October TAUT digital issue-compressed

Taiwanese

New Helsinki Kalasatama line opens

Dresden orders more Alstom trams

Calgary’s Green Line scheme cut back

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CONTENTS

NEWS

364

Services start on new Helsinki route; More Alstom trams on order in Dresden deal; Egis to manage Lille’s new Tourcoing line; Brescia tramway gains approval.

i NNOTRANS p REV i EW

TAUT previews what to see at this year ’s leading rail innovation show.

368

COM pACT AND COM p ETENT

372

The Polish city of Gorzów proves that size isn’t everything, as this small LRT system has benefited from recent investment and is now fit for the next 50 years. Andrew Thompson finds out more.

Au STRAL i AN up DATE

Richard Foster rounds up current events and future plans for LRT in Australia, a country where light rail is expanding in every major city.

377

p OLAND : ST i LL g ROW i N g

382

The last decade has seen over 50km of new LRT lines in Poland, but there’s more to come. Witold Urbanowicz summarises.

S y STEMS FACTF i LE : KAOHS iu N g

385

Neil Pulling explores the Taiwanese port city that has recently completed a full light rail loop around its urban centre.

WORLDW i DE REV i EW

391

Work starts on a new extension in Prague; Kraków issues tender for 30 new vehicles.

MA i LBOX

OCTOBER 2024 Vol. 87 No. 1042 www.tautonline.com

EDITORIAL

Editor – Matt Johnston matt@mainspring.co.uk

Associ At E Editor – Tony Streeter tony.streeter@mainspring.co.uk

WorldW id E Editor – Michael Taplin miketap@mainspring.co.uk

sE nior c ontributor s –Howard Johnston , Neil p ulling

WO rldW id E C ONT ribu TO r S r ichard Foster, Andrew Grahl, Andrew Moglestue, Herbert Pence, Mike russell, nikolai s emyonov, Alain s enut, Andrew t hompson, Witold urbanowicz, bill Vigrass, t homas Wagner, Philip Webb.

Production – Lanna Blyth tel: +44 (0)1733 367604 production@mainspring.co.uk

d E si G n – Debbie Nolan A Dv ERTI s I ng

co MME rci A l M A n AGE r – g eoff Butler tel: +44 (0)1733 367610 geoff@mainspring.co.uk

Tramways & Urban Transit 13 o rton Enterprise centre, b akewell road, Peterborough PE2 6X u u K

Tramways & Urban Transit is published by Mainspring on behalf of the lrtA on the third Friday of each month preceding the cover date.

395

Why EURO2024 has shown up flaws in Germany’s public transport provision for major events.

CLASS i C TRAMS: DORTM u ND

A popular historic tramway museum in Germany’s industrial heartland.

396

Australia knows where it’s going

It took 106 years from the decision to turn Canberra into Australia’s capital to open its light rail system, even though its streets were originally laid out with trams in mind.

Better late than never? Certainly, as we report in our special review of the country’s light rail network in this issue of TAUT.

There can be no better accolade than the straightforward message from Canberra’s Minister for Transport Chris Steel on the tramway’s fifth anniversary: “Light rail has delivered billions in additional construction work along the alignment, thousands of new homes and thousands of local jobs.”

As he plans extensions, he can also boast that trams have a 20% share of all public transport usage, and have reduced the number of cars by almost the same percentage.

It’s the same story in other parts of Australia, where the tramways in Gold Coast (Queensland) and Newcastle (New South Wales) are also thriving. Melbourne, which has the world’s largest system with 250km (155 miles) of track and 1700 tram stops (can you believe it’s such a high number?) is also looking to extend existing routes in all directions.

We look forward to seeing entries from Australia and around the globe at the 2024 Global Light Rail Awards, which are being staged in London on Wednesday 2 October.

For more details on the shortlist, full details can be found at our website –www.mainspring.co.uk, but you’ll have to wait until the night itself to see who will be walking to the stage to be honoured this year’s Worldwide Operator of the Year. It’ll be great to find out – see you there!

Matt Johnston, Editor

COVER: CAF and Alstom trams operating the wire-free Kaohsiung Light Rail system in Taiwan are represented near Department of Health on 28 March 2024. Howard Pulling

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© lrtA 2024

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Floyd bromley, Flickr cc bY-nc 2.0

Hydrogen for Korea’s Daejeon

The South Korean city of Daejeon has ordered 34 hydrogen-powered LRVs from HyundaiRotem under a contract worth KRW293bn (EUR199m).

HyundaiRotem unveiled a prototype of its hydrogenpowered tram in July 2023; a hydrogen fuel cell provides traction power and is used to charge a battery. Each vehicle will have a range of 200km (124 miles), and a test vehicle has accumulated over 5000km (3000 miles) on a 4.6km (2.9-mile) test track since last October.

The new vehicles will be used on Daejeon’s 38.1km (24-mile) line 2. This is expected to be South Korea’s first city tramway since Seoul’s system closed in 1968 – unless the South Korean capital opens its 5.4km (3.4-mile) Wirye line first.

Daejeon’s new tramway boasts 45 stops and five interchanges with metro line 1. The KRW1.5tr (EUR1bn) project should open before the end of 2028.

Hanoi metro opens

Services started on 8.5km (5.3 miles) of Hanoi metro’s line 3 on 8 August; ten Alstom four-car trains provide a ten-minute service 05.30-22.00. A day ticket costs VND24 000 (EUR0.86).

However, only the elevated section between Nhon and Hanoi station has so far been brought into service, with a 2.5km (1.6mile) section underneath the Vietnamese capital at Cát Linh, to provide interchange with metro line 2, yet to be commissioned.

Liège reaches city centre

A tram passed through the centre of Liège, Belgium, on 20 August for the first time since 1967. A new 11.7km (7.3-mile) line has been under construction since 2018; the first of its 20 CAF Urbos undertook trial runs outside the depot in 2023. Testing has now reached the city centre and it is hoped that the line could open in January.

Of the 23 stops, 21 are on the main line that shadows the west bank of the River Meuse from Sclessin to Coronmeuse. A 1.3km (0.8-mile) branch crosses the river to reach the depot at Bressoux.

Construction of northern and southern extensions to Herstel and Seraing was expected to follow, bringing the line’s length to 17.5km (11 miles). However, on 29 August the new Walloon government announced that the extensions would not be built because the combined cost of EUR350m was deemed too expensive.

Services start on Helsinki’s Kalasatama tram route

New line serves redevelopment area in Finnish capital

Passenger services started on Helsinki’s new tramline on 12 August. The 4.5km (2.8-mile) line connects Pasila railway station to Kalasatama.

Line 13 serves new development at Kalasatama, on the former port and industrial land. It is anticipated that the redevelopment work in the Finnish capital will create more than 10 000 jobs by 2040. The project also includes road network enhancement and new active travel routes.

The new tramway runs mostly on reserved tracks in the highway median, though there is some street track in Junonkatu and Leonkatu.

Trams run every ten minutes 05.30-23.59, with end-to-end journey times of 21 minutes. The service will initially be provided by Helsinki’s existing tram fleet, so each terminus boasts a turning loop. However,

new 34m Škoda Transtech Smart Artic X54 double-ended cars are to be introduced from 2027.

Between four and five million passengers/year are expected to use the new line, which cost EUR79.3m to build. There is a

metro interchange at Kalasatama but the number of passengers will increase in 2027 when an interchange with the stillunder-construction Three Crown Bridges tramline opens (TAUT 1029).

Cardiff Crossrail consultation for first phase of route

Transport for Wales is to carry out a public consultation on Phase 1 of its proposed ‘Cardiff Crossrail’. The tramway would link Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay stations via Callaghan Square. It would boast a new two-platform stop at Cardiff Central’s southern car park and

an additional third platform at Cardiff Bay.

TfW’s Cardiff Crossrail Consultation Commitment said: “The Cardiff Crossrail scheme will align fully with the South Wales Metro aspirations and form part of the Core Valley Lines transformation.”

Consultation on the proposal is to run for six weeks. TfW hopes that a Full Business Case could be submitted to the UK government over the winter.

The public consultation will not include the proposed Phase 1B, because this scheme requires additional funding.

Firenze’s trams return to city centre

Trams have returned to the city centre of Firenze (Florence) for the first time in 66 years. Testing on the Italian city’s line 2 extension started in May, although by the time this issue closed for press, an opening date had still to be announced. Services are not expected to start until the autumn.

That test run on the new Fortezza da Basso – Piazza San Marco route was for the benefit of city authorities. It ran via Cavour, because the Piazza Libertà – San Marco portion via Lamarmora was not yet complete. When finished, the extension will mean line 2 reaches 7.5km (4.7 miles).

Meanwhile, Hitachi Rail Italia has been awarded a contract for 16 air-conditioned 33.5m Sirio trams, with an option for 30 more. They are to be equipped with batteries to allow operation away from overhead wires. Delivery is due to start in 2026. Although the cost of the new trams remains undisclosed, Hitachi has also secured a EUR17m contract to maintain the city’s existing Sirio fleet.

Firenze’s first-generation trams ceased running in 1958. Line 1 of the new tramway opened in 2010.

The new Helsinki tramline runs through a redevelopment area.HKL

ABOVE: A trial tram at Pizza della Liberta di Movimento in Firenze. Oberservatory Florence

Dresden orders more Alstom trams in EUR67.5m deal

Bautzen to build Citadis Classic for Saxon capital

Dresden in Germany has ordered a further seven NGT DX DD trams from Alstom, in a deal worth EUR67.5m. They are to be delivered by June 2027.

This new order of Citadis Classic will bring the fleet in the Saxon capital to 40. Most are single-ended vehicles (2901-31) but nine are double-ended (298189), which are required when construction work requires the use of reversing crossovers.

NGT DX DD vehicles have been part of the Dresden landscape since the first of the original batch was delivered in September

Parramatta Light Rail opening delayed

Stage 1 of Sydney’s AUD2.9bn Parramatta Light Rail did not open in August as originally planned. New South Wales Transport Minister Jo Haylen told ABC News: “The testing process has identified some issues for the contractor and Transport for NSW to fix”.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns added: “We want to make sure that when you’ve got public transport that you expect tens of thousands of people to take every single day, it has to be perfect.”

The 12km (7.5-mile) Australian line – now dubbed the ‘L4 Westmead & Carlingford Line’ –was due to open in 2023. It is now expected to open later this year.

Elsewhere in Sydney, the 15.5km (9.6-mile) metro extension between Chatswood and Sydenham had been expected to open on 4 August. However, trains actually started running on 19 August. For more on Australia’s light rail systems, turn to p.376.

2021. The original contract with Bombardier in August 2019 included an option for ten more; three of these were delivered in 2024. Now the remaining option for seven has been exercised.

Alstom’s Bautzen facility will build the ten-axle, five-section, 43.3m low-floor vehicles, with bogies (including air-cooled asynchronous motors) coming from Görlitz. The vehicles are 2.65m wide, 350mm wider than the existing fleet in Dresden, and will be air-conditioned.

The new trams will be used on line 2, and eventually also on lines 3 and 7.

Gmunden tramway celebrates 130 years

The Austrian town of Gmunden celebrated 130 years of its electric tramway on 16 August. Events took place around the town and in the 1894-built depot building. Preserved two-axle trams 100 (built in 1898) and 5 (1911) undertook trips on the 3km (1.9-mile) line.

Engineers Josef Stern and Franz Hafferl built the 2.3km (1.4-mile) metre-gauge electric tramway from Gmunden station to the town centre. When it opened on 13 August 1894, its 9.6% gradient (1:11) made it one the steepest adhesion-worked tramways in the world.

The line was radically modernised in 2018. It was extended to meet the terminus of the Traunseebahn at

Klosterplatz and a tram-train service was introduced between Gmunden Bahnhof to Vorchdorf. This is still operated by Stern & Hafferl Verkehr.

SEPTA chooses 200 Hitachi cars

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has ordered 200 new metro cars from Hitachi Rail STS USA, with an option for 40 more. The USD724m (EUR653m) contract was awarded on 25 July.

The vehicles will be used on the 20.6km (12.9-mile) Market – Frankford line, which carries about 170 000 passengers/day. The US line currently uses 220

ADtranz M4 cars from the late 1990s, formed into six-car sets.

SEPTA’s new trains are to be delivered in 2029-31. The open-gangway cars will be built in Hitachi’s new factory at Hagerstown, Pennsylvania, which is already building trains for Washington DC metro. The contract will be part funded by a USD317m (EUR286m) federal grant.

VRR’s new S-Bahn trains

Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR), the public transport association in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has ordered 90 new S-Bahn trains from Alstom. It is the largest order for S-Bahn trains since Alstom bought Bombardier in 2021.

The new trains will be based on Alstom’s Adessia Stream. They will have air-conditioning as well as toilets. The EUR4bn contract also includes 34 years of maintenance.

BELOW: Alstom Citadis Classic 2913 passes under the railway at Dresden Hbf. A. Thompson

ABOVE: The celebration started with a gathering of dignitaries on tram 100. This 1898 cross-bench tram was acquired from the Pöstlingbergbahn in Linz in 1995. Stern & Hafferl

Brescia tramway is approved

Trams are to return to the Italian city of Brescia. The city council approved plans for its first modern-era tramway on 24 July; Brescia’s original tram system closed in the 1940s.

The new 11.3km (seven-mile) line is to link Capolinea to the north of the city to the southern suburb of Fiera; two city centre stops will provide interchange with Brescia’s automated metro. The system’s 18 32m trams will require batteries, because 3.3km (two miles) of the route will be without overhead wires.

Estimated cost of the project is EUR426m, with EUR360m coming from the Italian state. It is hoped to award contracts by 31 March 2025, and the new tramway could open in spring 2030. Planning is already in progress for a second line.

Public backs

Docklands Light Railway expansion

London’s proposed Docklands Light Railway extension has received a positive response from local residents. Consultation on the UK extension, which would diverge from the current line at Gallions Reach, pass through Beckton Riverside and then tunnel under the River Thames to reach the development at Thamesmead, received 1254 responses from members of the public and 29 from a range of stakeholders.

Of those responses, 58% of respondents said that the extension would make their journeys quicker, while 75% said it would make journeys into wider east and southeast London easier. TfL also ran sample polling in Beckton, Gallions Reach, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood where 85% supported or strongly supported the proposals.

The Outline Business Case is expected to be completed in spring 2025. TfL hopes that construction could start in 2028 with a view to the line opening in the early 2030s. Discussions will take place between Transport for London and the UK government as to how the 3km (1.9-mile) line will be funded. Cost estimates range between GBP700m (EUR833m) and GBP1.2bn (EUR1.4bn).

Egis set to manage Lille’s Tourcoing tramline

New integrated French route with three lines to open by 2035

Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL) has appointed TRAMELIS subsidiary Egis to open a new tramway between Roubaix and Tourcoing by 2035. The 22km (14-mile) French metre-gauge line will also serve the communes of Neuville-en-

Ferrain, Wattrelos and Hem; the aim is to reduce motor traffic in the greater Lille conurbation. Egis will be responsible for consultation, design, tendering and overseeing construction.

The tramway’s three lines are planned to serve 45 stops with 6/7-minute headways. The system is to be integrated

with metro line 2, the existing Mongy tramway and the bus network, as well as offering parkand-ride facilities.

This is one of five new tramways planned by MEL around Lille that will add 50km (31 miles) to the existing 17.5km (11-mile) tramway at a cost of EUR2bn.

Stations cut from Calgary’s proposed Green Line

Terminus moved as part of revised project scope that omits Shepard

Calgary’s city council has voted to cut six stations from the proposed Green Line LRT, moving the terminus from Shepard to Lynnwood/Millican. This change to the Canadian scheme was made as part of the revised Green Line Phase 1 project scope, capital funding request and delivery model.

The council also approved deferring building the Centre

Street S. underground stop and changing the stop at 4 Street S.E. from being underground to a surface facility. With Shepard no longer part of the Green Line, the depot will be built at Highfield. Calgary has increased its contribution to the project by CAD705m (EUR472m). This brings the total budget to CAD6.2bn (EUR4.2bn). The scheme is also being funded by the Government of Canada and

the Province of Alberta. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the decision “sets Calgary up for success for years to come, especially at a time when we are the fastest growing city in the nation. The Green Line is a critical piece of transportation infrastructure that demonstrates all three orders of government are focused on collaboration and cooperation to get megaprojects moving.”

Extension and trams for Kumamoto

The Japanese city of Kumamoto has celebrated the centenary of its tram system in style: it will soon receive the first of a new batch of trams, while the city council has authorised a plan to extend the network by 1.5km (0.9 miles) from Kengunmachi to the City Hospital.

The tramway started running on 1 August 1924. The network would grow to 25km (15.5 miles), however, closures in the 1970s left the city with just two lines, totalling 12km (7.5 miles).

The new cars will be 21m, three-car trams that can carry 112 passengers.

The new extension is unlikely to open before 2031.

New people-mover enters service in Singapore

The first of 19 new Innovia APM300R two-car trains has entered service on Singapore’s Bukit Panjang people-mover. Alstom was awarded a contract by the Land Transport Authority in 2018 to upgrade the line with new signalling and rolling stock.

