International Railway Journal - July 2008 - (Page 12)

Transit news Buenos Aires to upgrade suburban lines T Electrification and tram-trains for Adelaide DELAIDE, only Australian state capital without an electrified rail network, is to receive $A 2 billion ($US 1.9 billion) investment over the next decade as part of plans unveiled by the government of South Australia. Most of Adelaide’s 120km commuter rail network will be electrified and all passenger lines will be converted from broad gauge to standard gauge. The Noarluga, Outer Harbor, Grange and Gawler lines will be electrified at 25kV ac, and a fleet of 50 emu cars will be ordered. A Fifty-eight of the existing class 3000/3100 demus will be converted to electric operation and refurbished. The remaining 12 demus in the TransAdelaide fleet will be refurbished for use on the Belair line, which will remain diesel-operated until an Australian governmentfunded study determines the future of the steeply-graded Adelaide Hills section of the Adelaide - Melbourne line. Light rail services are also set for a makeover with the introduction of Australia’s first tram-trains. The 12.5km Glenelg - City light rail will be extended to Adelaide Entertainment Centre before joining the Grange Line and running to West Lakes. Another light rail line will be built from Port Adelaide on the Outer Harbor Line to Semaphore. Four additional single voltage Flexity Classic LRVs will be ordered from Bombardier for the initial extension to the Entertainment Centre, and another 15 dualvoltage LRVs will be ordered for the West Lakes and Semaphore services. The tramtrain project will be completed by 2012. HE Argentine government will invite bids this month for a $US 2.04 billion upgrade of commuter rail lines in Buenos Aires. The $US 1.39 billion modernisation of the 198km Roca network includes the electrification of all remaining diesel-operated routes, resignalling, the elimination of level crossings and the modernisation of 50 stations. A fleet of 200 air-conditioned emu cars will be ordered at a cost of around $US 400 million, and the government plans to launch the upgraded service by the end of 2012. On the San Martín network, $US 393 million will be spent on electrifying, resignalling, and track renewal on the Retiro - Pilar line, and a further $US 257 million has been allocated to remove level crossings, raise platforms and fence off the line. The work will be completed in 2014. At least 50% of the work must go to Argentine companies. Manchester network to double G REATER Manchester Passenger Transport Executive has concluded a £575 million deal with M-Pact, a consortium of Thales, Laing O’Rourke and GrantRail, to almost double the size of the Metrolink light rail network by 2012. The project involves converting the Manchester Victoria - Oldham - Rochdale line to light rail operation, together with new lines from Trafford Bar to Corlton St Werburgh’s Road, and from Piccadilly to Droylsden. Last month Manchester agreed to implement a new congestion charging scheme by 2013 that will unlock funding worth up to £3 billion for public transport improvements. This will allow the light rail network to reach 103km, with extensions to Manchester Airport, Ashton-Under-Lyne, East Didsbury, and the Trafford Centre. A second city-centre line will also be built between G-Mex and Victoria to relieve the existing line via Moseley Street. Metros to join Beethoven Bicentennial ETROS around the world are being invited to play Beethoven to their passengers to celebrate the 200th anniversary of one of the composer’s most famous works. The Beethoven Universal Society is asking all metro operators to play part of his Fifth Symphony on December 22, 200 years after it was first performed in Vienna. M KODA has announced its largest export contract for light rail vehicles since 1990: it will supply 20 low-floor LRVs to the Latvian capital Riga. The Koruna 1.3 billion ($US 83.5 million) deal includes an option for an additional 32 vehicles, and the first LRV will be delivered next June. The three-section 31.4m-long ForCity 15T LRVs will be similar to those already on order for Prague (pictured), but will be supplied with 1524mm-gauge bogies. S 12 IRJ July 2008

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International Railway Journal - July 2008 Contents This Month News Transit News Market News/Technology News News Analysis Conference Report Korean Railways Face a Bright Future Korean Exports Surge Ahead Ready to Roll in China Velaro Shows Eastern Promise Are You Sitting Comfortably? Compin Meets New Challenges The Fabric of Society Grinding Out a Result Rendezvous Full Contact List The Last Word

International Railway Journal - July 2008

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