Transit news
Mixed results for transit in US elections W
HILE President Barack Obama’s victory in last
month’s presidential election was encouraging for proponents of the White House’s high-speed rail plans, there were mixed results in state referendums over funding for transit projects. The big loser appears to be Los Angeles where Measure J, which would have extended an existing half-cent sales tax for transport projects passed in 2008 for a further 30 years from 2039 to 2069 fell just short of the 66% supermajority required. The tax increase would have sped up financing of seven transit projects, including a metro to UCLA, an airport link, and a downtown connection service through
providing access to various financing mechanisms. Voters in Alameda County, California, across the bay from San Francisco, also rejected a half-cent sales tax increase which would have provided $US 7.8bn over three decades for projects including the Bart Livermore extension. A proposed transit extension of the Portland TriMet service across the Columbia River from Oregon to Clark County, Washington, is now in doubt following the rejection of a 0.1% sales tax increase. As a result the federally-funded $US 3.5bn Columbia River Crossing, which included new links for road and rail, is now at risk due to the lack of assured local funds. Funding
Bombardier to operate Maryland commuter lines
for light rail projects in Houston will also not benefit from a full allocation from Harris County after voters approved to continue diverting 25% of its contribution to non- rail transport infrastructure. There was better news for Virginia Beach where voters approved the advancement of a study to extend the Tide light rail network from Norfolk, while in Orange County, North Carolina, voters approved various projects including constructing a new light rail line from Durham to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Honolulu’s metro project will also continue after Mr Kirk Caldwell won the mayoral election.
São Paulo metro projects move forward
HE STATE of São Paulo is expected to invite bids this month for a 25-year PPP contract to build and operate metro Line 6.
T
Bombardier Transportation a $US 205m service contract to operate Maryland Area Regional Commuter (Marc) commuter rail services on the Camden and Brunswick lines from June 2013. The contract includes maintenance of the train fleet and an option for a five-year extension.
M
HE European Bank for Reconstruction and
ARYLAND Board of Public Works has awarded
Bombardier will take over
from CSX which has decided to cease operation of
commuter services in the state, although the Class I will continue to own and maintain the lines used by the Marc- owned trains. The other Marc commuter rail operation, the Penn Line, is operated by Amtrak, which also owns the tracks used.
Development (EBRD) and the municipal government of Almaty signed a memorandum of understanding on November 7 for the development of a 14km light rail line in the city. The so-called fast tram will
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replace the existing tram lines between Momyshuly Street, Makateyev Street, and Zhetysu Street. The EBRD says the line will be the first major urban transport project in Kazakhstan to be implemented as a PPP. The EBRD will seek grants to cover the costs for legal and
The Reais 19.9bn ($US 9.8bn) build-operate-transfer concession is based on a construction period of six years and a 19-year operating term. The cost of construction will be around Reais 7.8bn. Construction is due to start in July 2013 on the north-south line from Brasilândia to Santa Marina, Perdizes and São Joaquim and when it is completed in 2019 the line is expected to carry around 640,000 passengers per day. Public consultation has also begun on the 13.5km extension of Line 2 from Vila Prudente to Dutra. The 12-station extension will open in 2019 and is expected to increase weekday ridership on Line 2 to around 900,000.
EBRD to support Almaty fast tram project T
technical advisers to assist the city in drafting PPP documents. The Tenge 44.6bn ($US 301m) budget includes rolling stock, and local media reported in April that the city plans to procure a fleet of Superior Plus LRVs from Inkeon, Czech Republic.
In brief
Algiers A consortium of Colas Rail and Kou GC, Algeria, has been awarded an ƒ85m contract covering the installation of track, electrification, tunnel ventilation and fare collection systems on the 4km extension of metro Line 1 from Hai El Badr to El Harrach Centre.
Boston
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has awarded Alstom two contracts worth a total of ƒ170m to modernise 86 Kinki Sharyo trams used on the Green Line, and upgrade 74 double-deck commuter rail coaches.
Buenos Aires
Metro operator Subte has acquired 12 series 5000 vehicles from Madrid Metro at a cost of ƒ840,000. The vehicles, which were built in the 1970s, will be upgraded with new passenger information systems and air- conditioning and will supplement the 24 series 5000 cars purchased last year.
Charlotte
The United States Federal Transit Administration has awarded a $US 580m federal grant to cover half the cost of the 15km Blue Line extension from 7th Street to the University of North Carolina Charlotte Campus.
Edinburgh
Test operation of the city’s troubled light rail line was due to start on November 26, covering a 2.8km section between the depot at Gogar Castle Road and Edinburgh Airport. The 13.5km 16-station line is due to open by July 2014.
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia’s Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) has awarded two contracts worth a total of Ringgits 1.18bn ($US 387m) for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Sungai Buloh - Kajang line. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured a Ringgits 855m contract to design, procure, construct, test, and
commission trackwork on the 51km line, while MRTC has
IRJ December 2012
Photo: Keith Fender
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