THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com MARCH 2016 NO. 939 TRAMS RETURN TO THE STREETS OF OLSZTYN Are we near a future away from the overhead line? Blizzards cripple US transit lines Lund begins tram procurement plan Five shortlisted for ‘New Tube’ stock ISSN 1460-8324 £4.25 BIM for light rail Geneva 03 DLR innovation cuts Trams meeting the both cost and risk cross-border demand 9 771460 832043 “On behalf of UKTram specifically Voices from the industry… and the industry as a whole I send V my sincere thanks for such a great event. Everything about it oozed quality. I think that such an event shows any doubters that light rail in the UK can present itself in a way that is second to none.” Colin Robey – Managing Director, UKTram 27-28 July 2016 Conference Aston, Birmingham, UK The 11th Annual UK Light Rail Conference and exhibition brings together over 250 decision-makers for two days of open debate covering all aspects of light rail operations and development. Delegates can explore the latest industry innovation within the event’s exhibition area and Innovation Zone and examine LRT’s role in alleviating congestion in our towns and cities and its potential for driving economic growth. Topics and themes for 2016 include: > Safety and security in street-running environments > Refurbishment vs renewal? Book now! > Low Impact Light Rail > Delivering added value from construction and modernisation To secure your place > Managing timetable change and passenger disruption please call > Environmental considerations for LRT construction > Selling light rail: Who? When? How? +44 (0) 1733 367600 > What the Luxembourg Rail Protocol means for light rail or visit > Tram-Train: Alternative perspectives > Where next for UK LRT? www.mainspring.co.uk > Major project updates SUPPORTED BY ORGANISED BY 100 CONTENTS The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association MARCH 2016 Vol. 79 No. 939 www.tautonline.com EDITORIAL EDITOR S imon 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 104 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 89 Felski, Ed Havens, Bill Vigrass, Andrew Moglestue, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Vic Simons, Herbert Pence, Alain Senut, Thomas Wagner. NEWS 84 SYSTEMS FACTFILE: GENEVA 104 PRODUCTION Second opinion for Zürich tram order; The Swiss city of Geneva has trebled the Rick Wilson London releases ‘New Tube’ invitations to length of its tramway within 20 years. Neil Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 E-mail: [email protected] tender; Lund launches tram procurement; Pulling reports. DESIGN Blizzards knock out north-eastern US transit; Debbie Nolan Jerusalem approves second tramline. W ORLDWIDE REVIEW 109 ADVertiSING Algiers extension contracts awarded; COMMERCIAL ManaGER Geoff Butler TRAMS RETURN TO OLSZTYN 89 Canberra Gungahlin light rail approved; Rio Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 E-mail: [email protected] Building a new tramway from scratch in de Janeiro’s Santa Teresa tramway extended; PublISHER this Polish city hasn’t been easy, as Chinese lines expand; Metro construction Howard Johnston Martyn Janduła reports. inaugurated in Ecuador’s Quito; New York Tramways & Urban Transit is jointly published by the subway extension largely complete. LRTA and LRTA Publishing on the third Friday of each ARE WE READY TO GO WIRE-FREE? 96 month preceding the cover date. The technology exists to remove overhead MAILBOX 115 LRTA WEBSITE anD DIARY wires from our towns and cities – but what Decent shelter and short distances between Brian Lomas E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] are the costs, and what are the benefits? connections are crucial for stop design; and LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Bratislava has some thinking on tickets to do! Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up DLR: BIM INNOVATION 100 members of the Light Rail Transit Association. Creating a detailed digital model and asset CLA SSIC TRAMS: IRISH HERITAGE 116 SUBSCriPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES database has already delivered significant Mike Russell visits the impressive collection LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), dividends for the Docklands Light Railway. at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 9517785 BACK ISSUES Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 Is getting it right first time absolutely essential? PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION It may seem like a stupid question, but there are interesting lessons this Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391000. month from our detailed review of the tramway project in Olsztyn, Poland. LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE Following a difficult beginning to the scheme and issues with the initial c/o 138 Radnor Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2BY, UK. contractor, the city was forced into a tight construction programme, Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 dividing the original contract into six work packages. Appointing five new in England and Wales. contractors the work was completed in around 18 months. LRTA CHAIRMAN Whilst a lot of the ground had been laid, the eventual 11km (seven-mile) scheme Andrew Braddock as delivered has allowed for improvements and additions to be made – impressive E-mail: [email protected] given the December 2015 deadline for opening had to be met for risk of losing the LRTA DeputY CHAIRMAN considerable European funding that made the tramway viable. Paul Rowen There seems to be a temptation from scheme promoters, fearful of negative publicity, to LRTA PUBLISHING REGISTERED OFFICE c/o 8 Berwick Place, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4TU, wait until every aspect is perfect before services are launched. While this is understandable UK. Private Limited Company, No. 06169422 in one respect, does it run the risk of adding extra delays and cost, or allow contractors in England and Wales. to push the client? The old adage that you work to the time available comes to mind, © LRTA Publishing 2016 and this all relates back to the ‘gold-plating’ we’ve referred to so often in the past. Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also I’m sure the city authorities in Olsztyn would admit that things haven’t gone later be used on our websites or other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the perfectly since the system launched and there have been well-publicised glitches. But opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of the opening met its forced deadline and passenger reactions, on the whole, have been LRTA Publishing or the LRTA. All rights reserved. very good. Nobody would ever suggest that services should be launched if there is a No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in single safety question mark, but is it better to open a new line and offer a 90% service any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and while working out minor bugs over the following weeks? If passengers are safe and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from happy, does it matter too much if the trams don’t meet the ideal timetabled service? the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the We’ve also got a round table of experts looking at the wire-free debate and a fascinating magazine without prior written approval is not permitted. insight into the adoption of Building Information Modelling systems to improve asset COVER: Olsztyn Tramino 3003 in front of the city's management and operations of London’s Docklands Light Railway. Simon Johnston, Editor town hall on 19 December 2015. Martyn Janduła www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MARCH 2016 / 83 News Gold Coast explores options Blizzards knock out Three bidders have been north-eastern US transit shortlisted for the construction of the 7.3km (4.5-mile) extension Record late January snowfall causes state of emergency declarations of the Gold Coast tramway to Helensvale QR station: Leighton Contractors, John Holland and a snowstorm that joint venture of Downer EDI and dumped more than a BMD Constructions. metre of snow on the A final decision will be made north-eastern United in April, with weighting being AStates on 22-23 January (the placed upon assurances from the largest snowfall in 132 years of contractors that the new line can record keeping) caused transit be completed in time for the 2018 agencies to suspend their services Commonwealth Games. for all or most of the weekend. The ultimate ambitions of a States of emergency were network that links Coolangatta declared and residents warned in the south and Robina in the not to venture on the streets on west have been initially costed at foot or in vehicles. Offices were AUD3bn (EUR1.9bn) according closed from noon on the Friday, to reports. The report costs and flights cancelled. the extensions at AUD60/km In Philadelphia SEPTA (EUR38.5/km) and consultations suspended all services except are underway with residents the Broad Street and Market – A Washington metro train snowed in at Brentwood yard. pqinsider and businesses. The results Frankford rapid transit lines are expected before the local for 24 hours from 04.00 on 23 Baltimore MTA cancelled suspended and did not resume government elections in March. February. Service was mostly back weekend services and started until Wednesday.