An Order is to be made under the Transport and Works Act (TWA) giving powers to extend the Midland Metro light rapid transit system from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, Transport Minister David Jamieson announced recently. A separate process will take place to determine funding for the project.

Subject to Parliamentary confirmation, and funding approval from the Government, the Order will enable the building of an 11 kilometre extension of the Midland Metro from the existing line at Wednesbury, to Brierley Hill via Dudley town centre. Much of the extension would run along the routes of disused railways. The decision to make the Order, which was applied for by Centro, accords with the recommendation of the Inspector who held a public inquiry into the proposals.

Commenting on the decision, David Jamieson said: "The inquiry Inspector concluded that this extension of the Midland Metro would bring transport, regeneration and socio-economic benefits to the area. We agree with him. The scheme would improve accessibility to and within the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill transport corridor. It would run through some deprived areas and serve some new development sites. It would also provide an attractive alternative to the use of the car. We believe that the loss of some public open space as part of the scheme is justified by the wider benefits. This will, however, mean that the Order will have to be referred to Parliament for consideration before the powers can come into effect. I should also like to make clear that the decision on the TWA Order is separate from a decision on funding, which will be subject to a separate approval process."

City councillors in Edinburgh are set to approve the submission of a private Bill to the Scottish Parliament to build Line Three of Edinburgh's planned tram network. Transport chiefs said the cost of the nine-mile line had risen from £170m to £198m due to the inclusion of a contingency cost and landscape and public realm improvements. The majority of the funding for the line is expected to be raised from a road congestion charge, a referendum on which will be held in 2005.

The light rail connection between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn (The Netherlands) will continue for two more years. This has been decided by the Provincial Government.

The Province of Zuid-Holland, the NS (the Dutch Railway Company) and the HTM (The Hague Tramway Company) are in consultation about running the Gouda - Alphen line. The trial run of this line which started in March of 2003 and ended in December 2004 has proven to be a success.

The light rail trial was an initiative of the Provincial Government and is part of preparations for the future RijnGouweLijn. The trial in which light rail carriages, passenger trains and freight trains use the same track has been enlightening.

Research performed in 2003 showed that a majority of travellers prefer light rail transport. “The popularity of light rail is an incentive to continue the trial. Light rail lines are a good investment in Public Transport,” according to a Provincial Governor.

Problems with the new security system caused delays. The problems have been solved, and the trial provides a great deal of technical information. The results of the study will be evaluated. Later in 2005 a report of the evaluation will be published.

Transport chiefs in Leeds have relaunched their bid to see trams running in the city with an announcement that they can slash £250m from the cost of the Supertram scheme. At a briefing on 15 November 2004, representatives of the city's commercial and civic sector heard that West Yorkshire passenger transport executive Metro and Leeds City Council have restructured the scheme's finances. The authorities said they are confident they can bring the costs of the scheme very close to the £355m originally pledged by the government in 2001. Metro director general Kieran Preston said that the savings had been achieved through a combination of new technical solutions to engineering problems, postponing construction of a 7 km stretch of the network and by a more appropriate approach to the share of the scheme's operating risks. Leeds MP Hilary Benn praised the city on its revised bid. 'Supertram does add up for the city and that's why we've got to push for it as hard as we can,' he said.

An Order is to be made under the Transport and Works Act (TWA) giving powers to build a new tramway from Liverpool to Kirkby, Transport Minister David Jamieson announced recently. A separate process will take place to determine funding for the project.

Subject to funding approval from the Government, the Order will enable the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive to construct an 18 kilometres long tramway from the King's Waterfront in Liverpool to Kirkby town centre. The scheme includes a Park and Ride site and an Operations and Control Centre in Croxteth. The decision to make the Order accords with the recommendation of the Inspector who held a public inquiry into the proposals.

Commenting on the decision, David Jamieson said: "This new tramway would bring clear transportation, regeneration and socio-economic benefits to the area. This scheme provides for a high quality public transport service which would serve some of the country's most deprived areas as well as some important new development sites. It would integrate well with the existing transport network and I agree with the Inspector that it is capable of giving a real boost to the image and profile of Merseyside. "I should make clear that the decision on the TWA Order is separate from a decision on funding, which will be subject to a separate approval process."

A Birmingham City Council decision on the future of the problematic Moor Street bus mall has now cleared the way for an expansion of the Midland Metro to be given the green light.

Although a public inquiry into the Snow Hill to Five Ways line closed in January 2004, an outstanding objection from bus company Travel West Midlands regarding the re-routing of buses to make way for trams was holding up a decision.

"We can formally inform the Passenger Transport Authority and the Department for Transport that we have a solution to the bus mall," strategic director of development David Pywell told the city's Cabinet meeting. He explained that the Government would now be in a position to rule on the outcome of last year's public inquiry into the extension of the Midland Metro tram network through the streets of Birmingham city centre.

Bus services displaced by the Metro line had been intended to be reallocated to the new bus-only road, but this was partially-closed in late 2003 because of its poor safety record. Birmingham City Council has now agreed an alternative road layout with the bus company and Centro, which replaces confusing pedestrian crossings and can restore two-way working to the bus mall.

"We can now look forward to the day when there is an approved scheme for street running Metro in Birmingham city centre that integrates well with bus and rail services," says Passenger Transport Authority chairman Cllr Gary Clarke. "The city desperately needs a modern public transport system and we should grasp the nettle and get on with it."

Although the outcome of a feasibility study into an underground alternative to the Midland Metro is still a few months away, Cllr Clarke thanked his Birmingham colleagues for finally resolving the bus mall issue. "It means that when the feasibility study makes its report there should be no remaining question marks over what we believe will be the more viable option," he adds.

