June TAUT digital issue-compressed

THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE

Free to LRTA members

www.lrta.org www.tautonline.com

JUNE 2025 N o . 1050

into the future: DUBAI’s metro

Game-changing tech for world-leading network Morocco to open third LRT system World’s longest tram enters service Federal funding for Québec light rail China’s expansion Massive urban rail plans for China

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New York transit Big projects for the USA’s ‘Big Apple’

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Listening to concerns you might miss As a member of CIRAS confidential safety hotline – as most UK light rail networks are – you have a safety net alongside your other reporting channels.

Even in the best safety cultures, not everyone will report concerns openly through company reporting channels.

They may prefer to raise concerns with their identity protected.

By letting your staff know a confidential safety hotline is available, you’re showing that you want to hear from them, however they choose to speak up. We listen carefully and impartially to every concern raised with us, and we make sure reporters get a response so that they know they’ve been heard.

Most of the health and safety concerns for the light rail sector reported to CIRAS since 2022 are about equipment. These concerns often reference the reliability or condition of assets such as on-board cameras, handheld radios, or on-board heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Rules and procedures have given cause for concern too – specifically, the effectiveness of internal processes for reporting equipment faults. Reporters have felt that fault reports weren’t being acknowledged.

While our light rail reports highlight reporters’ individual experiences, there’s only

a small number of CIRAS reports for light rail.

The data doesn’t imply a widespread problem with fault reporting, but it does show that if people don’t feel heard, they may be reluctant to report openly.

Our reports can help you to identify potential improvements in safety and reporting culture, as well as risks and concerns.

Here are some of the reports raised with us for the light rail sector: • c oncern over a lack of training for engineers

• faulty tram air conditioning • unreliable two-way staff radios • concern over faulty cameras and in-cab monitors • concern about the process following an operational incident • faulty seats causing driver distraction • concern over trespass and antisocial behaviour.

Members can read the reports in full on our website.

Find out more about building a listening culture at https://www.ciras.org.uk/rightcall.

CIRAS reporting app

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CONTENTS

The official journal of the Light Rail Transit Association Andrew Thompson

226

221 JUNE 2025 Vol. 88 No. 1050 www.tautonline.com

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

Mike Russell

Miguel Joya/Unsplash

Senior ContributorS – Howard Johnston, Neil Pulling

240

NEWS 209 Morocco plans third network in Tangier; Copenhagen approves new metro route; Liège opens new line.

DUBAI METRO's vision 226 Richard Foster uncovers the visionary ways in which Dubai Metro looks after its system and offsets its carbon imprint.

Connecting china 212 It is a fast developing country with ambitious plans to treble its rail routes and connect its burgeoning cities; Hans-Ulrich Riedel provides an overview of some of China’s main schemes.

systems factfile: GRENOBLE 229 Grenoble’s second-generation light rail system, while not quite as extensive as the first, still maintains a broad reach serving multiple municipalities.

NEW PROJECTS FOR NEW YORK 218 Andrew Grahl summarises the projects underway in one of the US’ busiest cities that aim to keep its residents on the move.

PROGRESS IN MAGDEBURG 222 With infrastructure and fleet upgrades, this German city is ready to face an expanded future – Andrew Thompson explores.

Worldwide Contributors Richard Foster, Andrew Grahl, Andrew Moglestue, Herbert Pence, Mike Russell, Nikolai Semyonov, Alain Senut, Andrew Thompson, Witold Urbanowicz, Bill Vigrass, Thomas Wagner, Philip Webb.

Production – Lanna Blyth Tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 production@mainspring.co.uk DESIGN – Debbie Nolan Advertising COMMERCIAL Manager – Geoff Butler Tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 geoff@mainspring.co.uk Tramways & Urban Transit 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring on behalf of the LRTA on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date.

WORLDWIDE REVIEW 235 Montpellier unveils its new Urbos 100X; Madrid opens Metro line 3 extension.

VLR coventry progress UKTram visits the VLR test track.

239

CLASSIC TRAMS: berlin 240 Mike Russell joins fans in Berlin to wave farewell to a classic two-axle tram.

Money was previously no object, but it is now This month’s TAUT readers will surely be in awe of the sheer magnitude of some of the urban rail projects that are transforming lives in two areas of the world.

If its plans are fully realised, China will have some 34 000km (21 000 miles) of fixed rail route in the near future. OK, it’s a vast country, but barely any city with a population of under three million will be without quality public transport that rivals the motor car.

In different ways, the Dubai Metro is an international showpiece of quality, speeding through one of the world’s wealthiest countries that increasingly relies on its diverse international trade and tourism, as well as its traditional oil. Visitors are taken aback by the quality of transport construction, operational efficiency, cleanliness, and outstanding customer service.

Can all this be afforded? That’s the worry. In China, both central and regional governments have begun to pull back on spending because national economic success is not what it was. However, with GDP growth of almost 4% forecast this year (half of what it was a decade ago), China is still in an enviable position when many Western nations are not expecting to do much more than ‘break even’.

Let’s cast a glance at the other end of the spectrum. The first trial runs of the tram-train operation have taken place on the smart new South Wales Metro system radiating from the city of Cardiff. It has always wanted to be a world class city, and now it stands a better chance.

Finally, take note: a major upcoming event is the 2025 UK Light Rail Conference, held in Leeds on 22-23 July. Book your place now. Matt Johnston, Editor

COVER: Keolis MHI won the ‘Vision of the Year’ Global Light Rail Award in 2024 for its high-tech methods of maintaining Dubai's world-class Metro system. Dubai Travel Blog/Unsplash

LRTA MEMBERSHIP (with TAUT subscription) Tramways & Urban Transit is sent free to all paid-up members of the Light Rail Transit Association.

LRTA WEBSITE AND DIARY Tim Kendell webmaster@lrta.org meetings@lrta.org Subscriptions, MEMBERSHIP and back issues LRTA Membership Secretary (Dept T06), 38 Wolseley Road, Sale M33 7AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)117 951 7785 membership@lrta.org Website: www.lrta.org for CORPORATE Subscriptions VISIT www.mainspring.co.uk LRTA REGISTERED OFFICE 13 Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU, UK Private company limited by guarantee, No. 5072319 in England and Wales.

LRTA Chairman – Paul Rowen chair@lrta.org © LRTA 2025 Articles are submitted on the understanding they may also be used on our websites or in other media. A contribution is accepted on the basis that its author is responsible for the opinions expressed in it, and such opinions are not those of the LRTA or Mainspring. All rights reserved.

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News First Tramlink for Potsdam Potsdam’s tramway operator has begun commissioning the first of 13 Stadler Tramlink low-floor single-ended trams.

They were ordered for the German city near Berlin in 2021, and are due to enter service later this year.

The 42m trams, with a 300mm floor height, can carry up to 246 passengers (74 seated).

The contract includes ten years of maintenance and spare parts supply, and was priced at EUR4.76m per tram. There is an option for a further 12.

Bodyshells are currently being produced at Stadler’s Polish factory and transferred to Spain for fitting out and assembly. However, a production line is being set up at Stadler’s Berlin factory to shorten the supply chain.

The new vehicles will hasten the end of operator Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam’s 18 Tatra KT4DC trams.

Tangier to build Morocco’s third modern tramway Mediterranean city plans new 30km network by 2030

ABOVE: Back-to-back Alstom single-ended (but double-sided trams) at work on the Rabat-Salé tramway in Morocco. This system and that in Casablanca will now be joined by one in Tangier. M. V. Ballinger

M

ABOVE: The first Stadler Tramlink is welcomed to Potsdam. VIP

orocco is to gain its third tramway system, with the city of Tangier joining Rabat-Salé and Casablanca. MAD8.4bn (EUR798m) is being invested to build a 30km (19-mile) network before the FIFA 2030 World Cup. Tangier, with a population of 1.1m, will host football matches as part of the tournament, which

Cork light rail route unveiled Public consultation on the proposed route of Ireland’s Luas Cork opened on 14 April. An 18km (11-mile) route is to link Mahon Point, on the shores of Lough Mahon to the east of the city, with Ballincollig.

The new light rail system is core to the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, which aims to deliver improvements to the region’s buses and heavy rail networks, as well as creating new active travel infrastructure.

It will also help Cork achieve its status as Ireland’s first ‘climate neutral’ city, part of an initiative from the European Commission to have 100 such cities by 2030.

Luas Cork is to boast 25 new tram stops, including a new parkand-ride facility, interchange with Iarnród Éireann at Kent station, and what’s been described as a new ‘mobility hub’ at Mahon Point. Most of the system will be double track, with a mix of on-street and reserved running. However, a single-track loop is planned for Ballincollig.

A new bridge across the River Lee will be required, while the section through the city centre is to be catenary free.

Public consultation is to close on 9 June. The results will be analysed in order for a preferred route to be selected.

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is also being held at grounds in Spain and Portugal. A FIFA inspection has given public transport in Tangier a rating of 2.6 out of five, highlighting traffic congestion as a problem.

A tramway for the city has been discussed since 2014.

One line will link Tangier’s main railway station to Moghogha and Bni Makada.

A second will cross the city

on Boulevard Moulay Ismaïl, serving the Hassani sports complex, while a third will serve the Tangier Free Zone and the university.

Casablanca has a four-line 72.4km (45-mile) tram system, which opened in 2012. This followed the 24.2km (15-mile) line that links the capital Rabat with Salé that opened the year before.

Copenhagen approves new metro line M5 Denmark’s government and the City of København (Copenhagen) have approved the construction of new metro line M5. This DKK33.1bn (EUR4.4bn) project is designed to ease congestion on M1 and M2, as well as providing access to the new artificial island of Lynetteholm.

According to consultants Arup, the island will provide 20 000 new homes and act as “a barrier against rising sea levels”.

M5 is to be built in two phases. The first is to connect

København H to Prags Boulevard Øst, with four intermediate stations. Of those, Prags Boulevard Øst will be elevated while the remainder will be underground. This section is to open in 2036. A second phase will feature three stations (Refshaleøen, Lynetteholm S and Lynetteholm N) and is to open in 2045.

“The decision to establish M5 is a milestone for the city and the result of extensive preparatory work”, said Carsten Riis, CEO of metro operator Metroselskabet.

Federal funding sourced for new Québec light rail CAD1.1bn for Montréal and Québec City light rail projects

C

anada’s federal government is to provide two Québec light rail projects with CAD1.1bn (EUR698m) in funding. TramCité, the proposed 19km (12-mile) tramway across Québec City, is to receive CAD332.3m (EUR211m), while the extension to Montréal Metro’s Blue Line looks set to be completed thanks to CAD650m (EUR412m).

TramCité was first mooted in 2000. Construction of the Le Gendre – Charlesbourg line was

due to start last summer, with a view to completion in 2029.

Work is now expected to start in 2027 and the project might not be completed until 2033.

The Blue Line extension is to add 6km (3.7 miles) and five stations to Montréal’s metro.

Construction of the eastwards extension from Saint-Michel to Anjou started in September 2024; it is due to open in 2031.

The remaining CAD202.8m (EUR129m) of the federal funding is to be used to fit communications-based train

control on the remainder of the Blue Line. This opened from Snowdon to Saint-Michel between 1986 and 1988 and currently has fixed block signalling.

“We are committed to improving and expanding public transit infrastructure across Canada”, said Nathaniel ErskineSmith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure & Communities.

“Close collaboration between federal, provincial and municipal governments is essential to achieving this goal.”

HeiterBlick applies for administration Rolling stock builder HeiterBlick GmbH applied to the Leipzig District Court to initiate selfadministration proceedings on 7 April. Germany’s Federal Employment Agency will now cover wages for the firm’s 250 employees for three months.

This should enable the company to work on existing orders for Dortmund and Würzburg as well as for the Sachsentram consortium (which has jointly ordered trams for Leipzig, Görlitz and Zwickau in Saxony).

Management consultants Falkensteg and law firm Baker Tilly have been appointed to restructure the firm so that it can continue trading.

HeiterBlick has blamed production delays on COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine affecting raw material supplies.

HeiterBlick started in 2004

New line for Lisbon The city council in Lisboa (Lisbon) has unveiled plans for a new 12km (7.5-mile) tram line, the first to be built in the city for 60 years. Line 16E is to link Praça do Comércio to Santa Apolónia via Parque das Nações, Oriente and Sacavém.

The EUR160m project was unveiled with CAF tram 605 at a ceremony at Parque das Nações on 21 April. The cost includes the purchase of new rolling stock. It is hoped to open the line in 2028.

Meanwhile, Portugal’s Council of Ministries has approved an increase in funding for the proposed 11.5km (seven-mile) Odivelas – Loures light rail line. The expected price is now EUR677.5m, EUR150m more than when the first tender was issued in 2023.

Known as the Violet Line, it is expected to open in 2029.

Cologne’s subway

The saga of the east-west city centre tramway in Köln (Cologne) took another twist on 3 April when the city council voted 49-14 in favour of the EUR330m subway, which had been proposed by a political coalition (TAUT 1047).

An application for federal funding is to be submitted.

However, any other tramway expansion plans in the German city have been put on hold.

Chicago extends Red Line

ABOVE: The Sachsentram for Leipzig has yet to be delivered. LVB

in the former Leipzig tramways central workshops. Its first trams were the Leoliner vehicles built for its home city. It was privatised between 2006 and 2011. Production moved to new premises on the grounds of crane

builder Kirow’s factory in 2005.

HeiterBlick has been willing to develop bespoke designs for its customers.

The Sachsentram contract was signed in 2021, but the first tram has yet to appear.

Preparatory work on Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line extension has started.

The USD5.7bn (EUR5bn) project will extend the US city’s Red Line by 8.8km (5.5 miles) from 95th Street to 130th Street.

The new line is to be elevated, with new connections to bus services. Initial works include demolishing property along the route and taking soil samples.

Construction is to start in earnest in 2026 and should be completed in 2030.

Liège brings back trams Liège welcomed passengercarrying trams on 28 April for the first time in 58 years.

The Belgian city’s firstgeneration tramway, which opened in 1893, closed in 1967.

The new 11.7km (7.3mile) line from Sclessin to Coronmeuse was first proposed in 2008. Authorisation was

finally given in 2011 but construction has been beset by delays. Indeed, the dummy trial operation that started in February revealed issues that needed to be resolved before the line was finally ready to open (TAUT 1049). A day of celebrations at stops along the route is planned for 10 May.

LEFT: Liège’s new tramline runs in close proximity to pedestrians and buses in the city centre. TEC

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News Cardiff tram-train testing starts…

Stadler Citylink 398005 became the first of the 36-strong fleet of Transport for Wales tram-trains to work on the South Wales Metro (UK). It undertook its first trial runs in mid-April.

TfW’s tram-trains, designated Class 398, are to work on the Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff City lines. They will also run over the Cardiff Crossrail tramway that will link Cardiff Central and Bay stations.

Andrew Gazzard, TfW Head of Operational Readiness, said: “Our teams now need to gain familiarisation and handling experience of the trains, and we need to embark on driver training later in the year. We look forward to the next stage in getting them prepared for passengers.”

ABOVE: Mannheim’s record breaking Škoda 38T. H. Heinrich

World’s longest tram enters passenger service Škoda 58.7m vehicles now in use on Mannheim system

M ABOVE: Crew testing of the new Class 398 tram-trains in April. TfW

… and tram-trains for Newport?

Cardiff Capital Region’s Draft Regional Transport Plan has suggested that tram-trains running on a currently goodsonly railway could provide additional connectivity between Cardiff and Newport (UK).

The plan envisages converting the former Brecon & Merthyr Railway branch from Bassaleg to Caerphilly to tram-train operation and running on-street in Newport. Only the Machen – Bassaleg section remains open for goods, connecting the former Great Western Railway line to Ebbw Vale, to the northwest of Newport. It is not yet clear whether the tram-train would use the trackbed of the former Machen – Caerphilly railway, or find another way into Caerphilly.

Under the plan, Caerphilly would be reconnected with Newport “using the Machen freight line and tram-train services, the on-street tramway capability of which can be applied in Newport to avoid conflicts with the congested [South Wales Main Line] and support regeneration in Newport”.

