by Editor | Mar 31, 2023 | News
Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific North-West of the US (regional population 2.5M), is renowned for its eco-friendliness. It has separate tramway and light rail systems. Portland Streetcar is a 7.2-mile (11.2km) system serving the city centre, opened in 2001, and is served by low-floor trams. Portland’s MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) is a five-line 59.7-mile (96.1km) light rail system extending in to the suburbs on reserved tracks, though like the tramway, it runs on city streets in the centre. Its first line opened in 1986. The only track sharing is on the Tilikum Crossing bridge, though the systems have connecting curves that could permit the Streetcar stock to transfer to the MAX workshops if that were needed. Both systems are taking delivery of new cars. Portland Streetcar is receiving three Brookville Liberty NXT to boost its fleet of 17 Skoda/Inekon/United Streetcar Trio/10T 66’ (20.1m) 70% low-floor cars. MAX is replacing its original 1983 Bombardier high-floor cars with 30 Siemens S700 96’ (29m) high-floor cars; there is an option in the contract for up to 56 more. The first was delivered in December 2022 and all should be in service by the end of 2024. The first new car for MAX was delivered in December 2022 and is expected that all cars should be in full service by 2024. The first of the three Brookville Liberty NXT for Portland Streetcar was delivered in late March 2023. After some extensive testing, it is expected to enter service during the summer to allow for a more frequent service. Patronage of the system is expected to reach 20 000 riders a day by...
by Editor | Mar 31, 2023 | News
Plans are progressing on the proposed ‘KenEx’ express tramway line which would see South Essex connected to North Kent under the River Thames. The initial plans for this £800m project were submitted to the Department of Transport back in June 2023 and these plans have now been accepted. Thames Gateway Tramlink Ltd (who promote the scheme) are expected to to submit their final business case by the end of 2023. The only existing link between Essex and Kent are the Dartford Tunnel and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge – which both suffer from heavy congestion. This tramway would then release pressure from these structures as well as providing a viable public transportation option. The plan is to have an immersed tram tunnel running under the River Thames which would link Grass in Essex and Botany in Kent. The main service would run for 17.6km (11 miles) from Purfleet to Gravesend, with short branches to Lakeside shopping mall and to Ebbsfleet International railway station. This section could be completed by 2028. The second stage would see an extension to the line to Basildon and Canvey at a cost of £400m. Local councils have expressed their support for the scheme which would provide sustainable public transport to support residential development either side of the Thames as well as providing excellent connections to employment, recreation, retail and health facilities in a region which is dominated by heavy traffic and congestion....
by Editor | Mar 28, 2023 | News
DB ESG, the largest rolling stock technology consultant in Europe, and Sella Controls, the market-leader for ‘engineered solutions’ for safety, control, automation and telecommunication applications in a range of industries, are the first to receive a Safety Intregrity Level 2 (SIL2) certification in the UK for their Tracklink III system with a PPOS controller. In 2019, DB ESG were selected by Transport for London to develop, design, install and commission a device to physically prevent the over-speeding (PPOS) of light rail vehicles operated by London Trams in the Croydon area. In collaboration with Sella Controls, this system was created and, over the course of its one year operation, it has demonstrated exceptional performance. In February 2023, the Independent Safety Assessor certified the over speeding-protection system, including both the hardware and the software, as being safety assured at Level 2 (SIL2). Nick Goodhand, Managing Director, DB ESG said: “We are absolutely delighted that this system has received this mark of safety quality. Protecting a tram network with the highest possible level of safety gives operators the peace of mind that they are doping their utmost to keep passengers safe.” Chris Elliott, Business Development Director for Sella Controls added that the accreditation was ‘a fantastic achievement’ and that passenger safety was of the ‘utmost importance.’ to everyone involved in the project. A more detailed article will be included in the May 2023 Tramways & Urban Transit (out on the 17th April). For more information regarding DB ESG, please visit their website...
by Editor | Mar 28, 2023 | News
Austin, Texas, is the 11th largest city in the US (population 965 000) and is without rail transit (apart from a 51km (32-mile)diesel light rail line to the suburban city of Leander). The modal split is 72.7% for private cars and just 5% for transit and it has been ranked as having the worst traffic congestion in Texas despite having a bus service which is provided by Capital Metro. In November 2020 voters approved a property tax to finance a USD 10bn transit expansion plan called Project Connect, that proposed a USD 5.8bn three-line 45km (28-mile) light rail network to serve the city, with subways in the city centre. However, due to the impact of the pandemic not only had the estimated cost of the light rail portion almost doubled – due to inflation and firmer cost estimates -, transit patronage had halved due to the travel restrictions put in place. In March 2023, the Austin Transit Partnership, the overseers of Project Connect, presented a revised proposal to the city council and the Capital Metro board to deliver the light rail system within the funding budget available. They aim to significantly cut costs by increasing reliance on surface tracks on the city streets and largely doing away with city centre subways (which cost a lot more to implement). Just one of the options available includes a subway portion of the system, about a mile under Guadaloupe Street from 20th St to 8th St. Even this route makes use of some elevated sections to avoid traffic at junctions and to move across, rather than under Lady Bird lake. These proposals have...
by Editor | Mar 28, 2023 | News
The first of 36 Stadler-built class 398 bi-mode tram-trains were delivered to Transport for Wales’ Taff’s Well depot during the night of 21-22 March. These Spanish-built cars are destined for South Wales Metro and their use will significantly increase capacity and transform the travelling experience of its customers. The tram-trains had previously been undergoing extensive testing at the Network Rail Innovation and Development Centre in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and form part of the Transport for Wales £800 million investment project into providing better trains and services for the Wales and Borders network. These high-floor, three section eight axle-axle Stadler Citylink trains are 40m long, 2.65m wide and have a passenger capacity of 252 passengers (126 seated). They are equipped to operate on 25kV overhead electrification or under battery power. The fleet is expected to enter service in 2024 on existing lines linking Cardiff with Reherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tidfyl and the Bay. Transport for Wales has started consultation on better penetration of the Docklands regeneration area by running beyond the current terminus of the Cardiff Bay City line with four options. This would allow the tram-trains to take advantage of their battery-power street- running capability as well as making use of former freight lines. Want to know more about tram-trains and their applications across the world? Why not download a copy of our tram-train special feature, Written by Günter Koch, Head of Metro and Tram Design at DB Engineering & Consulting in Karlsruhe, he explores the way forward for systems that combine rail and tramways. Access our ultimate guide to the tram-train here....
