Latest news with #lightrail
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Nigeria: FG, Kaduna govt to partner on light rail projects
The Federal Government (FG) has reaffirmed its willingness to collaborate with the Kaduna State government on the construction of light rail projects to enhance the state's transportation system. During a meeting with a delegation from the Kaduna State Government, the Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, acknowledged the state government's eagerness to partner with the Federal Ministry of Transportation for the development of the light rail. He emphasised that this partnership is both timely and relevant, stating that the transportation sector is crucial for the nation's economy. He noted that no country can significantly improve its GDP without an efficient and affordable transportation system. 'When I took over as the Minister of Transportation. I was directed by Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to ensure the timely delivery of all railway projects under the railway partnership. Your Excellency, the Ministry is pleased with your developmental metrics. It matched with that of our dear President in putting transportation on the top scale of your administration. 'When Mr. President visited China for a state visit. He has engaged President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China to ensure the delivery of our project from Ibadan to Abuja and Kaduna to Kano and Portharcourt to Maiduguri Your Excellency, I am pleased to inform you that we are going to deliver Kaduna to Kano segment of the railway modification project by next year. Kano to Maradi with a branchline to Dutse by next year.' The Minister further gave the assurances of support under the directive of Mr President, that the Ministry should collaborate with the sub-nationals to ensure the development of rail transportation sector, that the Federal Ministry of Transportation would cooperate with Kaduna State to ensure timely delivery of the Kaduna Light Rail. Alkali therefore gave an express directive the the Ministry's Permanent Secretary to set up an engagement committee between the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and the Kaduna state government who will give the design on how the light rail project, would be developed. 'We want to do the ground-breaking as quickly as possible. The committee will submit a report within two weeks. And you are directed to come to your inaugural meeting. I am going to inaugurate the committee on Monday. I will give you the terms of reference. I have already given you a marching order to report back to the Ministry within two weeks,' said Alkali. Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani who led the delegation appreciated the minister for repositioning the rail transportation system within and outside the country. The governor asserted that addressing transportation-related issues would no doubt address other pressing issues such as the creation of jobs and the enhancement of productivity. 'I want to appreciate the minister for repositioning both within the country and outside. And the level of support the ministry is getting from her partners and that is why some of us at subnational have step up and that is why today with the support of our leaders President Bola Tinubu who have given this rare opportunity to give the minister.' Sen. Uba Sani noted that Kaduna state is one of the states leading in the area of transportation, the transportation hub in the whole of northern Nigeria, and second to none after Lagos. 'Few week ago, President Bola Ahmed was in Kaduna to commission our 100 CNG buses and he attest to the fact that Kaduna is leading, and not only that, five months ago we did the ground breaking of our brt and we are embarking on 24km corridor, of our bus terminal which I have no doubt that it is the first in Nigeria. I am here to brief the minister that we are making a lot of progress. We are looking forward to commissioning the project by the 3rd quarter of next year. 'Due to this, President Tinubu selected Kaduna as one of the few states for the light rail project. 'President Tinubu has given 100 billion first instalment to support towards ensuring the light rail in Kaduna, ' he said.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Future of the Luas: suburban routes and circular services around Dublin by 2050
An ambitious plan for the future of the Luas in Dublin would see the development of two new circular lines running along the outskirts of the city centre. The Luas 2050 vision would also include new lines to the suburbs of Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Balgriffin and Clongriffin, as well as the two new circle lines and an orbital route outside the M50 motorway. An internal presentation at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said light rail would be a key part of public transport in the capital for the future and said plans for new lines should be accelerated. However, it highlighted issues with the existing network, noting one line was already running 'at or over capacity.' READ MORE The TII slide show noted there were not enough trams on the Red Line, which connects Dublin's Docklands to Tallaght and Saggart, Co Dublin. A Sandyford-bound Luas in Dublin city centre. Transport Infrastructure Ireland has set out possible expansion plans. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill It said there were constraints to increasing services and managing future demand, but there may now be an 'appetite to address' some of the challenges, given the success of the Luas network. TII said longer, 55-metre trams might not be a solution as these were slower and because so much of the Red Line was shared with cars including at busy junctions. It said this created possible safety issues, so more trams were needed rather than longer ones. The presentation also said capacity on the Green Line, which runs from Broombridge to Sandyford and Bride's Glen, Co Dublin, was 'okay for [the] short term.' [ Proposal for Finglas Luas stop near Dublin Airport rejected Opens in new window ] It said changes and improvements in service were possible and said this could be accommodated with the existing fleet of trams. Issues around depots were highlighted, with the main facility at Sandyford 'land constrained' and not suitable for expansion. Room at Broombridge was flagged for an increase in size, but this was not considered ideal 'for operational reasons'. It said an option around land acquisition and possible expansion at the Red Cow could be looked at in the future, while the presentation also put forward the possibility of numerous added lines, including an ambitious plan for circle routes over the next 25 years. One of the suggested 'circular' lines would run from Finglas past Dublin City University, through Drumcondra, along Griffith Avenue and onwards to Marino and Fairview. It said in the short term, work should continue on a Luas extension to Poolbeg as well as producing studies on the efficiency and flexibility of the existing Red and Green Lines. [ Finglas Luas: New tram line could service population of 60,000 by 2031 Opens in new window ] The slide show suggested a 'new Luas project' should be examined, with one possibility being a connection to University College Dublin, while it also recommended moving forward on an extension to Bray, Co Wicklow, with an indicative start date of between 2028 and 2030. The document said workshops on accelerating project delivery would be useful to help speed up development of new projects. 'Initial findings are that barriers [and] delays are outside the control [and] remit of the project team,' it noted. According to the presentation, from 2029 on they should be looking at starting work on a new Luas line every one to two years to have an advanced network by 2050. Asked about the records, a spokesman for TII said: 'The Luas is a critical piece of public transportation infrastructure. 'Transport Infrastructure Ireland taking a strategic look ahead to 2050 allows for the public and decision-making bodies such as the Department of Transport and National Transport Authority to see where potential investments can be made to support the country's future growth and development.'
