June 2024: No 1038

THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE

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JUNE 2024 N o . 103 8

closing the loop in central paris

Improving connections in the heart of the French capital Sarajevo runs first new cars in 40 years RATP wins contract for Lyon LRT Qatar opens Lusail tram extension Ticketing focus Technology and incentive schemes

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CONTENTS

222 The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association JUNE 2024 Vol. 87 No. 1038 www.tautonline.com

EDITORIAL Editor – Matt Johnston matt@mainspring.co.uk Associate Editor – Tony Streeter tony.streeter@mainspring.co.uk

211 Mika Baumeister/Unsplash

225 NEWS 164 RATP wins new Lyon contract; Wien sets its sights high; New tram runs in Woltersdorf.

UKTram’s NEW CHAIRMAN 208 Steve Edwards discusses his plans for the UK trade body. comment: social values 210 SYSTRA on the social values of mass transit. ticketing TECHNOLOGY 211 Richard Foster looks at today’s ticketing technology, and where this might lead us.

Worldwide Editor – Michael Taplin miketap@mainspring.co.uk

bydgoszcz: following a vision 222 Andrew Thompson visits the Polish city that rebuilt routes after World War Two’s destruction – and continues to grow. systems factfile: paris t3a & t3b 225 Neil Pulling looks at Paris T3 – which later split into T3a and T3b – and which will feel the most impact of the summer Olympics.

WORLDWIDE REVIEW 231 Case for Manchester Metrolink expansion; Copenhagen extension set to open.

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mailbox 235 A Florentine perspective on its tramway.

GENOVA: taking the long view 217 TAUT looks at how Italy’s seaside city is starting to join up its transport network.

CLASSIC TRAMS: old pueblo trolley 236 A hidden museum in Tucson, Arizona, has high ambitions – but also some frustrating limitations. Mike Russell explores.

the price of a flat fare Tony Streeter considers the impact of the EUR49 Deutschlandticket.

An Olympic gold medal for Paris The staging of a major world sporting event always provides a wonderful opportunity for a city to sell itself as a place of quality, somewhere to visit and invest in. The forthcoming 2024 Olympic Games which will be centred on Paris from 26 July to 11 August, happily offer no exception.

Good quality transport is essential for the vast volumes of visitors and competitors, and you can read in this issue how the French capital is now close to achieving its ambition of completely encircling its centre with a tramway.

The completion of the 3.2km (two-mile) extension of line T3b from from Porte d’Asnières to Porte Dauphine on 5 April only leaves a 4km (2.5-mile) gap to fill in.

What is always impressive is that French systems take so little time to create, and Paris’s 29.9km (19-mile) ring has only taken eight years from a standing start.

Paris is by no means the first to raise its game in this way. We witnessed what happened in Dubai in the UAE two years ago when the country hosted the Football World Cup. The extended and upgraded four-line Metro with its 25 stations performed immaculately despite 800 000 people descending on it for a fortnight.

Metro trains, carrying six times the normal number of passengers, ran perfectly to time, and everyone left safe. When we heard that 100% of services – not 99.9% - ran perfectly to time, it was no wonder that the 2023 Global Light Rail Awards judges selected it for the Operator of the Year accolade.

Looking ahead, TAUT looks forward to reporting how Los Angeles on the west coast of the United States is preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games. It already claims to have one of the country’s best public transportation networks, including a six-line metro with 101 stations, the world’s longest light rail route and bus rapid transit, all reaching every corner of the greater LA area. That’s a great start.

Matt Johnston, Editor COVER: Île-de-France line 3 is a showcase for returning trams to mature urban areas: Porte d'AsnièresMarguerite Long in north-west Paris during its final days as a T3b terminus prior to April 2024. Neil Pulling

Senior ContributorS – Howard Johnston, Neil Pulling Worldwide Contributors Richard Foster, Richard Felski, Andrew Grahl, Andrew Moglestue, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Andrew Thompson, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, Thomas Wagner, Philip Webb.

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News

Tango enters service in Sarajevo First new cars since 1980s arrive in Bosnian capital

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arajevo’s first Stadler NF3 Tango low-floor trams have entered service, mainly on Line 3. Adnan Steta, Minister of Transport for Sarajevo Canton, welcomed the first passengers aboard the Bosnia & Herzegovina capital’s first new trams since the 1980s.

After the Yugoslav wars, operator Gradski Saobracaj Sarajevo rebuilt its tram fleet with secondhand cars from Amsterdam, Wien (Vienna) and Köln (Cologne), the latter coming via the Turkish city of Konya.

The EUR34.7m contract for 15 new trams to replace Tatra K2YU articulated vehicles, delivered in 1975-83, was signed with the Swiss manufacturer in September 2021. The transport ministry then ordered a further 19 trams for EUR29.7m.

These extra cars are needed as work has started on a 6.5km (four-mile), EUR26m extension from Ilidza to Hrasnica.

The lead car of the order was unveiled at the TRAKO International exhibition in

Gdansk, Poland, in September 2023.

The first arrived in Sarajevo in December 2023 after first

Blackpool North to open in June

Wien: The tram capital of the world?

The first public trip on the GBP23m (EUR27m) extension of the UK’s Blackpool tramway is to take place on 12 June, for winners of a competition for local residents.

Revenue-earning services to Blackpool North station are to begin on 16 June, following three days with special tram tours.

The extension brings trams to Blackpool North for the first time since 1963.

Wiener Linien CEO Alexandra Reinagl told delegates at an event organised by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in April that U5 would be the Austrian capital’s last new U-Bahn line.

U5 required 3km (1.9 miles) of new tunnels, plus re-use of 6km (3.8 miles) of tunnels from U2. The new line will be fully

undertaking night trials on the Poznan system in Poland.

Trials in Sarajevo started at the end of January.

automated and will serve 11 new stations. It has long been championed as the city’s key tool in the fight against climate change.

However, Ms Reinagl used her address to question the environmental benefits of subway construction. Instead, she intends to focus on

Testing a Stadler Tango in Sarajevo, the first new tram in the city since the 1980s. The 31m trams can carry 180 passengers, 79 seated. Malosutra

extending the tramway network, making Wien (Vienna) the ‘tram capital of the world’.

Currently, Wien has 171km (106 miles) of tramway, comprising 28 lines.

Construction has started on Line 27 from Strebersdorf to Aspern Nord U2 station. Delivery of new Flexity cars continues.

Calls for Cork tramway

The CEO of Cork’s Chamber of Commerce, Conor Healy, has described the proposed tramway in the Irish city as a “top priority”.

Mr Healy made his comments in the wake of news that Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority only have enough funding to undertake what the NTA calls a “detailed alignment study” to determine the optimum route.

Initial proposals are for a line linking a park-and-ride facility to the west of Ballincollig with the Mahon Point shopping complex.

The line would shadow the River Lees and link key facilities, such as Cork University Hospital and Kent Station.

Electroputere VFU awarded contract Free transport A legal dispute that has been ongoing since 2020 has been settled by Romania’s national arbitration body CNSC. București (Bucharest) chose not to award a contract for 40 low-floor 18m trams to Electroputere VFU in 2020, although the latter’s bid of RON300m (EUR60m) was the lowest. The court has now ordered that the contract be awarded to Electroputere VFU, which has not built trams for some years and does not

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currently have a low-floor design.

The option for a further 60 has been cancelled.

In the meantime, the city has ordered 100 36m trams from Astra Vagoane Că lători, which joined forces with China’s CRRC in order to be considered for the contract. This decision has not been without controversy: the contract was initially awarded to Turkish manufacturer Durmazlar, but the Court of Appeal than ruled in favour of Astra Vagoane-CRRC.

for Glasgow?

A document produced for Glasgow City Council has recommended trialling free public transport in the city.

Under the scheme, 1000 participants would have free travel on the UK city’s buses and its Subway for nine weeks.

While some funding has been identified, the council still needs GBP250 000 (EUR292 000).

It is hoped that free public transport could help Glasgow meet its climate change targets.

Silesian system views expansion

Lyon Alstom Citadis 900 on Line T3. Meyer

RATP wins contract for Lyon rail systems French city signs deal with RATP Dev worth more than EUR2bn

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yon’s transport authority Sytral Mobilités has awarded RATP Dev an operational contract for rail-based services, worth over EUR2bn. The bus, tram, metro and funiculars in France’s second city have been operated by Keolis since 2015.

Coming into effect on 1 January 2025, the new contract will mean 1600 Keolis employees will transfer to RATP Dev. The deal also includes operating

a new river service due to start that summer. In addition, RATP Dev will take on the 23km (14-mile) Rhônexpress airport light rail link from long-time operator Transdev.

The contract includes performance-based bonuses and penalties. Sytral Mobilités wants, for example, automated metro reliability to increase from 99.35% in 2025 to 99.8% in 2035. Major projects include the automation of metro

The extensive Polish tram network in Upper Silesia should find the 2024-27 period less tumultuous than previous years, following completion of major track reconstruction. With this programme now nearing its end, the system could potentially expand further.

Siemianowice Slaskie’s local authority is investigating extending the 6.45km (fourmile) Line 13 to an area of redevelopment to the northwestern side of Katowice.

There has also been a long-held desire to extend Line 6 (currently operating as Line 56) beyond the present Bytom terminus at the Medical School to Miechowice.

This would involve reinstating operation over part of the original Städtische Strassenbahn Beuthen, which closed in 1983.

Stadler’s German depot

Line A, upgrades to Lines C and D, and the construction of two new tramlines.

Lyon has four metro lines with 102 metro trains, and seven tramlines, served by 107 Alstom Citadis trams.

There are two funiculars.

Keolis will retain the operating contract for the buses and trolleybuses. This contract will run for six years and covers 136 lines (eight of which are trolleybus routes).

Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler plans to build a new rail vehicle commissioning centre at Hennigsdorf to the north-west of Berlin. Stadler already has an equivalent facility in Germany.

However, Jure Mikolčić, CEO of Stadler in Germany, said the commissioning centre in Velten is now “reaching the limits of its capacity”.

The new facility would provide 46 000m2 of covered space, with a potential opening date in 2027.

Alstom already has a factory in Hennigsdorf, which dates back to 1910.

New trams for Woltersdorf The first of four Modertrans Moderus Gamma LF10 AC BDs has started trials on the historic Woltersdorf tramway near Berlin, which dates from 1913.

Car 41 was delivered on 27 March and trials started in April. It is hoped that the new trams will be in regular passenger service by 19 May 2024, the line’s 111th anniversary.

The double-ended airconditioned vehicles are 14.9m long and 2.4m wide, and can carry 56 passengers (22 seated).

They are powered by four 50kW asynchronous motors and weigh 20.5t, with a maximum design speed of 70km/h (43.5mph). They feature a multi-purpose area for

pushchairs and wheelchairs, with a folding ramp at the door.

Modertrans won the contract for three trams (later increased to four) in February 2022. The new vehicles are to replace the 195760 DDR-era two-axle high-floor Gotha trams, which no longer meet accessibility requirements.

The 5.6km (3.5-mile) line connects Rahnsdorf S-Bahn station to Woltersdorf. Since 1991, ownership has been shared between the Woltersdorf municipality and the OderSpree county government. From January 2020 operation has been in the hands of Schöneiche– Rudersdorf Strassenbahn, operator of another local S-Bahn feeder tramway.

The first new tram for Woltersdorf since 1925 alongside an ex-Schwerin Gotha car. Modertrans

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News

Paris orbital tramway extension opens T3 edges ever closer to complete loop around French capital, following opening of Line T3b section

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4km (2.5-mile) gap is all that now prevents tramline T3 from making a complete circuit around the centre of Paris.

It follows the start of passenger services on the 3.2km (two-mile)

extension of Line T3b from Porte d’Asnières to Porte Dauphine on 5 April.

T3 construction started in 2006. It now almost encircles the central area of the French capital, from Pont du Garigliano (Hôpital

Georges Pompidou) to Porte Dauphine, a distance of 29.9km (19 miles). The line is operated in two halves: T3a is the southern section and T3b the northern section. They meet at Porte de Vincennes.

The new stop at Porte de Champerret (interchange with metro 3) during driver training with 371, one of latest batch of Alstom Citadis trams. Upsistos

Rotterdam’s tram plan Rotterdam’s public transport operator RET is to reorganise its tram routes in an attempt to attract 10% more passengers than in 2022. Ridership dropped from 46m passengers a year in 2019 to 23m in 2020, although that number has since increased.

RET initially proposed cuts to its system in order to improve its financial position. However, its operational plan for 2025 features nine tram routes: 1: V laardingen-Holy – CS – De Esch 2: Charlois – Keizerswaard 3: C S – Keizerswaard – Beverwaard 4: Heemradsplein – CS – Molenlaan 5: CS – Carnisselande 6: Heemradsplein – CS – Kleiweg 7: M arconipleon – CS – Woudestein 8: Spangen – CS – Schiebroek 11: Woudhoek – CS – De Esch As a result, just three short sections of the existing network will be abandoned.

The extension has taken five years to build and has seven new stops, including at the Palais des Congrès convention centre and an interchange with RER Line C at Porte Maillot. Construction involved creating an additional 6.4km (four miles) of cycle lanes, laying 14 000m2 of grass, and planting 960 trees.

Line T3 attracts some 50m passengers a year and the new section is expected to bring a further 74 000 passengers per day. The extension has required 50 new drivers to be recruited (working from Porte de Pantin depot) while Alstom has supplied nine more Citadis 402s (364-372) at a cost of EUR36m. These have a slightly modified front end from the 63 already used on T3.

The new trams permit a fourminute headway at peak periods.

T3’s construction is part of the investment in the network in preparation for 2024’s Olympic Games. The missing section to complete the circle has still to be formally authorised but could be completed by 2035, although an extension to Porte d’Auteil is likely to be built first.

Moskva parade celebrates 125 years of trams in city More than 20 000 Moskva (Moscow) residents turned out on 6 April to celebrate 125 years of the city’s tramway. A tram parade ran from Rusakov depot, along Lesnaya Street to Tverskaya Zastava Square near Belorussky railway station. This is the oldest section of the Russian capital’s tramway still in operation.

Spectators then enjoyed a concert and free refreshments.

Electric trams started carrying passengers on 6 April 1899. The first line connected Butyrka gate and Petrovsky Park. This section was abandoned 25 years ago.

Today, the network is operated in two parts over 40 lines. Since 2017, more than 500 low-floor trams have been delivered.

Maksim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “Developing the Moskva

tram system remains a pivotal objective for Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. As the city’s most efficient and forward-looking form of ground transportation, we are committed to phasing in modern low-floor vehicles, with 95% of our current fleet proudly made in Russia. The complete renewal of our fleet is a tangible goal within our reach in the coming years.”

‘Moskva 125’: what was on display?

164: F (built by Mytishchi, 1908) 2170: KM (Kolomenskogo, 1930) 1278: MTV-82 (Riga, 1948) 002+1002: KTM-1+KTP-1 0 (Ust-Katav, 1956) 222: RVZ-6 (Riga, 1965) 378: T2SU (Tatra, 1960) 481: T3SU (Tatra, 1970) 0001: T6B5SU (Tatra, 1983) 7005: T7B5 (Tatra, 1993) 1001: 71-608 (Ust-Katav, 1994) Some of the 6 April crowds with restored 1908 F-class tram 164, built by Mytishchi. Romach

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0699: KT3R (Tatra/Pars Nova, 3 2007)

Lusail Alstom Citadis at a surface stop. peninsula.qa

Qatar’s Lusail Tram breaks cover Service starts on surface section of line

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assenger services on surface sections of the Lusail tramway system started on 8 April.

The first section of line, designed to link Qatar’s capital of Doha with the new city of Lusail, opened in January 2022.

At 9.7km (six miles), it was completely underground and served seven stations.

The extension increases the length to 20km (12.4 miles), serving 21 stops. When complete, the tramway will form a 33.5km (21-mile) network

served by 28 Alstom Citadis XO5 five-section 32m trams, using APS surface current collection.

Services on the extension comprise what are known as the Pink Line (Legtaifiya to Seef Lusail North, although the Al Sa’ad Plaza stop remains closed) and Orange Line (anti-clockwise from Legtaifiya). Trams run daily, but not before 14.00 on Fridays.