Public consultation on the plan ends on 19 May.

annheim is home to the world’s longest passenger-carrying trams: the first of 12 Škoda 58.7m 38Ts has entered service in the German city.

These are part of an order for 114 new trams that the Czech manufacturer is building for operator Rhein-Neckar Verkehr GmbH (RNV).

The six-section double-ended trams actually have two fleet numbers (the first is 1501 and 1502) because they divide

into two when entering the workshops. However, in normal service on line 1 (Schönau – Rheinau Stadion), they operate as one tram.

The new Škoda trams can carry 368 passengers (156 seated).

They have a top speed of 80km/h (50mph) and each takes 18 weeks to build. Škoda Group President Jan Christoph Harder said:“[This] is a result of close collaboration with RNV to create a vehicle that meets the complex demands

of both urban and regional transport.

“Its modular design, high capacity, and passenger-friendly features make it a key element in shaping the future of mobility in the Rhine-Neckar region.

With more than 20% of its components sourced from Germany, this project highlights strong European cooperation in sustainable public transport.”

Budapest’s 55.9m CAF Urbos vehicles were previously the world’s longest trams.

Philadelphia’s SEPTA to cut services?

Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is the latest US transport operator threatening to reduce services in order to reduce operating expenses. Chicago Transit Authority and Pittsburgh Regional Transit have already announced cuts (TAUT 1049).

SEPTA faces a USD213m (EUR187m) forecast deficit, leading to the publication of a ‘doomsday budget’. This

proposes a 45% reduction in service from 1 January.

The ‘doomsday budget’ also includes curtailing services after 21.00 and elimination of tram routes T1 (10) and G1 (15), plus the Ridge Avenue subway (B3). It would also end Cynwyd/ Chestnut Hill/Paoli/Thorndale/ Trenton/Wilmington regional rail services and 50 bus lines.

Funding problems are being exacerbated by a decline in

ridership, coupled with an increase in operating costs.

Federal government funding, as University of Virginia assistant professor of history Peter Norton told CNBC, is “largely limited to the capital costs... building the infrastructure or buying the vehicles” rather than covering operating expenditure.

Public hearings for SEPTA’s ‘doomsday budget’ are scheduled for 19-20 May.

Sofia to rebuild Tatra trams Czech firm TramForEnvi s.r.o. has won the contract to rebuild Tatra trams for the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. The company was founded in 2015 to repair passenger transport vehicles, but has not yet built any new trams.

Sofia’s tramway is unusual in that it has two gauges.

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TramForEnvi’s contract therefore involves rebuilding a total of 40 Tatra trams, from a pool of 35 1009mm-gauge T6A2s (built in 1990) and 36 1435mm-gauge T6B5s (built in 1989). The work is to involve constructing new low-floor centre sections and installing electronic controls.

ABOVE: Narrow- and standard-gauge Tatra trams in Sofia. Trinmo.org

Tramwaje Śląskie reinstates line 19 Reconstruction of Polish network continues. By Mike Russell

Special report

P

rogress in re-opening the main line tramway along Katowicka in Chorzów has allowed the full reinstatement of line 19 from Katowice’s plac Wolności to Bytom (Stroszek depot). It has also allowed reopening of lines 6 and 11, despite the fact that planned new passenger facilities have yet to be completed.

Coupled with the new layout at Chebzie interchange, this work completes the current track programme in the western part of the Polish network and has allowed the partial introduction of lowfloor rolling stock on line 9, as well as acceleration of running times on former single-track sections.

However, a different situation prevails in the east.

Line 14 (Brynów - Mysłowice) remains severed and is likely to remain so for a further two years. To compensate, a local service from the railway station to Obrzeżma Pólnocna (covering the Mysłowice urban section), has been introduced as line 34. The section between the station and Szpital is now double-track for the first time.

A minibus replacement service covers the section beyond Obrzeżna Pólnocna and Szopienice Pętla. Tram track over this semi-rural section has been partly relaid but cannot yet be completed because work is due to start

ABOVE: Trams are back in Mysłowice for the first time since 2021 following extensive track works, and provide a local shuttle service (as line 34) within the urban area. M. J. Russell

shortly on replacing a railway bridge between Katowice and Mysłowice. This does not actually span the tramway but is deemed to present a safety hazard in view of its proximity.

The present single-track tramway bridge at Szopienice Dwór, which dates from 1900, is to be demolished and trams will be unable to access Szopienice turning-loop. Temporary arrangements are likely to affect operations on truncated line 14, plus lines 20 and 25. The work may also impinge on line 15.

On the coalfield tramway, engineering work on the street beneath the new railway bridge spanning Stefana Żeromskiego has cut the tramway link

Hong Kong to build MTR Northern Link Hong Kong’s Chief Executive in Council has approved a 10.7km (6.6-mile) extension to the Mass Transit Railway. The new Northern Link Main Line will connect Kam Sheung Road station on the Tuen Ma Line to Kwu Tung on the East Rail Line.

A first phase concentrates on building a new interchange facility at Kwu Tung, due to be completed in 2027. Phase two is construction of the new railway, with three new stations.

When first suggested in 2014-15, the budget was HKD62

billion (EUR7bn). Completion is expected in 2034.

The new main line “will become the main transportation backbone of the Northern Metropolis, unleashing the development potential of land along the railway”, the territory’s government said in April.

Environmental campaigners have been concerned that the new railway could affect wetlands in the region. However, the statement added that MTR Corporation would mitigate the environmental impacts of works.

between Sosnowiec and B ędzin.

As a result, B ędzin depot is now isolated.

Route 21 runs from Tworzeń, Huta Katowice to Pogoń, Mariacke. In the absence of a crossover, cars continue empty to newly-installed Kletterweiche points northwest of the Stefana Żeromskiego engineering work.

Route 27 is curtailed to B ędzin depot – Cmentarz Komunalny. The eastern section of the route to Kazimierz now terminates at Sosnowiec railway station, as does line 24 to/from ul Okrzei.

Modernising the viaduct at Szopienice means that line 11 will now run to Zawodzie Transfer Centre in Katowice

instead of Plac Miarki, while lines 25 and 47 are suspended (with bus replacement).

In Zabrze, emergency track work on line 3 immediately south of the passing-loop at Guido Park necessitated substitution of double-ended stock on 13 April. The exFrankfurt double-ended Pt8 cars, all taken out of service before Christmas, were resurrected for use on line 3’s shuttle service on that day.

Meanwhile, just three 105Na cars have not yet been fitted with LED destination displays.

Cars 321 and coupled pair 353+354 retain the old black on white displays. All three are based at Stroszek depot.

Metrolink for Middleton?

Council leaders in the Manchester suburb of Middleton (UK) hope that a change in structure will enable it to be connected to the Metrolink system. Such a connection had formed part of a masterplan for Middleton that was unveiled in 2022. However, Rochdale Borough Council, as reported

by Manchester Evening News, “struggled to unlock the land to deliver” on planned housing developments and rejuvenation of the town centre.

Rochdale Borough Council now plans to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation,

which would enable it to tap into Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) funding.

Plans for Middleton would include a new cinema, regeneration of the high street as well as the link to Metrolink’s Bury line. Next steps include submitting an MDC report to the GMCA. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has already spoken of plans to extend Metrolink to suburbs such as Middleton (TAUT 1040), as well as the proposed Atom Valley industrial development to the north of the city.

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china:

going the full distance

Hans-Ulrich Riedel provides an overview of the startling statistics associated with urban transit development in China’s principal cities. This is part one.

C

hina, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, wants to triple its fixed urban rail systems to an eye-watering 34 000km (21 000 miles) across 45 existing systems, all to meet the demands of growing populations in its vast industrialised cities.

This expansion is from 10 800 route km (6710 miles) in January 2025, although no-one is entirely sure of the exact figure.

China’s public transport development is impressive because of its speed, almost 919km (571 miles) in 2024 alone. Another 3416km (2122 miles) is due to open in 2028-30.

A key influencer is rapid rate of growth of city density over the last 35 years in high rise towers and satellite towns, and it can be difficult to obtain accurate population figures. There is a significant difference between registered and actual population living in certain places, as demonstrated in Suzhou in 2021, when 17.4 million registered for COVID tests in three days when the official population figure of the administrative area was only 12.7 million.

Chinese cities are graded into four-tiers, subject to gross domestic product (GDP), politics, and number of people. Tier 1 covers the largest cities of 15 million plus, tier 2: 3-15 million, and tier 3 below that. To secure rail transit investment, three targets need to be

ABOVE: Beijing is currently working towards growing its network to over 1000km thanks to a massive extension programme. Pictured is SFX01 stock on the Batong Line at Communication University of China Station.

All images by Howard Pulling.

reached: over three million residents, a GDP of CNY1000 billion (GBP103bn), and a local fiscal revenue of CNY100 billion (GBP10bn).

Development clusters

There are three large development clusters: Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing, Tianjin and Binhai), the Yangtze River Delta (west of Shanghai up to Nanjing), and Pearl River Delta (PRD – Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao).

Some metro schemes including Shenyang and Zhengzhou were begun under the guise of ‘civil air defence projects’ (underground routes which could be converted to safety shelters during a war).

Cities such as Beijing and Tianjing had metro systems built before the 1990s, while those in cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou didn’t begin until the ‘90s. Nanjing and Quingdao followed with their own metro studies, but government restrictions were imposed on new projects in 1995 due to the volume of foreign investment.

While they were lifted in 1999, foreign contribution was limited to 30%. Beijing had been chosen for the 2008 Olympic Games and Shanghai for EXPO 2010, so they were fast-tracked.

The scale of metro construction in China is unchallenged, and of the top ten largest networks in the world, nine are Chinese, with a total operating length of over 500km (300 miles) each. Twelve cities want networks of over 1000km (600 miles) – so making it possible to connect nearby cities with each other: for example Guangzhou with Foshan, Shanghai with Suzhou, and Hangzhou with Shaoxing. Inter-city express lines are being planned or are under construction – the

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first being in the Pearl River Delta – to create faster connections between suburban towns.

Many were to be elevated, but are now going underground.

While many of the larger cities will close in on their long-range plans, several smaller cities are lagging on their plans from six or seven years ago due to restrictions on project approval and economic concerns – the economy is not growing as quickly as before COVID.

A question of definitions

The definition of the word ‘metro’ is difficult.

Several lines run out from urban centres to serve suburbs, which are continually under development as cities grow. They are often termed suburban or ‘S’ lines, or receive their own names; inner-city lines are numbered.

This is why in China, the term ‘urban rail projects’ cover all types of rail: light rail, people movers, Maglev and suburban routes (both ordinary metros and metro express routes). More recently, inter-city railways serve larger urban areas, such as the Guangfo Ring. Then there are secondary high-speed networks such as in Guangshanshan.

Urban rail development is regularly subject to five-year planning phases. All projects must be put to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for approval, and there are also long-term regional rules to observe. In September 2019, the Outline for Building a Powerful Transportation Country was issued, proposing to strengthen China’s public transport network by 2035 and create a National 123 Travel Traffic Circle to deliver travel anywhere in an urban area within one hour, two hours for urban agglomerations, and three for major cities nationwide.

China High speed routes require large new stations often on green land outside city centres, and connecting metro lines.

Similarly, new express links are required to handle a growing number of passengers from airports built far outside city zones to allow for expansion potential. Urban development around these new locations is significant, requiring more connections via large metro networks that are a combination of urban and regional lines.

Beijing

The capital of China can be classed as a somewhat special situation. The first metro section opened in 1969, but not for regular public service until 1971. Extensions took it into the centre, and a circle line was added in 1984 around the historic centre, using the southern part of line 1.

Further extensions took place during the 1990s, and a wider programme begun in time for the 2008 Olympics took the network to 170km (106 miles), with six lines including part of the second loop line.

In 2009, long-term planning looked to increase the network to over 1000km (600 miles), and a massive extension programme is ongoing. The current system is 785.3km (478 miles) with 23 lines, not including LRT or the two airport express routes; 263km (163 miles) of route is under construction, which will bring the system total to 958km (595 miles) across 27 lines, by 2028.

Transport demand is extremely high, and the morning rush-hour can force the closure of overcrowded stations. To try and solve this, new lines were closely built, such as 7 and 14, and 8, 9 and 16. Some were unable to cross the centre of the city due to construction problems, so are termed north/south, east/ west, and A/B. In the north, line 13 will be separated as lines A and B this year. A new section will be added to each, with a total new length of 29km (18 miles).

A long-term plan for 2020-35 calls for a total network size of around 2673km (1661 miles), which includes suburban railway lines and an express service to new zones (about 1095km/680 miles). Urban rail routes – which include metro, underground railway, express, medium- and low-volume transport lines, plus dedicated airport links will total around 1578km (981 miles).

ABOVE: Five new lines are being built in Tianjin.

Line 9’s TEDA station in the Binhai District runs with DK27 vehicles from CNR Changchun Railway.

considered to be part of the Tianjin metro.

Under construction are five new lines covering 189.7km (117.9 miles). They include a second regional route connecting the two cities, and two independent lines with 83km (52 miles) serving Binhai. Some 146.5km (91 miles), including two regional lines, could open by the end of this year. Long-range proposals call for a total of 1380km (857 miles) with 28 lines.

Shandong state

The state is located south-east of Beijing beside Bohai Bay on the Yellow Sea. Both economic and harbour areas are growing fast, so five cities along the bay (Zibo, Yantai, Weifang, Linyi and Jining) announced plans for urban rail systems in 2017. Three were in the pipeline to be started by 2020, but COVID and other factors have put them on hold.

Yantai’s plans are under review.

Shanghai and Yangtze River Delta: Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Nantong

Shanghai started construction of its metro in 1990, and opened the first 6.6km (4.1 miles) in May 1993 after three and a half years of building. Continuing extensions have grown this to 803.3km (499.1 miles) across 19 lines, not including the Maglev line to Pudong Airport (an extension to Hongqiao Airport has been shelved due to objections to its elevated alignment).

Some lines are of a regional character, but many also run across shorter distances in central zones. Recent lines opened to the

south and west of the city follow patterns of urban development. Space within the city boundary is constricted, so building has also jumped north across the Yangtze river to connect Chongming Island.

Around 236km (147 miles) is currently under construction, including five new lines, bringing the total length to 1000km (600 miles) by 2028. Phase four could add various extensions by 2030, but phase three has to be completed first, requiring some revisions.

This includes a second outer loop – line 26, a ‘Super Circle’, with 71km (44 miles) and a 7.2km (4.5-mile) branch..

Looking further ahead, there are calls for a network of 1154km (717 miles). This includes some express-style lines to cover long distances in shorter times, stopping at fewer stations.

Cities to the west of Shanghai – Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou – each have their own metros, connected via suburban lines. To meet increased demand, a completely new system of inter-city lines is in development, and the first, the Airport Link Line – opened on 27 December 2024. It connects via 59km (37 miles) and nine stations to two airports (Pudong in the east, and Hongqiao to the west of Shanghai). This runs mostly underground, terminating in the new East Shanghai station west of Pudong Airport. Journey times between the two airports (line 2) have been slashed from 90 minutes to under 40.

A short airport extension and another four lines are in hand, totalling 236km (147 miles). One line (35km/22 miles) is due to open this year, with the other three due in consecutive years between 2027-29. A new high-speed line crossing the bay to Ningbo is under construction, and will include a railway bridge.

To the west of Shanghai, Suzhou opened its first 25.7km (16-mile) metro line in 2012, followed by a 26.6km (16.5-mile) line 2 in 2013. Three new lines opened last year, growing the network to 346.7km (215.4 miles). Several extensions and a new regional line – 94.3km (58.6 miles) alone – are under construction, totalling 118km (73.3 miles).

Line 11 (formerly S1), running eastward, opened on 24 June 2023, offering an interchange with Shanghai Metro’s line 11

Tianjin

Once the third-largest city in China, Tianjin opened a 5.2km (3.2-mile) metro in 1980, which was built in a former channel bed. A 1984 extension added 2.8km (1.74 miles), and more followed in the 1990s. The first line closed in 2001, re-opening in 2006 as an extended line of 26.2km (16.3 miles). Lines 2 and 3 began business in 2012, and a wide expansion programme was announced to increase the network to over 400km (250 miles). Progress has been slow, but four new lines have opened since 2022, bringing the network up to 316km (196 miles).

