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THE INTERNATIONAL LIGHT RAIL MAGAZINE
Berlin confirms 2035 transport plan
Cuenca’s VLT opens to the public
Cambridge metro is ‘value for money’
Sweden’s capital invests in the future with new urban rail links
www.l r t a .o rg www.t aut o nli n e .co m
stockholm rebuilds city lrt connections
£4.6
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M AY 2 0 19 N o . 9 7 7
FlorenceT2’s opening and plans for the future
stuttgartA metro approach to light rail safety
2019
EntriEs opEn now!
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www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MAY 2019 / 163
MAY 2019 Vol. 82 No. 977www.tautonline.com
EDITORIALEditor – Simon Johnston
AssociAtE Editor – Tony [email protected]
WorldWidE Editor – Michael [email protected]
NEWs Editor – John [email protected]
sENior coNtributor – Neil Pulling
WorldWidE coNtributors tony bailey, richard Felski, Ed Havens,
Andrew Moglestue, Paul Nicholson, Herbert Pence, Mike russell, Nikolai semyonov,
Alain senut, Vic simons, Witold urbanowicz, bill Vigrass, Francis Wagner, thomas Wagner,
Philip Webb, rick Wilson
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dEsiGN – Debbie Nolan
ADvERTIsIngcoMMErciAl MANAGEr – Geoff Butler
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the official journal of the light rail transit Association
Maximising value from public transport fundingWhen times are tight, we need to demonstrate extra caution with money. Planning is vital and a detailed understanding of cause and effect help keep us on track. Never more are these statements true than when governments and transport authorities are balancing millions, or billions, in taxpayer funds.
With further doom and gloom coming out of London’s Crossrail project, frustrating delays and cost overruns on light rail schemes in Sydney, Odense,
Frankfurt and others – it seems these concerns make the news far more than the plethora of positive stories. When it all goes very wrong we see schemes cancelled and money literally thrown away. Of course there are spiralling costs in major projects everywhere that illustrate how not to do things – anyone want to talk about Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport, the Airbus A380 or the 2014 Olympics in Sochi?
At times like these, we must ask: Are we controlling our money to the best of our abilities or are external factors just working against us? Do we have the proper governance and oversight to recognise early enough when things are going wrong? Are we even spending funds in the right places? No-one likes a white elephant, after all.
With the business case for the UK’s planned High Speed 2 line seemingly becoming ever more shaky, one could argue that this plan has passed its sell-by date. While I wouldn’t deny that high-speed rail gives significant benefits to national economies, to maximise these it needs to be linked to regional and city-based transportation enhancements. This is well-proven in countries all over the world.
After all, the majority of journeys start or end in an urban environment – and most are also commuting journeys. Commuting to work, commuting to education, this forms a large part of our lives. So the question is, how high does the HS2 bill need to be – or how many delays can we accept – before diverting the funding into a range of LRT schemes to serve millions more people proves better value? Simon Johnston, Editor
CONTENTS
COVER: Flexity Classic 6 and CAF Urbos 461 in central Stockholm in September 2018. t. Johansson
NEwS 164Berlin confirms 2035 transport masterplan; Edinburgh approves Newhaven extension; GBP4bn Cambridgeshire ‘metro’ claimed to be ‘very high value for money’; Cuenca tramway opens for service; Chapel Hill – Durham LRT plan cancelled.
FLORENCE EYES THE FUTURE 170Alessandro Fantechi and Giovanni Mantovani explore the Tuscan capital’s second tramline.
STOCkHOLM’S NEw CONNECTIONS 174After years of planning, Sweden’s capital is developing tramway connections to create a more coherent network – TAUT reports.
SAFETY IN STUTTGART 180Reinhold Schröter of SSB explains how previous incidents in the city have driven technological and procedural solutions.
SYSTEMS FACTFILE: BORDEAUx 184A technical pioneer, the greater significance of Bordeaux’s tramway lies in its rapid growth and place at the heart of its host city. Neil Pulling reports.
wORLDwIDE REVIEw 190Plans to shorten Mississauga LRT to save costs; Odense opening delayed to late 2021; Caen begins city tram trials; Metro openings in Ahmedabad, Delhi and Hyderabad; Karlsruhe partners with Thales for autonomous trials; Funding for Bath/Bristol transit studies.
MAILBOx 195Thoughts on the UK ‘Call for Evidence’; why tram-trains are not a new concept!
CLASSIC TRAMS: LISBOA 196Mike Tedstone finds that classic trams are making a welcome return to heritage line 24.
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Berlin’s 2035 transport masterplan confirmed
News
On 26 February the EUR28.1bn Berliner Nahverkehrsplan covering the period
up to 2035 was issued by the Senate of Land Berlin. The plan was developed to follow the Berlin Mobility Act, that sets targets for sustainable transport, and to ensure the economic development of the city region, including elimination of fossil fuels from the city’s transport energy mix by the end of 2030. Property development will be linked to public transport provision.
Municipal public transport company BVG (U-Bahn, trams, buses and ferries) will be directly awarded an operating contract in
2020 to cover the period to 2035, but S-Bahn and regional rail are also included. The tramway network will be expanded from 194km to 267km (166 miles), much as expected when already trailed in 2018 (TAUT 967).
In 2021 trams will reach Ostkreuz, and be extended from Hbf to Turmstrasse and from Adlershof to S-Bhf Schöneweide. Turmstrasse – Jungfernheide will follow in 2024 and a link to Bhf Mahlsdorf in 2025. The single-track section of line 62 in Mahlsdorf will be doubled and there will be a link from Pankow to Pasedagplatz. New construction from Alexanderplatz to Potsdamer Platz, to Kulturforum and
from Warschauer Strasse to Hermannplatz will come in 2026-27. A new tramway will link Spittelmarkt and Mehringdamm.
Spandau, where the last trams on West Berlin’s first-generation network ran in 1966, will see trams again in 2029, with a line from Paulsternstrasse to Heerstrasse; a branch to Falkenhagener Feld will follow. City centre tramways will be extended from Potsdamer Platz to Steglitz (2030) and Zoo (2035). New depots will be built at UTR Tegel, Blankenburger Süden and Adlershof. The potential for freight trams will also be investigated.
For the U-Bahn, with the Green party (against expansion) and SPD holding different views, market share studies will be launched for Rudow – BER (airport), Wittenau – Märkischen Viertel and Kurt-Schumacher-Platz to UTR Tegel. A second north–south S-Bahn link is planned, as is the revival of the old line from Gartenfeld to Siemensstadt (new technology campus).
All bus routes will run at least every ten minutes and 1630 electric buses should be in service by 2030 (the current fleet numbers 45). Daimler Buses handed over the first of 15 eCitaro electric buses on 27 March; each bus is equipped with ten battery modules, providing a minimum range of 150km (90 miles), with recharging at the depot.
BVG Bombardier Flexity Berlin tram 9008 at Hbf. Extensions west from here will require many more new trams. BVG
Edinburgh approves Newhaven lineEdinburgh’s tramway (UK) will be extended from York Place to Leith and Newhaven after the city’s council approved the Final Business Case on 14 March. Construction could be completed by early 2023.
The estimated GBP207m (EUR241m) extension to the existing 14km (8.7-mile) tramline will add 4.6km (2.8 miles) and complete the intended section of the tramway’s original Phase 1a. The truncated current line, which opened in 2014 after much-publicised delays, runs between the city’s airport and York Place.
Edinburgh council Transport and Environment Convener Lesley Macinnes described the go-ahead for extending the tram as “a crucial decision for Edinburgh”, adding “I firmly believe the tram project is in the best interests of the city’s current and future residents and, as an Administration, we will do everything in our power to make sure it’s delivered on time and on budget.”
A six-month ‘Early Contractor Involvement’ period started at the end of March. The contractors (Sacyr, Farrans, Neopul Joint
Venture for the Infrastructure; and Systems Contract and Morrison Utility Services for the Swept Path Contract) will work with the council and other stakeholders in that time to finalise construction plans.
The tramway is expected to carry 16m passengers in the first year of operation of the new extension, almost double that predicted for the existing line in the period.
Work to finalise a GBP2.4m (EUR2.8m) package to support local businesses during construction is ongoing.
Further to previous reports, on 7 March Bologna Mayor Virginio Merola announced that an application for Italian state funding had been submitted for a four-line tramway that could be up and running from 2026.
Pending approval, it is expected that tenders would be released in 2021, with the first works beginning in 2022. With all four lines complete, it is estimated that public transport share in the city would be 21%.
The first 15km (nine-mile) route, designated as the Red line, would serve 29 stops between Borgo Panigale in the west and Caab in the north-east, via Bologna Centrale railway station on a mostly segregated alignment. There would also be a 1.5km (0.9-mile) eastern branch to Michelino. City centre sections would be catenary-free.
15-year plan includes significant investment in trams and electric buses
Bologna trams to return by 2026?
Funds in place for NET extension bidNottingham City Council (UK) has GBP50 000 (EUR58 000) to prepare a funding bid for expansion of the city’s tramway, the Nottingham Post has reported. It is hoped that money for the extensions will be made available from the country’s Transforming Cities Fund.
Expanding Nottingham Express Transit to the west has long been an ambition, with light rail being seen as a local transport solution following the decision to build a station for the planned High Speed 2 line at Toton, mid-way between Nottingham and the city of Derby. Under the plans, one NET line would reach Derby via Toton, with another serving East Midlands Airport.
Toton lies on the eastern leg of phase two of the proposed HS2 line, which is intended to open in 2033. The high-speed project has been controversial however, with ongoing criticism of the likely costs.
NET Citadis 216 and 236 at Toton Lane terminus. Beyond the trams, the site of the planned Toton HS2 station is less than 1.5km away. Neil Pulling
Santa Ana de los Cuatra Rios de Cuenca is the capital of Azuay Province in Ecuador, a UNESCO
World Heritage site some 2560m above sea level with an urban population of about 400 000.
The new 10.2km (6.3-mile) standard-gauge tramway from Parque Industrial to Control Sur was finally opened for passenger service on 8 March, using 14 five-section 32.4m Alstom Citadis 302 low-floor trams built in France. They are equipped with APS surface current collection for use over 4km (2.5 miles) of track in the historic city centre. Getzner vibration protection is provided under the tracks here.
For the first 60 days passengers are limited to invited groups from all sectors of the community and no fares are charged. Test running started on part of the line in 2015, but opening was delayed by four years due to a series of funding and contractual problems that led to a change in contractor in 2017 from CCRC (Alstom/CIM/TSO) to ACTN (Alstom/CIM/NGE Group). Tenerife tramway operator Metrotenerife is providing three years of technical and organisational support for commercial operation.
The end-to-end journey time is 35 minutes and a ten-minute peak service is provided with 12 cars
running 06.00-22.00; it will be able to carry 120 000 passengers/day, though only 40 000 are expected at first. The commercial speed is 22km/h (14mph).
The initial 2013 contract was worth USD214.4m but the final cost of the project was USD282m, with 80% coming from the national government.
Cuenca VLT opens for passengersEcuador’s first modern tramway, using wire-free technology, opens after years of delays
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In a rare display of unity, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and State Governor Andrew Cuomo have announced a ten-point plan to transform MTA finances.
The plan is aimed at proving dedicated and sustained funding for the authority from electronic congestion charging, a cannabis excise tax and an internet sales tax to finance capital expenditure. These ring-fenced streams will be prioritised for subway repairs, including new signalling and rolling stock, track and vehicle repair, accessibility improvements, new buses and further expanding public transport access to areas
in the outer boroughs. Tolls will be introduced no later than December 2020 and are expected to raise around USD1bn/year, while MTA fares would be limited to inflationary increases of 2% per year.
Other elements of the plan include consolidating functions such as construction management, procurement, legal and professional services, engineering, human resources and marketing and advertising for all transport services under one MTA-managed body. An independent audit of MTA assets and liabilities is to be completed by January 2020.
All future major projects would be pursued on a ‘design-build’ basis, with MTA preliminary designs reviewed by construction and engineering experts from Cornell School of Engineering and Columbia School of Engineering. This group is also to review signalling upgrade plans.
The most controversial elements of the plan reflect governance. Terms for MTA Board appointments will be modified so that they end with the appointing elected official’s tenure and a new ‘Regional Transit Committee’ (RTC) will be created of independent
transportation, engineering and government experts to review the capital expenditure plan, toll and fare increases. The RTC will have appointees by the Governor, Mayor, State Assembly and Senate, and representatives from subway riders groups.
What the plan means for NYCT President Andy Byford’s Fast Forward plan announced in May 2018 (TAUT 967) is still unclear as the proposed reorganisation moves a significant amount of authority – over engineering, procurement and construction management – to the MTA and its new groups of teams of independent overseers.
Ten-point MTA reorganisation plan unveiled
An Alstom Citadis in central Cuenca. Metro Tenerife
DB explores options for sale of subsidiary ArrivaDeutsche Bahn AG is to explore options for the sale of operating subsidiary Arriva, which it has 100% owned since 2010.
Arriva, which has its roots in bus services in the UK but has grown to include both heavy and light rail operations internationally, generated EUR5.44bn in revenue last year.
Light rail operations include Metro do Porto and the Metro Sul do Tejo in Portugal, as well as in Stockholm in Sweden, as part of an integrated transport contract (see page 174).
DB has reported that selling Arriva would help limit the rise in the parent organisation’s debt.
UK Very Light Rail vehicle design revealedThe Warwick Manufacturing Group has unveiled the design of the Very Light Rail vehicle it is developing with Transport Design International. It hopes to have a prototype constructed by mid-2020; this would then be tested at the VLR National Innovation Centre in Dudley. The battery-powered vehicle would have capacity for 50 passengers and in the longer term would be fully autonomous.
The Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership has contributed GBP2.46m (EUR2.87m) towards the first phase of research and development, with a further GBP12.2m EUR14.2m) from the West Midlands Combined Authority. Subject to successful testing and obtaining a Transport & Works Act Order, construction of a permanent route in Coventry could begin in 2024.
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Stadler owner to sell 40% stake in IPOStadler Rail launched its initial public offering (IPO) on the SIX Swiss Exchange on 12 April. The IPO included 35m shares from largest shareholder and Executive Chairman Peter Spuhler, with an over-allotment of an additional 5.25m shares. The price range for the offer was set at CHF33-41 (EUR29-36.5), representing a market capitalisation of CHF3.3-4.1bn (EUR2.94-3.65bn)
Mr Spuhler will retain 39.70% of the company’s share capital instead of his current 80%; the other 20% remains with RAG Stiftung (10%) and staff-held shares (10%).
The IPO is designed to unlock the revenue to allow the company to grow its service
and components business (12% of revenues in 2018, compared to 88% for rolling stock production) as well as investing further in product research and development, proprietary signalling technology and targeted expansion into new regions.
Stadler has more than 8500 employees, delivering more than 8000 rail vehicles for operation in 41 countries, and has a reputation for rail vehicles that present more unusual design challenges or for short-run orders, with low lifecycle costs and high reliability. It is also a leader in the European tram-train market, supplying systems in the Germany, UK, Denmark, Italy and Hungary.
MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) has awarded Stadler a contract to supply 127 two-car metro trains, with options for up to 50 additional sets, marking the largest order by volume in the company’s history as well its first for metro trains in the US.
The 750V dc third-rail trains will consist of permanently-coupled 45.7m pairs, plus two options each for 25 married pairs. Designated CQ400, the trains will have 128 seats and a maximum speed of 113km/h (70mph). Interior features include at-seat power sockets, passenger Wi-Fi and luggage racks for services to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The first trains are due to enter service in 2023.
Assembly will take place at the new 21 400m2 plant in Salt Lake City, Utah. With 350 employees, the facility is located on a 25ha site and has a new spur from the national rail network to allow materials shipped to ports such as Long Beach or Houston, to be transported directly to the factory. A 1km (0.7-mile) test track with overhead catenary, is under construction. The facility was to open officially on 9 May.
CAM business case claims scheme offers very high value for moneyCambridge centre tunnels proposed for GBP4bn ‘metro’ system that could reach 142km by 2029
News
Canberra light rail opening date announcedThe new tramway in the Australian capital is to open on 20 April with reorganisation of the city’s bus network from 29 April. There will be free travel on the trams over the Easter weekend.
Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris confirmed the opening on 19 March, adding that this date is still subject to the necessary approvals, saying that “contingencies are in place” if the date could not be met.
Asunción tram-train gains international interestPlans are being firmed up for the 44km (27-mile) USD380m tram-train scheme linking the Paraguayan capital of Asunción and Ypacaraí. The project will primarily use an existing Paraguayan Railways (Fepasa) alignment, serving stations in Asunción, Puerto Botánico, Luque, Yukyry, Patiño and Areguá with 12-15 demand stops. Signal priority would be given for street-running urban sections.
The route is forecast to carry around 150 000 passengers a day and services will be operated by a fleet of 12 tram-trains with a capacity for 280 passengers.
A proposed tender for the vehicles has attracted interest from six international manufacturers: Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Hyundai Rotem, Stadler Rail and Transmash Holdings.
An artist’s impression of the new MARTA metro cars. Stadler
The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority released a Strategic
Outline Business Case (SOBC) for its 142km (88-mile) autonomous ‘metro’ on 19 March, claiming the GBP4bn (EUR4.7bn) scheme offers very high value for money when judged against the UK Department for Transport’s benefit-cost ratio.
The authority says that based upon both conservative and upper estimates, the economic benefits of the scheme that would serve the university city and the wider region would outweigh costs by two to four times, providing “transformational” change and supporting further growth for one of the UK’s fastest-growing regions.
The Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM) as planned includes 12km (7.5 miles) of twin-bore tunnelling under Cambridge and two underground stations, one in the city centre and another at Cambridge station. The CAM would serve inner transport corridors to Cambourne, Granta Park, Waterbeach and to Newmarket Road and Trumpington park-and-ride sites. Lines would eventually extend to St Neots, Alconbury, Mildenhall and Haverhill.
However, lobby group Smarter Cambridge Transport has been highly critical of the SOBC and called for a peer review. Points the group raise include questioning of the assumptions of the financial case; the extent to which any medium-term
scheme, necessary over the next ten years before CAM would open, would obviate at least part of the proposed project; and arguing that aspects of the project create competing
infrastructure with other rail transport.
If approved, work on the CAM could start in 2021, with the core metro infrastructure anticipated to be implemented in 2023-29.
The Cambridge Autonomous Metro would use rubber-tyred, tram-like vehicles. Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
Twenty years after the referendum approved the expansion of tramlines in the city centre of
Freiburg-im-Breisgau, the so-called Stadtbahn Rotteckring was opened by the mayor at 11.00 on 16 March, served by line 5 from Haslach/Rieselfeld to Europaplatz (formerly Siegesdenkmal). The opening tram was GT8Z 262 and there
were free rides on the network for the rest of the day; about 2000 passengers rode on line 5.
As with any significant tramway event in this south German city, official celebrations were enhanced by the Freunde der Freiburger Strassenbahn eV with restored museum trams, including maximum traction car 56 with Verbandstyp trailer 135, Sputnik 100 and GT4 109.
The 2km (1.2-mile) city centre link is designed to free up capacity on the system, which was experiencing congestion on the traditional ‘cross’ lines through Bertoldsbrunnen, where over 1000 tram movements/day are scheduled. The new section of street double-track tramway uses Kronenstrasse, Kronenbrücke, Rotteckring and Friedrichring.
Construction work began in 2015 and involved 460t of track, 16 sets of points, 2300t of concrete and one substation; there is 7000m2 of grassed reservation. The final cost was EUR57.5m, with EUR23m coming from federal funds and EUR25.8m from the Land. Work was completed in time for the first test tram on 8 February, since when 450 drivers have been trained on the new line.