A cross-town Purple Line is to follow. It will run east-west from Lusail Towers on the Pink line to Lusail QNB metro station, crossing the Orange Line loop.

Philadelphia cancels CRRC commuter order Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s USD185m (EUR172m) order for 45 double-deck commuter rail cars from China’s CRRC has been ‘terminated with cause’.

The first deliveries were due in 2019; as yet, none of the cars have been delivered.

‘Buy America’ requirements meant CRRC had to build a new factory at Springfield, MA, where the vehicles would have been assembled and fitted out using bodyshells supplied from China.

Terminating the contract has reportedly cost SEPTA USD45m (EUR42m), which it hopes to recover through legal action.

Robert Wilson, spokesman for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 7, voiced his concerns for the future of jobs locally. However, CRRC spokesperson Lydia Rivera told The Philadelphia Inquirer: “CRRC MA remains committed

to completing the project and continues to seek further discussions to resolve SEPTA’s concerns.”

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has agreed to pay CRRC an additional USD148m (EUR138m) to secure delivery of the Red and Orange Line subway trains it has on order. The 404 cars were supposed to have been delivered

by September 2023. So far, only 130 have been delivered and the deadline has been extended to the end of 2027.

CRRC’s Springfield factory has started to deliver 7000 series vehicles to Chicago’s ‘L’ system.

It is also building HR4000 EMUs for Los Angeles’ Metro Lines B and D. However, after these orders were placed, US politicians began to express security concerns about Chinese stock.

CRRC has received no further orders from US systems.

THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

CONTACT OTSA Ltd Ms. Annika Fila T +44 20 7886 3107 otsa@otsa.net

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UKTram

uktraM: new chairman sets out his stall Experienced new leader Steve Edwards promises to work hard to get the simplest of messages into the minds of non-believers: We must have more light rail. Howard Johnston finds out more.

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kTram ’s new Chairman, Steve Edwards, fully recognises that persuading the British government to take urban transit more seriously is no easier than it has ever been. He is, however, crystal clear in his own views: “Light rail delivers for communities, the economy and the environment. It’s as simple as that.”

Edwards, who took over the helm of the UK industry body last December, should know, because he was at the coal face for almost a decade as the Executive Director and Director General for South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), which included running Sheffield’s Supertram.

Joining it in 2015, he was responsible for ensuring the organisation fulfilled its statutory responsibilities for the delivery of all public transport services across a wide area, maintaining exacting standards of corporate governance and transparency.

In his new role with UKTram, Edwards’ incoming message is that he is no revolutionary, but nevertheless he’s determined to build on what has already been achieved by the organisation and the excellent work of his predecessors.

This includes pressing home the positive case for tramways and similar transit systems,

UKTram

“We need priorities, and to concentrate on areas where we can create the most impact.” as set out in UKTram’s landmark Light Rail Strategy document.

Bringing into focus the many benefits of putting tramways at the heart of future integrated urban transport networks – not least in terms of enhancing connectivity, driving inward investment, reducing congestion and improving air quality –

The provision of information across London’s transport system is excellent, making it easy and appealing for passengers to navigate – meaning that this is a model in seamlessness for the rest of the UK. Pictured is St Pancras station, London. Neil Pulling

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the ambitious strategy continues to shape the work of the organisation, setting out a clear programme of initiatives that will help to reduce the cost and complexity of future projects whilst encouraging cross-sector partnerships.

It also acts as a rallying call for the entire sector to unite behind a bold vision for the future, setting out a positive message that has the support of UKTram’s membership, which includes all the UK’s major light rail operators.

Moving forward, Edwards does not want to plunge the group headlong into heavy politics, considering that much of what is being pushed by the strategy is so logical there’s no need to embark on a point-scoring exercise.

UKTram has been the sole point of contact for the government for over ten years. It was originally sponsored by the public sector because commercial interests of manufacturers and suppliers were represented by the separate UK Light Rail Transit Forum. They came together after former coalition Transport Minister Norman Baker stated that he only wanted to engage with one body.

What has Edwards already discovered about UKTram? “What immediately struck me is the high level of passion across the board in a very tight-knit community,” he says. “It is not just a group of engineers, and depends so much on the input from member organisations.”

However, the organisation currently has a massive work programme, and is it trying to do too many things? Edwards responds: “We certainly need some clarity on what we do. We also need priorities, and to concentrate on areas where we can create the most impact and get the most benefit.

We also need to send out different messages to different audiences.”

UKTram is quite a complex animal. From relatively simple beginnings, it has widened its sphere of activity from simply sharing best practice and concerns about safety to covering all aspects of tramway planning, building and operations.

Its Centre of Excellence, created in 2012, delivers expert advice to potential sponsors across the entire spectrum of light, very light and ultra-light rail, and assesses the viability of prospective schemes. The outcome is stronger business cases to stimulate interest and funding from central government, Network Rail and regional bodies. Functional working groups also bring together professionals from

WHAT UK TRAM DOES UKTram is currently halfway through its three-year master strategy, which covers 202225, and is explained in detail on its website.

The body is not for profit, and represents all light rail and ‘other guided transport’ systems in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. This includes second-generation tramways, metros and subways (excluding London Underground), very light rail and personal rapid transit, as well as heritage tramways.

The membership comprises network operators, infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance bodies, passenger transport executives, local transport authorities, local government, concessionaires, manufacturers and equipment suppliers, industry advisors and expert consultants.

Through pro-active working groups, it shares and promotes best practice and takes a leading role in setting technical standards and legislative changes. Professional sector forums are dedicated to raising performance standards and driving innovation and technical excellence.

UKTram works closely with, and keenly supports, the Light Rail Safety & Standards Board, which was founded in 2019.

Post-COVID-19 it promotes the aim of carrying 10% more passengers than when the pandemic began. Best practice is shared to try to achieve a 5% modal shift by the end of the business plan.

Decarbonisation continues to be discussed at a time when the government is considering extending deadlines to achieve carbon dioxide emission reductions to improve air quality.

across the sector to discuss issues they face and identify practical solutions, while sharing best practice and providing a voice for operators, engineers, owners and authorities, and the heritage sector.

Edwards: “I’m keen to understand what the membership wants at this important time, and UKTram needs to be clear what message it is trying to get across. We may need a different approach to the Department for Transport (DfT), and recognise what we want to achieve with the limited resources we have. This is a huge challenge.”

Thanks to his previous experience, he feels well equipped to help the UKTram team rise to the challenge.

Running South Yorkshire Supertram was not easy for a variety of reasons. Although built with public money, its operating contract was sold to Stagecoach in 1997 for a disappointing GBP1.5m (EUR1.7m) when GBP80m (EUR93m) had been hoped for.

Politically, its Achilles heel is that it only runs through two of the four local authorities that make contributions, Sheffield and Rotherham. Edwards’ task was always to keep Doncaster and Barnsley on side when Stagecoach surrendered the keys back in March. He bluntly summarises how the relationship worked: “This is a commercial model that won’t reappear.”

In South Yorkshire, Edwards had an annual revenue budget of GBP65m (EUR75m) for all public transport, and secured over GBP1bn (EUR 1.2bn) for capital infrastructure projects from the government, including the first phase of tram infrastructure renewal,

Duewag 121 leaves Sheffield’s Fitzalan Square on a blue route service. Edwards’ history with Supertram allows him a unique perspective on the benefits the system offers, citing it to be an ‘excellent’ product in terms of access and regeneration. tr_nt. Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

refurbishment of Rotherham transport interchange, and construction of the UK’s first tram-train route linking the town to Sheffield.

Buses were at the heart of strategic development and operations, and Edwards regards the highlights of his tenure as the provision of infrastructure ranging from bus stops and shelters through to interchanges, the development of the first voluntary bus partnerships with local operators, better passenger information, integrated ticketing, concessionary travel to a range of passenger groups, and greater liaison between commercial operators.

Instituting change therefore comes easy for Edwards. His most recent brief was to shift SYPTE from a standalone body to become part of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and sit around the discussion table with a range of national government departments, regional bodies (including Transport for the North), local user groups and community forums.

Edwards comments: “A key challenge throughout my time at SYPTE was to manage the differing and often conflicting priorities of stakeholders. For historical reasons, money is often seen as unevenly distributed, and local politicians rarely see eye to eye.

“As local governance has become increasingly complex and funding more fragmented, stakeholder management has become increasingly important.”

As a director of the Urban Transport Group (UTG), which represents city region transport authorities, Edwards took the lead on light rail issues, making the case to central government. He was in the chair from 2019-21, and he had to negotiate hard to secure over GBP100 million (EUR120m) to steer essential transport services through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking to the future, as ever, investment funding for future light rail projects remains tight, but he believes there are some “interesting opportunities”. This has been illustrated by the release at the end of last year of GBP2bn (EUR2.3bn) to kick-start the West Yorkshire tram scheme centred on Leeds and Bradford. The money has come from the cancellation of the northern leg of the High Speed 2 railway (HS2) into Manchester, and Edwards speculates that there might “still be something left in the HS2 kitty”. The slowmoving Restoring Your Railways scheme may offer further support for light rail, along with

the newly-promised Midlands Hub project centred on Birmingham.

With a General Election on the horizon, the UK is preparing itself for wholesale policy changes that may include greater devolution, allowing its regions to decide how money is spent. UKTram’s skills in persuasion that light rail is a dynamic, good value and popular solution to generating economic prosperity and urban revival have never been more relevant.

Returning to what Edwards has learned in South Yorkshire, he says he is acutely aware of the need to balance competing tensions amongst all transport modes and between politicians – “some have never got it” – and how light rail always gets squeezed between talk about investment in heavy rail, the green agenda and decarbonising bus fleets.

“We must look to the government for greater fairness. The introduction of the universal GBP2 (EUR2.3) bus fare, for example, distorts the picture, and there has to be a case for including tram travel into this scheme.

“We must be clear on how we explain its benefits and compare ourselves with other transport modes. We must be consistent and persistent, and we need to improve what we say. Others lobby better, and there are a lot of silos within the DfT, rail and bus.

“South Yorkshire has shown that there are great benefits to simplification. Supertram is an excellent product that can’t be expected to stand on its own two feet, but still provides unique access to places such as entertainment, education and the health service. It is a key for social regeneration.

“If you want to get people out of cars, systems need to be easy to navigate, which is easy in London of course. The seamless journey in the capital is easily possible because information provision is excellent.”

“However, light rail around Sheffield is typical of the rest of the UK because its 30-year-old assets are wearing out.

The challenges of maintaining the present system are as great as talking about expanding it. Its return to public ownership has helped on this score, and the arrival of elected mayors with increased powers has really stepped up the pace.”

Edwards is clear that a key role of UKTram is to offer support to individual new schemes, but “it is not up to us to say where they should be”. Instead, it should dispel myths about cost and suitability.

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Comment the social value of mass transit SYSTRA’s David Carter, Director of Public Transport, and Ian Bruce, Associate Director of Transport Planning, highlight the importance of the social value of mass transportation through an evaluation of Nottingham Express Transit and the Tyne and Wear Metro.

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ife-changing isn’t a word often bandied about by free travel on the Metro; a derelict area of land next to Whitley transport operators or those evaluating the social Bay Metro station that had fallen into disrepair is now home to a value of transport projects across the UK. However, thriving community garden and a small craft beer pub which we according to research supporting the evaluation of were proudly told raised money last year for Ukraine; and there Nottingham’s GBP600m tram extension, for the is a similar story at Monkseaton Metro station where its popular Department for Transport (DfT), that’s exactly the conclusion ‘Left Luggage Room’ pub regularly hosts ‘open mic’ events and is that can be reached. used as a rehearsal space for a local folk group.

Line One of Nottingham’s tram saw some fundamental It’s not just passengers who gain from the benefits of well changes in accessibility for some. One man in the Cinderhill thought out mass transit infrastructure. The above examples area, north-west of the city, rarely left his house on his own. He show that the wider local community has benefited from had always required someone else to travel with him. Imagine improved urban spaces. the freedom of being able to leave your house and travel into We have got to get better at thinking beyond the gateline. Mass town by tram – on your own – having never been able to do so. transit doesn’t necessarily always mean the benefit of a big shiny The evaluation, which focused on improved accessibility and station development, but even so there are many things that can the reduction of social exclusion, shows be done to better integrate transport into that many more than one person’s life our neighbourhoods, offer ownership and has been changed forever. Over a third involve the local community. Through of respondents stated they now travel our research we’ve found many practical more than they used to, which means and fun examples including; local notice more social interactions and more boards and planters that can be promoted people spending in the area, and 85% by parish councils, primary schools of respondents said the tram system and local businesses, displays of local changed their lives for the better. artwork, community book swaps, parcel One particular aspect of the lockers within stations and even using the evaluation looked at the influence on platform space for a yoga class! the changes to access in the workplace As social value gains more traction for mobility impaired users. Half of the and interest, there is an opportunity respondents who had changed jobs in to articulate the social impacts that the last five years identified that the transport schemes can generate and help accessibility offered by the tram was justify investment. In funding bids, this essential to taking their new job. can enhance the strategic argument In addition, Nottingham’s tram service for investment, and this has been a key has given employers a broader pool of element of our work supporting recent prospective employees to choose from.

Levelling Up Fund transport bids.

ABOVE: The Left Luggage Room, Monkseaton Station.

However, the accessibility and social Additionally, there are now recognised Ian Bruce, SYSTRA interaction that mass transit schemes ways of measuring and quantifying social provide is not limited to wheelchair value – something that has historically users; it helps everyone, in accessing been more challenging. Our work with new employment, education and Nexus involved the Rail Safety and social opportunities which will lead Standards Board’s (RSSB) Rail Social Value Tool, which quantifies social value to lifestyle and social improvements to all of society. using over 500 indicators.

The World Health Organisation Our recent work for the DfT will inform (WHO) states that ‘health is a state future mass transit projects in cities of complete physical, mental and across the UK such as the development social well-being and not merely the of Manchester’s Metrolink and new mass absence of disease or infirmity’. Obviously, having easy access transit proposals in Glasgow and West Yorkshire. By developing to hospitals and GPs means that people use these services robust evidence, we can use this in strategic cases elsewhere, and more readily for health issues, rather than waiting until severe this can then be used to develop more formal guidance. symptoms occur, alleviating the burden on the health system.

It is encouraging that the transport industry is looking beyond the time savings traditionally used in cost benefit Other, less easily identifiable savings for our health system analysis of transport projects to improve the collective occur when people are less lonely, are able to socialise and feel part of a community. Transport accessibility has an understanding of societal impacts arising from a range of transport interventions, especially those affecting enormous social benefit. vulnerable groups.

Countless great examples can be seen elsewhere too.

SYSTRA’s work for Nexus, the Public Transport Executive for the Dave and Ian will be at the UKLRC in July.

Tyne and Wear Metro, discovered that an elderly couple started For more information visit: www.systra. to attend art classes and were able to make new friends and feel com/uk/markets/transport/light-rail/ less isolated using their concessionary travel passes which allow

“We have got to get better at thinking beyond the gateline.

Mass transit doesn’t always mean a big shiny station development.”

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Ticketing

Take a ticket...

The days of only being issued a paper ticket when boarding a tram are now long behind us. Richard Foster looks at the innovations of today’s contactless, ticketless world of transport – and asks ‘what could be next?’

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t doesn’t matter whether it’s the evolution of a piece of technology or an organism - change will always inspire change in the surrounding environment. Evolutionary biologists call this the ‘Red Queen’s Hypothesis’.

Take the humble ticket, for example.

Travellers on stagecoaches received a handwritten ticket when they paid their money. This was fine because each stagecoach only carried a handful of passengers.

Producing handwritten tickets for an entire trainload of passengers was impractical. Up pops Thomas Edmondson with his small card tickets that became famous around the world.

When tickets were needed to activate ticket barriers, Edmondson-type tickets became redundant. And now you only need a mobile phone.