Between Tianjin and the harbour city of Binhai (30km/20 miles) away) is the Binhai line. It opened in 2004, and now has a total line route of 52.8km (32.8 miles), with the characteristics of a regional line. Its original ten stations have been increased to 19, with more to come, and the line is officially

ABOVE: Line 13 in Beijing will be separated this year into A and B lines. Dazhongsi Station on line 13 is pictured, with DK25 rolling stock.

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at Huaqiao. There is also through service between lines 3 and 11 of Suzhou Rail Transit.

Aside from Guangzhou – Foshan, this is the first Chinese metro connection between two large million-plus population cities.

Wuxi opened its first 29.5km (18.3-mile) line in July 2014, followed by a second 26.3km (16.3 miles) in December. The current network comprises five lines totalling 145.2km (90.2 miles), including a 30.4km (18.9-mile) suburban line to the north. Two new lines and an extension will add a further 63.6km (39.5 miles) by 2028.

Changzhou and Nantong have their own independent metro systems, integrating into the inter-city network.

Zheyjang Province metros: Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Jinhua

In 2012 Hangzhou opened its first 37.3km (23.2-mile) line after just five years of construction, and has one of the most expanded systems. The distance reached 515.8km (320.5 miles) across 12 lines with the opening of its most recent extension in January. Two lines are under construction, with 74.3km (46.2 miles) of suburban route.

A five-year plan was agreed in November 2023, covering a further 152.9km (95 miles) and bringing the total network to 669km (416 miles). However, apart from two lines, there is nothing under construction as yet, so the overall goal seems unlikely to be achieved.

Shaoxing city, directly southeast of Hangzhou, opened its first metro line (20.3km – 12.6 miles) in 2021, and is directly connected with line 5 of Hangzhou’s metro.

Extensions took the network to 61.9km (38.5 miles), on two lines. There is also an 80km (50-mile) intercity railway connecting Hangzhou via Shaoxing to Ningbo, opened in April 2018. Although it currently only has five stations, more could follow.

Taizhou gained its first 52.4km (32.6-mile) regional line in 2022, and a second 66.6km (41.4-mile) line with 20 stations was expected to open in May. It was due to have 215km (134 miles) in service by 2025, and long-range plans call for a network of 584km (363 miles).

Jinhua opened its first two suburban lines in 2022 (107.2km/66.6 miles). Three more are in the planning stage, with ambitions for a 319.5km (198.5-mile) network.

ABOVE: Wainhuanlu Station along Shanghai’s Metro Line 1 is pictured – from the first metro opened in 1990, the city has grown its network to 803km.

Ningbo

This harbour city to the south of Shanghai, beside Hangzhou Bay, is fast-growing. A new motorway bridge connects its Cixi district, an expanding industrial area. The first 20.9km (13-mile) metro route opened in 2014, followed by a 28.4km (17.6-mile) line in 2015.

The system currently has six lines over 196.5km (122.1 miles). An additional 235km (146 miles) are under construction that will include five new lines (125km/78 miles), of which two are suburban routes.

While some sections of lines 3 and 5 have been built, they have not yet opened, pending a decision on relocating the airport.

The long-term planned network is for 16 lines, including central urban rail transit lines 1 to 9 with 525.2km (326.4 miles), urban rail transit (including urban/suburban railway) lines 10 to 12 (494.2km/307.8 miles), and Yuci urban rail transit lines N1 to N4 (143.1km – 88.9 miles). The size of the entire network is 1162.5km (722.3 miles) – including the long distances covered to satellite areas such as Cixi and Beilun districts.

Wenzhou

A city of 5.9 million residents, Wenzhou is a well-known shoe manufacturing centre, with two metro lines totalling 116km (72.1 miles); 38 stations opened in 2019 and 2023.

In 2012, the NDRC approved the first phase of the third line covering 33km (21 miles), and construction started in March 2023.

It will open in 2027 as line S2.

Plans drawn up in 2019 to build two metro lines are not yet approved by NDRC, and

further extensions to achieve 381km (237 miles) with six lines are also under review.

Line S4 has been cancelled.

Nanjing

The capital of Yiangsu province has extended far beyond its original boundaries, jumping over the Yangtze river to the left bank.

Metro construction started in 2000, and the first 21.9km (13.6-mile) line opened in 2005, followed by a 25.3km (15.7-mile) second line in 2009.

Then began a big leap forward to match the development of the city’s surrounding areas and growing satellite towns. Regional lines became necessary, and one of the first built serves the airport in the south, opened in 2014 covering 35km (21.7 miles).

The total network length measures 530.4km (329.6 miles), comprising seven urban and seven regional lines suffixed with an ‘S’, serving the airport and outlying zones. ‘S’ lines total 291km (181 miles), and have 85 stops. New high-speed stations built outside the inner city are connected by metros.

At the start of 2025, no fewer than 11 projects of new lines or extensions totalling 260 km (162 miles) were under construction.

The opening of a further two extensions and the new line 6 (49km/30 miles) is delayed.

Scheduled for opening this year are 115.6km (71.8 miles), including two regional S-lines. Another two lines will be ready in 2026, adding another 84.6km (52.6 miles).

The recently-published development plan lists 27 lines over 1030km (640 miles) by 2035.

Hefei

ABOVE: Metro construction started in Nanjing in 2000, and as of 2025, no fewer than 11 projects are underway, with 116km set to open by the close of the year. Alstom-Nanjing Metropolis cars work Metro line 1, here at Hongshan Zoo station.

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Hefei is a very fast-growing city, from 714 000 in 1990, to over five million in 2020.

This is also reflected in the speed of its metro development – the first section opened in 2016 (24.5km/15.2 miles), and by December 2024, the network covered 238.8km (148.4 miles) across six lines.

Currently under construction are a further 103.7km (64.4 miles) comprising three new lines, of which two could open this year.

Phase four is three extensions to existing lines, plus two new lines totalling 115.6km (71.8 miles).

Long-range plans are enormous – 15 conventional metro lines of 578.9km (359.7 miles), and six regional lines (266.5km/ 165.6 miles), a total 845.4km (525.3 miles).

Two light rail lines are also proposed.

China Wuhan

This city’s first metro opened in 2004 as an elevated LRT line on a former railway alignment. After that, in sync with the pace of urban growth, a massive metro construction programme began. The network is currently 516.2km (320.8 miles) across 12 lines.

On the right side of the river, there are new high-speed railway stations, and several metro lines. Four underground river crossings are being built, two to share traffic with motor vehicles. The number of road bridges over the Yangtze river here has been increased from one to 11, including orbital motorways. There are also two new LRT lines serving regional centres. One Maglev line in the south eastern suburb is currently out of service.

From the 126.2km (78.4 miles) of new lines currently under construction, 58.9km (36.6 miles) including one new line, will open next year. Long-term development calls for 32 lines with 1566km (973 miles) of combined metro and LRT lines.

Chongqing

The city is located at the convergence of two rivers, the Jangtse and Jialing. The downtown lies on a headland between several hilly ranges that run in a north-south alignment, limiting the spread of urban development.

Floods are an annual threat in the lower regions, which explains why the first line was built as a monorail, running along the northern edge of the city, with two short underground sections in the central and western areas. It opened in 2004.

Line 3 is also a monorail, but covers more underground sections in a general northsouth direction. It is described as the world’s longest and busiest monorail line, with a daily ridership of over 675 000. In view of the topography, all 15 river crossings were built on shared traffic bridges with transit lines on the lower deck.

The network currently comprises 514.4km (319.6 miles) with 11 lines (two monorails).

A 50.5km (31.4-mile) loop line is included.

At the southern end of line 5, the Jiangtiao (suburban) line runs to Shengquansi for 28km (17.4 miles), with seven stations.

The most recent addition on 2 January 2025 was the Bitong line, a 37.5km (23.3-mile) suburban route from Bishan station on line 1 to the western suburbs.

From the same location, the Chongqing Yunba line runs for 15.4km (9.6 miles) south to Bishan Chengyu railway station. This is an elevated driverless people mover using BYD Skyshuttle technology, with short rubbertyred vehicles running on metal beams.

It opened in April 2021.

Under construction are a further 285.6km (177.5 miles), making up four new routes, including two express lines due to open in stages by 2027. This brings the 20-line network to 837.5km (520.4 miles).

In January 2025, Chongqing Rail Transit was planning a total of 32 rail transit lines adding up to 1812km (1126 miles). These include lines 1-23 in the central area, and eight around it: over 500km (300 miles).

miles) across 12 lines by 2020. By the end of 2024, there were 629.6km (391.2 miles) and 15 lines (with two express lines, 18 and 19).

Line 18 is a combination of an express route, with seven stations in Chengdu city, extending beyond the city’s confines to reach the airport. Its full length is 70km (43.5 miles).

Line 19 is a tangential express route in the western area, while line S3 runs far outside Chengdu to Ziyang, a fast-growing economic zone; it is 38.7km (24 miles), with six stations.

Ten projects in the 2024-29 programme will deliver another 200km (125 miles) of route across five lines with 139 stations, 192km (119 miles) underground.

There are also 16 radial and two ring railways, with initial work on the Chengdu Outer Ring Railway to be completed this year.

Chengdu will form the central hub of the four-network integration of trunk, inter-city and urban railways, and urban rail transit.

The near long-term plan is for 36 routes: 21 general, eight express, and seven urban lines, totalling 1666km (1035 miles). Further ahead are 55 lines, (27 general, nine express, and 19 municipal, a total of 2382km (1480 miles).

Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou city is one of the early ‘civil air defence projects’ of the early 1970s, and underground stations later became parking and shopping zones.

Xian

The city opened its first 20.1km (12.5-mile) metro line in 2011, followed two years later by a second 25.4km (15.8-mile) line.

Extensions in 2024 brought the network to 402.6km (250.2 miles), over 11 lines. Not included is the Xihu line to the south-west, with just two stations across its 26.3km/ 16.3- mile route, operated by China Rail.

Under construction are two new lines and an extension (92.5km, 57.5 miles), including a suburban line to the north east 69.3km (43.1 miles) and eight stations. Phase four, pending approval, will add 150-180km (90-110 miles).

Harbin

Metro Monorail Changchun

• Ürumqi is in north-west China, beyond the bounds of this map.

Shenyang Hohhot Beijing Dalian

Tianjin Shijiazhuang Taiyuan Jinan

Qingdao

Lanzhou

Xi’an

Zhengzhou

Luoyang

Xuzhou

Nanjing Chengdu

Wuhan Chongqing Changsha

Wuhu

Changzhou Nantong Suzhou Wuxi

Hangzhou Shaoxing Jinhua

Nanchang Guiyang

Shanghai Ningbo Taizhou Wenzhou

Fuzhou

Kunming

Xiamen Guangzhou

Chengdu Metro

This is China’s fastest-growing metro network. The first 18.5km (11.5-mile) line opened in 2010, and grew to 516.9km (321.2

Zhengzhou has one of China’s fastestgrowing metro systems, together with Chengdu and Hangzhou. The first 26.2km (16.3-mile) line opened in 2013, and by the end of 2024, with completion of the third stage, the system totalled 13 lines over 4494km (2792 miles). There are two suburban routes; the Chengjiao Line (40.7km/25 miles) has 18 stations running south from the terminus of line 2 to interchange to the airport, while the Zhengxu line (67.1.km/ 41.7 miles and 26 stations) intersects with the Chengjiao line.

There is currently nothing being built, although the city would like 13 new metro lines of 505km (314 miles), and eight urban express routes (466km/290 miles) – creating a 971km (603-mile) system.

Nanning

Foshan Macau

Dongguan Shenzhen Hong Kong

Taipei Taichung Kaohsiung

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China Harbin

The civil air defence tunnel built over six years from 1973 now forms part of the metro – 5.4km (3.4 miles) of this was extended by 10km (six miles) with five stations. The basic network opened in 2013 as subway line 1, covering 17.5km (10.9 miles). There should have been five lines, but only the first three were opened. Lines 4 and 5 were halted, and the revised phase two of 70.6km (43.9 miles) is not yet approved by the NDRC.

Changchun

The city has two tramways and three light rail lines, largely on separate rights of way. Since 2017, there have been three conventional heavy metro lines, the last of which opened last year. The total length of LRT and metro is now 143.7km (89.3 miles).

There is currently an extra 81.4km (50.6 miles) under construction, of which one extension and two new metro lines (61.8km/38.4 miles) will open this year.

Shenyang

Shenyang has a long history, having started planning its first metro line back in 1965.

After several interruptions, just 3km (two miles) were built by 1982. The start of contruction of the current line 1 was in 2005.

Trial operations began in September 2009, and the first 27.9km (17.3-mile) line opened for regular service 12 months later.

Ambitious expansion plans have not materialised. With the opening of line 3 last year, the system reached a total length of 187.5km (116.5 miles). Another 93.9km (58.3 miles) of extension and the new line 6 are set to open by 2030.

Dalian

The city lies at a headland on the north side of the bay between Tianjin and North Korea, and is an important harbour. The hilly topography means that urban development sprawls over a wide area. Apart from the two tramway lines, the first suburban line 3 opened in 2003, running north-east for 49.2km (30.6 miles) with 12 stations. In 2008, a 14.3km (8.9-mile) branch was added; 2015 brought another two metro lines (35km/22 miles). Since then, the system has grown to 236km (146 miles) across six lines, of which three are suburban (148km/92 miles).

The three metro lines in the centre (1, 2 and 5) will see a fourth line added in 2026.

Line 5 includes an underwater tunnel in the harbour area.

A northern extension of line 1 to the new off-shore airport (under construction) is an important development. There are long-term plans for up to 22 lines totalling 886km (551 miles), but it is more realistic to expect just 14 before 2035, a total of 585.4km (363.7 miles), including four urban (suburban) lines covering 208km (129 miles); four urban express routes (143.5km/89.2 miles); and six urban general lines (233.9km/145.3 miles).

Jinan

The capital of the Shandong state has a population of around 9.3 million, almost double that in 1990. It was not included in the NDRC approvals list in 2009.

Metro construction began in 2015, but the first line opened four years later in 2019,

ABOVE: On Xiamen’s line 1, CRRC Tangshan stock stops at Gaoqi. The city’s goal was originally to achieve a 224km rail transit network by 2022, but this has been delayed.

with two lines added by 2021. The network currently adds up to 96.2km (59.8 miles).

The 2020 second phase covers five new lines and extensions totalling 159.6km (99.2 miles). It was due to open in 2025, but delays have meant a revised date of 2027. Longerterm plans call for a system of 11 lines with 604km (375 miles) by 2035.

Wuhu Monorail Transit

This fast-growing town south of Nanjing sits mostly on the right-hand side of the Yangtze river, with large developments encircling it.

Its population is around 2.5 million.

Two monorails of 46.2km (28.7 miles) opened in 2021. Another three lines are planned, plus four regional lines of 145km (90 miles). Line S3 from Nanjing will also be connected. The two current river crossings have separate levels for rail and motorway.

Hohhot

Hohhot was the 39th city to open a metro line in 2019, after 45 months of construction. The second line followed a year later, bringing the network to 49.8km (30.9 miles).

The six-year urban rail transit construction plan announced in 2017 included lines 3 and 4 and an extension to line 1 totalling 42.3km (26.3 miles), but in view of the city’s debts, the NDRC suspended approval in August 2017.

Xiamen

The city formerly-named Amoy lies opposite Taiwan, and is one of the first Special Economic Zones. Expansion beyond the city reaches to the west of Zhangzhou (population 2.1 million) and to the north up to Quanzhou (five million). Both have urban rail projects.

A 2006 light rail project was rejected in favour of bus routes built on viaduct that could later be changed to rail. Three lines opened in 2008, covering 93.4km (58 miles).

The elevated structures running along streets at Xiamen Island include separate lanes across a new bridge to the west of the mainland. Road-to-rail conversion was dropped in favour of new metro lines.

The first phase of the urban rail plan was approved in December 2010, covering three lines over 75km (47 miles). Phase two, agreed in 2016 to add 152.2km (94.6 miles) is

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ongoing but behind schedule. It covers four projects including extensions to the first line, and new lines 4 and 6.

