THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com JUNE 2020 NO. 990 LONDON’S UNSUNG TRANSPORT HERO Special focus: Personal reflections on Croydon’s 20 years UK LRT given pandemic cash lifeline USD500m for California transit projects Antwerp plans for 50/50 modal share Caen Museums £4.60 Moving from rubber The challenges of tyres to steel wheels life under lockdown Due to the ongoing global Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, some of our 2020 diary will be rescheduled in accordance with current advice from local and national authorities to protect the welfare and well-being of participants, guests and staff. We are delighted to have the full support of our event partners during these unprecedented and challenging times, and continue to work with them to deliver events that connect people and share knowledge and expertise from across the public transport sector. For those that have already booked their places, we will keep you fully up-to-date with new information as it becomes available. For those who would still like to attend, speak or exhibit, please contact us for the latest details. BIRMINGHAM, UK ENGINEERING LRT EXCELLENCE Dinner at the ROLLING STOCK ZARAGOZA, LRTEXCELLENCE SPAIN Roundhouse DERBY, UK NEWCASTLE, UK WOLVERHAMPTON LONDON, UK UK Mainspring’s Knowledge Services division is operating normally, supplying organisations of all sizes around the world with the key data, insightful analysis and vital connections they require to operate efficiently during these challenging times and prepare for the future. Contact [email protected] for more details. www.mainspring.co.uk • [email protected] • +44 (0)1733 367607 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail 215 Transit Association JUNE 2020 Vol. 83 No. 990 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR – Simon Johnston 208 [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 Richard Felski, Ed Havens, Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Vic Simons, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, Francis Wagner, 230 Thomas Wagner, Philip Webb, Rick Wilson PRODUCTION – Lanna Blyth NEWS 204 SYstems factfile: CAEN 230 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 Five English operators receive GBP30m in Neil Pulling visits the small French city that [email protected] emergency pandemic funding; USD500m has taken the bold step to replace a failing DESIGN – Debbie Nolan for Californian transit projects; Antwerpen transit system with a modern tramway. ADVertiSING confirms city transport reorganisation plans. COMMERCIAL ManageR – Geoff Butler WORLDWIDE REVIEW 236 Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 ‘WE NEED STRONG LEADERSHIP’ 207 Work starts on São Paulo metro expansion; [email protected] Keolis UK CEO Alistair Gordon on why light Odense begins tramway testing; Planning PUBLISheR – Matt Johnston rail can’t be seen as a ‘fringe industry’. granted for Limmattalbahn depot; Work Tramways & Urban Transit restarts on West Midlands Metro expansion. 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, JERUSALEM’S CRISIS PLANNING 208 Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK Reuven Levy of Connect Jerusalem LRT MAILBOX 240 Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring shares the detail of how his organisation How do we bounce back?; Thoughts on on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each could mothball and restart its LRT service. changes to the global rolling stock market. lrt: more relevant than ever 211 heritage tramWAYS in crisis? 242 Matt Johnston makes the case for light Mike Russell talks to museums and heritage month preceding the cover date. rail investment in environmental and operators around the world to gauge the PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION economic terms to help economies rebuild. effects of the pandemic. Warners (Midlands), Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF LONDON TRAMS 215 Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up TAUT goes behind the scenes to pay tribute to the great modern LRT success story members of the Light Rail Transit Association. that has transformed travel in South London. LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Brian Lomas [email protected] [email protected] Time to pause, reflect and celebrate everything light rail SuBSCriPtioNS, MEMBERSHIP AND BACK ISSueS LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Another month of lockdown has given me further time to reflect on both my Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 own, and our collective, travel behaviour. Despite the high number of news [email protected] Website: www.lrta.info reports that suggest people will want to work at home more in the future, and that life may ‘never be the same again’, personally I can’t wait to start FOR CORPORATE SuBSCriPtioNS VISIT www.mainspring.co.uk travelling again. I’m doing my best not to buy into the paranoia or the arguments of the gloom mongers, LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE and I would encourage you all to do the same. We’ve been given a glimpse of one potential 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL7 4TU, UK. Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 future, and there are elements of it I really like. The world will bounce back, and hopefully in England and Wales. in a better way as we all come to appreciate the benefits of cleaner air. LRTA ChaIRMAN – Paul Rowen In future I will certainly minimise my car usage even further. I still want to travel but [email protected] will be using that time to talk to people, read, think and enjoy the journey. I understand © LRTA 2020 all the reasons that public transport journeys can’t take place in the same way for a good Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also while yet, but my passion for all things light rail burns strongly. later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution Perhaps it is the fact that we’ve spent the last few weeks putting together a fascinating is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the collection of personal insights into the past, present and future of the Tramlink (yes, opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of I’m still going to call it that) light rail network; perhaps it is reading about how Caen has the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved. swapped rubber tyres for steel rails; perhaps it is the inspiring stories of how museums No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in and heritage operators are making do without visitors. any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and Your fantastic comments on our last issue are encouraging and gratefully received. retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from We are here to help share and disseminate information – and that relies on you, so a the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the sincere thank you to each and every one of you who has taken the time to talk to us in magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. endless hours of phone calls, video conferences and webinars over the past month. Last time we promised you bigger issues to while away your time, and we’ve certainly COVER: Two generations of London trams line up at delivered this time – happy reading! Simon Johnston, Editor Therapia Lane in February 2019. Neil Pulling www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JUNE 2020 / 203 News Last-minute rescue package for UK networks Five English systems split GBP30m emergency funding to keep systems open for key workers n 2 May, the UK at its current reduced services Government for key workers and essential confirmed GBP30m journeys. Once this funding (approx. EUR33.5m) ends in early June, we will simply Oin emergency funding for five not be able to continue running English light rail systems to help Metrolink.” close the financial gap caused by Nexus, the public body which the coronavirus crisis. Passenger owns and manages the Tyne numbers have collapsed & Wear Metro, has a similar since lockdown measures GBP10m (EUR11.2m) hole in were imposed in March; the its budget. Councillor Martin agreements will assist systems’ Gannon, Chair of the North-East dire situations for 12 weeks. Combined Authority said that The announcement came local councils are unable to fill the after weeks of negotiations, with gap, telling local media: “Metro is Sheffield Supertram was the first to announce its funding package, supporting authorities warning that systems losing close to GBP1m [EUR1.12m] services until the end of June. TAUT could close “within days” a week and we need all of our without help. Back-dated to costs covered, not just 80%. Stagecoach takes the revenue risk said it would continue to press for mid-March, the funding is split “We will restructure some debt for Supertram. vital support from the relevant between five English systems: and find some cost-cutting and There was also disappointment devolved administrations. Manchester Metrolink: we will keep the Metro operating. that Blackpool was omitted from Providing public transport in · GBP11.6m But the Government is also the announcement; Blackpool London costs around GBP600m/ Tyne and Wear Metro: GBP8.6m instructing us to increase the Transport Services closed its month (EUR671m/month), · Nottingham Express Transit: frequency of trains as we get the tramway on 29 March, although and TfL ‘furloughed’ 7000 · GBP3.7m economy back up and running, the operator also runs the staff (25% of its total) from West Midlands Metro: GBP2.1m and the cost of doing that needs parallel route 1 bus service. 27 April, allowing it to access · Sheffield Supertram: GBP1.3m to be covered.