Issue 2 2012

Interview spotlight: Anna Marie Damgaard Kristensen & Ernest Fuller, Focon Electronic Systems ApS

2 May 2012
Craig Waters, Eurotransport Editor, speaks to Anna Marie Damgaard Kristensen & Ernest Fuller from Focon Electronic Systems ApS...

TETRA Communications – Free to view supplement

1 May 2012
TETRA – meeting the current and future needs of public transport around the world (Robin Davis, Chairman of the TETRA + Critical Communications Transportation Group)
Brussels metro communicates via TETRA (Marc Van den Eede, Administrative Manager of Telecommunication Tender Specifications and Frédéric Jans-Cooremans, Head of Traffic Telecom Department, STIB/MIVB)
Show Preview (TETRA World Congress 2012)

Ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games – Free to view transport supplement

1 May 2012
DLR – meeting the challenge of 2012 (Jonathan Fox, Director, Docklands Light Railway (DLR))
Olympic plans in place for Newcastle (Bernard Garner, Director General of Nexus)
Transport planning for London 2012 (David Emmerson, Head of Rail Contracts, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA))

Gathering widespread support for better public transport

25 April 2012
The ‘British experiment’ with public transport has been watched by many in Europe – some with envy, some with a kind of horrified fascination. Deregulation and privatisation of the public transport market has gone further than in any other country – buses outside London were completely deregulated in the 1980s, and the railways privatised in the 1990s. The results have been – to put it kindly – mixed. Public transport subsidies were reduced, at least initially, and lots of new services arrived. It is also worth saying that rail freight has flourished in the new environment, and has grown even during the recession. But for urban public transport, the results have been very varied. The railways have seen huge growth in patronage – more people are now travelling by train than at any time for nearly 100 years. Railway companies sometimes argue that this is down to their commercial flair – others argue that there are underlying economic reasons for this growth, with road congestion, high oil prices, planning laws and economic restructuring with more city centre develop - ment in financial services.

Nottingham express transit: Phase Two gets underway

25 April 2012
NET Phase Two is the name for the planned expansion of Nottingham’s tram system, NET Line One, with two new lines to Clifton via Wilford and to Beeston via the QMC and Chilwell, otherwise known as Lines 2 and 3. Background Construction on the new tram lines began in early-2012, and the extended system is expected to be complete and operational by the end of 2014. The £570 million project will see the network extended to the south and south west, increasing the size of the system by approximately 10.5 miles (17.5km). When finished, it is estimated that the number of passenger journeys will rise from 9-10 million a year to more than 20 million a year. The idea of reintroducing trams to Nottingham was first suggested in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1988 that Nottingham Development Enterprise (NDE) put forward a concrete proposal arguing for a modern light transit system in order to boost the local economy and tackle traffic congestion.

Driving through the challenges

25 April 2012
The current difficulties in the economy are proving to be a major challenge for businesses of all kinds across the UK… and the bus industry is no different as we too face rising costs. Increasing fuel bills and energy costs, as well as lower public sector investment in bus services, and cuts to the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) which were implemented in April 2012, mean bus operators face tough economic conditions. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to recog - nise the contribution that buses make to our daily lives. The bus industry is vital to millions of people all over the country who rely on our services day in, day out. Bus services also play a key role in helping to deliver economic growth and in helping high streets in towns and cities across the country recover from the downturn. At Stagecoach, our strategy has been to offer good value, greener, smarter bus travel. The result is that we have been able to attract people out of cars and help play our part in addressing the country’s climate change targets.

Creating a lasting legacy for Edinburgh

25 April 2012
The project to deliver a modern tram network for Edinburgh has now gained fresh momentum with visible developments and major infrastructure work ongoing along the length of the nine mile route. In the last 12 months, the project has had to overcome major challenges but with a new working relationship between the Council and contractor consortium bringing a renewed sense of determination, the tram project is now firmly on course to be delivered in 2014. It’s December 2011 and the Edinburgh Tram project has just passed its first major milestone as moving trams are tested at the Edinburgh network at the newly completed Gogar depot on the western fringe of the capital. The facility will form the focal point for the 150 people who will eventually be tasked with running the system and will also be home to the city’s fleet of 27 trams by the end of 2012. It is already a hive of activity with tram testing underway. A short 500m stretch of track allows the existing eight trams to be put through their paces. By the end of 2012 there will be a much longer stretch of track with test drivers able to travel from the depot down the mile of track down to Edinburgh International Airport marking a significant step forward in terms of delivery. The depot handover and track testing are among the many signs the project is now heading in the right direction. Major infra - structure work is underway along the length of the track from the airport through to St Andrew Square in the city centre as the jigsaw of different sites start to fit together and the final shape of the network emerges.

TfGM’s commitment to building on the progress made so far

25 April 2012
The bus has a crucial role to play in keeping our economy upwardly mobile, which is why Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has laid solid foundations for long-term improvements to the region’s services. Approximately 80% of all public transport journeys in Greater Manchester are made by bus – around 225 million a year. They are made on more than 600 different bus services, which are operated by around 50 different companies. Our role is to oversee these services to ensure the focus is firmly on achieving the very best for passengers in what is an often complex and challenging network and market. That is why we have launched a number of exciting initiatives designed to drive up standards in order to give passengers the confidence and comfort that comes with consistency. And it’s that word – consistency – that underpins our ambitions for the Greater Manchester’s bus network. We recently launched a ‘Supplier Rating System’ designed to measure the quality of a bus operator’s service against priorities that are important to passengers, before they can even start to bid to run a subsidised service on our behalf.

The automation of Paris subway line 1 contributes to on-going modernisation

25 April 2012
The Paris subway was built between 1900 and 1935. Its Operational Control Centre (OCC), Automatic Train Operation (ATO), controlled manual driving mode and new generations of rolling stock were commissioned between 1955 and 1990. The opening of line 14 (Météor) in 1998 initiated the transition between this first wave of modernisation and the second wave programmed over the period between 2005 and 2020. The foundations of the new modernisation programme were defined in April 2002. They were based on new technologies, equipment modularity and interchangeability and factored in the lessons learnt from the line 14 operation. Within this framework the automation of an existing line was considered. However, although the creation of an entirely automatic under - ground line did not present a particular challenge, no network had ever launched a conversion project without traffic interruption. The choice of an automatic line depends on the benefit brought by integral automation of train movements. The three main advantages, which are universally recognised, are: Adaptability and the potential tailoring of the offer Increase in commercial speed Traffic reliability improvement.

Warsaw Metro prepares to handle EURO 2012 arrivals

25 April 2012
Poland’s capital city, Warsaw, is one of the host cities for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship (EURO 2012) which will take place in June. The city is currently carrying out intensive preparations to welcome football players and fans. Metro Warszawskie Sp. z o.o. is involved in on-going cooperation with authorities to develop appropriate solutions for the football tournament. The company has estab - lished a department specifically to take care of issues related to passenger security by making the relevant arrangements and carrying out analyses. The department comprises Służba Ochrony Metra (the Metro Security Service) and Zakładowa Służba Ratownicza (the Emergency Service). Both units specialise in metro operations and follow strict procedures established for action undertaken in diverse situations, while constantly improving their operational capabilities through, among other things, training with the appropriate state services such as fire brigades, police and emergency services.