The goal is to achieve a rail transit network with five lines and a total length of 224km (139 miles) by 2022, but work is four years late. The plan up to 2035 covers 12 routes over 493km (306 miles). Among them are seven general lines (297km/185 miles) and four express lines (186km/116 miles). An intercity express line (52.5km/32.6 miles) has also been approved, and a large new airport is under construction to the north-east of Xiamen Island.

Kunming

Home to 5.9 million people, Kunming opened its first 18.2km (11.3-mile) line in 2012 – the airport express – followed the next year by metro line 1 (22.1km/13.7 miles). Line 2 (12.4km/7.7 miles) came in 2014 and there are now six, totalling 166.8km (103.6 miles).

Construction of two new lines and two extensions officially started in 2015-17 – one suburban route is 59.1km (36.7 miles) on its own, although the total route length will be 131.4km (81.6 miles). However, due to city debts, progress is unclear and no opening date has been provided.

Guiyang

The first metro line opened in 2017. In December 2023, the basic network of three lines comprising 118.6 km (73.7 miles) was in service. S1 was added, taking the system to 149km (92.6 miles) last December.

Construction is due to start on the second suburban line S2 (32.5km/20.2 miles). Phase one of tram line T2, expected to open this year, will be 11km (6.8 miles), with 13 stops.

Urumqi

The capital of the autonomous region in the northwest is home to around four million people, and opened its first metro line in 2018. Several more are part of a large expansion programme, and while line 2 was started in 2015, it may not open until next year, or later. Lines 3 and 4 were begun in 2016-17, but there has been little progress.

The cities of the Pearl River Delta will be covered in part two.

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New projects for New York Andrew Grahl provides an update on current projects that aim to keep New York’s subway and light rail transit in a state fit for the city’s busy population.

T

he New York City metropolitan area has 20 million residents spanning parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

With so many people, there is a great need for efficient and affordable public transit.While there are many modes of transit used within the Metropolitan area, none are more important than the subway.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public corporation in New York State that is responsible for public transportation in the New York metropolitan area. The MTA’s New York City Transit (NYCT) operates the subway system, which carried more than two billion riders in 2024.

To keep the trains moving, the infrastructure must be in a good state of repair. Let’s take a look at some of the projects currently underway.

Rockaway resiliency

Rockaway is a peninsula on Long Island, part of the southernmost edge of the Borough of Queens in New York City. For nearly 10 000 daily riders, there is a heavy dependence on New York City Transit’s A subway line to access the rest of Queens and Manhattan.

The line operates between207 Street in Manhattan and Far Rockaway, Queens, spanning 59 stations over a one-way total of 52.12km (32.39 miles). This is the longest subway route in North America.

Being surrounded by water, Rockaway has always been susceptible to storms.

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy destroyed or damaged more than 1000 homes on the peninsula.NYCT suffered major damage along the A train right-of-way across Jamaica Bay, the route used to link Rockaway with the rest of Queens and Manhattan. Sandy’s storm surge and severe flooding significantly damaged much of the infrastructure, requiring emergency repairs to get service back in only seven months.

With a price tag of USD393m (EUR345.2m), resiliency work that started in 2013 and evolved through several phases is soon to be complete. Beginning in January and lasting until early May, a total shutdown of the A train and Rockaway Park Shuttle has provided an opportunity for a full replacement of the Hammels Wye Viaduct, returning the South Channel Bridge across Jamaica Bay to a good state of repair, a new signal tower at Beach 105 Street, and several additional

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replacement and resiliency measures along the Rockaway Line.

New subway cars

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially purchased 535 new-technology subway cars for New York City Transit and the Staten Island Railway. Built by Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing, the R211A has been in service for NYCT since March 2023. In 2024, two R211T open gangway test trains entered service on the C line in February.

Staten Island began operating its R211S cars in October.

The R211S cars will replace the aging R44 1970s-built cars on Staten Island, while the R211A cars will replace many R46 cars in the New York City Transit system, built in the mid to late 1970s.

The R211T order consists of 20 cars, or two trains, to test the open gangway concept in New York City. They were recently moved from the C to the G line.

Wheel wear

Excessive wheel wear on NYCT’s R160 fleet, built starting in 2006 by both Alstom and Kawasaki, required the shuffling of

New York

All images courtesy of Andrew Grahl unless stated otherwise.

ABOVE: An order for 535 new subway cars was placed with Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing – the R211A, pictured here at Howard Beach, has been in service since 2023.

ABOVE RIGHT: The oldest cars – the R46 – will mostly be replaced by new R211 vehicles, for which an order for 20 cars has been placed. Both old and new models are pictured on the G line.

RIGHT: A total shutdown of the A train and Rockaway Park Shuttle has provided an opportunity for a full replacement of the Hammels Wye Viaduct, part of a multi-phased plan to increase resiliency on the line which is susceptible to storms.

BELOW: The Newark Light Rail line is the only surviving trolley line in New York – now run by modern Kinki-Sharyo cars, which had centre sections added in the mid-2010s to increase capacity.

ABOVE: Hammels Wye in Rockaway is pictured – the line has been undergoing resiliency work since 2013, although it is soon to be complete.

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New York equipment to continue service during ongoing repairs. Some of the older R46 and R68 cars returned to the G line while the cause of the problem is being investigated.

During this period, two R211T test trains were moved to the G line.

Interborough Express

The Interborough Express (IBX) is a proposed 23km (14-mile), 19-station light rail line that connects Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and Jackson Heights, Queens, along an existing freight railroad right-of-way on dedicated passenger tracks. The IBX, designed to bring rail to underserved communities with nearly one million people living within walking distance, is now being discussed with the public at open houses.

Connecting Brooklyn and Queens, the IBX would provide transfers to 17 subway lines, 51 bus routes and the MTA’s Long Island Rail Road. The line will substantially cut travel times between the two boroughs and reduce traffic congestion. The projected daily weekday ridership is 115 000.

The idea of restoring passenger service, discontinued in 1924, resurfaced in the 1990s. Several studies in the early 2020s led to New York Governor Hochul starting the environmental review process in 2022. The next year, light rail was selected as the mode of operation, with the MTA saying it offers the best service for riders at the best value.

Virtual Town Hall and Open House meetings began in August 2023, and shifted to in-person meetings in November 2023. At that time, an estimated price tag of USD5.5bn (EUR4.8bn) was announced. With a planned completion date of 2027, the line would be partially funded by congestion pricing.

In 2024, half of the initial estimated cost was added to the MTA’s Capital Plan.

The MTA received USD67m (EUR58.8m) to start preliminary work, USD52m (EUR45.7m) from New York State and USD12m (EUR10.5m) from the U.S. Department of Transportation. In October 2024, a request for the environmental study and design of the IBX was launched, with an expectation of two years for completion.

Construction is planned in two phases.

Preparing the lightly used freight right-ofway for light rail passenger service and then constructing stations and the passenger infrastructure.

ABOVE: The R44 is the oldest train type on the network, pictured here on Staten Island.

BELOW: The R211S trains, pictured, will replace ageing R44 cars on Staten Island.

“The IBX, designed to bring rail to underserved communities, is now being discussed.”

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: An open gangway concept was recently tested on the subway – 2024 saw two R211T cars trial on the C line, although they were recently moved to the G line.

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Congestion pricing

Taking a page from large cities in Europe, the MTA implemented congestion pricing (or the Central Business District Tolling Program) on 5 January 2025. Cars travelling south of 60th Street in Manhattan, excluding over some highways in the area, are subject to tolls in the congestion relief zone.

Motorists who still travel below 60th Street in Manhattan are charged USD9 (EUR7.90) per day or USD2.25 (EUR2) overnight.

There are different fare structures for motorcycles, small and large trucks and taxis.

These tolls are paid via EZ Pass, an electronic toll collection system that registers with a transponder in your vehicle. Tolls paid by mail are slightly higher. The toll structure will rise incrementally in 2028 and 2013 to a new high of USD15 (EUR13.18).

The programme estimates an 80 000 reduction in vehicle trips per day. According to the MTA, 700 000 vehicles each weekday travel into the Manhattan Central Business District (CBD). Speeds there were just 11km/h (7mph) in the CBD and a very slow 8km/h (5mph) in midtown Manhattan before congestion pricing.

Revenue from the programme goes to make improvements to the MTA. Eighty percent of the funds will be given to the buses and subways, with 10% each to Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road. The revenue will fund projects like modernising signals, extending the Second Avenue Subway and accessibility improvements.

While the primary goal of the toll is to reduce traffic, congestion and air pollution, quality of life improvements for New Yorkers come in the form of transportation improvements.

Shortly after implementation, President Trump revoked federal approval that was

granted during the Biden administration.

The issue is currently in court.

New Jersey

Across the Hudson River, New Jersey residents are part of the metropolitan area commute into Manhattan. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey operates the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) subway into Manhattan. PATH is a 22.2km (13.8-mile) network, with 62.4 million riders in 2024, carrying riders from Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City.

PATH suffered the destruction of the World Trade Center station under the collapse of the Twin Towers during the 11 September 2001 attacks. During Hurricane Sandy, significant flooding damage occurred in Hoboken, Jersey City and the World Trade Center. Hoboken suffered more extensive damage with nearly 2.5m of flood water penetrating the tunnels.

Hoboken station recently received a major renovation, following a 25-day closure to address critical infrastructure repairs.

The USD54m (EUR47.4m) project included track and switch replacement, as well as platform replacement and station painting.

While many cities in the New York metropolitan area once had trolleys, the surviving line in the region is the Newark Light Rail, formerly the Newark City Subway.

Gone are the sleek PCC cars of the past; modern Kinki-Sharyo light rail cars operate along the 10km (6.2-mile) line. Ten of the cars had centre sections added in the mid-2010s to increase capacity.

Being one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world, everyone in the New York City metropolitan area relies on public transit in some way.

Keeping people moving means keeping public transit in a good state of repair.

ABOVE: A proposed 23km light rail line connecting Bay Ridge and Queens via Brooklyn and Jackson Heights, dubbed the IBX, aims to bring underserved communities within walking distance of rail travel.

Pictured is the station site at Jackson Heights.

ABOVE: An R211T train, introduced in 2024, runs on the subway G line.

ABOVE: A 1917 subway train runs on the opening day for a Yankees baseball game, pictured at Wall Street.

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New lines and new fleets in L Magdeburg

TOP: NGT 8D 1371 sports MVB’s traditional green and white livery and is from the third series of these single-ended cars dating from 2002. Here it has just departed from Zollbrücke stop, which serves the River Elbe island between the east and west bank.

Andrew Thompson uncovers how this German city has extensively upgraded both its infrastructure and fleet, ready to face an expanded future.

ABOVE: Running eastbound over the River Elbe on 30 December 2024, the NGT 8D 1312 is framed by St. Johannis Church. This car is part of the very first series of NGT 8D supplied in 1994-96 as the city’s first generation of low-floor cars. All images courtesy of Andrew Thompson unless stated otherwise.

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ocated 130km (80.8 miles) southwest of Berlin, Magdeburg sits on the River Elbe and functions as the regional capital of SachsenAnhalt. With a population of roughly 243 000, it’s the fourth-largest city in the former East Germany (German Democratic Republic). Magdeburg is an important logistics hub for multimodal trans-shipment and boasts a sizable inland port. It is part of the Marego transport association, which co-ordinates public transport across the region.

First opened in 1877 as a horse tramway and electrified in 1899, Magdeburg’s standard gauge light rail system remains the backbone of urban public transport and currently has a size of about 64km (39.8 miles), making it one of Germany’s mid-tier networks with nine daytime lines, two depots and a total of 133 stops. The northern depot, Betriebshof Nord, sited along line 10, is currently being modernised and extensively upgraded, after it sustained significant flood damage in 2013 and had to function for several years in suboptimal conditions. As part of these measures, terrain optimisation is being completed and flood defences put in place.

Once the custom-designed, EUR110m facility is complete – which is set for 2027 – it will also house the new central workshop and offer enough stabling space for 117 LRVs. The central tram workshops in Brückfeld (opened in 1899) will be moved to the rebuilt north depot. The former depot at Sundenburg at Ambrosiusplatz has housed the tramway museum since 1991. Cars T4D 1001 & 1120 with B4D joined the museum in 2002, along with the set of T6A2 and B6A2 (1280+2144) in January 2025, which were still in scheduled use until spring 2024.

Magdeburg NUMBERED STOPS

8. Domplatz 9. Leiterstraße 10. Verkehrsbetriebe 11. City Carré 12. Am Katharinenturm 13. Opernhaus (Ersatzhaltestelle) 14. Universität 15. Listemannstraße 16. Am Nordpark 17. Askanischer Platz

1. Goethestraße 2. Arndtstraße 3. Gerhart Hauptmann Straße 4. Spielhagenstraße 5. Jordanstraße 6. Halberstädter Straße / Leipziger Straße 7. Am Fuchsberg

1K 8K

N.B. Not all stops have been named due to space constraints.

10

Barleber See Industrie und Logistik Centrum Enercon Rothensee Betriebshof Nord Hohenwarther Straße

9

Schule Rothensee Neustädter See Krähenstieg Neustädter Platz Havelstraße Klosterwuhne 1I 8I IKEA S-Bahnhof Eichenweiler Zoo Pettenkoferstraße Kastanienstraße/ Rostocker Straße Bedarfshaltestelle 3 4 Kastanienstraße Klinikum Olvenstedt BA 5 Nicolaiplatz 2 6 Mittagstraße Brunnenstieg Lostauer Neustädter Friedhof Herrenkrug Straße Am Stern S-Bahnhof Neustadt AgnetenStraße Eisvogelstraße MD-Herrenkrug Am Nordpark Sternbogen / AOK BA 4 Rennetal Bürgerbüro 16 Fachhochschule Olvenstedter 14 17 5 Drosselsteig Platz 13 Albert Vater Straße 1 Messegelände / Elbauenpark 15 12 Harsdorfer Straße 11 Gartenstr.

6 Jerichower Platz 2 3 Westring Alter Markt Diesdorf Arenen 10 9 4 Hannoversche Heumarkt Flechtinger Zollbrücke Am Cracauer Tor Straße Straße 8 Mehringstr.

Hasselbachplatz Schmeilstraße Liebknechtstraße 6 Simonstr.

Westringbrücke 5 Planckstr.

Pfeiffersche Stiftungen AMO / Steubenallee Südring 7 Benediktinerstr.

Eiskellerplatz Cracau (Pechauer Platz) Budenbergstr.

Ambrosiusplatz 4 Hertzstraße Thiemstr.

Raiffeisen 2 3 10 Südfriedhof Neue Straße -straße Sudenburg (Kroatenweg) Buckau Braunlager Straße Kannenstieg Pablo Picasso Straße Milchweg

Brenneckestraße

Reform Bördepark Ost

9

1

Freibad Süd Leipziger Chaussee Weinbrennerallee Am Hopfengarten

Flugplatz / Pallasweg Technisches Merkurweg Hilfswerk

Zinckerstraße Friedrich List Straße Mariannenstraße SKL Turmpark

5

Salbker Platz Blumenberger Straße

BA 4 BA 5 Husumer Straße

Phased extensions

Sohlener Straße 0

1 Kilometres

Schleswiger Straße

2

8

Westerhüsen

ABOVE: Magdeburg’s tram system is designed with turning loops throughout and therefore only requires single-ended stock. Car 1359 is seen at the southern terminus of line 3 at Leipziger Chaussee. In December 2012 a 3.6km (2.2-mile) extension opened from here to Reform, which is used by line 9.

Since 1984, there have been eight separate extensions to the tramway, with four having been built during the past 13 years and adding about 6.7km (4.2 miles). The newest addition was the 1km (0.6-mile) branch in the north of the city from Milchweg to Kannenstieg, which opened in November 2021 and mainly serves a residential district.

Magdeburg’s most important infrastructure project is centred on the future grand junction at Milchweg, as from there a new north-south line is being built towards the city. This is to open by 2027. It will add eight new stops on an alignment through Neustädter Feld, and then link up with the network at the Damaschkeplatz major interchange on the west side of the main railway station. With a length of about 4.5km (2.8 miles), this new tram route will connect previously underserved city districts to rapid transit and speed up journey times for residents in the city’s north and northwest.

