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:
• concern 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.
Federal funding sourced for new Québec light rail
CAD1.1bn for Montréal and Québec City light rail projects
Canada’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
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
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
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.
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.
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
LEFT:
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.
ABOVE: The Sachsentram for Leipzig has yet to be delivered. LVB
Liège’s new tramline runs in close proximity to pedestrians and buses in the city centre. TEC
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.”
… 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.
World’s longest tram enters passenger service
Škoda 58.7m vehicles now in use on Mannheim system
Mannheim 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
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.
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.
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.
ABOVE: Mannheim’s record breaking Škoda 38T H. Heinrich
ABOVE: Narrow- and standard-gauge Tatra trams in Sofia. Trinmo.org
ABOVE: Crew testing of the new Class 398 tram-trains in April. TfW
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).
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
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
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.
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.
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,
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
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.
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.
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.
The 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
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
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.
the Newark Light rail line is the only surviving
– 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.
BeLow:
trolley line in New York
All images courtesy of Andrew Grahl unless stated otherwise.
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.
“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.
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.
NUMBERED STOPS
1. Goethestraße
2. Arndtstraße
3. Gerhart Hauptmann Straße
4. Spielhagenstraße
5. Jordanstraße
6. Halberstädter Straße / Leipziger Straße
7. Am Fuchsberg
N.B. Not all stops have been named due to space constraints.
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
Kannenstieg Pablo Picasso Straße
Milchweg
IKEA
Kastanienstraße/ Bedarfshaltestelle
Neustädter See Krähenstieg Neustädter Platz
Klosterwuhne
Klinikum Olvenstedt Brunnenstieg
Am Stern
Sternbogen / Bürgerbüro
Drosselsteig
Diesdorf
Nicolaiplatz
Mittagstraße
Neustädter Friedhof
Eisvogelstraße Rennetal
S-Bahnhof Neustadt AOK
Olvenstedter Platz
Albert Vater Straße Harsdorfer Straße Westring
Hannoversche Straße
Flechtinger Straße
Schmeilstraße Liebknechtstraße Westringbrücke
Südring Eiskellerplatz Ambrosiusplatz
Sudenburg (Kroatenweg)
Barleber See
Industrie und Logistik Centrum
Enercon
Rothensee
Betriebshof Nord
Hohenwarther Straße
Schule Rothensee
Havelstraße
Zoo Pettenkoferstraße
S-Bahnhof Eichenweiler
Rostocker Straße
Kastanienstraße
Lostauer Straße
AgnetenStraße
Alter Markt Am Nordpark
Gartenstr.
Zollbrücke
Hasselbachplatz Planckstr.
Hertzstraße Raiffeisen -straße Südfriedhof
Braunlager Straße
Herrenkrug
MD-Herrenkrug
Fachhochschule
Messegelände / Elbauenpark
Jerichower Platz
Arenen
Am Cracauer Tor Heumarkt
Mehringstr.
AMO / Steubenallee Benediktinerstr. Budenbergstr. Thiemstr. Neue Straße Buckau
Freibad Süd Leipziger Chaussee
Brenneckestraße Weinbrennerallee Am Hopfengarten
Flugplatz / Technisches Hilfswerk Merkurweg Pallasweg
Simonstr.
Pfeiffersche Stiftungen
(Pechauer Platz)
Zinckerstraße
Friedrich List Straße
Mariannenstraße
Turmpark SKL
Salbker Platz
Blumenberger Straße
Husumer Straße
Sohlener Straße
Schleswiger Straße
Magdeburg
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 KT4D s.
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.
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.
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.
Designed to reflect your cities’ unique identity
CITADIS TM LIGHT RAIL
Dubai
RoUTES A n D RIDERSHI p
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.
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
systems factfile No.212
Grenoble, France
Andrew Thompson explores the second French city that reintroduced a second-generation tramway.
Located 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
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
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.
Grenoble
2014.