Access to public transport modes needs to be as smooth and stress-free as possible, in

Cover inset image: Scott Cawley, Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

ABOVE: Machester’s Bee Network, which includes Metrolink (pictured), aims to deliver a joined-up London-style transport system – which will soon include local rail, along with bus and light rail systems.

Johnlsl, Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

order to achieve modal shift. This has become ever more important in the postCOVID world where operators want to encourage patronage levels back to where they were pre-2020, while recognising that people are struggling with the cost of living crisis. And whatever our personal feelings towards ‘modern technology’ might be, it is playing its part.

Across the board

London has offered a travel network since the London Passenger Transport Board was formed in 1933. The unifying brand which applies to London’s rail, tram and bus operations is something that other UK cities are striving to achieve.

Manchester is a case in point. Its new Bee Network is “Greater Manchester’s vision to deliver a joined-up London-style transport system” and its Bee Card offers a flexible way to travel around the city on the Bee networks’ various modes (currently, bus and tram but soon to include local rail).

Across the Pennines, Nexus’s Pop cards can be used across Tyne & Wear’s Metro, bus, ferry and local rail services.

Such top-up smartcards are not new, for London’s Oyster card has been operational since 2003.

Smartcards require a lot of behind the scenes technology to make them work.

As this technology advances, so the scope of what can be offered broadens beyond a simple smartcard.

MaaS (Mobility as a Service) is a concept that takes the London Transport/Bee Network idea to a whole new level.

The MaaS Alliance says: “A MaaS service provider arranges the most suitable transportation means to meet a customer’s needs, whether public transport, taxi or car rental or even ride-, car- or bike-sharing.

“MaaS also offers new opportunities for sales channels, access to untapped customer demand, simplified user account and payment management, and richer data on transport providers’ travel demand patterns and dynamics.”

MaaS Alliance members stretch from Denmark and Finland south through central Europe down as far Buenos Aires.

One of its UK members is Solent Transport, a partnership formed by four local transport operators. Solent Transport’s Breeze app covers south Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and it became the first UK area to offer a full MaaS system when launched last year.

If you download the Breeze app, you can access buses, trains, ferries and hovercraft as

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ABOVE: Zürich’s network – pictured here is Hauptbahnhof station – uses Trafi’s MaaS platform. It is the same system used in Berlin and Brussels, as well as Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Solent Transport’s Breeze app allows passengers to access buses, trains, ferries, hovercraft and e-scooter facilities. Neil Pulling

well as e-scooter sharing facilities.

Car-sharing is to follow.

Breeze is powered by Lithuanian firm Trafi’s MaaS platform. This has also been used in Berlin, Brussels and Zürich. Its core product is what is called ‘white label’ – a fullyfunctional system that transport operators can buy and then personalise to enable passengers to find, book and pay for rides on the full range of transport options.

Trafi also offers a ‘Mobility Intelligence Platform’ that includes real time data mapping to generate “high accuracy real

time predictions” and a ‘Disruptions Management System’ that allows operators to generate information about disruptions and changes to journeys.

Trafi is not the only business that offers these systems. Masabi’s Justride is an accountbased ticketing platform that’s used by 250 transit agencies throughout the world.

It’s applicable to all smartcard-based forms of public transport, such as Oyster, contactless payments, mobile ticketing and MaaS. It gives operators a platform that allows them to manage tariffs and validation monitoring.

ABOVE: Seoul’s network is the first in the world to use the T-Money Tagless Payment system, which lets those who have downloaded the app pass through barriers without having to tap. Howard Pulling

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French multi-national Thales produces TRANSCITY. This “back office solution for fare collection” is designed to cover door-to-door journeys, whereby things such as e-scooters are used for the ‘last mile’ between homes and bus/light rail stops and railway stations.

TRANSCITY also offers hands-free ticketing so ticket barriers automatically open for those with the app installed on their phones, and there is no need to use validators.

What sounds too much like science fiction is science fact in Seoul. Tmoney Co’s T-Money Tagless Payment system went live last autumn on 12 stations along Ui-Sinseol LRT. Users simply need to download the app and have Bluetooth activated on their smartphones, and they can pass through the ticket gates.

It’s fitting that Seoul is pioneering this system. The South Korean capital became the world’s first city to offer a pre-paid smartcard – the Upass – in 1995.

Another pioneer in the world of smartcard technology is the Cubic Corporation, which built its first automated fare collection system for Bay Area Rapid Transit (San Francisco) in 1974. Two years later, it created a similar system for Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation, later joining forces with Transport for London to develop Oyster.

The two organisations work together culminated in the launch of TfL’s contactless payment system, which was introduced to buses in 2012 and rail services in 2014.

The contactless transformation

It’s important not to under-estimate what

Ticketing step changes both Oyster and contactless are in ticketing technology. The deal that the two signed in 2016 reflects this.

TfL’s Chief Technology Officer Shashi Verma said at the time: “Contactless payments have completely transformed the way people pay for travel in London and this deal will allow other world cities to benefit from the hard work we put into making the system work for our customers.”

New York has licensed the TfL/Cubic technology. The OMNY contactless system has been rolled out across the New York Subway, Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses, the Roosevelt Island Tramway and AirTrain JFK since 2019.

It was originally due to replace the city’s MetroCards but the two systems will work side-by-side until at least 2025.

So how does a contactless card actually work?

All contactless transactions are dubbed ‘contactless EMV payments’ because Europay, Mastercard and Visa joined forces to create what is an international standard – ISO/IEC 14443 – for all contactless cards.

The cards themselves use either radiofrequency identification or near field communications whereby two electromagnetic coils ‘talk’ to each other.

Cubic’s Solutions Manager Kevin Burgess says: “For the consumer, contactless provides a far more convenient, flexible, and secure alternative to other means of payment. Fumbling around with cash can be significantly reduced… Every market is joining the contactless payments [and] consumers around the world are starting to expect contactless at the time of transaction.”

The Netherlands has become the first country to offer contactless payments across all forms of public transport. Its OVpay system was launched in June 2023 and is an evolution of the OV-clipkaart – a nationwide Oyster card if you will - that dates back to 2005. Translink was formed to oversee the management of OV-clipkaart and the organisation has been instrumental in the switch to OVpay. That meant changing over 10 000 ticket gates and validators on the country’s buses, trains and trams. It also required changes to the software so that transactions take place using the cardholder’s bank’s system rather than the transport operator’s and Translink’s.

The Maldives has followed the Netherlands’ lead and its bus and ferry operator, Maldives Transport & Contracting Company, has also introduced an islandwide ‘tap-in, tap-out’ system. This type of system is called ‘open loop transit payment’.

The Maldives’ system has been developed in conjunction with Mastercard.

Vikas Varma, the global paymenttechnology corporation’s South Asia COO said: “[Mastercard] is working with transit operators and governments throughout the Asia Pacific region and around the world to simplify commuters’ journeys on public transport. This is especially helpful for overseas arrivals to a country, such as the Maldives, as it allows travellers to immediately get around easily using their existing credit or debit cards, without having to exchange currency or look for an ATM machine.”

ABOVE: Smart apps have revolutionised the way passengers interact with transport – Trafi’s app is used in Berlin, Brussels and Zürich; while in France THALES has launched TRANSCITY, designed to cover door-to-door journeys. Seoul has gone a step further with its Ui-Sinseol LRT system, whereby users can just pass through ticket gates when Bluetooth is activated on their phones. Clem Onojeghuo, Unsplash BELOW: While ticket machines still stand along some stops at Docklands Light Railway, London, passengers can also use Oyster cards or contactless to access the whole range of London’s rail, tram and bus operations.

Zoe Wood, Unsplash

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Ticketing Football fans who made the journey to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup were issued with a Hayya Card that effectively acted as an entry visa. As with the Maldives, international tourism is big business in Qatar and so it has expanded Hayya’s reach so that it has become a “one-stop digital companion”. Hayya can be used to book hotels, locate healthcare facilities, showcase tourist hotspots… and book tickets on the rail network.

Of course, transport operators need to be mindful that passengers want choice.

Not everyone has a smartphone capable of making use of contactless payment technology. Others still like the security of travelling with a physical ticket.

Spanish company Indra has combined the best of both worlds with its ticket vending machine, dubbed a Smart-TVM. There are 7 000 of these in use around the world, most notably on Madrid’s metro. Internally, they harness Indra’s Mova Collect ticketing technology. Externally, they have been designed to have the intuitive functionality that many smartphones have. Smart-TVMs have large screens, polyphonic sound and lighting, and can offer easy to follow pictograms or Braille. But these are proper ticket vending machines and can take cash as well as electronic payments, and there is an intercom system to speak to an operator if you get really stuck.

Weighing up the costs

The reason why so many firms have invested so much money in developing new ticketing technology is make travelling on public transport feel as flexible as using a car.

You can jump in the car whenever you want and, while you might have to fill it up every week, rarely do you consider what

“So many firms have invested money in developing ticketing technology to make travelling on public transport feel as flexible as using a car.” an individual journey costs you. Buying a ticket – even topping up a smart card – feels different because you’re having to pay for that particular journey, even if, for the distance, the costs between public transport and private car are negligible.

Price will often be a deciding factor in choosing a mode of transport. Some authorities have offered cut-price – sometimes even free – tickets. Japan’s ‘Go To Travel’ scheme was a government initiative that offered 50% discounts on domestic travel, including air. In Spain, you can make connecting journeys to and from railway stations by public transport for free with selected long distance rail tickets.

Germany has also trialled a EUR9 ticketing scheme, along with a more recent EUR49 Deutschlandticket (see page 215). In the UK, Scotland offers free bus travel for anyone under the age of 22 while Nexus offers various discounts for young people.

These initiatives are not only designed to get more people on to public transport, but to help those particularly affected by the cost of living crisis. Lower prices give those on lower incomes opportunities they might not be able to reach when the cost of transport is factored

in. However, as Tony Streeter explores in more detail on p215, these initiatives are not without their problems – particularly when it comes to generating enough revenue to cover operating expenses.

However, there are ways in which operators can offer an attractive price without getting into financial difficulties – and new technology can help.

Los Angeles County has introduced the Low Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) Program over 15 transit operators, including the Metro.

Using their TAP card, low income families can apply for 90 days of free, unlimited travel, followed by a further 20 free trips. A further option on the card allows further free ride options – either three free trips in a day or 11 free rides in a week.

The Canadian Province of Ontario takes a different approach with its PRESTO card.

This smartcard provides access to Toronto Transit Commission, GO Transit and four other Ontario transit systems. PRESTO Perks gives card holders discounts and special offers to 50 different tourist attractions, museums, restaurants and sporting events throughout the province.

Turkish supplier KentKart has developed technology that enables passengers to pay concessionary fares in Gaziantep with preregistered debit or credit cards – the software only charges those cards the reduced fare.

Even more progressively, at Miami International airport cameras can match faces with passport photographs that airlines have on file, so passengers can bypass passport control. At Seattle-Tacoma International and Washington Dulles International Airports, taking and uploading a selfie will do the same thing.

It remains to be seen whether scanning your face will give you access to a tram or a metro train. But it’s very probable that, one day, presenting a smartphone at a public transport ticket barrier may seem as archaic as a clerk handing you an Edmondson ticket.

ABOVE: New York’s OMNY contactless system, developed by TfL/Cubic, has been used across the city’s transport system since 2019. Due to replace MetroCards, the two systems are now expected to work side-by-side until 2025.Guido Coppa, Unsplash

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More demand, less transport?

Where next for Germany’s EUR49 pass? As the ‘Deutschlandticket’ reaches its anniversary, Tony Streeter takes stock.

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ill the introduction of a cheap ticket result in less public transport?

That question might seem somewhat perverse, but it was one of the key dilemmas facing Germany’s regional transport ministers when they gathered in the city of Münster in April.

The reason is simple: money – or a lack of it.

The transport ministers were debating the way forward as their country’s nationwide ‘Deutschlandticket’ (‘Germany ticket’) approaches its first anniversary.

Since 1 May 2023, anyone in possession of the ticket has been able to take advantage of unlimited public transport on regional systems. While the long-distance highspeed Intercity and Intercity Express trains of national operator Deutsche Bahn are excluded, DB’s regional services as well as trams, buses and metros are covered.

With the price of a Deutschlandticket set at EUR49 a month, it means that an individual’s transport costs can be as low as EUR588 per year – or just over EUR1.6 a day.

Germany is not alone with this concept – Austria offers its Klimaticket Ö (standard annual price EUR1095, but with more included), Switzerland has a similar offering, and Hungary and Portugal have followed Germany by introducing their own not dissimilar versions.

Back to Germany and, in addition to low cost, the universal nature of the Deutschlandticket has brought fares simplification for many; the same pass that takes you to work each day or to shop can also be used for leisure trips at weekends – anywhere in the country. As long as you stay away from those high-speed and long-distance rail products, you pretty much know you’re covered.

“It has achieved one of its key expected benefits at a time of rising prices – of reducing costs for millions.”

Cheap… and even cheaper

Even a year in, the discussions around the Deutschlandticket may make it seem somewhat experimental, but the pass is the successor to another operation – that of its EUR9 predecessor which covered each of the calendar months of June/July/August 2022.

That was a temporary post-COVID move as well as a way of offering hard-pushed

ABOVE: The Deutschlandticket was introduced a year ago with a monthly cost of EUR49, bringing fare simplification throughout Germany – however, its price could be set to change, as subsidies have failed to cover the full costs. René Mentschke, Flickr CC BY 2.0 DEED

residents a boost at a time of soaring costs, and was watched closely for signs of modal shift. Overall though, the picture was mixed, with a seemingly greater increase in public transport use than a reduction in the use of cars.

Unlike that cheaper ticket, which you could simply buy over the counter in paper form, its longer-term successor is a subscription product, and was intended to be purely digital. That has largely been achieved and, in part, was deliberately chosen to drive forward digitisation of ticketing in the country.

While not as astonishing value as the EUR9 version, the Deutschlandticket still offers many people cheaper travel than previous alternatives. This explains why, of the

roughly 11 million people now signed up, 10m of them formerly had some kind of season or regular ticket.

It has, therefore, achieved one of its key expected benefits at a time of rising prices – of reducing costs for millions. However, a natural corollary of this is that less money now flows through ticket gates.

In compensation, an agreement was hammered out that the federal government would provide EUR1.5bn per year in additional subsidy and the states would collectively do the same.

The problems are two-fold: first, that individual operators say the extra money isn’t currently proving enough to compensate them for reduced revenue and, second, that this is only a relatively

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Ticketing

ABOVE: In its first year, holders of the Deutschlandticket have been allowed unlimited use of regional rail as well as trams, buses and metros. Pictured here is the main line Karlsruhe-Durlach station, which offers multiple interchanges – trams use the overbridge and, just visible to the right, trams and tram-trains use other tracks. Neil Pulling

short-term deal running until 2025.

This is not just an abstruse debate: Schleswig-Holstein’s transport minister has warned that as much as 10% of services in the state might have to be cut due to a shortage of money, and similar concerns have been aired elsewhere.

Other cash-strapped communities have considered an alternative solution that is almost as radical: not recognising the ticket in their areas. That would mean the ‘Deutschlandticket’ was no longer truly Germany-wide.

Although neither of the above things has yet happened, the country’s capital has already broken ranks. For in addition to accepting the EUR49 ticket, the state of Berlin has now (re)introduced a EUR29 local equivalent, which only covers the city’s core (A and B) zones. That has drawn criticism, not least from Berlin’s neighbouring state of Brandenburg, which forms its hinterland and from where many people commute.

The federal government has also offered its own criticism of the cheaper ticket, describing Berlin’s offering as ‘a competing regional product’, while the dissatisfaction even reaches further afield, to the prosperous but rural state of Bavaria in the country’s south. Due to Germany’s federal system of regional subsidies, Bavaria argues that its money is now being used to give extra discounts to residents of the capital.

Bavaria’s transport minister Christian Bernreiter also said in April that the Deutschlandticket was not yet successful

“The core question remains as it always does with subsidised transport: to what extent should customers pay?” ‘for all Germany’ in the way it has been portrayed. He argued that, particularly in rural areas, investment in better infrastructure would have brought people more advantages than a cheap monthly pass.

Yet Bernreiter also said that now the Deutschlandticket has been introduced it is better to stick with it – something that appears to be a common sentiment.