After inauguration, bus line 69 will be replaced by tram line 8, which will be rerouted from its current path.

Another crucial construction project was successfully completed in late 2023, when the new Kaiser-Otto-Brücke (near Gartenstr) was inaugurated on 22 December. This is the busier of two tram bridges spanning the River Elbe. Construction had started in February 2020, just before the first COVID lockdown, and although the bridge was completed on schedule, it was two and a half times over budget, costing EUR250m instead of EUR100m. A new stop was also built on the eastern bank of the river at Heumarkt, where the Cracau branch of line 4 diverges from line 6 that runs further northeast to the recreational area at Herrenkrug.

With one milestone completed, engineering works shifted in 2024 to site modernisation and track replacement at the busy Hasselbachplatz station, just south of Magdeburg’s landmark cathedral.

These works resulted in numerous diversions, just as engineering blocks on the eastern side of Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof have done in the past few years. A continuous programme of renewals means that lines are subject to closure – see: www.mvbnetzausbau.de/ liniennetz-2020/ for current works.

On the vehicle front, the original Tatra T4 fleet was all withdrawn by 2013. Secondhand T6 cars were acquired from Berlin, which were subsequently replaced in 2020-24 with eight former-Berlin KT4Ds. The first of a new fleet of Alstom Flexity Classics arrived in September 2024. Up to 35 of these 38m four-part cars will be delivered, with options for 28 more. The single-ended Flexity trams feature a customised frontend and sport MVB’s traditional green and white livery. The start of revenue services is expected by the second half of 2025. Until then, the partially low-floor NGT 8D continue to form the backbone of the modern fleet.

A total of 83 of these double-articulated, 30m cars were delivered in four different series from 1994 to 2013, with production initially commencing at Waggonbau Dessau. The model was later taken over by Alstom.

With all the upgrades and enhancements, public transport in Magdeburg is well positioned to meet the future needs of the city and ensure convenient mobility.

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BELOW: The new Kaiser-Otto-Brücke is an impressively engineered span that connects the east bank of the river with the island in the Elbe. It is used by tram lines 4 and 6.

ABOVE: The future comes into view, as the new major junction at Milchweg takes shape during construction works in summer 2024. This view is facing south and shows the planned north-south trunk route that will open up beyond the white fence and lead via Neustädter Feld to Damaschkeplatz and Hauptbahnhof. The spur to the right is the short branch to IKEA. ABOVE: Sporting a special advertising livery to promote the environmentally-friendly credentials of the local tram network, the NGT 8D is seen on line 2 near Domplatz in the historic old town on 3 August 2024.

ABOVE: An ex Berlin KT4D in service – these cars were acquired secondhand from Berlin in 2020. Ian Longworth LEFT: With engineering works ongoing for infrastructure modernisation and some of the tracks out of use, car 1314 passes through the busy junction Hasselbachplatz on 3 August 2024 with a southbound line 2 service.

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© ALSTOM SA 2023. Advanced & Creative Design

www.alstom.com

CITADISTM LIGHT RAIL Designed to reflect your cities’ unique identity

Dubai:

Vision for the future

Richard Foster looks at the innovative ways in which Dubai Metro manages its system – all of which launched it to a prize-winning position at the 2024 Global Light Rail Awards.

I

f anywhere on earth comes close to being a fantasy land made real, it’s Dubai. The city is the ‘capital’ of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates that form the United Arab Emirates.

It’s the place to go for the world’s ‘largest’.

These include the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa, 829.8m), the world’s biggest flower garden (Dubai Miracle Garden, 72 0000m) and the world’s largest single-site solar park.

There are five-star hotels galore. It has its own theme park (Dubailand). Those famous skyscrapers that dominate photographs of Dubai’s skyline are part of the 3km (1.9-mile) artificial canal city, the Dubai Marina, built along the shores of the Persian Gulf.

But, thanks to its position on this Gulf, Dubai has been a trading post for centuries. Its transformation into the glittering centre it is today began in the 1950s and while oil helped fund that transformation, it’s still trade that provides the foundation for its economy.

While this development has forever changed the coastline, Dubai is doing its best to offset its carbon footprint. Hence the

ABOVE: Skyscrapers dominate the landscape in Dubai, and yet with massive construction ongoing, the city is still managing to find ways to offset its carbon footprint. Iwona Castiello d’Antonio/Unsplash

World’s largest automated system?

The Dubai Metro has, at various times, held the title of the world’s largest automated metro system. Using the SelTrac communicationsbased signalling system, the network boasts a minimum 90-second headway during peak hours, which equates to 40 trains per hour.

The metro first lost the world’s largest automated metro title in December 2016 when the 10.9km (seven-mile) Evergreen Extension to Vancouver’s SkyTrain opened. The crown returned to Dubai in 2021 when Route 2020 opened. This was a 15km (9.3-mile) extension to the Red Line, which brought it up to its 67.1km total length.

However, the Riyadh Metro, in the capital of neighbouring Saudi Arabia, is now the world’s longest automated metro – 176km (109 miles) after it opened in December 2024/January 2025 (TAUT 1045).

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nearby 77km2 (29.7 square mile) Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The city recognised in the late 1990s that light rail was key to enabling sustainable development. It now boasts a 10.6km (6.6-mile) tram system and the 5.4km (threemile) Palm Monorail, and is set to become connected to the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi, by a new high-speed railway.

But the jewel in its public transport crown is arguably the Dubai Metro. This became the first rapid transit network in the Arabian Peninsula when the first section (ten stops) of the Red Line was formally opened on 9 September 2009. Since then, the Red Line has expanded and is now 67.1km (42 miles) long.

It was joined by the 22.5km (14-mile) Green Line, which opened on 9 September 2011.

The total length of the system is 89.6km (56 miles), but it won’t stay this length for long. The contract for constructing the 30km (19-mile) Blue Line was awarded to a Turkish-Chinese consortium in January and it should open in 2029. Plus, there are three proposed new lines – Purple, Pink and Gold – as well as possible extensions to the Red Line.

Dubai The trains The Dubai Metro has a fleet of 129 five-car EMUs. Kinki Sharyo of Japan built the initial fleet of EMUs and these were joined by 50 new Alstom Metropolis EMUs introduced in 2018.

The Alstom trains have an increased seating capacity of 696 seats whereas the older trains can only seat 643 passengers.

ABOVE: Metro stations in Dubai reflect a very futuristic style. mchen.travels, Flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

ABOVE: One of Dubai Metro’s stations, featuring enclosed platform doors. Fabio Achilli, Flickr/CC BY 2.0 BELOW: This could be a still from a sci-fi film, but it is in fact an overhead view of Dubai, with the Metro route running to the left of the image alongside Emaar Towers. Mohammad Wasim/Unsplash

What makes the Dubai Metro remarkable is that, despite these attention-grabbing expansion plans, its operators are finding myriad ways to make what already exists even better. Even down to the rubbish bins.

The Dubai Metro is operated by KeolisMHI, a joint venture between Keolis and two parts of Japan’s Mitsubishi Group (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corporation). Keolis-MHI’s 15-year operating contract, which also covers Dubai’s tram network, started on 31 January 2021. And just three years into that contract, Keolis-MHI won Vision of the Year at the 2024 Global Light Rail Awards.

Judges praised Keolis-MHI for “training its 1700 employees to the highest standards, and its list of 15 benchmarks includes looking after the people, passengers, the planet and the passenger transport authority”.

Those 15 benchmarks are grouped under three categories: operational efficiency, maintenance efficiency and customer happiness.

While it might be considered a tedious exercise to look at all 15, they’re all worth exploring in a bit more detail because they show how 21st Century technology can, as Keolis-MHI itself says, “achieve a safer, more efficient, and sustainable future for rail transport”.

A futuristic system

A light rail system can’t operate without regular maintenance and so it makes sense to start our tour here. One small yet significant addition has been made to the technician’s toolkit. Assisted Augmented Glasses are worn like a pair of spectacles but they project a virtual screen. When combined with built-in thermal imaging cameras, they can help technicians highlight potential problems.

Given Dubai’s geographical position, it’s imperative that the Metro’s HVAC – Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning – system is kept in tip-top condition.

That’s why it’s employed Enova’s Hubgrade system, which works alongside other remote monitoring systems, to offer realtime performance monitoring of its HVAC equipment, including air handling units and chilled water pumps. It has also worked with Austrian firm Voestalpine to develop remote monitoring systems for the platform screen doors.

Drones are becoming a go-to solution for checking on the state of infrastructure, and the Dubai Metro is no exception. Keolis-MHI uses drones to detect leaks, check for faulty civil engineering structures or monitor for overheating surfaces. Being able to fly a drone over its infrastructure means that repair teams can be targeted to a fault rather than carrying out time-consuming visual inspections.

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Dubai Routes and ridership Dubai has a population of just over 3m people.

In the Red Line’s first month alone, it attracted approximately 60 000 passengers a day.

Total passenger journeys passed through the 1bn mark in 2017.

The system boasts 55 stations (all with platform doors) across the Red and Green Lines. The Red Line runs across the city from its eastern terminus (Centrepoint, formerly Rashidiya) to Jabal Ali where the lines to UAE Exchange and Expo 2020 diverge.

The Green Line runs from E& on Al Nahda Street, north of the airport, to Creek. There are interchanges with the Red Line at Union and BurJuman stations.

The Red and Green Lines together recorded 275.4 million riders in 2024.

RIGHT: The Blue Line, set to open in 2029, will be Dubai’s third Metro line. Rob Dammers, Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Where the Metro gets really futuristic is that it’s employed two robots from Future Maintenance Technologies, based near Brisbane in Australia. It uses FMT’s Autonomous Rail Infrastructure Inspection System, an autonomous vehicle that can monitor all aspects of the permanent way, from ensuring the rails maintain gauge to the condition of the rail profile. Good use is also made of ARIIS’ ability to check the condition of the third-rail too.

Turning to the Metro’s rolling stock, it has also worked with Voestalpine to employ sensors to measure wheel impact and temperatures of wheels, bearings and axles. It uses FMT’s Train Examination System, too.

Another autonomous robot, TRES, uses LIDAR, thermal sensors and other technology to monitor the underframes.

TRES also keeps an eye on everything from the wheel profiles and the position of collector shoes to checking the oil level in gearboxes and making sure that all bolt heads remain tight.

The efforts pay dividends

There’s no use in employing all of this tech to keep on top of maintenance if you can’t also use it to improve your service. So, Keolis-MHI has worked with Acorel to develop a live passenger counting system that uses onboard CCTV cameras to count the number of passengers in each car on each train.

In fact, Keolis-MHI collects data from everywhere on the Metro system, using Rail Intelligent Data Analytics that aggregate data in order to enhance service quality and efficiency.

The word ‘smart’ can be applied to many things nowadays. But waste bins? Keolis-MHI categorises the introduction of new ‘Smart Bins’ under ‘operational efficiency’. That’s because these solar-powered bins can not only compact the refuse but report when they are full and thus optimise waste collection management. The data captured from these bins can also then track patterns in waste generation.

The passenger might not notice all this behind the scenes activity. Yet they do notice when the little things are done right. We saw in TAUT 1046 how Metro de Sevilla has

introduced Telmo, its artificial intelligence chatbot that can answer most of the basic questions that customers are likely to ask, leaving human call centre staff free to deal with those trickier queries. The Dubai Metro has taken that a stage further and now employs two types of robots that can dispense information.

Firstly, there are robot signs. These, manufactured by Dubai firm RoboAds, are mobile display boards, which provide updates and other helpful information. For a more interactive experience, there are passenger service robots that have an AI facility – as well as a ‘face’ – to not only provide information but to answer those basic questions. These are produced by Action To Action, another Dubai robotics specialist.

Keolis-MHI takes innovation so seriously that it has developed its own ‘Innovation Lab’. This is, Keolis-MHI says, where it ‘brainstorms’ with partners and employees “to find innovative solutions to our challenges and to look for opportunities”.

Part of the Innovation Lab involves testing those innovations in the field and so Emirates Tower station, on the Red Line, has been designated the ‘Smart Station’. New ideas and concepts are tried out at this station and performance data and passenger feedback collated. From there, ideas are refined before being rolled out across the system.

There are four innovations that Keolis-MHI is particularly proud of. When it was finding that “large, scattered and limited real time data” was “impacting… employee efficiency, response time and increasing computation cost”, it developed OP2, an AI-driven timetable that reduces “time table creation time and enhances passenger happiness”.

The Nol contactless travel card was introduced in 2009 and now covers the tram, bus, taxi and Dubai Water Bus routes across the city as well as the Metro. Like London’s Oyster card, Nol holders have an account that they have to top up.

The Nol Plus rewards scheme was introduced in 2019, but when the metro was struggling to get the message across about its benefits, the result of the Innovation Lab was ‘Nol Plus Star’, leading to an increased take-up.

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Dubai Metro, like the city, takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.

When disparate sources made collating data on energy usage difficult, it devised ‘Energize’, a system that’s designed to provide real time energy monitoring information so that Keolis-MHI can better manage consumption.

And, finally, that all-important HVAC system is under increasing pressure in coping with climate change. The new Smart Temperature Control System has turned the HVAC equipment into a co-ordinated system that effectively maintains passenger comfort during high temperatures while maximising energy savings.

Information dispensing robots, smart bins and glasses that project virtual screens might sound like the sort of things you’d find in a place like Dubai, a place of towering skyscrapers and extravagant waterfronts.

Twenty-first Century tech now plays a key role in helping the Metro stake its claim as the best way for the people of Dubai to get around.

Dubai’s tram Keolis-MHI also operates Dubai’s 14.5km (ninemile) tram network. This became notable for being the first tram system outside Europe to be fitted with ground-based power supply.

It’s also the first tramway in the world to boast air conditioned shelters with platform screen doors. The Alstom Citadis 402 vehicles run from Al Sufouh to Dubai Marina and thence in a loop via Jumeirah Beach Residence. There are interchanges with the Metro’s Red Line and the Palm Jumeirah Monorail.

ALSTOM SA. TOMA – C. Sasso | Citadis

Grenoble

systems factfile Grenoble, No.

212 France

L

ocated in the French Alps, the administrative city of Grenoble has a population of 156 000, with about 665 000 in the greater conurbation. As the site of the 1968 Winter Olympics, Grenoble still functions as an important gateway to the mountains and is a starting point for tourism in the Dauphiné region.

The city featured a first-generation tramway from 1894 to 1952, with a trolleybus system that ran between 1947-1999; but its current, secondgeneration tramway is historically even more significant.

Launched in 1987, as the second modern tramway in France after Nantes, Grenoble was the first place in Europe to introduce barrier-free, accessible trams throughout the network, thanks to the deployment of the state-of-the-art TFS2 LRVs with partial low-floor access and matching, slightly raised platforms.

As became the standard pattern in other French cities that launched new light rail systems in the 1990s and early 2000s, urban planners in

Andrew Thompson explores the second French city that reintroduced a second-generation tramway.

FRANCE

Grenoble

ABOVE: Swinging around the large 180-degree curve at Gares, Citadis 6016 arrives at the main railway station interchange on a line A westbound service to Fontaine La Poya.

All photos taken by Andrew Thompson on 7 November 2024.

BELOW: Car 2009 is part of the original TFS2 series from 1986-87 and is one of the 20 that benefited from an extensive refit between 2013-17, of which the white livery is an obvious hallmark. Here the tram is seen at Porte de la France while crossing the Isère River with a Line E service on the section of route that opened in 2014.

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Grenoble Grenoble placed a premium on the elegant and aesthetic integration of the new tramway into the existing cityscape, while ensuring utility and attractive functionality.

In August 1987 the first section of line A led from the bus and railway station terminus Gares through the historic city centre to a large shopping mall at Grand Place. Since then, the network has continuously grown in numerous stages and with extensions in all directions bringing its present size to 44km (27.3 miles). In June 2014, the fifth line E was launched on an initial 4.8km (three-mile) north-south section from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux Hôtel de Ville – Louise Michel, with an additional 6.5km (four-mile) extension taking it further north from

E

Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux Hôtel de Ville to Fontanil Cornillon-Palluel in July 2015. Four and a half years later, line B was extended at its southern end by one kilometre from Échirolles/DenisPapin to Pont-de-Claix/L’Étoile, thus serving a growing residential district with numerous new housing estates.