At Europaplatz there is a triangular junction with the existing north–south tramway, but the double-ended cars on line 5 reverse at the terminus stop, so the triangle is not used in regular passenger service.
Freiburg welcomes new Stadtbahn RotteckringCity centre link designed to ease congestion on German city tramway
On 11 March five German transport authorities, members of the VDV organisation, signed an agreement in Karlsruhe for a joint tendering exercise for up to 240 tram-trains, in a move it is hoped will achieve significant cost savings and reduce lead times.
Representatives from VBK (Karlsruhe), AVG (Albtal Verkehrs AG), Saarbrücken (Saarbahn), ENAG (Erms-Neckar-Bahn AG) and VMS (Chemnitz) have been working together since 2017, led by the Karslruhe operators, pioneers of tram-train operation in Germany through the Karlsruhe Modell.
VBK and AVG will manage the tendering process since they have a requirement for about 150 LRVs. The first vehicles are expected to enter service in 2025.
The final numbers to be ordered will be determined by negotiation between the consortium partners: Karlsruhe and Saarbahn want to replace their first-generation tram-trains; Chemnitz needs more vehicles as its scheme expands; ENAG is a new project to convert diesel-operated local railways such as Metzingen – Urach, Kleinengstingen – Schelklingen and Neckarbischofsheim-Nord – Hüffenhardt to dual-system tram-train operation, with tram tracks in town streets to bring passengers closer to their destinations (the driving motive behind the original Karlsruhe concept).
See TAUT 968 for detail on the VDV tram-train alliance.
VDV tram-train ‘standard’ to go ahead
Opening tram 262 in Wethmannstrasse on its inaugural run on 16 March. B. Köhl
The President of the Thai Association for Town Planning has proposed two new tram routes to alleviate congestion in the heavily-congested and polluted Ratchaprasong and Pathumwan districts of the capital, Bangkok.
Under the proposals of Thapana Bunyapravit, given to local media on 27 March, a 15km (9.3-mile) Yellow line would start at Ratchaprasong, passing along Ratchadamri Road, Rama IV Road and Sarasin Road before reaching a new terminus close to the Airport Rail Link’s Ratchaprarop station. This would cost THB5-6bn (EUR140-168m).
A second (Pink) route would cover 12km (7.5 miles) in a loop around Ratchaprasong, covering the busy intersection at MBK shopping mall and traversing the Hua Chang Bridge. This is estimated to cost THB3.5bn (EUR95m).
A new bus service is to be introduced this year on the proposed routes to gauge commuter demand; sufficient uptake would determine whether tramway investment – with 10-12 vehicles planned for a 15-minute service – is feasible.
Bangkok’s city tramway to beat congestion
Styling for new Nantes tram adopts the ‘Tours look’RCP Design Global has revealed the styling for the new trams on order for the French city of Nantes. Due to be delivered from 2022, the 61 low-floor trams are likely to cost EUR234m and will replace 46 high-floor Alstom cars delivered for the creation of the system in late 1980s.
The design was influenced by five RCP-hosted workshops held with local residents in the summer of 2018. Each tram will accommodate 50 more passengers than the vehicles they replace and will make the Nantes network 100% low-floor to increase accessibility.
The size of the order will permit network expansion, such as the link between lines 1 and 2 at Babinière in 2024. The manufacturer will be announced at the end of 2019, once tenders have been evaluated; the successful bidder will be expected to follow the design as closely as possible. The front end in particular resembles the trams running in Tours since 2013; they were built by Alstom, but Nantes’ latest cars came from CAF (though they were assembled in France).
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News
Brierley Hill extension given go-aheadThe West Midlands Combined Authority has given the final funding go-ahead for the Wednesbury – Brierley Hill extension of the UK’s West Midlands Metro. Preparatory work on the route that runs in part on former heavy rail formation began in 2017, and services are expected to reach Dudley in 2023.
The expected GBP449m 11km (seven-mile) line is to leave the existing route near Wednesbury Great Western Street stop and
run southwestwards through Tipton and Dudley, with some sections expected to be wire-free. It will include up to 17 calling points, with journey times expected to halve in comparison with travelling by bus.
The extension will be planned, designed and delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, which is part of the WMCA. The new line will improve connectivity to the
DY5 business and innovation enterprise zone at Waterfront in Brierley Hill, as well as linking in with the planned multi-million pound transport interchange in Dudley town centre.
TfWM has now begun a feasibility study to investigate what mode of transport will best link Brierley Hill to Stourbridge – whether that is rail, light rail, Metro or bus – to further improve connectivity in the borough.
Chapel Hill – Durham LRT cancelled‘Insurmountable’ funding and planning obstacles end a decade-long light rail dream in North Carolina
The Board of GoTriangle, the regional agency overseeing transport development in the
North Carolinian counties of Wake, Durham and Orange, voted to stop work on its USD2.7bn light rail project on 27 March.
Politicians and officials have vented their frustrations that it has become impossible to meet increased expenses and address difficulties in acquiring rights of way to deliver the 28.5km (17.7-mile) line that would connect Chapel Hill to Durham.
Light rail was selected as the preferred alternative over BRT in April 2012, with Durham and Orange County voters approving a half-cent sales tax to support the project so design and engineering could begin. The route would serve 19 stations, including hospitals and the campuses of Duke and North Carolina Central University, forming the backbone of future public transport plans for the wider region.
With main construction expected to begin in 2020, for completion in 2028, 2016 ridership projections indicated 23 020 daily trips on the line by 2040.
Delays and design modifications added USD267m to the project, and a number of contentious issues have faced the project, including the
failure to reach an agreement with Duke University over a key section of the line that passed its Medical Centre on Erwin Road in western Durham. GoTriangle had already committed USD90m to a new elevated section to alleviate concerns about electric power disruptions and agreed insurance policies to ensure that vibrations from passing
LRVs did not affect research and diagnostic equipment.
This, alongside failure to reach agreement with North Carolina Railroad on shared rights of way and rapidly approaching deadlines for both state and federal funding agreements that made up more than half of the project’s funding, led to the decision. Durham Mayor Steve Schewel commented: “We are also spending USD7m per month of taxpayer funds and it’s not responsible to keep doing so without a path forward. We will be doing our best to preserve as much of the corridor as we can… and figuring out with the community what is the best way to get transit in our region.”
USD130m has been spent on the project so far and neither county is expected to repeal the half-cent sales tax as it is hoped this can be repurposed for new bus services, a Wake – Durham commuter rail line and an Amtrak station in Hillsborough.
An artist’s impression of the Chapel Hill – Durham LRT project, now deemed ‘impossible’ due to insurmountable planning and funding issues. GoTriangle
UK passenger satisfaction remains highNow in its sixth year, the UK Tram Passenger Survey was released on 2 April, covering the views of almost 5000 passengers across four UK systems: Blackpool, Sheffield, Manchester and the West Midlands.
The key findings of the survey are that overall passenger satisfaction remains at 91%, peaking at 97% in Blackpool and Sheffield; the number of passengers saying they were ‘very satisfied’ with their journey increased from 56% in 2017 to 58% in 2018. Other key performance measures such as punctuality and journey time remain high, at 89% and 88% respectively.
Whilst overall satisfaction was high, 40% suggested improvements to their journey. These varied by network but mostly concerned capacity, vehicle comfort and condition, and frequency and routes of the trams; 11% noted concerns related to the behaviour of other passengers.
Read the full report at www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-publications/research/tram-passenger-survey/
The 2019 Rail Live! event welcomed over 5000 attendees to the Bilbao Exhibition Centre on 6-7 March, for two days of debate and discussion alongside an exhibition of 170 service suppliers to the rail industry.
A key theme for this year’s event was how best to focus the investment required to cater for passenger growth in the third decade of the 21st Century – and beyond – as well as meeting the needs of more demanding passengers in an increasingly connected world. The role of ‘intelligent infrastructure’ and
the implementation of Mobility As a Service was also well covered amongst the presentations from over 200 speakers.
Sustainability and long-term growth was apparent in most presentations and highlighted in a presentation from Nigel Holness (Managing Director of London Underground) who described his agency’s expansion plans, the rise of contactless payments and the challenges of investing at the same time as reducing the cost of journeys in and around London.
Reflecting the key political issue of the day, UK Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Trade Graham Stuart MP said that the UK is still ‘open for business’. Mr Stuart outlined GBP48bn (EUR56bn) in overall investment in rail, with 12 000 new vehicles being purchased over the next 30 years; keen to emphasise that this investment will continue following ‘Brexit’.
Another key theme was how the liberalisation of rail competition under the EU’s Fourth Railway Package will make rail transport more competitive with other modes.
Capacity, technology and regulation debated in Bilbao
www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MAY 2019 / 169
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Florence T2:A modernmAsTerpiece
170 / may 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org
Florence’s long-awaited T2 tramline was initially expected to open alongside the extension to T1 in July 2018 (see TAUT 970), but a series of delays meant that the
new 5.3km (3.3-mile) Santa Maria Novella – airport route opened on 11 February this year. Public service followed a formal opening ceremony at the airport attended by the Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, and other national and local authorities.
The line, on a fully reserved and paved right-of-way, features ten intermediate stops as well as one that is currently not activated, plus two termini. The end-to-end journey time is 22 minutes. Trams run every four minutes and 20 seconds for most of the day, with 15 days of free travel following the opening. Several bus routes in the area have been reorganised as feeder services.
A route through the cityThe Piazza dell’Unità terminus is located beside the Santa Maria Novella church; the original plans to continue the line through the historic centre, serving Duomo and San Marco squares, were curtailed following a 2009 decision to pedestrianise the area surrounding the Duomo.
The tramstop here is equipped with shock absorbers mounted on a low wall built for this purpose. No other terminus on the system
The Tuscan capital is world-renowned as the birthplace of the renaissance, but with its latest addition Alessandro Fantechi and Giovanni mantovani show how the city is becoming a leader in the art of the modern tramway.
is equipped with such heavy equipment, probably intended to protect the narrower street in front from possible runaways: either way this wall makes a visual statement that no tram can trespass into the city’s historic centre.
A delta junction connects to T1, including a road intersection with another immediately after the delta, making this a critical location for both tram and road traffic. T1 and T2 share 370m of tracks, including the Alamanni Stazione stop; this point sees a tram every 130 seconds in each direction, considered to be the maximum flow supported by the line.
Shortly after leaving the junction with T1, T2 enters an area formerly occupied by railway maintenance facilities, with a spectacular passage through the Mazzoni building – a notable example of rationalistic architecture from the early 20th Century that is being restored to its original appearance.
The line then passes through the construction site of the new underground station for high-speed rail services. A tramstop is already in place, waiting for the completion of this highly controversial project for which it is difficult to predict an opening date – and even the kind of service it will host.
The next notable location is the 230m San Donato viaduct that allows passage for the tramway across the Mugnone River and an important roundabout as well as introducing two bicycle and pedestrian lanes. These
lanes, as well as the covering of the bridge’s steel structure with a metal shell, remained incomplete on inauguration day. The San Donato – Università stop serves an important commercial centre, the University’s social science campus, a new development including housing and a park, and, slightly further away, the new city courts.
On its way to the airport, three other stops serve the densely-populated Novoli area. After passing under the railway line to Pisa, the tramway heads underground in a 500m cut-and-cover tunnel, including the Guidoni stop, serving a large park-and-ride facility that should remove tourist bus and car traffic coming into the city. A new stop on the railway is planned, connected by a pedestrian bridge.
Just beyond the airport terminus is a short twin-track area, although it is not clear whether this would be used for the planned extension to Sesto due to a possible conflict with other plans for a new runway for the growing airport.
T2 has taken on the nickname ‘Vespucci’ – celebrating the ancient explorer and navigator after whom the airport is also named – while the extended T1 line is known locally as ‘Leonardo’ in honour of famed artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci. It does not seem that these nicknames have entered common use, however.
ABoVe: palazzi rossi tramstop and the narrowing street ahead caused by to an historical building that has to be preserved. G. Mantovani
BeloW: A T2 service approaching the delta junction in front of the railway station on a trial service on 2 February. A. Fantechi
Sirio 2026 heads into the underground section after leaving the airport on a T2
service. G. Mantovani
Florence
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Looking to the future The current two-line network serves only a fraction of the important west and north-west suburban regions of the city, and no service is offered to the central, east and south areas.
Yet the success of the current network has increased expectations from fiorentini excluded from the tramway’s coverage and new lines, and extensions are already at an advanced stage of design. The first three of these could see the start of works before the end of 2019.
T2 to San MarcoThe decision to truncate T2 at the edge of the city’s historic centre has left the main tourist attractions some distance from any tramstop. In an attempt to recover some service without laying tracks close to the Duomo, a U-shaped branch will link the railway station to Piazza San Marco – 100m from the gallery hosting Michelangelo’s world-famous ‘David’.
The 1.7km (1.05-mile) extension will start from a delta junction that is already partially installed along T1, close to the Fortezza stop, reaching Piazza della Libertà by a median reservation on the large Lavagnini boulevard; it will then turn back into the centre for a loop in the historic square.
The last section from Piazza della Libertà to Piazza San Marco will be in two parallel roads for the up and down lines. It is not yet clear which service would be operated on this branch, most likely an extension of T2 with the abandonment of the new Unità terminus. In any case, this will further extend the critically saturated section operated by both lines and include two new intermediate stops.
T4: Le Piagge, San Donnino and CampiThe scarcely-used railway tracks that leave Leopolda (the first station in Florence, terminus of the line to Pisa that opened in 1848 and host to a railway workshop less than 20 years ago, now an exhibition centre) have inspired proposals for T4. The T3 designation was used for the line to Careggi before its opening as an extension of T1. This 6.2km (3.8-mile) route would feature 12 intermediate stops, and for the initial 3.5km (5.6 miles) run on a conversion of the railway alignment that is currently used by a few local services to Empoli each day.
The line will then pass under the railway to join a parallel reservation, serving the Le Piagge residential area and access to a new depot. Due to the peculiarity of the route, the line will have just four road intersections.
At Leopolda, the tracks would connect to T1 but T4 will stop here with transfers to T1 necessary to penetrate the city further. This is considered important in reducing tramway congestion at the main railway station. There are, however, concerns about the transfer at Leopolda from the already-crowded trams coming from Scandicci. Contradictory concerns regard the expected patronage: the alignment is lateral, and a bit detached, from the extensively-built area of Via Baracca, which is not far from the newly-opened T2.
The line is planned to be eventually extended from Le Piagge by another 6km (3.7 miles) to serve San Donnino and Campi Bisenzio; the latter is the centre of a municipality of almost 50 000 residents, until now with no rail connection.
T2 to Sesto Fiorentino Building on the latest line, T2 will continue to the University’s scientific campus close to Sesto Fiorentino. As this municipality of 50 000 residents is already covered by regional train services, it is believed that most ridership will be generated by the university.Some therefore question whether there will be enough patronage to justify the new line, but it can be expected that such a link will
ABoVe: on inauguration day, two T2 trams in the section common to T1 alongside santa maria novella station. G. Mantovani
FAr leFT: Sirio 2028 on the san donato viaduct, with work ongoing in the foreground. A. Fantechi
leFT: The main stays of the san donato viaduct being placed into position in september 2016. S. Melandri
Scandicci
Motorw
ay a1
Milan – naples
Historic centre
MAIN RAILWAY STATION (SANTA
MARIA NOVELLA)
T1
T2
T2 extension to Piazza San Marco
T2 cancelled city alignment
T2 underground extension (abandoned)
T4 phase 1
Extensions to Campi Bisenzio (T4) and Sesto Fiorentino (T2)
Eastern extensions
Railway lines
Cascine
Rifredi
Le Piagge
Le Piagge
Castello
Campo di Marte
Rovezzano
Bagno a Ripoli
BaGnO a RiPOLi
ROMaROVEZZanO
Piazza san
Marco
Piazza della Libertà
caMPiBiSEnZiO
PiSa
SESTO FiOREnTinO
BOLOGna
Peretola Aeroporto
GuidoniNovoli-
Palazzi Rossi
Novoli-Toreeagli Agli
Novoli-Regione Toscana San Donato
Universitá
Buonsignori Liceo da Vinci Ponte
all’Asse
Belfiore
Rosselli
Unità
Careggi-Ospedale
airport
DEPOT
T2
T1
T2
Villa Constanza T1
LeopoldaT4
Railway stations
Belfiore H. S. Station (under construction)
Mugnone River
De Andrè
Resistenza
Aldo Moro
Nenni Torregalli
Arcipressi
Federiga
Talenti
Batoni
Sansovino CascinePorta
al PratoAlamanni Stazione
Valfonda
Fortezza
Strozzi - Fallaci
Muratori - Stazione Statuto
Statuto
Leopoldo
Poggetto
Vittorio Emanuele II
Morgagni - UniversitàDalmazia
Pisacane
T4
Florence
172 / may 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org
revitalise the campus that until now has suffered from isolation due to its distance from the other University sites. The extension will feature eight stops over 6km (3.7 miles).
Lines to Bagno a Ripoli and RovezzanoPossibly the most significant development will be the realisation of two lines in the east of the city to serve densely-populated areas and business districts. Furthermore, these lines will at last provide diametrical tram routes, although, probably, without direct services. Technical and economic studies have already been completed and state funding identified under the framework of the recent call for the evaluation of tram and metro projects. Partial European funding is also available through the Tuscany Region.
Both lines would originate in Piazza della Libertà, with connections to T2. The first, approximately 7km (4.3 miles) long, will run on the eastern part of the historic ring boulevards and along the Arno River to the existing Giovanni da Verrazzano bridge. A new bridge will be built for diverted car traffic. On the other river bank the line will continue
Following the formal opening ceremony, the first T2 services are about to depart from the airport terminus. G. Mantovani
Scandicci
Motorw
ay a1
Milan – naples
Historic centre
MAIN RAILWAY STATION (SANTA
MARIA NOVELLA)
T1
T2
T2 extension to Piazza San Marco
T2 cancelled city alignment
T2 underground extension (abandoned)
T4 phase 1
Extensions to Campi Bisenzio (T4) and Sesto Fiorentino (T2)
Eastern extensions
Railway lines
Cascine
Rifredi
Le Piagge
Le Piagge
Castello
Campo di Marte
Rovezzano
Bagno a Ripoli
BaGnO a RiPOLi
ROMaROVEZZanO
Piazza san
Marco
Piazza della Libertà
caMPiBiSEnZiO
PiSa
SESTO FiOREnTinO
BOLOGna
Peretola Aeroporto
GuidoniNovoli-
Palazzi Rossi
Novoli-Toreeagli Agli
Novoli-Regione Toscana San Donato
Universitá
Buonsignori Liceo da Vinci Ponte
all’Asse
Belfiore
Rosselli
Unità
Careggi-Ospedale
airport
DEPOT
T2
T1
T2
Villa Constanza T1
LeopoldaT4
Railway stations
Belfiore H. S. Station (under construction)
Mugnone River
De Andrè
Resistenza
Aldo Moro
Nenni Torregalli
Arcipressi
Federiga
Talenti
Batoni
Sansovino CascinePorta
al PratoAlamanni Stazione
Valfonda
Fortezza
Strozzi - Fallaci
Muratori - Stazione Statuto
Statuto
Leopoldo
Poggetto
Vittorio Emanuele II
Morgagni - UniversitàDalmazia
Pisacane
T4
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The city centre issueThe extension of T2 to Piazza San Marco cannot by itself satisfactorily serve the city centre – the area inside the ring avenues larger than 3km2 (1.2 square miles). Transfers to small buses, already serving some areas of the inner city, would not be satisfactory either due to the excessive number of vehicles required to provide an acceptable service. It would also require another change of mode.
