Staffing on light rail systems

From a previous post http://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/now-we-know-why-skytrain-is-so-expensive-to-operate/ we find that there are 600 or more employees (530 in the CUPE Union) that work on the SkyTrain Expo and Millennium Lines. The Canada Line is a conventional metro and employs over 200 people (with 180 in the CUPE union) and both metro systems are quite separate. The Canada Line, a […]

Light Rail Transit, LRT or Tram-Train

Tram and train used to be two entirely different public transport systems. Tram served shorter (read: urban) distances. Train served longer (read: regional) distances. But the difference between city and region has disappeared in much of Europe. The difference between tram and regional rail is blurring as well. A new generation of light rail transit […]

First tram-train arrives in Lyon

France: Lyon Tram-Train Railway Gazette 22 February 2011 http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/first-tram-train-arrives-in-lyon.html The first of 24 Citadis Dualis tram-trains for the TER network west of Lyon arrived at the L’Arbresle maintenance centre on February 18, having left Alstomai??i??s assembly plant in Valenciennes two days earlier. Two more vehicles will be delivered to SNCF in Lyon during the next […]

Flagship BRT Fizzles in the USA

Bus Rapid Transit or BRT is the transit flavour ‘du jour’ of BC politicians. Any mention of transit in the region ultimately leads to BRT, as if it was the grand panacea to solve our transit woes. The trouble is, our politicos have never read a book about public transit,Ai??let aloneAi??perused the chapter on buses. […]

New French Tramways

Reims Tramway is under test:- http://www.lunion.presse.fr/article/marne/le-tram-a-lepreuve-du-feu http://www.tramwaydereims.fr/start.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reims_tramway and http://www.lineoz.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10893&sid=66eedf4b75d814adaceb51ca2f60e00f&p=306994#p306994 Map of the system:- http://www.mars-reims.fr/images/Panneau%20CITURA%20(800×1200).pdf Information on French Light Rail/Tram systems at: http://www.transbus.org/dossiers/tramway_projet.html Images of the new Alstom Citadis 302Ai??LRV’s  

Worlds 1st NGV Tram system to open in 2012

 Melaka [Malaysia] Tram to open to public in 2012 AYER KEROH — Train maker, Mrails International Sdn Bhd expects its RM272 million Melaka Tram, the first natural gas vehicle (NGV) powered tram in the world, to open to the public in May next year. New Strait Times 19 February 2011 http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/MelakaTramtoopentopublicinMay2012/Article/#ixzz1EUjwyIAq    

Now we know why SkyTrain is so expensive to operate.

The main story here is not the strike vote taken by Expo and Millennium Line workers, but the amount of workers that are needed to operate the SkyTrain mini-metro. According to the article, there are 530 CUPE members that work on the Expo and Millennium Lines, then add in senior non-union managerial staff, transit police and […]

Absurdity, Hiatus, Ignominy, Irony, Paradox and Prognosis

The Cardinal cordially welcomes Zweisystem back & offers him wishes for a speedy recovery from his recent illness; – Hurry up and get the heck out of there! Zwei, remember Mark Twainai??i??s advice `be careful when reading health books; you may die of a misprintai??i?? Ai?? With Zweisystem back in the section, continuing his mission, […]

Porkies from TransLink!

In the UK, London's Cockney's (the East End crowd) have long had an interesting rhyming slang tradition – examples: jam jar is a car; dicky dirt a shirt and so on. Well, a pork pie or porkie is – well you guessed it. The following letter from Ken Hardie, to the Delta Optimist, is full of "Porkies" […]

Nottingham Tram – Councils Negotiate NET Settlement

Nottingham NET Phase 2 Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council have negotiated a settlement which will allow the City Council to take the project forward as sole promoter. http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/netphase2/index.aspx?articleid=7487