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
Palluel
Rafour
Karben
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
Pont de Vence
Le Muret
Fiancey – Prédieu
Neron
Horloge
Saint Martin le Vinoux – Hôtel de Ville
Oxford
Marie Louise Paris – CEA
Cité Internationale
Fontaine La Poya
Charles Michels
Fontaine – Hôtel de Ville – La Source
Les Fontainades –Le Vog
Louis Maisonnat
Seyssinet Pariset Hôtel de Ville
Fauconnière
Grand Pré
Mas des Îles
Seyssins Le Prisme
Berriat –Le Magasin
Vallier –Catane
Louise Michel
Casamaures
Village
Annie Fratellini –Esplanade
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
NUMBERED STOPS
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
Île Verte
Albert 1er de Belgique
Mounier
MC2 Maison de la Culture Malherbe
Grand Place
Surieux
Essarts – La Butte
L’Étoile 13 14 15
Grand Sablon
Université Les Taillées 16
Neyrpic –Belledonne
Université
Bibliothèques 17 18 Plaine des Sports
Maison Communale
Édouard Vaillant
Parc Jo Blanchon
Grenoble Universités –Gières
Étienne Grappe
La Bruyère – Parc Jean Verlhac Arlequin
Pôle Sud –Alpexpo Les Granges
La Rampe – Centre Ville
Marie Curie
Auguste Delaune
Denis Papin
Edmée Chandon
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.
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
Opened: 1987 (First generation tramway 1894-1952)
l ines: 5
Depots: 2
Gauge: 1435mm
Power supply: 750V dc
General frequency: 4-10 mins peak, 10-20 mins off peak municipal operator: Reso M https://www.reso-m.fr/ c ivic information: https://www.grenoble.fr/ tourist information: https://www.grenoble-tourisme.com/ en/
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.
BELOW: Citadis 6046 at the western line B terminus
which opened in September 2014 and which serves a district of office buildings.
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.
Oxford,
A mORE mODERN WROCŁAW
Fleet modernisation and network extension continues at pace in Wrocław, as Andrew Thompson discovers in southwestern Poland.
REVOLUTION
VLR UPDATE
Richard Foster reports on the latest developments with next generation VLR, which is now making strides from its new home in Ironbridge.
+ AI and automation: A growing role in running a tramway
+ Classics in Hannover
SYSTE
Neil Pulling explores the tram system introduced in 2004 and expanded in 2021, plus other aspects of the Greek capital's public transport network.
+ The latest news and analysis, system and technical development
disused tram tracks, the city 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-floor trams in February. None are yet in passenger service. transphoto.org
SERBIA
BEOGRAD (Belgrade). Astra Vagoane is the preferred bidder for 100 new trams (TAUT 1048). profit.ro
SPAIN
GRANADA. Opening the EUR87m 4.6km (2.9-mile) extension of the tramway to Las Gabias is scheduled for 2026. It includes a EUR26m bridge and a 250-space park-and-ride facility, while eight new trams are required. Two million extra passengers/year are expected. IRJ JAÉN. A tender for the operation and maintenance of the refurbished tram line was issued by the regional council on 1 April. extrajaén MADRID. Metro line 3’s EUR92m 3.5km (2.1-mile) extension from Villaverde Alto to El Casar opened on 21 April.
CAF has delivered a fullscale mock-up of the automated train on order for line 6. The 23.5km (14.6-mile) Ring Line is to use 40 of these 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 from La Laguna to Tenerife 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. Scrapping of M28/29 trams 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 Bank for Reconstruction & Development loan. RGI
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
DUBAI. TIG/m double-deck open-top tram 1 has gone on display at the former Dubai
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.
COVENTRY. RailAdventure 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 north-south tramway routes across the city.
Testing of ‘tap-on-tap-off’ payment on Edinburgh’s tram system is underway. An official launch date has not been announced but it will work in conjunction with systems already in use on Lothian Buses.
GENERAL. National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) research has found that limited funding is the main barrier to achieving accessible transport, after it surveyed 42 local government transport staff.
Clive Gilbert, lead researcher for the Equipping Councils for Change report, said: “Building an accessible and inclusive transport system will mean ensuring local government is adequately funded.”
GLASGOW. A new range of Subway merchandise comprises t-shirts and keyrings as well as bags and cushions featuring the Subway’s orange moquette. The range is available from the Riverside Museum or www.shop.glasgowlife.org.uk
GREATER MANCHESTER. Plans have been submitted 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.
LIGHT RAIL SAFETY & STANDARDS BOARD. 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. If successful, it could be offered to all UK light rail 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 –will monitor pedestrian 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”.