The best option would therefore be a barycentric tram route and it must be pointed out that good public transport is key to avoid a negative urban drift, whereby residents and businesses leave the centre, expelled by tourism – a phenomenon that has become more and more pressing for Florence.
The original T2 alignment traversed the centre, from the main railway station to Piazza Beccaria, splitting into two tracks after passing the Duomo; a perfect diametrical alignment which was unfortunately incompatible with some very narrow roads.
In the first years of this century a variant was defined, turning to the left before the Duomo and running on Via Martelli to Piazza San Marco and then onto Via Cavour to the terminus in Piazza della Libertà. No overhead line and interlaced tracks were foreseen for a 300m section near the Duomo. The loss of patronage from the abandoned eastern part was compensated by the branch towards the north, and a stop near the Duomo was at an acceptable walking distance from many main locations of the historic area. This variant gained
approval, but in 2009 the new municipal administration cancelled the central section, justifying this as a consequence of a wide pedestrianisation zone around the Duomo. One must deduce they were not aware of the full compatibility of trams with pedestrian areas seen in so many European cities.
For a time, an underground crossing was seen as a answer but it soon became clear this wasn’t the right solution due to the many buildings of historic significance and geotechnical factors that would require a route deep below the surface. The tunnel would also have to be about 4km (2.5 miles) long in order to reach areas where the entrances could be placed – this would have meant high construction and operation costs, unjustifiable for a single tram line. Moreover, accessibility would have been poor. It seems, sadly, very difficult to find a solution that ticks all the boxes.
As an aside, a side-effect of the lack of a transverse link through the centre is that the planned new lines to the east will force a change of vehicle at Piazza della Libertà to reach the main railway station, since the congested section between Fortezza and Alamanni will be at capacity. The overall travel time would easily be greater than the time taken by the direct bus routes ten years ago, with a potential reduction in attractiveness.
One must hope that the passage alongside the Duomo will be reconsidered, to finally connect tracks in Piazza dell’Unità and Piazza San Marco in the not too distant future.
ABoVe: piazza dell’Unità terminus, alongside the santa maria novella church. A. Fantechi
BeloW: The buffers at piazza dell’Unità, showing the shock absorber buffers. A. Fantechi
along Viale Giannotti and Viale Europa to the border of Florence. There it will enter Bagno a Ripoli, a municipality of about 25 000, where both the terminus and a new depot will be located. An existing but scarcely-used park-and-ride would be revitalised, taking car traffic away from the Chianti region and motorway traffic from the south.
The route along the ring boulevards has raised concerns about a supposed loss of capacity for road traffic as all other tramway lines in Florence run on reserved lanes. Another challenge from the Monument and Fine Arts Office has voiced concerns about tree preservation, so it is very likely that the boulevards section will be constructed without overhead line equipment.
The second 6km (3.7-mile) line will run along Viale Don Minzoni, crossing the railway belt at Le Cure and continuing along Viale dei Mille to reach the present football ground (a new one is foreseen in a different location) and other sport facilities, as well as Campo di Marte railway station. This route would serve another densely-populated district, terminating at Rovezzano railway station.
ABoVe: A T2 service from the airport approaches the main station on the junction with T1. A. Fantechi
ABoVe: The twin-track alignment beyond the new airport stop; could this be laid in preparation for an extension to sesto? A. Fantechi
STOCKHOLM: paST,preSenT and fuTure
174 / may 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org
It is nearly 52 years since the Dagen H (literally ‘H Day’, where ‘H’ stands for höger, translated as ‘right’) modification of road regulations in Sweden that saw the transition of driving from
the left- to the right-hand side of the road. Designed to reduce the number of accidents (it is estimated that 90% of Swedes drove left-hand drive vehicles at the time), and align the nation’s road traffic regulations with its near neighbours in Norway and Finland, the move was not widely popular. A 1955 referendum revealed an overwhelming 83% against the move, yet parliament confirmed the decision to go ahead with the controversial plan in May 1963 and drew up a four-year implementation programme.
Dagen H marked the final nail in the coffin for tramlines across the nation that operated single-ended tram fleets, with many closing in the decade leading up to the change on 3 September 1967. The associated costs with introducing new double-ended cars in the capital, Stockholm, is one fine reason for
these closures. Although Malmö continued until 1973, the only two other city tramways from the first-generation that remain today are Göteborg (Gothenburg) and Norrköping.
The opening of Stockholm’s metro (Tunnelbanan/T-bana) from 1950 had already removed the need for a number of the city’s central tram routes, although the last to be lifted was line 20, Ropsten – Kyrkviken, in 1971, as a result of heavily declining patronage. The suburban Lidingöbanan and Nockebybanan were important survivors after the main 4, 6, 7 and 8 trunk lines disappeared, although the Lidingöbanan route between Humlegården and Ropsten was a notable casualty – albeit one that will be replaced in the coming years.
Yet piece by piece tramways are returning to Stockholm’s streets, part of an ambitious programme to support one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas (925 000 inhabitants, with 2.2m in the wider county) with efficient, sustainable transport links. Political pressure focused on environmental
concerns has grown, and while provincial governments form the pivot in decision-making as to their own needs, they require state contributions financially. This it is prepared to do for projects deemed important in meeting national ambitions; the government has a target of reducing harmful emissions from road traffic by 70% by 2030, requiring an annual reduction of 8% .
City, county and national co-operationSince 1971, the City of Stockholm has been united with the province of Stockholm County, often referred to as Storstockholm (Greater Stockholm).
Stockholm County consists of 26 communities – Stockholm City being the largest – and one County Council (Stockholms läns landsting, SLL, known from January 2019 as Region Stockholm). SLL/Region Stockholm is the authority responsible for health and public transport within the county, the same scenario seen in all 21 counties/regions in Sweden.
Stockholm
With a proud tramway heritage, Stockholm’s fractured network is on the way to new connections to rejoin the transport network of Sweden’s thriving capital.
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On 1 January 1967 the name of the urban transport company Stockholms Spårvägar (SS) was also changed to Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) and it was given wider responsibility for all public transport across the county. In the following years SL took over activities across the county, initially as planner and owner of certain infrastructure and operator, but now as planner, commissioner of traffic (after tendering procedures) and owner of certain infrastructure. SL is still a relatively small organisation and employs 500 people directly, although its services provide employment for over 10 000.
At national level, following a review in 2009, a new body was formed to administer the longer-term planning of public transport across Sweden through the merger of various bodies. So from 1 April 2010 Trafikverket has assumed responsibility for larger-scale projects deemed of national importance, owning all infrastructure, while day-to-day service provision is carried out by SL or its contracted concessionaires. Trafikverket’s remit also applies, for example, to non-state infrastructure such as the tramways in Göteborg, Norrköping and Stockholm, Stockholm’s metro and the Roslagsbanan and Saltsjöbanan commuter rail lines.
Meanwhile, SL is the owner of the ‘blue fleet’ of all rail vehicles across the county, although their management and maintenance is the contractual duty of the respective concessionaires. The county’s buses all wear a red livery and are owned by the different bus companies. SL’s contractual arrangements for public transport services are detailed in the panel (right).
The state, county and city of Stockholm, with representatives from other municipalities, concluded what is known as the Stockholm Agreement (Stockholmsöverenskommelsen) for transport interventions over a period of ten years in December 2007. These mobility plans include all modes and envisage infrastructure investment of SEK95bn (approximately EUR9bn) for the period 2010-2021, planned as a 50/50 split between public transport and highways. Additional arrangements have been concluded for other projects, as is the case with the mid-term review of the Stockholm Agreement in 2013, which has seen significant plans developed for metro expansion.
In addition to the Stockholm Agreement, in 2013 a national masterplan was agreed to realise major infrastructure projects as quickly as possible. The underlying aim was
to combat the economic recession and as such the programme is not based around a sum of money, but instead a series of essential goals. The first is the construction by 2035 of high-speed rail lines between Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö (the nation’s three biggest cities); the second is improved rail links with northern Sweden; the third is the creation of at least 100 000 homes and the related traffic infrastructure to serve them in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö.
It is within this framework that we can contextualise a series of major investments in Stockholm that will transform the public transport offering within the decade.
In the first part of this review of the changing landscape of the capital, we will look at the major tramway projects.
Line 7/7N and Spårväg CityOne of the most significant projects undertaken as part of the Stockholm Agreement of 2013 has been the short but significant opening on 3 September 2018 of the 560m prolongation of line 7 service from Sergels Torg to T-Centralen. Providing interchange to the city’s three metro routes as well as heavy rail services, this completes the main phase of ‘Spårväg City’ which included extensive reconstruction of the area around the central square at Sergels Torg.
The new terminus is sited in the middle of Klarabergsgatan, which has been closed to car traffic to provide room for a new tram and bus interchange that offers easy access to the metro hub as well as the city’s main shopping district. Work on this phase began in 2012 with a total cost of SEK390m (EUR37m). It has proved an instant success as within a month ridership on the extended line 7 had
increased by almost 75% on figures from a year before.
Essentially a continuation of the heritage Djurgårdslinjen operation that opened in 1991, public support for an extension into the city began in 2010 with the opening of a 400m single-track addition from the terminal loop at Norrmalmstorg to Sergels Torg. Sergels Torg is one of the city’s showpiece public squares that were created in the 1950s but in recent years have fallen downmarket. The original environment had a variety of qualities, significantly a variation in scale from the tall buildings down to intricate detail and several attractive meeting places. Sadly over the years, many of these qualities had been lost through additions and changes of use. The city sought a solution to improve
LefT: The transformed public space at Sergels Torg, showing A34 car 2 negotiating the roundabout on 3 October 2018.
rigHT: The way we were… A25 Mustang trams pass in central Stockholm in 1967. The year it all changed.
BeLOW rigHT: a pair of 2.4m Flexity Classic cars on a line 7 service in august 2010.
All images courtesy of Thomas Johansson
SL holds contracts with five different companies to provide rail and bus services. These are:Arriva Sverige: Tramway operation on the Tvärbanan and Nockebybanan; rail operations on the Saltsjöbanan and Roslagsbanan; and bus services in Danderyd, Ekerö, Sigtuna, Sollentuna, Solna, Sundbyberg, Täby, Upplands Väsby, Vallentuna, Vaxholm, Västerort and Österåke.Keolis Nordic: Bus operations in central Stockholm, Botkyrka, Huddinge, Lidingö, Nacka, Salem, Söderort and Värmdö.MTR Nordic: Stockholm metro and commuter rail services.Nobina: Bus services in Haninge, Järfälla, Norrtälje, Nykvarn, Nynäshamn, Södertälje, Tyresö and Upplands-Bro.Stockholms Spårvägar: Djurgårdslinjen, Spårväg City, Lidingöbanan tram services.
STOCKHOLM’S TRANSPORT OPERATORS
Stockholm
Line 7’s operation is itself remarkable. Proven as a professional outfit with its experience with the Djurgårdslinjen, Stockholms Spårvägar was granted the concession to run the new line and a new internal vision was created with the modern service carried out by personnel organised under a collective labour agreement due to the new vehicles being owned by SL. Volunteers may, as before, drive between Norrmalmstorget and Skansen under the line 7N designation; the N refers to the end point Norrmalmstorg to prevent confusion. Operating heritage cars beyond this point requires express consent as most are single-ended and Sergels Torg lacks a turning loop.
To the east a much larger project is underway. At Djurgårdsbron, where line 7 diverges eastwards towards Djurgården, work continues on a 4.5km (2.8-mile) branch to Ropsten to serve new business and residential areas in the neighbourhoods of Värtahamnen, Frihamnen and Valparaiso. Almost a kilometre uses the alignment of a former freight line, modernised for light rail operation. At Ropsten the line will eventually link to the Lidingöbanan – temporarily repurposing existing freight tracks – and a
LefT: The fixed extension steps on a line 7 Flexity Classic, installed following the upgrading of infrastructure to suit 2.65m-wide trams.
rigHT: inside the cavernous new aga depot, designed to house trams up to 40m long to serve the Lidingöbanan and line 7.
BeLOW: a busy scene at aga on 24 november 2015; this section of the Lidingöbanan was double-tracked between 2013 and 2015.
its appeal and contribute to its regeneration and the tramway was just one of several extensive projects undertaken concurrently, giving the opportunity to recreate some of the original features.
In the 1950s, the area was optimised for car traffic, but today’s planning ideals have prioritised widened pedestrian and cycle paths with bus and tram traffic concentrated in the centre – importantly, without altering the original character of the streetscape and its architectural legacy. Public access was maintained throughout the entire construction period thanks to considerate planning by the contractors, SL and the city.
The original 2.9km (1.8 miles) of Djurgårdslinjen tracks (Norrmalmstorg – Waldemarsudde, line 7N) were laid by Stiftelsen Stockholms Museispårvägar, a non-profit foundation created by the city and county councils and operated by members of the Swedish Tramway Society (Svenska Spårvägssällskapet) through its operating company AB Stockholms Spårvägar. This organisation takes its name from the original public transport operator and was reconstituted in 1987, 20 years after the name first disappeared. Ownership and
management of the infrastructure was taken over by SL in 2005 and the city found a great deal of support in making line 7 a regular service, launching a plan to extend it into the city.
Seen by some as a new tramway link for the affluent, financing the latest extension proved more difficult at county and provincial levels, leading to development under PPP principles. Completed in 2010, from 1 August operation began on the route to Sergels Torg, now known as line 7. The first six tramcars in service were 2.4m Bombardier Flexity Classic trams leased on a temporary basis, three from Norrköping and three from Frankfurt/Main, pending the introduction in 2011 of Bombardier A34 cars, the same type ordered by Norrköping. A seventh car is a CAF Urbos car (A35 class, tram 461), a 2.65m-wide three-section vehicle now determined as the Stockholm standard.
As the line was rebuilt to suit 2.65m-wide trams, the earlier Bombardier cars have permanently fixed ‘extensions’ below the doors to close the gap to the platform; consequently they have lamps (red or white depending on direction of travel) to warn motorists not to drive too close to them.
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company in its own right, but also granted the organisation the concession to operate the Lidingöbanan. On 24 October 2015, after more than two-and-a-half years of bus replacements, tram service between Ropsten and Gåshaga restarted.
Only after 2020 will it be possible to establish the desired connection to line 7, following the opening of a new bridge (to the north of the existing one) for tram traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. As the reinstatement of the connection to Ropsten is at the same level as the T-bana Red line station, cross-mode transfers will be easy. This link will be co-financed by the municipality of Lidingö, which has also indicated that it is in favour of shifting the route to the economic centre of the municipality. For this, the line will follow the Södra Kungsvägen when leaving the new bridge over 1.9km (1.2 miles) of new track to reach the existing line at Bodal. Torsvik and Baggeby stops would then be removed.
Tvärbanan (line 22)Many surface journeys in Stockholm are tangential due to the nature of the city’s waterways considerably limiting the
possibilities for cross-connections. However, feasibility studies revealed the need for a high-quality public transport connection with a three-quarter loop, indicating that a new metro line would not provide enough traffic in the short- to medium-term but that patronage would be too heavy for a bus service. The logical choice was a tramway, although the eventual route is unusual in that it is a mixture of railway and tramway and so features both line-of-sight and signal controlled operation.
Construction began in 1996 and on 8 January 2000 the first section between Gullmarsplan and Liljeholmen opened to the public. Six months later, the route opened north-west to Alvik. South-east extensions to Sickla Udde (2002), Solna Centrum (2013) and Solna Station (2014) followed. The latest to open was on 2 November 2017, a 900m double-track route from Sickla Udde to the Sickla Saltsjöbanan station that included the first installation of grass track on Stockholm’s light rail network.
Although frequencies were improved in 2013, from 7.5 to five minutes during peak hours and ten to 7.5 minutes at other times, difficulties in integrating a new signalling
new double-track Lidingö bridge will replace the existing single-track structure by 2020.
A further extension to Lindhagen was once seen as a vital part of the Spårväg City project, but this project is on hold indefinitely so for the time being at least Spårväg City ends at T-Centralen.
Options for up to 121 CAF Urbos trams exist for the future eastward route to Ropsten, extensions of line 22 to Sickla, Kista – Helenelund and Solna, as well as to increase capacity across the network. Once sufficient vehicles have been delivered, the A34 trams on line 7 will be transferred to Norrköping.
Lidingöbanan (line 21)Serving the southern half of Lidingö island, the history of the Lidingöbanan dates back to the early part of the 20th Century, gaining a connection to the mainland with the opening of the first Lidingö bridge in 1925. With both freight and tramway services sharing the same tracks, the Lidingöbanan was legally classified as a railway until 31 March 2009, when it was reclassified by the Swedish railway inspectorate. Although freight traffic ceased in 1982, passenger operations have always been provided by tramcars, which prior to 1967 continued onto the streets of central Stockholm.
Dagen H had considerable consequences for the Lidingö lines. With the lifting of city tracks, the Humlegården – Ropsten route was cut off, although the extension of the T-bana to Ropsten (the Red line) came into operation on the same day, also adding a double-track alignment where lines 20 and 21 (the northern and southern Lidingö lines) were given their turning point. The Lidingöbanan became part of the SL network in 1972 and although proposals have often been made to remove line 21, a combination of considerable volume and residents’ protests have always seen off such intentions.
Until the early 2010s, rolling stock provision was confined to the A30/A30B and B30/B30B tramcars introduced in the 1940s. Although these underwent interior and control system modifications between 1988 and 1994, including a repaint into the now-uniform blue SL livery, they remained the oldest rail vehicles in Stockholm for many years. In 2007 a trial was undertaken with an Alstom Citadis originally intended for Madrid that led to an agreement between SL and the municipality in October 2009 to prepare the line for a full upgrade to light rail standards. This was subsequently included in the 2020-21 investment plan.
The line was closed between the summer of 2013 and October 2015 for engineering works, signalling modernisation and the installation of new equipment to allow for 2.65m-wide trams and low-floor platforms; when reopened, parts of the line had been converted to double-track – west of Baggeby stop (200m), Skärsätra – Kottla (625m), AGA (400m) and between Käppala and the terminus at Gåshaga Brygga (1.1km) – and new CAF A36 trams were introduced. The former depot at AGA was demolished to make way for a larger facility to cater for up to 40m trams to serve both the Lidingöbanan and line 7.
In late April 2014 the Council of Transport for Stockholm County not only recognised Stockholms Spårvägar as a public transport
aBOVe: The nockebybanan runs on mainly segregated alignments in the city’s western suburbs; built over a century ago, the line saw major upgrades in the 1990s.
aBOVe LefT: djurgardslinjen service is provided by trams dating from the 1910s, ’20s, ’30s, ’40s, ’50 and ’60s as well as modern articulated units.
aBOVe: Bus line 4 is one of the busiest in the city, serving as many as 70 000 passengers/day. Congestion and environmental concerns have led some city politicians to suggest conversion to tramway.
LefT: Caf Urbos 459 traverses a green track installation on a line 22 service in Sickla; this is the first such section in Stockholm.
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Stockholm
system and overloaded power supplies saw long periods of disruption during the first years of operation. These were remedied with a six-month closure and bus replacement service in 2017 while solutions were sought.
