THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com JUNE 2017 NO. 954 BLACKPOOL GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Sacramento: New lines and new life for San Jose cars US Congress rejects transit cutbacks Siemens and Bombardier to merge? Strasbourg opens cross-border link The art of track Saving Gent 06> £4.40 Challenges of design The impact and and maintenance legacy of the PCCs 9 771460 832050 Phil Long “A great event, really well organised and the dinner, reception and exhibition space made for great networking time.” Andy Byford – CEO, Toronto Transit Commission MANCHESTER “Once again your team have proved your outstanding capabilities. The content was excellent and the feedback from participants was great.” 18-19 July 2017 Simcha Ohrenstein – CTO, Jerusalem LRT Topics and themes for 2017 include: > Rewriting the business case for light rail investment > Cyber security – Responsibilities and safeguards > Models for procurement and resourcing strategies > Safety and security: Anti-vandalism measures > Putting light rail at the heart of the community > Digitisation and real-time monitoring > Street-running safety challenges > Managing obsolescence > Next-generation driver aids > Wire-free solutions > Are we delivering the best passenger environments? > Composite & materials technologies > From smartcard to smartphone ticketing > Rail and trackform innovation > Traction energy optimisation and efficiency > Major project updates Confirmed speakers include: SUPPORTED BY > Geoff Inskip – Chairman, UKTram > Danny Vaughan – Head of Metrolink, TfGM > Allan Alaküla – Head of Tallinn EU Office, City of Tallinn > Tobyn Hughes – Managing Director (Transport Operations), North East Combined Authority > Ana M. Moreno - General Manager, Tranvía Zaragoza > Laura Shoaf – Managing Director, TfWM > Peter Jones – Project Director, MPT Consortium > David Favest – Marketing Director, STIB-MIVB > Ben Gilligan – Director of Public Transport, SYPTE > Paolo Carbone – Head of Public Transport Capital Programmes, Transport Infrastructure Ireland > Andres Muñoz de Dios – Director General, MetroTenerife > Alejandro Moreno – Alliance Director, Midland Metro Alliance > David Hand – Divisional Director and LRT Group Practice Leader, Mott MacDonald > Dr Nick Mallinson – Programme Manager, HVM Catapult, University of Warwick > Derek Small – Engineering Director, SYSTRA ORGANISED BY > David Sidebottom – Passenger Team Director, Transport Focus www.mainspring.co.uk 216 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association JUNE 2017 Vol. 80 No. 954 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL 208 EDITOR Simon Johnston 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 230 Tony Bailey, James Chuang, Paul Nicholson, Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Bill Vigrass, Andrew Moglestue, NEWS 204 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: KREFELD 224 Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Vic Simons, Herbert US Congress rejects ‘skinny budget’; Siemens Neil Pulling explores the modernised Pence, Alain Senut, Rick Wilson, Thomas Wagner and Bombardier in merger discussions; tramway of the north-western German city PRODUCTION Lanna Blyth Izmir opens first tramline; Bybanen reaches once famed for railway manufacture. Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] the airport; RATP and Alstom complete first DESIGN autonomous tram stabling trial. SACRAMENTO UPDATE 229 Debbie Nolan California’s State capital boasts a ‘new’ fleet, ADVERTISING HARMONISING TRAM AND LRT 208 LRT expansion and major streetcar plans. COMMERCIAL MANAGER Five years on from a major reconstruction Geoff Butler that saw light rail introduced to the UK WORLDWIDE REVIEW 230 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] town, Neil Pulling revisits Blackpool. Newcastle chooses catenary-free tram PUBLISHER solution; Munich begins work on second Howard Johnston ART MEETS ENGINEERING 216 city S-Bahn crossing; Rabat-Salé confirms Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each In the first of a two-part series, David Holt extensive tram expansion plans. month preceding the cover date. shows how good infrastructure design and LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY construction can be stylish and cost-saving. MAILBOX 235 Brian Lomas Tram-train and extreme weather discussed. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] GROOVED RAIL MAINTENANCE 221 LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Examining the challenges – and some CLASSIC TRAMS: GENT’S SAVIOUR 236 Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up innovative solutions – for the modern light Mike Russell bids a fond farewell to Gent’s members of the Light Rail Transit Association. rail track engineer. PCC cars. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 Repair or replace? The classic conundrum BACK ISSUES In our throw-away society, where less care is taken and everything seems Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 to be disposable after a few years’ service, we risk losing so many vital skills PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION forever in the quest to apply technology to create the latest and greatest Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. (whatever it may be). This month we celebrate a few of these artisans in the LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE tramway world and show how technology is nothing without experience. c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. Many of the world’s modern tramways offer examples of this lack of imagination. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 ‘Old’ fleets (no more than 15-20 years old) are sent to the scrapman’s torch when in England and Wales. they could be turned into cafe cars, restaurants on rails or educational facilities, LRTA CHAIRMAN while track and infrastructure face the same fate when replacing is often seen as the Andrew Braddock path of least resistance when the salesman comes-a-calling. I remember meeting a E-mail: [email protected] Hungarian tramway engineer a few years ago who had followed in both his father’s and LRTA DEPUTY CHAIRMAN grandfather’s footsteps. He was a master of his art, using tools and skills honed over Paul Rowen decades of experience. LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, David Holt touches on a number of these themes with a fascinating exploration of UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 the dynamics of infrastructure design in this issue, proving that age-old track design in England and Wales. principles can give a stylish added dimension to city centres without adding extra cost © LRTA Publishing 2017 (and still performing better). Who says that tracks, switches, crossings, poles and wires Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also have to be hidden away? We show how they can be an attractive civic asset. later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the This month we also revisit Blackpool to see how some creative integration of the UK opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of seaside town’s modern light rail system and heritage tramway have seen both boom. LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. Once-neglected vehicles now have a clearer focus and are in their best ever shape No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in thanks to a dedicated team of paid staff and volunteers; they also superbly complement any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and a state-of-the-art modern low-floor system that is as advanced as many you’ll find in retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from towns or cities ten times the size. the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the With a real focus on the needs of passenger, this operator has introduced new common magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. sense fares and a customer service regime that is second to none. Despite being 132 COVER: Blackpool’s ‘Golden Mile’ as viewed from the years old, this shows how old dogs really can learn new tricks. Simon Johnston, Editor top of a double-deck tram on 5 April 2017. N. Pulling www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JUNE 2017 / 203 News US Congress rejects ‘skinny budget’ Funding for transportation projects due to increase this year under new proposals S Congressional leaders A summary sheet for the plan but transit systems across the (FY) 2017 appropriations bill unveiled a spending said that “grant programmes country are struggling to keep and including significant deal on 1 May that totalling USD9.7bn will help local up with maintenance while also support for federal public includes increased communities build, maintain, expanding their systems in order transportation programmes. Ufunding for transportation and ensure the safety of their to meet current demand. We urge Congress to pass this projects intended for significant mass transit systems”. Within this “These projects help ease legislation expeditiously so it cuts in the new administration’s