The most recent infrastructure upgrade was to extend line D from Les-Taillées-Universités all the way to Gares in August 2024, transforming it from a short shuttle line on a 2.8km (1.7-mile) route between SaintMartin-d’Hères Etienne Grappe and the university campus, to a proper feeder line to the city centre. This also boosted the busy line B, as line D runs from the university campus to the main railway station along the

NUMBERED STOPS

Palluel Rafour Karben

Pont de Vence Le Muret Fiancey – Prédieu Neron Horloge Saint Martin le Vinoux – Hôtel de Ville

B

Oxford

A

Casamaures Village Annie Fratellini – Esplanade

Marie Louise Paris – CEA Cité Internationale

Fontaine La Poya

Les Fontainades – Le Vog 1

Charles Michels

D

6

3

Fontaine – Hôtel de 2 4 5 12 Ville – La Source Berriat – 8 11 Louis Maisonnat Le Magasin 10 9 Seyssinet Pariset Hôtel de Ville Vallier – Vallier – Fauconnière Libération Catane Grand Pré

Louise Michel

Mas des Îles

Alliés Malherbe

E

Seyssins Le Prisme

C

Grand Place Surieux Essarts – La Butte

1 Kilometres

1. Palais de Justice – Gare 2. Saint Bruno 3. Grenoble – Gares 4. Alsace – Lorraine 5. Victor Hugo 6. Hubert Dubedout – Maison de tourisme 7. Saint Claire – Les Halles 8. Estacade – Condorcet 9. Vallier – Docteur Calmette 10. Foch – Ferrié 11. Gustave Rivet 12. Verdun – Préfecture 13. Grenoble – Hôtel de Ville 14. Flandrin – Valmy 15.Péri – Brossolette 16. Gabriel Fauré MUSE 17. Université Condillac 18. Mayencin – Champ Roman

Hôpital Couple Enfant Hôpital Michallon Grésivaudan Grand Sablon Île Verte Université Les Taillées Université Notre Dame Bibliothèques B Musée 7 16 C 15 13 Plaine des 14 17 18 Sports Neyrpic – Belledonne Chavant Maison Communale Grenoble Albert 1er de Universités – Édouard Vaillant Belgique Gières Mounier Parc Jo Blanchon MC2 Maison Étienne Grappe de la Culture

D

La Bruyère – Parc Jean Verlhac Arlequin

Pôle Sud – Les Granges Alpexpo La Rampe – Centre Ville

Aerial cableway 0

same route as line B. In order to make this service enhancement possible, track reconfiguration at the triangular junction Universités was necessary, with the works costing in excess of EUR6m. Construction work took place during an engineering block in summer 2024.

Given its size and compared to other French cities with a similar or larger population, Grenoble’s tramway network is above average in scale.

As such, there are no immediate extension plans, but different options for mid-term extensions of the five different routes are currently being evaluated. If any schemes were to receive official backing and financing from the usual mixture of European, national and regional funding, they

Marie Curie 2

L’Étoile

A

Auguste Delaune Denis Papin

Edmée Chandon

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RIGHT: Grenoble was the first French city to focus on the aesthetic integration of new tramway infrastructure into the existing urban cityscape, creating a successful template and remarkable example for other French cities to emulate. Here TFS2 2029 from the second production batch from 1989-90 passes the junction between Avenue Alsace Lorraine and Cours Jean Jaurès.

The left-hand curve connects Line E with the main trunk route of Lines A, B, and D and leads to the main railway station, but is only used for operational purposes and otherwise not in regular use.

RIGHT: Seamlessly passing through the heart of the historic old town, car 6041 is seen in front of the old market hall at Sainte-Claire. Here the tracks have been elegantly blended with the pre-existing cobblestones, once again demonstrating how it is possible to aesthetically and unobtrusively integrate transportation infrastructure with urban heritage, an art form which the French have perfected.

RIGHT: Citadis 6006 passes over Pont du Drac with a line A service to the nearby terminus Fontaine, La Poya. There are two tram bridges on the west side of the network that span the River Drac.

THE FLEET The Tramway français standard 2 (TFS2) LRVs that the consortium of Alsthom, Francorail and De Dietrich produced for Grenoble in the late 1980s deserve special mention.

As an improved version of the high-floor TFS supplied to Nantes in the mid 1980s, these revolutionary cars were the first to feature partial low-floor access and make step-free boarding possible from 35cm-high platforms. At the front and rear of the double-ended trams, there were raised floors above the bogies. The full length of the cars was 29.4m, with a 19.3m low-floor centre section. The total capacity was for 58 seats with 158 standing spaces. The steel car bodies, supplied

by De Dietrich, weighed 44 tonnes – heavy by contemporary standards.

The distinctive styling and rounded cabs with large glass panels and panoramic windows throughout were designed by the Belgian architect Philipp Neerman. The

initial series of 20 TFS2 was rolled out in 1986-87. As the Grenoble network grew, another 15 were delivered in 1989-90. Three more cars were added in 1992-93, and another 15 TFS2 were delivered 1995-1997. The first TFS2 were equipped with chopper control, but were converted to IGBT three-point inverters from the early 1990s. The last 15 cars were designed and produced as three-phase vehicles.

With a total of 53 cars, Grenoble has the largest TFS2 fleet in France, with the other standardgauge variants having been supplied to Paris and Rouen in the 1990s.

All TFS2 are locally classified as 2001-2053 in Grenoble. Car 2047 ran as a demonstration vehicle in Barcelona in 1997. A year later, car 2020 was in Rotterdam for trial purposes. In summer 2013, Bombardier was contracted to extensively refit 38 of the 53 TFS2 in Grenoble to extend their technical service life by

another 15 years. As part of that refit, these cars also received a visual makeover with an elegant, white appearance.

As revolutionary and reliable as the TFS2 have been, the oldest cars are now approaching 40 years in active duty.

Plans are currently being developed to start the staged replacement of the TFS fleet. The last should be withdrawn by 2032.

Since 2005, the TFS2 have been complemented by 35 Alstom Citadis 402.

These are almost 44m long and offer a larger capacity of 76 seats and 198 standing spaces, providing ample capacity on the busy A, B and C lines where they are primarily deployed. A second series of 15 Citadis was supplied in 2009, taking this fleet up to 50 vehicles and the entire Grenoble fleet to 103 trams. Naturally, the intended replacement for the TFS2 will also be fully low-floor cars with similar capacity benchmarks as the Citadis.

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Grenoble “Given its size and compared to other French cities with a similar or larger population, Grenoble’s tramway network is above average in scale.”

network facts pened: 1987 (First generation O tramway 1894-1952) Lines: 5 Depots: 2 Gauge: 1435mm Power supply: 750V dc eneral frequency: 4-10 mins peak, G 10-20 mins off peak Municipal operator: Reso M https://www.reso-m.fr/ ivic information: C https://www.grenoble.fr/ ourist information: T https://www.grenoble-tourisme.com/ en/

232 / june 2025 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

BELOW: Two Citadis 6009 and 6016 rub shoulders at Pont-de-Claix/L’Étoile, which is now the southernmost extremity of the Grenoble tram network and also the newest part of the system.

A 1km (0.6-mile) extension of line A from Échirolles/Denis-Papin opened in December 2019.

LEFT: Car 2044 is one of the TFS2 still sporting the older silver-blue livery.

It is part of the subseries delivered in 1995-96, and is seen passing the elegant Place de Verdun with a line A service, shortly before calling at Préfecture.

BELOW: Since August 2024, tram line D has been extended to run through the city centre on the shared alignment with line B and thus terminate at Gare. Line D is predominantly served by TSF2 LRVs, as seen here with car 2032.

would not be implemented until the 2030s at the earliest.

Although Grenoble’s secondgeneration tramway does not quite have the same interurban longdistance reach as the first-generation network from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries did, it still serves no fewer than 11 different municipalities in the conurbation and does a good job at reaching beyond city limits.

Daily utilisation of the entire tramway network with its 82 different stops is roughly 233 000 riders.

Another transport icon of Grenoble is the historic aerial cableway built

by Poma, which is locally known as ‘Téléphérique’. First opened in 1934 to connect the city centre from Rue Hector-Berlioz with the hilltop fortress Bastille, the cableway crossing the River Isère is 700m long and overcomes an altitude differential of 266m. There is just a single intermediate pylon, which itself is an early 20th Century engineering landmark, and at a height of 23m soars into the sky. At night it is attractively illuminated in different colours and is a beloved symbol of the city. As a noteworthy design feature, the cableway uses five permanently coupled separate cabins that have a distinctly rounded shape, and are therefore referred to as ‘bubbles’.

Originally there were just three of these spherical cabins, launched in 1976 and meant to showcase the modernisation of Grenoble – but in order to expand capacity and meet demand two more were added in 1979.

They travel at a speed of almost six metres per second, which makes the entire journey time of the cableway from top to bottom or vice versa just four minutes.

From the summit at the Bastille fortress, which was built in stages from 1824-47, there are stunning views of the city and the Alps.

Roughly 350 000 riders a year make use of this signature attraction.

The Téléphérique is also very visible from the river crossing of tram line E and the adjacent Pont de la Porte de France.

essential facts Local travel: Grenoble is 1hr 22 mins by rail from Lyon, and 2hr 3 mins from Geneva, Switzerland. Given the mountainous topography of the region, travelling to Grenoble by train is both a scenic and convenient option.. For local public transport, a onehour standard ticket costs EUR2 and a one-day pass is EUR6.40.

These can be purchased from user-friendly vending machines placed at major stops.

What is there to see and do? In addition to beautiful natural scenery and the impressive Alpine surroundings, Grenoble boasts an attractive city centre that is typically French, with elegant avenues, spacious squares and civic buildings mainly dating from the 19th and early 20th Centuries. There is a quaint old town with narrow alleys and an historic market hall at Place Sainte-Claire, which is directly served by tram lines B and D. The promenade along the River Isère is pleasant for pedestrians and offers great views of the hilltop fortress and iconic cableway.

The Passerelle Saint-Laurent is an attractive suspension bridge dating from 1838 which is not used by cars, making it the perfect place for walking and photography.

ABOVE: Passing through the historic old town shortly after Place Verdun, TFS2 2040 is running down Rue Général Marchand. To the rear is the hilltop Bastille fortress and the landmark steel pylon of the aerial cableway.

BELOW: Citadis 6046 at the western line B terminus Oxford, which opened in September 2014 and which serves a district of office buildings.

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ocated in the French Alps, the administrative city of Grenoble has a population of 156 000, with about 665 000 in the greater conurbation. As the site of the 1968 Winter Olympics, Grenoble still functions as an important gateway to the mountains and is a starting point for tourism in the Dauphiné region.

The city featured a first-generation tramway from 1894 to 1952, with a trolleybus system that ran between 1947-1999; but its current, secondgeneration tramway is historically even more significant.

Launched in 1987, as the second modern tramway in France after Nantes, Grenoble was the first place in Europe to introduce barrier-free, accessible trams throughout the network, thanks to the deployment of the state-of-the-art TFS2 LRVs with partial low-floor access and matching, slightly raised platforms.

As became the standard pattern in other French cities that launched new light rail systems in the 1990s and early 2000s, urban planners in

229-233_TAUT2506_SF Grenoble.indd

FRANCE

Grenoble

ABOVE: Swinging around the large 180-degree curve at Gares, Citadis 6016 arrives at the main railway station interchange on a line A westbound service to Fontaine La Poya.

All photos taken by Andrew Thompson on 7 November 2024.

BELOW: Car 2009 is part of the original TFS2 series from 1986-87 and is one of the 20 that benefited from an extensive refit between 2013-17, of which the white livery is an obvious hallmark.

Here the tram is seen at Porte de la crossing the Isère River with a Line France while E service on the section of route that opened in 2014.

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Grenoble Andrew Thompson explores the second French city that reintroduced a second-generation tramway.

june 2025 / 229

229 06/05/2025 10:01

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Worldwide Review AUSTRALIA M ELBOUR N E . A lstom is to de l ive r t he f i r st of 10 0 G Class trams to the new depot at Maidstone, in the western sub u rbs, b e fore t he e nd of the year.

M. Rowe PERTH. T he 14.5k m (ninemile) commuter rail line from Thornlie to Cockburn Central is expected to open on 9 June. urbanrail.net

AUSTRIA WIEN (Vienna). Flexity 407 has become the latest to be delivered; six are in use on line D. New timetables for nine lines were introduced from 22 April w it h 7. 5 -m i nute i nte r- p e a k headways. This aims to reduce the number of high-floor trams running at peak times. High-floor trams ran on line 1 for the last time on 18 April. tramwayforum.at

BELGIUM ANTWERP. Temporary lines 25 and 26 were introduced in March.

Delivery of CAF single-ended t ra m s 74 01- 4 0 a nd double ended trams 7441-60 has been completed.

T-2000 BRUXELLES (Brussels). Line 62’s temp ora r y ter m i nus at Avenue du Bourget was brought into use on 31 March.

Delivery of the latest batch of low-floor trams had reached 3229 by the end of March.

T-2000 CH A R LEROI. A total of 47 articulated trams will have been renovated by 2027, ready for use on new line M5. By the end of March, 22 had been dealt with.

T-2000

CANADA TORONTO. Ground-breaking for the final 9.2km (5.7-mile) subway segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West extension to Mount Dennis took place on 9 April.

Mass Transit

CHINA NANJING. The ‘intercity metro’s’ f irst t ra in was delivered on 21 Apr i l. T h is e levate d 14. 2k m (8.9 -mile) line is to l i n k N e w To w n J i a n g n i n g S t at io n w it h t he p r ov i nc e border. skyscrapercity TA IC H U NG. A n A lstom /S T Engineering of Singapore joint ve nt u r e h a s b e e n aw a r d e d a EU R966m cont rac t to automate the metro over the next 14 years.

IRJ ÜRÜ MQI. Metro line 1 was extended by 6.1km (3.8 miles) from International Airport to East International Airport on 17 April. urbanrail.net

Baselland (BLT) Stadler TINA tram 4214 is the first of this type to receive an all-over advertising livery, in a rather restrained style. Be4/6

CZECH REPUBLIC BRNO. Medlánek depot received the first of 15 Skoda ForCit y Smart 45T 31m double-ended trams on 26 March. All 15 should arrive in 2025; a further 20 are to follow in 2026.

TP OL OMOUC . EVO1 t w i n- s e t 125+126 was in passenger service for the first time on 1 April.

Lines 3 and 5 were interrupted for several days from 2 April after a heavy-rail DMU derailed at the flat crossing in RGI, TP Švýcarské náb řeží.

P R A H A ( P r a g u e) . Š k o d a 52T 9503 arrived at Hostiva ř work shops on t he n ig ht of 3 April and undertook its first trials on 9 April. It should enter service from Hloub ětín depot in the summer.

Ex-Košice/Miskolc KT8D5 9109 with low-floor centre section has entered service. It will be followed by 9110-13. Škoda 14T 9136 has returned to service with modernised features and new PID livery. expats.cz, dopravacek.eu

FINLAND HELSINKI. High-floor articulated tram 82, built in 1984, has been converted to a mu lt i-pu r p os e work s c a r.

It is now numbered 2282.

FRANCE BESANÇON. May should bring the arrival of the first of five

new Alstom Citadis 34m trams.

T hey cou ld enter passenger service in September.

Greater Besançon Métropole voted on 10 April to make public transpor t f ree on Sat urdays.

This is expected to come into effect from 1 July. pleinair.net DIJON. Planning for the 11km (6.8-mile) tramline T3 has started.

Potentially to be built between 2028 and 2030, it would link Cap Nord and Chenôve.

DS M A R SEI L L E . Test r u n n i ng on T3’s northern and southern extensions started on 7 April.

A new EUR76m line is being pl a n ne d to l i n k Bl a nc a r d e w it h Place du 4 Septembre.

Also being discussed is a EUR152m line from St-Charles to Belle de Mai. UTM MON TPELLIER . CA F Urbos 100X 2103 was unveiled to the public on 20 March. The 77 new trams are numbered from 2101.