Now the line has stabilised, it sees around 70 000 passengers per week a day and is the busiest light rail line in the capital. A new depot at Ulvsunda houses line 22 vehicles as well as offering room for the future route to Kista and Helenelund. Work on this 8km (five-mile) line, known as ‘Kistagrenen’, began in February 2018. With a stop at Bromma Airport, the closest of four airports to the city centre, this is due to open in 2022 and will also support the development of over 17 000 new homes along the route.
Nockebybanan (line 12)Line 12 is a remarkable remnant in Stockholm’s western suburbs, currently running for 5.7km (3.5 miles) between the Green line metro station at Alvik, where passengers can also switch to the Tvärbanan, and Nockeby on mainly segregated alignments. It is operated by Arriva Sverige under a concession that runs until August 2020, although there is an option to extend this until 2024.
The first section to Alléparken opened in 1914 and was gradually extended westwards, reaching the current terminus at Nockeby in 1929. At the eastern end the line ran into the city to a terminus at Tegelbacken. When the Green line replaced the grade-separated Ängbybanan tramway between Alvik and Islandstorget in 1952 – this line had opened a few years previously with conversion in mind – the Nockebybanan’s city link was severed. It now acts as a valuable metro feeder, carrying around 10 000 passengers each weekday.
In the years following the removal of the urban tram network, residents in the Bromma garden town served by the Nockebybanan were successful in preventing its replacement with buses and between June 1997 and June 1998 it was closed to permit reconstruction so that 2.65m-wide articulated rolling stock could be used.
Re-converting bus line 4?There is extra impetus for new tramway installations as from 2020 all buses in the country must comply with regulations that limit their emissions of particulate matter per kilometre driven. This is part of the rationale behind ambitions to convert one of the city’s busiest bus lines.
Bus line 4 is a ‘blue’ (main) orbital route that runs north around the city from Radiohuset in the east to Gullmarsplan in the south – it is known as the ‘inner orbital line’, with the Tvärbanan as the ‘outer orbital line’ – and carries 70 000 passengers per day at 5-6-minute intervals.
In the days of the first-generation tramway, line 4 was until 1952 known as ‘Ringlinjen’ (Circular line) when it was divided into two partially overlapping lines, 4 and 8, with different termini. In 1967 line 4 became bus line 54 and line 8 became bus line 48.
The challenges of providing electric buses on this heavily-used route are greater than others and running along some of the city’s busiest roads makes it sensitive to congestion. Conversion is therefore an ambition for many local politicians, underlined by the fact that three-quarters of its 12km (7.5-mile) length was operated by trams until 1967 and therefore the space remains available for their reinstatement.
To give further momentum to this scheme, line 4 runs along the Odenplan public transport corridor on the north side of the city centre, currently seeing significant residential and office development as well as new entertainment venues. The line also offers interchange with no fewer than eight metro stations. Planning for the conversion began a few years ago, but was halted as the programme would involve restricting car traffic at certain places and this is still a sensitive political decision.
Grateful thanks to Hans Cruse, Carl Silfverhielm, Thomas Johansson, Viktor Jakobsson of Cactus Rail, Daniel Kack of Sweco Rail and Karl-Johan Tomczak and Lovisa Näswall of Treeline.se for their assistance in the compilation of this article.
NEXT mONTH: Exploring the plans to transform the city’s Tunnelbana and commuter rail connections. This article will also include a detailed map of Stockholm’s tramway and urban rail links.
Scandinavian design in public transportation
For over twenty years, our mission has been to improve the design and passenger experience of public transportation.
Find us at www.idesign.se
IDESIGN’S TRAM CONCEPTIdesign has many references within the transportation and industrial design sectors, releasing its innovative concept for a new tram design in 2018.
The concept “shows the possibilities for public transportation if we move away from the traditional limitations and pre-conceived notions of how it should look. Interjecting new thinking regarding materials, form and design elements, we can design public transportation that is not only utilitarian and functional, but that people actually like using and spending time in.”
The Stockholm-based agency sees mass transit as crucial part to a sustainable urban future, with vehicle design being vital in attracting people away from cars. Idesign’s tram concept uses neutral colours and maximises light to allow not only for a more comfortable travelling experience but also to allow passengers to greater appreciate the environment in which they are travelling.
For more images, including a ‘virtual walk-through’, see www.idesign.se/portfolio_page/tram-concept/
rigHT: Tram service reached T-Centralen in September 2018, reconnecting the tramway to the city’s main transport interchange in central Stockholm.
Tramways are once again forming an integral part of the transport system in Stockholm, but they’re hardly new to the cityscape. The first city lines opened in 1877 and from the introduction of the first horse-drawn cars a variety of
traction forms were experimented with; petrol and steam power were used in the earliest days and petrol power was used even after electrification in areas where catenary poles couldn’t be installed.
With electrification came expansion into the growing suburbs and an increased need for co-ordination. Municipal company Stockholms Spårvägar absorbed the other organisations to create, for the first time, a rational city network. To speed up services through the city a tram subway was opened in 1933 between Ringvägen (today Skanstull) and Slussen. This was later converted into the Green line of the city’s metro (Tunnelbanan), although the tunnel and station dimensions are very limited by modern standards as they were built for the trams of the time.
The first comprehensive plan for the replacement of city tramlines with trolleybus services was presented in 1939, taking inspiration from similar initiatives in London and Paris, but the outbreak of World War Two and fuel shortages made this impossible. The plan was eventually carried out when Sweden switched to right-hand road traffic in September 1967. In the meantime 100 new bogie trams, the A25 ‘Mustang’ class built by AEA and General Motors, had been delivered as urgent replacements for the life-expired fleet which had been overlooked during the war years.
Once the backbone of public transportation, the tramlines had all but disappeared, although 50 years on one can still see their routes in the current metro lines and on some of the city’s trunk bus lines.
The return of the tramAs in many other cities, congestion in Stockholm became an increasing problem and in the 1990s the tram started its comeback. The first line was Djurgårdslinjen, ostensibly a museum line operated by enthusiasts but one which served a real transport need. This short route would, in time, also serve as an important demonstration line for modern rolling stock, and in 2000 the city’s first modern tramline – Tvärbanan – opened in the southern suburbs.
The Djurgårdslinjen is now a modern tramway and Tvärbanan is finally able to complement the radial metro. The two original tramway survivors are more popular than ever and the Lidingöbanan was recently modernised with new rolling stock and a new depot.
The current system has its flaws however, one of the major challenges being that there is no coherent network as the lines – with the exception of a link between Nockebybanan and Tvärbanan through a depot – are not connected. This creates logistical issues, from rolling stock movements to staff management, although plans are in place to rectify this by tying together the different lines.
Stockholm’s trunk bus lines (many of which were tramlines before their conversion in the 1960s) transport tens of thousands of passengers daily, but they suffer from delays due to traffic, overcrowding and lack of priority at intersections. Reduced headways and priority at traffic lights will only help so far.
A tram conversion of the most overcrowded bus line, 4, has the potential to change the public value perception by being faster and
also further complementing the metro – where construction is more expensive. Another important project is the connection of Spårväg City to Lidingöbanan that will also alleviate metro overcrowding and add a high-capacity option for people moving into the newly-developed areas between the city centre and Lidingö.
The existing tramlines outside the main city boundaries are very important in increasing access to jobs, education and recreation, and tying together Tvärbanan with both Spårväg City and the future Spårväg Syd will play a vital role in increasing resilience in the mass transit system and at the same time adding capacity. Tvärbanan’s extension to Kista will also vastly improve the flexibility of the system.
Some words for the futureWith so much light rail potential, there is a great deal to be learned by studying lines being built in neighbouring countries, but also in France, Germany and Spain – to mention a few. This includes, for example, how trams are included within the streetscape without creating barriers, clever compromises with space and how to operate in harmony with cyclists, pedestrians and cars. While it isn’t always possible for the tram to have its own right of way, there are many
compromises that will work; German cities have many examples of how to make the best use of limited street space.
Yet it’s also important to keep in mind public transport’s competition. To reduce the number of cars in the city, you need a system that suits the needs of drivers, so we need to make it possible to use time spent on the tram productively. We already know that trams, and other forms of rail transit, attract a larger share of car drivers away from private travel than buses; this is an advantage that can be improved further.
And while the initial investment might be higher than for other trackless modes, the operational costs are significantly lower. This is due to longer lifetimes of rolling stock, the requirement for fewer staff and lower maintenance costs. These combined savings create significant value over time. We also know that money spent on tramways attracts investment and raises property values – so while the initial outlay
might be high, this shouldn’t be a deterrent.Lastly, planning ahead will greatly reduce costs. For example, if a
potential tramline is identified then the city needs to ensure space is reserved for it. This means no utilities will be placed underneath future tracks – or current utilities can be moved during normal maintenance cycles – so they don’t have to be moved later on. Likewise, street curves and widths should be dimensioned with future tram infrastructure in mind. There are many examples where this kind of thinking saves money in the initial investment phase.
While there is no shortage of good ideas however, it must be remembered that trams are not a universal solution. They are just one of the tools in the toolbox for sustainable transportation. Buses, metros and bikes are just a few of the others; each has its strengths and it’s important to use them accordingly.
Trams – with metro and commuter rail – have the potential to form the backbone of public transport in Stockholm once again, unlocking the full potential of the city and its growing population.
CREATING A NEW BACKBONE Hans Cruse of Spårvagnsstäderna takes us on a short odyssey of trams
in Stockholm and their future role in the city's development.
Comment
Hans Cruse is Director of Spårvagnsstäderna (Tramway Cities of Sweden), a non-profit association which facilitates co-operation between municipalities that have, or are planning, tramway networks – www.sparvagnsstaderna.se
www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MAY 2019 / 179
“To reduce the number of carsin the city, you need a system
that suits the needs of drivers.”
Tramways and light rail systems are generally considered among the safest methods of transport, carrying billions of passengers every year with relatively low
incident rates. This is despite potentially facing greater risks and challenges than heavy rail networks through their interaction with public and other vehicles, for example.
However, a number of major incidents have brought safety to the fore in recent years, headlined by the Sandilands (Croydon, UK) tragedy in 2016 that saw seven people killed and 62 injured. It was claimed to be the “deadliest tram accident in the UK since 1917”; a number of recommendations have since been made and already implemented.
The UK is not alone in its continuing efforts to keep light rail at the top of safety records, nor is it the first country to have faced tragic accidents. The German city of Stuttgart has faced similar situations and has instigated a range of improvements that perhaps the UK and others can learn from.
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Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s Stadtbahn dates back to 1868. Today, the city’s transport network consists of light rail, bus routes and a funicular railway. Its light rail system covers approximately 130.5km (80 miles) across 18 lines and is continuously extending, the most recent project being improved tunnel access in the city centre to allow easier transfers between light and heavy rail stations. The network covers much of Stuttgart, sprawling out to the neighbouring towns of Remseck am Neckar, Fellbach, Ostfildern, Leinfelden-Echterdingen and Gerlingen. It carried 180m passengers in 2017.
It is operated by Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB), the result of tram company mergers in the early years, and uses 204 LRVs as well as 264 buses and one funicular, a rack tramway line, plus a heritage tramway and a steam-powered miniature railway at Killesberg Park.
Light rail has seen a series of changes over the years, with conversion to electric traction in 1895, the introduction of tunnel sections in the 1960s (first to metro standards, then to tram operation), switching from metre- to
standard-gauge in the 1980s (all to heavy metro standards) with the first standard-gauge lines opening in 1985. Since then, the lines have been upgraded, with the latest works finishing in 2007 and lines continuously being extended further. The current network is all standard-gauge, except for the heritage line which uses a third metre-gauge rail.
A series of unfortunate eventsOne major accident took place on 8 December 1970, while the SSB network was still operating on metre-gauge infrastructure and running on line-of-sight principles; at the time, the 1960s-built tunnels were not yet equipped with a train protection system. One tram was descending a ramp into our first tunnel station, negotiating a right-hand curve before stopping at the platform. It was a double platform, and the approaching tram crashed into the waiting vehicle.
The subsequent investigation resulted in a number of improvements, including the fitting of a metro-style Automatic Train
Safety inStuttgart
reinhold Schröter of Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen talks to TAUT about how serious incidents in previous decades have helped shape the city’s light rail system of today.
above and below: the installation of atP elements and the separation of light rail services from interactions with other road users in Stuttgart has helped to reduce accidents and increase service efficiency.
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Protection (ATP) system in the underground sections. Five years later, this had been installed. However, just weeks before approval was granted for the new system’s use there was another serious accident. On 14 August 1975, a tram began its approach to a 1km straight tunnel at the maximum speed (70km/h - 43mph). The tram was supposed to decelerate at the 50m marker to 25km/h (15.5mph) but experienced a failure in the braking circuit and the driver didn’t manage to operate the auxiliary brakes in time. The tram derailed at the curve, flipping over and killing five people.
Running in a tunnel with barely any light, then a sharp curve with a stop at the end – the similarities to Sandilands are striking: Three tunnel sections creating first dark, then light conditions. If ATP had been operational, this accident would not have taken place.
ATP monitors the vehicle’s speed at a defined point and, if an excess is detected, will activate the emergency brake independently from human action. Subsequently, the approval processes were accelerated and four weeks later the ATP was running.
Such situations are exactly where technical elements from metro and heavy rail can be of real benefit to light rail. ATP, in this case, helps to relieve the driver from a high level of responsibility under certain operational conditions. SSB took this a step further and not only introduced such systems to its tunnel routes, but also used elements of ATP on some of its street sections and segregated alignments. An example of where this has been especially useful in Stuttgart is at a location with a 7% downhill gradient followed by a sharp 50m curve. It can be tricky for a driver to monitor the speed precisely, so at this point we installed a contact telling the tram to brake down to 30km/h (18.6mph). The braking curve and maximum speed of the tram is monitored in the tram, as it is in a train protection system. If driving properly the operator will not notice the system’s presence, but if not, the system will reduce the vehicle’s maximum speed to the top speed permitted. Our network sports even steeper gradients – up to 8.6%. Such sections are likewise equipped with this device.
tunnel sections with steep gradients pose some of the biggest safety challenges – one major incident took place in 1970 before the installation of atP, which could have helped prevent a collision between two trams.
From tramway to light railCollisions between trams are all too common around the world. In order to reduce the potential for collisions at junctions, Stuttgart’s solution was to combine the signalisation of the points with the proceed/approach signal of the traffic junction. It is a simple and effective strategy, but still not 100% failsafe – in a 2002 collision a driver mistook a signal and ran into an LRV coming from the right. Again, SSB turned to the heavier rail disciplines for a more thorough solution. The signalisations of points and adjacent traffic junctions were synchronised, so that a ‘proceed’ signal will be given only to the direction the point is set.
Further, we like to treat our point signalisation as main signals. A special red designation sign, indicating ‘main signal’ as well the ‘name’ of the signal, means ‘do not pass’ whenever the signal is set at ‘danger’. If a vehicle overruns at ‘danger’, the ATP contact will bring it to an immediate halt. Drivers are
now familiar with either situation, following signals or running on line of sight.
Engineering work, blocked lines, and temporary speed restrictions can throw up extra safety considerations. For these, SSB devised warning signals with triangles to indicate any issues ahead, placed at a distance that will allow the driver ample time to react and decelerate accordingly, 50-200m from the hazard. This means the driver always has a clear understanding of what is ahead.
The distance between the warning signal and the actual point where the speed has to be maintained is crucial. For that, we set up some easy-to-check tables.
However, if works are ongoing beyond a sharp corner the tram driver won’t have a chance to see them in time. In that case we announce that the track will be blocked so the driver is ready to stop in time. When the tram arrives at such a situation, someone will then lift the stop signal to allow it to pass safely.
Other features that have helped maintain SSB’s excellent safety record in recent years include infrastructure upgrades to meet modern light rail standards. Since the early 1990s the length of ‘tram’ routes has decreased from 40km (25 miles) to zero (since 2007), while at the same time the total network has increased from 110km (68 miles) to 130km (81 miles). The amount of segregated alignment, tunnels, and grass reservation has also been increased. On-street running is now limited to just 7.8km (4.8 miles). The number of level crossings has also been limited – fewer crossing points means fewer potential interactions with pedestrians and other road users.
These improvements have been borne out in lower incident figures, a decline that directly corresponds with the upgrading of the system – between 1990 and 2007, the total number of accidents almost halved from over 300 to around 180: a clear indication that traffic segregation will improve safety.
A question of responsibilityAlthough in more recent years the overall accident rate has started to climb again, the figures are slightly deceptive. In relation to
Certain sections of track feature a third rail to allow the operation of metre-gauge heritage trams; seen here in the foreground.
Stuttgart
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occur. We are offering a service and so are quite often held responsible for something connected to our service, but which does not lie within our sphere of responsibility.
There is also a real gap between ‘safety delivered’ and ‘safety perceived’: the higher the safety record (which remains very high in tramway and light rail operations), the more people focus on individual incidents. This is something we on the technical side are unable to address – it is something for our PR departments and our marketing teams.
An integrated approachTechnical aspects are just one element of the focus on improved safety, which also require close consideration of the interaction between what is being done at a technical level and the operator running the system.
The regulations governing the SSB are all contained within BOStrab (the German ordinance governing the construction and operation of street railway systems), cf. TAUT October 2010. For an English translation, see www.railforthevalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/BOStrab-EN_Version_2008-05-12.pdf.
BOStrab describes not just separate components, but also focuses on functional interactions. Several elements are regulated twice – for example, platform height and height of the vehicle floor correspond, and so consequently the regulations of platform height and vehicle floor height are dealt with in two corresponding places.
This approach allows us to harmonise the integration of these elements, shaping the respective elements and their interaction in the best possible way to deliver high reliability and safety.
You have to ensure these elements interact properly, and it is rewarding to follow such an integrated approach. It allows us to steer those points which we, as technicians, may influence, and to address others such as road users and the public in terms of proper behaviour at level crossings, and so on.
Education is also at the heart of SSB’s work and recent initiatives have seen incident figures start to drop again. For example, a recent campaign centred on ‘how to behave at a level crossing’ (www.sicherzufuss.de), and a subsequent survey of around 30 000 pedestrians was undertaken to see how this information had been absorbed. Almost everyone knew about the campaign, and although not all of them behaved properly, that is an issue of personal freedom. Ultimately, that is something that neither SSB nor any other operator has much influence over.
above left: the metro-style atP system uses trackside equipment to communicate with vehicles to determine safe operating speeds. above right: Complex junctions that feature curves are often most dangerous scenarios; careful consideration of signal arrangements help to protect all road users, with many ideas carried over from the heavy rail industry.
increases in distance covered and passengers carried – as well in road use in general (with more car drivers and cyclists) – the figures actually show a decrease.
The backbone, the way of thinking, is to see infrastructure and vehicles as technical hardware; meanwhile, the driver’s skills in operating trams and infrastructure, and the regulations, all work together as a system, leading to maximum reliability. Reliability and safety correspond.
The German word for safety – Sicherheit – encompasses not just the safe interaction of technical elements, but also elements of security, avoiding fraudulent use, protecting the system against attacks, and compliance with the rules. So, Sicherheit suggests a multi-level interaction, reflecting the integrated approach of tramway operation.
To check these measurements, SSB uses the ‘Swiss Cheese Model’, devised in 1990 by James Reason of Manchester University. Several elements or safety barriers form in a consecutive line to prevent an incident from causing harm. The first element of this is time separation. A level crossing with no tram on it is, of course, deemed a ‘safe’ situation. If you add two trams each running to a ten-minute headway, they will occupy the crossing for
about one minute, leading to a 1:10 chance of a difficult situation. The remaining 90% of the time, when no trams are approaching the crossing, is completely harmless.