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Luas 2050 plans include two new circular lines on outskirts of Dublin city centre
An ambitious plan for the future of Luas in Dublin would see the development of two new circular lines that would run on the outskirts of the city centre. The Luas 2050 vision would also include new lines to Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Balgriffin, and Clongriffin, as well as the two new circle lines, and an orbital route outside the M50 motorway. Advertisement An internal presentation from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said that light rail would be a key part of public transport in the capital for the future and plans for new lines should be accelerated. However, it highlighted issues with the existing network with one line already running 'at or over capacity.' The slideshow said there were not enough trams on the Red Line which connects Dublin's Docklands to Tallaght and Saggart. It said there were constraints to increasing services and managing future demand but that there may now be an 'appetite to address' some of the challenges given the success of the Luas network. Advertisement TII said longer 55-metre trams might not be a solution because they were slower and because so much of the Red Line was shared with cars including busy junctions. It said this created possible safety issues and that more trams were needed rather than longer vehicles. The presentation said the capacity of the Green Line, which runs from Broombridge to Sandyford and Bride's Glen was 'ok for [the] short term.' It said some changes and increases in service were possible and that this could be accommodated with the existing fleet of trams. Advertisement TII said there were also issues around depots with the main facility at Sandyford 'land constrained' and not suitable for expansion. The presentation said there was room at Broombridge for an increase in size but that this was not ideal 'for operational reasons.' It said an option around land acquisition and possible expansion at the Red Cow could also be looked at in the future. The slideshow also put forward the possibility of numerous added lines including an ambitious plan for circle routes over the next 25 years. Advertisement One of the suggested 'circular' lines would run from Finglas past DCU, through Drumcondra, along Griffith Avenue, and onwards to Marino and Fairview. It said that in the immediate short term, work should continue on a Luas extension to Poolbeg as well as studies on the efficiency and flexibility of the existing Red and Green Lines. The slideshow suggested a 'new Luas project' should be examined, with one possibility a connection to UCD. It also recommended moving forward with an extension to Bray with an indicative start date of between 2028 and 2030. Advertisement The document said workshops on accelerating project delivery would be useful to help speed up development of new projects. Ireland Two men arrested after €30 million worth of cocain... Read More 'Initial findings are that barriers [and] delays are outside the control [and] remit of the project team,' it said. The presentation said from 2029 onwards, they should be looking at starting work on a new Luas line every one to two years to have an advanced network by 2050. Asked about the records, a spokesman for TII said: ''The Luas is a critical piece of public transportation infrastructure. 'Transport Infrastructure Ireland taking a strategic look ahead to 2050 allows for the public and decision-making bodies such as the Department of Transport and National Transport Authority to see where potential investments can be made to support the country's future growth and development.'
