Light Rail news from around Europe

HK order low-floor trams from Transtech Rail.co April 1 2011 http://www.rail.co/2011/04/01/hkl-orders-low-floor-trams-from-transtech/ Helsinki City Transport (HKL) and the Finnish Rail rolling stock manufacturer Transtech signed an agreement to purchase 40 new trams on 24 March. The contract comprises of 40 trams and a possible further 90, if the tram extensions of Helsinki go to plan. The […]

April Fool from Rob Ford

Rob Ford’s Designs on Metrolinx (Update 2) http://stevemunro.ca/?p=5061 Posted on April 1, 2011 by Steve Updated 9:45am: Environmentalists scoffed at plans to convert rail corridors to roadways.  “Electrification of GO was our big chance to show the world just how green a transit system could be”, said Jamie Kirkpatrick of the Toronto Environmental Alliance.  Trains […]

Pushing a wooden stake through the heart of darkness

 I raised my head. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky–seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." – Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness    It has not been a very good […]

The Good & Bad; News from Toronto

Firstly the good news; Toronto's transit system will receive 39 kilometres of new subway and light rail track in a $12-billion expansion package announced by the province and city on Thursday. Ontario invests billions in Toronto transit 'spine' http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110331/toronto-transit-announcement-110331/ ctvtoronto.ca Thu. Mar. 31 2011 1:01 PM ET Toronto's transit system will receive 39 kilometres of […]

Sydney- light rail to be built into Central Business District

All change for light rail  Jacob Saulwick Transport  The Sydney Morning Herald March 31, 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/all-change-for-light-rail-20110330-1cgdc.html THE O'Farrell government will soon be asked to approve a sweeping overhaul of Sydney's central business district, including plans for light rail down George Street and significant changes to bus routes. Transport bureaucrats and consultants are close to finishing two […]

Broadway Transit Follies – TransLink Does The Gong Show – Part 2

Want to know how TransLink spends taxpayer’s hard earned money? It is easy, TransLink studies transit options for Broadway. TransLink’s Broadway “Rapid Transit” (which means metro) study for Broadway is dated and extremely misleading, but what else would one expect from an organization that has done little, but to waste time, justifying their existence. TransLink’s […]

1st Alstom Citadis LRV’s for UK

Tramlink Nottingham http://www.tramlinknottingham.co.uk/index.phpAi?? NET Phase Two Preferred Bidder Named Nottingham City Council has selected Tramlink Nottingham as its preferred bidder to build two new tram lines to Clifton and Chilwell (NET Phase Two) and operate the extended tram network. http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/netphase2/index.aspx?articleid=7522 One of the proposed routes will see a line from Nottingham City Centre to Toton […]

The Broadway Transit Debate Continues. Has The Decision To Build A SkyTrain Subway Been Already Made For 2030?

Well, it seems TransLink is again having more public consultations for the proposed Broadway Rapid Transit project, but has the decision to build a subway been already made? Just the name, "Rapid Transit", means a metro and any reference to a light rail option is equated to a slow streetcar. TransLink hasn't a clue about […]

Transit problems across Canada prompt calls for politicians to address issue

Time to lead SIRI AGRELL, LES PERREAUX, WENDY STUECK AND JOSH WINGROVE Globe and Mail Saturday, Mar. 26, 2011 1:31PM EDT Commute times in Canadian cities are no longer just a source of rush-hour irritation, but a national liability affecting the economic performance of our urban centres and requiring immediate intervention from Ottawa. A new […]

Transit a hit-and-miss affair in B.C.A?ai??i??ai???s Lower Mainland

Wendy Stueck Vancouverai??i?? Globe and Mail Update Published Friday, Mar. 25, 2011 11:00PM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/transit-a-hit-and-miss-affair-in-bcs-lower-mainland/article1957867/page2/ Shuttling sleekly between Richmond and downtown Vancouver, the $2-billion Canada Line has been a hit since it opened in 2009. But while the Canada Line whisks hundreds of passengers a day to their destinations, hundreds more huddle at bus stops […]