EGYPT: National Authority for Tunnels has signed a €275m contract with local manufacturer NERIC for the supply of 21 nine-car metro trainsets for Alexandria.

INDIA: The Phase 2A extension of Mumbai metro Line 3 was opened on May 10, running from Bandra-Kurla Complex to Acharya Atre Chowk.

USA: Orange County Transportation Authority has taken delivery of the first of eight trams for the OC Streetcar line which is under construction and now expected to open in spring 2026.

This week's round-up of news from the urban transport sector.

NETHERLANDS: Public transport operators have signed an agreement to help balance demand on the heavily-loaded national power grid.

The first of 25 two-car AGT trainsets for the Sengkang-Punggol Light Rapid Transit network have been handed over to SBS Transit.

RUSSIA: Tramway operator Moskva Metro has awarded PK TS a contract to supply 100 four-axle fully low-floor single-section trams capable of 4 km of off-wire running at a speed of at least 20 km/h.

SPAIN: The Ministry of Transport & Sustainable Mobility has awarded a contract to study the viability of building a long-proposed a railway linking M??laga with the airport, the Costa del Sol resorts and Algeciras.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has purchased 640 km of trackage and disused alignments as it seeks to significantly expand passenger rail services. With funding in place for projects to 2030, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority Executive Director DJ Stadtler explains the strategy and progress so far to Benjámin Zelki.

SWEDEN: Transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik has awarded Alstom a contract to support and develop digital systems on the Movia C20 and C30 metro trainsets it supplied for the Stockholm metro.

USA: Alstom has delivered the first of 29 Innovia APM 300R vehicles to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

JAPAN: Transreport has launched an online tool to make it easier for anyone with assistance requirements to request support at Hankyu Railway's 87 stations. The commuter operator runs trains serving the Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe areas. Passenger Assistance Web is designed to be user-friendly for people ...

A project which aims to develop a more affordable alternative to traditional tramways is taking its next major step. Andrew Grantham reports from the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre.

This week's round-up of news from the urban transport sector.

As the competitive tendering of French regional passenger services becomes established, the various régions are pursuing different rolling stock strategies. Jérémie Anne investigates.

UK: Transport for London is to call tenders in July for a contract to replace the control system on the Croydon tram network. The existing London Trams control system has two parts. The current Tram Management System at Therapia Lane depot was deployed in 2014, while ...

COLOMBIA: Siemens Mobility has selected Spanish company GMV to supply service planning and vehicle location technology for the Metro de la 80 light rail project in Medellín.

No fewer than 28 cities in France have built modern light rail networks in the 40 years since Nantes turned the tide on post-war car-centricity. With 115 km of new line now under construction and 276 vehicles on order, the outlook remains bright, even if political headwinds are starting to ...

Advances in technology, particularly data analytics, are transforming Mobility as a Service from a failed experiment into a more pragmatic and sustainable real-time travel companion.

Recent legislation has paved the way for the development of high-performing multimodal transport networks in 24 French conurbations, centred around rail as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Reinhard Christeller explains.

PHILIPPINES: Metro Line 7 concessionaire SMC MRT-7 Corp signed a 150bn won, 10-year contract with South Korea's national operator Korail on April 22 for the operation and maintenance of Manila metro Line 7.

Using autonomous pods to transport parcel shipments and other goods on existing tram infrastructure could help to mitigate the traffic jams caused by growing volumes of delivery vehicles, suggests Fragile CEO Lukas Kauer.

This week's round-up of news from the urban transport sector.

AUSTRIA: The city of Wien and municipal operator Wiener Linien have launched the Öffi-Packerl trial that will see passengers transport parcels on selected tram routes in the north of the city. Running until the end of May, Öffi-Packerl is intended to reduce traffic caused by parcel ...

USA: The Trump administration has stripped New York MTA of its role in redeveloping New York Penn Station, leaving the federal government in charge through the Department of Transportation and Amtrak.

ITALY: Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, national railway FS Group is to increase passenger services to Roma between April 23 and 27, while city transport operator ATAC is preparing to handle large numbers of visitors. There will be extra high speed and ...

