Deutsche Bahn (DB) was on the final preparations for the commissioning of the new Wendlingen–Ulm line as drivers gained experience on the route, as shown in Figure 1. With the timetable change on 11 December, thousands of travelers will benefit from more and faster connections between Stuttgart and Munich in Germany every day. Thanks to the new Wendlingen–Ulm route, they will save around 15 min in the future.
Figure 1 A Wendlingen–Ulm line driver in a test run. (Source: Deutsche Bahn; used with permission.)
Olaf Drescher, project manager and CEO of DB Project Stuttgart-Ulm GmbH, stated:
With the commissioning of the new line, we are igniting the turbo for the mobility turnaround in the south-west. It starts in four weeks and travelers will be amazed: faster connections, more trains between Stuttgart and Munich and the prospect of cars stuck in traffic on the Autobahn running parallel to the route. All the effort was worth it!
The new high-speed line has already been completely completed. Several times a day, around 250 train drivers complete so-called route customer trips there with an Intercity Express (ICE) train and a regional train. They learn everything that is required to be able to control trains there in the future: for example, the topographical properties of the route; the distances between the signal sections; and the track layout within the stations. Figure 2 shows a section of the route with tunnels and bridges.
Figure 2 An aerial view of a section of the Wendlingen–Ulm line. (Source: Deutsche Bahn; used with permission.)
The new infrastructure creates the basis for more attractive rail transport. In long-distance traffic, the travel time between Stuttgart and Ulm has been reduced by around 15 min thanks to the new high-speed line. This also benefits travelers between North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, for example. At the same time, the daily range of long-distance services between the two state capitals of Stuttgart and Munich will increase by around 20–90 journeys.
The final light rail vehicle to support Sound Transit’s T Line Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension arrived in Tacoma, WA, USA, as shown in Figure 3. The car, the last of five new vehicles, is part of a US$26.5 million contract with Brookville Equipment Corp. that doubled the existing fleet. Each of the 66-ft-long cars is designed to carry more than 100 passengers. The 8-ft-wide car has seating for up to 26 passengers with accessibility seating for passengers using wheelchairs and mobility devices and space for bikes.
Figure 3 The final light rail vehicle for the Hilltop Tacoma Link. (Source: Sound Transit; used with permission.)
The 2.4-mi Hilltop extension includes seven new stations; relocates the Theater District station; and will bring light rail from downtown Tacoma to the Stadium Business District and Hilltop neighborhood. Figure 4 shows the route map of the Hilltop extension. Major destinations include Wright Park, the MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, Stadium High School, and St. Joseph Medical Center. The project also includes an expansion of Sound Transit’s Operations and Maintenance Facility in Tacoma.
Figure 4 The Sound Transit Hilltop Tacoma Link route map. (Source: Sound Transit; used with permission.)
The Hilltop Tacoma Link is scheduled to open for service in the first quarter of 2023. In the final few weeks of 2022, crews will be performing rail grinding and testing cars on the new track. People in the area of the work should use crosswalks and not shortcuts to cross the street and tracks.
In Taiwan, the New Taipei City Government announced on 27 November 2022 that the Ankeng Light Rail Line passed all requirements of the system integration test and system stability test. After an initial inspection and final inspection by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication, the Ankeng Light Rail Line is set to open before the end of 2022.
The Ankeng Light Rail Line was constructed to serve the Ankeng Valley, which is a suburb of the Xindian District of New Taipei City with a population of more than 120,000 residents. This 8-km line has nine stations and one depot at the southwest end of the route near the K1 Station. Figure 5 shows the aerial view of the depot. The main line links the depot through two tunnels on the left side of the aerial photo (not shown). At the other end is the K9 Station, where the passengers can transfer to the Circle Line of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System. Figure 6 shows the aerial view of the route from the K7 Station to the K8 Station. The K9 Station is at the end of the cable-stayed bridge in Figure 6.
Figure 5 An aerial view of the Ankeng Light Rail Line depot. (Source: Department of Rapid Transit Systems, New Taipei City Government; used with proper citation.)
Figure 6 An aerial view of the Ankeng Light Rail Line between the K7 Station and the K9 Station. (Source: Department of Rapid Transit Systems, New Taipei City Government; used with proper citation.)
The Ankeng Light Rail Line is the second light rail line in New Taipei City and the third in Taiwan. The first light rail line in New Taipei City is the Danhai Light Rail, and both the Danhai and Ankeng Lines use the same vehicles, manufactured by Taiwan Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. These two light rail lines and others under planning aim to serve the outskirts of New Taipei City surrounding Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) celebrated the opening of the Silver Line Extension on 15 November 2022, connecting customers to six new stations; adding 11.4 mi of track to the Metrorail system; and beginning operations at a modern rail maintenance facility. Figure 7 shows a part of the Silver route and other WMATA Lines. The Silver Line Extension gives customers a new connection to Washington Dulles International Airport and new service between Reston, VA, and eastern Loudoun County, VA, USA. The grand opening, as shown in Figure 8, also marked the completion of the Silver Line project, a generational infrastructure investment in Northern Virginia.
Figure 7 Part of the WMATA Silver Line and downtown Washington, D.C. (Source: WMATA; used with permission.)
Figure 8 The opening ceremony of the WMATA Silver Line Extension at Dulles International Airport. (Source: WMATA; used with permission.)
Customers were greeted at the six new rail stations, and commemorative pennants were distributed on the opening day. The first Silver Line passenger train left the Ashburn Station at approximately 2 p.m., headed eastbound to the Downtown Largo Station in Prince George’s County, MD. The first stops served the extension’s six new stations—Ashburn, Loudoun Gateway, Washington Dulles International Airport, Innovation Center, Herndon, and Reston Town Center. With the Silver Line Extension opening, Metrorail now serves 97 stations on a 128-mi system in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Approximately 500 people attended the grand opening event, with remarks from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter; U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine; U.S. Representatives Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, and Jennifer Wexton; Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Jennifer DeBruhl; Fairfax County Chairman Jeff McKay; Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall; and Loudoun County Board Member Matt Letourneau, who also serves on the Metro Board of Directors.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MVT.2022.3225944