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Businesses cry for help as closure of Parkes Way expected to cause more traffic chaos
The temporary closure of a main arterial road is expected to cause traffic chaos in the Canberra CBD, leaving local businesses increasingly frustrated. Parkes Way will be closed in both directions between Coranderrk Street and the Glenloch Interchange from 8pm Friday, June 27, to 5am Monday, June 30, while the foundations are laid for a light rail bridge. The road is a main arterial that runs East-West along the northern edge of Lake Burley Griffin, and is a main feeder of traffic to the city, with turn-offs for traffic to access Canberra's north and south. Canberra Business Chamber CEO Greg Harford said the closure would have a big disruptive impact on businesses. "That's coming on top of significant disruption around the construction of light rail in the city centre itself," he said. "There is real concern about the ongoing nature of the disruptions we are seeing. "It's not good for business when customers find it hard to get around. Mr Harford acknowledged that much of the work was the unavoidable growing pains of a city with an increasing population, but he said the situation could be handled better. "Obviously, there's going to be some disruption when you're making major changes to the road and infrastructure," he said. "What could be done better is we could be phasing it differently and having parts of the road closed for shorter periods of time." He said some businesses were becoming increasingly unviable because customers were struggling to access the store. "The city centre will remain open and we're keen to see Canberrans come out and support local businesses." Infrastructure Canberra's acting deputy project director of light rail, Anthony Haraldson, said there would be diversions in place to avoid traffic confusion. Closures on a second weekend — July 4 to 7 — could be required to complete the work if it is not finished in time. Mr Haraldson said the light rail construction would continue to intermittently affect traffic. However, he said such closures would be similar to that on Parkes Way — conducted after hours on weekends to limit the impact on motorists.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- The Guardian
Sydney tram drivers say they fear more pedestrian deaths without urgent safety fixes
Sydney tram drivers say the city's light rail infrastructure needs to be made safer after a second fatal incident involving a pedestrian in two years. The drivers, who spoke to Guardian Australia on the condition of anonymity because they were afraid of losing their jobs, said they had been banned from sharing information about the deaths with colleagues. Drivers said they decided to risk speaking out because they wanted safety changes and had concerns about the current set-up, including that it was too easy for someone to fall into the gap between a crowded platform and a tram. They raised concerns that existing safety measures were not adequate, saying the trams' camera system was too slow to switch on and an emergency sensor underneath the carriages did not activate during the two recent fatal incidents. One driver said they were discouraged even from sharing articles about safety issues, such as one published by Guardian Australia on 7 June, two days after a pedestrian was hit and killed by a tram in Surry Hills. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email A driver raised concerns that they were being silenced by Transdev, the light rail's private operator. Guardian Australia has obtained a leaked internal communique from 8 June warning staff not to talk among themselves about the deaths. 'Sharing content or discussing distressing details – whether through employee or unofficial channels – is disrespectful and potentially in breach of the code of conduct,' Transdev warned drivers in the note. 'They always put out things like that, trying to not let us really talk about incidents that have happened,' a driver said. 'My gut feeling is they just don't want the driver group as a whole to know too much about things that happen.' But a Transdev spokesperson said the note was 'aimed at reminding all employees of their obligations to wider staff wellbeing and not designed to curb discussion about the related news coverage'. 'Formal and informal mechanisms for safety conversations between employees and employer representatives, and additionally with unions are part of regular engagements held monthly to discuss diverse ranges of safety issues,' they said. On Sydney's L2 and L3 routes, two 33m-long trams are coupled together to form 66-metre-long vehicles. On 5 June, a man died at the light rail stop in Surry Hills. Police said they believed he was trying to cross between the first and second carriage. In 2023, a teenage girl died after becoming trapped underneath a tram while attempting to cross a street in the CBD. Police told the ABC at the time that she had been trying to climb between the two tram carriages. The drivers who spoke to Guardian Australia said Sydney's trams had been fitted with a metal barrier underneath the carriages, which was attached to a sensor that would be triggered if it ran over something and bring the tram to a halt. 'Occasionally they're triggered at the front when you've gone over a cardboard box or something,' one driver said. 'In the [2023] incident in Chinatown, we knew the tram had gone 100 metres without stopping and it didn't work because it [was] meant to trigger an alarm and stop the tram.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion David Babineau, NSW division secretary at the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, said anecdotal evidence from members was that the system did not engage the way it was supposed to. 'Whether that means it was switched off, or not operating, we would expect [the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator] to get to the bottom of it,' Babineau said. 'When the coupled trams were introduced, we were explicitly promised it was impossible for someone to get run over at the beginning. Why now are two people dead in two years?' Drivers told Guardian Australia the trams had been fitted with cameras after the 2023 death that allowed them to see some blind spots around the trams whenever they were stopped at a platform, but there could be a delay in these activating. 'It sometimes does take a few seconds longer than it should to appear,' one driver said. They said drivers were 'under the pump to make trips on time' and so might not wait for the camera feed to appear on the dashboard. 'There is a delay of a few seconds of the camera coming up,' another driver said. 'The phase of the signals are telling you you have to go, your doors are closed and you're ready.' One driver said the yellow line at the light rail stops should be moved further back, as it was right at the edge of the platform and commuters were confused about where to stand, reinforcing concerns raised by a woman who witnessed the death on 5 June. Annalise Gasparre, 27, who said she was at the light rail stop when the pedestrian was hit, said 'you could fit two people' between the platform and the coupling joining the two trams. 'To be honest, I think the light rail design needs to be changed,' she told Guardian Australia last week. 'The danger gap is so big.' Transdev and Transport for New South Wales declined to comment on the record when asked about the sensors, cameras, or yellow safety lines at platforms. Transdev suggested the sensors installed on light rail vehicles were not disabled for any reason, but would not clarify when asked if this included the second carriages or if they had ever been disabled. The company suggested the yellow safety line visually marked the edge of the platform, helping to prevent slips on to the track, as light rail platforms were closer to street level than train platforms. The drivers who spoke to Guardian Australia echoed calls from experts who suggested that the gap between the tram carriages be blocked off with netting or another sort of barrier, to prevent people from trying to cross between them. They said the coupling area was dangerous and the existing warning signs weren't enough of a deterrent. 'Further deaths are inevitable, really,' one driver said. 'The only way to stop that is to restrict access to it.' A Transdev spokesperson said an investigation into the Surry Hills death would review what controls were in place. 'We cannot speculate further on any controls or conditions at this time,' they said. 'While the matter is investigated, we are unable to comment further.'
