THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tramnews.net OCTOBER 2014 NO. 922 CAN UK TRIALS PUT LRT ON THE RIGHT TRACK? ‘Big data’ offers big opportunities for transit analysis DART reaches Dallas/Forth Worth Perth approves light rail airport link Toronto restarts subway debate ISSN 1460-8324 £4.10 Moscow Tallinn 10 The complex history Renewal for Estonia’s of a great network only tramway 9 771460 832036 TRANSPORT SECURITY EXPO Stand B38, 2 - 3 December 2014 VISIT US AT Olympia, London - UK ROSEHILL ANTI-TRESPASS PANELS Engineered For Simplicity DOUBLE FLANGE STANDARD PANEL SINGLE FLANGE PANEL FLANGELESS FLAT PANEL • Designed to deter trespassers or metal • All panels are delivered complete with thieves from accessing the track. fixing kits. Approved by Network Rail Cert No. PA05/01732 • Can be used as an anti-suicide measure. • Three types are available to fit in the • Simple to install. gauge or at platform ends. For more information about Rosehill Rail’s Level Crossing systems, call Peter Anderson on +44 (0)1422 317 482, or email [email protected]. Alternatively visit our website www.rosehillrail.com 426 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association October 2014 Vol. 77 No. 922 www.tramnews.net EDITORIAL 420 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 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 433 Tony Bailey, James Chuang, Paul Nicholson, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Bill Vigrass, Andrew Moglestue, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Vic Simons, NEWS 412 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: TALLINN 433 Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. DART reaches Dallas/Fort Worth; Perth’s Neil Pulling reports on Estonia’s only PRODUCTION Lanna Blyth AUD2.2bn expansion approved; Manchester tramway as the capital’s system undergoes Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] airport testing starts; Toronto Mayor infrastructure reconstruction and DESIGN campaigns on subway ticket. regeneration. Debbie Nolan ADVERTISING INNOTRANS 2014 418 WORLDWIDE REVIEW 437 COMMERCIAL MANAGER With the industry preparing for this year’s Gold Coast passenger numbers exceed Geoff Butler show, we take a peek at what to expect. established lines; Calgary extension Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] opened; Jerusalem expansion work PUBLISHER MOSCOW: PART ONE 420 begins; test running underway on Basel’s Howard Johnston Mike Russell looks at the early integration of international route; San Antonio tramway Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the tram and Metro in one of the world’s most plan put on ice. LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date. complex transit systems. LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY MAILBOX 442 Brian Lomas THE IDEAL TRACKFORM 426 Re-thinking Metrolink; and fair E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] UK Tram on its innovation competition - competition for Edinburgh’s buses and LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) designed to save trackform costs. trams. Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the Light Rail Transit Association. BIG DATA AND BIG OPPORTUNITIES 431 CLASSIC TRAMS: LISBON 444 SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES As a data collection and predictive analysis The museum in Portugal’s capital has LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. tool, big data could change the way transit recently undergone a revamp – Mike Russell Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 operators understand and run their systems. pays a visit to its latest incarnation. BACK ISSUES Tel: +44 (0)1406 373070 PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Light rail: Door-to-door international service Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. How many times have you landed at an airport in an unfamiliar city and LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE found yourself immediately looking for a taxi rank to get to your final c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 destination? Some cities have effective heavy rail links that will speed to in England and Wales. you to a central terminus to make onward journeys, many others have bus LRTA CHAIRMAN services, but tramway, light rail and metro services are increasingly seen Andrew Braddock as the fixed link of choice to give permanence and add attractiveness to a city. First E-mail: [email protected] impressions count, and a regular, comfortable service that links you to a city centre with LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN intermediate stops has to be preferable to hunting around for an (often expensive) taxi. Paul Rowen This month we’ve seen the opening of the Orange line link to Dallas/Fort Worth LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE: International Airport, four months early, connecting North America’s largest LRT system c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 to the rest of the world. DFW CEO Sean Donohue sums the importance of this line well: in England and Wales. “This is a momentous day... passenger rail is a critical component to DFW's status as a © LRTA Publishing 2014. top-tier international gateway. With the DART Orange line connecting DFW to downtown Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also Dallas, DFW is now on a par with global hub airports that have integrated rail.” later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution Our Mailbox pages have seen debate on the role of Edinburgh’s new tramway and its is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of connections to the Scottish capital’s airport over the past few issues and in England LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. Manchester Metrolink has begun trial running on its own airport link. This is on track No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in to open an astonishing 12 months early, a testament to the momentum of growth and any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and the system’s ability to build a strong skills base as it expands quickly. retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from The last month has also seen the Western Australian capital of Perth announce that it the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the is to prioritise an airport LRT link over the proposed more expansive MAX system, magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. proving the significance of local transport to policymakers when thinking globally and not just locally. Simon Johnston, Editor COVER: Tracklaying on a Nottingham Express Transit extension at Chilwell Road. Mike Haddon www.tramnews.net . www.lrta.org OCTOBER 2014 / 411 News Stockholm opens Tvårbanan DART reaches the airport extension Light rail extended to Dallas/Fort Worth International in USD150m scheme The 800m line 22 Tvårbanan light rail extension from Solna Centrum to Solna station opened on 18 August. The first CAFA36 tram, 551, arrived at Bromma depot on 16 August. There, and in the new nearby Ulvsunda depot, the tram will be tested before being transferred to the new Lidingö depot in Aga towards the end of the year. The A36 is a longer version (four modules) of the CAF A35 tram (three modules), now in use on line 22. The city council has appointed WSP to design a new metro line linking Odenplan and Arenastaden. The remaining six trams are expected to be delivered to Aga before the end of this year. Helsinki car-free plan by 2025 DART 216 carrying a special livery for the new airport link on opening day, 18 August. Vic Simons The Finnish capital’s planning onday 18 August There was a ribbon-cutting bringing billions in investment, department has published the saw the opening and inaugural ride for invited more jobs, and a better quality of report Mobility as a Service (MaaS) of the USD150m guests on Friday 15 August life to North Texas.” that looks at transport behaviour DART Orange before regular service started on Voters agreed to a 1% sales tax patterns and how information Mline extension to the world’s 18 August. to form and fund DART in 1983. and options are accessed. third-busiest airport (by aircraft The 8km (five-mile) extension Light rail service started in 1996 An integrated portal accessed movements), Dallas/Fort Worth has a 17-minute running time and the system has now reached through a smartphone linked International. The DART station to Irving Convention Center, 144km (90 miles). Since DART to a credit card would allow the is in Terminal A (outside Gate the previous terminus. A ride to started running, the city centre reservation, payment and use A10) and was built as part of the city centre takes 50 minutes residential population has grown of services, including public the airport’s terminal renewal and costs USD2.50. Mayor Mike significantly; the airport link transport, car-sharing, taxis, programme while DART focused Rawlings said it is undoubtedly is important in helping sustain ride-sharing and bike hire. on the rail line extension. DART’s biggest accomplishment that growth. Several pilot projects are planned This approach, according in its 31-year history. The airport serves 60.4m in co-operation with employers, to DART President/Executive Acting Federal Transit passengers/year with 678 000 enabling employees to buy Director Gary Thomas, allowed Administrator Therese McMillan aircraft movements.