HS2 invites Birmingham Interchange peoplemover bids
UK: High speed line project promoter HS2 Ltd has invited shortlisted companies Poma and Doppelmayr Cable Car UK to tender for contracts to supply and operate a cable-hauled automated peoplemover to link the future Interchange station with the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham International station and the airport.
Mexico: Guided buses challenge urban rail projects
While Mexico is enjoying a renaissance in rail investment at a national level, urban rail projects in several cities are coming under threat from cheaper bus options and Chinese-backed ART technology. Michael Dreyer reports.
Baseball branded trainset to ‘raise excitement and enthusiasm’
JAPAN: Seibu Railway has ordered three Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rubber-tyre Automated Guideway Transit trainsets for use on its 2·8 km three-station Yamaguchi Line peoplemover which connects Tamako to Seibukyujo-mae in the greater Toyko area.
Brazil: Urban rail projects battle local politics
Examples in Cuiabá and Canoas show how vulnerable Brazilian urban rail projects are to changes in local politics, as well as the temptation of alternative modes which are seen as less complex, even if the benefits are lower. Marcelo Benoit examines the two cases.
Brazil: Salvador turns to the tram
Having dismantled a suburban railway and aborted a monorail scheme, the Brazilian city of Salvador is now developing a tram network using second-hand trams and track assets from Cuiabá. Ana Cláudia Nascimento, CEO of state transport operator CTB, explains the plans to Benjámin Zelki.
Contract let to build Newark airport peoplemover as successor to monorail
USA: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has selected a joint venture of Tutor Perini and O&G for a $1·2bn contract to design and build a 4 km peoplemover with three stations to replace the existing AirTrain Newark monorail serving the New Jersey airport.
King Abdullah Financial District monorail contract signed
SAUDI ARABIA: Contracts have been awarded for the construction of a monorail within Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District mixed-use development. This is intended to reduce the need for private vehicles as part of the vision for a walkable ‘10 min city’.
Robots and Hyper Tube among KRRI research projects on show at InnoTrans
INNOTRANS: Korea Railroad Research Institute is to highlight eight of its latest innovations and research programmes during the upcoming Berlin fair.
Alstom to modernise Las Vegas airport peoplemover
USA: Clark County Department of Aviation has awarded Alstom a $84m contract to upgrade the Green and Blue lines of the automated peoplemover at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, including the supply of new vehicles.
Elevated peoplemover opens in Xi’an
CHINA: Revenue services began on Xi’an’s Yunba Line on August 12. This 17·4 km elevated peoplemover runs from the southwest terminus of metro Line 3 at Yuhuazhai south to Hengye Dadao with 18 stops, including an interchange with metro Line 6.
São Paulo monorail trainset unveiled
BRAZIL: The first of the 19 seven-car monorail trainsets that CRRC Puzhen Alstom Transportation Systems is supplying for São Paulo’s Line 15-Silver has been unveiled at the manufacturer’s plant in Wuhu, China.
Innovia R peoplemover cars enter service on Bukit Panjang LRT
SINGAPORE: The first two of 19 Innovia 300R peoplemover cars which Alstom is supplying as part of an upgrade of the 7·8 km Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit entered passenger service on August 1.
Inglewood Transit Connector peoplemover contractor selected
USA: The Californian city of Inglewood has selected the Elevate Inglewood Partners consortium as best value proposer for the Inglewood Transit Connector project to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a 2·6 km three-station automated peoplemover.
São Paulo Line 17 monorail delivery
BRAZIL: The first of 14 SkyRail monorail trainsets which Chinese manufacturer BYD is supplying for the future São Paulo metro Line 17 arrived at the port of Santos on June 29.
Denver airport peoplemover cars enter service
USA: Denver International Airport peoplemover operator Alstom has put into service the first six of 26 ‘top-of-the-line’ Innovia APM 300R peoplemover cars which it says will increase ‘capacity, efficiency and comfort’ at one of the world’s largest aviation hubs.
Detroit to acquire peoplemover cars from Toronto
USA: Municipal officials in Detroit have approved funding for Detroit Transportation Corp to replace its fleet of automated peoplemover cars with vehicles from Toronto.
Dortmund H-Bahn looks to the future
GERMANY: Planning is underway for an expansion of the H-Bahn suspended monorail in Dortmund, and the procurement of a new fleet of vehicles and control system.
Salvador seeks tram network to replace aborted monorail scheme
BRAZIL: The state government of Bahia has approved the call of tenders for the construction of a three-line light rail network in Salvador totalling 36 km at an estimated cost of R$3·6bn.
Dubai considers elevated pod platoons
UAE: Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding to work with Urban.MASS on an operational pilot of its Floc Duo Rail concept for platoons of driverless electric pods running on an elevated track.
Urbanloop personal rapid transit testing begins
FRANCE: Testing of Urbanloop personal rapid transit pods has begun on 2 km track in a park at St-Quentin-en-Yvelines in the suburbs of Paris.