The new cars are the third generation of rolling stock on the automated 8km (five-mile) rubber-tyred system. They are equipped with Alstom’s ‘Cityflo 650’ communications-based control system. Alstom will retro-fit this equipment to the 13 existing cars.

The new stock also incorporates smart climate control, regenerative braking, fault monitoring and privacy innovations that dim windows when passing close to high rise residential blocks. Work to complete the contract will continue into 2025. Alstom’s Singapore and Malaysia MD Yann Maixandeau said: “This milestone underscores our commitment to enhancing urban mobility in Singapore, providing residents with a seamless and sustainable travel experience.”

Hong Kong Tramways marks its 120th anniversary

TfL ’s new tram plan

While passenger numbers are gradually recovering postCOVID, they are still 10%-15% down on pre-pandemic levels.

Hong Kong Tramways celebrated its 120th anniversary on 30 July, having operated its 13km (8.1mile) 1067mm-gauge tramline along the north shore of Hong Kong Island since 1904. Its fleet of 163 double-deck trams, operated and maintained by RATP Dev, now carry around 150 000 passengers each day: over 10% of Hong Kong Island’s passenger movements.

That has not dampened HKT’s enthusiasm for marking its anniversary.

At the 30 July celebratory event, Managing Director Paul Tirvaudey said that HKT seeks to balance modernisation of the system with preserving its identity. He emphasised HKT’s commitment to sustainability, saying it is building trams that are 30% more energyefficient, re-using old parts to create a circular economy, and conducting carbon footprint assessments to identify areas for improvement.

“Our point is not to insert a modern tram,” he said. “It is to insert modern components to keep the appearance, while making a more modern system.

“We are green. We are among the best in the class, but we work to be even better in the future.”

Transport for London has expanded on its plans for replacing the UK capital’s 23 Bombardier CR4000 vehicles. According to its Public Reports Pack, TfL has issued a notice that “[invites] potential suppliers to demonstrate how their experience and expertise would be appropriate to deliver the new trams”.

The CR4000s will reach their 25th anniversary next year and sourcing parts has become an issue. The tender for the new vehicles could also include an option for additional trams to replace the 12 Stadler Variobahns, delivered in 2012 and 2016. Kenneth joins NET

The UK’s Nottingham Express Transit has appointed Shaun Kenneth as its new Network Resilience & Security Manager. The move is part of new security measures including emergency help buttons, CCTV cameras, and the option to contact via Whatsapp.

ABOVE: The ceremonial roll-out of the new Alstom people-mover in Singapore. Alstom

ABOVE: A pair of trams carried special liveries to mark the Hong Kong anniversary: 120, the last ‘original’ car, and advertising tram 300. HKT

new T echnology I s mov I ng fA s T

A preview of what we can look forward to at this year’s InnoTrans 2024, the world's leading rail innovation show.

Over 130 000 visitors from 140 countries are expected to make their way to Berlin for InnoTrans 2024, the world's most prestigious rail transport trade fair taking place over four days between 24-27 September.

Light rail and all urban transit will feature strongly, as manufacturers and suppliers demonstrate their responses to the new technological challenges that have to satisfy the demands of innovation, reliability and ever-tightening investment budgets.

Alstom will explore the decarbonisation of the entire lifecycle of steel rail solutions through eco-design processes and a sustainable lifecycle approach. Customers will use a green traction configurator to identify the best solution for their specific needs amongst the widest range available today, including battery and hydrogen options.

The supplier will demonstrate how customers can push the limits of railway system performance and optimise maintenance, including through the world’s first implementation of the European Train Control Systems (ETCS) with hybrid train detection, autonomous rail technologies, leveraging AI for predictive maintenance and an advanced cybersecurity portfolio.

The outcome is straightforward: transport systems that are future-proof, resilient, reliable, and (importantly) efficient.

The Alstom stand will also showcase many innovations in passenger experience, including lighting, materials, seating modularity, sound management connectivity, train movement, passenger guidance, information displays, and ‘Healthier Mobility’.

It will also include a dedicated ‘mobility theatre’ with a wide variety of experts available on topics as diverse as autonomous technologies, AI applications, cybersecurity, and rolling stock innovation.

At the outdoor display, Alstom will display the Flexity tram for Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) – the longest tram ever in Berlin. Bright and spacious, it is a response to the city’s need for greater passenger capacity. Its special features include reduced energy consumption and noise level, plus greater comfort and accessibility. The trams are also equipped with the ODAS obstacle detection system that prevents collisions and accidents. Alstom is on stand 450 in Hall 3.2 and on outside tracks 5/40 and 5/45.

Hyundai Rotem will be presenting its new fuel cell-powered tram (T2/19), which features low noise, high energy efficiency and rapid refuelling, in Hall 3.2, stand 410.

DB Bahnbau Gruppe and DB Engineering & Consulting is presenting its 360-degree Multi-Sensor Platform (MSP), which represents a major contribution to digitalising rail infrastructure (T11/40).

The MSP combines the use of various sensors and measurement systems on a single rail maintenance vehicle. The Mobile Mapping System, comprising GNSS and a laser scanner, produces a 3D image of the ground.

A camera captures a 360-degree image of the surroundings, while an optional georadar inspects the underside of the rails. The MSP is the result of a joint venture by both firms, and can be viewed in Hall 25, stand 440.

German company SEALABLE is at the forefront of track construction, focusing on simplicity, safety, and comfort. Products include elastic rail fastenings with superior stray current insulation, track bed mats, platform edges, door entry thresholds, glazing frames, and the patented VeloGleis.

The Rail Comfort System (RCS) leads the market in durability, safety, and customisation. With just three components, the rails are insulated without the need for complex longitudinal sealing. This reduces maintenance needs, saving time and costs.

The RCS’s success is evident in its high stray current insulation and excellent planning security.

ABove: cAf will be showcasing its green technologies. Pictured is one of the first of the new generation of cAf trams, delivered to lisboa in 2023-24. cAf

SEALABLE’S elastic track bed mats reduce structure-borne noise in daily rail operations. To ensure safety at critical points like level crossings, industrial tracks, and workshop areas, the firm offers specially developed safety profiles that are crucial for accident prevention.

VeloGleis is designed to meet the needs of cyclists. It prevents tyres getting stuck in the rail groove and reduces the risk of slipping in wet conditions. For barrier-free access to public transport, SEALABLE offers tailored platform edges and door entry thresholds, and these profiles can be adapted to any platform situation and are available in various colours. They are complemented by door entry thresholds that serve as a seamless transition to the platform edge. The metal rail, encased in high-quality elastomer, is bolted directly to the vehicle body and can be easily maintained or replaced.

Glazing frames are another highlight. These multi-part, prefabricated frames made from high-quality elastomer enable quick and easy glass replacement without timeconsuming and costly adhesive bonding. SEALABLE can be found in Hall 25, stand 215.

PESA will be on stand 420 in Hall 4.2, presenting the latest product platforms in VR, including the ELF 3.0 passenger vehicle platform, and locomotive platform GAMA 3.0. It is also working on the implementation of hydrogen technology for rail vehicle drives which will also be available to see. The first project that allowed PESA to gain necessary experience was the construction of a prototype of a hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive, which successfully gained operational authorisation for operation. At the same time, teams are working on projects implementing H2 drive type for passenger units. It will offer both a pure hydrogen drive (HMU) and hybrid solution powered by hydrogen and an electric grid or batteries.

PESA will also present its newest Twist tram for Wrocław (Poland) on the T11/55 track.

Hitachi Rail has a full offering at InnoTrans 2024, including trams currently running in Florence, Zhuhai and Turin, plus Metro vehicles from around the globe and monorails currently running in Daegu and Tokyo. See Hitachi Rail in Hall 4.2 booths 430 and 340, and outside on the track area 1/40.

Siemens will demonstrate its technology leadership and put customer benefits right in the spotlight by combining the real and the digital worlds.

Cutting-edge technology for rolling stock, infrastructure, services, turnkey systems, software and rail components will be seen this year. See Hall 27, stand 220 for Siemens.

Škoda Group (Hall 3.2, booth 600) will be highlighting the tram designed for SWB Bus und Bahn Bonn, recently honoured with the Red Dot Design Award for setting new standards in urban mobility with innovative design and functionality.

As well as this and other vehicles, Škoda Group’s highlights are the must-have digital technologies that are transforming public transport. They enhance safety, improve passenger experiences, and drive efficiency across the rail industry. You can also hear about the first results in developing the Smart Depot ecosystem, a key component of digital innovation at Škoda.

CAF will be in Hall 4.2, stand 130, showcasing its cutting-edge green technologies designed for both urban and long-distance mobility. They include pioneering hydrogen and battery traction ideas. CAF will also present its new Communications-based Train Control (CBTC) system called OPTIO, and its LeadMind digital solution, which optimises the management and operation of rail fleets. The state-of-the-art ALIVE platform is the next step in autonomous rail operations.

Stadler will be presenting eight innovative, sustainable vehicle concepts, as well as embracing service and signalling, driver assistance systems and interlocking technologies. These include the first complete tram-train for Germany and Austria, combining the interests of six transport companies – consisting of VBK (Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe), AVG (AlbtalVerkehrs-Gesellschaft), Saarbahn Netz, Schiene Oberösterreich, Schiene Salzburg and Zweckverband Regional-Stadtbahn NeckarAlb. They joined together to continue an initiative from the VDV (Verband Deutscher

lefT: seAlABle will be demonstrating its marketleading Rail comfort system (Rcs) at InnoTrans. with just three components, the rails are insulated without the need for complex longitudinal sealing, reducing maintenance needs, saving time and costs. seAlABle

Verkehrsunternehmen, Association of German Transport Companies).

The main component of the contract is up to 504 Citylink low-floor vehicles, 246 of which have already been ordered, with a maintenance contract for up to 32 years. They will be used first by Saarbahn, and are bidirectional. They are equipped with the latest traction, signalling and radio systems as well as communication and passenger information. Citylink forms the common vehicle platform for the tram-trains being built for the consortium, and is a train and tram rolled into one, allowing transfer-free connection from surrounding population areas to the city centre.

The new underground cars for Berlin’s Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), are also tailored to its needs. Stadler Nova Pro, for example, is a high-quality, lean and modular solution for driverless CBTC, and is suitable for light rail and branch lines. Stadler is in Hall 2.2, stand 230.

TSL-ESCHA and Mafelec are presenting a wide range of solutions from a single source to further enhance passenger comfort. Both focus on continuous development aimed at both local and long-distance public transport, and will jointly present innovative solutions for thousands of vehicles already in use around the world.

On show will be new products such as handrail lights and buttons, and a warning sounder. Mafelec’s M-Light range is suitable for all types of rail vehicles, which with easy and straightforward standardisation meets meets individual customer specifications. See the displays in Hall 27, booth 480.

ABove: The new Alstom Flexity will be on display at this year’s event. Alstom

ABove: Tsl-eschA will have new products including handrail lights and buttons on show –pictured is the wsm87 sounder. Tsl-eschA

Go R zów: Sm ALL bu T be Au T ifu L

Andrew Thompson visits the Polish city where ‘small’ shouldn’t be considered an insult. Thanks to recent investment the welldesigned LRT system is now one this city can be proud of.

Located on the River Warta, the western Polish city of Gorzów Wielkopolski has a population of roughly 116 000 and the country’s second smallest tram network with a current size of about 13km (eight miles). At the same time, Gorzów also functions as a provincial capital of the Lubuskie region, which is one of Poland’s more rural and less populated provinces, or so-called voivodeships. In something of an unusual political compromise within the structure of Polish regions, Gorzów actually shares the capital function and seat of regional government offices with the city of Zielona Góra, located some 90km (56 miles) further south. Although Zielona Góra is slightly larger than Gorzów Wielkopolski and has a population of 140 000, it lacks a light rail system.

In Gorzów Wielkopolski, 2024 marks the 125th anniversary of the city’s tramway, which first opened in July 1899. From the very beginning, the service was electrified and soon grew to include three lines. At that

time, the growing town was still known as Landsberg an der Warthe and was a part of Germany, benefiting from its relative proximity to Berlin and its crucial strategic location on the Prussian Ostbahn, the 740km (460-mile) standard gauge main line from Berlin to Danzig (Gda ń sk) and Königsberg in East Prussia (today the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad).

The Ostbahn was built in stages and different sections opened in 1851-67. The direct link from Berlin via Küstrin and across the River Oder to Landsberg was one of the last sections of the Ostbahn to be completed, finally being inaugurated in 1867. From that point on, Landsberg was 145km (90 miles) northeast from Berlin Ostbahnhof. These proximate distances via the current border crossing and River Oder bridge at Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn are still valid and help to enhance GermanPolish leisure traffic today. Even though the Ostbahn has lost much of its relevance since the end of World War Two and the redrawing of European borders, there have been direct

regional services between Berlin and Gorzów Wielkopolski since the 1990s.

Currently operated by Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn, the RB26 service has been marketed as ‘Oderlandbahn’, but this had to be discontinued as an international service between late 2020 and summer 2024, due to a new railway viaduct being built across the River Oder. Construction started in 2021, but its completion was delayed by almost two years.

Direct trains between Berlin and Gorzów Wielkopolski are expected to be reintroduced in the 2025 timetable, giving a journey time of just under two hours. In the long-run, electrification of the Ostbahn on both the German and Polish side is being considered, to decrease journey times for passenger trains and make the route more suitable for international freight trains to or from the Baltic ports.

During its 125-year history, Gorzów’s tramway has seen gradual passenger and network growth but also repeated periods of prolonged operational pauses. By 1911, a million passengers were carried annually, and just before the outbreak of World War One in 1914, the network had grown to a size of 6.6km (4.1 miles).

Unlike many other current Polish cities with tram networks, Landsberg did not

AboVe: About a month after the grand network re-opening, a new Pesa Twist passes the orthodox Church near Pl. Słoneczny on 7 August 2020. This calling point is three stops from the wieprzyce western terminus of lines 1 and 2.

become a part of re-established Poland after World War One as the new border line was drawn further to the east. The city remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War, when the River Oder, some 45km (28 miles) west, became the new frontier. As such, Landsberg’s tramway was plagued by Germany’s economic struggles and rampant hyperinflation during the early 1920s and had to shut down from September 1922 to August 1924. By the end of the decade, the situation had stabilised and new routes allowed the network to grow to 8.1km (five miles).

During the 1940s, the city’s ageing tram infrastructure required track replacement, but because of the constraints of the wartime economy and the rationing of

steel, it was decided to abandon the tram system in favour of trolleybuses in 1941. The conversion process proved slow and cumbersome, with the first trolleybuses not running until summer 1943. Although two electric bus lines were introduced, trams continued to operate on a short shuttle section. A curiosity was also the use of the trolleybus catenary to power electric lorries for freight transport between the harbour and the coal-burning electric power station.

All of these anomalies ended when the Red Army occupied the city in late January 1945 during its march on Berlin. After the war and with the city a part of reshaped Poland and renamed as Gorzów Wielkopolski, the Polish authorities favoured the relaunch of the tramway rather than the retention of the

The old eastern terminus at Silwana is already history. After the network re-opened in

“Full infrastructure renewal and an associated urban revamp was made possible with grants from central government in Warsaw and generous EU funding.”

Plac Słoneczny Tartaczna

Zajezdnia Kostrzyńska Wieprzyce PKP

trolleybuses. The reintroduction of tram traffic proved a gradual process and occurred in stages in 1947-51. By 1955 a short extension in the northeast of the city was added. By the early 1970s, sustained expansion to developing residential areas was possible and in 1972 the western extension to the current terminus at the Wieprzyce railway station opened. A year later, the northern branch to Piaski was added, yet because of the construction of a new road bridge, the tram route south of the River Warta to the Zamoście district was discontinued. Therefore the layout and structure of the network, as it still exists today, really took shape in 1973.

The next wave of improvements and simple upgrades did not come until after the

Piaski

Kilińskiego

Sąd Okręgowy Chodkiewicza

Pl. Grunwaldzki Stilon

Borowskiego

Pl. Nieznanego Żonierza

Wybickiego

Dworcowa Jancarza

Żelazna Olimpijska

Os. Słoneczne

Fieldorfa-Nila

Szarych Szeregów

Rondo Gdańskie

Dowgielewiczowej

Walczaka-Szpital

Stilon

Park Kopernika Pornorska

Rondo Solidarności

Pl. Staromiejski

CEZiB

Herberta

Wełniany Rynek

Katedra

Dworzec Główny

Rondo Santocki

AboVe:

summer 2020, it was briefly used until the autumn of that year. As part of the extension to the new eastern terminus at fieldorfa-Nila, the former turning loop at Silwana has since been removed and the site landscaped. in what is therefore already an historic picture with plenty of old and new contrast, the modern Pesa Twist 307 is seen idling in the old Silwana loop on 8 August 2020.

