Derailments.Part of the purpose of testing is to look for weaknesses and overcome them. So the fact that some may be found should not be automatically seen as a problem. According to official Translohr publicity "There is no possibility of derailment, even under very poor conditions of adhesion." However, there have been some teething issues, and trials these included a few derailments! Because of this some pundits rather unkindly suggested that the Translohr system is about as un-derailable as the many claims that the Titanic would be unsinkable. There might be some significance in that whilst the GLT / TVR in Nancy and Caen now exerts a downward pressure of 75 KG on the guide rail the Translohr trams only exert 10% of this. In Clermont-Ferrand the derailment which occurred on 2nd October 2006 (during pre-opening trials / staff training) was found to have been caused by debris left on the track after a car accident. As a result of this incident the safety official decided not to allow the Translohr to start full commercial service a fortnight later, as originally planned. Instead there was a delay whilst detailed investigations on the incident could be completed. However although passenger services were prohibited test runs were allowed, although initially these excluded the section of track past the site of the derailment. Padua has suffered a string of minor derailments. The first of these was on the 2nd October 2006 and involved a Translohr tram leaving the (temporary) depôt. Following this Padua's Translohr trams were modified with "the mounting of a new device on every vehicle which removes dirt from the rail, and, if it detects an obstacle, it brakes with the emergency brake.". On 5th May 2007 Padua experienced a more serious derailment where there was both an injury and damage. The incident itself saw the last wheel unit derailing with the rear section of a tram sideswiping a traffic signal, which was actually fortunate because it protected many pedestrians from harm. Unfortunately however a number of glass windows were damaged and one pedestrian was temporarily hospitalised as a result of his injuries. Apparently this derailment was blamed upon issues with the road surface. It seems that a stone sett worked loose and made its way into the vehicle's articulation, and although it was not blocking the guidance rail the unfortunate chance of the tram passing over a point in the trackage somehow resulted in a partial derailment. Although the automated obstacle detection system was activated it seems that it was not possible to prevent the incident. Some reports suggest that there is at least an element of culpability on the part of the tram driver, with suggestions that he / she ignored a warning signal. Other reports suggest that this could be because the warning system often activated without valid reasons. It should be noted that at the time these notes were written (15th May 2007) the information on this accident was based on unofficial reports, so may need revision at a later date. Another derailment occurred on 11th July 2007. No-one was hurt but the service was interrupted for a while, with different sources suggesting 90 minutes - a couple of hours. It is possible that somehow the malfunctioning of a point was to blame for this incident. There was yet another derailment on the 31st October 2007, with a tram derailing at a junction in the track and the point / switch / turnout not being set properly for the correct route. It seems that the cause of the problem might have something to do with a radio controlled junction actuation system which is being blocked or otherwise suffering from some kind of interference, as apparently there have previously been problems at this specific location. The delays from this incident were relatively small - approximately half an hour. Apparently the same day also saw a delegation from Shanghai, China, visiting to look at the Translohr system with a view to using it in their home city. Tianjin had its first derailment on 20th August 2007 with two wheel units becoming derailed and the vehicle swinging out to completely block a three lane roadway. |
The side of the drivers' cab, showing the CCTV camera to help for him / her with door closing (a feature which is often found on trams), and the notice on the vehicle's passenger doors.