LONDON (GENERAL). Transport for London is preparing to tender a maintenance contract for its Bridges & Structures 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.
Car 9503, the first Skoda 52T tram is unloaded at Hostivar workshops in Praha (Prague) on 4 April. DPP
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
Report
UKTRam visi T s coven TRy ci T y cen TR e vl R p Rojec T
T es T TR ac K ins TallaT ion
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.
The new test installation for Coventry’s Very Light Rail (VLR) system is now underway in the city centre, offering a glimpse into how future urban transit projects might evolve.
Designed to reduce the complexity, cost and construction time traditionally associated with tramway track, the initiative has reached a crucial milestone as the first concrete slabs are being laid along a new single-track, 220-metre demonstrator route which includes a 30m radius curve, subtle inclined alignment and vehicle inspection area.
Representatives from UKTram and the West Midlands Combined Authority visited the site in April to view the early stages of this important testbed. The visit included UKTram’s Lead Engineer, Phill Terry, and Chair of the UKTram Board, Steve Edwards. The visit was led by Dr Christopher Micallef, Track Systems Programme Lead.
While the installation remains in its initial phases, the VLR system is drawing attention from transport professionals, engineers and planners alike for its novel approach and potential to unlock more accessible solutions for light rail in smaller cities and towns.
The Coventry VLR demonstrator project is not a conventional tramway. Instead, it is a live test of the installation of a lighter, modular and potentially more scalable system designed with cost efficiency and ease of construction in mind.
The approach centres around a prefabricated slab trackform using fibre-reinforced Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC), which is designed to be installed at a shallow depth of just 300mm in the highway. This avoids the deep excavations and utility diversions that can be a hurdle for urban rail projects.
where higher loads and traction power systems are involved, it offers insight into the potential for wider applications, especially within VLR-specific operations.
“It was good to see the installation from a concept drawing to a physical entity,” Phill, UKTram Lead Engineer, comments. “Data collection has been immense, giving the designers and constructors a clearer view of pre-construction slab performance while also allowing adjustments to be made during the trial installation.”
During the visit, the UKTram team observed how the new rail slabs were placed, aligned, levelled and secured using a low-viscosity concrete grout, employing the installed rails to add stability to the assembly during the first stage of construction. Consecutive stages would see the highway surface reinstated .
Twenty-five slabs per day can be installed using a standard construction plant. The system reduces the need for specialist equipment or large teams, promising time savings in the construction process.
Using modular UHPC slabs means lower installation costs, fewer on-site resources and reduced disruption to the existing road network. The slabs are aligned and set with precision, and the aim is ultimately to enable the road surface to be handed back within weeks rather than months.
For UKTram, which supports the development of best practice across the light rail industry, projects like Coventry VLR provide valuable learning opportunities. While the current installation is not yet validated for standard tramway applications, particularly
However, Phill also stressed the importance of ongoing testing: “The real test will come when a VLR vehicle is run on it, combined with real-world interactions from highway vehicles crossing the installation and additional data from embedded sensors. This is still a trial phase, and we need to see and validate how the design performs under operating conditions.”
Another key feature of the project is how data is captured throughout the installation. Sensors and mapping tools are used to track each build stage, providing a rich dataset for future asset management and maintenance.
If the technology proves viable, it could represent a significant step toward more agile and sustainable light rail schemes, particularly those intended to integrate with busy road environments or to regenerate underused metropolitan corridors.
UKTram has provided a formal letter of support to help facilitate the installation’s completion and its testing under live traffic conditions. The organisation has also pledged to promote the Coventry VLR project through industry forums, recognising the potential within the broader light rail landscape.
Future site visits are planned and these next stages will provide further evidence on the viability and scalability of the system, and help shape conversations around how UK cities and regions can best meet their transport and environmental goals.
As the Coventry VLR test progresses, the sector will be watching closely for what could be a complementary solution that adds new dimensions to the future of light rail in the UK.
The 220m demonstrator track between Greyfriars Road and Queen Victoria Road will be up and running by the end of May.
A full VLR update will appear in a future issue of TAUT
aBove: april witnessed work to lay the first concrete slabs along the vlR demonstrator route. UKTram