AboVe: in January 2024, the 200m single-track branch to the main railway station reopened along Dworcowa Street, following a lengthy closure and track renewal. There are plans to extend this spur further west along Jancarza Street and link up with the main trunk route of lines 1 and 2 at the Jancarza junction along Sikorskiego Avenue. in the meantime, the Dworzec Główny terminus of turn 4 is used by trams once an hour and only offers services from 06.00 to 17.00, as it is just 250m from Dworcowa stop on the east-west trunk route.

fall of the Iron Curtain. Although modest in ambition, the municipal operator sought to replace its ageing fleet of post-war cars with slightly newer and reliable pre-used trams from Germany. This led to the acquisition of single-ended type 6EGTW and double-ended type 6ZGTW from Kassel, with a first batch in 1995 and a second tranche in 1999.

Based on a Duewag design, these articulated cars had been built under licence by Wegmann and Credé. As the double-ended feature was not required in Gorzów, the doors on the left-hand side were permanently closed, the rear cab seat and wall panel removed, and the driver controls covered with metal sheets in a simple adaptation process. Later, dot-matrix displays for line numbers and destinations were also retrofitted.

Initially the German articulated cars complemented the Polish-built Konstal type 105N single units, eventually replacing them. Compared to the classic semi-streamlined Duewag design of the 1960s and 70s, the Wegman cars from Kassel feature a slightly different front-end, but otherwise also rely on the typical six-axle design with three sets of bogies. Gorzów would end up being one of the Polish cities relying on legacy high-floor rolling stock the longest, and being among the last to introduce accessible low-floor vehicles. This step-change in service quality would not come until 2020 with the introduction of 14 double-ended Twist 3 from domestic producer Pesa.

The launch of these modern low-floor cars coincided with the festive reopening of the Gorzów tram network in July 2020, after it had been completely shut down for almost three years to allow for comprehensive modernisation. This full infrastructure renewal and associated urban revamp was made possible with grants from both the central government in Warsaw and generous EU funding.

Planning for the rebuilding of the city tramway had already started in 2013, with

AboVe: on 1 August 2024, ex-Kassel car 272 turns off the Piaski branch and on to the main trunk route at the Katedra junction. The open front door serves the driver as improvised air-conditioning. Above the cab can be seen the retrofitted dot-matrix line and destination display. Car 272 is on a westbound line 2 service to wieprzyce PKP.

beLow: The city’s main square and most important transport interchange at Katedra is framed by the landmark St. mary’s Cathedral. Here Twist 308 is seen with a line 4 service running inbound to the main railway station. The tracks leading off to the left are for the northern Piaski branch of lines 2 and 3.

the whole system being shut down for a prolonged period of time (for the third time in its history) from October 2017 onwards. Originally the rebuild was scheduled for completion by 2019, but construction delays and then the onset of the COVID pandemic pushed the date to summer 2020. When festivities took place to celebrate the return of trams and the introduction of the new Twist fleet, initially just the main east-west trunk route of line 1 was open from Silwana via the city centre and Katedra to Wieprzyce.

After just a few weeks of operation, the Silwana turning loop closed in autumn 2020 and a temporary terminus for the double-ended Twist LRVs was put in place at Dowgielewiczowej stop. From late 2020 until July 2023, the eastern end of the trunk line was reconditioned and the new terminus and tram to bus interchange were constructed at Fieldorfa-Nila, some 450m further east than the previous Silwana loop.

The modernisation and relaunch of the northern Piaski branch was completed by August 2022, allowing the re-introduction of the former Kassel cars on line 2. Due to

the removal of the Silwana loop, line 2 is now the only local tram route on which the articulated German cars can run, since they function as single-ended units and only the Piaski and Wieprzyce termini remain fitted with loops. Currently, eight of the German GTW remain in service with the municipal operator MZK, but there are specific plans to replace these with ten modern, double-ended units, for which a tender is to be called soon. The city has already secured grant funding

for the procurement and also plans to use EU money in the coming years to extend the tramway to the Górczyn residential district in the northeast of the city. A number of route options are currently under evaluation, as can be seen from the dotted lines on the attached network map. The Górczyn extension will require the purchase of an additional six new vehicles, so the midto long-term requirement is for a modern fleet of 30 double-ended, low-floor LRVs. Although trams did return to the 200m single-track branch line to the main railway station in January 2024, following a 12-year hiatus that started in 2012, the operation on this short stub is not very efficient and line 4 that serves the station currently only offers an hourly service. Therefore, there are plans to extend this branch further west along Jancarza Street and turn it into an actual loop, linking up with the current single-track section of the main east-west trunk route at Jancarza stop. This would provide greater operational flexibility and allow for a more intensive line 4 service.

Even though there are many cities in Poland that are larger than Gorzów Wielkopolski, both in terms of population and square mileage, this quaint city is a shining example of how beneficial, wellused, and generally attractive a compact and well-designed light rail system can be for a small- to mid-sized regional hub. Thanks to all the modernisation works from the past seven years, Gorzów’s tramway is now ready for the next 50.

LefT: Aside from local trams and buses managed by the municipal transport company mzK, the other backbone of public transport in Gorzów is formed by the main line railway corridors. Along the east-west former Prussian ostbahn there are the three stops wschodni, Główny and wieprzyce. from the main station Gorzów wielkopolski Dworzec Główny there is also a junction with the north-south line to międzyrzecz and z bąszynek, which has three further calling points within Gorzów city limits. There is a limited number of long distance intercity connections on both lines operated by PKP, with most of the local stopping trains that serve all city stops operated by Polregio. on 1 August, a Polregio Dmu passes the old water tower and signal box on the eastern approach to Gorzów’s main station, which features elevated platforms above street level.

AboVe: The network’s westernmost point at wieprzyce PKP provides interchange with main line trains at the namesake station, which can be seen to the rear of the two trams.

AboVe LefT: The 20m articulated 6ZGTW former Kassel trams were originally designed as double-ended vehicles and still have doors on both sides. This operational feature, however, is not used in Gorzów and the trams are only deployed on line 2, where they can make use of the turning loops at each end. on 1 August, car 254 is seen running through the city centre. most fixtures in its former rear cab have been removed and the area is now open to the rest of the vehicle.

AboVe RiGHT: on 1 August 2024, three different Pesa Twist vehicles can be seen at the new eastern terminus fieldorfa-Nila, which serves lines 1, 3 and 4. This 450m extension from the previous eastern terminus at Silwana opened in late July 2024 and is not fitted with a turning loop, thus making it only accessible for the double-ended Twist

European Light Rail Congress

TWO days of interactive debates... TWELVE hours of dedicated networking... ONE place to be

Barcelo Hotel –Malaga, Spain

Join key decision-makers, professionals and industry experts as they gather for two days of debate centred upon how new technologies are driving progress in sustainable transport.

For 2025 we are taking the European Light Rail Congress to the historic and wonderful Spanish city of Malaga, home of the Metro de Malaga urban transport system. Celebrating its 10th anniversary of operation, the metro runs throughout the city across two lines providing modern and efficient public transport, with safety and the environment being key factors which contribute to improving the quality of life of the citizens of Malaga and the surrounding areas.

As an attendee, you will experience:

• Two days of presentations, panel debates and discussion from some of the sector’s most innovative and forward-thinking suppliers, manufacturers, and operators

• An expansive exhibition hall within the Barcelo Hotel - Malaga

• An evening networking reception for delegates to maximise their networking opportunities

• An exclusive behind the scenes depot tour hosted by Metro Malaga

• Convenient travel and accommodation to and from the venue With bespoke sponsorship and exhibition packages also available, there has never been a better time to place yourself at the very heart of European light rail.

Scan the QR code to register your details or to book for the event.

19-20

March

ORGANISED

Austr A li A : Overc O ming b A rriers t O tr A mwAy grOwth

Despite the usual political wrangling and rising costs, Australia’s light rail is expanding in all major cities. richard Foster provides a round-up of activity, plus ambitions for the next decade.

It’s a bit of a cliché to describe Australia as the best parts of the UK combined with the best of the US. However, visitors from both countries will also find much across its 8.6 million km2 (3.3 million square-mile) landmass that has a character all of its own.

Its railway network naturally reflects the country’s historic links to Britain (although the 1600mm gauge adopted by the states of South Australia and Victoria reflect Irish influence). In the present day, the country’s view of light rail is more akin to the progressive attitude found in the US.

Australia is not immune from the issues preventing tramway construction, most commonly seen in the UK – cost, lack of importance placed on public transport, and disruption to name but three, but the pace of construction far outweighs what is being achieved in the former ‘mother country’.

Australia’s showpiece is Melbourne, which, at 250km (160 miles) is the world’s largest tram system. We will focus on this system in more detail in a future Systems Factfile.

It’s a source of some regret that the UK has only opened two all-new tram systems since 1 January 2004 (Nottingham and Edinburgh), and only extensions to existing tramways have been built.

The contrast in Australia is startling. At the beginning of 2004, only the state capitals of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia (that’s Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide) had light rail. Since then, the cities of Gold Coast (Queensland), Newcastle (NSW) and Canberra (Australian Capital Territory), have gained systems, all within the last decade. Three major light rail projects are under construction and there are serious plans for more.

Let’s start in Canberra, the city founded in 1913 as the country’s capital. It was laid out with trams in mind, but it wasn’t until 20 April 2019 that this became reality.

“Light rail has delivered billions in additional construction work along the alignment, thousands of new homes and thousands of local jobs,” said Minister for Transport Chris Steel as Canberra Metro celebrated its fifth anniversary.

“It’s clear that this is the preferred mode of public transport that Canberrans wish to use, with more and more people in our city choosing to live along the alignment. Business growth along the corridor has also increased with the largest benefit occurring in Gungahlin and suburbs adjacent to the city centre.

“The evidence… supports our decision to deliver future stages of the project.”

Canberra Metro is 12km (7.5 miles) long and links the northern suburb of Gungahlin to the city centre. The project was originally estimated to cost AUD783m (EUR476m) in 2014 but was delivered five years later for the lesser figure of AUD675m (EUR410m).

Chris Steel’s statement is indicative of how positively Canberra views its light rail system. It has taken a 20% share of public transport usage and, in the latest published statistics, daily car usage has reduced by 18%. Patronage is driven by business growth and has spurred housing developments.

Transport Canberra identified 16 benefits that the Metro would bring in its Light Rail Five Years On: Benefits Realisation Report 2024,

which uses a traffic light system to judge the success of these benefits (meeting or exceeding realisation). Fifteen were ranked green, with one – carbon emissions – ranked grey because of incomplete data.

“Light rail travel is powered by 100% renewable energy and reduces emissions where it shifts the mode of travel away from petrol and diesel vehicles,” says the report. “This data currently sits on grey because complete five-year data is not available for the degree of mode shifting to light rail and as such, it is difficult to estimate the extent of reduction.”

The system’s 14 CAF Urbos 3 trams carried over three million people during Canberra Metro’s first year of operation. The COVID 19 pandemic reduced this to around 2.5m for 2020 and 2021, but it was up to 4m by 2023. Headways have been reduced from six minutes to five, and if the figures so far for

leFt: sydney boasts the oldest of Australia's secondgeneration systems, which opened in 1997. trams runs down george street, one of sydney's oldest streets.

David South/Alamy

right: canberra metro opened in 2019 and the Australian capital is reaping the benefits. that's why it's being expanded.

Martin Berry/Alamy

2024, as published in the report, follow the same trajectory for the rest of the year, this could be Canberra Metro’s busiest year ever.

This is why the ACT Government has committed to a southern extension.

The business case for the 1.7km (one-mile) line was approved in 2019 and the AUD577m (EUR351m) construction contract was signed with Capital Metro last December. Construction is due to start later this year, but spades are already in the ground on one vital piece of infrastructure that needs to be completed before the grassed track for Stage 2a goes down. London Circuit is a hexagonal road that surrounds City Hill park and key administrative buildings. Stage 2a is to run anti-clockwise around it but the whole road is to be raised by 6m requiring 60 000 cubic metres of fill. This is placemaking on an epic scale.

Says the ACT Government: “Raising

London Circuit is a major city-shaping project, connecting the city with the lake by delivering more accessible footpaths and dedicated bike lanes. It will make Canberra a more connected, sustainable and vibrant place to live, and provides an important foundation for extending to Woden.”

Stage 2a will terminate at Commonwealth Park, on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Stage 2b involves extending south to Woden. Public consultation on the proposed route, which includes crossing the lake on a dedicated light rail bridge, closed on 30 June.

The ACT Government published its infrastructure plan in July 2019, which proposed Stages 3 and 4, extending the tramway beyond Woden to the district of Tuggeranong, approximately 13km (eight miles) away. However, elections take place in Australia in October and ACT’s shadow Liberal Party has called the project “madness”.

The party has questioned why the proposed cost has not been revealed, claiming that Stages 2a and 2b will cost AUD4bn (EUR2.5bn).

Shadow Transport Minister Mark Parton, as reported by Canberra news outlet Riotact, commented: “The figures we are now looking at for Stage 2b are mind-blowing and the Labor-Green government must tell Canberrans how much the tram to Woden will cost before the election.”

Chief Minister Andrew Barr replied curtly: “The only risk to the viability of Stage 2b is a Liberal Government in the ACT.”

Barr envisions that Stage 2b will continue as planned, especially as Australia’s federal government has committed AUD50m to the project’s design phase. With construction estimated to start in 2025, Stage 2b could open between 2028-33.

Canberra was chosen to become the site of Australia’s capital city because of its location between Melbourne and Sydney.

An artist's impression of the planned extension of canberra metro to woden. stage 2a is already under construction, while stage 2b could open from 2028 ACT Government

Sydney’s remarkable revival

Unlike Melbourne, Sydney’s tram network closed in 1961. A second-generation line, from the district of Pyrmont to Sydney Central railway station, via Haymarket, opened in 1997. This was extended in an arc beyond Pyrmont to Lilyfield in 2000 and Dulwich Hill in 2014. This became Line L1 in 2014 when plans for two additional lines –L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line –were unveiled. These opened in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

This year could be momentous for trams in the greater Sydney region because a new 12km (7.5-mile) extension is due to open. It has been dubbed L4 Westmead & Carlingford Line, but was previously known as Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1.

Sydney, thanks to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, is probably Australia’s most famous city. Its urban sprawl follows the Parramatta river inland. The city of Parramatta is about 24km (15 miles) west of Sydney’s Central Business District and a major suburb and commercial district.

Line L4 connects Westmead to Carlingford via Parramatta’s CBD. It doesn’t, however, connect to Lines L1, L2 or L3.

The line is complete, but remaining tasks include fitting out and testing its 16 tram stops, completing the new depot at Camellia, and testing 13 new CAF Urbos 3 trams. No opening date had been announced as we went to press, but it is not far off.

New South Wales’ government expects that 28 000 people will use Line L4 by 2026. As the Parramatta region is growing, Stage 2 has also been approved (TAUT 1039). This 10km (6.2-mile) line will connect Line L4 at Camellia to Carter Street, which the government describes as a “green and vibrant new community with open space [and] a village centre”.

Stage 2 construction has been described as a staged approach. The first will be to build a 1.3km (0.8-mile) active travel/light rail bridge across the Parramatta between Wentworth Point and Melrose Park. This new line will

also be isolated from Sydney’s main tram network, but make a connection to what is described as “Australia’s biggest public transport project”.

Sydney Metro is to be 113km (70 miles) long when all four fully-automated lines are completed. Currently, just the 23km (14 miles) between Tallawong and Chatswood of Sydney Metro Northwest is operating (opened in 2019). The first phase of the City & Southwest line, from Chatswood to Sydenham, was to have opened this year, but has been postponed. The final phase involved converting the existing Sydenham –Bankstown railway to automated metro.

Tunnelling for Metro West, a separate 24km (15-mile) line from Hunter Street, in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, to Parramatta –and a connection to Line L4 – started in 2022, and is not due to open until 2032. The final piece in the Metro jigsaw is the Western Sydney Airport line, a 23km (14-mile) route from a junction on the Main Western railway at St Marys to Bradfield, via the airport. This has a 2026 opening date.

Gold Coast success

There are many things that spring to mind when one thinks about Australia, and surfers striding out of the sea onto golden sandy beaches is a popular image. One place to find this is the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Situated south of state capital Brisbane, but close to the border with New South Wales, Gold Coast is not only a city but also a district that stretches along the Pacific coast.

It’s a hugely populous area that’s still growing above its current 740 000 figure, which is expected to rise to 930 000 by 2038. More people will mean increases in journey times as road improvements have not been forthcoming. Gold Coast Light Rail, better known as G:link, fills the breach.

The first 13km (eight miles) from Gold Coast University to Broadbeach opened in 2014, and the 7.3km (4.5-mile) extension to Helensvale in December 2017. Operator Keolis Downer celebrated ten years of

G:link on 19 July, and the statistics from its management period are impressive. G:link has achieved 96% punctuality and 99.69% reliability, and its tram fleet has clocked up over 15m kilometres (9.5m miles).

CEO Julien Dehornoy has said: “G:link has been instrumental in delivering a step change in public transport use on the Gold Coast. Earlier this year, patronage figures revealed that light rail usage is over 110% of pre-COVID levels, making it the highest-ranked public transport mode in Queensland.”