Indeed Oliver Krischer, transport minister of North Rhine Westfalia which hosted the most recent conference, described the Deutschlandticket as the ‘most successful’ in the history of local public transport.

Given this, and while that view may not be universal, it is hard to see most mainstream political parties wanting to be blamed if the ticket were to be discontinued.

Price rises?

The Deutschlandticket approach marks a determined shift in favour of the passenger.

It has helped dampen inflation during a cost of living crisis, and is a statement of intent at a time when countries are

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increasingly seeking to achieve modal shift away from cars. The extent to which that will be achieved is perhaps still an open question: a study by the technical university in München (Munich) in November 2023 found that while ticket subscriptions had increased by 10% since the EUR49 version’s introduction, only 20% of those new users had also reduced their car use.

What is more, the core question remains as it always does with subsidised public transport: to what extent should customers pay, and to what level should they be supported by taxpayers? Indeed, with the additional subsidies having so far failed to cover the full costs, and no longterm financial agreement in place, the Deutschlandticket has clearly exposed the tension between the two.

Michael Donth, spokesman for rail for the CDU/CSU (‘Union’) parties which are currently in opposition at a national level, said in April that it was now down to the federal government to decide whether it wants the Deutschlandticket to continue beyond 2025.

The ‘Union’s’ own view, though, is fairly clear: it argues that a long-term concept with ‘regular, moderate price increases’ is ‘the right step’.

Given that the pass is a product of the current government, it therefore seems likely that the Deutschlandticket is here to stay.

However, as observers in Germany have already noted, that does not mean it will remain at its current price.

Genoa

genova: A lengthy project pays off Although creating Genova’s Metropolitana has been a decades’ long project that is not quite finished just yet, it is starting to form more of a unified, comprehensive network. Andrew Thompson considers its role in this ‘quirky’ Italian seaside city.

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ith an urban population of 575 000 as well as up to 1.5 million in the wider Metropolitan area, Genova (Genoa) is Italy’s sixth-largest city and most important Mediterranean port. This economic status is in large part due to the vital hinterland that Genova’s harbour serves, including

the industrial manufacturing centres of Milano (Milan) and Torino (Turin), plus Switzerland and trans-Alpine trade routes to northern Europe.

Genova has always prospered due to maritime trade and is known as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus (14511506). Genova’s landmark stock exchange building from 1912, as well as its numerous

banks with palatial office buildings, are a testament to the city’s centuries-long wealth and its legacy as an important financial services centre. Since 2006 the remarkable collection of Renaissance and Baroque palazzi on the Strada Nuova have been collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, drawing additional touristic interest to a destination that is already popular due to its attractive seaside location and close proximity to the famed Cinque Terre villages along the Ligurian coast.

In terms of public transport and mass transit, the backbone of the sprawling city’s infrastructure is the main line railway corridor, which connects both of Genova’s largest stations Piazza Principe and ABOVE: This image illustrates why the Ligurian coast is such a popular yet also easily accessible destination, where travel by train is by far the most comfortable and efficient mode of transport to reach such iconic locations as the Cinque Terre villages or other seaside resorts between Genova and La Spezia. On 2 August 2023, a Trenitalia Vivalto doubledecker stands at the spectacular Genova Nervi station, which is the easternmost calling point on the railway corridor in the city and also the terminus for some regional services that shuttle back and forth.

Noticeable is the white La Marinella building, an Art Deco landmark from 1934, which at this point was just receiving the finishing touches of a full renovation.

All images by Andrew Thompson LEFT: Trenitalia also deploys single-deck locomotive-hauled commuter train sets on the main line corridor, and one such push-pull consist with the ubiquitous electric locomotive type E464.259 arrives at the key junction of Sampierdarena in the west of the city. The tracks in the foreground are from the northbound line to the Polcevera Valley.

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Genoa Brignole, as well as ten other calling points within city limits. These range from Genova Voltri in the west to Genova Nervi in the east, being served by a combination of Trenitalia Regional and Regional Express commuter trains.

In addition to the main terminals at P. Principe and Brignole, the junction station of Genova Sampierdarena is an important transport node, as from here a railway corridor branches off to the north and there is also interchange with the city’s trolleybus network.

Opened in 1997 and then developed in stages, Genova’s Filobus currently consists of one 14km (8.7-mile) trunk route between Sampierdarena in the west and the Foce district in the city centre, serving along the way the port, P. Principe station, the UNESCO quarter and the main square Piazza De Ferrari. As such, the trolleybus runs on a slightly different alignment than both the main line railway corridor or the Metro, while having considerably more calling points. Classified as line 20, the trolleybus network is operated by a fleet of articulated VanHool trolleys that are due for replacement by 112 brand-new Solaris trolleys.

These 18m articulated buses were ordered in early 2024 and will be equipped with powerful traction batteries, giving them off-wire range extension for flexible operation beyond the main electrified corridor. It marks the second large order of emissions-free vehicles from Solaris, as in 2022 the Polish producer already delivered 30 electric buses to Genova.

The city’s efforts to boost electric mobility are in line with the Italian government’s transport and sustainability policies and

“The city’s efforts to boost electric mobility are in line with the Italian government’s transport and sustainability policies and a push to use economic stimulus funds for modal shift.”

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ABOVE: Running cross-town on trolleybus line 20, VanHool 2102 is on the approach to the Piazza Principe railway station as it passes near the lower entrance of the Balbi elevator.

BELOW: Exiting the tunnel immediately to the west of Piazza Principe station, an Hitachi Rock double-deck EMU of Trenitalia arrives on a morning commuter service. These form the backbone of Regional and Regional Express trains on the busy mainline corridor through the city and further afield along the Ligurian Coast. The base station and diagonal alignment of the Principe – Granarolo rack railway can be seen just above the tunnel.

RIGHT: Car 1, the lone vehicle of the panoramic Ferrovia Principe – Granarolo rack railway stands near the summit at Via Bianco. Just like the 1.1km (0.7-mile) line itself, this vintage railcar dates from 1901. From the top of the line there are sweeping views of Genova's hills and valleys. The railway infrastructure was modernised in 2012, and in January 2024, AMT announced that it was procuring a replacement vehicle for car 1.

In a somewhat surprising move it contracted the relatively unknown company Sambuchi Ivano – Vannoni Mauro – Imprenditori (SVI) .

Until now, this Italian producer has mainly built railway maintenance vehicles or works tractors.

a post-pandemic push to use European recovery and economic stimulus funds for modal shift. While decarbonising urban road transport has been low-hanging fruit for the city authorities, they are also implementing the more ambitious scheme of extending the underground Metropolitana.

Genova’s single Metro line was built to coincide with the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Launched in mid-June of that year using in large part an old tramway tunnel from 1908, the initial section between the two stations Brin and Dinegro was just 3.5km (2.2 miles) in length, but nowhere near the city centre or the football ground.

In July 1992 the Metro route was extended by one stop from Dinegro 660m further east to Piazza Principe. It would take another 11 years – until August 2003 – to add one more stop and extend the underground line from Piazza Principe to San Giorgio at the old port. By February 2005, the Metro was extended to the main square and stock exchange at Piazza de Ferrari, with an intermediate stop between San Giorgio and De Ferrari being added a year later in April 2006 at Sarzano. Finally, in December 2012, another 1.6km (one mile) was added and the Metro reached Brignole station, where it has terminated above ground ever since.

Currently the whole line has a length of 7.1km (4.4 miles) with eight stations in total, making it one of the shortest underground systems in Europe. Since autumn 2023, construction work has been underway to add one more stop at Corvetto, between De Ferrari and Brignole. Being 28m below ground, this will also be the Metro’s deepest station. With a budget of roughly EUR56m, the project is expected to be completed by spring 2026. Planning originally started in 2007.

Multiple other Metro enhancement projects are currently also underway, all designed to give the system more reach and greater connectivity with further districts of the city. In early 2021, work on a one-stop extension from the current north-western terminus Brin to a new endpoint at Canepari began. This 750m extension will run above ground, with roughly 500m being on a viaduct. In a best-case scenario, this could open in 2024 or 2025. To date, the Brin terminus is located on an elevated perch, outside of the Certosa tunnel to Dinegro.

LEFT: The charming wooden interior of car 1 lets passengers travel back in time during the mountainclimbing journey between Principe and Granarolo.

LEFT: In addition to the rack railway, two funiculars help make up the public transport portfolio of Genova.

These are the 1.4km Zecca-Righi line with seven stops and a 700m tunnel section, plus the shorter 357m Funicolare Sant'Anna with just a stop at each end. The Sant'Anna funicular, which first opened in 1892, is pictured at the Bertani summit station.

Canepari is located in the Polcevera Valley, where in August 2018 a 210m section of the 1182m Ponte Morandi highway bridge (officially known as Viadotto Polcevera) from 1967 collapsed during a rainstorm.

Two years later, in August 2020, the replacement bridge Viadotto GenovaSan Giorgio was inaugurated. Unlike the suspension bridge that collapsed, the new structure consists of 19 spans supported by 18 elliptical reinforced concrete stacks.

At the eastern end of the Metro, another short extension from Brignole to Martinez is underway. This above ground section will run along the main line railway and pass over the marshalling yard of the Trenitalia depot by way of a flyover.

Even though this addition is just 550m long and has been on the drawing board for years, indecision on the part of

Trenitalia led to significant implementation delays. After originally considering the abandonment of the railway depot altogether, the national railway operator later decided to keep it, thus forcing the Metro to navigate the site by way of a more complex and costly flyover. With completion of the new Martinez terminus expected by late 2025, the link will serve the San Fruttuoso quarter and act as a game-changer for that part of the city.

Tenders were called in 2022 for the construction of a second Metro line. This will run for 6.5km (four miles) on an elevated alignment from Brignole north to Molassana, serving the Bisagno Valley and a part of the conurbation not linked to mass transit.

Completion is expected by 2028.

Another ambitious Metro expansion project is the 3km (1.9-mile) long western

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Genoa extension from Dinegro to Fiumara, with three intermediate stations, including a stop at the Sampierdarena railway and trolleybus junction. With the line to run entirely underground, project costs for this western leg are budgeted at around EUR600m.

As Genova’s Metropolitana has been a decades-long work in progress that has often only made advances in slow and incremental steps, the next five years and planned enhancements are likely to transform the service and make it more of a genuine network, rather than just the short line it has been so far. Once finished and in place, it should allow the the city to rely on a second significant public transport backbone, in addition to the well-established popular and scenic main line railway corridor with frequent services and calling points at both the airport and the harbour.

Last but not least, a novel side to Genova’s mass transit portfolio comes with its mountain railways and vertical elevators.

There are two historic funiculars and one rack railway all dating from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, and beloved by locals and visitors alike.

These are complemented by a number of vertical lifts, which are steeped in history and full of charm, yet reliably transport locals and tourists to hillside residences or elevated observation points with spectacular views of the sprawling city and the Mediterranean.

Until late 2023, using the mountain railways and elevators was actually free of charge for locals and visitors alike, but since 1 January 2024, only registered residents get free public transport, while visitors must buy tickets or multi-day passes for the use of these transport services.

Canepari

ABOVE: Genova's standard gauge Metro runs on 750V dc current provided by overhead catenary. The fleet consists of 25 different vehicles from three separate series. Here the 39m four-coach set 31 is seen at the reversal loop of the eastern Brignole terminus. This train is part of the latest generation of seven such sets, which were supplied by Hitachi in 2016.

Given the city’s unique geography that is spread out on a thin coastal stretch and set against the backdrop of quickly rising hills and long valleys leading to the north, Genova’s transport infrastructure and network is decidedly different to that of other Italian cities, yet this quirkiness and the

“Given its unique geography, Genova’s transport infrastructure and network is decidedly different to that of other Italian cities.”

city’s general appeal make for a compelling visitor experience.

Thanks to the planned Metro extensions, the network is now also developing into an even greater asset for everyday commuting, providing greater reach and connectivity. It is also allowing for much needed road decongestion, in a country that traditionally depends on the car or where light motorcycles such as the iconic Vespa are often seen as the favourite and most flexible way to navigate the tight streets and narrow alleys of a crowded place.

S. Antonino

Extension to Molessana

Brin

Granarolo Via Bianco

Righi

S. Pantaleo

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Preve

San Simone

Cambiaso Madonnetta

Bari Centurione

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Salita S. Rocco Principe

Carbonara Principe Corso Magenta

Extension to Fiumara

Metro (Metropolitana)

Dinegro

Under construction

P .za Manin Darsena

Rack tramway

Zecca P. za Portello

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Genova-Casella railway

San Giorgio Brignole

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Bydgoszcz:

Vision and priorities

Andrew Thompson explores the Polish city with a vision – but also a plan and set of priorities to bring that vision into focus.

L

ike many other Polish cities, Bydgoszcz traces the origins of its municipal tramway to the last years of the 19th Century, when the first horse-drawn line opened in 1888 and electrification followed within a decade by 1896. At that time the industrial manufacturing centre on the banks of the Rivers Brda and Wisła (Vistula) was still a part of Germany, and an important railway junction along the strategically important Ostbahn in Prussia.

Unlike several other Polish cities more to the west, such as Szczecin (Stettin) or Wrocław (Breslau), which only became a part of Poland after World War Two, Bydgoszcz was already integrated into the re-established Polish state after World War One as part of the Treaty of Versailles, with the transfer taking effect in January 1920.

During the interwar years and especially in the late 1930s, the tram network benefited

from continued investment, with two extensions opened in 1936 and 1937.

After the hardship of World War Two, rebuilding and urban reconfiguration led to the requirement for new tram routes by the late 1940s and early 1950s. While other smaller Polish cities were resourcestarved for infrastructure improvements during the Communist era, the regional hub of Bydgoszcz was given the necessary resources to modernise the system and meet the population’s mobility requirements.

Domestically-built rolling stock and Konstal cars were also continuously introduced.

After the fall of the Iron Curtain and the end of Communism in late 1989, city authorities focused on infrastructure repairs and slow-paced network modernisation.

Progress became significantly more noteworthy following Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004.

With the availability of European

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grants, both the acquisition of modern rolling stock and the construction of new tram routes became viable.

In 2008, local builder Pesa delivered two type 122N Tramicus low-floor LRVs. These single-ended cars were the first accessible trams for municipal operator MZK’s fleet.

The design marked Pesa’s entry into the LRV market, and it was also sold to the Polish cities of Elblą g, Łód ź and Warszawa (Warsaw) in 2005-08. The Tramicus would in fact end up being something of a prototype for Pesa’s updated Swing model, which was launched in 2010 and built in far greater numbers for various Polish networks, as well as cities in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

Supporting the home-grown producer, Bydgoszcz placed its first order for Swing LRVs in 2011, with the two prototypes to arrive by 2012 and series delivery to commence in 2015. Follow-up purchases or use of contract options were made in 2017, 2022 and 2023, thus making the Swing the contemporary backbone of the urban tram fleet. MZK operates both the standard five-part version of the Swing, as well as the shorter three-part variant.

Currently some 805Na Konstal highfloor cars delivered between 1980-90 still soldier on, although their use will gradually

Bydgoszcz LEFT: Car 172 is one of the short threesection Swing in the fleet of municipal operator MZK. On 4 January, it is seen running in the historic Old Town with a northbound line 4 service to Bielawy.

BELOW: The first modern low-floor trams in Bydgoszcz were the two Tramicus, which Pesa produced in 2008. On 12 July 2023, 364 has just crossed over the river at Most Pomorski and takes a turn at the major Rondo Fordońskie intersection, while running inbound to the city centre.

diminish during the coming years as the remaining Swing from the most recent orders are launched. Eventually the MZK fleet will feature 73 Swing.

On the infrastructure front, the network has been extended four times during the past 12 years. In 2012 the 1.7km (onemile) branch line from Garbary to Rycerska opened in the west of the city, which crucially also brought a light rail line to the main railway station Bydgoszcz Główna.

This was followed by the inauguration of the major extension to Łoskoń in January 2015, which added a 9.5km (5.9-mile) partially

overland route to countless residential districts in the east of the city. In December 2020 a 700m link between Rondo Kujawskie and Zbożowy Rynek opened on the south bank of the River Brda, serving as a connector between two previous branches.

