Light Rail Transit system

[hkskyline]

US$1b light railway up and running in Macau by 2014
17 September 2010
South China Morning Post

The Macau government will spend US$1 billion to build a light railway by 2014 and continue expansion thereafter, according to Michael Lam Soi-hoi, a transport infrastructure consultant with the city's government.

"In the next 10 years, a big change will come to Macau. Lots of railways and roads will be built," said Lam at the South China Transport Infrastructure conference in Shenzhen on Wednesday.

The US$1 billion would be spent on Phase I of the plan, which comprised two light rail lines and would start operation in 2014, Lam said.

One light railway line is a 9km route with 10 stations along the coast of the old city from the Border Gate to the A-Ma temple, which will be a 16.5-minute journey. The other is an 8km line with 11 stations in Taipa and Cotai, with a journey time of 17 minutes, which will connect Macau's international airport to the rest of the island.

At least two Phase I light railway stations would connect to the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway, enabling passengers to travel from Macau to Guangzhou in one hour, he said. "This will create a one-hour travel radius connecting Macau, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. This is part of a plan for seamless regional integration with the Pearl River Delta."

Macau's light railway would be linked to Guangzhou's high-speed railway and hence the national high-speed rail network, which will enable passengers to travel from Macau to Xiamen in four hours, from Macau to Wuhan in four hours and from Macau to Beijing in 10 hours, Lam said.

Phase II of the light railway system had been envisaged by the government but was still at the planning stage, he said. This will include a 5km light rail section that will connect with the Phase I light rail line, completing a loop around the old city. Other plans in Phase II include a cross-sea light railway between the old city and Taipa and a link to the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge, which is expected to start operating by the end of 2015.

However, preserving Macau's heritage buildings while constructing the light railway would be a challenge, Lam admitted.

[Blackraven]

That's cool stuff there

So with that said:
-When will they start construction?
-Does the preliminary list of stations still apply?

[Geography]

Will the LRT be elevated like Singapore's MRT or build into the streets? I've never been a fan of light rain integrated into the streets because that limits their routes, speed, train length, and makes busy streets even more congested.

[hkskyline]

Macau light rail project put on hold after Bombardier seeks court injunction
1 February 2011
The Canadian Press

MONTREAL _ The Macau government has put the brakes on the first phase of its light rail transit project after Bombardier Transportation sought a court injunction to block the awarding of a contract to Japanese rival Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Published reports in Macau said the head of the transit authority suspended the process until further notice as was required by law.

Bombardier (TSX:BBD.B) confirmed that it and partner China Road and Bridge Corp. filed an injunction in court on Friday seeking to cease all administrative actions related to the contract including blocking the US$586-million contract.

``While reviewing the tender documents of the other bidders we have found several issues that require further investigation,'' Bombardier spokesman Marc Laforge said in an email.

He said the consortium has requested information about the winning bid to make an ``equitable evaluation'' about the proposal.

``Of course, we cannot speculate on the outcome of the procedure, but hope it will be favourable to Bombardier.''

Losing bidders were formally notified about the contract with Mitsubishi on Jan. 7 and had two months to appeal.

A joint venture including German-based Siemens and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. had also bid on the contract.

Despite the injunction, neither losing bidder has filed an appeal.

The Macau transit authority said it will announce its next step ``in due time,'' but doesn't believe the injunction will have a great impact on the project's full development.

Bombardier's basic bid was $15 million lower than the winning submission, but it was higher when factoring optional work not included in the contract such as a 10-year system maintenance and options for two additional orders, according to Portuguese language newspaper Hoje Macau.

Bombardier had planned to build a railway assembly factory in neighbouring Zhuhai if it was the successful bidder.

Bombardier has a strong presence in nearby Guangzhou in southern China, but this would have been its first in Macau.

On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Bombardier shares closed down four cents to $5.70 in Monday trading.