G:link was always envisioned to be more than a 20km (12.4-mile) line. TAUT 964 (April 2018) reported that public consultation had started on Stage 3 as long ago as December 2015. This will link the current southern terminus at Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads, some 6.7km (four miles) south.

Construction of the line, which runs down the centre of the Gold Coast Highway, started in 2022 and the AUD1.2bn (EUR729m) project should be completed in 2025.

Five additional Alstom Flexity 2 trams have been procured.

G:link is unlikely to stop at Burleigh Heads. Work on the detailed business case for Stage 4, a 13km (eight-mile) extension to Coolangatta, via Gold Coast Airport, is underway and is expected to be completed next year.

Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council have each invested AUD30m (EUR18m) into the scheme, which could cost a total of AUD4.5bn (EUR2.7bn) to deliver.

Stage 4, according to the Queensland government’s website, “aims to service important cultural and urban attractions including the Burleigh Head National Park, Palm Beach Village Centre, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast Airport and Coolangatta shopping and business precinct.”

Goals for Newcastle

Moving south along Australia’s eastern seaboard, we turn our attention to Newcastle. This coastal city, situated at the Hunter river estuary in New South Wales, is about 160km (100 miles) north of Sydney. Its original tram network closed in 1950.

Until 2014, the city was served by a branch from the Main Northern Line railway, when it was mothballed while discussions took place over its future. In the event, it was reinstated as far as a new station called

A sydney metro Metropolis unit, built by Alstom, crosses the viaduct at Kellyville. the automated metro is new south wales' biggest infrastructure project. Harley Kingston/Alamy

Newcastle Interchange, in 2017. The final 2.7km (1.7-mile) section to Newcastle station was shut, and the trackbed between the two is being redeveloped. The old Newcastle station has been transformed into a new precinct while the old Honeysuckle railway workshops now house Newcastle’s museum.

The part of the route that still carries rail vehicles is Newcastle Light Rail, which uses a mix of repurposed heavy rail trackbed and new on-street running. It opened on 18 February 2019 and in its first year the line’s six CAF Urbos 100 trams reportedly carried four million passengers.

The first proposals to extend the system were published in 2016. In 2020, Transport for New South Wales identified 17 potential corridors for expansion, with four prioritised. It is likely that any extension would head west from Newcastle Exchange towards Broadmeadow and the John Hunter Hospital.

“The preferred corridor has the potential for better employment growth, more housing and higher public transport usage than other potential routes,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson told Australian rail news website Rail Express at the time. “It would also support the future Broadmeadow Urban Renewal and Entertainment Precinct and the redeveloped John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct, important strategic centres for lifestyle and specialist employment opportunities in Newcastle.”

Plans were not progressed, Transport for NSW preferring to implement new bus routes. These, it claimed, could be converted to light rail at a later date because “further investigations are needed to determine an alignment that is safe and technically feasible, particularly given the steep gradient between New Lambton and the John Hunter Hospital”.

However, The Newcastle Herald reported on 29 July that the NSW government had purchased a 1200m2 site in Newcastle West that would have prevented expansion of the system. The news outlet suggested that this was the first step towards a potential extension.

Adelaide’s popular tram return

Melbourne is not the only Australian city with a legacy system. The tramway that runs into Adelaide dates from 1873. At its height, the city boasted 119km (74 miles) of routes, but only the 10.8km (6.7-mile) line from King William Street to the coastal resort of Glenelg survived the mass closures of the 1950s. Built as a 1600mm-gauge horse tramway, it was electrified and converted to 1435mm (standard) gauge in 1929.

What has been dubbed as “Adelaide’s tram revival” was begun by the newly elected Labor government in 2003. An AUD22m (EUR13.3m) infrastructure renewal programme started two years ago, and 11 new Bombardier Flexity Classics (the 100 Series in Adelaide’s tram classification system) entered service in 2006, replacing Type H trams that dated back to 1929.

A 1.2km (0.75-mile) extension to North Terrace opened in 2007; a 2.8km (1.7-mile) extension to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre followed in 2010. In the meantime, deliveries of new Alstom Citadis 302s started. The year 2018 brought radical change with

“New South Wales’ government expects that 28 000 people will use Line L4 by 2026. As the Parramatta region is growing, Stage 2 has also been approved.”

AbOve: the glenelg tramway in Adelaide has changed beyond recognition in the last 20 years. A bombardier Flexity Classic arrives at glenelg. Martin Berry/Alamy

AbOve: A g:link Flexity 2 passes surfers Paradise on the current 20km (12-mile) network. when the stage 3 extension opens in 2026, this will bring the total length to 26km (16 miles). Nick Williamson/Alamy

AbOve: P Class tram 25 was built in 1917 by Duncan & Fraser of Adelaide. it moved to bendigo in 1947, and works the preserved tramway. William Caram/Alamy

AbOve: gold coast's g:link under construction in 2017 – its stage 2 extension is set to open in 2025. Australian Associated Press/Alamy

the simultaneous opening of the 900m eastbound branch along North Terrace to East End and the 350m northern branch to the Adelaide Festival Centre.

This has not been without controversy. A four-way junction at King William Street/ North Terrace would have allowed north-towest, north-to-east, south-to-west and southto-east access. All lines would have been double track, including the north-south/eastwest flat-crossing.

However, what was built featured double south-to-west running lines and single northto-east and south-to-east running lines. No provision was made for direct Entertainment Centre to Festival Centre services. Plans to correct this were announced by the new Liberal government in March 2018, but formally dropped that November. Reasons for the change of heart included rising costs and the difficulty in sourcing trams that could negotiate the right-hand turn.

Trams operate under the Adelaide Metro brand, which also encompasses bus and suburban rail operations; one innovative feature is free travel on selected bus and tram services. Free tram travel is limited to Adelaide’s Central Business District and between Brighton Road and Moseley Square stops in Glenelg, so journeys between Adelaide and Glenelg require payment.

Currently, rail services are operated by Keolis Downer Adelaide while Torrens Connect operates the trams. This will change next year when South Australia’s government takes over both, but the private companies will continue to provide maintenance.

The big change taking place in Adelaide is the Tram Grade Separation Project (TGSP). The tram has its own segregated track between the city centre and the outskirts of Glenelg. TGSP involves replacing three level crossings over major roads with new tram overbridges.

The first crossing to be tackled is over Marion Road and Cross Road, in the suburb of South Plymton (almost halfway between Adelaide and Glenelg). These roads meet at a crossroads, a few metres southwest of their respective level crossings. The AUD800m (EUR486m) project has been funded fiftyfifty by the Federal and State governments. The Morphett Road level crossing, in neighbouring Morphettville, will also be replaced and Federal and State governments

have each contributed AUD100m (EUR61m).

TGSP also encompasses a fourth crossing. The tram already crosses the main north-south A2 road on a bridge in the suburb of Glandore. However, a new 78km (48-mile), AUD15.4bn (EUR9.5bn) ‘lowered motorway’ is being built alongside. The existing bridge is to be rebuilt as part of the road construction.

Work on the TGSP has already started. Tram services will not be directly affected until next year when the switch from level crossing to overbridge takes place. This work is to be completed in 2026.

Major investment in Perth

Connectivity in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is being transformed by Metronet. This is described as the city’s “largest investment in public transport” and involves building 29.5km (18 miles) of new 1067mmgauge railway (Forrestfield – Airport Link and Morley – Ellenbrook), plus extending existing lines by 40km (25 miles). Alstom is building 41 six-car C-Series EMUs (based on its X’trapolis platform) in a deal worth AUD1.3bn (EUR790m).

Whether Metronet is a light enough rail system for inclusion in TAUT is questionable, but we mention it for completeness. Also briefly worth touching on is the start of trials of a trackless tram (in reality a guided, articulated vehicle running on rubber tyres) between the Perth suburbs of Stirling and Glendalough. Meanwhile, Queensland’s

We’ve mentioned that both Melbourne and Adelaide maintain tramways that date back to the Victorian era. But two more Australian cities can make a similar boast, although, in both cases, these tramways are now tourist attractions. Both are located in the state of Victoria. The city of Bendigo is some 153km (95 miles) north west of Melbourne. Most of the system closed in 1972 but the 8km (five-mile) North Bendigo line was retained for tourists (for that reason a spur to Central Deborah Gold Mine was added).

capital, Brisbane, has ordered 60 trackless trams for what it is calling its Metro network.

Hobart lines out of mothballs

Riverline is a long mooted light rail scheme for Tasmania’s capital, Hobart. G:link has provided the inspiration, but Riverline involves repurposing mothballed 1067mmgauge heavy rail lines. The scheme was first mentioned in 2007 and as recently as last summer was featuring in debates between the state’s Liberal government and its Green opposition.

Then Green leader Cassy O’Connor said: “The Liberals’ plan will cost AUD50m [EUR30m] a kilometre for buses that would hold only dozens of people. It might look cheaper in the short term, but the economic and social benefits would fall way below the light rail option.”

Darwin sitting on the fence

Buses provide the bulk of the public transport needs in Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. This remote city, 3933km (2444 miles) north west of Sydney, was only connected to the rest of the country’s standard gauge rail network in 2004. However, as reported by the NT Independent, Alderman Andrew Arthur called for a light rail system to link Darwin and nearby Palmerston City, in order to reduce the region’s carbon footprint. However, since Arthur made his call in 2020, no further plans have been announced.

Today, Bendigo Tramways has a collection of 45 vehicles while its workshops can undertake all manner of restoration and refurbishment jobs.

Ballarat is nearly 121km (75 miles) southwest of Bendigo. Its tram system closed in 1971 but a short section within the botanical gardens was retained as a tourist attraction.

It had been hoped to preserve the complete loop around Lake Wendouree but only a short section within the Botanical Garden was retained. Ballarat Tramway Museum has an

extensive collection of trams, housed in a workshop that dates back to the 1970s and a display building that opened in 2022.

The Tasmanian city of Launceston also boasts a tram museum, which is housed in the original municipal workshops. Others to note are the horsedrawn Victor Harbor tramway, near Adelaide, which features replica tramcars running on the original formation, and Portland, which is home to a 1990s re-creation of Melbourne’s cable tramway, using an original tramcar.

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AbOve: An artist's impression of Adelaide's tram grade separation Project, where morphett road meets maxwell terrace. Department for Infrastructure and Transport

Funding for Poland

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BELoW: Kraków continues to expand its tramway, for which stadler delivered a total of 120 Tango Lajkonik trams between 2019-23. Pictured here, a Tango crosses the grunwald Bridge that spans the vistula river, which splits the city, in 2020.

Michał Kwaśniak, Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

With over 50km of new LRT lines introduced across the country in the past decade, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Polish boom is on the wane. But thanks to EU funding, there’s still more to come... Witold Urbanowicz summarises recent developments and looks at what’s to follow.

There are 15 tram systems in Poland, and all of the cities where they can be found are intensively using EU funds to develop their networks. The numbers are a perfect summary. Over the last decade, more than 50km (31 miles) of completely new tram routes have been built, and local governments and tram operators have ordered and contracted for nearly 700 new trams. And the appetite of Polish cities does not end there.

The organisation of public transport in Poland is the task of the authorities for individual cities. Transport services are paid for and commissioned from the budgets of local governments, with any decisions on the development of transport connections also being left to local authorities. This includes the construction of new routes or the purchase of rolling stock.

The efficiency of local governments also depends on obtaining financial sources for the implementation of investments, the cost of which sometimes exceeds the financial capabilities of a given city. Membership of the EU, of which Poland became part in 2004, is particularly helpful here. Polish cities

have become experts in obtaining funds for the development of public transport, and in the case of trams, we are talking about an uninterrupted path of development.

EU budgets and structural funds are implemented in multi-year perspectives. The end of 2023 marked the end of the implementation period for projects settled under the 2014-2020 financial perspective, and so this is a good time to summarise what has changed across the 15 Polish tram networks. All cities – apart from Grudziądz and Częstochowa – have constructed new tram routes during this period, although the aforementioned cities carried out the modernisation of a large part of their existing tracks. Practically all cities or operators have purchased trams.

Bydgoszcz

After the 9.5km (5.9-mile) LRT line to Fordon opened in 2016, financed from an earlier financial perspective, subsequent tram investments may seem modest, although they are of great importance. At the end of 2020 a tram link was opened along Kujawska Street. It provides faster access from the

upper terrace into the city. In November 2023, another link opened along Kazimierza Wielkiego street with a bridge over the Brda River.

Bydgoszcz has also made significant purchases of rolling stock. In July 2022, the city concluded a contract with PESA for the delivery of ten new multi-section, completely low-floor trams, including six long and four short examples. The order also includes an option for another 36 Swing trams – 29 long and seven short. The length of the long trams is up to 32m, and the short ones up to 22m. Currently, Bydgoszcz has decided to order a total of 40 trams. The entire contract will be finalised in 2025, and the order will allow for the withdrawal of the old high-floor trams.

Currently implemented investments include the reconstruction of the track on Toru ń ska street and the modernisation of the tram depot. The nearest plans include the construction of a tram through Szwederowo. The first stage involves the construction of tracks along Solskiego street with a loop at Bielicka street. Ultimately, in subsequent stages, the line will connect the Kujawskie and Grunwaldzkie roundabouts.

Funding for Poland

Częstochowa

The largest investment in Cz ęstochowa was the reconstruction of the large part of the tram infrastructure, completed in 2021, between the terminus at the railway station in Raków and Fieldorfa-Nila loop. As part of this project, in 2020 PESA delivered another ten Twists, which significantly increased the share of low-floor rolling stock in traffic.

Plans for the future primarily include the construction of a 3km (1.9-mile) tram line to Parkitka to serve a hospital and new housing estates. The agenda also includes the renovation of the remaining part of the original tram network, i.e. the section beyond the terminus in Raków towards the steelworks and the Kucelin terminus.

Elbląg

At the end of 2017, Elblą g opened a 1km (0.6-mile) tram route along ul. Gen. Grota Roweckiego and 12 Lutego streets, which are served by lines 4 and 5. In 2021, the city also completed rolling stock deliveries, with the fifth Modertrans Moderus MF 09 AC vehicle. This is a short, single-unit, partially lowfloor tram – similar to those operated on the Tramwaje Ślą skie network.

Plans for the new perspective include track and traction repairs, the purchase of ten new trams, and the construction of storage tracks at the current depot.

Gdańsk

Gda ń sk is constantly implementing new tram investments, which successively cover subsequent parts of the intensively expanding southern districts of the city. In 2020, the city opened a 2.8km (1.7-mile) tram route from the stub-track terminus at Migowo, along the newly-built al. Adamowicza (named after Gda ń sk ’s president who was fatally stabbed in January 2019), to the of Lawendowe Wzgórze terminus. In 2023, a 1.5km (0.9-mile) link was launched along the so-called Nowa Warszawska street between al. Adamowicza, Ujeścisko loop and al. Havla.

Gda ń sk also continued to purchase rolling stock. PESA, under two contracts, delivered

a total of 30 Jazz (128NG ) trams in 2019-21. New purchases allowed the withdrawal of high-floor trams from the 105Na family in 2021. Currently, only trams with a partially or completely low floor are in operation.

Plans for the coming years include the construction of a several-kilometre GPW route (Gda ń sk Południe – Wrzeszcz) that will connect the southern districts from the intersection of Rakoczego and Ja śkowa Dolina to al. Grunwaldzka and the Wrzeszcz railway station. At least ten 45-metre trams are planned to be purchased for its service.

Gorzów Wielkopolski

The Gorzów tram network was among the most neglected in Poland and was threatened with closure. However, this has changed – between 2017-22 a large part of the network was rebuilt, which involved a nearly three-year break in tram service. In 2023, a 400-metre extension was opened from the former Silwana loop to the stubtrack terminus at Fieldorfa-Nila. In 2024, trams returned to the railway station with the launch of line 4. Alongside these investments, the city also purchased its first low-floor trams. Since 2019, 14 new PESA Twist trams have arrived in Gorzów.

Plans for the coming years include extending the route from the station through Jaracza Street to Sikorskiego. This will allow all trams to be directed towards Wieprzyce

“Gdańsk is constantly implementing new tram investments, which successively cover parts of the expanding southern districts.”

through the station. The city also plans to buy at least ten new trams.

Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (Metropolis GZM)

The Upper Silesian network of Tramwaje Ślą skie is unique – it covers 12 cities (not counting Gliwice with a single stop and a depot). Until recently, all cities had shares in the company, although in 2023 Metropolis GZM bought all smaller packages.

The controlling share is held by Katowice –the capital of the region (55.4%).

Tramwaje Ślą skie continues the track repair and modernisation programme, which often includes the improvement of the network parameters and capacity (addition of passing loops or a second track). Two new investments were also implemented – in 2023, a 3km (1.9-mile) route was launched in Sosnowiec from the Zagórze loop towards Paderewskiego and Rydza- Śmigłego streets to the Jana Pawła II roundabout. At the end of 2023, an 800m link was opened in Katowice along Grundmanna street (from Chorzowska street to Gliwicka street), which increases the flexibility of the network.