Warning signs, right of way, visibility, vehicle deceleration properties, infrastructure design, the shape of the vehicle, and emergency procedures are all factors that impact on the safety of any potentially dangerous situation. However, we notice some kind of barrier between what we as an industry may influence, and what we cannot.
For instance, the initial event at a pedestrian crossing will put the responsibility on the pedestrian/s to obey the warning signs – will they, or not? If yes, there is no problem. If not, then it is down to the right of way. Will the pedestrians notice that the tram has the right to proceed, and that they have to wait? If not, then for the first time, it is in the driver’s sphere of influence to control the situation. Then deceleration rates, the shape of the vehicle and so on come into play, which puts the responsibility on us as operators. However the initial responsibility for an incident potentially developing into something unsafe is still with others.
Regardless of where responsibility lies, the operator may still be blamed when accidents
Clear signage and signals are a key element of the safety system in Stuttgart.
Reinhold Schröter has been SSB’s bus and light rail operations manager since 2013.
While studying civil engineering at the universities of Vienna and Hannover, he joined Üstra in 1995 as a part-time draughtsman in the LRT division, later becoming its Bus Product Manager. In 2004, Reinhold joined the team of the Schöneiche-Rüdersdorf tramway as local manager and in 2009 he became head of the training and safety department at SSB.
He is a member of several committees of VDV, the German Public transport Association, and has been a member of the LRTA since 1989.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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systems factfileNo.139
Place du Palais stop, part of line A’s east-west coverage of central Bordeaux.
Words and pictures by Neil Pulling.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux was the capital of ‘old’ Aquitaine and became the principal city of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the biggest by area
amongst France’s post-2016 regions. The city-proper (256 045 population in January 2016) is one of 28 communes which have constituted Bordeaux Métropole since 2015.
The city introduced electric tram services in 1900, but the system which covered around 200km (125 miles) in 1946 was closed by 1958. Except for limited trolleybus use by the tramway operator (TEOB) between 1949 and 1954, motor buses prevailed in local public transport. They were supplemented by several stations on lines mainly serving the main station, Bordeaux Saint Jean. Some of these later became suburban interchanges with the modern tramway.
After discounting metro options, the reintroduction of trams in 2003 was under the Métropole predecessor, Communauté Urbaine de Bordeaux,
providing the original Tram et bus de la CUB (TBC) identity. The tramway is now part of Transport Bordeaux Metropole’s (TBM) coverage of around 750 000 inhabitants. The original TBC operators were Connex/Veolia Transport, replaced from May 2009 by Keolis under a contract with TBM until the end of 2022.
Much of the urban area and most of the tramway is on the Garonne’s west bank. The river is the city’s main geographical feature and an historic source of wealth, including its key role as the trading hub for the area’s many vineyards. Of exceptional width by European standards despite being 100km (62 miles) from the sea, the Garonne and the use of its bridges still influence transport and can thus arouse local disputes.
Like similarly-sized Strasbourg and the smaller city of Grenoble with earlier tram projects, Bordeaux adopted the mode and complementary works on an ambitious scale. The aim was to
make the city more appealing, partly to stem central depopulation and deter suburban spread. In its setting, buildings and culture, Bordeaux also had significant tourism potential, but traffic and pervading shabbiness made such factors difficult to appreciate.
The tram project was approved in 1997 and all three present lines became active in 2003-04 covering an approximate 22km (13.8 miles) that link points like the historic centre, Bordeaux Saint Jean, the central Mériadeck shopping complex and university campuses in the south-west. It also became the principal public transport between the Garonne’s east and west banks. With extensions, the system has developed the type of radial configuration more usually associated with first-generation tramways and the convergence of lines A, B and C is arranged as three stops where the intersecting lines have dedicated platforms: Place des Quinconces, Porte de Bourgogne and Hôtel de Ville.
Bordeaux, France
Technical innovation distinguished Bordeaux’s tramway upon opening, although greater significance lies in its rapid growth and contribution to the host city.
Bordeaux
FRANCE
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The main fleet difference is that TBM’s 2.4m-wide, bi-directional Alstom Citadis assembled in La Rochelle are in two lengths. There are 12 five-section 32.9m trams of type 302, with the remainder being seven-section 43.9m 402 variants. Trams are used in single formations. The 302 models were originally for the then-shorter and least busy line C, although such conditions no longer apply. Later 402 vehicles have two rather than one single set of doors in the central module; this version has 288 capacity, 73 seated.
Numbering indicates the build year, albeit with a different notation as the decade changed. The earliest are the 22xx series from 2002, with the newest being 18xx. These are in the current order for 25 which
should be complete during 2019, taking the overall fleet roster to 125. Styling has remained consistent since opening, although with TBM logos replacing TBC. External advertising is confined to tram sides, with some carrying the names of places twinned with the Bordeaux communes.
The three depots, although far apart by track access, are only about 5km (three miles) apart. Connected from a junction near Thiers-Benauge stop, Bastide for line A also originally provided for the other, then much shorter lines. Line B’s Achard was added in 2008 and is the only depot near revenue track. Opened in 2015, La Jallère is located beyond line C’s Parc des Expositions terminus.
THE FLEET
ABOVE: The Girondins monument, with tracks crossing for lines B and C near Quinconces stop, one of the system’s main public transport interchanges.
LEFT: Bassins a Flot dock area seen from La Cite du Vin. Track to the right of 2201 is part of the circuit allowing service to continue if a lock gate is open.
BELOW LEFT: A clear visual beneficiary of ground power supply, Place de la Victoire is however on a line B section prone to service interruptions.
BELOW: Much of the system is in reserved space, although limited vehicle access is allowed on the Rue D’Ornano APS section.
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Bordeaux
ABOVE: Line B’s Achard depot, sited between revenue tracks near Rue Achard stop and the Garonne.
LEFT: A city-bound service leaves the former railway alignment near Cracovie, a stop which was added with the junction for the northern line C arms.
Original system: 1880-1958 (electrified from 1900)
Current system: 2003-
Length: 66.4km (41.5 miles)
approx. weekday hours: 05.00-23.30
Core line frequency: 3-5 minutes
Gauge: 1435mm
Power: 750V dc, overhead and APS ground supply
City network: Transports Bordeaux Métropole – www.infotbm.com
Operator: Keolis Bordeaux Métropole – www.keolis.com
Civic information (city): www.bordeaux.fr
Civic information (metropole): www.bordeaux-metropole.fr
Tourist information: www.bordeaux-tourisme.com
network facts
ABOVE: Initiated by order of Napoleon Bonaparte and completed in 1822, Pont de Pierre is now restricted to use by public transport, emergency vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
ABOVE: A June 2004 opening took line B through the university campus, seen here near Montaigne-Montesquieu.
FAR LEFT: A tram-only viaduct crosses the railway at the south end of Bordeaux Saint Jean station. Line D will add to line C coverage as far as Carle Vernet.
MIDDLE LEFT: The important tram/bus interchange at Buttiniere park and ride, east of the Garonne.
ABOVE LEFT: Le Haillan Rostand terminus on single track at the end of a 2015 line A extension.
BELOW: Citadis 1305 heads to the holding siding at La Cite du Vin on 22 November 2018.
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Non-revenue connections allow stock transfer between the lines.
Incorporating the first section as opened in December 2003, line A is the longest at 24km (15 miles). Coverage east of the Garonne is distinguished by significant gradients, notably up to Buttinière and on the two line A arms beyond there. The system has to date continued the original premise of each line having its own track, thereby containing any disruption to that line. As with line A from the beginning, B and C now each have two branches at one end.
At the time of opening, the feature that set Bordeaux apart was an obligation to have a wire-free capability. It was the first service installation of Alstom’s APS ground-based power supply, totalling around 12km (7.5 miles). Being the pioneer, early problems required remedial works and line B’s Saint Nicolas-Peixotto section has remained particularly troublesome. In March 2018 the operator reported ground-based supply as being ten times less reliable than overhead equipment and that 1200 APS control boxes needed replacement. The positive visual
legacy can best be appreciated within the city’s core, as around the cathedral, Quinconces and along the riverfront quays. Used to cross the Garonne, the 487m Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge) first used in 1822 was a clear APS candidate. Further protection of the bridge came with a trial closure to private vehicles, made permanent in July 2018.
Since 2016 the flamboyant riverside Cité du Vin building has become a showcase for produce associated with Bordeaux. Cité du Vin replaced the name Bassins à Flot at the nearest tramstop, next to the access channels
DEPOT
France Alouette
Kilometres
10 2
B
C
DEPOT
DEPOT
D
A
A
A
A
D
B
B
C
C
C
Gare Pessac Alouette
Hôpital Haut-LévêqueCap Métiers
Châtaigneraie
Bougnard
Camponac Médiathèque
Pessac Centre
Saige
UNITEC
Montaigne Montesquieu
Doyen Brus
François Bordes
Arts et Métiers
Béthanie
Peixotto
Forum
Roustaing
Barrière Saint-Genès
Bergonié
Pyrénées
Aristide Briand
Lycée Václav Havel
Parc de Mussonville
Gare de Bègles
Calais Centujean
Stade Musard
La Belle Rose
Terres Neuves
Carle Vernet
Belcier
Gare Saint-Jean
Tauzia
Sainte-Croix
Saint-Michel
Stalingrad
Jardin Botanique
Thiers - Benauge
Galin
Jean JaurèsCenon Gare
Carnot - Mairie de Cenon
Floirac - Dravemont
La Marègue
Jean Zay La Morlette
Pelletan
Palmer
Buttinière
Iris
Gravière
Bois Fleuri
Lauriers Mairie de Lormont
Carriet
La Gardette - Bassens - Carbon Blanc
Berges de la Garonne
Claveau
Brandenburg
New York
Rue Achard
La Cité du Vin
Les HangarsCours du
Médoc
Chartrons
CAPC (Musée d’Art
Contemporain)
Quinconces
Gare de Blanquefort
Frankton
Gare de Bruges
Ausone
La Vache Les Aubiers
Berges du Lac
Quarante Journaux
Palais de Congrès
Parc des Expositions - Stade Matmut-Atlantique
Cracovie
Place Ravezies - Le Bouscat
Grand Parc
Émile Counord
Camille Godard
Place Paul Doumer
Jardin Public
Gruet
Marie Brizard
Barrière du Médoc
Courbet
Calypso
Mairie du Bouscat
Les ÉcusSainte
Germaine
Hippodrome
Le Sulky
Toulouse Lautrec
PicotEysines - Centre
Les Sources
Cantinolle
Aéroport de Bordeaux - Mérignac
Le Hailland - Rostan
Les Pins
Frères Robinson
Hôtel de Ville Mérignac
Pin Galant
Mérignac Centre
Lycées de Mérignac Quatre
Chemins
Pierre Mendès-
France
Alfred de Vigny
Fontaine d’Arlac
Peychotte
François Mitterrand
Saint-Augustin
Hôpital Pellegrin
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Gaviniès
Hôtel de Police
Saint-Bruno - Hôtel de Région
Mériadeck
Palais de
Justice
Hôtel de Ville
Saint-Nicolas
Victoire
Porte de Bourgogne
Place de la Bourse
Sainte-Catherine
Place du Palais
Grand Théâtre
Gambetta
Musée d’Aquitaine
La Garonne
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Bordeaux
for the eponymous dock. Tracks around both ends of the lock chambers enable continuation of services should either end be barred by ship movements, also important due to Achard depot being north of the locks.
System growth has brought a more complex service, including some single-track working. Despite the branches and services terminating at intermediate points, the same designation applies throughout for a given line. This gives timetabled peaks of three minutes on core sections with capacious trams, yet extreme crowding is still evident. In 2017 TBM reported that tramway traffic increased by more than 21% over
and the person most attributed with the city renaissance for which the tramway has proven fundamental.
The new line D is scheduled for a 2019 opening and will introduce track-sharing for the first time. It will use an initial 9.8km (6.1 miles) of new route north-west from Quinconces, then extend south through the city to Carl Vernet; this will bring much-needed extra coverage of Bordeaux Saint Jean. Demand will further increase in this area due to the Bordeaux-Euratlantique development, anticipated to add 40 000 extra residents and 30 000 new workplaces.
A 4.7 km (2.9-mile) extension is projected take trams to Bordeaux’s airport by 2021. This will extend from line A between Quatre Chemins and Lycées de Mérignac, the latter currently the recommended bus/tram transfer for airport users. With the many services routed through Quinconces and limited coverage east of the river, another scheme is for a more northerly Garonne crossing using a lifting bridge opened in 2013. That bridge is now named after Jacques Chaban-Delmas, the Bordeaux major who promoted the original tramway’s closure.
ABOVE: During the 22 November 2018 evening peak at Stalingrad, an APS/overhead changeover point just east of the Garonne. Tram 1830 (left) entered service that September.
BELOW: Railway alignment created the Blanquefort extension. SNCF trains use the track to the right as viewed from Ausone stop.
local travel: In print, at stops and online, Bordeaux provides the breadth of information that characterises French public transport. Staffed TBM information points include Quinconces, Buttinière and Bordeaux Saint Jean.
Single journey tickets (one-hour duration) with transfers cost EUR1.70 (two for EUR3.10). Day tickets are EUR4.70, with a seven-day pass costing EUR13.70. Journey durations are determined from initial onboard validation. A City Pass (24/48/72-hour, from EUR29) adds tourist attractions. What is there to see? Much of the historic and commercial centre is within the area contained by the crossings of lines A, B and C.
The 2007 UNESCO World Heritage site listing is ‘Bordeaux, Port de la lune’ in reference to the crescent-shaped Garonne curve north of Pont de Pierre. Points of interest are scattered along the western bank. The widely-available ‘Le Map Bordeaux’ and TBM’s own ‘Tourist Map’ places attractions in the network context. The Bat3 ferries (included in day tickets) offer distinctive views. Many wine-related tours originate in Bordeaux.
ESSENTIAL FACTS
two years. With finite capacity and service saturation, TBM has initiated a campaign to influence user behaviour that includes encouraging passengers to move away from doors and giving up folding seats for better use of space.
In 2017 trams carried 65% of TBM passengers. Its buses are grouped according to service level, with ‘Lianes’ (1-16) most approximating to tram frequencies. Added to the network in 2013, ‘Bat3’ foot ferries link five points either side of the Garonne; TBM also has an extensive cycle hire operation. There are also 25 park-and-ride sites – some very close to the city centre – where charges include public transport use.
Line C accounts for most of the recent route growth. Bordeaux’s exhibition centre and new football stadium were linked to the system in January 2015. Once identified as the Médoc tram-train project, the more westerly line C arm between a new stop at the junction, Cracovie, and Blanquefort opened in December 2016. At 7.2km (4.5 miles), this is the longest single extension to date and uses a combination of abandoned railway alignment and dedicated mainly single-track on a shared route. Train to tram transfers are possible at Gare de Blanquefort and Gare de Bruges. In February 2019, 1.4km (0.9 miles) and two new stops were added to line C’s southern end, opened by Alain Juppé, President of Bordeaux Métropole
ABOVE LEFT: Gare de Blanquefort handles SNCF train and line C tram services.
ABOVE MIDDLE: The extension south of Lycee Vaclav Havel in November 2018.
ABOVE RIGHT: Citadis 2210 near Quinconces Fleuve. Not on system maps, platforms here were built for use by short workings, event traffic or if needed during disruptions.
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systems factfileNo.139
Place du Palais stop, part of line A’s east-west coverage of central Bordeaux.
Words and pictures by Neil Pulling.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux was the capital of ‘old’ Aquitaine and became the principal city of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the biggest by area
amongst France’s post-2016 regions. The city-proper (256 045 population in January 2016) is one of 28 communes which have constituted Bordeaux Métropole since 2015.
The city introduced electric tram services in 1900, but the system which covered around 200km (125 miles) in 1946 was closed by 1958. Except for limited trolleybus use by the tramway operator (TEOB) between 1949 and 1954, motor buses prevailed in local public transport. They were supplemented by several stations on lines mainly serving the main station, Bordeaux Saint Jean. Some of these later became suburban interchanges with the modern tramway.
After discounting metro options, the reintroduction of trams in 2003 was under the Métropole predecessor, Communauté Urbaine de Bordeaux,
providing the original Tram et bus de la CUB (TBC) identity. The tramway is now part of Transport Bordeaux Metropole’s (TBM) coverage of around 750 000 inhabitants. The original TBC operators were Connex/Veolia Transport, replaced from May 2009 by Keolis under a contract with TBM until the end of 2022.
Much of the urban area and most of the tramway is on the Garonne’s west bank. The river is the city’s main geographical feature and an historic source of wealth, including its key role as the trading hub for the area’s many vineyards. Of exceptional width by European standards despite being 100km (62 miles) from the sea, the Garonne and the use of its bridges still influence transport and can thus arouse local disputes.
Like similarly-sized Strasbourg and the smaller city of Grenoble with earlier tram projects, Bordeaux adopted the mode and complementary works on an ambitious scale. The aim was to
make the city more appealing, partly to stem central depopulation and deter suburban spread. In its setting, buildings and culture, Bordeaux also had significant tourism potential, but traffic and pervading shabbiness made such factors difficult to appreciate.
The tram project was approved in 1997 and all three present lines became active in 2003-04 covering an approximate 22km (13.8 miles) that link points like the historic centre, Bordeaux Saint Jean, the central Mériadeck shopping complex and university campuses in the south-west. It also became the principal public transport between the Garonne’s east and west banks. With extensions, the system has developed the type of radial configuration more usually associated with first-generation tramways and the convergence of lines A, B and C is arranged as three stops where the intersecting lines have dedicated platforms: Place des Quinconces, Porte de Bourgogne and Hôtel de Ville.
Bordeaux, France
Technical innovation distinguished Bordeaux’s tramway upon opening, although greater significance lies in its rapid growth and contribution to the host city.
Bordeaux
FRANCE
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AUSTRALIABALLARAT. Ex-Melbourne W3 661 was decorated as the floral tram for the 2019 Begonia Festival (9-11 March), recreating a 1930s tradition. Unfortunately it was withdrawn on the second day due to a road traffic accident. P. NicholsonMELBOURNE. The federal and state governments have agreed a joint contribution of AUD10bn (EUR6.3bn) to finance the Melbourne Airport rail link as a 27km (17-mile) branch from Sunshine. P. NicholsonNEWCASTLE. The new tramline carried 108 000 passengers in the first month of passenger service, double pre-opening forecasts.SYDNEY. The NSW Government has confirmed that it hopes to inaugurate tramway operation between Circular Quay and Randwick in December, with the Kingsford branch following in March 2020. Driver training is to start in June. Sydney Morning Herald
AUSTRIAGRAZ. The tram fleet at 1 January consisted of cars 201-45 (Stadler 2009-15), 501-10 (SGP 1978), 601-12 (SGP 1986-87) and 651-668 (Bombardier 2000-01); 501-10 are being refurbished for a further ten years’ service. EBSALZBURG. Federal government, Land and city officials signed a letter of intent on 25 March to extend and upgrade the Lokalbahn . An extension is planned from Salzburg Hbf south – Mirabellplatz; further stages would see the route upgraded to permit higher frequencies and improve reliability. It is hoped to secure funding to begin construction in 2020.
Former Lokalbahn and Salzburg AG Director Gunter Mackinger was presented with the Golden Seal of the City of Salzburg by Bürgermeister Harry Preunder on 1 March, in recognition of his service to local passenger transport.
ET47 (SGP/AEG 1986) is the first of three more Lokalbahn articulated cars to be rebuilt as eight-axle cars with a low-floor centre section by Inekon/KOS in Krnov. ET49 will follow.WIEN (Vienna). Work has started on the extension of line D to Gudrunstrasse, to open in September.
