TransUrban 1/2008

BUSWORLD 2007, Part 2 Busworld, which in 2007 was held in Kortrijk, Belgium, between 19 and 24 October, is the largest and longest-established bus and coach trade fair in the world. In this first number of TransUrban for 2008 we continue with the report we began in TU 6/07, taking a further look at some of the exhibitors both large and small, some of them household names and others less well known, from all around the world. Turkey, Brazil and China are just three of the countries whose bus and coach industries feature in this article.   Photo: On the photo the Access’bus GX 127, Citelis and Magelys.   Photo: Bohuslav Kotal

Yutong Coaches For Central Europe It was in 2004 that a group of business entrepreneurs and bus company managers decided to investigate the potential of the Chinese bus and coach industry as an economical supplier of vehicles built to meet EU standards for use in central Europe. Out of the forty or more producers in China, a shortlist of seven was drawn up, the choice reflecting the quality of their products and the scale of their activities. A working group went out to China to tour each of the establishments, its findings indicating that the most suitable company to work with would be Yutong.   Photo: Here we see a Yutong ZK6120HE during the presentation visit to the Czech Republic in April 2007. Rather than being a vehicle specially prepared for exhibition purposes, it is a working member of the SAD Prievidza fleet. The long, low air conditioning pod on the roof can clearly be seen.   Photo: Bohuslav Kotal

TRANSEXPO Kielce 2007, Part 2 In this number of TransUrban our reporter Robert Kindl continues with his tour in words and photos of the 2007 bus and coach trade fair held in Kielce in southeast Poland between 19 and 21 September.   Photo: LAZ brought to Kielce one of its most popular products in Ukraine, the CityLAZ LAZ-183.   Photo: Robert Kindl

Two Recent Moskva Metro Inaugurations The winter of 2007/8 promised the dawn of a new era of expansion for the huge metro network in the Russian capital, with the inauguration of a new interchange, Sretensky Bulvar, on Line 10, the opening of two new sections of route on Line 3, and the associated remodelling of services on Lines 3 and 4.   Photo: On 7 January 2008, amid celebrations, the western extension of Moskva metro's Line 3 (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya) from Park Pobedy to Strogino was inaugurated. The first commercial service was operated by a Rusich Class 81-7140.1/741.1 train, seen here at the new terminus. Note the seats on the platform - these are made of a rare wood with stainless steel supports.   Photo: Dmitry Savin

Rheinbahn's NF8U Trams In April 2007 Rhein-bahn, which operates public transport services in the Düsseldorf area, took delivery of the first two of a batch of 15 low floor type NF8U trams, built by Siemens and Vossloh Electric Systems, and a customised development of the popular Combino type.   Photo: The bodyshells are made of welded aluminium, and have doors and exterior information panels on both sides, even though the trams are uni-directional. There is a good reason for this - unlike the NF8 and NF10 vehicles, the NF8Us can run in multiple (up to three units).   Photo: Petr Kaderavek

A Second-generation Tramway For Le Mans. Over the weekend of 17 and 18 November 2007 Le Mans, located in Pays de Loire region and famous for its 24-hour sports car race, became the seventeenth city in France to gain a modern tramway network. The city's first-generation tramway network closed in 1947.   Photo: Bearing the name "24 heures du Mans" in recognition of the city's world-famous car race, tram 1010 calls at the interchange stop at Saint Martin, en route to the university.   Photo: Jana Lecleire

And much more!