Centro, the public body spearheading the Midland Metro proposals says it has resolved all the other outstanding issues raised during the public inquiry process and is awaiting the Secretary of State's approval for the scheme. A parallel expansion of the Midland Metro, which also went to public inquiry during 2004, received Government approval just before Christmas. That will provide an 11 km extension from line one at Wednesbury to Dudley town centre, Merry Hill and Brierley Hill.

The HTM (The Hague Tramway Company) has started testing the RandstadRail Route with a mock frame the same size as the future RandstadRail carriages. These test-drives imitate the way the new carriages behave and reveal the obstacles like shrubbery and road signs on the route.

The new RandstadRail carriages will arrive mid 2006. These carriages are longer and wider than the present vehicles. The mock frame has the size of the future RandstadRail carriages which is 38 metres long and 2.65 wide. The trams currently used are 30 metres long and 2.35 metres wide. The frame is powered and will be tugged. The trial runs are conducted at night times making sure not to hinder daily operations.

A £1bn masterplan for Derby city centre recommends the building of a light rail line linking the railway station with the city's central area. The idea is the brainchild of Derby Cityscape, an urban regeneration company set up with government backing to provide a blueprint for development in Derby over the next 15 years. Cityscape chief executive John Cadwallader believes a tram-style system is essential for improving visitors' first impressions of the city when arriving by train and to boost tourism. Derby City Council is understood to be carrying out a feasibility study into the viability of such a scheme but no funding has been secured as yet.

At the start of 2005 brand-new information panels will be placed at bus stops on secondary roads. These panels contain elaborate travel information. Apart from the travel information the signs have a map of the area. In this new design the requirements and demands of the commuters are incorporated. This final design has been chosen after extensive trials.

These new easy to read signs contain the following information:

The name of the bus stop, the bus number and route, departure information or timetable, a map of the area and the fares.

At the start of 2005 about 700 of these information panels will be be placed.

About 400 bus stops on b-roads will be illuminated and will have sheltered waiting rooms with extensive travel information. Bicycle sheds and where possible parking space will be made available near the bus stops.

Promoters of expansion of Manchester's Metrolink tram network have won a partial victory, with the government agreeing to reinstate £520m of funding awarded to the city in December 2002. The decision follows months of lobbying by the city after transport secretary Alistair Darling announced earlier this year that the spiralling cost of Phase 3 expansion meant the government was no longer willing to fund the scheme. Following this decision, a Department for Transport/Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive working group was set up to see whether light rail could be made affordable in Manchester and to consider alternatives. The transport secretary also appointed his own financial and technical consultants to review the Phase 3 plans. While the new funding agreement puts Metrolink expansion back on the agenda, transport chiefs will have to resolve a £400m funding gap if they wish to proceed with all three lines envisaged in the Phase 3 expansion plan. If other money cannot be found, a scaled down expansion package is one option. Further money towards the scheme may be available from the government's new Transport Innovation Fund or, alternatively, the city may decide that some or all of the £520m would be better spent on other public transport networks, including bus or heavy rail. Once a decision has been reached, Manchester transport chiefs will detail their plans in the city's second Local Transport Plan, due to be

submitted to the Department for Transport in July 2005. The DfT will then decide on whether to accept the proposals with a verdict expected before the end of 2005.

Council chiefs in Nottingham are to postpone applying for powers to build phase two of Nottingham's tram network following delays to the approval of the scheme from central government. The promoters of the scheme, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, had hoped that a decision on the economic case for the proposals for new lines - to Chilwell via Beeston and to Clifton via Wilford - would have been forthcoming from the Department for Transport by now. However, a decision is not now expected until the end of the year. As a result, councillors have decided to postpone submitting a Transport and Works Act Order application ahead of the county council breaking for elections next May. Councillors feel that even if the economic case received central government approval by December, the timescale would be too tight for both the city and county councils to thoroughly review and approve plans for the application before May 2005. Therefore they have opted to wait until after the elections when a newly-elected council is in place. In the meantime, work will continue to develop the proposals as will the ongoing dialogue with the Department for Transport.

Swansea councillors are to visit tram networks in three UK cities before they invite plans for a proposed £100 million scheme for the city, reports the South Wales Evening Post. They will examine trams in Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield and consider the viability and practicalities of introducing similar systems in Swansea. The council's economic and strategic development cabinet advisory committee has already looked at a draft brief for a study on a tram system for Swansea. Members will now undertake site visits and meet in February 2005 to consider the final elements of the brief when consultants will be invited to undertake a six month study into the preferred scheme.

Bradford has joined the list of UK cities considering installing a guided bus/tram system with technology from Transport Design International-owned Minitram Systems in what looks set to be a defining year for the manufacturer.

Transport chiefs from West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive are studying whether the technology could provide a link between Bradford's two city railway stations as part of a major redevelopment of the city centre.

Minitram managing director Martin Pemberton expects around 10 TDI-designed vehicles to enter service this year: “Stratford-upon-Avon is likely to be the first commercial system with a summer launch date.

The local council is currently going through the procurement process and will decide on the number of vehicles it wants to order within the next few months.

Next on the list is Nottingham, which has conducted a feasibility study into running Minitram vehicles and is currently raising finance for the project. A decision on whether to go ahead is expected in about three months time”.

The Minitram vehicle can be used for guideway or ultra light rail applications but so far those cities in the UK interested have opted for the cheaper guideway approach which uses Minitram's Safeguide technology to follow a cable embedded in the road surface. The vehicles run on rubber tyres but cannot deviate from the guideway route.