SNCF’s Gares & Connexions is embracing design thinking, a concept famed in Silicon Valley, to enhance passenger experience at its stations across France. Kevin Smith visited the division’s headquarters in Paris to see what it has achieved so far.
THE government of the Australian state of Victoria has awarded new seven-year contracts for the operation of Melbourne’s suburban rail and tram services to incumbent franchise holders Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) and Yarra Trams.
As Canada embarks on an unprecedented public transport infrastructure spending progamme, Kevin Smith asks Canadian Urban Transit Association president and CEO, Patrick Leclerc, how transit agencies can make the most of this new era of investment.
Spurred on by the Canadian federal government’s infrastructure investment agenda, Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (Translink) is embarking on a wide-reaching public transport enhancement programme. Kevin Smith met CEO Kevin Desmond at the authority’s headquarters in New Westminster to find out more.
MILWAUKEE Department of Public Works has awarded Transdev Services a contract to operate the 4km Milwaukee Streetcar network, which is due to open next year.
BRITAIN’s Department for Transport has pledged £59.8m towards Midland Metro’s 2km Edgbaston extension, completing the £149m in funding required for the project.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held on August 28 by the Purple Line Transit Partners joint venture to mark the start of construction of the 25.7km Purple Line light rail project in Maryland, United States.
A ceremony was held in the Estonian capital Tallinn on August 30 to mark the operation of the first tram on a new link from the future Rail Baltica station at Ülemiste to Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport.
RB RAIL, which is responsible for the Rail Baltica project to build an 870km standard-gauge 240km/h mixed-traffic railway linking the Baltic state capitals with Poland and the broader European railway network, has launched two tenders.
WARSAW Tramways announced on August 11 that it has abandoned a tender for a contract to supply up to 213 LRVs because the offer submitted by the highest-scoring bidder exceeds the available budget.