[EricIsHim]

On hold again?? sigh... this light rail has been long due for Macau

[EricIsHim]

Light rail so close, yet so far
28/03/2011 08:35:00 Natalie Leung

The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in Hong Kong became operational in 1979 and has evolved to have a total of nine lines. The Shanghai Metro was launched in 1995 and was the third urban rapid transit system in mainland China after Beijing and Tianjin. The Japan Railways Group, commonly referred to as “JR”, operates a high quality rail service covering most parts of Japan.

All these examples seem to suggest that having a sophisticated metro transit is a common characteristic among advanced economies or developed countries, as essential as having an (international) airport, a stable and organised government, a comprehensive health care system or other major infrastructure that support people’s quality of life and daily needs.

Apparently one can find an urban railway system in most - if not all - of the highly developed or even developing countries or regions in the world.
I’m sure the Macau Government has acknowledged the fact that a mass transit system can help boost the city’s international status and is one of the many prerequisites for upgrading itself and achieving the goal of becoming a world travel and leisure hub.

Of course, the light rail transit (LRT) has also appeared to be the best and long-term solution for the traffic deadlocks in the SAR, where population and tourists are climbing and existing public transportation has long been facing public criticism.

I believe a lot of people in Macau, and perhaps even tourists who have been to Macau and have experienced the bus and taxi services here or who are planning to visit this place, have high hopes for our light rail transit, which, unfortunately, was originally supposed to have entered its first phase construction in the second half of 2008 and be up and running by the end of 2011.

At least that was what Secretary for Transport and Public Works Lau Si Io told the local media at a press conference held on October 12, 2007.
So here we are already in late March 2011 with the Transportation Infrastructure Office (GIT) having “finally” announced the winning bidder of the public tender to supply the rolling stock and system for the LRT phase one on December 30, 2010, giving the Macau public some “pleasant news” right before the New Year’s Day.

Well, regardless of whether local people like Mitsubishi or not and all those under-the-table rumours/allegations between the Macau Government and the Japanese company, it was a big step forward and has shown to the public that the LRT project is still on the agenda.

Now, GIT says the construction is expected to kick off in the second half of this year and that the transit will start operating in early 2015.
But then, the latest evolvement understood by the Macau Daily Times is that the consortium between Bombardier Transportation and China Road and Bridge Corporation, which was one of the three bidders, has filed a lawsuit on March 2 in Macau against the GIT for refusing to release several documents from the tender process to them.

I don’t have a clue what is going to happen next and I’m not saying that the consortium should not have done this which may cause delays, again, in the LRT construction, especially when it has doubts over the impartiality and fairness in the bidder selection process. But undeniably the lawsuit has now cast uncertainty on the project.

GIT chief Lei Chan Tong did not comment much on the matter even before the lawsuit. Ironically, in his inauguration back in November 2007 he pledged that his role was to “build a clean, efficient, practical and transparent image” for the GIT.

http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/ou...e-yet-far.html

[mrfusion]

I goes to Macau quite frequently, and I don't really have a problem with its Taxi, maybe because time was never a problem with me, but, yes, a more efficient transport is always welcome.

[downsouth]

Originally Posted by mrfusion

I goes to Macau quite frequently, and I don't really have a problem with its Taxi, maybe because time was never a problem with me, but, yes, a more efficient transport is always welcome.

Few years ago, I was riding a taxi to Macau Airport. On the traffic light intersection, a motorbike bumped to the back of the taxi and quickly speed away.

The taxi driver was cursing towards the biker but didn't give it a chase. Instead he stopped and get down where he was (during green light, and a van waiting behind) and started to check every inch of his vehicle. The detail check included the back, front bumper, left and right side of his vehicle...

Funny guy...

[mrfusion]

Originally Posted by downsouth

Few years ago, I was riding a taxi to Macau Airport. On the traffic light intersection, a motorbike bumped to the back of the taxi and quickly speed away.

The taxi driver was cursing towards the biker but didn't give it a chase. Instead he stopped and get down where he was (during green light, and a van waiting behind) and started to check every inch of his vehicle. The detail check included the back, front bumper, left and right side of his vehicle...

Funny guy...

He should know he has no chance to chase a bike ...

but he has to report damage to the taxi owner.