Most recently, in November 2023, the new 600m bridge Most Kazimierza Wielkiego was put into use, giving the city its third light rail corridor over the River Brda.

The new bridge is fitted with track triangles at each end and regularly used by two lines.

Just a few weeks after the bridge opened, the nearby track from Perłowa to the southern

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1. Dworcowa / Matejki 2. Paderewskiego 3. Lelewela 4. Plac Teatrainy 5. Gdańska / Dworcowa 6. Rondo Jagiellonów 7. Dworzec Autobusowy 8. Jagiellońska / Łużycka 9. Toruńska / Żupy 10. Rondo Toruńskie 11. Toruńska / Filmowa 12. Zajezdnja tramwajowa Potential routes under review

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LEFT: Along the lengthy eastern extension to Łoskoń, which opened in January 2015, the signature structure is the purpose-built tramway viaduct over the main line railway tracks at Bydgoszcz Wschód station.

This modern interchange provides convenient connections between four different tram lines and commuter trains...

BELOW: ...while on the branch to the railway station and the Rycerska terminus, the pre-eminent civil engineering structure is the purpose-built light rail Most Władysława Jagiełły bridge, which also features a reserved bike path. The suspension bridge is 82.6m long and has a 26.7m-high supporting pylon.

junction Szarych Szeregów also reopened after extensive modernisation. With Most Kazimierza Wielkiego in place, Bydgoszcz now has three different light rail crossings over the river, giving maximum flexibility for diversions or temporary closures in case of planned engineering works.

Nominally, the Bydgoszcz tram network currently has a size of roughly 42km (26 miles), although the 2km (1.2-mile) southern connector from Rondo Toru ńskie via Babia Wieś to Zbożowy Rynek is currently out of regular use, and a section of the line requires repairs after sustaining damage from a landslide.

For the coming years, the city authorities are planning continued expansion.

In addition to extending the northern branch beyond Las Gda ński, the current routes to Rycerska and Bielawy in the north of the city should be linked up.

In the future, the tram tracks will also serve the western district of Błonie and possibly end at the Bydgoszcz Błonie PKP railway station, to afford enhanced multimodal connectivity. How quickly these ambitious projects can be implemented depends primarily on the upcoming allocation of both central government grants and European funding.

There is a vision to build an interurban light rail link to Bydgoszcz’s nearby sister city Toru ń, an historic medieval town and the birthplace of the astronomer Mikołaj Kopernik (Copernicus), which is a popular tourist attraction and has its own 28km (17.4-mile) tram system. The two cities are about 30km (18.6 miles) apart and for a light rail link to make sense, will need to experience continued peripheral growth that will close the gap – hence this long-term concept will likely occur in 10-20 years’ time.

One thing is for sure, as the provincial capital of Kujawy-Pomorze and with an urban population of roughly 330 000, Bydgoszcz will continue to benefit from high quality public transport and receive priority allocation of financial resources.

BELOW: Framed by specially-planted trees and urban greenery, Swing 143 stands at Rondo Kujawskie and is about to run over the 700m new-build line to Zbożowy Rynek, which was inaugurated in December 2020.

ABOVE: On 4 January, the locally-produced Pesa Swing 371 passes over the new Most Kazimierza Wielkiego bridge with a southbound line 8 service. This new river crossing opened in early November 2023, although finishing touches on the road lanes are still being applied.

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T3a and T3b

systems factfile No.

200

M

Of the many light rail operations in the Île-de-France’s main conurbation, only the T3a and T3b lines are wholly within the Paris municipality.

Paris FRANCE

Île-de-France T3a and T3b – France

uch was made of the return of trams to Paris Ville – the central Paris municipality – when T3 opened in December 2006. Services on the first generation system had ended there by 1937. The debut of T3 – only later split to become T3a and T3b – brought features which already characterised many of France’s new tramways. Unlike the earlier T1 and T2 lines in outer municipalities, both initially using part low-floor 29.4m TFS-2 stock, T3 was prominent on principal thoroughfares, with all services operated by 43m fully lowfloor trams. Frequent services, stylish infrastructure and related landscaping

Words and pictures by Neil Pulling

ABOVE: RATP Alstom Citadis 402 at Porte de Pantin on 20 November 2023, with the Philharmonie de Paris concert halls beyond.

This is close to the T3b depot and the transition between T3’s mainly on-road locations and the varied north-east settings.

also represented a clear rebalancing of surface transport modes.

Lines T1 in 1992 and T2 in 1997 had marked the return of trams to the Île-de-France region where trams had last run in 1957.

Sited where the metro had little presence, they soon proved the mode’s popularity, with streetrunning T1 weaving through densely populated north-eastern neighbourhoods. In contrast, T2 used a converted suburban railway in the south-west, only later adding street sections.

As with the SNCF-operated line T4 (TAUT 1035, March 2024), T1, T2 and T3 were identified specifically with Paris, then as now

operated by the capital’s long-standing public sector body, RATP. This arrangement will end in December 2029, with future operations becoming subject to competitive contract. All of these lines are now represented as part the Île-de-France Mobilités (IdFM) regional public transport network, albeit with many vehicles still carrying RATP liveries.

The combined T3 routes are just within the inner Périphérique urban motorway circuit. These key transport arteries re-used space formerly occupied by an arc of historic walls, ramparts and military roads. The previously enclosed area still broadly defines Paris Ville, with the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes

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T3a and T3b THE FLEET All services are run by 73 airconditioned Citadis 402 trams, with the initial batch being 301-321.

Like their successors, they were assembled at Alstom’s La Rochelle plant in western France. The fleet increased for route extensions and service intensification, with batches added 322-346 (from 2012), 347-363 (2017) and 364-373 (2021). They are 100% low-floor over seven sections; 43m long and 2.65m wide, with capacity for 304, 78 seated. The basic format has been maintained, although passenger information has been improved and the latest trams have a more sloping area below cab windows than their predecessors. The original white and green livery incorporating city images was applied up to and including the penultimate batch. The IdFM blue and white identity was used on the final batch, and now is being applied to earlier vehicles. The transition to IdFM has also removed the roof-level branding of their predecessor, STIF. Trams carry the logo of the operator, RATP.

ABOVE: Dipping south from Porte Charenton, Boulevard Poniatowski takes T3a over the Seine on Pont National and here, where it crosses the Gare de Lyon approaches and depot tracks.

“The service became organised as two distinct lines, 3a with 25 stops and 3b, then with 18.”

ABOVE: When opened in 2012, the Rosa Parks stop on a deviation from Boulevard Macdonald was surrounded by construction works, including for the elevated RER line E station which opened three years later.

RIGHT: With metro line 12 station access between them, about 125 metres separate the T3a and T2 platforms at Porte de Versailles.

The exhibition grounds are a main 2024 Olympic Games venue.

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parklands as the only substantial areas outside the commune’s distorted circle. Denoted by ‘Porte de’ prefixes, areas around former gateways had evolved as centres of social and commercial activity. When early radial tramways and the metro spread outwards, many gateway names were applied to stops and stations. This reoccurred when T3 was installed along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, a sequence of wide avenues differentiated by the names of military commanders.

The position of T3, mostly being grassed installations between carriageways, was preferred to reengineering the long-closed Petite Ceinture orbital railway. With increased bus coverage ruled out, the decision not to redeploy the railway alignment was influenced by gaining better access for pedestrians and easier metro interchanges. It also allowed taking trams to where land use had changed since the railway had closed.

Sited just within the boulevards, railway remnants are visible in places from trams. Replacing passenger services from the 1930s, the several PC pre-fixed (Petite Ceinture) bus lines were cut back as T3a/b grew, becoming a single PC line by 2018.

The initial 2006 opening was between a south-western terminus sited just short of a Seine bridge,

NETWORK FACTS pened: 2006 (as O T3a and T3b from 2012)

Pont de Garigliano, curving 7.9km (4.9 miles) eastwards to Porte d’Ivry.

In having several interchanges with metro, RER cross-Paris railways and buses, the original T3 section set a pattern evident around T3a/b today. The December 2012 expansion added 14.3km (8.9 miles) and included what remains the only T3 crossing of the Seine.

To support operational stability, the service became organised as two distinct lines, 3a with 25 stops and 3b, then with 18. The two lines meet at Porte de Vincennes where each have a terminus with separate arrival and

ABOVE: A 2014 view from the Canal de l’Ourcq bridge which was created for the tramway, looking towards the Est main line near Ella Fitzgerald stop.

departure platforms. This spacious setting had many years earlier hosted tram services and the Petite Ceinture’s l’Avenue de Vincennes station.

The T3a platforms are separated from T3b counterparts by the wide Cours de Vincennes, beneath which a walkway includes metro access. A non-revenue connection on the orbital boulevard enables stock transfers. Although this is only one kilometre from the major metro and RER intersection at Nation and with space available, there now seems less prospect of the two T3 lines being extended west from Porte de Vincennes.

Depots: 2 pprox. weekday hours: A 05.30-00.30 Line frequency: 4-10 minutes Gauge: 1435mm Power: 750V dc, overhead supply Fleet: 73 Operator: RATP www.ratp.fr egional network: Île-de-France R Mobilités www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr ivic information: www.paris.fr C and www.iledefrance.fr ourist information: T www.visitparisregion.com

ABOVE: Porte de Choisy, where T3a revenue tracks and a T9 holding area beyond the terminus are adjacent but unconnected.

RIGHT: The T3b Porte de Vincennes terminus, like others on the T3 lines, has designated arrival and departure platforms.

The 90-metre viaduct is a Petite Ceinture relic.

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T3a and T3b

ABOVE: In pristine condition during March 2014 before graffiti coverage, the T3b route runs here through a former industrial area on Quai de la Gironde alongside the Canal Saint-Denis.

ABOVE: One of the many T3 metro interchanges, Porte de Clignancourt is on a T3b section which had opened six months before this April 2019 view.

ABOVE: On a section which opened in December 2012, Porte de Lilas T3b has interchanges with metro lines 11 and 3bis.

ABOVE: Porte d’Asnières-Marguerite Long was the western T3b terminus until April 2024. Previously trams used the then-future extension to turn back to the departure platform.

ABOVE: The initial T3 with 306 in original RATP livery during September 2008.

Boulevarde Lefebvre passes under the main line about 1.6km (one mile) from Paris Montparnasse.

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On the curve to the north-west, Porte de La Chapelle was the T3b terminus from December 2012 until the extension to Porte D’AsnièresMarguerite Long opened in 2018.

This brought the number of stops to 26 and took coverage through another established area of high population and commercial activity. Many 3b stops were titled under a policy to increase female representation amongst the network’s names.

The latest extension, opened in April 2024, continues a curve for 3.2km (2 miles) from Porte D’AsnièresMarguerite Long to Porte Dauphine, with seven new stops. Expressed in clock-face terms, T3a/T3b now approximates to 10 o’clock, running around to 8 o’clock. Having the Bois de Boulogne along one side, high car ownership by Paris standards and local resistance seem to have made adding around 5.5km (3.4 miles) to complete a T3a/b circuit a low priority.

Despite prevailing dedicated rights of way and tram priority

measures, multiple intersections with radial roads contribute to low average speeds. Completing very long journeys on the tramway’s arc, now just under 30km (18.8 miles), will be unlikely for regular users.

Respectively north and south of central Paris, a direct 8.5km (5.3 miles) separates Porte de Clignancourt and Porte d’Orléans. RATP’s journey planner places these points 36 minutes apart by metro line 4, or one hour 19 minutes by 3b plus 3a trams.

A high proportion of tram users do so in conjunction with an interchange.

The boulevard sections provide sweeping vistas, but the northeastern parts of T3b where tracks leave road space have the most varied settings. This area was formerly characterised by industries including meat processing and milling, also by the railways and two canals which supported them. Redevelopment with emphases on housing and leisure use were supported by the easy-to-access and frequent T3b services.

“Most 3a and 3b services run the full length between their respective termini.

Peak intervals are from three minutes.”

LEFT: Typical of grassed T3a tracks between boulevard carriageways, looking from Cité Universitaire (T3a + RER line B) towards the multi-sport venue, Stade Charléty.

The clearest example was the new railway, bus and tram interchange, named after Rosa Parks, the American civil rights activist who had strong transport associations. The scale of the many transitions brought by installing T3b can be appreciated by using the street view and time functions on Google Maps. Bringing tram tracks closer to Rosa Parks station was enabled by cutting through a long warehouse on Boulevard Macdonald, with the building being re-structured for mixed use.

Each line has a depot, with 3a’s Lucotte facility having 200m of access track from near Balard stop, although the compound is closer to T2’s revenue tracks. As at T2’s Porte de Versailles terminus near the samenamed T3a stop, there is no track connection however, as the lines use trams of different widths. Stade Jules-Ladoumègue depot for T3b is very close to Delphine Serig stop, but is almost wholly hidden from public view, with much of it sited beneath the stadium’s sports pitches.

Most 3a and 3b services run the full length between their respective termini. Peak intervals are from three minutes, with most of the day having at least a six-minute interval.

The positions of 3a and 3b, especially so during service disruption, mean that more than one tram in a given direction are often visible from stops.

Despite being a peak tourist time, reduced locally-based demand in July and August normally bring frequency reductions, but 2024 is different.

The T3 lines have been identified as being amongst the services most likely to be affected by extra demand relating to the Summer Olympic Games (26 July to 11 August). For security and crowd management reasons, the Colette Besson (T3b) and Porte de Versailles (T3a and T2) stops next to event venues are due to be closed during the Games.

essential facts Local travel: With a few exceptions, fares are interchangeable between public transport modes within the zones covered by the tickets. See www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/titres-et-tarifs for zoning, the fare options and means of purchase. Ticket machines at stops. EUR2.15 for paper ticket, single maximum 90-minute journeys, although rechargeable card and phone-based ticketing gives lower pro-rata fares. The recurring ‘Je monte, Je valide’’ message on destination displays emphasises the requirement to validate all tickets when boarding trams: readers are on vehicles, not at the stops.

What is there to see? Paris is amongst the world’s most visited cities and T3’s near-circuit envelops most of its leading attractions. Although the tramway is not close to internationally famed locations such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, ChampsÉlysées/Arc de Triomphe or Montmartre, there are plentiful connections to bus and metro which have concentrated coverage of the city’s core. Much of this relatively small area is also agreeably walkable. Those redeveloped outer areas which are served by tram lines and/or metro have modern accommodation options with more reasonable prices than those in notoriously expensive central districts.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org june 2024 / 229

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uch was made of the return of trams to Paris Ville – the central Paris municipality – when T3 opened in December 2006. Services on the first generation system had ended there by 1937. The debut of T3 – only later split to become T3a and T3b – brought features which already characterised many of France’s new tramways. Unlike the earlier T1 and T2 lines in outer municipalities, both initially using part low-floor 29.4m TFS-2 stock, T3 was prominent on principal thoroughfares, with all services operated by 43m fully lowfloor trams. Frequent services, stylish infrastructure and related landscaping

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ABOVE: RATP Alstom Citadis 402 at Porte de Pantin on 20 November 2023, with the Philharmonie de Paris concert halls beyond.

This is close to the T3b depot and the transition between T3’s mainly on-road locations and the varied north-east settings.

also represented a clear rebalancing operated by the capital’s long-standing of surface transport modes. public sector body, RATP. This Lines T1 in 1992 and T2 in arrangement will end in December 1997 had marked the return of 2029, with future operations trams to the Île-de-France region becoming subject to competitive where trams had last run in 1957. contract. All of these lines are now Sited where the metro had little represented as part the Île-de-France presence, they soon proved the Mobilités (IdFM) regional public mode’s popularity, with streettransport network, albeit with many running T1 weaving through vehicles still carrying RATP liveries. densely populated north-eastern The combined T3 routes are just neighbourhoods. In contrast, within the inner Périphérique urban T2 used a converted suburban motorway circuit. These key transport railway in the south-west, only arteries re-used space formerly later adding street sections. occupied by an arc of historic walls, As with the SNCF-operated line ramparts and military roads. The T4 (TAUT 1035, March 2024), previously enclosed area still broadly T1, T2 and T3 were identified defines Paris Ville, with the Bois de specifically with Paris, then as now Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes

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Paris FRANCE

e T3a and T3b – France

CLOSING THE LOOP IN CENTRAL PARIS

Improving connections in the heart

T3a and T3b Of the many light rail operations in the Île-de-France’s main conurbation, only the T3a and T3b lines are wholly within the Paris municipality.