The company also made purchases of rolling stock. In 2018-20, Modertrans delivered 13 Moderus Beta MF 10 AC trams and two Moderus Beta MF 11 AC BD trams –these are single-section, partially low-floor trams in single and bi-directional versions, respectively. In the same period, PESA delivered 40 Twist family trams: eight longer 2012N-10 and 32 shorter 2017N

Plans for the coming years include reconstruction of track, the implementation of the much-delayed construction of the tram route to the south of Katowice, and the further expansion of the tram network in Sosnowiec. This will comprise closing the loop by laying track along 11 Listopada street, from the Jana Pawła II roundabout to Da ńdówka.

The rolling stock plans assume the purchase of ten bi-directional, partially low-floor single-section trams and 40 multi-section trams: 30 in the single-section version, and ten in the bi-directional version.

aBovE: The new PEsa Twist trams run on the reconstructed tracks at sikorskiego street in gorzów Wielkopolski in august 2020. Martyn Janduła

aBovE: Running north on gdańsk’s line 11, PEsa Jazz 1073 uses the new curve track at Przemyska. since the opening of the 1.7km (one-mile) orbital link between Przemyska and Ujeścisko at the southern end of the network in march 2023, Przemyska has become an important junction. Andrew Thompson

Grudziądz

The most important investment in Grudziądz was the modernisation of 7km (4.3 miles) of single-track along Toru ń ska, Konstytucji 3 Maja, Południowa and Chełmi ń ska streets, completed in 2022. The city also made small purchases of rolling stock – in 2021 signing a contract with Modertrans for the delivery of four partially low-floor Moderus Beta trams. These are the first low-floor trams in the city.

The city is now preparing designs for network expansion, from the Rz ądz loop towards Mniszek district and around the railway station. Plans include the purchase of three more partially low-floor trams.

Kraków

Kraków continues to expand its tram infrastructure. In 2022, the city opened the Łagiewnicka road route with a 1.6km (onemile) tram route (partially hidden in tunnel) connecting the Kurdwanów loop with Zakopia ń ska Street. In 2023, a 5.5km (3.4mile) route opened in the north of the city, from Krowodrza Górka terminus to the new Górka Narodowa loop. However, in 2018, the nearly 2km (1.2-mile) line to Walcownia was suspended due to the poor condition of the track – the future is uncertain due to the low importance of the former steelworks area.

Kraków has also focused on intensive rolling stock replacement. In 2019-23, Stadler delivered a total of 120 Tango Lajkonik trams under two contracts.

The plans include further expansion of the tram network – construction of a 2.2km (1.4-mile) line from Krowodrza Górka to the Azory loop. As part of the project already described in TAUT, construction of a tram route to Mistrzejowice is underway (a contract implemented in the PPP formula –with a tunnel section, which is the embryo of the future pre-metro line). The line is to be constructed by the end of 2025.

The city is conducting framework tenders for the purchase of up to 90 new trams –unidirectional (up to 45m) and bi-directional (up to 34m in length).

Łódź

and surrounding cities

Łód ź trams have been in a major crisis for many years. A lack of track maintenance across many years in an economicallystruggling city due to de-industrialisation has led to many temporary route closures – long before any planned modernisations and renovations. The city is repairing and modernising sections of the network, but it will take a few years to normalise the situation.

As for new investments, at the end of 2016 a new track system was put into operation at the rebuilt Łód ź Fabryczna station, with a new section of track on al. POW, as well as along Składowa street, al. Rodziny Pozna ń skich to Tramwajowa and Narutowicza streets of 1km (0.6 miles).

In 2018, the city put into service 14 new PESA 122NaL Swing trams, and in 2022-23, 30 Moderus Gamma LF 06 AC trams were delivered by Modertrans. This year, Łód ź announced a tender for 15 trams with the possibility of expanding this by another 15 vehicles – there is a good chance that Modertrans will also deliver these next vehicles.

In the coming years, investment efforts will concentrate on track reconstruction –with the building of new points or short new links, as well as a new tramway line on Broniewskiego Street.

Thanks to EU funds, it was possible to save part of the once-extensive network of suburban trams. This was possible thanks to the significant support of the state and the province – the budgets of smaller cities were not able to bear even their own contribution to conduct the costly modernisation projects. The routes to Zgierz (to Kili ń skiego Square), Pabianice and Konstantynów Łódzki were either modernised or rebuilt from scratch.

The future of the remaining sections of the routes – to Lutomiersk and Ozorków (closed in 2019 and 2018 respectively) – is very uncertain and not very optimistic. However, there is a chance that the trams will return to the second route within the city limits of Zgierz.

Olsztyn

Trams returned to Olsztyn in 2015 after 50 years of absence. As part of the second construction stage, a parallel 6km (3.7-mile) route was completed along Piłsudskiego, Wyszy ń skiego, Synów Pułku, Krasickiego, and Wilczy ń skiego streets to the stub track terminus at Pieczewo – with an impressive viaduct above the intersection of Synów Pułku and Krasickiego. The new line was inaugurated at the end of 2023. The current length of the network has grown to 17km (10.6 miles).

In connection with the expansion of the network, Olsztyn purchased 12 trams from the Turkish company Durmazlar. The last vehicle was received in the first quarter of 2022. The tram depot was also expanded. Plans for the near future include additional rolling stock to improve network service.

aBovE: Trams returned to olsztyn in 2015 after 50 years of absence. in december 2023 the new tramway line to Pieczewo opened. here a solaris Tramicus passes the reconstructed Urania events hall along Piłsudskiego avenue. Martyn Janduła

at Zgierz terminus. Martyn Janduła

The tender announced at the end of June covers six new vehicles with an option for eight more.

For now, infrastructure expansion has been sidelined.

Poznań

In 2020, Pozna ń opened a short 600m section between Ż egrze roundabout and Unii Lubelskiej street. In 2021-23, a 3.2km (two-mile) route to Naramowice was delivered in three stages – from the Wilczak terminus, along Naramowicka street and al. Praw Kobiet, to the Bła żeja stub-track terminus. Thus, tram transport has covered the intensively developing area of the city.

Pozna ń is also consistently replacing its rolling stock, of course supporting its own company Modertrans. Since 2016, the manufacturer has delivered 30 partially low-floor Moderus Beta trams in single- and bi-directional versions and 50 fully low-floor Moderus Gamma trams. In 2023, the city concluded a contract for the delivery of ten bi-directional Gamma vehicles, and this year a decision was made to take up the option for another 20 trams.

Plans for the coming years include, among others, a tram on Ratajczaka street or to the Pozna ń Wschód station. In the longer term, a further stage in Naramowice (the section from Wilczak towards the centre) is envisioned.

Szczecin

Szczecin has focused on the reconstruction and expansion of the tram network. Since 2020, large-scale modernisation of the tracks in the northern and southern parts of Śródmieście (downtown) has been underway, which is significantly delayed. The renovation of the route to the Pomorzany loop is scheduled to be completed in August 2025.

LEfT: in Łódź, the reconstruction of the tramway line to Zgierz allowed the first low-floor trams to run on this suburban route. Bombardier Cityrunner pictured in september 2023

Funding for Poland

In 2020, the route along Arkoń ska street was opened from the Las Arkoń ski loop to Wojska Polskiego street. In 2021 its extension along Szafera street to the Os. Zawadzkiego loop was put into service, and in 2024 this orbital route was completed by connecting this route with the area of the former Krzekowo loop. In total, 3km (1.9 miles) of new track were inaugurated.

Szczecin is modest in terms of purchasing rolling stock. Only eight new trams have been put into service in the last decade –these are partially low-floor Moderus Beta in single- and double-directional versions –delivered by Modertrans since 2018. Their partial assembly has been carried out in Szczecin.

Further modernisation of the infrastructure (northwards, towards the Golę cin depot) is planned for the coming years, as well as the construction of a new route between Gumie ńce and the Mierzyn shopping centre. The city is also analysing several other routes in the longer term.

Plans for the coming years in terms of rolling stock include the purchase of 30 fully low-floor trams. At the beginning of the summer holidays, a tender for four vehicles was announced, with the possibility of increasing the order to 12.

Toruń

In 2019, the city opened a short, approximately 300m section of track in al. Jana Pawła II between Artylerii Polskiej square and Niepodległości roundabout. It has certainly increased the flexibility of the network, which is characterised by a latitudinal layout of lines. However, at present, this link is not used in regular traffic.

At the turn of August and September 2023, the city opened a tram line to the north of the city, to the Heweliusza loop. This is the so-called line to Jar district (JAR – short for ‘Soviet Army Unit’) with a length of over 6km (3.7 miles), serving areas subject to strong urbanisation –a rare example of an investment that does not so much chase development as support the development of the city. Unfortunately, the Polish contribution is the significant expansion of the road system (Szosa Chełmi ń ska) that accompanies the investment.

As for the rolling stock, from 2015 PESA delivered five Swings in a single-ended

version and five in a double-ended version. In March and June 2024, Toru ń announced tenders for the purchase of new trams. The first is of a framework nature and covers the delivery of up to 20 vehicles with a length of 28-32m. The first implementation contract is to cover the delivery of four vehicles. This was won by PESA, which defeated the Turkish manufacturer Bozankaya. The next tender covers the delivery of four unidirectional trams with a length of 28- 33m, with the possibility of increasing the order by another eight vehicles. This was also won by PESA.

Warsaw

In 2017 and 2021, the Polish capital opened further sections of the tramway in Tarchomin district. First, a 2km (1.2-mile) extension to the Tarchomin Kościelny loop was opened, followed by a 1.3km (0.8-mile) extension to the Winnica terminus.

Warsaw is currently dealing with a cumulation of investments, the implementation of which coincided at the same time (they are phased, with financing from the previous financial perspective).

In March 2024, a new 2.3km (1.4-mile) section was launched along Kasprzaka street – from Skierniewicka street to Wolska street. The track at the intersection with Wolska was moved to the former car underpass.

In May 2024, a 2km (1.2-mile) route was opened along Goworka, Spacerowa and Gagarina streets to the Sielce stub-track terminus. This is a branch and part of the delayed project known as ‘the tram to Wilanów district’. In the next stage, which is due in autumn/winter this year, a 6.5km (four-mile) section along Belwederska, Sobieskiego streets and al. Rzeczypospolitej to the stub track terminus at Branickiego street is to be launched. Next year, an 800m branch along św. Bonifacego street to the terminus in Stegny is to be opened. Tramwaje Warszawskie is also opening a fifth depot; the facility, in Annopol, will accommodate 140 trams.

This is not the end of the investment. This year, construction began on the next stages of the tram to Wilanów, i.e. a circumferential tram route, which is to eventually connect Wola, Ochota, Mokotów and Wilanów districts. In Mokotów, construction is underway of a 1km (0.6-mile) route along Rakowiecka street – between Puławska street and al. Niepodległości, and in Ochota – a 1.6km (one-mile) route from Grójecka street, along Bitwy Warszawskiej

1920 street to Dw. Zachodni. The trams will reach the terminus through a 600m tunnel.

A contract for the documentation for the Zielona Białołęka route is currently being prepared The route will be almost 6.5km (four miles) long. It will start in Targówek at the intersection of Matki Teresy z Kalkuty and Rembieli ń ska streets. It will then run along św. Wincentego and Głębocka streets. Then, on a kilometre-long viaduct, it will pass over the S8 express route and the Małej Brzozy roundabout. The last section will run on reserved formation up to Primary School No. 112 on Zaułek Street. Construction may start in 2028.

The capital city’s constant showcase is the replacement of rolling stock. In October 2023, the last Hyundai vehicle from the contract for 123 new trams arrived. Now the company is preparing for a new framework tender for the purchase of 20 trams with the possibility of extending the order by up to 140 vehicles. These are vehicles up to 33m long – both single- and double-ended variants.

Wrocław

In recent years, Wrocław has been intensively expanding its tram network. In 2019, a 600m line opened on Hubska Street (in place of the closed tracks on Dyrekcyjna Street). In 2021, the first stage of the tram to Nowy Dwór district was opened (from Orląt Lwowskich Square to Śrubowa street), and in 2023, the next stage was inaugurated – from the Wrocławski Park Przemysłowy terminus to the terminus on Rogowska street near Nowy Dwór (a total of 4.5km/2.8 miles of completely new track section). In 2023, the so-called tram to Popowice was also launched – a 3.5km (2.2-mile) route along Dmowskiego, Długa, Starogroblowa and Popowicka streets.

The city has also rejuvenated its rolling stock. In 2019-20, Modertrans delivered 40 partially low-floor Moderus Beta trams. An earlier option for 16 Moderus Beta vehicles under the 2015 contract was also used. The manufacturer has also delivered 46 fully low-floor Moderus Gamma trams from 2021. This year, deliveries of 46 PESA Twist 146N trams began. In June 2024, the first tram from this delivery rolled out onto the tracks.

The Wrocław tram programme for the coming years includes a number of new routes: to Swojczyce (tracks have already been built on the Chrobrego bridges), Jagodno, to the hospital on Borowska, to Ma ślice, and to Klecina.

aBovE: Wrocław has seen both intensive expansion of its tramway network as well as fleet renewals in recent years. here PEsa Twist 3205 sits on line 20 at the junction of Śrubowa and Robotnicza streets. The Śrubowa extension splits here: left heads to the Wrocławski Park Przemysłowy terminus of line 23, while straight on goes to the dolmed junction with the main network. Andrew Thompson

aBovE: Warsaw is reaping the benefit of cumulative investments; here is pictured the opening of a new stretch of tramway along Kasprzaka street in 2024. Witold Urbanowicz

systems factfile No.204

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

With a metro since 2008, the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung opened the country’s first public tramway in 2015, completed as a circuit around the central area in January 2024.

Words

by Neil Pulling

Pictures by Howard Pulling

TAIWAN

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is officially called Kaohsiung City, being one of Taiwan’s six special municipalities. With the municipality having absorbed Kaohsiung County in 2010, it is far from geographically or socially homogenous. The urban area reaches the South China Sea coast, to the east bordering the Gaoping river, and includes rural mountainous land. West of the central area is the Gushan District, part urban but with undeveloped and preserved natural landscapes. Kaohsiung was the first Taiwanese city with a passenger tramway, opening to the public in October 2015. The service is identified as Kaohsiung Light Rail, sometimes termed Circular Light Rail due to its now completed configuration.

Like most of Taiwan’s bigger urban areas, Kaohsiung is on the island’s western seaboard, though with origins and today’s central district set away from the coast. Western

ABOVE: Alstom Citadis X05 14 in the system livery crosses Lingyaliao Iron Bridge over the Love river between Glory Pier and Love Pier on 30 March 2024. This is a formerly industrial area where tourism now flourishes.

Taiwan’s topography is more suited to development than the mountainous interior or east coast, but overall nature poses challenges to the maintenance of Taiwan’s transport infrastructure and services. The country is prone to typhoons and seismic activity as demonstrated by the fatal and disruptive Hualien earthquake in April 2024. Extreme rainfall during Typhoon Gaemi led to serious flooding in Kaohsiung in July 2024.

The population of Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, is about 24 million (2024 estimate). Kaohsiung and Taichung each have populations of around 2.75 million, similar to the capital, Taipei City. The latter lies within the administratively separate New Taipei City, location of Danhai Light Rail, the second public tramway to open in Taiwan (TAUT 983, November 2019).

Overall the Taipei conurbation has by far the country’s biggest population concentration. About 300km (188 miles) separates the centres of Kaohsiung and Taipei.

Japanese rule between 1895 and 1945 saw railways – but not tramways – become significant for Taiwan, leading to today’s 1067mm gauge network run by the national body recently renamed as Taiwan Railways. A separate entity using 1435mm gauge, Taiwan High Speed Rail, began in 2007. The 350km (219 miles) between Taipei and Kaohsiung’s Zuoying station to the north of the city centre sees most high speed services taking just under two hours. The designated ‘Kaohsiung Main Station’ is on a central section of tracks now relocated below ground which host Taiwan Railways’ long distance and suburban services. Bus services are sparse and infrequent for such a city, with dispersed stops rather than having a

Kaohsiung

ABOVE: Seen in the first year of operation, the stylish Cianjhen Star bridge gives pedestrians and cyclists safer movement around a major road intersection and includes access to trams and the MRT

THE FLEET

Both of the bi-directional, airconditioned tram types have five sections and are 2.65 metres wide. With the first delivered in September 2014, the 34-metre long, 2.65m-wide CAF Urbos 3 trams built in Spain are numbered 01-09 and have space for 250 passengers. With similar accommodation, the Alstom Citadis X05 from France are numbered 10-24. The first of these arrived in September 2018, with fleet service starting in January 2021. The green and white system livery appears on both types, with fleet numbers difficult to identify externally on vehicles with advertising wraps. CAF and Alstom vehicles are used interchangeably and as single sets.

The light rail project helped the transition of the old harbour district to other uses, as at Haibian Road near Cruise Terminal stop. The

central hub. Although maritime trade featured for centuries around what became Kaohsiung, Japanese control saw the harbour district became more structured, later growing to become the country’s biggest port with an emphasis on container handling.