Of the new trams, only 2101 and 2102 were built in Spain; the remainder are to come from Bagnères-de-Bigorre in France.

NANCY. Line 1’s new 25 Hess LighTram three-section 24.4m trolleybuses started public service on 5 April.

UTM NICE – DIGNE (CP). Chemins de Fer de Provence has signed a cont rac t w it h Stad ler for the delivery of eight twocar Bem 4/8 battery/bio-diesel mu lt iple u n it s for de l ive r y in 2028.

UTM

PARIS. T2 was temporarily cut back to Suzanne Lenglen from 17 March while construction of a new terminus takes place.

T he line should re- open throughout in November.

Re-opening of the Noisy-le-Sec terminus was postponed from 1 April to 22 April.

The Grand Paris Express project has su f fered f u r t her delays.

Line 15 South probably won’t open until the end of 2026, followed by the first sections of lines 16 and 17 in spring 2027.

A. Henbest, N. Pulling, IRJ TOURS. A March 2028 opening date has been proposed for t he ne w 12 . 5k m (7. 8 -m i le) EUR503m line 2. lineoz.net

GERMANY BERLI N. A ground-breaking ceremony for t he e xtension of U 3 to M e x i ko pl at z w a s he ld at K r u m me L a n ke on 28 April. However, the only work aut hor i s e d s o fa r i s a new underground storage facility. DS BIELEFELD. Stadtbahn line 1 is set to resume regular service along Hauptstrasse to Brackwede Kirche from 15 June.

Line 1 is due to return to Senne in early 2026.

DS B Ö B L I N G E N – DET TENHAUSEN. The state approved the electric operation of 12 three-section CAF Nexio L RVs o n t h e 17 k m (10 . 6 mile) Schönbuchbahn on 18

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Worldwide Review

The double-ended Kolkata tram created at Nonapukur workshops in the Indian city. D. Das

March. They will replace leased DB 426 units.

RGI B R E M E N . T h e l a s t M A N/ A E G - b u i lt GT 8 N l o w - f l o o r tram was withdrawn on 13 April.

DS BREMERHAVEN. A feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis of a potential new tramway has been launched by the city council.

Nordzee-Zeitung HALLE. Tram 801, the first of 39 30m Stadler TINAs, was delivered on 4 April. It will be displayed at the Freilindorfer Strasse depot open day on 10 May. None of the 45m versions will enter service before the summer.

DS HAMBURG. Alstom has been awarded a EUR60m contract to fit European Train Control System and automated driving software to 82 S-Bahn 490 trains.

RGI MAGDEBURG. Lines 1, 3, 4-6 have been diverted via Südring and Hasselbachplatz after the D a m a s h ke p l at z b r i d ge w a s suddenly closed on 15 April for safety reasons.

DS M A I NZ . C onst r uc t ion of a new tramline (Ludw igstrasse – Flachsmarkt – R heinallee – Goethestraße – Zollhafen) is to start in 2029. The city council gave the go-ahead for the project on 9 April. mainzer-mobilität NÜRNBERG ( Nuremburg).

An option for 14 more Siemens Avenio trams has been exercised.

They are expected to arrive in 2026-27.

VAG SCHÖNEICHE. Ex-RNV MGT6D 3261 was delivered on the night of 16 April.

DS

HUNGARY BUDAPEST. The first of 51 CAF Urbos 3 trams entered service on 22 March. They are to work on lines 17, 19 and 56.

RGI

IRAN TEHRAN. Meydan-e Khorasan station, on metro line 6, opened on 17 March.

RGI

Paris TW20 tram 13 is seen testing the new line T1 terminus at Noisy-le-Sec on 31 March. N. Pulling

INDIA

ITALY

BENGALURU (Bangalore).

Seven more six-car metro trains have been ordered from BEML at a cost of INR4bn (EUR41m). RGI CHENNAI (Madras). Alstom Transport India is to supply 32 three-car metro trains to operate the second phase of lines 3, 4 and 5. The 25kV AC sets will be equipped for GoA4 automation.

Alstom is already delivering 108 metro cars for Line 4.

RGI DELHI. Delhi Metro Rail C or porat ion has sig ned a J P Y 79.7 bn ( E U R492 m) lo a n a g r e e me nt w it h t he Jap a n I nte r n at ion a l C o - op e r at ion Agency to finance phase four of the metro expansion programme.

Logistics company Blue Dart is trialling the use of the metro’s Blue Line to transport parcels. If successful, parcels could be carried over the rest of the system. RGI

CASTELLAMMARE DI STABIA. Four people were killed when a cable on the Mount Faito cable car snapped during an ascent on 17 April.

BBC N A P O L I ( N a p l e s) . M e t r o line 1 was extended by 1.9km (1.2 miles) from Garibaldi to Centro Direzionale on 1 April.

Work started to reinstate the tramway to Mergellina (Piazza Sannazaro) on 7 April. This is part of the 10km (6.2-mile) Tram del Mare project that should be completed in 2026. urbanrail.net, ferrovie.it ROMA (Rome). Hitachi delivered the first of 36 new metro trains on 7 April. transphoto.org

IRELAND DUBLIN. Transdev Dublin Light Rail, operator of Dublin Luas, has advertised five new maintenance roles. These range from Depot Manager and Maintenance Team Manager to Tram Maintainer and Multi-Skilled Technician.

ISLE OF MAN D O U G L A S B AY H O R S E TRAMWAY. Senior Driver Peter Cannon started his 50th season on the tramway on 10 April.

He joined Douglas Corporation Transport (Horse Tram Section) as a conductor on 6 July 1975.

MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY. Trailer car 43 underwent tests on 23 April after spending several months in the Derby Castle workshops. It was hauled on its trials by Car 21.

ISRAEL JERUSA LEM. T he new CA F trams for the Red and Green lines will be numbered 47-160.

Tram Atlas

236 / JUNE 2025 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

KAZAKHSTAN O S K E M E N ( U s t Kamenogorsk).

Belkommunmash of Minsk has been chosen to deliver three T811 bogie trams.

RGI

NETHERLANDS AMSTERDAM. Vervoerregio Amsterdam is considering four options to improve efficiency o n me t r o s e r v ic e s , d u e to come into effect f rom 2027.

A decision is due later this year.

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

T he net work pla n for 2 02 6 does not include any reduction in the tramway system, apart f rom f requenc y adjust ment.

Approval is due on 9 July.

Ex-Brussel PCC 7065 was finally cleared to carry passengers just before Easter. It made its first tour on 20 April.

OR, M. J. Russell ROTTERDAM. Plans for 2026 include diverting lines 4 and 6 via Mathenesserlaan in order to reduce the impact of tram traffic on Nieuwe Binnenweg.

To ma rk 750 yea rs of t he com mu n it y of Sch ieda m, museum trams ran on 22 March, using the moniker ‘Line 750’.

This is to be repeated on 21 June and 27-28 September.

Heritage line 10 restarted on 19 April and is to run until 26 October, using newly restored Düwag tram 273.

OR

NORWAY OSLO. SL95s 148 and 66 are likely to remain in service until August.

SL79s 101/102/112 are reserved for preservation.

CAF has completed delivery of new SL18s.

LTF T RON DH E I M . T he cost of modernising the Gråkallbanen tramway is NOK1.2bn ( E U R10 2 m) for ne w t r a m s , NOK231m (EUR19.5m) for new infrastructure, and NOK246m (EUR20.8m) for a new workshop.

The work should be complete by 2029.

LTF

POLAND BYDGOSZCZ. A further fivesection tram has been ordered from PESA to bring the total under the 2022 contract to 41.

A new tender is being prepared for five low-floor trams. When delivered, all of the city’s trams will be low-floor designs.

TP GORZÓW WLKP. Tenders have been invited for seven doubleended low-floor 25m trams, with an option for nine more. Delivery is required in 2027.

DS K R A KÓW. T he f r a me wor k agreements with PESA for 90 new Twist trams were signed on 3 April.

The PLN128m (EUR29.9m) cost is being covered by EU funding. TP

ROMANIA

BUC U R E Ș T I ( Buch a re s t).

Romania’s Ministry of Transport has confirmed that 12 new metro sets are to be purchased to replace the 40 -year-old Astra cars on line M4.

TP

RUSSIA KALININGRAD. After a public outcry against the removal of

The 126th anniversary tram parade in Moskva (Moscow) on 19 April saw this line-up of modern museum pieces led by Tatra T7 7005 of 1993 followed by 71-608 1001 (1994), LM2000 3001 (2001) and Tatra KT3R 30699 (2007). Ozermos

disused tram tracks, the cit y council has said that a special order will be required to do this in future.

RUR200m (EUR2.1m) has been allocated for repairs to tracks on lines 3 and 5.

Salaries have been increased by 38% to try to relieve a shortage of tram and bus drivers. J. Carpenter PYATIGORSK. An order has been placed with Uraltransmash for four 71-411 bogie trams. transphoto.org SARATOV. PKTS delivered the last of the 28 71-923M Bogatyr-M low-f loor trams in Febr uar y.

N one a r e ye t i n p a s s e n ge r service. transphoto.org

SERBIA BEOGRAD (Belgrade). Astra Vagoane is the preferred bidder for 100 new trams (TAUT 1048). profit.ro

SPAIN G R A N A DA . O p e n i n g t h e E U R 87m 4 . 6 k m (2 .9 - m i l e) extension of the tramway to Las Gabias is scheduled for 2026.

It includes a EUR 26m bridge and a 250-space park-and-ride facility, while eight new trams are required. Two million extra passengers/year are expected. IRJ JA ÉN. A tender for t he operation and maintenance of the refurbished tram line was issued by the regional council on 1 April. extrajaén M A D R I D . M e t r o l i n e 3 ’s E U R 9 2 m 3 . 5 k m (2 .1- m i l e) extension from Villaverde Alto to El Casar opened on 21 April.

C A F has del ivered a f u l lscale mock-up of the automated t r a i n o n or d e r for l i ne 6 .

The 23.5km (14.6 -mile) R ing L i ne i s to u s e 4 0 of t he s e six-car trains. urbanrail.net MALAGA. A EUR46.4m contract has been awarded for the 1.8km (1.1-mile) Hilera – Guadalmedina extension of light rail line 2. DS

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE. Plans are being made for a 3.1km (1.9-mile) tramway extension f rom L a L ag u na to Tener ife North Airport, which could be complete by 2030.

UTM

SWEDEN GÖTEBORG (Gothenburg).

Alstom had delivered 45m M34 trams 601-7 by the end of March.

Five are now in service on line 11.

S c rappi ng of M 28/29 t ra m s continues but 20 M29s are being given life-extending overhauls.

The first six M31s have been despatched to Ekova Electric in Ostrava for rebuilding.

STOCKHOLM. The new metro Yellow Line, expected to open in 2034, will be equipped for automatic train operation and will feature platform doors.

When the 18.5km (11.5-mile) Saltsjöbanan fully re-opens in 2028, it will be worked by 16 new X25 1500V DC cars. There will be a new depot at Neglinge. TP, Tåg

SWITZERLAND AARAU. Stadler has delivered Abe4/8 41-45 to replace Be4/4 16-26 and ABt 41-61.

EA

THAILAND BANGKOK. Metro lines were shut on 28 March after shockwaves from an earthquake in Myanmar were felt in the Thai capital.

After inspections, all but the Pink Line monorail operated again the following day.

Skyscrapercity

UKRAINE KYIV. Tenders have been invited for ten five-car metro trains to replace original stock. Finance would come from a European B a n k for Re con st r uc t ion & Development loan.

RGI

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DUBA I. T IG/m double- deck open-top tram 1 has gone on display at the for mer Dubai

Car 9503, the first Skoda 52T tram is unloaded at Hostivar workshops in Praha (Prague) on 4 April. DPP

Trolley depot. This building has been turned into a restaurant.

Y. Maller

UNITED KINGDOM BLACKPOOL. A new timetable came into effect on 6 April that, Blackpool Transport says, has increased services by 50%. Trams run every ten minutes during the day and every 15 minutes at evenings, seven days a week.

COV EN T RY. R a i l Advent u re is to operate the 220m trial Very Light Rail line this May and June.

The prototype car is to move from the VLR Innovation Centre in Dudley to Coventry after the 17 May open day.

EDINBURGH. Public consultation on the ‘Trams from Granton to the Bioquarter and Beyond’ project is to start this August. It will cover two proposed nor t h-sout h t ra mway routes across the city.

Testing of ‘tap - on-tap - off ’ payment on Edinburgh’s tram system is underway. An official l au nc h d ate h a s no t b e e n announced but it will work in conjunction with systems already in use on Lothian Buses.

GENER A L . National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) research has found that limited funding is the main barrier to achieving accessible transport, a f t e r it s u r ve y e d 4 2 lo c a l gover n ment t ra nspor t sta f f.

Clive Gilbert, lead researcher for the Equipping Councils for Change report, said: “Building an accessible and inclusive transport s y ste m w i l l mea n e n su r i ng local government is adequately funded.”

GL A SGOW. A new range of Subway merchandise comprises t-shirts and keyrings as well as bags and c ushions feat uring the Subway’s orange moquette.

T he ra nge is ava ilable f rom the R iverside Museum or www.shop.glasgowlife.org.uk

GR E AT ER M A NCH E ST ER .

Pla n s have b e e n subm it te d for a new footbridge at Bury Interchange. It would provide access from Union Square to the tram platforms. Work on the bridge could start in 2026, as the first stage in an GBP80m (EUR93.5m) plan to transform Bury Interchange into a new integrated transport hub.

L IGH T R A IL SA F ET Y & STA N DA R D S B OA R D. Blackpool, Edinburgh, Sheffield and West Midlands tram operators have started trials using the Learning Experience Platform.

This online system aims to offer a sector-wide approach to light rail training and development.

I f successf u l, it cou ld be of fered to a l l U K l ight ra i l operators later this year.

A trial to improve safety at pedestrian tramway crossings using AI technology from Starling Technologies is underway across the UK. Cameras at selected sites – deliberately not named – w ill monitor pedest r ian behaviour; Starling’s AI tools will help analyse the data and offer potential solutions.

LONDON (DLR). KeolisAmey Docklands’ new eight-year deal to operate and maintain the Docklands Light Railway came into effect on 1 April. KAD has managed the DLR since 2014 and, under the new contract, will do so until 2033. KAD said it will introduce the 54 new Stadler trains (TAUT 1047) “over the course of the new contract”.

LON DON (GEN ER A L).

Transport for London is preparing to tender a maintenance contract for its Br idges & St r uc t u res portfolio, worth an estimated GBP100m (EUR117m). The fiveyear contract would come into effect in April 2026 and cover some 20 000 structures across the Underground, Overground, DLR and London Tram networks.

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JUNE 2025 / 237

Worldwide Review

The oldest Tatra T3 still in regular passenger service, ex-Praha Kharkiv (Ukraine) 3030 dating from 1963. A. Sheva

Seville 3050, one of the latest batch of CAF trams, tops up its batteries before moving on to overhead-free tracks. D. Zelnina

LONDON (OVERGROU ND).

Charlotte Whitfield is London Overground’s new Operations Director. She joined operator Arriva Rail London in 2017 and was, most recently, its Customer Experience Director.

NOTTINGHAM. Sarah Turner is Nottingham Express Transit’s new Managing Director. She joined NET as Service Delivery & Safety Director in 2023.

Students from Nottingham Tr e nt Un ive r s it y ’s C iv i l Engineering & Product Design course have designed concepts for the next generation of NET tram stop. The students used an unused stop between the Lace Market and the railway station as the basis of their designs.

NET COO Andrew Conroy said: “This isn’t just a mock task… their insights will play a crucial role in our future plans.”

SHEFFIELD. Track repair took place at three locations over the Easter weekend: rails were replace d ne a r H i l l sb oroug h Interchange, the concrete trackbed was repaired at Hillsborough Corner, and rails were replaced on Middlewood Road.

T Y N E & W E A R . Class 555 555015 has become the ninth Stadler unit to enter passenger service. It is hoped that 23 will be in service by the end of the year.