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Worldwide Review AUSTRIA GMU NDEN – VORCHDORF. Plans being evaluated to develop the Stern & Hafferl-operated tramway include building a new station at Vorchdorf to meet the Lambach – Vorchdorf line, and extending the tramway by 1.5km (0.9 miles) to reach a shopping centre. cs-dopravak

BELARUS MINSK. Belkommunmash is to build 20 BKM T811 bogie cars, making them Minsk’s first new trams for 13 years. cs-dopravak

BELGIUM A N T W E R PE N (A nt we r p).

The introduction of double-ended CAF trams 7441-7445 to Line 10 in April f urther reduced the numbers of operational PCCs. The last day of PCC operation is expected to be 10 June. T-2000 BRU X E L L E S ( B r u s s el s).

Alstom low-floor tram 3213 was delivered at the end of March.

Wit hd raw n PCC 7055 has been moved to the fire service depot at Chievres where it will become a training vehicle.

T-2000 GENT. Of the final nine PCCs, seven were scrapped in March.

Cars 6203/6206 will be transferred to museum organisations.

T-2000, M. J. Russell

CANADA CAPE BRETON, NS. A CAD610 0 0 0 (EUR416 227) grant will enable a feasibility st udy into the building of a battery-powered light rail line to serve Cape Breton University.

Progressive Railroading EDMONTON, AB. Capital Line Design-Builders is to construct the 4.5km (2.8-mile) light rail extension from Century Park to Ellerslie Road.

Mass Transit TORONTO, ON. The Ontario Government has issued a Request for Qualification for the design and construction of the 9.2km (5.7-mile) Eglinton Crosstown west extension. Metrolinx has awarded its track and signalling maintenance contract to Siemens Mobility.

R. Barrows, RGI VA N C O U V E R , B C . T h e South Fraser Station partners consor t ium (Acciona, Aecon and Pomerleau) is to build the eight stat ions on t he 16k m (te n - m i le) S u r r y – L a n g le y SkyTrain extension.

The preferred bidder for the elevated guideway is SkyLink Guideway Pa r t ners, while competitive bidding for systems and trackwork continues.

Mass Transit

The first test run of a 90m tram set (three coupled sets) in Köln (Cologne) on 14 April. The German city is planning to buy new 90m tram sets for its east–west line. Stadtbahn Köln

CHINA CHANGCHU N. The new 2 9. 6 k m (18 . 3 - m i l e) o r b it a l metro Line 6 from Shuanfeng to Movie Wonderland opened on 28 March. The new line has interchanges with Lines 1, 2, 3 and 4. urbanrail.net NANJING. The new underground metro Line 5 from Wenjinglu to Jiy indadao opened on 31 M a r c h . T h i s 12 .9k m (e ig ht-m i le) s e c t ion i s pa r t of a longer north-south line.

At present, it has interchanges with Lines 1 and 3. urbanrail.net SHAOXING. Metro Line 1 was extended by 4.1km (2.5 miles) from Huangjiu Town to Daqingsi on 1 April. urbanrail.net

CZECH REPUBLIC LIBER EC . Tra m ser v ices to Jablonec are expected to resume on 1 May now that work to convert the metre-gauge line to 1435mm-gauge is completed.

The project started in July 2021.

TP PR A H A ( P rag ue). E xM i skolc Tat r a K T 8 210 ha s returned to service with a new low-f lo or c e nt re s e c t ion a s DPP KT8D5.RN2P 9108. Trams 107/9109-10 are to receive the same modifications.

R inghoffer t wo -a x le trams 351+1202 were sent to Liberec for a year on 26 March to work Saturday city tours. Škoda 15T tram 9310’s special blue livery to commemorate the centenary of the death of writer Franz Kaf ka was unveiled on 9 April.

Direct tram services between Spejchar and Strossmayerovo nám were suspended between 17-28 April, requiring seven lines to be diverted. dopravacek.eu, M. Baxter

from Olympiades to Aéroport d’Orly is planned to take place on 20 June.

SNCF has ordered a further 35 RER NG EMUs from Alstom for Line E. urbanrail.net

DENMARK

GERMANY

KØBENHAVN (Copenhagen).

Metro Line M4’s 5km (threemile) extension is to open on 2 0 June. T he line, f rom København H to København Syd, has four intermediate stations. urbanrail.net

BERLIN. U6 to Alt-Tegel is now set to re-open in 2026 rather than 2025. Renovation work on the line started in November 2022.

Tagesspiegel DORTMUND. The first of the HeiterBlick Stadtbahn high-floor cars entered passenger service on 17 April.

DS DUISBURG. Higher t han forecast passenger numbers have led to an additional order for 13 low-floor trams from Alstom. RGI FRANKFURT/MAIN. L i ne 22 wa s i nt ro duce d on 15 April. It provides peak period c ove r b e t we e n St adt g r e n z e Offenbach and Zoo, following t he te n-mont h c losu re of Textorstrasse.

DS F R A N K F U RT/ODE R . Tra m 311 b e c a me t he f i r st of 12 Škoda ForCit y Plus 46Ts to be delivered on 10 April. They are expected to enter service this autumn. The cost is EUR2.6m per tram.

DS N O R D H AU S E N . Tr a m w a y operation returned to nor ma l f rom 2 6 Apr i l a f ter complet ion of roadwork s in Bahnhofstrasse.

DS ROSTOCK. The first modernised 6N1 low-floor articulated tram, 678, was presented to the public on 2 April. It has since entered service on Line 2.

DS

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SA N TO DOMI NGO. A n order has been placed w it h Alstom for eight new three-car Metropolis trains for the metro.

Line 2 is to be extended by 13.7km (8.5 miles).

IRJ

FINLAND TURKU. Finnish consortium Swe c o h a s won t he de si g n cont rac t for t he pla n ned 12km (7.5-mile) tramway line.

Construction is due to start in 2026 for completion in 2031. RGI

FRANCE L E H AV R E . P r e p a r a t o r y work started in March for the construction of tramway Line C . O p e n i ng i s pla n ne d for 21 December 2027. lineoz.net NANTES. The first of 61 new Alstom Citadis 46m trams made its passenger debut on 15 April. lineoz.net PA R IS . Open i ng t he mét ro Line 14 extensions from SaintLazare to Saint-Denis Pleyel and

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Worldwide Review

Double-ended CAF trams are now entering service in Antwerpen, Belgium, allowing PCC operation to be run down. De Lijn

The opening ceremony for new metro line 6 in Changchun, China.

Changchun Metro

HUNGARY B U D A P E S T. A H U F 1 0 b n (EUR25.3m) government grant w i l l he lp f i n a nc e t he 3k m (1.9-mile) extension of Földalatti metro Line M1 from Mexikói út to R á kosrende zö stat ion.

It will also finance new stock to replace the current fleet that dates from 1973.

Design work on four tramway e x te n s ion s i s a l s o to s t a r t imminently.

IRJ

and 35m long and 2.4m wide, and able to carry 205 passengers (20% seated).

RGI T R I E ST E . T he re f u rbi she d 5 . 8 k m ( 3 . 6 - m i l e) O p i c i n a tramway has passed its safety inspection. The hybrid tramfunicular system has not carried pa sse nge r s si nce a n Aug u st 2016 crash, which lef t eight people injured.

Filming took place on the tramway on 25 March. railnews.it

in 2023, a 14.3% increase on 2022. The NOK402m (EUR34m) proje c t to reb u i ld Konge n s gate from Skansen to Tordensk iold s gate i nc ludes prov ision for new track and overhead wires. Work should start in 2026.

The city is to mark 100 years of its tramway with events on 1 9 J u n e , 1 8 J u l y, a n d 1/20 September.

LTF

INDONESIA

MALAYSIA

J A K A R TA . A J P Y4 5 b n (EUR270m) contract has been placed with Japanese trading house Sojitz to design and build t he 5.8k m (3.6 -m i le) met ro extension from Bundaran HI to Kota. Work is set to start in May for completion in 2030.

IRJ

PENANG. The SRS Consortium h a s b e e n n a me d p r e f e r r e d bidder for the civil works contract for the first stage of the 29km (18-mile) Penang Mutiara Light R a i l Tra nsit. T he Ma laysia n government project is due to be completed in 2030.

IRJ

GDA Ń SK. A tender for ten 45m trams is being prepared. A 45m PESA Krakowiak from Kraków may be tested.

A PL N1.9 m ( EU R439 422) contract to fit air-conditioning to nine ex-Dortmund N8C trams has been awarded to an unnamed bidder. cs-dopravak ŁÓD Ź . A tender was issued in early April for 15 new trams, w ith an option for 15 more.

The specification is similar to the Modertrans Moderus Gamma LF 06 ACs delivered in 2023.

It is expected that the order will qualify for EU funding.

TP WROCŁAW. The city council has presented a ten-year plan that includes no fewer than 14 tramway extensions, plus the construction of a new depot.

Ex-Ostrava Tatra T3 999 arrived at the former Dabie tram depot on 2 April for a private preservation project.

TP, cs-dopravak

IRELAND

NETHERLANDS

DUBLI N. Luas services on ly ra n bet ween Ta l lag ht/ Saggart and Smithfield after an accident between a tram and car on 23 April, affecting the travel plans of concert-goers at the 3Arena. This followed a crash between a tram and van at Smithfield during the morning rush-hour on 16 April.

A M ST E R DA M . A fou r-yea r programme to renew railway bridges on the eastern side of the city starts this summer. Tramway Line 26 will be cut back for a period to the turning circle on the Ij side of Centraal station, while temporary track will be laid at Rietlandpark to enable trams to access workshop facilities.

Withdrawn 734 and 3001 have now been scrapped.

It is planned to cancel metro Line 53; Line 50 is to be extended to Gaasperplas instead.

OR DEN H A AG ( T he Hag ue).

HTM’s 2025 timetable should include a 10% increase in tram system capacit y. Lines 2, 15, 16 and 17 are to offer a tenminute service with a 12-minute ser v ice on Lines 11 and 12 .

New Line 19 to the Technical Universit y w ill operate Monday-Friday, 07.00-19.00. OR

ISRAEL H A IFA – NA Z A R ET H. T he Group 3 consortium (Alstom, E l e c t r a a n d M i n r a v) i s t o finance, design, build and operate the new 41km (25-mile) light rail line, which will require 30 new LRVs. Passenger services are due to start in 2029.

IRJ

ITALY BOLOGNA. Tenders have been invited for the supply of up to 60 low-floor trams for the underconstr uction Red and Green lines. They are to be delivered by 2030. The double-ended trams are specified to be between 33m

POLAND

ROMANIA

IA Ș I. A RON168m (EUR34m) contract has been signed with Turkish company Bozankaya for 18 single-ended 22m trams after an appeal by PESA was rejected.

The cit y already operates 16 PESA and 16 Bozankaya low-floor articulated cars.

TP

NORWAY

RUSSIA

TRONDHEIM. The Gråkallbanen tramway carried 1.26m passengers

KALININGRAD. The regional court has agreed with operator

232 / JUNE 2024 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

K a l i n i n g r a d - G o rTr a n s t h at it s new fa re sca le is not discriminator y. The plaintiff argued that the differential scale of RUR37 (EUR0.37) for cash payments, RUR33 (EUR0.33) for payments with a bank card and RUR28 (EUR0.28) with a Baltic Wave card was discriminatory and should be replaced by a flat fare. The case will now be heard by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. J. Carpenter MO SK VA ( Moscow). Buses replaced trams on Routes 26 and 38 along Cheryomushki from 29 March in order to facilitate cut-and-cover work on the new Troitskaya metro line.

The Russian capital’s tram net work ca r r ied 60 0 0 0 0 passengers/day last year, and is expected to reach 70 0 0 0 0 this year.

N. Semyonov ORSK. Flooding after the spring thaw forced the suspension of tramway operation in early April.

The future of the system and its ex-Moskva trams is uncertain.

N. Semyonov SARATOV. The first of four 71923M Bogatyr low-floor articulated trams built by PKTS in Sankt Pete rbu rg wa s de l ive re d on 7 March. transphoto.ru SANKT PETERBURG (Saint P e t e r s b u r g ). M i n s k- b u i l t BKM84300M low-floor articulated tram 5213 was destroyed by fire while working on Line 48 on 1 April. transphoto.org TOM SK . Ust-K atav has delivered two 71-628 low-floor bogie trams. transphoto.org U FA . I t i s r e p o r t e d t h a t t he t r a mw ay i s t o r e c e i ve 70 e x-Mosk va PE SA Fokst rot 71-414 trams to replace KTM-8 trams built in the early 1990s. transphoto.org VOL G O GR A D. D e p ot 2 received t he f i rst t wo PK T S 71-911EM low-floor bogie trams on 31 March. transphoto.org

The new Alstom Citadis for Nantes entered passenger service in the French city on 15 April.. R. Boulanger

The first Citadis TW20 for the modernisation of line 1 in Paris on the Alstom test track. IDF

SOUTH AFRICA

Operations resumed on 17 April.

Meanwhile, the western end of the Dubai tram had to be closed between stations 1 and 8.

Dubai Eye

I N DU ST RY. S out h A f r ic a’s Passenger Rail Agency has restored services to 31 out of 40 railway lines that have suffered from vandalism and theft following COVID shutdowns. RGI

SOUTH KOREA S E O U L . T h e f i r s t 3 4 .9 k m (22-mile) section of the planned 82km (51-mile) Greater Train Express (GTX) network opened on 3 0 Ma rc h. T he Su s e o – Dongtanwas line is operated by Seoul Metro. HyundaiRotem has supplied 20 eight-car trains. urbanrail.net

SPAIN S E V I L L A ( S e v i l l e). Wo r k started on the Line 3 extension on 8 A pr i l . L i ne 3, wh ic h links Prado in the city centre to Los Carteros, is already under construction. The extension will take the line from Los Carteros to Pino Montano.

The Olive Press

SWEDEN STOCK HOLM. A dispute between operator SL and the L i d i n gö mu n ic ip a l it y ov e r elec t r ical ear t hing safet y standards has delayed the opening of the Lidingö tramway’s new bridge at Ropsten. Replacement buses using the road bridge have run since June 2023.

Alstom is to supply 20 more four-car Movia C30 metro trains, adding to the 96 already being delivered.

SV, TP

SWITZERLAND ST GALLEN – APPENZELL (AB). Schindler trailers B292 and B296 have been sold to the RhB, where they will be used on the Bernina line.

TR LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS – LES PONTS-DE-MARTEL (TRN).

Stadler delivered metre-gauge Abe4/8 cars 9 and 10 in March. EA

LAUSANNE – BERCHER (LEB).

An order has been placed with Stadler for four Be4/8s to permit multiple unit operation and a tenminute headway from 2030.

There is an option for ten centre sections that would permit all Be4/8s to be lengthened to Be4/10s specification.

EA ST MORITZ – TIRANO (RhB).

Due to a rock fall at Capascio, service between Pontresina and Tirano was suspended for several days in early April. info24

TAIWAN TA I P E I . C on s t r uc t ion h a s s t a r te d o n t he T H B 55 . 8 b n (EUR1.4bn) MRT metro Light Green Line extension. The 13.3km (8.3-mile) route from Zhonghe Senior High School to Huilong is mostly elevated but includes a 3km (1.9-mile) section under the city centre.

IRJ

TURKEY KARTEPE. A 9.7km (six-mile) cable car from Derbent to Samani mountain opened on 26 March.

Journey time is 14 minutes, and the car ascends from 331m above sea level to 1421m. ulasimpark

UKRAINE KYIV (Kiev). A second metro train of ex-Warszawa 81-series stock entered service on the Green Line on 4 April.

