THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com JANUARY 2018 NO. 961 ZARAGOZA: LIGHT RAIL PERFECTED? Cambridge: Tramway plans for a historic UK city Thai cities to create four lines in 2018 VDV to lead new tram-train alliance Dublin opens Luas Cross City line F rench lessons Houston 01> £4.60 Successful urban US city debates the tram integration future role of transit 9 771460 832067 “I very much enjoyed “The presentations, increased informal Manchester networking, logistics networking opportunities and atmosphere were in such a superb venue. excellent. There was a The 12th Annual Light Rail common agreement Conference quite clearly 17-18 July 2018 among the participants marked a coming of age that the UK Light Rail as the leader on light rail Conference is one of worldwide, as evidenced the best in the industry.” by the depth of analysis The UK Light Rail Conference and exhibition is the simcha Ohrenstein – from quality speakers and ctO, Jerusalem Lrt the active participation of premier knowledge-exchange event in the industry. transit Masterplan key industry players and suppliers in the discussions.” With unrivalled networking opportunities, and a Ian Brown cBe – Director, UKtram 75% return rate for exhibitors, it is well-known as the place to do business and build valuable and “This event gets better every year; the 2018 long-lasting relationships. dates are in the diary.” Peter Daly – sales & There is no better place to gain true insight into services Manager, thermit Welding (GB) Voices the workings of the sector and help shape its future. V from the t o discuss how you can be part of it, industry… visit us online at www.mainspring.co.uk “An excellent conference as always. or telephone +44 (0) 1733 367600 Well done for such a well-organised and “I had a great time in highly-informative Manchester. Thank you for SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY event.” everything, the conference David hand was a great success.” Global Lead for Lrt ana M. Moreno – & Divisional Director General Manager, Mott MacDonald tranvía de Zaragoza CONTENTS T he official journal of the Light Rail 12 Transit Association JANUARY 2018 Vol. 81 No. 961 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston 4 [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 T ony Bailey, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Vic Simons, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, 9 Thomas Wagner, Rick Wilson PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth NEWS 4 ZARAGOZA: A ligHT RAIL MODEL? 20 T el: +44 (0)1733 367604 Dublin opens Luas Cross City; Škoda sold Ana Moreno of Tranvía de Zaragoza shares [email protected] to PPF Group; UK reveals ‘Transforming the benefits of the city’s first tram project. DESIGN – Debbie Nolan Cities Fund’; VDV alliance for tram-train ADVertiSING orders; Thailand to launch four LRT projects STEYS MS FACTFILE: BRATISLAVA 24 COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler in 2018; Wellington light rail to be fast- New trams, route upgrades and connections Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 tracked?; BQX mock-up tram revealed. across the Danube are transforming [email protected] Slovakia’s capital, as Neil Pulling discovers. PUBLISHER – Matt Johnston HOUSTON BUILDS... AND REBUILDS 9 Tramways & Urban Transit Vic Simons sees how the most car-reliant WORLDWIDE REVIEW 30 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, city in the US is fighting hard to build its Work begins on Bolivia’s first LRT line; Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK light rail presence. Hyderabad metro opens; Stockholm Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring terminates resignalling contract; Battersea on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each LRT AS PART OF THE LANDSCAPE 12 tunnel works completed; Sound Transit month preceding the cover date. Reg Harman considers three French cities’ orders Brookville Liberty ‘off-wire’ cars. approaches to tramway development and the importance of brilliant urban design. MAILBOX 35 Incident reponse and tram-train OLE queried. PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION G OING UNDERGROUND IN CAMBRIDGE 16 Warners (Midlands) plc, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK In one of the UK’s fastest-growing regions, CL ASSIC TRAMS: SURPRISE IN ALMATY 36 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) this historic city demands better transport, Mike Russell reports on new life planned for Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up argues Colin Harris of Cambridge Connect. the trams of the former Kazakh capital. members of the Light Rail Transit Association. SUBSCriPTIONS, MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES A ND BACK ISSUES Big business demands better urban transport LRT A Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley As we head into 2018, it is encouraging to see that the case for sustainable Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. T el: +44 (0)117 951 7785 transport is reaching more local and national agendas. The light bulb is going [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info on in more and more cities as finally it seems the world’s love affair with the internal combustion engine and the tailpipe may be coming to an end... FOR CORPORATE SuBSCRIPTIONS VISIT The evidence is overwhelming. The effects of climate change are www.mainspring.co.uk recognisable all over the world and a new generation of leaders is prepared to tackle LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE them head-on. The groundswell of public opinion is behind them, too – it has been for 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling DA16 2BY, UK. years – so it is gratifying that the more enlightened are listening at long last. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 This is due in no small part to the world’s mega-conglomerates, who are voting with in England and Wales. their feet. Major tech companies are placing direct transit links at the top of their LRTA CHAIRMAN – Andrew Braddock wishlists for their huge new campuses. Amazon’s recent announcement that it is looking [email protected] for a new US headquarters (‘HQ2’) sparked a startling arms race as cities jockey to put © LRTA 2018 themselves at the top of the pile for one of the world’s biggest companies. The prize is significant – 50 000 new jobs, average salaries of USD100 000 and USD5bn of valuable Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution local investment. Heavy and light rail plans across the nation have been dusted off as is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the cities seem prepared to stretch themselves to land this biggest of fish. opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of Facebook and Google are also expanding their European bases, prizing connectivity the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. of both the digital and physical kind. It makes clear business sense. Efficient, effective No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in transport direct to their gilded doors reduces the need for expensive car parking and any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and encourages healthier and more productive lifestyles – perhaps more cyncially, they can retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from all be seen to be doing their ‘CSR bit’ in looking after the planet. the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the Never underestimate the power of big business. With the shift in global wealth towards magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. the digital and tech industries, these powerhouses have enormous political clout to influence decision-making in a way that individuals cannot. They want to ally themselves COVER: Zaragoza is well-known as an exemplar of with progressive, forward-thinking smart cities with clear plans for the urban realm that how to integrate trams into a city, regularly hosting don’t involve traffic jams and pollution. Don’t we all? Simon Johnston, Editor guests from around the world. Tranvía de Zaragoza www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JANUARY 2018 / 3 News Dublin opens Luas Cross City line Services on Green line section start in time for Christmas as Luas welcomes its first 55m tram he 5.9km (3.7-mile) Luas Ireland in 2015 with the first due Cross City line from to enter service in February 2018. St. Stephen’s Green An additional 1760 passengers to Broombridge in per hour are expected in each TIreland’s capital was to open on 9 direction on the extended Green December. The new 13-stop route line and Ireland’s government is being operated as an extension approved a further EUR100m of the Green line with a basic to expand Sandyford depot service running from Bride’s Glen and lengthen the existing 26 to the city centre, where alternate Green line Citadis trams to nine trams will turn on the one-way sections (an additional 12m) section between O’Connell in November. Street Upper and Parnell Recent surveys by the National Street, with remaining trams Transport Authority (NTA) show proceeding to Broombridge. that the Green line is operating Construction of the line at capacity in peak periods, with began in June 2013, with the crowding taking place between EUR386m project completed to the stops at Balally and Ranelagh. time and budget; major works In order to promote use of the were completed this summer and Luas Cross City line, the NTA operator Transdev has recruited has introduced Luas Cross City ABOVE: Traffic arrangements on Dawson Street have been revised as part of the 29 new drivers for the service.