More locations - in France and Asia.Two Translohr systems have been proposed for the Paris / Île-de-France area, linking Saint-Denis with Garges-Sarcelles and Châtillon with Viroflay. The former will feature 16 stops and be 6.6km in length. To be known as Line T5 it will use 15 Translohr STE3 format trams and is scheduled to open in 2011 (although some sources say 2012). The latter will follow a radial route 14km in length (including a 1.6km underground section) through the city's southern suburbs. There will be 21 stops, including two underground. It will use a fleet of 28 Translohr trams which will be of the longest STE6 format - making this the first fleet of such vehicles. To be known as Line T6 services were initally expected to start in 2010, which then slipped to two stages in 2011 and 2012, and now to 2014. In October 2008 construction began of a 9km Translohr Tramway in Zhangjiang, which is to the south-east of Shanghai, China. The inital plans were for 12 STE3 Translohr vehicles serving a route which extends from Zhangjiang High-tech Park Station of Metro Line 2 to Jinqiu Road, on a route which serves 15 stations and crosses seven river channels - requiring the building of one bridge and renovation of 10 further bridges. According to Xu Daofang, a chief engineer of tram engineering who works for the Shanghai Transportation Engineering Society, Zhangjiang is a good place to implement the city's first tram line because "it is not as busy as the city centre and construction will not affect many people". The first 9 Translohr trams arrived in February 2009 and the line opened on 31st December 2009. The choice of Translohr tramway technology was influenced by a desire to minimise 'track noises', with the rubber tyres being perceived as being more likely to make meeting this desire possible than than steel wheels. In addition, it was felt that rubber tyres would be better able to cope with the hilly terrain in the local area. Other locations known to be interested in Translohr ssytems include Medillin, Columbia (South America) where a system using 11 STE3 Translohr trams is hoped to be opening in 2014; Strasbourg in France and Bamako - the capital city of the African nation of Mali. |
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Translohr tram in Shanghai.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zhangjiang_Tram.jpg | | Translohr in Binhai New Area (aka Tanggu), Tianjin
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Tram_in_Tianjin.jpg |
More photographs of the Tianjin Translohr can be found on the Gakei.com website at http://gakei.com/tsn/tsnt.htm (Link opens in a new window)More Italian Happenings.In 2010 Padua suffered two more derailments. The first occurred on 13th January and although no official statement was made it seems that the tram derailed at a junction / on pointwork. Human error is suspected as the cause. No-one was hurt. The second derailment occurred on 26th April and it seems that a tram travelling at 25km/h approaching a junction and expecting to travel 'straight ahead' encountered a point which was set for turning right, a manouevre which requires a much lower speed of around 5km/h. Sources suggest an electrical issue affecting the point had resulted in it being set in the wrong direction. Again, no-one was hurt. What is also perhaps very relevant here is that had a normal 'duorail' tram encountered a similar situation it too would almost certainly have also derailed, as the centrifugal force would have been too great to permit it to make the turn at the higher speed. The Padua system is expanding, with there being another five routes (SIR 2 - SIR 6) either proposed or actually under construction. Fleet expansion will include some STE4 trams in addition to the STE3 trams currently being used. Things do not seem to have gone at all well in L'Aquila. Reports suggest that with work well underway and some of the Translohr trams having already been purchased the project has been delayed by a combination of route changes, a lack of money, financial irregularities with respect to some of the contracts and that some European Union regulations with respect to the awarding of major construction contracts had not been followed - resulting in a court ordering that work stops for an investigation. The earthquake of 2009 which caused much destruction in the city has also 'not helped' and may yet prove to have been the 'final straw'; in other words it remains to be seen whether the L'Aquila Translohr tramway will be completed - or cancelled. Construction in Latina only started in late 2009 and it is expected to be 2012 before the system carries its first fare paying passenger. The first section of the Mestre (Venice) Translohr tram opened on 20th December 2010. When completed there will be two lines operating a 'T' shaped network. Before that however an underpass has to be built to permit trams on Line 1 to get past Mestre railway station and reach trams on Line 2, which is the route that will serve Venice, as well as provide better interchange with local bus services. Further extensions are also planned, including seeing trams reach Marco Polo airport and an underwater link below the lagoon. |
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tram_mestre7.JPG | | http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tram_translohr_favaro3.JPG |
| These four images showing the Mestre-Venice Translohr trams are by Luca Fascia |
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Translohr_favaro_veneto4.JPG | | http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Translohr_a_mestre_venezia_venice_tram.JPG |
Another French Derailment.At the present time the cause is not known, however in the afternoon of 10th January 2011 a TransLohr tram in Clermont-Ferrand derailed and crashed (sideways) against a concrete wall, with one woman being hurt. This was the system's first derailment since entering full public service.