Withdrawn at the end of 2018 were E1 4509 and 4791 plus c4 trailers 1308/15, leaving 34 E1 and 30 c4 cars in the fleet. EB
BELARUSM I N S K . P l a n s h a v e b e e n announced for a light rail line
linking the Sukharevo district and Kalvariiskya Ulitsa, near Molodezhnaya metro station.
Stadler has unveiled the first four-car train of a batch of ten it is building for line 3. traminfo.pl
BELGIUMANTWERPEN. De Lijn has announced that 22 new CAF low-floor double-ended trams will be delivered in 2023 to operate line 12 and provide greater flexibility on the network.
The system is already taking 23 single-ended cars from CAF, arriving from 2022, as part of the framework contract signed in October 2017 for up to 146 trams. Each 31.4m low-floor tram will replace two PCC cars, providing 54 fixed and 22 folding seats and room for 126 standing passengers, with the capability of running in multiple units. T-2000BRUXELLES/BRUSSEL. New plans have been published for the arrangement of station and tracks around Midi/Constitution when the north-south subway is converted from tram to metro operation. The existing Lemonnier station will be replaced by the new ‘Constitution’ station under Ave de Stalingrad. The Lemonnier station under Blvd du Midi will be retained, as will the four-track tram subway leading to Midi. A new tramline will be built along Rue de l’Argonne to link Avenue Fonsy and Blvd Jamar. Avenue du Roi depot is being modified to accept low-floor trams, the last STIB depot to be rebuilt for this.
Bourse metro station was renamed Bourse – Grand-Place on 7 February.
The first M7 metro train was unveiled at CAF’s facility in Beasain, Spain, in March. The 43 six-car trains will enter service on lines 1 and 5 in 2020. T-2000GENT. The Flemish Minister of Mobility, Ben Weyts, has declared that he is in favour of a new 6.7km (4.2-mile) tramway between St-Pietersstation and Dampoort rather than Bus Rapid Transit, recreating the former line 7, but elections on 26 May will clarify the chances for the project. T-2000HAN-SUR-LESSE. AR159 has returned from rebuilding in Liege as an autorail électrique, leaving just ART 90 AR1 68 diesel powered. T-2000
BRAZILINDUSTRY. Bus manufacturer M a r c o p o l o d i s p l a y e d a prototype lightweight driverless peoplemover at the NTExpo trade fair in São Paulo on 19 March. The two-car vehicle, which uses
Aeromovel traction equipment, was originally designed for a project in Canoas that required six vehicles, but that is currently on hold due to disputes within the city government. RGI
BULGARIASOFIA. A further ten three-car Siemens Inspiro metro trains have been ordered for line 3, adding to the 20 being delivered. The line should open later this year. IRJ
CANADAMISSISSAUGA. Metrolinx is aiming to reduce the cost of the planned Hurontario light rail project by cutting out the city centre loop, eliminating three stops, removing plans for a pedestrian bridge at the Cooksville stop, and changes to urban realm improvements along the corridor. The line is planned for 2022, but 2023 is more likely. P. WebbMONTRÉAL. The design for the Alstom Metropolis destined for the Réseau Express Métropolitain metro was on 29 March; 106 two-car trains are to be delivered by the Alstom-led Groupe PMM consortium. The 67km (42-mile) light metro will be one of the w o r l d ’s l a r g e s t a u t o m a t e d transport networks when it is complete, connecting the south shore suburbs in the east with the city and having western branches to the airport, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Deux-Montagnes. Opening of the first section is planned for mid-2021. RGIOTTAWA. The CAD4.66bn (EUR3.1bn) contracts for the Stage 2 light rail expansion were formally approved by the city council on 6 March. Alstom will supply an additional 38 Citadis Sprint LRVs for the east-west Confederation line, while a new batch of Stadler Flirt diesel LRVs will be ordered for the Trillium line. The province is contributing C A D 1 . 2 b n ( E U R 8 0 1 . 8 m ) , matching the federal contribution.
The Rideau Transit Group missed the 31 March deadline for handing over Confederation line Stage 1, the third deadline missed by the consortium. No new date has been set, but the end of June seems likely. Ottawa CitizenTORONTO. TTC Flexity deliveries from Bombardier Thunder Bay reached 4535 by the end of March. Metrolinx took delivery of three LRVs by the end of February (this should have been 1 February).VANCOUVER. TransLink has issued a request for qualification for contractors to design, build and finance the SkyTrain Broadway subway (5.6km/3.5 miles from VCC-Clark to Arbutus St). Work is expected to finish in 2025. I. FisherWATERLOO-KITCHENER. An announcement about the opening date for the 19km (11.8-mile) ION light rail service was expected in early April. All 14 Bombardier Flexity Freedom were on test in late February, but modifications were in progress pending acceptance.
CHILES A N T I A G O . T h e 2 1 . 7 k m (13.5-mile) metro line 3 from Los Libertadores to Fernando Castillo Velasco opened on 22 January; CAF has supplied 22 trains equipped with ATO. IRJ
CHINAHOHHOT. CRRC Changke is delivering six-car trains for the 23.1km (14.4-mile) metro, expected to open in December. BSTIANJIN. Tenders have been invited for 19 six-car metro trains for the extension of line 4, and 22 six-car trains for the first phase of line 10, opening in June 2021. IRJWENZHOU. Metro operation started on 23 January on a 34.4km (21.4-mile) line from Tongling to Olympic Center. BS
CZECH REPUBLICLIBEREC. Ex-Olomouc T3 trams 169/79, built in 1987, have joined the fleet as 14/15. Three
Worldwide Review
190 / MAy 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org
An artist’s impression of the new Alstom rolling stock for Montreal’s Réseau Express Métropolitain automated light metro. Alstom
more (Olomouc 180/1/4) will follow. BS
DENMARKODENSE. The opening of the city’s 14.4km (nine-mile) tramway has been delayed until the third quarter of 2021 due to planning issues in the city centre. Bytrafik
EGYPTISKANDARIYAH (Alexandria). The first Tatra-Yug K1E6A tram carried passengers for the first time on 18 March; 15 trams of this type are being delivered. traminfo.pl
FRANCEANGERS. On 11 March the city council awarded the operating contract for the city’s Irigo tram and bus network to RATP Dev, taking over from incumbent Keolis on 1 July and running until 30 June 2025. A second tramline is under construction and expected to open in 2022. IRJCAEN. The first trials on new track in the city centre (Place de la Résistance) took place on 19 March; a dummy service should be operational by the end of May. There was an open day at the depot and workshop on 24 March. Ouest-FranceNANTES. The 12 CAF-built low-floor trams returned to service from 4 March following software upgrades to address an intermittent braking issue. T-2000TOURS. Tramline A is to be extended from Vaucanson to the airport, and construction of a second line (14.7km/9.1 miles, La Riche – Chambray-les-Tours) is planned to open in 2025. TR
GERMANYAUGSBURG. Plans are being developed for a new tram fleet, consisting of 21 low-floor cars with an option for a further six. BSBERLIN. Plans have been revealed for the new north-south S-Bahn, due to link Wedding/Westhafen stations via a triangular junction with an underground station at Hbf. A second stage will run 1.2km (0.75 miles) further south to link with the existing line north of Potsdamer Platz. A third stage will extend the line by 2.1km (1.3 miles) to Yorckstrasse, avoiding Anhalter Bhf. At present finance is only confirmed for stage 1. BSBRANDENBURG. The first MGT6D tram to receive a mid-life overhaul, tram 100 of 1995 with 1.6m km (approximately 1m miles) under its wheels, returned to service on 22 March painted in an advertising livery for Brandenburger Bank. DSC H E M N I T Z . D u e t o s t a f f shortages, the 4 March timetable
change saw lines 1 and 2 cut back to Zentralhaltestelle, saving one tram and five driver duties. FreiePresseCOTTBUS. An open day at Schmellwitz depot is scheduled for 18 May, 10.00-17.00, with historic trams providing a link to the Parkeisenbahn in Sandow. BSDÜSSELDORF. The city council has given the green light for new line U81 linking Freiligrathplatz and Flughafen by 2024.
A solution to the problem with the new HF6 trams has been identified with manufacturer Bombardier. It is expected that the first ten will enter service in late summer. BSFRANKFURT-AM-MAIN. It has been revealed that the extension of line U5 to Europaviertel will cost three times as much as was planned (EUR373m) and will not be ready to open until 2024.
The Stadtbahn line between Hbf and Heddernheim will be closed for renovation work for six weeks from 1 July: U1 and U8 will be withdrawn, U2 will be operated between Riedwiese and Nieder-Eschbach, U3 between Oberursel and Ginnheim and U9 between Ginnheim and Gonzenheim. A five-minute service of articulated buses will take passengers to and from the city centre.HALLE. The timetable change in May is expected to see the end of operation with Tatra trams; the weekend will be marked by a celebration of 50 years of Tatra trams in the city. BSHAMBURG. The 100th DT5 U-Bahn set (400) entered service on 26 February after a short ceremony at Barmbeck workshops. BSKARLSRUHE. Dual-voltage tram 808 is being used by Thales as a testbed for autonomous operation, initially aimed at automating depot shunting operations.
Tullstrasse depot’s 1913 hall will be open for visits to the museum tram fleet on every other Sunday from 14 April to 13 October. Eight tracks accommodate 23 preserved trams. IRJ, BSJENA. The city council has narrowly approved a proposal for a cost-benefit analysis for the restoration of tram service to Jena-Ost and extension to Himmelreich. DSKIEL. Despite a tram-train scheme being rejected in 2015, the city council has now come up with plans for a city tramway aimed at reducing pollution. The aim is to start construction in 2023. The original 1100mm-gauge system was closed in 1985. Tram für KielKÖLN (Cologne). The 24th rebuilt Stadtbahn-B will be 2408, originally 2108. Already in the workshops are 2401/11/3/8
( e x - 2 1 0 1 / 1 1 / 1 3 / 9 2 ) . T h e programme will be brought to a close once the 28th car is rebuilt. DSLEIPZIG. On 15 February Land Sachsen announced a EUR13.4m grant towards buying a further 20 Solaris XL trams (1042-61).On 19 May the tramway museum re-opened at its new location, the former Wittenberger Strasse depot on line 9. BSM A N N H E I M ( R N V ) . O n 15 January revised plans for the new Škoda trams were unveiled with two sets of interior steps replaced by ramps and a revised interior design. The tram station at Hbf is to be rebuilt in 2021-24 with four instead of three tracks and 70m platforms. BSNÜRNBERG. From 7 January to the end of July the section of line 5 between Mögeldorf and Tiergarten is serviced by buses to permit the turning circle and overhead to be rebuilt. An order has been placed with Siemens for seven more four-car U-Bahn trains, bringing the total order to 34. BSSTUTTGART. SSB has said it wants to buy 120 new tram sets by the end of 2028. VVS has agreed to convert the former rail line Ludwigsburg – Möglingen – Markgöningen to a new Stadtbahn by 2025. A second stage will run from Bhf Ludwigsburg to Remseck-Pattonville via Oststadt and Grünbuhl. BSWIESBADEN. The route for the planned Citybahn in the central area will be on the surface from Hbf to Rhein-Main-Hallen, Ringkirche and Hochschule RheinMain. It is hoped to operate the line without overhead current collection by using batteries and supercapacitors. Two protest groups have formed to fight the proposals. BS
GREECEATHINA (Athens). The 7.6km (4.7 miles) extension of metro line 3 from Aghia Marina to Piraeus is due to open in June. The next extension to t he city’s municipal theatre will be delivered in two years. DS
INDIAAGRA. A two-line 29.4km (18.3-mile) metro project has been approved by the Indian Government for completion within five years at a cost of IRR83.8bn (EUR55.6bn). RGIAHMEDABAD. On 4 March Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first 6.5km (four-mile) section of metro between Vastral and Apparel Park. Hyundai Rotem is supplying 32 three-car trains. urbanrail.netBENGALURU (Bangalore). Seven six-car metro trains have been ordered from BEML in a contract worth IRR4bn (EUR84 517). IRJDELHI. Two metro extensions were opened on 8 March: the Blue line continues 6.6km (4.1 miles) from Noida City Centre to Noida Electronic City, and the 1676mm-gauge Red Line (9.4km/5.8 miles from Dilshad Garden to New Bus Adda). urbanrail.netHYDERABAD. The western section of metro line 3, from Ameerpet to Hitech City, was opened by the state governor on 20 March. RGILUCKNOW. The 23km (14.3-mile) Phase 1 of the metro was completed on 8 March when the existing 8.5km (5.3-mile) line was extended 2.6km (1.6 miles) south to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and 12.6km (7.8 miles) north to Munshipulia; 20 four-car standard-gauge 25kV ac Alstom Metropolis trains are in service. RGIM U M B A I . T h e 1 1 . 3 k m (seven-mile) extension of the first monorail line, from Wadala to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk, was opened on 3 March. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority took over the line from the LTSE PPP concessionaire in December 2018. RGINAVI MUMBAI. CSR Zhuzhou is delivering eight three-car trains for the 23.4km (14.5-mile) metro line under construction for completion in 2020. IRJ
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The new Caen tramway has reached the Place de la Résistance in the city on trials of its Alstom Citadis. Caen La Mer
N A G P U R . L i m i t e d m e t r o operation started on 8 March o n t h e 1 3 . 5 k m ( 8 . 4 - m i l e ) north-south metro line from Sitabuldi to Khapri. urbanrail.net
INDONESIAJAKARTA. The first metro line opened on 24 March, though passengers had been riding the line on a trial basis since 12 March. The 15.7km (9.8-mile) line connects the city centre with Lebak Bulus in the southern suburbs. Nippon Sharyo is delivering 16 six-car trains. An 8.7km (5.4-mile) northern extension is under construction. RGI
IRELANDDUBLIN. A reprieve has been won for the southern section of Dublin’s Luas Green line, which had been planned to be converted to metro.
The shift has followed public consultation on the intended route for the planned MetroLink scheme, a revived and modified version of the former Metro North/Metro South projects. Rather than taking over the Green line formation between the southern terminus at Sandyford and Charlemont, the new line is now to terminate at Charlemont where interchange will be offered between the two modes. MetroLink’s tunnelled section will run as far as Ranelagh. Public consultation on the planned new route is to take place until May.
Red line tram 3005 was derailed in a collision with a bus on Queen Street on 16 March. Trams were unable to reach The Point or Connolly for much of the day, with services terminating at Museum. Nine people, including four ticket inspection staff, were injured.
ISLE OF MAND O U G L A S . A p l a n n i n g application has been submitted for a temporary marquee on the former Summerland site to provide a depot for six horse trams. It follows demolition of
the Strathallan depot, prior to construction of a new depot on the same site. Although the tramway is due to partly re-open on 25 April, this is dependent on progress on reconstruction of the Promenade.SNAEFELL. GPS data suggests tram 2 reached around 71km/h (44mph) in the runaway incident of 4 August 2017, 48km/h (30mph) more than the line speed. The tram had 50 people onboard at the time, including two crew members. Nobody was injured in the incident, which led the tram to run away for approximately 1.4km (0.9 miles) and has led to moves to fit Snaefell vehicles with new ‘fail-to-safe’ brakes.
The information is included in the Health and Safety Investigation Report, which has been released as a result of a Freedom of Information request made by Isle of Man newspapers.
ITALYB O L Z A N O . A c o n s o r t i u m including Italian construction company Salcef, French operator RATP Dev and Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF has p r e s e n t e d p r o p o s a l s f o r a PPP to take on the design, construction, equipment and operation of the new 13.7km (8.5-mile) two-line tramway. The anticipated cost of EUR245m, would be financed 51% by the consortium and 49% by the public sector (through a combination of state, provincial, municipal and European Union contributions). La Volce Di Bolzano, TRMESSINA. Tram service continues to operate Monday-Saturday (excluding public holidays), but only eight of the 15 Alstom Cityway trams are serviceable due to a decision not to order spare parts. TR
JAPANTOKYO. The Setagaya tramline w i l l b e c o m e t h e f i r s t i n Japan powered by renewable
hydroelectric and geothermal power from Tohoku Electric. The 1372mm-gauge l ine is electrified at 600V dc and consumes 2.16MkWh each year.
The Ueno Zoo monorail will close in October due to a lack of finance to refurbish the 2001 rolling stock. BS
KAZAKHSTANASTANA. The capital city, which is planning a new tramway system, has been renamed Nursultan, in honour of retiring President Nursultan Nazaebayev. Daily Telegraph
KENYANAIROBI. During a visit by French President Macron on 13 March a partnership was announced to complete an airport rail link by 2021. IRJ
MEXICOGUADALAJARA. Opening of light rail line 3, which is entirely grade separated, is now targeted for January 2020. El Informador
NETHERLANDSAMSTERDAM. Plans are being developed for a new tram depot in the eastern suburbs: the terminus of lines 7 and 14 at Flevopark is one site option, or the loop next to the A10 motorway slip road, or on Strandeiland. de BrugDEN HAAG. A dummy service from Javaplein to Lansingerland i n Z o e t e r m e e r s t a r t e d o n 20 March. digitaletram.nlUTRECHT. At 10.45 on 18 March a gunman opened fire onboard a sneltram (5011+5014) shortly after departure from Centraal Station. Three people were killed in the attack, with a fourth succumbing to injuries ten days later. The tramset halted at 24 Oktoberplein as police attended, and SUN service was suspended for the rest of the day. De Telegraaf
NORWAYOSLO. From 7 January there is no T-Bane service after 21.00 between Majorstuen and Stortinget to permit track renewal. A supplementary tram service 15 Majorstuen – Frogner – Jernbanetorget was introduced to carry displaced passengers. BS
PHILIPPINESMANILA. The ground-breaking ceremony for the first underground metro took place on 27 February. The 36km (22-mile) north-south line will link Quirino Highway in Quezon City with FTI in T a g u i g C i t y v i a A q u i n o International Airport from 2025. The design-build contract was
signed with Japanese companies in January and the Japan International Co-operation Agency is providing finance of PHP365bn (EUR6.2bn). RGI
POLANDGORZÓW WIELKOPOLSKI. The first of 14 new Pesa Twist trams, 001, was delivered in April. It is hoped the system will be carrying passengers again in September, after two years of closure. transport-publiczny.plŁÓDŹ. When interurban tram service 43 was withdrawn in February, city tramline 7 was split into 7A (Koziny) and 7B (Zdrowie); second-hand Duewag cars can be seen on these services. The tracks between Zdrowie and Brus depot (home to the museum fleet) are still being maintained.
The city is planning to rebuild 11km (6.8 miles) of tracks in 2019-20 and modernise Chocianowice depot. A tender is being prepared for 30 new trams.
M. J. Russell, traminfo.plWARSZAWA. Although its initial objections to the award of a 213-tram order to Hyundai Rotem were overruled by The National Chamber of Appeal on 27 March; a new appeal has been raised by Pesa. traminfo.plWROCŁAW. The city is working with the Association of Polish Architects on a competition for ideas for the design of the new tramway depot to cater for expansion. transport-publiczny.pl
PORTUGALLISBOA. P u bl ic t r a n s p or t operator Carris has announced a tender for 15 new low-floor trams.
The new low-floor vehicles are required for the line 15 extension to Cruz Quebrada, Santa Apolónia and Parque das Nações and will be funded by EUR45m from the Lisbon Chamber. They will be Lisboa’s first new trams since 1995.