TP LV I V. A t e n d e r h a s b e e n issued for the modernisation of Tatra KT4SU trams, including fitting them with a low-f loor centre section and new electrical equipment. The cost will dictate how many trams are modified b ut E U R 3m i s av a i l able i n EU subsidies.

TP

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DU BA I . He av y r a i n f a l l on 16 April flooded the underground sections of the metro (affecting bot h Red a nd Green l i nes).

UNITED KINGDOM CARDIFF. Work on the Cardiff Crossrail tram-train project has begun. The first stage will be to appoint a design and build partner for Phase 1a, from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay Station. Authority has also been given for the city’s council and Transport for Wales (TfW) to start public consultation.

T he proje c t h a s GBP5 0 m (EUR58m) of UK Government funding. A GBP50m contribution from the Welsh Government will be awarded in four instalments.

Cardiff Crossrail has been split into two delivery phases: Phase 1a involves building a new line f rom a connection to existing railway metals at Cardiff Bay to a new tram-train platform at Cardiff Central. Phase 1b, which is not yet funded, covers a new line from Cardiff Bay to Pierhead Street.

It is hoped t hat Phase 1a construction will start in 2025.

EDINBURGH. Groups of ten people or more can now get a 10% discount on tram tickets follow ing t he launch of t he new online book ing ser v ice, www.edinburghticket.com GR E AT ER M A NCH E ST ER .

Transport for Greater Manchester is working on business cases for Metrolink expansion. Proposed schemes include a link from the East Didsbury line to Stockport’s n e w G B P 14 0 m ( E U R 16 3 m) transport interchange.

Also planned is an extension to Middleton and Heywood, with further aspirations including a link to Bolton.

Tram travel is included in event tickets for the Co-op Live arena (adjacent to Etihad Campus stop).

HEATHFIELD. Lampitt Rail S e r v ic e s h a s u nd e r t a ke n a survey of Devon’s mothballed Heat hf ield bra nch. T he line could be re-opened to provide Eversholt Rail with a testing fac i l it y for Revolut ion Ver y Light Rail cars.

L O N D O N ( D O C K L A N D S ).

Shor ter t ra in sets a re being run on Stratford International – Woolw ich A rsenal ser v ices while 54 new trains are being built by CAF. NOTTINGHAM. Nottingham Express Transit has introduced a ‘Tap On, Tap Off’ contactless t ravel t icket for its n i ne ‘short hop’ zones, for GBP1.50 (EUR1.75).

SHEFFIELD. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority ran an online survey on the future of Supertram from 22 March (when the system returned to local authority operation) until 30 April.

TYNE & WEAR. Cullercoats’ North Eastern Railway footbr idge has re- opened a f te r ove rhau l. It ha s b e e n c lo s e d s i nc e Au g u s t 2 0 2 3 .

It formed part of the plan by operator Nexus to refurbish key North Tyneside coastal stations on the Tyne & Wear Metro.

Overhead wires were replaced on a 5.6km (3.5-mile) section o f M e t r o b e t w e e n B e nt o n a nd Nor t h Sh ields in Apr il.

The work involved closing the line for seven days.

A mo c k-up leve l c rossi ng has been built in Newcastle to educate youngsters about the dangers of level crossings.

WEST MIDLANDS. Withdrawn AnsaldoBreda T69 tram 16 has been donated to B l a c k C o u nt r y I n n o v a t i v e Manufacturing Organisation, wh ich w i l l t u r n it i nto a testbed for off-grid battery technology.

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Worldwide Review

Blackpool Transport commenced testing of track and infrastructure along Talbot Road on 23 April. The UK city’s latest extension is due to welcome its first passengers on 12 June. Tony Stevenson

USA BA LT I MOR E , M D. Rev ised costings for the rev ived Red Line light rail project put the scheme at USD4.3bn (EUR4bn).

When it was scrapped in 2020, the expected cost was USD2.9bn (EUR2.7bn).

RT&S BOSTON, MA. Orange subway service was suspended for four days in March between Jackson S qu a r e a nd N or t h St at ion .

This was due to ongoing works to improve the line and allowed the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Aut hor it y to r e move s e ve n temporary speed restrictions.

Trains CHICAGO – SOUTH BEND (IL/I N). New schedules and trains are to be introduced on 14 May following completion of the USD378m (EUR352m) proje c t to double -t rac k t he 4 1 . 6 k m ( 2 6 - m i l e) s e c t i o n between Gary and Michigan City.

Journey time to South Bend is 1hr 49min.

J. May I N DU S T RY. K nor r B r e m s e is to acqu i re A lstom Nor t h America’s rail signal technology business for around EUR630m.

Knorr-Bremse.

LOS ANGELES, CA. LA Metro has completed t u n nelling for t he P u r ple L i ne subway extension project. The 14.4km (nine-mile) extension connects Wilshire/Western to Westwood VA Hospital.

Service is to start in stages in 2025-27.

Mass Transit MILWAUKEE, WI. Full daily service on The Hop streetcar Line L (Lakefront) started on 11 April.

It had operated a Sundays-only service since opening at the end of October.

J. May MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL, MN. Metro Transit is to work with Cubic Transportation Systems to implement a new contactless payment system.

RGI N E W YO R K , N Y. T h e Metropolitan Transpor tation

Authority is investing in new electromagnetic technology to detect firearms. Transit police seized 450 weapons in the first three months of 2024, compared with 261 in 2023.

The authority is also recruiting 1000 more transit police, while the Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams will deploy clinicians to help those suffering from severe mental illness. The MTA reported a 78% increase in fare evasion arrests in January-March 2024.

R. Barrows NEW YORK – NEWARK, NY/NJ (PATH). A USD430m The PATH Forward project has been launched to upgrade infrastructure on the 22k m (14 -mile) 116 -year- old rapid transit system at a cost of USD430m (EUR401m).

J. May P I T T S B U R G H , PA . T h e 15 4 -ye a r old Mo no n g a he l a incline, closed since 5 March for safety reasons, re-opened on 19 April.

J. May PORTL A N D, OR . Vinyl ‘ w rappi ng’ w i l l accelerate the SD660 mid-life overhaul programme.

All cars were to be painted in TriMet’s 2019 livery. However, a tr ial w rapping of car 250, which took place last autumn, was deemed a success and the contractor wrapped 20 vehicles between 4 March and late April.

Portland Streetcar 15 was sold in April and may be scrapped.

Built in 2009, it entered service in 2012 but hasn’t worked since 2019.

The prototype United Streetcar 10T3 tram was non-standard a s it re ce ive d Ško d a rat he r than Elin propulsion control.

It wa s late r f it te d w it h a n experimental Rockwell control system.

S. J. Morgan SAN FRANCISCO, CA. The end of Bay Area Rapid Transit’s Rohr Type A and Type B cars was marked with a special run from MacArthur to Fremont on 20 April. This was the first section of BART to open,

234 / JUNE 2024 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

Praha (Prague) 9108 is the latest ex-Kosice Tatra KT8 tram to enter service, fitted with a new low-floor centre section. tabla.cz VLT

52 years ago. Three cars have been donated to the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction.

J. May SA N F R A NCISCO, CA. T he last Breda LRVs of the 1400-1476 series, which operator Muni calls Type LRV2, were scrapped in February. The final service use was in December. None have been preserved.

Of the 249 Siemens S200SFs on order, 129 have entered service.

S. J. Morgan SAN FR ANCISCO – SAN JOSE (CA). Caltrains’ testing of the electrification between San Francisco and San Jose was completed in mid-April. Testing of the 23 Stadler trains should be completed shortly.

Passenger services are expected to start this autumn.

J. May SEATTLE, WA. Sound Transit’s USD3.1bn (EUR2.9) Lynnwood Link light rail extension should open on 30 August. The 13.6km (8.5-mile) extension takes Line 1 from Northgate to Lynnwood City Center. Capacity on the northsouth line will be increased by 25%, by running four-car trains every eight minutes.

J. May

MUSEUM NEWS BEA MISH (UK). Rail depth is being restored to crossing components on the museum’s tramway. The latest area to be treated is in the ‘1900s Town’.

BERGEN (NO). Museum trams will operate from Møhlenpris depot 12.00-16.00 at weekends in July and August, and on Sundays until 3 November.

LTF CRICH (UK). Vintage trams a r e o n c e a g a i n o p e r at i n g .

T he museum had suspended operations while an electrical fault was fixed.

DE N H A AG ( N L). Br u sse ls PCC 7065 arrived at the Public Tr a n s p o r t M u s e u m o n 18 April as part of an event that marks 75 years of PCCs operating

in Europe. The event opened on 24 April. haagstramnieuws GÖTEBORG (SE). The Lisebergslinjen her itage t ra mway is to r u n bet ween Centralstationen and St Sigfrids Plan on 1/8/15/29 June. It then runs Tuesdays-Saturdays between 6 July and 10 Aug ust, and is open on selected Saturdays to 28 December.

MfSS M A L M Ö ( S E ). T h e 1. 6 k m (one-mile) museum tramway w ill operate 12 .0 0 -16.0 0 on Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 June to 29 September.

MfSS M A L M KÖ P I N G ( S E ). T h e t ra mway museu m is open 18 May-1 September, mostly at weekends but also TuesdaysFridays 2 July-11 August.

MfSS MANCHESTER (UK). Horse tram L53 has left Bury Transport Museum for an extended visit to the Greater Manchester Transport Museum. It starred alongside horse bus L2 at the museum’s ‘200 Years of the Bus – Omnibus’ event in April.

CONTRIBUTORS Worldwide items for inclusion shou ld b e s e nt to M ic h ae l Taplin at Flat 8, Roxan Villa, 33 L andg uard Manor Rd, Sha n k lin, Isle of Wight P O37 7 H Z , U K .

Please fa x: + 4 4 (0)1983 862 810 or e-mail miketap@mainspring.co.uk UK and Ireland items: please e-mail uknews@lrta.org Acknowledgements are due t o c s - d o p ra va k , d o p ra va c e k . e u , D reh sche ibe ( D S), D ubai Eye, Eisenbahn Amateur (E A), haagst ramnie uws, info24, Inter nat ional Railway Jour nal (IRJ), lineoz.net, LTF, Mass Transit, MfSS, Op de Rails (OR), Progressive Railroading, railnews.it, Railway Gazette International (RGI), RT&S SV, Tagesspiegel, The Olive Press, Trains, Tram-20 0 0 ( T-2 0 0 0), transphoto.org, Transport Publiczny (TP), ulasimpark, and urbanrail.net.

Letters

Mailbox Get your views into print matt@mainspring.co.uk

Letters submitted by post should be clearly typed and preferably not handwritten. We reserve the right to edit contributions for publication.

The good and the bad of the Florentine tramway I appreciated the Florence article by Andrew Thompson in July’s TAUT (1027).

As one of its daily users, I can confirm that the advent of new generation tramways in Florence has been a success, both from the point of view of patronage, and from that of urban regeneration.

The tramway is popular among Florentines: it has a high frequency, good reliability and regularity.

One cannot expect, however, that everything is perfect: I would like to raise some less positive issues, that in my opinion are worth highlighting in a sort of ‘lessons learned’ discussion.

One thing that is easy to report is the time taken by the construction works and authorisation processes: these are typically longer in Italy than elsewhere, and are no peculiarity of Florence. So I will not discuss this any further. Instead, I will group my criticisms in the following points: 1) Two cities in one. It can be seen from the map (p.262) that the eastern/ southern half of the city is not yet served.

More services will of course be added in a few years; and the northern/western half being larger with the majority of traffic attractors justifies giving it priority.

However, the tramway has been active now for 14 years, but the eastern/ southern half of the city still has no tramway service and is currently served only by a bus network that is not always efficient. Mobility is heavily based on cars/motorbikes, and the arrival of new tracks has raised concerns about the reservation of large parts of the streets to the tram, felt by car users as a worsening of car congestion. These concerns have the potential of raising the level of anti-tram sentiment, that could influence the next administrative elections (in June).

2) The historical centre. It is not quite true what Andrew Thompson says about Piazza San Marco being “in the heart of the old town”. The heart (usually named Il Centro) is historically (from the Roman town) located in Piazza della Repubblica, between Piazza del Duomo and Piazza Signoria (where Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi are). Piazza San Marco is outside the ancient Roman town borders.

Piazza San Marco is some 600m from Piazza Duomo, 900m to Piazza della Repubblica, and 1100m to Uffizi. The current terminus of line T2 in Piazza dell’Unità is 500m from the Duomo and 600m from Piazza della Repubblica. So, the T2 extension to Piazza San Marco does not add much to serving the ‘heart’.

It is currently intended that the T2 service from the airport will skip the Unità terminus to reach the San Marco terminus, further distancing the tram from the heart.

This is due to the 2009 abandonment of the original plans that foresaw a through tram line passing alongside the Duomo.

At the time, having rails in sight of the Duomo was considered by many an offence to the touristic/historical core of the city.

Accessibility to the city has since only been guaranteed via minibus, taxi, or on foot.

Not only this, the remaining main bus lines passing through the (margins of) the centre are threatened by new proposals aimed at completely freeing the sacred historic roads from heavy vehicles.

Traditional functions that were based in the centre, i.e., banking, shops, have moved towards outer areas in favour of tourist attractions and fast food outlets, so the historical centre is more and more becoming just a tourist attraction.

3) Capacity forecasts/interchanges.

The removal of the tramway by the Duomo has also impacted on the efficacy of the future tram network as well.

The eastern/southern areas of the city are mainly residential, while the largest part of activities and attractors are in the northwest area. This generates a high mobility between the two areas. It would be natural to see tramway lines from the east/south run through to reach the north-west areas.

It appears instead that the T3 line will connect the two eastern and south-eastern residential suburbs of Coverciano and Gavinana/Bagno a Ripoli through the node of Piazza della Libertà, with no through service to the north-west. This requires users to change lines there, even to reach the main railway station, Santa Maria Novella. In the case of users coming from T3 who want to reach Careggi hospital or the nearby University campus, they will have to change lines twice.

The other relevant design choice is to have no catenary on the boulevards between Piazza della Libertà and the Arno river. These two design faults, both due to political choices, have the potential to undermine ridership of future extensions.

4) Exchange with feeder buses.

The pre-existing bus network has been reorganised with removal of parallel services, and transformation of some services into feeder buses. However, most of the exchange stops are not side by side, but require users to cross a road, often with high car traffic. Although the conformation of roads and available space in many cases would have not

allowed any other solution, in some places a redesign of the traffic lanes around the tram stops could have been done to minimise the problem.

5) Shelters. In all the stops that are in sensitive areas from the point of view of historical appearance, the Soprintendenza has vetoed the installation of any form of shelter: this is a huge problem, as Florence suffers from icy winds in winter and high temperatures in summer.

For the T3 line to Bagno a Ripoli, the provision of styled design shelters at the stops on the boulevards is, to my knowledge, still subject to discussion between the Comune and Soprintendenza.

6) Hospitals. Line T1 currently serves the main Careggi hospital, the largest in Tuscany. However, it leaves users at the main entrance, with the journey to the many buildings inside left to be walked.

A more careful design could have brought the tram directly inside the hospital premises, providing a much better service.

Indeed the Mayer children’s hospital, one of the main ones in Italy, is located at the opposite site of the entrance served by the tram, and 1200m from it, although served by a feeder bus.

The other three main hospitals in Florence will continue not to be served by tram. Reaching the Torregalli from the Ponte a Niccheri hospital, for example, will require three tram and two bus legs.

7) Integration with urban railway.

Due to congestion on the current railway corridor, it is claimed that it is not possible to activate an S-Bahn-like service. Only an irregular regional service currently uses this alignment. A new tunnel for the high speed railway line to Milano and Rome is now under construction. This tunnel will be able to remove much traffic from surface routes, allowing for a more frequent service: an S-Bahn-like service would have the potential to attract many passengers.

Notwithstanding these issues, overall the Florentine tram experience has served as a positive forerunner for the increasing tram presence in Italy, including Bologna – where the project is bolder in terms of urban regeneration on a large scale.