Phileas.In Holland a fleet of 12 distinctively-styled 'experimental prototype' buses were built for the 15km Phileas system which links Eindhoven Central Station with its airport and Veldhoven, serving the Westcorridor development zone. Most of the fleet are 18m in length with a single articulation although there is one 24m double-articulated variant too. The concept also allows for even longer 26m double articulated variants - for use where local laws permit vehicles of this length. Phileas has been partially funded by the Dutch government, local governments in Eindhoven & surrounding areas and the private sector. Electric propulsion.Most of the first generation Phileas buses featured a gas powered, 'series' style, hybrid-electric drive system whereby an LPG engine operated at a constant speed providing power for both the electric motors and the NiMH storage batteries. All wheels except the front wheels are motored. The vehicles also regenerate their braking energy into the batteries which have been designed to allow up to 3km of inner-city operation with the LPG engine switched off. The use of this type of hybrid drive was claimed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30% compared to an LPG powered motor bus of comparable size. By way of a further refinement (and experimentation) one vehicle was also fitted with a flywheel which provided the energy required to start from rest, with the LPG engine then taking over. To further boost fuel efficiency the flywheel is recharged by regenerative braking whilst decelerating. To reduce the costs and the weight of the vehicles, plus to cure overheating problems with the LPG engines, the second generation Phileas buses use the GM Allison 'parallel' style hybrid-electric driveline, and after experience in service (see below) the original fleet has also been converted to this drive configuration. One consequence of this is that solely the rear wheels are motored. To avoid too much duplication the differences between the series and parallel hybrid systems is looked at in greater detail on the Hybrid buses page. About the Phileas buses.To increase fuel efficiency the construction of Phileas buses includes extensive use of lightweight materials such as aluminum and plastic. Modular construction means that some aspects of vehicle configuration can be adjusted to suit a transport operators perceived requirements (eg: door positioning). Internally all seats and stanchions are mounted in the buses' inside walls - this is claimed to make extra space for (shopping etc) bags to be stored under the seats as well as simplify internal cleaning. Phileas buses are fully air-conditioned. A unique feature is the all-wheel steering. This allows the Phileas buses to move sideways (crab-like) and at bus stops helps ensure very precise docking with a gap between vehicle and platform of just 5cm (2"). Because bus stop platforms are of the same height as the buses' floor these features should help to improve access for special needs people and speed the service by helping to reduce dwell time when calling at bus stops. Passenger capacities are around 140 in what is now the 18.5m version, 170 in what is now the 24.5m version and 185 in the 26m version. Pioneering Guidance Technology.Next to the dedicated vehicles the core of the Phileas system is its pioneering guidance technology based on magnetic beacons. This is known as Frog - this being an acronym for Free Ranging On Grid navigation technology. Phileas buses are just one of several bus services to use Frog - the others include the ParkShuttle bus at Amsterdam Schipol airport and Rivium plus a former experimental installation in the (French) Antibes. Frog is a commercial product of an Utrecht-based company called Frog Navigation Systems, who also trade as 2gethere. Frog features magnets which are embedded (at 4m intervals) in the concrete road surface. These are read by the on-board computer system which has also been programmed with details of the route to be followed. The computers also monitor wheel revolutions; this provides precise location information and helps the computer guide the buses both along the correct route and into bus stops. The promoters of Phileas claim that in adverse weather conditions - such as snow and ice - Frog will provide a more secure system than the Optical guidance system used by the French Civis (etc.,) buses. Frog also provides vehicle location data for electronic "real time" information systems - not just for passengers waiting at bus stops but also for in-vehicle passenger information announcements & displays and for "off-system" users - such as mobile phone and Internet based information services. Phileas and Frog combined offer three driving options:- - In automatic mode the computers control acceleration, braking and steering / guidance. However at bus stops the human driver controls the doors.