Monday 1 April saw the introduction of new monthly passes. Navegante Metropolitano costs EUR40 and covers all regular public transport in 18 municipalities; Navegante M u n i c i p a l c o v e r s j u s t t h e Lisboa city area and costs EUR30. A single tram ride costs EUR3 from the driver or EUR1.35 with a Zapping smartcard. BS
ROMANIABUCUREȘTI. Tenders have been invited for the construction of the southern section of metro line M6 from a junction with line M4 at 1 Mai to Tokyo.R EȘ IȚA . T r a m s c o u l d b e returning to this city of 73 000 in western Romania; the city had one of the new systems built
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The Japanese city of Okayama has redesigned its four-axle articulated tram 1081 in the image of the children’s TV programme Chuggington, and offers group rides. It even has its own fan club. Okayama Electric Tramway
in the Ceauşescu era, but this closed in 2011. Now the mayor is p l a n n i n g t o r e - i n t r o d u c e trams on a 10km (6.2-mile) north-south line with the help o f E U f u n d i n g ( E U R 4 0 m ) . Tenders for 13 double-ended 18m cars are included in the Ministry of Regional Development initiative currently underway. SV
RUSSIAK A Z A N . L o w - f l o o r Belkommunmash BKM84300 articulated tram 1302 (delivered 2013) was burnt out following a fire in Prospekt Yamasheva on 18 March. transphoto.ruKURSK. Two-axle works car GS-5 has been converted into a replica of one of the Belgian trams that opened the system to support celebrations of 120 years of tramway operation, and numbered C-4. transphoto.ruVOLGOGRAD. Tram 5834, built in 1984 and the only double-ended Tatra KT8 in Russia, which was tested in Moskva in the early 1990s before being operated in Volgograd, is being returned to the capital for preservation. This tram started life as a Tatra demonstrator in Praha as 0018. N. Semyonov
SPAINBARCELONA. Tenders have been invited for 42 five-car metro trains to replace stock from the late 1980s on lines 1 and 3; 18 will be standard-gauge with 24 being 1668mm gauge.
Provençana station on metro line 10S was opened on 2 March. IRJ, R. FelskiBENIDORM – DÉNIA. The first two of six electro-diesel tram-trains for the 50.8km (31.6-mile) line have been delivered by Stadler; the remaining four will be delivered throughout the course of the year.
FGV has launched tenders for the remodelling of platforms and stops to allow greater accessibility on line 9 (Benidorm – Dénia) and line 1 (Benidorm – Alicante); the works are estimated to take 15 months from contract signature, to a value of EUR17.15m.
ArcelorMittal has been awarded a EUR1.19m contract for new rail to be laid between Teulada and Dénia. TR
SRI LANKACOLOMBO. An agreement has been signed with the Japan International Co-operation Agency for a 40-year JPY30bn (EUR239.7m) loan to finance the planned 15.7km (9.8-mile) light rail line in the country’s largest city. The latest estimate for completion is 2026. RGI
SWITZERLANDAARAU (AVA). Stadler has delivered ABe4/12 70-74, 60m three-section cars, and there was a p u b l i c p r e s e n t a t i o n a t Schöftland on 18 May. EABASEL. Plans published for the development of the tramway up to 2040 include new tracks along Claragraben (line 8), Petersgraben (line 16) and through Klybeck (line 14), line 14 will run to Kleinhüningen and line 16 to Bahnhof St Johann. BSN E U C H Â T E L ( T N ) . Ex-Trognerbahn Be4/8 31 and 32 were delivered to Neuchâtel in April after refurbishment by Stadler at Kreuzlingen. They will not enter regular service until all five cars have been delivered and commissioned this summer. EAZ Ü R I C H . A n e m e r g e n c y timetable on lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13 and 17 was introduced from 22 March after an incident involving a broken articulation rod on a Cobra tram. These are now limited to 42km/h (29mph) on the main running lines and 12km/h (7.5mph) at pointwork. DS
TURKEYESKIŞEHIR. The 3km (1.86-mile) eastern extension of the tramway from Açelya to Sehir Hastanesi was opened on 10 March, bringing the system to 48km (30 miles). RGIISTANBUL. The f irst test run of Istanbul’s future 10km (6.2-mile) line T5 took place on 1 9 M a r c h . B u r s a - b a s e d manufacturer Durmazlar is building 30 trams that will feature Alstom’s APS surface current collection system for the 14-stop line from Eminönü to Alibeyköy Cep Otogari that is due to open in June 2020.
The first test run on automated metro line M7 (24.5km/15 miles Kabatas – Mahmutbey) took place on 19 March; Hyundai Rotem is supplying 95 four-car trains.
The Marmaray commuter rail project was completed with the opening of stage 2 on 12 March. Service now runs over 76.6km (47.6 miles) of line from Halkali on the European side to Gebze on the Asian side. Hyundai Rotem has supplied 88 five-car EMUs assembled in Turkey by TÜVASAŞ. RGI
UNITED ARAB EMIRATESDUBAI. Serco has been awarded a two-year AED680m (EUR165.5m) extension of its contract to operate and maintain the Dubai Metro until September 2021. It has operated Dubai’s two metro lines since their openings in 2009 and 2011, with engineering and maintenance responsibilities from 2012, also operating the Al
Sufouh tramway that opened in 2014.
UNITED KINGDOMBATH/BRISTOL. Funding worth GBP1.95m (EUR2.27m) has been secured from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) for a study into mass transit for Bristol that would include a line to Bath. A further GBP450 000 (EUR525 000) has been secured from WECA to investigate mass transit in Bath.
LRTA Campaigns Group Chair Jim Harkins said that “this grant is the first step towards achieving what others on the continent take for granted.”GREATER MANCHESTER. Tram 3006 has become the first Bombardier M5000 to amass one million km in service. The tram was one of the first to be brought into use in February 2010.
A special event for transport and business leaders has been held to view progress on Metrolink’s GBP350m (EUR408m) Trafford Park line. Platforms and shelters have been installed at five of the 5.5km (3.4-mile) line’s six stops, with the final platform due to be lifted into place near EventCity in April. Contractor MPact-Thales has laid around 60% of the track.
The project is being funded by Greater Manchester’s Devolution Deal, signed by the city-region’s leaders in 2014. Trafford Council is providing GBP20m (EUR23.3m).
E r e c t i o n o f t h e s t e e l superstructure for Ashton’s new transport interchange has been completed. The new GBP32.7m (EUR38m) facility is due to open in spring 2020.LONDON (UNDERGROUND). The first section of the network, between Hammersmith and Latimer Road, was switched over to a Thales signalling system on 17 March. The Thales SelTrac IS Radio CBTC system is to be installed on the Circle,
District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines under Transport for London’s Four Lines Modernisation programme.
T h e r o l l i n g s t o c k a n d infrastructure renewal scheme is planned for completion in 2023, with the resignalling element intended to support an increase from a maximum of 28 to 32 trains/hour from 2021.
Transport for London has issued a Prior Information Notice in its search for new solutions to prevent suicides on its rail networks. The notice seeks to engage the industry in defining the design and procurement of a ‘totally new and innovative solution’; including infrastructure modifications or engagement and training tools for staff and passengers.L O N D O N ( C R O S S R A I L ) . Transport for London has completed the sale and return lease of its Bombardier Class 345 EMUs for the Elizabeth line with the 345 Rail Leasing consortium of Equitix Investment Management, NatWest and SMBC Leasing.
The 20-year deal will release G B P 1 b n ( E U R 1 . 1 6 b n ) f o r reinvestment in the city’s transport network, including the new Underground trains for the Piccadilly line that are being supplied by Siemens. These are planned to enter service in 2023.
TfL retains an option to purchase the Class 345 stock at the end of the term; 57 of the 70 nine-car units have been delivered.NOTTINGHAM. Local supplier Robin Hood Energy has won a contract to supply 100% green electricity to power the tram network from 1 April.SOUTH YORKSHIRE. Two Citylink tram-train sections damaged in separate accidents at Woodbourn Road in October and November have been returned to Stadler for repair. They will be numbered 399 204. The two
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The Ukrainian city of Zaprozhye is putting seven ex-Berlin 1982 Tatra KT4D trams into service after refurbishment and repainting. S. Dovgal
undamaged sections joined as 399 202 will continue as such.
Track replacement is to take place on 19 April-2 June between H i l l s b o r o u g h C o r n e r a n d Middlewood Road.TYNE & WEAR. The GBP350m (EUR408m) Metro: all change modernisation programme has passed the GBP300m (EUR350m) mark with the completion of two bridge replacement schemes, at Burnside Road in Cullercoats and Beach Road in Tynemouth. The investment in infrastructure will continue over the next two years; Passenger Transport Executive Nexus remains in dialogue with the Department for Transport about the need to extend the programme beyond 2021.
Liberal Democrat politicians have called for a Metro extension to Doxford Park, expected to cost GBP200m (EUR233m).WEST MIDLANDS. Councillor Roger Lawrence, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and West Midlands Combined Authority portfolio holder for transport, is to have a tram named in his honour when he steps down in May. Cllr Lawrence has led Wolverhampton City Council for 15 years and held the WMCA post for four years – overseeing major investment across the region’s networks.
USABOSTON, MA. Type 9 CAF-built Green line LRVs 3900-04 had been delivered by the end of February.
The MBTA has awarded a joint venture of Alstom and Barletta a resignalling contract for the Red and Orange subway lines worth more than EUR80m. The signalling upgrade covers 72km (45 miles) and will be completed in 2022. Rollsign, IRJCHICAGO, IL. Metra has issued a Request for Proposals for 200 new commuter rail cars, with an option for a further 200. A deal should be finalised by December. D. Drum
NEW ORLEANS, LA. The two tramlines that normally end at the foot of Canal St (Cemeteries and City Park) have been extended over the eastern Riverfront tracks to French Market. The western Riverfront line is not operating due to construction of the Four Seasons hotel. J. MayPORTLAND, OR. In early March, TriMet signed a USD105.6m, seven-year contract with Siemens Mobility to carry out a ‘mid-life overhaul’ of all 79 of its SD660 LRVs. The 52 Type 2 cars were built in 1996-2000, while the 27 Type 3 cars were built in 2003-04. For 77 of the 79 cars, Siemens has agreed to carry out the work in the Portland area, and has tentatively reached agreement with Oregon Iron Works to use the former United Streetcar facilities in Clackamas. Work will begin in spring 2021.
First, two prototype overhauls will take place at Siemens' Sacramento plant. Type 3 car 315 left for Sacramento on 14 March, and is due for completion in November. Alstom and KinkiSharyo also bid for this work.
On 27 March, the TriMet Board approved plans to contract with Siemens for 26 S70 LRVs, TriMet’s Type 6 (to be numbered 601-626), to replace the 26 Bombardier LRVs. The only other qualifying offer was received from CAF. It was expected to be some weeks until the contract was finalised and signed. Options for up to 60 cars are included. Delivery of the initial 26 is expected from mid-2021 to mid-2022.
Following the recent retrofitting of ice-cutting pantographs to the 18 Type 5 S70 (TAUT 976) vehicles, all LRVs under this contract are to be so-equipped. Unlike TriMet’s previous two orders of S70 LRVs, these will have operating cabs at both ends. They will also wear a new livery, which TriMet adopted in 2018 and thus far has appeared only on its buses: all-over blue with semi-vertical orange stripes (one
trio of stripes on each of the two main body sections).
The first LRV to receive the design will be SD660 315, as the first prototype for the Type 2/3 overhaul programme. S. J. MorganST LOUIS, MO. Contrary to the news headline in TAUT 973, the name of the new heritage tramway that opened in November is the Loop Trolley, not the Delmar Loop. The latter is the name of the business district through which the line passes on its western portion, and which acquired its name more than a century ago from a tramway turnaround loop (on Delmar Blvd) that has been gone for decades.
Also, further to TAUT 976, car 003 is not an ex-Portland car. It has yet to enter service. S. J. MorganS A N B E R N A D I N O , C A . Construction of the 14.5km (nine-mile) light rail line linking San Bernadino and University of Redlands will start this year, using a former Santa Fe freight alignment. Three two-section Stadler FLIRT trains have been ordered to provide a half-hourly service. RGIWASHINGTON, DC. The first test trains have run on the 18.4km (11.4-mile) extension of the Silver metro line from Wiehle-Reston to Ashburn via Dulles Airport, as part of a long c o m m i s s i o n i n g p r o c e s s . Passenger service is not expected until 2020. ERA
VIETNAMDA NANG. Seoul Metro has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People’s Committee of Vietnam to design and build a metro network under a PPP concession with Korean construction firms Lotte Engineering & Construction and Saman.
The first stage involves feasibility studies to inform more specific network plans and public-private operation models. Korea Times
MUSEUM NEWSAMSTERDAM (NL). The Council of State has rejected a zoning plan for 500 new homes and a primary school at the Havenstraat land currently occupied by the EMA tramway museum, because the city council failed to take sufficient account of the interests of the museum tramway. No appeal is possible. R. DeaconBALTIMORE (US). On 15 March a CSX freight train derailed on tracks at the top of the embankment by the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. Falling railcars destroyed the museum’s substation as well as damaging poles and overhead.BEAMISH (UK). Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40 arrived at Beamish on 4 March and joined the operational fleet. Sunderland
16 has returned to service following repair of a failed resistor grid, and Manchester 765 has seen service as part of its commissioning process.
The focus of the loan of 40 and 765 has been April’s ‘Great North Steam Fair’, adding capacity to the four currently operational members of the regular fleet.BYLANDS (AU). Three privately-owned trams were delivered in January, Adelaide H 368, and Melbourne W2 568 and 650. TWCRICH (UK). Track re-laying at the Glory Mine terminus was completed in March but finishing of items including re-installation of trolley wire required the service to be curtailed at Wakebridge when the museum re-opened to the public on 16 March. The re-opening after the winter break also saw the unveiling of a new exhibition devoted to pioneering electrical engineer Michael Holroyd Smith.SIMPELVELD (ZLSM) (NL). 1931 bogie tram LTM 610 has returned to South Limburg after spending time in Den Haag, where it masqueraded as HTM interurban 90. digitaletram.nl
CONTRIBUTORSWorldwide news items for inclusion should be sent to Michael Taplin at Flat 8, Roxan Villa, 33 Landguard Manor Rd, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6EA, UK. Fax: +44 (0)1983 862810 or e-mail [email protected]
UK and Ireland items are welcomed by John Symons, 17 Whitmore Avenue, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 0LW, UK. E-mail [email protected]
Acknowledgements are due to Blickpunkt Strassenbahn (BS), Bytrafik, Daily Telegraph, de Brug, De Telegraaf, digitaletram.nl, Drehscheibe (DS), Edinburgh Evening News, Eisenbahn (EB), Eisenbahn Amateur (EA), Electric Railroaders’ Association (ERA), El Informador, FreiePresse, International Railway Journal (IRJ), Irish Independent, Korea Times, La Volce Di Bolzano, M a n c h e s t e r E v e n i n g N e w s , M. J. Russell, Nottingham Evening Post, Ottawa Citizen, Ouest-France, Railway Gazette International (RGI), Rollsign, Stadtverkehr (SV), Sydney Morning Herald, The Chronicle, Today’s Railways (TR), Tram für Kiel, traminfo.pl, Tram 2000 (T-2000), transphoto.ru, Trolley Wire (TW), urbanrail.net and Wolverhampton Express & Star.
Worldwide Review
194 / MAy 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org
A CRRC-built metro train for the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) Orange line undergoing trials on 1 March. P. Ehrlich
www.idesign.se
www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MAY 2019 / 195
It seemed apt to me that the latest issue included a large story on the UK’s latest ‘Call for Evidence’ into new light rail schemes, but also, a few pages later, a well-reasoned plan for a new urban/interurban tramway for the Potteries.
The UK now has over 25 years of experience with ‘modern’ light rail, so we have a reasonably good idea of what works and what doesn’t in terms of construction and ridership.
In Edinburgh, the contractual arrangements and governance of the construction of the initial line from the airport to the city centre led to major delays and cost overruns. This doesn’t mean the scheme was flawed, just its execution. As an affluent city, the tram connects key passenger generators and proves that public transport will get people out of their cars if it delivers a high-quality, convenient, comfortable service. This comes at a premium over other modes in the first instance. In Edinburgh it’s been a fantastic success, which is why I’m not in the least surprised that the extension to Newhaven has been approved.
The original Midland Metro was a valiant attempt, but always seemed to me to be the connection that was built first – of the many plans released in the 1980s and ’90s – because it was the easiest to build. Lacking a core base of well-off customers and a way to take them to where they wanted to go, as well as a further lack of proper intermodal connections, it was always going to struggle. Now it reaches the centre of Birmingham (and soon more prosperous areas such as Edgbaston and Solihull) I am sure that ridership will boom. This will surely
lead to more new lines if the current expansion is delivered well and to timetable. No-one wants another Edinburgh.
As much as the gospel of ‘connecting people to opportunity’ is heard, you need to start by pairing well-off neighbourhoods with those less fortunate areas and the city centre to establish a ridership base – this must be quickly followed by links to other under-performing areas and development sites. The DLR is one of the world’s finest examples of this working brilliantly.
Building tramlines that link uniformly poor areas will always take much longer to pay back their investment, leaving them open to criticism when they aren’t an immediate success. One of the key socio-economic drivers of good public transport is when you link neighbourhoods with few employment opportunities or amenities to places a few miles away that have them. Linking in the city centre, major onward rail links and key educational institutions and hospitals along the way is also vital to drive regeneration and growth. That is what leads to vibrant cities and why so many European systems work so well.
We need to think about large groups of people who have the ability or desire to use our new service and connecting them comfortably and conveniently to where they want to be – or where you want them to be if you are using light rail as a tool for development. Incentives need to be provided to those organisations that will benefit most to get them to contribute. It’s not rocket science, you just need to ‘follow the money’.T. Briggs, by e-mail
Light rail development needs to follow the money
Letters
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Get your views into print
From Sandilands to San FranciscoAs an LRTA member since 1962, I have followed the impressive development of your magazine for over 55 years. Bravo! It’s generally excellent.
One interesting anomaly crept into the April (TAUT 976) issue, however. At the bottom left of page 136, the caption suggests that the Gravel Hill tramway to New Addington was built on an old railway alignment.
In fact, only about half a mile (1km) of this route (the initial part, through the tunnel) was built on an old railway right of way – and the sharp curve at the northern end was the site of the tragic Sandilands accident. But by far the longest part of the New Addington branch was built on virgin parkland and at the edge of greenbelt fields, up hill and down dale and through the thick woodland of the Shirley Hills. Hence the splendid ‘interurban’ feel of the journey from East Croydon to the eventual terminus, the somewhat dour 1940s new town of New Addington.
One might well ask how the decision was made to give London its first modern tramway in such bucolic surroundings. Planners said that New Addington residents ‘felt isolated’. The 130 bus route took too long to get them to work. Well, maybe... but think how many other candidates there were for ‘tramstitution’.
The Wimbledon-Croydon section (95% on which is on former rail alignments) is of course heavily patronised. The other sections of London’s modest network far less so. Do many people need to get to Elmers End?
Even the name hints at the backwater status of the location. But don’t let me complain: the entire system is a pleasure to ride, and it is grotesque that there are still no solid final plans to extend it.
This all has particular resonance for me as I grew up near Sandilands, and often cycled out into the country, past Loyd Park (yes, the spelling is correct), along Coombe Lane, over the top of Gravel Hill, past Addington Palace (a rural residence of Archbishops of Canterbury) and then off into the green lanes of the Surrey/Kent border. If any prophets in 1955 had foreseen that there would one day be trams out there in the greenery, I would have considered them insane. I remembered the mighty Felthams looming up in the rain in Croydon’s North End in 1950-51, and that was my image of a proper tram!