USA BETHESDA – NEW C A R ROL LTON, M D. W it h eight Purple Line CAF LRVs on site, dynamic testing at Glenridge depot started in early April.

Mass Transit

CHICAGO – SOUTH BEND, IL/IN. The South Shore Line is hoping to open the new Monon Corridor that links Hammond with Munster later this summer.

Mass Transit LOS ANGELES, CA. The future of t he Pomona – Montc la i r extension is in doubt after the Foothill Extension Construction Authorit y cancelled its USD878m contract with Kiewit.

The construction firm wants to increase the price due to contract variations and the two parties cannot reach agreement. J. May N EW YOR K , N Y. T he Por t Authority has awarded Alstom a U S D 518 m ( E U R4 5 5m) seven-year contract extension for the operation and maintenance of t he J F K I nter nat iona l Airport AirTrain.

RGI PHOE N I X, A Z . T he 7.7 k m (4.8-mile) extension of light rail Line B from Downtown Phoenix Hub to Baseline/Central Ave is to open on 7 June.

J. May PORTLAND, OR. Brookville t ra ms 031 a nd 033 entered service in March, alleviating a vehicle shortage on the Portland Streetcar system.

N e i t h e r t h e c i t y, w h i c h owns the streetcar system, nor operator TriMet have released any information on the findings of the investigation into the cause of the collision between tram 024 and LRV 216 on 15 November 2 023. Bot h veh icles rema i n out of service, with no repair work as yet undertaken.

Shipment of Type 6 LRVs from the Siemens factory resumed in March.

S. J. Morgan

238 / JUNE 2025 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org

SALT LAKE CITY, UT. South Jordan Downtown station on the TRAX Red line was opened on 26 March. This is adjacent to the Salt Lake Bees’ new stadium between South Jordan Parkway and Daybreak Parkway.

J. May SEATTLE, WA. Services started on the 5.4km (3.4-mile) light rail extension from Redmond Te c h n o l o g y t o D o w n t o w n Redmond on 10 May. J. May S A N J O S E , C A . A 17- d a y strike, starting on 10 March, brought the transit service to a standstill and increased the financial pressure on operator Santa Clara VTA. Patronage was only 80% of pre-pandemic levels before the strike. Services resumed on 3 April after a judge ordered workers to return to their jobs, but repair teams had to replace stolen overhead.

J. May

UZBEKISTAN SAMARQAND (Samarkand).

Tramway operation on lines 1 and 2 had resumed by 30 March. transphoto.org

hopes to reopen to the public in 2 0 2 5 -2 6 . B a l l a r at Tr a mw ay Museum has been contracted to repair and replace overhead wire and fittings.

Running Journal CRICH (UK). Testing of newlyrestored L ondon C ou nt y C ou nc i l 1 has been paused wh i le i nvest igat ions i nto u nu s u a l e le c t r ic a l re ad i ngs from the motors is investigated.

It is hoped that the tram will enter passenger service later this year.

KOHLFÜRTH (DE). Passenger ser v ice on the Berg ische Museumsbahnen resumed on 10 April. Ser vice is provided 10.40 -17.20 on ever y second and fourth Sunday in the month until October.

BMB LL A N DUDNO ( UK). T he Great Orme Tramway resumed operation on 27 March but had to suspend running on 2 April due to an electrical fault.

LOW E STOF T ( U K ). A new motorcycle exhibition – depicting a t y pica l repa ir work shop – was opened at the East Anglia Transport Museum on 20 April.

MUSEUM NEWS

CONTRIBUTORS

BEAMISH (UK). Trial reassembly of Gateshead tram 10’s bogies is underway. It is hoped that they will be ready for final assembly in May, followed by a trial fit of the body.

Black pool 31 was used to test the repaired sections of the tramway, ready for public opening on 2 April.

BRUXELLES/BRUSSELS (BE). The operation of museum trams has changed this year due to infrastructure work on the Tervuren line. Trams now run on Saturdays (14.25-16.55) and Sundays (13.50-17.10) from Musée du Tram at Woluwe to Avenue Louise and R. P. du Meir.

Services started on 5 April and will run until 28 September.

TMB BYLANDS (AU). A fter work to repa ir da mage caused by thefts and vandalism in 2024, the Tramway Heritage Centre

Worldwide items for inclusion should be sent to Michael Taplin at Flat 8, Roxan Villa, 33 Landguard Manor Rd, Shanklin, Isle of Wight P O37 7 H Z , U K . Plea se fa x : + 4 4 ( 0 )19 8 3 8 6 2 810 o r e-mail miketap@mainspring.co.uk UK and Ireland items, please e-mail uknews@lrta.org Acknowledgements are due to BMB, dopravacek.eu, Drehscheibe (DS), Eisenbahn Amateur (EA), expats.cz, extrajaén, ferrovie.it, International Railway Journal (IRJ), lineoz.net, LTF, mainzer-mobilität, Mass Transit, Nordzee-Zeitung, Op de Rails (OR), pleinair.net, prof it.ro, Railway Gazet te Inte r nat ional ( RGI ), Running Jo u r n al , sk ys c ra p e rc it y, Tåg, TMB, Tram-2000 (T-2000), Tram Atlas, tramwayforum.at, transphoto. org, Transport Publiczny (TP), urbanrail.net, Urban Transport Magazine (UTM) and VAG.

Report UKTRam visits coventry city centre vlr project test track installation As the first concrete slabs are laid along Coventry’s Very Light Rail demonstrator route in the UK, guests from UKTram and WMCA opted to pay a visit.

T

he new test installation for Coventry’s Very Light where higher loads and traction power systems are involved, Rail (VLR) system is now underway in the city centre, it offers insight into the potential for wider applications, offering a glimpse into how future urban transit especially within VLR-specific operations. projects might evolve.

“It was good to see the installation from a concept Designed to reduce the complexity, cost and drawing to a physical entity,” Phill, UKTram Lead Engineer, comments. “Data collection has been construction time traditionally associated with tramway immense, giving the designers and constructors a track, the initiative has reached a crucial milestone as the first clearer view of pre-construction slab performance concrete slabs are being laid along a new single-track, 220-metre while also allowing adjustments to be made during demonstrator route which includes a 30m radius curve, subtle the trial installation.” inclined alignment and vehicle inspection area.

However, Phill also stressed Representatives from UKTram and the importance of ongoing testing: the West Midlands Combined Authority “The real test will come when a visited the site in April to view the early VLR vehicle is run on it, combined stages of this important testbed. The visit with real-world interactions from included UKTram’s Lead Engineer, Phill Terry, and Chair of the UKTram highway vehicles crossing the Board, Steve Edwards. The visit was led installation and additional data

by Dr Christopher Micallef, Track Systems from embedded sensors. This is still a trial phase, and we need Programme Lead. to see and validate how the While the installation remains in its design performs under operating initial phases, the VLR system is drawing conditions.” attention from transport professionals, Another key feature of the project engineers and planners alike for its novel is how data is captured throughout approach and potential to unlock more the installation. Sensors and accessible solutions for light rail in smaller mapping tools are used to track each cities and towns. build stage, providing a rich dataset The Coventry VLR demonstrator project for future asset management and is not a conventional tramway. Instead, it maintenance. is a live test of the installation of a lighter, If the technology proves viable, modular and potentially more scalable it could represent a significant step system designed with cost efficiency and toward more agile and sustainable ease of construction in mind. light rail schemes, particularly those The approach centres around a intended to integrate with busy prefabricated slab trackform using fibre-reinforced Ultra-High-Performance road environments or to regenerate Concrete (UHPC), which is designed to be underused metropolitan corridors. installed at a shallow depth of just 300mm UKTram has provided a formal ABOVE: April witnessed work to lay the first concrete in the highway. This avoids the deep letter of support to help facilitate slabs along the VLR demonstrator route. UKTram the installation’s completion excavations and utility diversions that can be a hurdle for urban rail projects. and its testing under live traffic During the visit, the UKTram team observed how the new conditions. The organisation has also pledged to promote rail slabs were placed, aligned, levelled and secured using a the Coventry VLR project through industry forums, low-viscosity concrete grout, employing the installed rails to recognising the potential within the broader light rail add stability to the assembly during the first stage of construction. landscape.

Consecutive stages would see the highway surface reinstated .

Future site visits are planned and these next stages will Twenty-five slabs per day can be installed using a standard provide further evidence on the viability and scalability construction plant. The system reduces the need for specialist of the system, and help shape conversations around how equipment or large teams, promising time savings in the UK cities and regions can best meet their transport and construction process. environmental goals.

Using modular UHPC slabs means lower installation costs, As the Coventry VLR test progresses, the sector will fewer on-site resources and reduced disruption to the existing be watching closely for what could be a complementary road network. The slabs are aligned and set with precision, and solution that adds new dimensions to the future of light rail in the UK. the aim is ultimately to enable the road surface to be handed back within weeks rather than months.

The 220m demonstrator track between Greyfriars Road For UKTram, which supports the development of best practice and Queen Victoria Road will be up and running by the end of May. across the light rail industry, projects like Coventry VLR provide valuable learning opportunities. While the current installation is A full VLR update will appear in a future issue of TAUT. not yet validated for standard tramway applications, particularly

www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org JUNE 2025 / 239

NEWS FROM THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ASSOCIATION

LRTA visit to the Isle of Man

By Paul Rowen

T

his is an opportunity for a visit to the Isle of Man, with a special car on the MER and a visit to the depot at Derby Castle. Several other interesting trips have also been arranged. The LRTA last visited in 2015 and unwittingly travelled on the last horse car operated by Douglas Corporation.

The itinerary below sets out the basic arrangements of the tour. The price includes sailing to the island with IOM Steam Packet.

However, you can request a quotation to fly. Options include EasyJet from Gatwick, Manchester or Liverpool; as well as Loganair from London (City and Heathrow), Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. Similarly, if you wish to add additional nights on the island, that is also an option.

An Explorer card is included for use on the four railways and the local bus service.

Friday 24 October: Arrival day. Please note that the MER and horse tram do not operate on this day, however, the steam railway is operating.

Saturday 25 October: 10.00 – depot visits to both the horse tram and MER Derby Castle. Free time to ride the horse tram and travel to Snaefell Summit.

Sunday 26 October: We have a private charter on MER departing at 09.55 from Derby Castle. We will call at Laxey for a shed visit to see the stored cars, and then continue to Ramsey making some photo stops.

We will then travel by bus to Jurby to visit the Transport Museum. There is an optional opportunity for lunch at the Guard House Café. Our return to Ramsey departs at 14.30. Leaving Ramsey at 15.20 by tram to arrive back in Derby Castle at dusk.

This should allow a little time for night-time photography.

In the evening there is a private dinner at the Regency Hotel, with an after-dinner talk by Andrew Scarffe on the current developments taking place at the Isle of Man Tramways.

Monday 27 October: The steam railway is operating today. Travel home.

David Russell

Dates for your diary

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of former Chairman and Vice President David Russell at the age of 87 in April. A full appreciation of David’s life and contribution to the work of the Association will appear in next month’s TAUT.

Two further events to make a note of and put in your diary. Further details will appear in next month’s TAUT: • July – probably Thursday 3 July. A visit to the East Anglian Transport Museum in Lowestoft.

MEETINGS & EVENTS JUNE Tuesday 3. Southampton 19.30.

Members’ digital images.

Junction Church (Former Railway Institute) Eastleigh, GBP3. (LRTA/SEG) Thursday 5. Brentford 14.30.

Bob Hodges: Video presentation.

London Museum of Water and Steam, Brentford TW8 0EN. Contact: thamesvalley@tlrs.info. £5 including refreshments. (TLRS) Monday 9. Leeds 19.30. Dave Farrer: Buses on camera. Engine House Middleton Railway, Leeds LS10 2JG.

Contact: enquiries@lths.co.uk. £1 (inc. light refreshments). (LRTA/LTHS) Wednesday 11.Sussex 19.40.

Jonathan James: Tramway travels.

Southwick Community Centre, BN42 4TE. Contact: sussex@tlrs.info. £2 visitors. (TLRS) Monday 16. Solent 19.30. Simon Cole: Gosport & Fareham + Zoom.

St. Nicholas’s Church Hall, PO17 6HP. Contact Paul Coles (Chairman): solent@tlrs.info. £2. (TLRS) Tuesday 17. London, 19.00.

Bob Hodges. Spain and Portugal revisited.The Model Railway Club, London, N1 9DA. £2. (LRTA)

To reserve a place on this tour please return your completed booking form, which you can find on the LRTA website.

The completed form can then be sent as an attachment or scanned to Ian Longworth at: ianjlongworth@aol.com Alternatively, the completed form can be posted to Ian at: 10 Piccadilly Court, Queens Promenade, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 4NS TTA Membership Number X2070.

Mapmaker Travel Ltd. Registered Company Number 14483565.

Paul Rowen

• AGM Weekend in Sheffield, 3-5 October.

This will include a visit to the South Yorkshire Transport Museum, the annual dinner, a visit to Crich and a depot visit.

More diary dates are online at www.lrta.org

Compiled by the LRTA. For a full list of the year’s events and meeting places, including online meetings, visit www.lrta.org Saturday 21. Coatbridge, 1300.

Scottish trams show and tell & talk TBC. Summerlee Museum, Heritage Way, ML5 1QD. Contact: scotland@tlrs.info. (TLRS) Saturday 28. Nottingham 14.00.

Phil Williams: Garden Railway, TBA. Contact: chairman@tlrs.info. (TLRS) Saturday 28. Taunton 14.00.

Mark Blackstone: 20 favourite British trams/systems. West Monkton Village Hall, TA2 8NE. Contact: westofengland@tlrs.info. £2 inc. light refreshments. (TLRS) Saturday 28. Arnside 14.00.

Jon Allen: 1:16 garden layout.

Contact: archivist@tlrs.info. (TLRS) JULY Thursday 3. Brentford 14.30.

John Parkin: The Michael Cleary legacy. London Museum of Water and Steam, Brentford TW8 0EN. Contact: thamesvalley@tlrs.info. £5 inc. refreshments. (TLRS) Wednesday 9. Sussex 19.40.

Richard Salmon; Carriage and Wagon Restoration at the Bluebell Railway. Southwick Community Centre, BN42 4TE. Contact: sussex@tlrs.info. £2 visitors. (SEG)

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

Tramways and Light Railways of Barcelona, Mallorca and Valencia in Colour (1954-1980)

TRAMWAYS AND LIGHT RAILWAYS OF

BARCELONA, MALLORCA AND VALENCIA IN COLOUR (1954-1980) Martin Jenkins and Charles Roberts

The first in a series of three books covering many of the tramways and electric light railways still operational in Spain in the mid-1950s. Barcelona was an absolute must for anyone interested in electric traction, with two track gauges, city and interurban operation, and a wealth of car types including double-deckers and PCCs acquired second-hand from the USA. Valencia, too, had much to offer with a complex city system and some long interurban lines.

The island of Mallorca had many gems, some of which still run today.

> A4 hardback, landscape format; 144 pages, fully illustrated in colour throughout. £42.50 (UK); £54.00 (outside UK); £66.00 (Airmail Z1); £67.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.90 discount

Tram Atlas Nordafrika & Naher Osten Tram Atlas North Africa & Middle East Another volume in the series of Robert Schwandl handbooks, covering the tramways and underground lines in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates.

German & English text. > B5 softback, 128 pages, 150+ colour pictures, 28 maps. £22.00 (UK); £27.50 (outside UK); £30.00 (Airmail Z1); £33.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £1.95 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

The Tramways of Upper Silesia A Guidebook 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

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

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

Order direct from the website shown (not from the LRTA) The Light Railway A journey along the narrow and bucolic A black & white album of atmospheric images of the secondary railways of the British Isles, including the many quirky lines which lasted less than 50 years in more rural areas. > B5 hardback, landscape format; 226 pages, 200+ black & white pictures. £25.00 – www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

Tramways in Victorian London A comprehensive review of the early years of tramways in the capital during which the horse and steam gave way to electric traction. Includes an account of the variety of alternative power sources that were pioneered in the 19th Century, and exposes the often complex ownership structure of the operating companies. > A4 hardback; 112 pages, 120+ black & white pictures, several maps. £25.00 – www.capitaltransport.com

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