Considering that discussion of a tramway for Florence began back in 1995, you can imagine how many arguments this topic has generated, consuming a huge quantity of brain energy… If only a fraction of this energy could have been directed to careful, professional and agnostic design, Florence could have now been the world’s tramway leader!

Alessandro Fantechi , Florence, Italy

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JUNE 2024 / 235

Classic Trams

ARIZONA’S HIDDEN MUSEUM This month’s article features ambitions successfully achieved, followed by an era of mild disappointment and a so-far unfulfilled prospect of future renewal. This is Old Pueblo Trolley in Tucson, Arizona. Mike Russell reports.

L

ike so many American towns and cities that enthusiastically embraced the streetcar around the turn of the 19th Century, Tucson introduced its own local service with due ceremony on 1 June 1906.

The subsequent story reflects that of so many smaller USA systems – declining ridership in the face of growing car ownership and worn-out rolling stock and track.

In 1925 Tucson Rapid Transit introduced its first motor bus route. Such was its success that a second soon followed and the fate of the streetcars was effectively sealed; the system was replaced by motor buses on 31 December 1930. Thereafter, Tucson remained tram-free for more than five decades, although in 1973 a project was mooted to build a light rail system through the city centre.

At the same time Old Pueblo Trolley (OPT) was formed to “bring back the trolley” and to lay a short museum line to be incorporated into the proposed light rail system. The concept was well received and the heritage line inaugurated on 17 April 1993.

This was achieved by a combination of laying some new track on 4th Avenue and the uncovering of long-disused rails on University Boulevard; it totalled about 1.6km (one mile) of single track on a street alignment through the city centre and the operation was generally adjudged a success, receiving considerable local support.

In 2010 Federal grants were obtained towards the construction of the full light rail system, with construction starting in 2012.

It was envisaged that this would be built on the alignment of at least part of the heritage line, with which there would hopefully be inter-running at weekends, enabling the heritage service to enjoy a secure future.

Unfortunately this worthy ambition was not achieved. Operation of the single-track heritage line ceased after service on 31 October 2011 to facilitate work on the new light rail system, including doubling of much of the track hitherto used by the heritage operation. It was expected that heritage operation would resume once the new system opened (which it did on 25 July 2014) – but the planned resumption has not occurred, and the streetcar fleet is currently stored off-site in covered premises.

It is thought that there may have been concern at the proposed common operation between heritage and modern operations, but the reason for non-resumption of service has not been shared; in the meantime the owners of the heritage fleet hope that at some point their operations will be allowed to resume.

Fleet expansion

When the heritage operation first started, two items of rolling stock were available.

One was former Pacific Electric Birney two-axle car 332, on long loan from the Orange Empire Trolley museum and repainted in the green/white colour scheme of the cars operated on the original Tucson system (see illustration in TAUT 1036, April 2024). The other was an ex-Douglas Birney of the same type. The loan agreement with the Perris museum was not renewed, so this car was duly returned in 1995.

Meanwhile, efforts were made to source additional rolling stock, and the first car to join what would later become a small fleet was from Japan. This was originally 1953-built 869 from Kyoto, where this bogie car operated until 1972 when it was sold to Osaka’s Hankai tramway as 255. After withdrawal in June 1992 it was purchased

by OPT which rebuilt it to Kyoto condition, removing the centre doors, and it was in this condition that it was restored and operated alongside the Pacific Electric car in June 1995.

Since then there has been a gradual expansion of the fleet. Next to join the collection was ex-Bruxelles (STIB) standard car 1511 of 1936, which arrived in April 1995 and was to become a regular performer on the heritage line over the ensuing years. It had previously spent some years stored at Phoenix in anticipation of a restaurant project that did not proceed, and was then donated to OPT. Around June 1996 a former Toronto (TTC) PCC car arrived: 4608, one of 19 former class A8 all-electric cars, built in 1950-51

by Canadian Car & Foundry and rebuilt by TTC in 1992 as class A15 that were destined to have a short life in this form, being withdrawn in 1995.

Another acquisition from Europe, though after a long period out of use in Aspen, Colorado, was former Lisboa (CCFL) twoaxle vehicle 524. This semi-convertible car built by Brill in 1924 is very similar to those operated in America’s deep south and has been re-gauged to 1435mm, restored to double-ended layout and repainted in a red and ivory livery as car 1 of the Prescott & Mount Union Railway. This was a short-lived operation in Arizona, running from 1904-11.

Transit museum

With the cessation of heritage operations in 2011, albeit on what was hoped to be a temporary basis, the growing fleet of cars was transferred to an off-site building which is now designated the Old Pueblo Trolley (OPT). This houses a wide-ranging collection

236 / JUNE 2024 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

1 including motor buses and trolleybuses (‘trolley coaches’ in American parlance) from a variety of systems, and is described as a Transit Museum and Operations Centre (there are other associated sites featuring buses and heavy railways). It is located at 250 East 36th Street and open 09.00-15.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The building has adequate accommodation to undertake serious reconstruction work, and several other items of tramway history have since been added to the inventory and are in storage or at various stages of reconstruction. From the Fort Worth tramway is the body of Birney car 557, built by St Louis Car Company in 1918 and currently resting on rubber tyres; it was acquired around 1996 to act as a donor car in the restoration of another Birney car in better condition.

Los Angeles Railway Huntington car 860 of 1912 is also in the collection; such cars were originally built un-vestibuled but enclosed around 1920. This example was retired in 1945, finding subsequent use at Long Beach. It was acquired by OPT in 1998, and was initially intended to be reconstructed as an example of a Douglas electric streetcar, representing a system in operation from 1905-20. However, this plan was halted after Los Angeles 733 of 1911, which was in better condition, became available.

The future of LAR 860 is still undecided at the time of writing.

Another old-stager acquired is Phoenix 44, representative of the first-generation streetcar fleet in the State of Arizona’s capital city.

Built in 1913 by the American Car Company it was retired as early as 1934 and donated to OPT in 2004. It is likely to be retained for non-operational display only.

The US has many heritage streetcar museums, both static and operational, but they are not spread evenly and many are grouped in the north-east of the country.

In this respect Old Pueblo Trolley is an outlier, and perhaps for this reason is not often visited by fans from outside America.

The group is a non-profit entity that curates the collection, and is to be congratulated for keeping the original concept alive even without renewed operation over part of the new light rail system; OPT volunteers continue to engage with the city authorities and the light rail operator to review the situation in favour of restarting weekend heritage operation. In the meantime the OPT’s volunteer workforce has a huge programme of work in hand to reconstruct its fleet of old streetcars.

1. One of the museum’s tramcars originating from Europe is former Bruxelles motor car 1511 dating from 1936. This is one of the standard cars rebuilt in the 1960s to be suitable both for one-person and crew operation in the Belgian capital.

2. Masquerading as Prescott & Mount Union Railway streetcar 1 is this former Lisboa four-wheel semi-convertible car built by Brill in 1924, thus post-dating the demise of that short-lived tram line by 13 years.

3. Former Toronto Transit Commission all-electric PCC car 4608 is one of the more modern cars in the collection.

This was one of 19 similar cars rejuvenated by the TTC in 1992, only to be withdrawn from service three years later.

2

4. Former Los Angeles Railway Huntington-type car 860 was acquired for restoration but the project has since been superseded by that for another Huntington car, 733 of 1911, which was found to be in better condition. The future prospects for 860 are currently unknown.

5. A big restoration project awaits former Phoenix bogie car 44, built in 1913 by American Car Company.

The likelihood is that its eventual restoration will be as a non-operational exhibit.

33

4

6. Kyoto 869 was a long-term performer on the heritage service but since its suspension after October 2011 it has gained from well-deserved repose.

In June 2022 it was in rubbed-down condition following body repairs in preparation for a repaint.

7. The body only of former Fort Worth Traction Company Birney car 557 of 1918 is one of several recovered relics that are on a long-term restoration schedule at Old Pueblo Trolley.

5

6

7

8. The STIB rebuilding of a small series of Standard cars during the 1960s to form the 15xx series envisaged their being available either for oneperson operation or as crewoperated cars hauling trailers, although in practice the singlemanning format was the norm.

Even so the cars were fitted with trailer connections, as retained by 1511.

8

All images taken on 22 June 2022

by Matthias Kühl.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org june 2024 / 237

NEWS FROM THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ASSOCIATION

LRTA AGM Charleroi, Belgium 26-29 September 2024

D

etails of this year’s AGM weekend in Charleroi, Belgium have now been finalised and a booking form can be found on the LRTA website.

The AGM has been organised in conjunction with an Ian Longworth tour, and Mapmaker Travel is handling all the arrangements and bookings.

Two hotels in the centre of Charleroi – the Ibis and the Novotel – are available for between 2-4 nights. The price includes breakfast each day, the AGM reception at Le Bois du Cazier Museum, and the AGM dinner at the Novotel on the Saturday night. Please note that there is a supplement for a single room.

The AGM itself will be on the Friday (27 September), and there will be the usual sandwich and salad buffet prior to this.

Details of the agenda and elections will be finalised shortly.

The evening reception at the Bois du Cazier Museum will commence with a guided tour of the specialist tram exhibition.

On the Saturday and Sunday (28-29 September) two excursions are available.

On Saturday there is a visit to the Tramway de l’Aisne (110km/68 miles), featured in a classic trams article in the February 2023 issue of TAUT. The line from Pont d’Erezee via Forge a la Plez to Lamormenil is operated by Vicinal

autorail and trailer vehicles. There is also a small museum at Pont d’Erezee.

The AGM weekend concludes on the Sunday (29 September) with a visit to the Asti Museum at Thuin (21km/13 miles) and a ride on the line to Lobbes.

Mapmaker can also arrange travel either

by Eurostar (at favourable rates) or by air from several airports. You are also free to book your own travel arrangements. A deposit of GBP200pp plus any transportation costs will secure your booking. The balance is due no later than Friday 5 July 2024.

It is many years since the Association has visited Belgium, so this promises to be a fantastic opportunity.

LEFT: Belgium’s ASVi celebrated 50 years in 2023 with a cavalcade of classics – to the far left, Luxembourg car 34 of 1931 is seen passing Thuin Cimetière.

To the left, three cars of the inter-war era pose on the roadside reserved track between Entreville and Lobbes, Quatre Bras.

Both: Luc Koenot

MEETINGS & EVENTS JUNE Tuesday 4. Southampton 19.30, Members’ digital images.

Eastleigh Railway Institute, GBP3. (LRTA/SEG) Thursday 6. Brentford 14.30. Roger Manley: Cine films – the Vicinal, Vestische and Wuppertal. London Museum of Water and Steam, Green Dragon lane, Brentford, TW8 0EN. Contact: thamesvalley@tlrs.info. GBP5 inc. refreshments. (TLRS) Monday 10. Leeds 19.30. Mike Waring: 30 years of Sheffield trams.

Middleton Railway, The Engine House, Moor Road, Leeds, LS10 2JG. Contact: enquiries@lths.co.uk.

GBP1 (inc. refreshments) (LRTA/LTHS) Friday 15. Taunton 14.00.

Mark Blackstone: Big ideas at London United. West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, TA2 8NE. Contact: westofengland@tlrs. info. GBP2. (TLRS) Tuesday 18. London 19.00.

Bob Hodges: Portuguese trams.

The Model Railway Club, Calshot Street, London, N1 9DA. GBP2. (LRTA) Saturday 22. Nottingham 14.00.

Compiled by the LRTA. For a full list of the year’s events and meeting places, including online meetings, visit www.lrta.org

Visit Sheffield tramways. Beeston Scout Hut, Middle Street, Beeston, NG9 1GA. Contact: alo@tlrs.info. (TLRS) Saturday 29. Arnside 14.00.

John Allen: Garden tramway visit, 1/16 scale. Arnside, LA5 0BX. Contact: alo@tlrs.info. GBP2 inc. light refreshments. (TLRS) JULY Thursday 4. Brentford 14.30. Alan Holmewood: Switzerland part 2.

London Museum of Water and Steam, TW8 0EN. Contact: thamesvalley@tlrs.

info. GBP5 inc. refreshments. (TLRS) Saturday 13. Coatbridge, 13.00.

Scottish trams show and tell & talk TBC. Summerlee Museum, Heritage Way, Coatbridge ML5 1QD. Contact: scotland@tlrs.info. (TLRS) Tuesday 16. London 19.00, James Willis: TramForward: The LRTA’s campaigning arm. The Model Railway Club, Keen House, Calshot Street, London, N1 9DA. GBP2. (LRTA) Saturday 27. Nottingham 14.00. Visit Nottingham Tram depots. Beeston Scout Hut, Middle Street, Beeston, NG9 1GA Contact: alo@tlrs.info. (TLRS)

For more information on the Association and its activities visit www.lrta.org

Bookshop Order online from www.lrta.info/shop – or by post from: LRTA Publications, 38 Wolseley Road, SALE, M33 7AU

(Please provide telephone contact details and quote LRTA membership number if applicable) Outside UK = Airmail to Europe (includes all of Russia) / Surface mail to rest of world; Airmail Zone 1 = outside Europe excluding Australia, New Zealand & USA; Airmail Zones 2/3 = Australia, New Zealand & USA

The Tramways of Upper Silesia

Tramways in Milan in Colour (1954-1978)

A Guidebook

I tram di Milano – Immagini a colori (1954-1978) Third in the series of colour albums exploring the fascinating combination of urban and interurban tramways in and around Milan. The variety of rolling stock is amazing and is richly illustrated. English and Italian text.

Tells the story of a truly remarkable network in a region of Poland rich in mineral resources, which has survived the risk of closure and become an important player in the regional transport infrastructure. > A4 softback, 240 pages, 300+ black & white and colour pictures plus large-scale folding track plan. £38.50 (UK); £45.00 (outside UK); £49.50 (Airmail Z1); £55.00 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.50 discount

Tramways in Portugal in Colour (1985-2018) The second in our new series of colour albums covering the historic Lisbon, Porto and Sintra tramways plus the new Metro do Porto and Metro Transportes do Sul light rail networks introduced in 2005/07. > A4 hardback, 144 pages, 287 colour pictures plus 16 maps. £33.50 (UK); £40.00 (outside UK); £47.50 (Airmail Z1); £52.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.00 discount

> A4 hardback, 144 pages, 176 colour pictures plus two maps. £33.50 (UK); £40.00 (outside UK); £47.50 (Airmail Z1); £52.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.00 discount

Might Have Been Trams and Tramways This fascinating book details all the UK tram schemes that failed to see the light of day. > A4 softback; 192 pages; 116 colour and 119 black & white pictures; 117 maps. £23.00 (UK); £30.00 (outside UK); £37.50 (Airmail Z1); £42.00

(Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £2.00 discount

Japan Tram Atlas

A London Trolleybus Crew

A comprehensive review of the tramways and trolleybuses of Japan with superb track maps for every system. Details of the car types operated and the routes on which they run are covered. English and German text.

A superb collection of high-quality images is wrapped around the story of the author’s teenage friendship with the driver and conductor of the title, who gave him much support with his interest in the trolleybuses operated from Wood Green Depot.

> A4 softback; 272 pages, 423 colour and black & white pictures, 48 track maps. £36.50 (UK addresses); £46.50 (outside UK); £56.50 (Airmail Z1); £61.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.25 discount

> A4 hardback, 208 pages, 361 black & white + 13 colour pictures. £39.50 (UK); £50.00 (outside UK); £65.00 (Airmail Z1); £70.00 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.50 discount

For further details of all these books go to our website.

Order direct from the website shown (not from the LRTA) London Trams and Trolleybuses

Schede Tecniche Filoviarie

A fine collection of black and white images from the last years of the capital’s trams and trolleybuses – perhaps emphasising London Transport’s mistaken policy of replacing these environment-friendly modes with thousands of polluting diesel buses!

This interesting book comprises technical data sheets on trolleybuses built in Italy from the 1930s, accompanied by line drawings and photographs – including prototypes and freight vehicles. Italian text with English, French and German translation.

> A4 softback; 80 pages; 124 black & white pictures. £13.95 – www.ttpublishing.co.uk

Volume 1 - Italia

> 165x235 mm softback; 186 pages; 200+ mainly black & white pictures. £28.50 – www.nationaltrolleybus.org

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