I now live just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and am lucky enough to be able to support Market Street Railway in helping to keep vintage streetcars running from 05.00 to 01.00 in San Francisco. If any members are considering a foreign trip somewhere, possibly permanently after the excitements of Brexit, I heartily recommend San Francisco. Even the vast trolleybus network brings delight: unimaginably complex overhead wiring at Grand Union junctions, and the svelte, articulated New Flyers just coming into service... Plus the swish new Siemens trams alongside the heavy old Ansaldo Bredas... And did I mention the cable cars? David Kennard, San Francisco (US)
Start sensibly and add the detail laterVic Simons’ article on the reborn El Paso tramway (TAUT 975) demonstrates the compromises which have to be made when building a tramway to a tight budget. But it is always better to have a tramway than not, even if some of the more elaborate additions need to be sacrificed. Many can be added later.
One cannot help asking how many accurately-costed tramways could be built in the UK under similar budgetary constraints for the price of the HS2 rail scheme and how much more beneficial they would be to the towns and cities they served.David Edwards, by e-mail
Ed: Some readers may remember our rough sums on this a few years ago. Assuming a cost of GBP500m (EUR582m) for an effective starter line, including vehicles, a depot and sensible provision for expansion, the GBP27bn (EUR31.5bn) reported for the first phase of HS2 would put a decent line in every UK town or city with a population above 175 000... and leave GBP6bn (EUR7bn) in change. So why not a tramway system in Leicester, Aberdeen, Middlesbrough – or even Peterborough?
The tram-train concept is far from new!It seems to be thought that tram-trains started in Karlsruhe. One much earlier example was Vienna route 18G which started in the 1920s and lasted at least until the 1960s. Part of the route was shared with other normal trams and part was between trains on the Stadtbahn.J. R. Batts, Banbury (UK)
196 / MAY 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org
The concept of the tourist tram route in Lisboa (Lisbon) is by no means new. The 1995 edition of the LRTA handbook The Tramways of Portugal noted that operator Carris
introduced such services in the Portuguese capital as long ago as 1965. The two vehicles used then were certainly classics, being original 1901 cars. They live on at the excellent Carris transport museum at Santo Amaro.
The mid-1990s saw substantial cutbacks to the city’s tram network, whilst at the same time some 45 cars dating from the 1930s were rebuilt for use on the five routes that survived. These four-wheel ‘Remodelados’ retain their original character, albeit with an added pantograph, and are currently complemented (on the coastal line 15 to Belem and Alges) by ten modern Articulados.
Today, two distinct routes enable visitors to sample either the Hills (Linha Colinhas), or Belem and the coast. As these services – deploying heritage trams with multi-lingual commentaries – cover a high proportion of the network, it might be said that this is an almost entirely classic network for, as the LRTA handbook put it over 20 years ago, “Lisboa’s yellow trams have become a symbol of the city and a major tourist attraction”. Regular services on the four hilly routes, Linha (lines) 12, 18, 25 and 28 are operated solely by yellow cars, while those on the tourist routes are red, more recently supplemented by at least one other 1930s vehicle, carrying a newer green livery.
One of the route closures of the 1990s was the very long line 24, then operating from Cais do Sodre (near the busy terminus of the coastal Estoril Railway, running along the coast to Cascais) to Alto De Sao Joao in the north-east of the city. It began as a radial route, ascending steeply from sea-level and crossing line 25 at right-angles on a high bridge. It continued to climb and crossed line 28 at Praca Luis de Camoes, an important interchange. Further up, line 24 passed the Ascensor da Gloria (another interchange, for the funicular down to the lower city). It then proceeded to Principe Real, crossed the Largo de Rato, and ran up towards Amoreiras, close to the magnificent Aqueduct to eventually reach a loop at Campolide. Here, plans existed for major roadworks and a large underground car park.
It continued, more as an arterial than a radial route now, passing the Arco do Cego tram depot (then earmarked as a future museum site) on to its terminus at Alto De Sao Joao. When line 24 services were suspended in August 1995, it was initially said to be temporary to permit the construction works at Campolide. A year later it was reported that Carris regarded the closure as permanent.
In subsequent years reports emerged that the line might, one day, enjoy a reprieve.
As recorded in TAUT 966, a substantial portion has been reinstated, but not until well over two decades later. This might be considered a long wait for regular users, but many believed that even this might never happen. Revived in part, might be more accurate – although the track had been largely left in situ, the overhead wiring and some of the pointwork had been removed. Until at least 2014-15, the routes line 24 crossed had been plain-lined, at Cais do Sodre (the southern terminus, intersecting lines 15 and 18), and most (but, crucially, not all) fittings had been removed at P. Luis de Camoes on line 28.
This note describes the heritage route, a sort of truncated line 24, which has great character with its vibrant street scenes, sweeping views and abundant architectural delights. Scheduled services are usually provided by three Remodelados, which, until further reinstatement takes place, are limited to the section between P. Luis de Camoes and the new turning loop at Campolide. Our map gives an idea of the revived line’s proportions relative to where it used to continue further to Alto De Sao Joao in the north, as well as the other inner-city route closures of the 1990s.
A year-round delightAn important aspect of Lisboa’s tourist trams is the high proportion of passengers using them year-round. It is common for shore excursions from cruise ships to include a tram ride in a half-day sightseeing package. On days when a couple or more ships are moored at the berths near Sta. Apolonia railway station, it can be a challenge to get on a regular line 28 or a 12 service owing to the crowds, or because of traffic delays exacerbated by narrow streets.
Arriving by sea, visitors currently have to make do without the availability of the nearest tramstop (Alfandega) as a turning loop is pending the reconstruction and extension of line 25 eastwards to a new terminus much nearer to the railway station and cruise liner terminal. Line 25 is diverted to run to and from P. da Figueira, but from there it is just a few stops on to Cais do Sodre.
A short yet stiff walk up the tracks (minus overhead) of the to-be reinstated portion of line 24 brings one to P. Luis de Camoes. It currently starts at the eastbound 28 stop in the busy square, giving rise to friendly banter between drivers as manual point-setting is now frequently necessitated between services. The frequency of the revived line to Campolide is approximately every 20 minutes. The passengers are
predominantly locals as the new service is not yet promoted as a tourist attraction, nor is its route traversed by the red or green tourist trams. This may change when the missing section up the hill from Cais do Sodre, along Rua de Alecrim, is reinstated, but no reduction in parallel bus services has yet been implemented; passengers boarding a bus at Cais do Sodre would hardly be expected to get off to board a tram for the same destination.
Once clear of the busy terminal loop Remodelados power up the hill, rattling loudly over the surviving trailing crossover at Principe Real. They take time to traverse Largo de Rato in the absence of any traffic priority measures, then continue to climb past the Aqueduct, through an unaltered and elderly interlaced section under a huge arch and on past the left-hand facing double junction for Amoreiras. The final stretch to Campolide is where most roadworks have taken place, giving an almost new appearance to line 24, particularly in the opposite (southbound) direction. Little remains of the old loop, above the new underground car park, but about a third of it appears to be on original alignment. The stop at the new terminal loop gives the Carris driver a well-earned break as the tram is wholly off-road here, whereas at the other end only a snatched stop can be made between frequent but irregularly-spaced line 28 trams.
Travelling on a 1930s Remodelado on the revived line 24 makes for a very rewarding experience, taking around 15 minutes. As of November 2018, it appeared that the necessary trackwork alterations at Cais do Sodre had been completed in readiness to accommodate the extension of the line once the overhead is reinstated, and the missing crossovers put back at P. Luis de Camoes. The extension of line 25 towards Sta. Apolonia will take time, but the fact that so much has already been done is encouraging.
Elsewhere in the city, it is not too far-fetched to imagine that the section between Prazeres/Campo de Ourique (near the western end of line 28) and Amoreiras could one day also return to life, as an estimated 90% of the track between the double-junctions at each end is still there. Finally, an extension of line 15 beyond the current terminus at Alges to its proper terminus at Cruz Quebrada may, perhaps, not be fanciful either, given the achievements made with line 24.
lisbon’s line 24: A clAssic revivAl
When line 24 services were suspended in 1995, there seemed little hope of them returning. Mike Tedstone finds that trams
are traversing the route in Portugal’s capital once again. 1
Classic Trams
acle!
www.holding-graz.at/graz-linien.html and www.tramway-museum-graz.at
SOURCESThe Tramways of Portugal, B. R. King/J. H. Price, LRTA, 1995 (4th edition); Tram Tours of Lisbon, Joseph Abdo, pub. Carris, 1996
www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org MAY 2019 / 197
All photography by Mike Tedstone.
3
1. Modern Lisbon: the reinstated alignment looking south from the Campolide terminal loop.
2. A northbound line 24 tram has just left P. Luis de Camoes. The original line 24 (here looking downhill) was plain-lined, where line 28 crosses from the city towards Prazeres (left to right).
3. Points duty; a line 24 tram has arrived from Campolide at the stop in P. Luis de Camoes shared with the westbound line 28. The driver of the next line 28 service from Martim Moniz will similarly have to reset the points after this vehicle has gone round the Largo (behind the camera) to return uphill to Campolide.
4. Looking downhill, at the interchange with the Ascensor da Gloria funicular, below the graffiti, middle-left. This view illustrates the steepness of Lisbon line 24, on its original alignment, and only the minimum of clearance with parked cars.
5. Evidence of the popularity of the heritage Lisboa tram providing tourist services, with three pulled up together at the Estrela loop on 28 November 2018. Green-liveried 722 is from the batch 701-735, built for the hilly routes in 1935-39, with refined braking system, described as a ‘universal service car’. The Estrela loop enables a short break to be inserted into tourist tram schedules, as (at end-2018) both lines 25 and 28 were running through to the Prazeres terminal loop.
6. Original elegantly interlaced track, line 24 underneath one of the huge aqueduct arches, here looking downhill.
PRAZERES
Madragoa
Lapa
Campo de Ourique
Estrela
Rato
Anjos
Principe Real
Campolide
São Sebastiao
MARTIM MONIZ
SÃO TOMÉ
PRACA DA FIGUEIRA
ALFANDEGA
CORPO SANTO
CAIS DO SODRÉ
Graça
Alfama
Estefânia
Penha de França
Incomplete route 24
Services withdrawn in the 1990s
Operational pre-route 24 revival
Railway
Alcântara
Continued (inset/right)
CRUZ QUEBRADA/ALGES
AJUDA
BelémBoa
Hora
28
18
15
25
15
122817
ALTO DE SÃO JOÃO
24
Sta. Apolonia (CP)
P. Luis de Camoes
Avenida da Liberdade
28
24
25
6
2
5
4
NEWS FROM THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ASSOCIATION
For more information on the Association and its activities visit www.lrta.org
APRIL 2019
Thursday 25. Manchester 19.00. Martin Arthur: Denia in Spain and Lisbon (including the refurbishment of the Benidorm – Denia FGV line, the reopening of route 24 and updates on the Sintra Atlantico tramway), then Brian Yates: A film of Lisbon in 2003.
Friday 26. Leicester 20.00. Trams on DVDs and the Internet. (TMS)
Saturday 27. Beeston 14.00. Robert Pritchard: Trams of the Czech Republic & Slovakia – Pt. 1. (TLRS)
Saturday 27. Garstang 14.00. Vernon Linden: First-generation trams. (TLRS)
MAY 2019
Tuesday 7. Southampton 19.30. Bob Hodges: Tramway video: TBA. (LRTA/SEG)
Wednesday 8. Brighton 19.40. TBA. (TLRS)
Saturday 11. Taunton (one week earlier than usual) 14.00. Robert Manders: Eastern Germany and Poland (then and now). (TLRS)
Saturday 11. West Midlands 14.00. General modelling meeting. (TLRS)
Monday 13. Thames Valley 19.30. Anne Watkins: Rome and Athens. (TLRS)
Saturday 18. Beeston 14.00. TLRS AGM, Liverpool (outing). (TLRS)
Monday 20. Liverpool 19.45. Merseyside Branch AGM. (TLRS Merseyside)
Monday 20. Wickham 19.30. Paul Coles: Works trams. (TLRS Solent)
Tuesday 21. London 19.00. Alan Pearce: Australia 2017.
Saturday 25. Beeston 14.00. Outing – Carlton Colville. (TLRS)
MEETINGS & EVENTS Compiled by the LRTA. For a full list of the year’s events and meeting places please visit www.lrta.org
Are we on the verge of a new UK tram renaissance?
Nottingham Express Transit has released a short video to celebrate 15 years since trams returned to the streets of Nottingham after an absence of 68 years.
The video, which includes facts and figures about the system’s growth and highlights of some of the engineering feats involved in the construction of the Phase 2 lines, can be viewed at: www.thetram.net/videos.aspx
Just 32km (20 miles) to the north of Nottingham is another UK success story – the National Tramway Museum. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the museum and its home at the Crich Tramway Village (pictured left). Several LRTA members were involved in its creation and a spectacular weekend of celebrations is planned.
LRTA members will get the opportunity to sample the very best of the UK’s trams, both classic and modern, in Nottingham and Crich as part of the AGM weekend on 21-23 September.
Full details of these events are included in the flyer sent to members with this issue, and can be found on the Association’s website at www.lrta.org.
LRTA AGM to take in two birthdays
TRAMFORWARD: Regular readers of TAUT will have noticed that news and views from the LRTA now appear under the TramForward banner. This follows the decision at last year’s AGM to retain the LRTA name, but to use TramForward for news and campaigns.
With annual UK tram and light rail passenger numbers now counting over 275m a year, and the new Transport
Focus Tram Passenger Survey again showing trams outstripping all other public transport modes in terms of popularity (see News, page 168), LRTA Chair Paul Rowen has posed the question “are we heading for another renaissance of light rail in the UK?”
His comments came in the same month as the City of Edinburgh Council confirmed its plans to extend its tramway system to Newhaven, and Nottingham putting forward its own ambitious plans to take trams to the neighbouring city of Derby and the future HS2 high-speed rail station.
At the same time, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has announced GBP2.4m (EUR2.8m) in funding for a new mass transit study and business case for a system for Bristol including a spur to Bath.
“Since its inception in 1937, the LRTA has campaigned for the retention and return of the tram to UK towns and cities,” said Paul.
“Our Campaigns Group assisted Bath Trams at their recent conference and we were delighted to see the article in the last issue of TAUT on the feasibility of trams returning to the Potteries.
“It’s been too long coming, but it seems that we are at long last seeing new tram systems headed for the UK.”
ABOVE: Nottingham Express Transit could see its services reach Derby under newly-announced plans. TAUT
BELOW: Chesterfield Corporation No. 7 is a veteran performer at Crich, arriving over 20 years ago and restored to immaculate condition. Neil Turner / CC BY-SA 2.0
Order online from lrta.info/shop – or by post from:
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Bookshop
Nach Mödling mit der StraßenbahnSpecial issue of ‘Die Schiene’ magazine
The history of one of the last lines to close in the Austrian capital from its origins as a steam tramway through to its demise in 1967. German text.
> A4 softback; 112 pages, 60 colour and 133 black & white pictures plus 11 maps and images of tickets, etc.£23.50 (UK addresses); £26.00 (outside UK); £28.50 (Airmail beyond Europe),LRTA Members: £2.15 discount
Belgium UndergroundPre-Metro and Metro, 1957-2017
This new book from the LRTA records the development of tram subways and light rail concepts in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and the Charleroi area.
> A4 softback; 128 pages, 155 colour and 30 black & white pictures plus 34 maps.£27.50 (UK addresses); £31.00 (outside UK); £34.00 (Airmail beyond Europe), LRTA Members: £2.50 discount
U-Bahnen in Deutschland + U-Stadtbahnen
A handbook describing the underground railways of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Nuremburg and the tramlines in tunnels in Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen/Mülheim, Frankfurt, Hannover and Stuttgart plus the ‘Schwebebahn’ in Wuppertal. English and German text.
> B5 softback; 160 pages, 300+ colour pictures plus 20 maps.£19.00 (UK addresses); £21.50 (outside UK);
£24.00 (Airmail beyond Europe, LRTA Members: £1.70 discount
Mit dem Obus durch Solingen
A history of the tramway system and its trolleybus successor in Germany’s ‘blade city’, detailing each of the routes now operated and the vehicles used from 1951 to date. German text.
> A4 hardback; 128 pages, 182 colour and 75 black & white pictures, statistical tables and ten maps.£29.50 (UK addresses); £35.50 (outside UK); £41.50 (Airmail beyond Europe), LRTA Members: £2.65 discount
Trambahnreise durch Chemnitz und das Umland
A route-by-route description of the network in the former Karl-Marx-Stadt covering the transformation from 925mm to standard gauge and the development of regional tram-train services. German text.
> B5 hardback; 124 pages, 140+ mainly colour pictures, 22 maps.£19.50 (UK addresses); £22.50 (outside UK); £26.00 (Airmail beyond Europe)LRTA Members: £1.70 discount
Tramwaje powojennej Warszawy1945-1975
Describes the reconstruction of the Polish capital’s tram system after massive destruction of the city at the end of World War Two, to emerge as one of Europe’s most efficient networks. Polish text.
> A4 hardback; 368 pages, 73 colour and 310 black & white pictures, several maps.£29.50 (UK addresses); £38.50 (outside UK); £44.50 (Airmail beyond Europe),LRTA Members: £2.65 discount
The history of the Dutch port city’s adoption of the famous German articulated tram and the contribution it made to the renewal of the network over more than 40 years. Dutch text.
UK Light Rail and Tram Museum Guide 2019Seventh Edition
This useful book tells you everything you need to know about UK (plus Isle of Man and Irish Republic) tram networks, heritage operations, museums, cliff lifts and pier railways.
> A5 softback; 120 pages, 64 colour pictures and 23 maps/route diagrams.£13.50 (UK addresses); £16.00 (outside UK); £19.50 (Airmail beyond Europe)LRTA Members: £1.15 discount
Düwag tramstellen in Rotterdam
> 380x260 mm hardback, landscape format; 130 pages, fully-illustrated in colour and black & white with several technical drawings.£31.00 (UK addresses); £34.00 (outside UK); £37.50 (Airmail beyond Europe), LRTA Members: £2.85 discount
Your two days will include presentations and interactive debates on topics such as:
> Autonomous trams: Lessons learned and next steps
> Digital twins and next-generation virtual modelling
> New approaches to safety and risk assessment models
> Enhancing engagement and the customer experience
> Managing disruption during major projects
> Advanced asset monitoring strategies
> Challenges from 24-hour operations
> Environmentally-friendly renewal innovations
> Tramway innovation: Past, present and future
> Digital wayfinding and real-time passenger information
> Case studies from recent light rail expansion schemes
TWO days of interactive debates... EIGHT hours of dedicated networking... ONE place to be
Musée du Transport Urbains BRUSSELS: 16-17 MaY 2019
EU Light RailDriving innovation
EU Light Rail brings together leading opinion-formers and decision-makers from across Europe for two days of debate around the role of technology in the development of efficient and sustainable urban travel.
With presentations and exhibitions from some of the industry’s most innovative suppliers and service providers, this event also includes over eight hours of invaluable networking sessions.
Find out more at www.eulightrail.com
Our partners at STIB-MIVB are hosting a special tour of the Marconi tramway depot as part of EU Light Rail 2019. The 27,000m2 depot opened in 2018 and features state-of-the-art maintenance facilities, 22 tracks and provision to stable 75 trams.