[downsouth]

Originally Posted by mrfusion

He should know he has no chance to chase a bike ...

but he has to report damage to the taxi owner.

Yeah, but he got bumped at the back but he checked the front as well.

[mrfusion]

Originally Posted by downsouth

Yeah, but he got bumped at the back but he checked the front as well.

you should have asked him, taxi drivers loves to talk/complaint/etc.

[zheng.he64]

With the price of oil going towards $ 200 a barrel, a more efficient public transportation infrastructure is certainly needed in the coming decade....

[mrfusion]

Isn't taxi in Macau use LPG already?

How is Light Rail energy usage compare to buses?

[horlick97]

Originally Posted by Geography

Will the LRT be elevated like Singapore's MRT or build into the streets? I've never been a fan of light rain integrated into the streets because that limits their routes, speed, train length, and makes busy streets even more congested.

Macau will be ideal to have monorail, eg, Hitachi, MTrans, Urbanaut. Hope they will reconsider, and perhaps call a RFP based on functional specs (only specifying performance criteria) without specifying the technology (i.e. leave it open to weather it is light rail, monorail, or underground). This way, an informed objective assessment can be made.

[mrfusion]

Originally Posted by horlick97

Macau will be ideal to have monorail,.

IMO, Monorail should never be used as serious form of transport.

It can have great success in theme park, tour trips, etc. but...

Monorail is expensive to build, expensive to run, breakdown often, difficult to maintain, service less passenger, etc.

Sydney has monorail since 1988, to me, it is a eyesore, hardly anyone use it, it is also very annoying living next to one.

[horlick97]

Originally Posted by mrfusion

IMO, Monorail should never be used as serious form of transport.

It can have great success in theme park, tour trips, etc. but...

Monorail is expensive to build, expensive to run, breakdown often, difficult to maintain, service less passenger, etc.

Sydney has monorail since 1988, to me, it is a eyesore, hardly anyone use it, it is also very annoying living next to one.

With due respect, you are very ill-informed about what monorail is. If you have an open mind and are prepared to acquire new knowledge, you can check out monorails.org for a start.

[mrfusion]

Originally Posted by horlick97

With due respect, you are very ill-informed about what monorail is. If you have an open mind and are prepared to acquire new knowledge, you can check out monorails.org for a start.

I don't know why you think i am ill informed about what monorail is.

I have a look at your webpage, it is bias like anything that try to promote itself, Prehaps there are plenty of successful monorail (success is not only about profit, it has to solve traffic problem as well). But my opinions about monorail stay, based on my experience with Sydney's monorail.

[mrfusion]

If your idea of monorail is only for a tourist attraction, that bring you from one casino to another, prehaps it has its value.

But it is still annoying having to live next to one.

[horlick97]

Originally Posted by mrfusion

I don't know why you think i am ill informed about what monorail is.

I have a look at your webpage, it is bias like anything that try to promote itself, Prehaps there are plenty of successful monorail (success is not only about profit, it has to solve traffic problem as well). But my opinions about monorail stay, based on my experience with Sydney's monorail.

That's not my website.
This is just for general reading, for layman to get some overview.
If you really want to know more, there's a big industry out there in research and in practice.
If you hold Sydney monorail as your reference for monorail, that's where you are most misinformed. That is not a mainstream transit system.
When I mentioned monorail for macau, I'm not talking about themepark, for tourist. I am talking about it as an alt to the proposed light rail, i.e. mainstream transit system.
I have mentioned some manufacturers in my earlier post. Do research them if you'd like to know more.

[mrfusion]

Well, there could be some successful monorail as a transit system such as KL, I do try to imagine how can you build it over Macau, I may be wrong, but you can't run it above the road, because the columns will be in the way, which means it has to run along/above footpath, The majority of Macau has very narrow footpath, even if it can fit the track (away from everyones balconies), you really got very limited places to fit the stations, which has to includes lifts, stairs, for predestrian access.

Yes, it can be an alternative, operational and feasibility wise, I perfer lightrails.