Creating urban fixed links related to improving environments where car and particularly motor scooter use was widespread. In 2000 Kaohsiung municipality opted for a rail-based network, becoming branded as Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT). It selected the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation private sector consortium (KRTC) to deliver the project under a Build-OperateTransfer contract with a service transfer to the city administration due in 2037. KRTC is led by locallybased China Steel Corporation (CSC). Also involved with Danhai Light Rail, CSC owns the Taiwan Rolling Stock Company, makers of that operation’s vehicles.

The main KMRT carrier is a 1435mm gauge metro – MRT – using Siemens stock over two lines which opened in 2008. Configured as the north-south (Red) line and the slightly later east-west (Orange) line, their only interchange is about one kilometre south of Kaohsiung Main Station at Formosa Boulevard. This MRT station has the showpiece illuminated Dome of Light stained-glass ceiling. Sub-surface for about 20km (12 miles), an elevated Red line section emerges from a hillside near World Games station. A short surface length is near the Orange line’s eastern terminus and depot. The Red line has two depots and was extended in June 2024 to Gangshan, taking it to 32km (20 miles) and with more northern additions due. With about one-third of Red line’s ridership, the Orange line is 14.4km (nine miles) long.

The in-development Yellow line with two western branches will total 23km (14.4 miles) and have 23 stations, two with light rail transfers. Using Stadler stock, services are expected to start in 2028.

Well in advance of metro and light rail services starting, a temporary 400-metre park track with a Siemens

Red line.

ABOVE:

Kaohsiung Music Center building is in the background.

ABOVE: Lizihnei, designated stop C1 as the service’s nominal start and finish, with (left) a Citadis XO5 in system livery and an Urbos 3 in an advertising wrap.

ABOVE RIGHT: Used for suburban services, EMU500 and EMU800-series at Qiaotou (Ciaotou) main line station in March 2024, the MRT Red line’s northern terminus.

C1 Lizihnei、 C2 Kaisyuan Rueitian、 C3 Cianjhen Star、 C4 Kaisyuan Jhonghua、 C5 Dream Mall、 C6 Commerce and Trade Park、 C7 Software Technology Park、 C8 Kaohsiung Exhibition Center、 C9 Cruise Terminal、 C10 Glory Pier、 C11 Love Pier、 C12 Dayi Pier-2、 C13 Penglai Pier-2、 C14 Hamasen、 C15 Shoushan Park、 C16 Wenwu Temple、 C17 Gushan District Office、 C18 Gushan、 C19 Makadao、 C20 TRA Museum of Fine Arts、

C21A Neiwei Arts Center、 C21 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts、 C22 Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital、 C23 Longhua Elementary School、 C24 Heart of Love River、 C25 Sinshang Elementary School、 C26 Dashun Minzu、 C27 Wanzihnei (Dashun Dingshan) C28 Kaohsiung Industrial High School、 C29 Shu-Te Home Economics & Commercial High School、 C30 Science and Technology Museum、 C31 St.Joseph Hospital、 C32 Kaisyuan Park、 C33 Department of Health、 C34 Wucyuan Elementary School、 C35 Kaisyuan Wuchang、 C36 Kaisyuan Ersheng、 C37 LRT Depot

ABOVE: C37 LRT Depot stop: common system features include names with letter/ number identifiers, service directions, also the demarcation of paid zone and validation reminders.

ABOVE:

Kaisyuan Park

Kaohsiung

“there is significantly greater ridership at weekends, indicating the system’s appeal to leisure users.”

network facts

Opened: 2015

l ines: 1 (designated as 2)

length: 22.1km (13.8 miles)

Depots: 1

approx. weekday hours: 06.30-22.00

l ine frequency: 10-15 minutes

Gauge: 1435mm

Power: 750V dc, stored energy, overhead charging fleet: 24

c ity network/operator: Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation www.krtc.com.tw/eng/KLRT

Operator: Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit https://mtbu.kcg.gov.tw/En

National rail: Taiwan Railway Corporation www.railway.gov.tw

c ivic information: (English version) www.kcg.gov.tw/en

tourist information: https://khh.travel and https://taiwan.net.tw

rather than

LEFT: On an elevated site, Love Pier has a central gantry for charging

integration of the overhead rail with platform canopies as used at most stops.

RIGHT: Now popular with visitors, this area near Penglai Pier-2 has been redeveloped from industrial premises.

BELOW: The great expanse of tracks around Hamasen once included Kaohsiung’s now-closed harbour station. Today’s rail presence consists of metro, some railway exhibits and trams. Number 01 passes beneath the Sky Balcony restaurant which is sited on a truncated road bridge.

BELOW: A clockwise service leaves Heart of Love River, moving onto the section which opened in January 2024, thereby completing the tramway circuit.

Combino (later Melbourne D2 5008) served as a demonstrator between December 2003 and March 2004.

The first parts of today’s twintrack light rail system to open owe much to railway installed to serve the port during the pre-container era. Redeveloping alignments for tram use included removal of walls and fences bordering the permanent way. Better pedestrian access and tree-lined grassed track are amongst the improvements brought by the project. Testing started in late 2014 followed by a trial service, with the first full operations from October 2015 using track on the eventual circuit’s southern half. This included one of the project’s most impressive structures, the Cianjhen Star bridge which includes an interchange with Kaisyuan MRT station.

By September 2017, extensions supporting the change of waterfront former industrial sites to leisure, tourism and new commercial use took the service to a metro interchange at Hamasen, previously named Sizihwan. This area with an expanse of former railway land is near Cijin Ferry ferry terminal. Boosting the system’s everyday use, in October 2022 the service extended to Heart of Love River, close to Aozihdi MTR

station. This extension included a brief single-track section east of the Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital.

The circuit’s operational completion with 37 stops came in January 2024 with the opening between Heart of Love River and Kaisyuan Park. This final section was along established avenues with many intersections, which combined with the relatively long dwell times contribute to a leisurely service progress. A full light rail circuit takes around 90 minutes, with frequencies between 10 and 15 minutes.

Light rail stops and MRT stations use a common notation of an English language name and a designation by letter (R: Red line; O: Orange line; C for Circular/ tram) plus number, for example C10 Glory Pier. The tram service is differentiated as Clockwise and Counterclockwise, respectively also distinguished as 1 and 2, both shown on destination displays. Most of the system is at ground level, with a mixture of side and island platforms. Signage on trams and at stops includes Chinese and English versions, as do on-board announcements. Next to the public stop named LRT Depot, the system’s maintenance facilities and storage sidings are on redeveloped railway land in Cianjhen district.

Unusually for such a modern and relatively small system, there are two tram types, both of European origin. The initial nine-strong CAF Urbos 3 fleet has the company’s Rapid Charge Accumulator (ACR) energy storage. Having adopted a non-proprietary wire-free system, these trams were joined in 2021 by 14 Alstom Citadis X05 fitted with Ecopack on-board storage. Depot storage tracks have overhead lines, but revenue lines are wire-free. Recharging takes 20-30 seconds during stop dwell-times, with pantographs raised at short conductor rails, mostly suspended from platform canopy edges but with some central gantries.

ABOVE: The system’s only conventional overhead supply is at the LRT depot storage sidings.

LEFT: Part of the public transport network, the frequent GushanCijin ferries serve residential demand and attract leisure use.

BELOW:

The 42 Vienna-built Siemens three-car modular sets are used for all current MRT services: Red line World Games station on 25 July 2015.

There is significantly greater ridership at weekends, indicating the system’s appeal to leisure users, particularly during the city’s many public events and festivals that can attract visitors from far beyond Kaohsiung. The metro shares this characteristic, but overall that service is reported to have demand continuing below the forecasted levels. The MRT platforms can accommodate pairs of the original Siemens Modular Metro 65-metre long three-car sets that were delivered under the original project, although passenger numbers have perpetuated the use of single sets.

ESSENTIAL FACTS

local travel: Good local fares information, with staffed service points at MRT stations. As at light rail stops, these have multilanguage ticket machines. Light rail ticketing was amended with the circuit’s completion in early 2024, changing from a flat fare to zone-based charging. Honour-based system with validators (now removed from trams and only platform-based); revenue protection includes inspectors. Single tickets are available, although visitors may find the combined ‘KMRT & KLRT QRCODE’ travel passes more useful and better value: one-day NTD200; two-day NTD325 (EUR5.64 / EUR9.16) (June 2024).

What is there to see? Many Kaohsiung visitors will arrive at the MRT Red line-served airport which, like the main stations, will have free maps and guides available (most with English language content) which include public transport information. Website https://khh.travel/en/travel/lightrail-artery specifically relates attractions to the light rail circuit. MRT station exits have signage indicating immediate surroundings. Rendering of Chinese to English varies, thus different spellings for one location may occur, for example Qianzhen/Cianjhen. Hamasen Railway Cultural Park with static exhibits serves as a spacious leisure area. Reached by the Gushan-Cijin ferry from a terminus near Hamasen, Cijin Island is noted for beaches and seafood restaurants, as well as views from the historic lighthouse.

F

T ReNewAl IN TORINO, ITAlY

Torino, the home of Italy’s second-largest tram network, is currently implementing a rolling stock renewal programme with new Hitachi LRVs.

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+ The latest news and analysis, system and technical development

Sash

Margrie Hunt/Unsplash

Worldwide Review

AUSTRALIA

ADELAIDE. Services to the new Port Dock station on the Port Adelaide commuter rail line started on 25 August. The branch to the original station had closed in 1981; the goods yard was later turned into the National Railway Museum. Work to reopen the branch to a new bus interchange station started in 2022. Adelaide Metro

AUSTRIA

SALZBURG. Although approval for Salzburg’s controversial S-link was seemingly given by Austria’s Federal Ministry for Transport and the Environment earlier this summer (TAUT 1039), a referendum on the project is to be held on 10 November.

Salzburger Nachrichten WIEN (Vienna). Delivery of Alstom Flexity trams had reached vehicle 386 by the end of August.

The planned opening of U-Bahn line U2’s southern extension from Matzleinsdorfer Platz to Wienerberg has been delayed from 2028 to 2030. tramwayforum.at

BELARUS

MINSK. Metrovagonmash of Tver, Russia, has delivered the first of seven four-car metro trains. RGI

BELGIUM

ANTWERPEN (Antwerp).

Ex-Gent tram 6202 has been scrapped, as have single-ended PCCs 7067 and 7141. T-2000 BRUXELLES (Brussels). Flash flooding after a storm on 9 July disrupted several parts of the tramway network.

Articulated PCCs 701 and 724 have been scrapped. T-2000 DE PANNE – KNOKKE (De Lijn). All 48 CAF trams –apart from 6121 – were available for summer traffic on the coastal tramway. However, HermeLijn trams (6340 and 6341 from Gent and 7225/7229/7236/7246 from Antwerpen) had to be drafted in to help. T-2000

BRAZIL

SÃO PAULO. The state government has revoked the concession held by ViaMobilidade to operate the 1.6km (0.9-mile) monorail Line 15/Silver. A new bid process for the operating concession is underway. Rio Times

CANADA

TORONTO. The TTC introduced an all-night service on the 305 Dundas line from 28 July

(Dundas West – Broadview). As a result, the night service on line 306 Carlton now runs to High Park. New Alstom Flexity 4624 entered service in August. P.Webb VANCOUVER . The latest estimate for the 16km (ten-mile) Expo Line Skytrain extension to Langley is CAD6bn (EUR4bn). It was previously CAD4bn (EUR2.7bn. Opening is pushed back from 2028 to late 2029.

I. Fisher

CHINA

FOSHAN. Metro line 3 was extended by 5.8km (3.6 miles) south from Zhongshan park to Zhen’an and 16.4km (ten miles) north from Lianhe to Foshan University on 23 August. The intermediate section from Zhongshan Park to Lianhe remains under construction. It is to open in 2025 once the Foshan high-speed railway station is completed. urbanrail.net

HONG KONG. One of the 1979 Metro-Cammell MTR metro trains was externally restored to its original livery to mark the 45th anniversary of the system’s opening. skyscrapercity MACAU. Testing started in August on the 2.2km (1.4-mile) automated transit connection from Lotus Bridge via an underwater tunnel to Hengqin Island in Zhuhai. Passenger service is expected to start in November. chinadaily.com XI’AN. The 17.4km (11-mile) Skyshuttle people-mover between Yuhua-zhai and Hengye

Dadao was opened on 12 August. It acts as a feeder to metro line 3, using 26 three-section trains. urbanrail.net

CZECH REPUBLIC

PRAHA (Prague). Work is to start on a tramway extension from Kobylisy to Bohnice. The 3.5km (two-mile) line is due to open in 2028.

The city is to celebrate 150 years of its trams over the weekend of 20-21 September 2025. Further details of the event will be published next year. M. J. Russell

DENMARK

KØBENHAVN (Copenhagen). Delivery of 14 out of 29 Siemens Avenio trams allowed testing to start between Rødovre and Glostrup on 14 August. The full 28km (17-mile) outer ring light rail line should open next year. Sjaellandske Nyheter

ESTONIA

TALLINN. Tram 521, the first of 20 new PESA low-floor articulated vehicles, entered Line 2 service on 23 August, after a ceremony at Kadriorg. M. J. Russell

FINLAND

TAMPERE. Škoda Transtech delivered 21, the first of the second batch of ForCity Smart Artic X34 trams, on 1 August. Škoda

FRANCE

CAEN. The tramway celebrated its fifth anniversary on 27 July. It has carried 35 million passengers and its trams have accumulated 6

million kilometres (3.7m miles). Some 50 000 passengers/day are now being carried. caenlam-er.fr STRASBOURG. The public inquiry for the new tramline to the north (Schiltigheim and Bischheim) takes place between 9 September and 18 October. Strasbourg.eu

GERMANY

BERLIN. The new tram subway at Schöneweide railway station opened on 17 August, permitting re-instatement of the loop system for local routes. The project started in March 2022 and involved laying 1.6km (0.9 miles) of new track.

Tenders have been invited for the extension of Line M17 from Johannisthal to Gropiusstadt.

The free shuttle service from Erkner S-Bahn station to Tesla’s Grünheide factory resumed on 7 August using two Siemens Mireo battery-electric EMUs. The service is operated by Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn and is funded by Tesla. RGI BIELEFELD. Windhoff has delivered a 31t metre-gauge railgrinder/multi-purpose vehicle. regional-verkehr BONN. Škoda ForCity Smart 2253 was delivered to Beuel depot on 20 August. DS GOTHA. The state of Thüringia’s Ministry of Transport has agreed to a EUR10m subsidy to help fund the purchase of four low-floor trams. The tender, for a 2025-26 delivery, was issued in August. DS

Work is now well underway to re-introduce trams to Vaclavske nám (Wenceslas Square) in Praha (Prague). P. Cecil

Worldwide Review

HALLE. The new Elisabeth bridge over the River Saale opened on 2 August. It was used by lines 2, 9 and 10 on Mansfelder Strasse from 5 August. DS HAMBURG. The senate has approved financing for the Bramfeld – Borgweg phase of U-Bahn Line U5. The EUR1.5bn, 2.6km (1.6-mile) line should open in 2033. UTM HANNOVER. Light rail line 2 services were extended from Rethen to Gleidingen on 2 August. This utilises the tracks of line 1. uestra.de HEILBRONN. Planning approval to replace the island platform stop on the station forecourt with a three-track tram station was given on 15 July. DR MANNHEIM –LUDWIGSHAFEN. The first 58.7m Škoda 38T tram was delivered on 22 August. DS SAARBRÜCKEN. The first 37m Stadler tram-train to be completed at the Valencia factory was to be displayed at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin in September. Trams 2001-28 are equipped for 750v DC and 15kV AC operation. cs-dopravak

INDIA

DELHI. The RapidX commuter rail service was extended by 8km (five miles) from Modinagar North to Meerut South on 18 August. urbanrail.net

IRAQ

BAGHDAD. An international consortium including SNCF/ Systra, Alstom, Talgo, plus Deutsche Bank, has been selected to design, build and operate a new 148km (92-mile) metro system. It is expected to cost USD18bn (EUR16.2bn). IRJ

ISLE OF MAN

DOUGLAS. The six-day Manx Heritage Transport Festival

took place between 30 June and 4 August. It mainly marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the steam railway between Douglas and Port Erin, but also 125 years since the Manx Electric Railway opened. Visitors to the festival had the opportunity to experience rolling stock not normally used, to drive one of the MER’s electric cars, and to explore that line’s workshops.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV. The Israeli parliament has approved the law that will enable the three-line 150km (93-mile) metro to be built. Phased construction of the ILS150bn (EUR37bn) underground system could start next year, with the full system open by 2040. Xinhua

JAPAN

TOKYO. East Japan Railway started work on its new 12.4km (7.7-mile) line from Tamachi station to Haneda Airport in June. When it opens in 2031, it will connect Tokyo station to the airport in just 18 minutes.