- In semi-automatic mode the computers control steering and the human driver does everything else.
- In manual mode the human driver does everything, just like a regular road going bus.
The testing of the Frog guidance system on the Phileas buses has been dogged with challenges. Apparently these include finding that it suffered from electrical interference - such as from traffic signals. There have also been some issues with driver alertness - especially when the vehicles are operating in automatic mode. Part of the issue here is that it is intended that automatic mode will be used even when Phileas vehicles are operating on the normal highway (which is shared with other traffic) and subject to pedestrians who do not want to be told that to cross the road they must wait for the "cross now" symbol at specified crossing points which may be "out of the way" for where they are going... nor want to miss a bus at a bus stop simply because a traffic signal says that it is unsafe to cross the road. The images below date from August 2006, and as is shown, not enough Phileas buses were available to operate all the journeys on the airport service. On speaking with some local people it was found that whilst the buses themselves were fine there were still issues with the three high-tech computer systems not being able to work together. The rest of the buses were off the road at the maintenance facility.
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| Crossing a traffic signal controlled junction whilst on the reserved lane BRT (bus rapid transit) busway. | | The double-articulated vehicle. Image sourced from the promoter's promotional material. |
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| Promotional material suggests that Phileas buses operate on bus routes 401 (Airport) and sometimes also 402 (Veldhoven) however on the day these photographs were taken services on route 401 were being shared between two Phileas buses and two regular motorbuses. | | An airport-bound bus arrives as the Bredalaan bus stop. The green strip on the bus stop platform is actually a row of LED's (light emitting diodes) which change colour and provide various animations as buses approach, leave, etc. |
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| The on-board ticket machine. | | Phileas buses feature several pairs of wide plug style doors. Note the passenger information display above the doors and the LPG sticker on the door to right. |
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| Internal view looking towards the front. | | Internal view looking towards the back. The lack of rear window is most noticeable. |
August 2007 Update.The following information comes from an Internet discussion group, having been submitted by someone with local knowledge. "In Eindhoven the Phileas buses operate on two routes, No. 401 between the central station & the airport and No.402 to Veldhoven, which is a suburb. These two routes require eight buses to operate, however after more than three years testing of the Phileas system (including GPS guidance) it is still quite usual for there to only be (at most) four Phileas buses available for service, with standard articulated motorbuses providing the rest of the service. The remaining Phileas buses are unavailable due to maintenance, testing, malfunctioning etc.
The owner of the Phileas buses (public authority SRE) is now negotiating with APTS to replace the LPG engine with diesel engines (similar to the variants being supplied to Douai) plus make some other "adjustments" to improve the vehicle's reliability. Apparently for reasons of safety and other complexities the guidance system has never been / will never be fully deployed, instead Phileas buses are operated by the driver as normal unguided buses. Public transport officials in The Netherlands qualify the Phileas system as a "fiasco", in a similar way to the TVR in Nancy and Caen. In addition it was reported that several months previously the company Frog/2getthere had gone into bankruptcy, although attempts were being made to do a restart with at least some of the former workforce so as to prevent the total loss of the specialist knowledge and experience with guided systems. Passenger experience.From a passenger's point of view despite its austere looking interior Phileas does provide the significant 'step change' in improved passenger ambiance that defines it as being more than a motorbus. The LPG engine is very quiet, and is only noticeable by passengers travelling right at the back of the bus. Apart from that the general ambiance is more like that of a trolleybus. Acceleration is very smooth, and at times, brisk. The brakes are ferocious, so standing passengers must hold tight! Benefiting from very good suspension the vehicles quite literally float over any unevenness in the road surface, so that it is only just about felt. However the soft suspension also means that standing passengers gain the impression of it leaning a quite a