Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the operator of the fully automated Line 9/10 and the main public transport operator in Barcelona, has become the first metro in the world to put into operation, on an experimental basis, a set of vertical platform screen doors. This innovative solution aims to improve passenger safety and comfort and, at the same time, enhance the safety and regularity of train traffic. Read more →
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Trainsandtech
On 26 May the Metro North West Line opened in Syndey. This fully automated line is the first metro line in Australia.
The Metro North West Line is Stage 1 of Sydney Metro and includes 36km of track, 13 stations and a depot. It runs from Tallawong Station at Rouse Hill to Chatswood.
The line incorporated an existing 13km railway between Epping to Chatswood, which was updgraded for the metro project. Read more →
The ‘World Report on Metro Automation 2018’ was published on 23 May. This new UITP Statistics Brief introduces the current standing of automated metros across the globe – and expectations for the years to come.
Last year witnessed the milestone achievement of 1000km of automated metros reached as the Pujiang Line opened for use in Shanghai.
As of December 2018, nearly a quarter of the world’s metro systems have at least one fully automated line in operation. Read more →
The Doha Metro project upon completion will consist of three lines
The first metro line in Doha, the fully automated Red Line, opened on 8 May, serving 13 out of the 18 stations that it will serve upon completion.
The originally planned opening date was in 2020, but Qatar Rail has decided to open a “preview” service ahead of schedule to allow testing the Doha Metro system with passengers and provide an opportunity to evaluate and review performance, in preparation for the full operation of the network. Read more →
Dubai metro
On 31 March, Serco Group plc (Serco) signed a two-year contract extension with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to continue operating and maintaining the Dubai Metro until September 2021. The contract extension includes the operation and maintenance of the Red Line extension which is under construction.
The total value of the fixed base fee for the contract extension is around AED680m (equivalent to approximately €164m).
The test run of the Red Line expanded service is expected to start in February 2020, with a view to be ready for full operation ahead of Expo 2020 which begins in October. The extension will add 15km and connect seven stations. At that point, the Dubai Metro will have a total network length of 90km and over 120 trains running at peak hours.
Serco first began operating and maintaining the initial ten stations on the Red Line from the official opening of the Dubai Metro in 2009. Expansion of the Metro has seen the Red Line grow to 29 stations, while the Green Line, opened in 2011, added an additional 20 stations.
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said: “Serco has delivered operational performance levels on the Dubai Metro with a high train service availability of 99.9% and a punctuality of 99.8%, achieving a record of 204 million journeys in 2018.”
Source: Serco press release