On 24 July, JR-East said it would start work on its airport – Shinkiba station Waterfront Route. This, too, should open in 2031. Y. Hanafusa

LATVIA

RIGA. Line 7 was cleared for the operation of pantographequipped Škoda low-floor trams from 30 July. Work to make line 5 suitable for these vehicles continues. cs-dopravak

NETHERLANDS

AMSTERDAM. GVBA carried 239m passengers in 2023 (100.1m on the metro, 94.6m on trams and 44.4m on buses). This still only represents 87.5% of the passengers carried in 2019.

The first Stadler tram-train to VDV specification is seen on the test track at the Valencia factory; 2002 will be delivered to the Saarbahn in Saarbrücken, Germany, before the end of the year and is part of an order for 246 for six different operators in Germany and Austria. Stadler

The initial delivery of 30 CAF M7 metro trains has been extended by taking up an option for 11 more at a cost of EUR112m. OR

NORWAY

BERGEN. Local elections in Norway resulted in a change of party in Bergen’s city council. This has rejected the running of the Åsane extension on the surface through historic Bryggen (approved in 2023). A tunnel is back on the agenda, which means the project will be delayed.

POLAND

TR

KATOWICE. The Modertrans PLN82.7m (EUR19m) bid for ten single-ended bogie trams was the only one received. However, Tramwaje Ś l ą skie’s budget was PLN64m (EUR15m). A similar situation has affected the tender for 40 25m articulated trams: PESA’s sole bid was for PLN924m (EUR216m); the budget was PLN729m (EUR170m).

TP KRAKÓW. A new tender was issued on 1 August for up to 30 single-ended 44m 100% low-floor trams. The new vehicles need to be capable of running for 3km (1.9 miles) without overhead current collection and be able to accommodate 290 passengers (100 seated). The first is to be delivered within 18 months. The previous tender resulted in one bid (from Bozankaya) at a price in excess of the budget.

TP

ŁÓDŹ. The PLN452m (EUR106m) bid from Modertrans was the only one received for 15 low-floor trams (plus an option for a further 15).

TP

OLSZTYN. The second tendering exercise for six low-floor trams produced bids from two Polish companies that have never built new trams: CSI Invest and Saatz. CSI Invest’s bid price was PLN150m (EUR35m), while Saatz tendered PLN111m (EUR26m).

The contract has an option for eight more trams. cs-dopravak SZCZECIN. Modertrans has responded to a tender by offering four Moderus Gamma articulated low-floor cars for PLN64m (EUR15m). Delivery is required by 30 May 2026.

TP

TORU Ń . A 1.6km (0.9-mile) tramway extension to MotoArena is to be built in order to access a new depot.

TP

WARSZAWA (Warsaw). Voessing Polska has been selected to design and project manage the planned 6.5km (four-mile) tramway extension to Zielona Białoł ęka. It should open in 2028.

PORTUGAL

TP

LISBOA (Lisbon). Line 25, referred to as a tourist line in TAUT 1040, is actually a reinstatement of the regular route suspended in June 2023. Regular Carris fares applyand the line does not operate at weekends. It was extended from Cais do Sodré to Rua da Prata/Praça da Figueira on 29 July, probably for a fourmonth period while roadworks affect line 28 services between Martim Moniz and Praça de Luís de Camões.

The first of 42 new Stadler ML200 three-car metro trains was delivered on 9 August.

E. Kers, transphoto.org

ROMANIA

TIMI Ş OARA. Line 5 to Statia Meteo reopened on 5 June, two days before the local elections, with a non-wired temporary loop that required Bozankaya low-floor trams to use their batteries. Some trips were still being operated by buses in late July.

Bozankaya trams 1024-40 carry a yellow livery rather than the purple used on the original batch. S. Danescu

The first test run of a Siemens Avenio outside the depot of Denmark’s new København tram line. J. Henriksen

RUSSIA

KALININGRAD. The city authorities have confirmed that Kaliningrad’s tramway system will not be restored to its original size, but that its two existing routes will be refurbished.

PESA tram 1201 returned to service in late July.

Tatra KT4 415 is the ‘Theatre Tram’, while ex-Mannheim Duewag 443 now houses an exhibition dedicated to the city’s tramway at the Friedland Gate Museum. J. Carpenter KURSK. TEMZ 71-911 Lvyonok bogie trams 7001-08 have entered service from Eastern Depot on the city’s one remaining line. transphoto.org MOSKVA (Moscow). The traditional tram parade on 6 July featured a restored Kh tram for the first time: Dzerzhinsk 17 of 1923.

The Aeroexpress service to Vnukovo Airport was withdrawn from 1 August; access is still possible on local trains.

The Central Diameter Line D3’s new station Mitkovo opened on 2 August. N. Semyonov NOVOSIBIRSK. Belkommunmash delivered three sets of mechanical equipment on 12 August. This will be used by the BKM-Sibir joint venture to modernise existing cars. transphoto.org UFA. The city has purchased 69 ten-year-old PESA Fokstrot trams, withdrawn by Moskva last year. The first arrived on 27 July and all will be delivered by 1 October. Some have been stripped for spares, and one source suggests only 20 will carry passengers. TP VOLGOGRAD. 71-911EM Lvyonok bogie trams 5001-07 were delivered over the summer. transphoto.org

SINGAPORE

MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY. Siemens has been awarded a

EUR270m contract to design and commission the 1500v DC power supply system for the Cross Island Line. The first 29km (18 miles) from Aviation Park to Bright Hill is due to open in 2030. CRRC Qingdao Sifang is to supply 44 trains.

Teck Lee station on the Punggol LRT west loop automated peoplemover opened on 15 August21 years after it was structurally completed. lta.gov.sg

SOUTH KOREA

SEOUL. Metro Line 8’s northern extension from Amsa to Byeollae opened on 10 August. The 12.9km (eight-mile) line boasts six new stations. HyundaiRotem has supplied six more two-car trains for the Gold Line automated metro. skyscrapercity

SPAIN

BILBAO. An Acciona-led joint venture will build the 2.8km (1.7-mile) underground section of metro line 5 under the city centre at a cost of EUR88.1m. CAF will supply five new Class 980 trains. RGI

SWEDEN

GÖTEBORG (Gothenburg)

The first M34 12-axle tram left Alstom’s factory in Bautzen (Germany) on 20 August and arrived in Göteborg on 22 August. A. Oscarsson

SWITZERLAND

AIGLE – LES DIABLERETS (TPC). Stadler Abe4/8 471-473 entered service on 1 July. EA BERN – WORB (RBS). The last day of Be4/10 operation is due to be 13 October; Bernmobil Tramlinks will take over all services from 14 October. EA

LOCARNO – DOMODOSSOLA (FART). Abe4/6 52-54 and

Abe4/8 45-48 have been sold to Stadler for CHF15 000 (EUR16 000). They will be overhauled and offered for resale. Trailers 121-122 have been gifted to Voies Ferrées du Velay. EA NYON – ST CERGUE. The new depot and workshop was put out of action by flooding on 10 June. Bus replacement between Nyon and Trélex lasted until 14 July. VISP – ZERMATT (MGB). Flooding of the Vispa river forced the closure of the Visp –Täsch section of line between 10-26 August. MGB

TURKEY

ISTANBUL. Work has started to build the 3.2km (1.9-mile) tramway link from Feshane, on line T5, to Bayrampasa Meydan. Global Mass Transit

UKRAINE

HORLIVKA. Tram traffic was suspended from 30 July due to attacks on the city by Russian drones. transphoto.org KHARKIV. Line 23 along Traktorostroiteley was restored to operation from 20 August. transphoto.org

UNITED KINGDOM

BIRMINGHAM. Kazuki Yamada, the Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, provided a piano soundtrack for passengers on West Midlands Metro on 27 and 29 August. The performances were part of a week-long series of events to promote the orchestra.

The first track on the extension to Birmingham Eastside has been laid from Lower Bull Street into Moor Street Queensway. Work to move utilities and prepare road surfaces on Moor Street Queensway is to continue throughout the autumn. The first phase of the extension, as far as Clayton Hotel, could open in 2025-26.

West Midlands Metro has reminded car drivers that they face penalties if they block tram lines or ignore traffic signals and signs. This follows one driver being disqualified from driving for 22 months for driving onto the grass section located at St Chad’s tram stop.

BLACKPOOL. The Illuminations ‘switch on’ event was to take place on 30 August.

DUDLEY. Parry People Mover 12 left the Severn Valley Railway in July, bound for the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre. Owner Lightweight Community Transport Limited is to work with Pre Metro Operations to use the PPM as a test-bed for new technology that could be used to prolong the life of the two Class 139s used on the Stourbridge branch.

EDINBURGH. Edinburgh Trams has selected drivers Victoria Young and Michael Jakes, along with driver trainer Dougie White, to represent it at the 11th European Tram Driver Championship in Frankfurt on 14 September. The competition involves competitors tackling a 200m course with six challenges.

GENERAL. Storm Lilian hit the UK on 22 August, affecting several light rail systems. Engineering teams from Blackpool Transport attended the catenary near Cabin stop, while Transport for Greater Manchester had to remove numerous trees from the Metrolink network.

GLASGOW. Time is running out for the remaining 1980 MetroCammell Glasgow Subway trains, superseded by new vehicles from Stadler. One car, 128, has moved to Glasgow’s Riverside Museum. Stadler has offered the remaining cars for GBP5000 (EUR5943), although it has offered to waive this for charities. New homes had to be found by the end of

The hydrogen-powered tram from HyundaiRotem will be used in Daejong, South Korea. HyundaiRotem

Historic stock of the Berlin S-Bahn at Wannsee during a tour to mark the system’s centenary. DB

Worldwide Review

August otherwise the cars were to be scrapped.

LONDON. Transport for London has confirmed that design work has started on making Alperton, Arnos Grove and Eastcote Underground stations stepfree. Croxley and Northwood (Metropolitan), Neasden (Jubilee) and Turnham Green (District/ Piccadilly), as well as Colliers Wood, East Finchley and Tooting Broadway on the Northern Line, will be assessed to see if they can be made step-free. Installation of step-free access at Northolt is to start later this year, along with design work for North Acton (Central) and West Hampstead (Jubilee).

New drinking fountains are to be installed at Bethnal Green, Bush Hill Park, Chingford, Gospel Oak, Highams Park and Homerton Overground stations. MANCHESTER. Track renewal is to take place at Piccadilly Gardens between 27 August-17 September. No trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square, and replacement buses will run between Piccadilly and Deansgate-Castlefield. Services resumed between Oldham and Rochdale on 19 August following repairs to a landslip.

TYNE & WEAR. Tyneside Mandolin Orchestra has composed a version of the country music classic I’ve Been Everywhere –written by Australian Geoff Mack in 1959, but later made popular by Johnny Cash – using locations on the Metro. The orchestra performed the song at Jesmond station on 19 August.

New Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Susan Dungworth observed policing and security measures on the Metro on 17 August.

USA

BOSTON, MA. The MBTA board has approved a USD54m (EUR49m) plan to purchase

battery-electric EMUs for the Fairmont commuter rail line. A further 41 double-deck commuter rail coaches have been ordered from HyundaiRotem for USD177m (EUR160m) under an option in the 2019 contract. J. May DALLAS, TX. A fire appliance fell from Interstate 345 onto DART’s light rail lines on 21 July. It destroyed overhead lines and damaged tracks. Services did not resume until 24 July. Mass Transit CAMDEN – TRENTON, NJ. The diesel light rail service was reduced to a 30-minute headway from 12 August with a supplementary bus service at peaks. Passengers were offered free rides from 26 August to 2 September to compensate for unreliability.

J. May

CHICAGO, IL. Damen station on the Green Line opened on 6 August.

CTA has selected a WalshVINCI consortium to design and build the 9km (5.6-mile) Red Line metro extension from 95th St to 130th St by 2030. Mass Transit HONOLULU, HI. Tutor Perini Corporation has won the USD1.66bn (EUR1.5bn) contract to design and build the Middle St – Civic Center section of the automated metro. Completion is planned for 2030. skyscraper-city LOS ANGELES, CA. Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners (STCP) has selected Stadler to supply metro trains. Siemens Mobility is to design and build speed and safety technology for the San Fernando Valley line in the I-405 corridor. STCP MEMPHIS, TN. The Downtown Trolley Line was suspended from 18 August after its historic trams suffered from braking issues. No date for a resumption of service has been given, and staff have been furloughed. J. May

NJ TRANSIT (NJ). NJ Transit has exercised a USD170m (EUR154m) option for 36 more 25m double-deck cars from

Alstom. They will match the 138 cars of this type already delivered by Bombardier and Alstom. NJ Transit PORTLAND, OR. Changes to Max services took effect from 25 August: Red Line heads west along Blue Line metals from Beaverton to Hillsboro Airport/ Fairgrounds (previously just Hillsboro Airport). Night services on Blue, Red and Yellow Lines have been replaced by buses to widen the window for overnight track maintenance.

Portland Streetcar failed to sell United Streetcar prototype 015 and it is expected to go for scrap. S. J. Morgan

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. BART’s 10km (6.2-mile) South Bay extension to San Jose has been awarded USD5.1m (EUR4.6m) in federal funding. Bechtel is to provide construction management services for the USD12.7m (EUR11.5m) project.

J. May

SAN FRANCISCO – SAN JOSE, CA. A public preview of Caltrain’s new USD2.44bn (EUR2.2bn) electrification project took place on 11 August. The new ‘electrified’ timetable starts on 21 September, with four trains/ hour at peaks and a 75-minute running time using 23 seven-car Stadler KISS EMUs. Trains SEATTLE, WA. Light rail Line 1 was extended north by 13.6km (8.4 miles) from Northgate to Lynwood on 30 August.

The South Lake Union streetcar service was suspended from 9 August for an unknown period due to sub-station failures; the only source for parts to repair the sites is the Czech Republic.

J. May

MUSEUM NEWS

CRICH (UK). Jason Hardy has been appointed as the Tramway Museum Society’s new President. He started volunteering at Crich Tramway Village in 2018 as a conductor. He will take over from outgoing President Sue Whiteley in 2025.

London County Council 1 –known as Bluebird – undertook test runs at Crich on 17 August. It has not carried passengers since 1957, when withdrawn from service in Leeds. Restoration started in 2014 and it is expected to officially enter service in September.

DEN HAAG (NL). Former Belgian Vicinal PCC 10409 arrived on 26 July. Its loan is part of the tramway museum’s celebrations to mark 75 years of the PCC. Another visitor was Antwerpen PCC 7072. haagsetramnieuws

KRAKÓW (PL). Two-axle N car 9 is the newest addition to the heritage fleet. Restored from a snowplough, it returned to service on 25 August.

TP

LOWESTOFT (UK). A ‘shunt’ took place at East Anglia Transport Museum on 15 July that involved Lowestoft Corporation 14 making a rare appearance outside the museum’s workshops. The moves enabled car 14 to be put into a new position to allow restoration of its interior to continue. It also allowed the top deck of Glasgow Standard 488 to be moved into the main workshops for restoration.

MANCHESTER (UK). Heaton Park Tramway has been able to operate between Middleton Road Gates and Lakeside most weekends throughout the summer, although a shortage of volunteers has led to occasions where this has not been possible.

OUDDORP (NL) The latest extension to the RTM (Rotterdam Steam Tram) museum is due to open on 28 September. The museum will continue to open on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 2 November, plus Thursdays except from 19 September to 17 October inclusive. At least two, or more often three, return journeys along the museum line run on those days, hauled by historic steam or diesel engines. See www.rtm-ouddorp.nl for more details.

RIO VISTA, CA (US). BART has gifted three first-generation cars (1164, 1834 and 329) to the Western Railway Museum. WRM

CONTRIBUTORS

Worldwide items for inclusion should be sent to Michael Taplin at Flat 8, Roxan Villa, 33 Landguard Manor Rd, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 7HZ, UK. Please fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or e-mail miketap@mainspring.co.uk UK and Ireland items: please e-mail uknews@lrta.org

Acknowledgements are due to Adelaide Metro, caenlam-er.fr, chinadaily.com cs-dopravak, DR, Drehscheibe (DS), Eisenbahn Amateur (EA), Global Mass Transit, haagsetramnieuws, International Railway Journal (IRJ), lta.gov.sg, Mass Transit, MGB, NJ Transit, Op de Rail (OR), Railway Gazette International (RGI), regionalverkehr, Rio Times, Salzburger Nachrichten, skyscrapercity, STCP, Strasbourg.eu, Tram-2000 (T-2000), tramwayforum.at, Trains, transphoto.org, Transport Publiczny (TP), urbanrail.net, uestra.de, Urban Transport Magazine (UTM) and Xinhua.

The driverless tram soon to be introduced in Moskva (Moscow) has been given a special livery. It is seen on a 20 August test drive. Mosmnevnik

MaILBoX

matt@mainspring.co.uk

Get your views into print Letters

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

Public transport needs to up its game for events

I read with interest the piece on the improved public transport provision for the Paris Olympics (TAUT 1040, August 2024). It is, indeed, good that the legacy of a sporting event should be better public transport for Parisians for future years. However, in the interests of fairness, I would hope that TAUT could do an article looking at the failures of public transport at EURO2024.