bit on bends - it is perhaps just as well that the vehicles are only single deck buses. Vehicle rebuild.On 15th December 2007 with the Phileas buses still suffering from such severe technical problems that only three vehicles were available for service, nine of the Phileas buses were withdrawn from Eindhoven for rebuilding by the vehicle manufacturer. The rebuild saw the LPG engines being replaced with diesel engines and conversion from 'series' to 'parallel' type hybrid operation. However, the batteries (which had been reported to often failing) were not replaced. Fitting the new engines has resulted in the buses being lengthened by 40cm a little under 16" at the back, which had some unanticipated repercussions when, upon their return to service in December 2008, it was found that at some road configurations the longer rear overhang was now over-riding the footpath and creating a safety hazard of a moving vehicle actually hitting a pedestrian! These works were estimated to cost €4.500.000, this being €500,000 per bus. Guidance Abandoned.With technical issues still continuing September 2008 saw the decision being taken to formally abandon the use of the Frog automatic guidance system, except for docking at bus stops. According to media reports the vehicles would quickly accelerate to their 80km/h (50mph) top speed and then stay at that speed, and if was not for the driver slamming on the brakes they would even sail straight through red traffic signals and other road intersections. In addition to the issues with potential collisions these emergency-type stops were also unpopular with the passengers, who often would be badly thrown around - or worse. Other times the buses would just stop and restart at locations where nobody wants to get on or off. Angry passengers would often blame and swear at the driver, not understanding that the system was supposed to able to operate automatically - and not as if under the possession of a maniacal demonic spirit. As was explained above, the Phileas system which cost more than €80 million to create has become known (by the Dutch people) as a "Phileasco", this being a merging of the words 'Phileas' and 'fiasco'. Other Phileas Bus Systems.Korea.In 2005 an agreement was signed to create and market a Korean version of Phileas, where it is estimated that there could be a market for as many as 600 Phileas buses. The Korean Phileas version is being developed in co-operation with Hyundai KRRI, and includes the introduction of a series fuel cell propulsion system. Douai, France.On 7 July 2005 a contract was signed for the introduction of a Phileas bus system to link the French city of Douai with the nearby community of Guesnain. To be called "Tram 2007" the contract consisted of twelve 18m second generation Phileas buses which use the diesel-parallel type of hybrid propulsion system and would be delivered by the end of 2007. At some stage however the proposed fleet changed to ten 18m single articulated and two 24m double articulated Phileas buses. Phase one of what is projected to be Line 1 is 12km in length, and features 39 stations approximately 400m apart. As some of the proposed bus stops/stations use island platforms the buses feature doors on both sides. The project also includes reducing so called 'visual clutter' by burying existing overhead wires (telephones, electricity). The system was expected to cost around €117 million, and serve approximately 70.000 inhabitants. In the peak hours services will operate at 10 minute intervals, carrying a maximum of 900 travellers per hour. It is being marketed as a rubber tyred tramway using the name of 'Evéole'. Although the buses will initially operate in 'driver steered' mode it is intended to implement the guidance system as soon as possible after the buses themselves are operating troublefree. Apparently in Douai the guidance system is seen as a very valuable tool and was actually one of the main reasons to order the Phileas bus system. The first Phileas bus arrived in Douai on 18th November 2006. It was expected that once the full fleet had arrived and the staff had been trained passenger services would commence in the first quarter of 2008, however by September 2007 this time frame had slipped to the end of June 2008, whilst by mid-April 2008 this had slipped even further - to September 2008. Initially the delay was understood to be because of late delivery of the fleet of buses, although the slippage to September has been attributed to a need for the Phileas system (which is new to France) to achieve its safety certification. By September 2008 and with the safety certification still not having been obtained it was announced that the first public services were unlikely to commence before the summer of 2009. By early 2009 the year 2010 had been seen as a suggested date! It seems that the Eindhoven abandonment of the automated guidance system creates a 'big problem' for Douai, as this was one of the system's unique features which so