinese were carried free, but revenue equipped with a charging device metropolitan area. city of Guangzhou started on operation was planned to start that can replenish the cars’ In addition to the TIFIA 31 December, meeting the on 12 February, with a fare of batteries in 10-30 seconds. Each loan, the FTA has committed local deadline, but with many CNY2 (EUR0.3). tram has 73 seats, a passenger USD74.7m funding allied to infrastructure facilities still to The first of seven four-section capacity of 386, and is equipped USD14m in TIGER V grants be completed (including Pa ti 100% low-floor 36.4m trams with free passenger wi-fi. toward the USD4bn East station, which remained closed). ordered from CSR Zhuzhou was It is planned to extend the Link Project.