Transit news
metro line in the Italian city of Brescia was inaugurated on March 2 by the president of the region of Lombardy Mr Roberto Maroni. The line links Prealpino in the north with the city centre and San Eufemia in the south east, and is the third automatic metro line to be completed in Italy after Turin and Milan Line M5, which opened in February (IRJ March p11). The 13.1km line was
Brescia opens first metro line A
FTER 10 years of construction, the first
constructed by a consortium of
HE council of Gmunden, Austria, has voted in favour of linking a metre- gauge tram line with the Gmunden - Vorchdorf line of the same gauge. The ƒ30m project involves construction of a 700m line in the town centre and across the river Traun on a road bridge which needs to be rebuilt. The province of Upper Austria will contribute 80% of funding with the remaining 20% provided by the town,
Anslado STS, AnsaldoBreda, and Astaldi under a turnkey contract signed in April 2003. The 39m-long three-car AnsaldoBreda trains used on the line have a maximum capacity of 300 passengers. The line has a fleet of 18 trains, 16 of which are required to operate the peak service. Trains are operated from a control centre at San Eufemia. The 13.1km line has 17 stations, eight of which are underground with five in trenches, two on the surface and two elevated.
Austrian tram-rail link approved T
other local authorities, and operator Stern and Hafferl. The project will be carried out in three stages. In 2014 the branch from Vorchdorf will be extended to Klosterplatz. The following year the tram line will reach Rathausplatz with the link due to open in 2017. Stern and Hafferl will shortly launch a tender for new low-floor LRVs. This follows tests on the Gmunden tramway with low-floor LRVs from Innsbruck.
Saudi cabinet approves Jeddah metro plans
T
HE Saudi cabinet granted approval on
March 11 for Jeddah’s Riyals 45bn ($US 12bn) transport master plan, which includes the construction of a 108km light metro network. Preliminary design is nearing completion on the Riyals 32bn network and tenders for the design and build contract for the first phase are due to be launched later this year.
The network will comprise
three lines, all of which are scheduled for completion by 2020. The 67km north-south Orange line will link Makkah Road with Obhur with a branch running east along Sari Street.
The 24km Blue Line will have 17 stations and will connect King Abdulaziz International Airport with the Haramain high-speed station, while the 17km Green Line will follow the alignment of Old Palestine Road from the Corniche to the Haramain station.
Harbin metro to start trial operation soon
In brief Manchester
The phase 3A expansion of the Metrolink light rail network was completed on February 28 with the opening of the 7.4km extension from Shaw & Crompton to Rochdale Station. The total length of the network is now 69km, and further extensions will take it to 95km by 2016.
Melbourne
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) says average speeds on the light rail network will need to be increased if the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy is to achieve its “20- minute city” public transport concept. In its submission to the Victorian government’s strategy, the ARA says the extensive network needs to be optimised with dedicated corridors and priority signalling at road crossings.
Paris
Paris Transport Authority (RATP) has awarded a contract worth around ƒ11m to Soitec and a consortium of Philips and French partner Step to install LED lighting at stations across the city’s metro and RER networks. The contract covers the replacement of 250,000 lights at 302 metro and 66 RER stations over the next four years.
Quito
Metro Quito has begun prequalification for the second phase contract for the city’s $US 1.5bn metro project. The contract covers the construction of 13 of the 15 stations, a 22km tunnel and the depot as well as acquisition of rolling stock.
The Hague C 12
ONSTRUCTION has been completed of the first
metro line in the Chinese city of Harbin and a fleet of 17 six- car trains has been delivered by CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles ready to start trial operation.
The line partly uses a former
air-defence evacuation tunnel built during the Second World
War. Line 1 is 17.5km long with 18 underground stations and links the city’s East and South mainline stations via the city centre.
Each train, which comprises four motored cars and two trailers, has an aluminium alloy car body and is mounted on CW2100 bogies. Bombardier supplied the
traction and auxiliary systems as well as the train control equipment. Two more lines are planned. Line 2 will run from the northwest via the city centre to the eastern suburbs, while Line 3 will encircle the city centre. In the longer-term a five-line network totalling 143km is envisaged.
Netherlands Railways (NS) has announced it is to proceed with the acquisition of a 49% share in The Hague Tramways Passenger Transport from the municipality of The Hague. The ƒ45m transaction does not include the city’s light rail infrastructure, which remains under municipal ownership, and the transfer of shares is still subject to final approval by the city council. IRJ
IRJ April 2013
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