BELGIUM: The Liège tramway has opened to passengers, with the first commercial service leaving Liège-Expo at 04.22 on April 28. The launch followed a formal inauguration ceremony on April 25. A public festival to celebrate the opening of the line is scheduled for May 10. ...

UK: Transport for Greater Manchester has launched the process of appointing the next operating and maintenance contractor for the Metrolink light rail network, after the Great Manchester Combined Authority's Bee Network transport committee opted for a revised franchising model rather than taking operations in-house.

COLOMBIA: The first of 30 six-car fully automated trainsets for Bogotá metro Line 1 is on test at CRRC Changchun's plant in China.

UK: UK Power Networks Services has begun work on a £24m project to upgrade sections of London Underground's high voltage power network to support the introduction of Siemens Mobility trains on the Piccadilly Line.

BRAZIL: Local transport group Comporte Participações has won the bidding auction for the operation, maintenance, modernisation and extension of São Paulo suburban rail lines 11, 12 and 13 for 25 years.

NORWAY: Stadler has announced a 'significant' contract to supply signalling systems for the expansion of Bergen's Bybanen light rail network. On April 23 the company said it had 'prevailed over renowned competitors' to win the contract worth up to €50m. The initial phase covers the first ...

USA: The Inglewood Transit Connector project to build an automated peoplemover in the Greater Los Angeles area has been put on hold. The 2·6 km three-station line was to have linked Downtown Inglewood on Los Angeles MTA's light rail K Line with entertainment facilities including the ...

This week's round-up of news from the urban transport sector.

USA: The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority introduced a redesigned network map on April 2. The first such full redesign since 1979 sees a more diagrammatic style introduced, with lines shown either on a rectilinear grid or at 45°, instead of the previous flowing curves and irregular geometry.

PORTUGAL: A project to build the first new tramway in central Lisboa for more than 60 years has been formally launched at a ceremony held in the Parque das Nações.

Reliance on proprietary technology and fragmented ticketing systems can constrain the value of public transport. The adoption of open standards in Mexico City offers an example of how integrated multimodal networks can enhance access and contribute to wider economic prosperity.

SWEDEN: Stockholm metro maintenance contractor Strukton Rail has awarded Vossloh a subcontract to use a High Speed Grinding machine to remove corrugations, slip waves and other signs of rail wear.

INTERNATIONAL: The operators of the Madrid and Delhi metros have agreed to co-operate to assess how far their networks could be used for urban parcel distribution.

SWEDEN: Systra has been awarded its first major metro contract in Stockholm, supporting the control system and rolling stock elements of the Yellow Line project. The GoA4 driverless line will start at Fridhemsplan in the city centre and run 8 km south on a wholly underground ...

This week's round-up of news from the urban transport sector.

TAIWAN: Rapid Transit System Bureau of Taichung City Government has awarded an international consortium a NT$60·8bn turnkey contract to supply the rolling stock and electrical systems for the MRT Blue Line automated metro project. Signalling partner Alstom's €159m share of the contract covers the provision of ...

INTERNATIONAL: The operators of the Madrid and Delhi metros have agreed to co-operate to assess how far their networks could be used for urban parcel distribution. The agreement, formalised on April 9, builds on a trial that Metro de Madrid has been running since September 2024 ...

DENMARK: Construction of København metro Line M5 has been approved as part of a wider agreement for the development of the artificial island of Lynetteholm as a new urban district.

UK: Work has begun to build a stop and 100-space park and ride facility at Magna on the Supertram tram-train route from Sheffield and Meadowhall to Rotherham.

GERMANY: S-Bahn Hamburg has awarded Alstom a contract to complete the fitting of its Class 490 electric multiple-unit fleet with ETCS and equipment for GoA2 semi-automatic train operation with a driver onboard. The ???60m contract announced on April 10 covers the retrofitting of 82 three-car EMUs ...

DENMARK: Construction of København metro Line M5 has been approved as part of a wider agreement for the development of the artificial island of Lynetteholm as a new urban district.

USA: The Commonwealth of Virginia is making progress with its passenger rail investment initiative, which will see the number of passenger trains operating in the state double from 2019 to 2030.