It is now seemingly mandatory for bidders for sports tournaments to extol the virtues of how ‘green’ their event will be in order to win their bid. Clearly, one easy box to tick is to say that stadia are accessible by bus/tram/ metro/rail. Indeed, in the case of EURO2024, holders of match tickets could use the local public transport free of charge. But the provision descended into farce when demand far exceeded supply. Specifically, it was clear that neither the organisers nor the public transport providers had done their homework as to the expected numbers of passengers, simply providing a similar level of service as for a normal football match. For a normal game a significant number of local spectators will walk/cycle/drive to stadia, whereas for a game with largely foreign spectators

Where have the skills of old gone?

Phil Bolt (July TAUT ) raises a very important question: what has happened to the tramway skills of old?

It’s amazing but not so surprising to me that Manchester, a tramway that has been operating for 32 years, still falls to pieces when there is a little crack in a rail. Sydney is not so bad, simply putting a 10km/h (6mph) speed limit where there is a cracked rail (probably a joint weld). One just north of the Moore Park tram stop has been there for a couple of years.

However, my time driving in Melbourne shows that, at least on straight track, a simple cracked rail cannot possibly cause a derailment especially in view of the firm packing in modern concreted track.

Until it was totally rebuilt around 1990, the old track in St George Rd, Rt 11 to West Preston, was in deplorable condition with many broken rail joints and others held in place by loose fishplates. But did anybody slow down? Of course not! Were there any official notices to slow down? Nope. Were there any derailments? Nope again.

In the early 2000s, a friend was driving a Z on Rt 5 to East Malvern in the dark one morning when there was a great ‘ bang, bang... bang, bang...’ from under the tram.

a greater number will use public transport.

The scenes in Germany were very bad advertisements for public transport – I am sure that those fans who waited three hours for a tram ride into town will not

He got out to check what he had run over and saw that a section of railhead about 20cm (eight inches) long had broken off. So what was done about it? The track repair crew kept the service running by patching the gap with a few shovels of cold mix bitumen, a standard ‘spare part’ carried on their utility vehicle. This sufficed for a day or two until a proper repair was arranged. Could you imagine this being done on a modern line?

So why don’t Australia’s new-build tramways seek guidance from Melbourne? At a public meeting in Sydney during construction, somebody in the audience put this question to the meeting convenor, and was told quite bluntly, “We are building light rail, not an old fashioned tramway, so can learn nothing from Melbourne!”

All the new-build tramways are operated by overseas-based, well-known entrepreneurs. I know for certain that the control room staff at one such line received no guidance from head office, so those thrust into the job had to teach themselves how to run a tramway, initially often over-reacting when some minor mishap occurred.

If this lack of head office assistance is worldwide, no wonder tramways are being run as they are, unfortunately.

Richard Youl, Gold Coast, Australia

be enthusiastic should their local council propose a new such line.

The lesson of EURO2024 should be: ensure that you can offer a reasonable product before advertising it so widely.

Robert Missen, Kraainem, Belgium

Better off with today’s tech?

Whilst I can see where Mr Holt (TAUT 1040) is coming from, I can’t say I completely agree with him.

Yes, Porto is difficult to navigate, but I suspect that’s more because the zonal maps are unclear and due to a seeming lack of ticket machines than any inherent failure of technology as such.

Don’t forget, many older UK tram systems – even with conductors in each vehicle –could be confusing for visitors.

Complicated fare stages, day tickets, sometimes requiring rebooking at municipal boundaries, poor signage etc... and who knows how foreigners of the day worked out our strange pre-decimal currency?

Standing close to the platform edge is nothing new either. But we can now fit platform screens. I’ve seen loads of people in the past distracted by the morning paper whilst waiting for a train or bus, and incidentally, no-one knew if it was on time, round the corner, or miles away running late.

So yes, it’s not perfect by any means, but on balance I think we are much better off than even 30 years ago, let alone 60.

Colin Brazier, Sandwich, Kent, UK

ABOVE: The EURO2024 Games saw enormous queues for Germany’s public transport system. Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images

Classic Trams a mine of nostalgia

The importance of coal and steel in Germany’s Ruhr region is remembered in a museum that also features a popular historic tramway. Andrew Thompson gives a guided tour.

Best known for its football team Ballspielverein Borussia 09 (BVB), the German city of Dortmund also features one of the most unusual tramway museums in Europe.

As a manufacturing centre in the densely-populated Ruhr region, Dortmund is Germany’s ninth largest city with a population of over 600 000. It has a rich industrial heritage, just like its neighbouring cities Bochum, Gelsenkirchen and Essen.

Many of the historic coal mining and steel production facilities are located in the north of the city, such as the Hansa coking plant that dates back to 1928. As a large number of these facilities have shut or discontinued operations during the past three decades, their footprint has provided city officials with the opportunity – but also the need – to regenerate these areas with new development. While some of the land has already found new use and been transformed into residential districts or recreational parks, other brownfield sites still await a new purpose.

Depot conversion

One remarkable project is the conversion of the former railway depot of RHB Logistics

into a tramway museum. This facility previously served as the operational base for the expansive industrial railway on the network of the Hoesch steelworks and coal mines, which were active until the late 20th Century.

Since 2001, Mooskamp depot has served as a tramway museum and has also been used by city officials to promote occupational training programmes for the unemployed, as well as cultural and educational activities.

The not-for-profit Bahnhof Mooskamp was established in 2007 as a fully-licensed railway infrastructure company, to maintain the industrial sidings and operate public rides using vintage light rail stock.

Actual operations and regularly scheduled excursions began the following year.

The standard gauge line suitable for sightseeing by tram is 6.3km (3.9-miles) long, running from Ellinghausen in the north via Mooskamp to Kokerei Hansa before travelling through the inland harbour district to the southern terminus at Emscherschlösschen.

This is within walking distance of the Ottostrasse calling point of Dortmund’s modern east-west tramlines U43 and U44.

Even with urban transformation visible in some places, visitors to this unusual heritage

tramway can enjoy first-hand views of industrial archaeology and silent structures of former days. Much of the layout of the industrial railways in the north of Dortmund is about a century old.

Historic vehicles

Many vehicles are stored or displayed at the Mooskamp depot, most of them Dortmund cars that were donated by municipal operator Dortmunder Stadtwerke. The oldest showpiece is the Uerdingen-built type T2 115 from 1908, which features open balconies and includes elegant woodwork. Ten years younger is T2 fleetmate 173, which has enclosed cabs, and is in running order.

A number of mid-century LRVs built by Duewag and Hansa Waggonbau form the backbone of a collection that also includes industrial locomotives and buses.

Mooskamp depot is reached on Dortmund’s Stadtbahn line U47 on the Westerfilde branch, where one must alight at the penultimate stop of Obernette and walk for about 600m through fields and cross a busy road. The museum offers public rides every third Sunday of the month from April to October, and there are additional speciallythemed events.

1. The open-balconied type T2 motor car 115 is the oldest vehicle in the collection and dates from 1908. The matching two-axle trailer 510 was built as a summer wagon in 1976. Andrew Thompson

2. Articulated Duewag GT8 87 dates from 1969 and is currently not operational. A return to running order is planned. The last of these high capacity cars were withdrawn in Dortmund in 2001, with several being cascaded to Karlsruhe, Reșița, Romania and even Hiroshima in Japan. Andrew Thompson

3. Led by the KSW austerity type 194 from 1949, the tandem sets off on a dusk run as it leaves the gated Mooskamp complex southbound for Franziusstrasse. The electrified main line railway that crosses the tramway at right angles on the bridge is still in active use by freight trains. Andrew Thompson

5

4. Car 259 (a two-axle double-ended vehicle built by Schöndorff, 1930) with trailer 677 on a special service at Reinoldikirche, 24 April 1982. It is being passed by 130, a Düwag Stadtbahn N of 1981. Mike Russell

5. An overview of the depot layout at Mooskamp, with the passenger platform in the foreground. GT4 articulated tram 431 was built by Hansa Waggonbau in Bremen in 1957. Andrew Thompson

6. Visitors to Mooskamp will find attractively displayed vehicles, representing different eras of transport history. To the left is car 290, a type KSW austerity design built after World War Two in 1950 by Fuchs in Heidelberg. This tram is operational. Also visible is the orange works locomotive 905, which was built in 1925 and is currently being overhauled. The trailers 598 and 677 (in the centre of the picture) date from 1925 and 1930 respectively. Andrew Thompson

7. Car 252 (a two-axle double-ended vehicle built by Schöndorff, 1930), with trailer 675 on a special service along Westfalendamm reserved track, 25 April 1982. Mike Russell

8. Car 510, a 1976-built replica of an early double-ended Sommerwagen trailer, being hauled by motor car 115 (Uerdingen 1908) through Dorstfeld, Rheinische Strasse at Herdstrasse, on a special service for Dorstfeld depot open day on 10 May 1987.

Mike Russell

9. Car 279 with trailer 712 at Dorstfeld depot open day on 10 May 1987. Mike Russell

10. Car 217 with trailer 598 of 1919 in Dorstfeld, Rheinische Strasse, on a special service for Dorstfeld depot open day (10 May 1987). Mike Russell

11. This is the typical and highly distinctive postindustrial scenery through which the trams run. The building rising above the artificial hill is the Hansa coke plant. Here the conductor has alighted from one of the trains and set the points for a passing loop. Since these former industrial lines are not electrified, the trains run as tandems with a diesel generator providing current for the LRVs. This train is led by the Uerdingen-built type T2 173 from 1918, the oldest operational vehicle in the collection. Andrew Thompson

NEWS FROM THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ASSOCIATION

Passing on the baton

Dave Andrews, Chair of the Bristol and Bath Trams Association, has been elected as Chair of the Association’s Campaign Group, together with James Willis as his Vice Chair.

The appointment follows the decision of Jim Harkins to stand down from Council after 36 years. Jim established the Campaigns Group 11 years ago (formerly known as the External Affairs Group) and continues to provide the Secretariat for the All Party Light Rail Group in Parliament.

Speaking at the recent Council Meeting, LRTA Chair Paul Rowen said: “Many of us

became involved in the Association as a result of Jim’s work. He led on the Oslo effect (now known as PM2.5 pollution) and is a powerful advocate for trams and hydrogen trams in particular. He has been the campaigning force for the Association.”

Dave Andrews, who established the Bath Trams Association as well as serving on the Campaign Group, said: “I feel honoured to be asked to succeed Jim – big boots to fill. I am totally committed to the Association’s Campaign for five light rail schemes in this Parliament, including Bath and Bristol.”

As part of this campaign, on 8 October the Association – along with Bristol Civic Society, Bath and Bristol Trams and the Bristol Rail Campaign – have organised a meeting entitled, ‘Cardiff shifts its car based transport to trams – Bristol and Bath as well?’ The meeting starts at 19.00 in the Education Centre of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, where Professor Mark Barry will be the main speaker.

Professor Barry was the driving force behind Cardiff’s radical Crossrail plan, whereby the numerous small railways into Cardiff are being upgraded with modern, higher-frequency trains and tram-trains to allow the extension to street running. This is a focus change from the disastrous Buchanan plan to base transport on private cars.

Anyone wishing to attend the meeting can book a ticket on Eventbrite.

Bequests and donations to the Association

Periodically the LRTA receives donations or bequests from members or former members of the Association. This can take the form of a cash donation towards the LRTA’s campaigning, or the donation of books from the family of a former member.

Recently the Association was delighted to receive a bequest from the estate of Harold C. Golk, a member from the USA.

Books received are sorted and added to the Association’s library if we don’t have a copy, or are offered for resale to raise funds.

Recently the LRTA became aware of a new transport library established on Kents Bank Station in Cumbria by Professor Paul Salveson, and decided to donate a number of books to the library to help start a light rail section. Paul is known to many people through his work on community rail. The library is open on Fridays and Saturdays 11.00 – 16.00 to browse and/or borrow books.

Further information can be found at https://stationlibrary.org.uk/

If you would like to support the work of the Association by making a donation or bequest, please go to the website at www.lrta. org/supportus for more information.

light rail section. Paul Rowen

MEETINGS & EVENTS

noVemBeR

Tuesday 5. Southampton 19.30, AGM + members’ digital images. Junction Church (Former Railway Institute), Eastleigh. GBP3. (LRTA/SEG) Saturday 9. Coatbridge, 13.00. Scottish trams show and tell & talk. Summerlee Museum, ML5 1QD. Contact: scotland@tlrs.info. (TLRS) Monday 11. Leeds 19.30. Leeds trams

remembered from LTHS archives. Engine House, Middleton Railway, LS10 2JG. GBP1 inc. light refreshments. enquiries@lths.co.uk. (LRTA/LTHS)

Saturday 16. Taunton 14.00. Brian Boddy: New Zealand in 2024. West Monkton Village Hall, TA2 8NE. Contact: westofengland@tlrs.info GBP2 inc. light refreshments. (TLRS) Saturday 23. Nottingham 14.00. TBA Ken Follett. Beeston Scout Hut,

Compiled by the LRTA.

NG9 1GA. Contact: alo@tlrs.info. (TLRS) Saturday 30. Garstang 14.00. Tony Young: World tramway developments. St. Thomas’ Church Hall, PR3 1PA. Contact: alo@tlrs.info. GBP2 inc. light refreshments. (TLRS) D e C emBeR

Tuesday 3. Southampton 19.30. Martyn Davies: Miscellaneous railway slides. Junction Church (Former

Railway Institute), Eastleigh. GBP3. (LRTA/SEG)

Monday 9. Leeds 19.30. Ian Smith: More Middleton Railway. Engine House, Middleton Railway, LS10 2JG. GBP1 (includes light refreshments). Contact: enquiries@lths.co.uk. (LRTA/LTHS)

Saturday 21. Nottingham 14.00. Tramway films. Beeston Scout Hut, NG9 1GA. Contact: alo@tlrs.info. (TLRS)

LEFT: Dave Andrews, pictured, will be taking over from Jim Harkins as Chair of the Association’s Campaign Group. Dave Andrews

RIGHT: A new transport library was recently established at Kents Bank Station in Cumbria, which was delighted to receive a donation of books to help set up a

Bookshop

Order online from www.lrta.info/shop – or by post from:

LRTA Publications, 38 Wolseley Road, SALE, M33 7AU

(Please provide telephone contact details and quote LRTA membership number if applicable)

Outside UK = Airmail to Europe (includes all of Russia) / Surface mail to rest of world; Airmail Zone 1 = outside Europe excluding Australia, New Zealand & USA; Airmail Zones 2/3 = Australia, New Zealand & USA

The Tramways of Upper Silesia

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

Tramways in Portugal in Colour (1985-2018)

The second in our new series of colour albums covering the historic Lisbon, Porto and Sintra tramways plus the new Metro do Porto and Metro Transportes do Sul light rail networks introduced in 2005/07.

> A4 hardback, 144 pages, 287 colour pictures plus 16 maps.

£33.50 (UK); £40.00 (outside UK); £47.50 (Airmail Z1);

£52.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.00 discount

Tramways in Milan in Colour (1954-1978)

I tram di Milano – Immagini a colori (1954-1978)

Third in the series of colour albums exploring the fascinating combination of urban and interurban tramways in and around Milan. The variety of rolling stock is amazing and is richly illustrated. English and Italian text.

> A4 hardback, 144 pages, 176 colour pictures plus two maps.

£33.50 (UK); £40.00 (outside UK); £47.50 (Airmail Z1);

£52.50 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £3.00 discount

Might Have Been Trams and Tramways

This fascinating book details all the UK tram schemes that failed to see the light of day.

> A4 softback; 192 pages; 116 colour and 119 black & white pictures; 117 maps.

£23.00 (UK); £30.00 (outside UK);

£37.50 (Airmail Z1); £42.00 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £2.00 discount

Tramways in Vienna in Colour (1956-78)

Straßenbahnen in Wien in Farbe (1956-78)

A superb new full-colour album from the LRTA showing the variety of car types in the Austrian capital. Captions in English and German.

> A4 hardback, landscape; 144 pages, 200+ colour pictures, one map.

£32.00 (UK addresses); £38.50 (outside UK); £46.00 (Airmail Z1);

£50.00 (Airmail Z2/3); LRTA Members: £2.90 discount

The Big Red Cars

The “Blimp” Electric Interurban Cars of the Southern Pacific Lines 1911-1961

For anyone with an interest in the Los Angeles area Pacific Electric system – once the world’s largest interurban rail network – this fascinating book records the life and times of this fleet of 125 cars that served for half a century, many ending their days on the iconic LA to Long Beach line. This was the corridor that saw the rebirth in the 1980s of a streetcar system in Southern California’s largest metropolitan region. The high price is justified by the book’s superb quality and historic imagery.

> 285x225mm hardback, 335 pages, 500 black & white and colour pictures, four maps, full fleet lists.

£75.00 (UK and Europe addresses) – shipped by parcel courier service from the USA.

LRTA Members: £5.50 discount. For addresses outside Europe order direct from publisher: www.sphts.org (LRTA member discount not applicable).

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