attracted the various officials to it. In many ways Douai is also paying the price for using something 'new', so testing will be much more thorough than with a system which uses 'known' technology that exists elsewhere. At the time of this update (February 2009) it still remains to be seen whether 'Evéole' will achieve permission to use the automated guidance system at all. It could be that it will only be permitted for bus stop docking, with buses being manually steered elsewhere. A visitor to Douai in September 2008 reported using a regional bus service which for much of its route within Douai uses the road which is to become the Phileas route. He noted that the busway consists of a wide swathe of concrete six or seven metres wide in the middle of the road, totally unused, while city and interurban buses have to share one narrow lane in each direction with all the other traffic. He added that the driver of the bus he was travelling on got fed up of having to line up behind all this, so as that bus didn't have to serve all the city bus stops he simply pulled out onto the middle of the road and zoomed down the centre of the empty busway, overtaking everyone - cars, vans, buses, the lot. However, another visitor expressed surprise that such was possible, as when he visited the area he saw the busway being used by local people as a car park. Meanwhile, despite nothing having even opened to passenger service extensions and a second line are already being planned for the Douai Phileas 'Evéole' pseudo (ersatz) tram. Line 2 will be 5.2km in length and link the Centre Hospitalier de Dechy with Line 1 at Place Carnot in Douai. An un-named line will also extend 5.2km from Douai (Place Carnot) to Frais Marais Templerie via the town of Waziers. Plus there will be two extensions of Line 1 - these being from Gesnain via the interchange point in Masny to Douai (3.3km) and the interchange point in Masny to d'Auberchicourt (2.4km). These extensions will feature 24 stops and have been costed at €124.8 million. Work is provisionally expected to commence late in 2009 with completion in 2012. Open - at last!The 'Evéole' BRT system finally opened to fare paying passengers on Sunday 8th February 2010, with the buses operating in driver steered mode. Istanbul, Turkey.In late summer 2007 a BRT system using some Phileas buses opened in Istanbul, Turkey. Initially this was planned to use a mix of other buses with 50 parallel hybrid double articulated Phileas buses 26 metres in length which have a 'normal' capacity of approximately 230 passengers each. These buses have doors on both sides. Much of the route is single track alongside the E5 freeway, and this BRT system was expected to cost around €60 million. As the Phileas buses were not available when the system opened initial services used two of the Dutch Phileas buses (one each, single and double articulated) plus other buses. The new Phileas buses were introduced as soon as they became available. In Istanbul things have not gone too well for Phileas, with reports suggesting that by summer 2009 most of these almost brand new buses had already had to be taken out of service with major problems which include difficulties in climbing steep hills and breakages to the vehicles' suspension system. The issue has been exasberated by broken down buses causing severe problems on the single-track nature of their dedicated right of way, blocking it so that other buses are unable to pass. The matter is so serious that it has even been discussed in Parliament and plans to buy 50 more Phileas buses have been put on hold. Apparently the hill climbing issue is that the buses are designed to climb a 2.5% gradient at 40km/h, but the people of Istanbul see this as being too slow / are used to other buses doing so more quickly. Local speculation talks of the Phileas buses being more suited to flat countries like Holland than locations where heavily loaded vehicles are required to climb even gentle hills. The problems with the suspension could have been caused by overcrowding. Buses normally have a maximum capacity limit on the number of passengers allowed to travel; these vehicles were designed to carry up to 230 passengers - or possibly as many as 280 at busy times, but reports from British visitors suggest that for large parts of the day (and over long distances) they are 'packed like sardines' with possibly as many as 350 passengers onboard. Italy (x2), and Israel beckon...
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| Artists' impression of a trolleybus Phileas in Pescara. Image sourced from the promoter's promotional material. |
In Italy a trolleybus Phileas service is under construction which will link Porta Nuova station in the city of Pescara with Porto Allegro in the nearby town of Montesilvano. Initially for Line 1 there will be six 18 metre single articulated Phileas trolleybuses with a capacity of between 145 and 155 passengers each. The route will be approximately 8.1 km in length, with 17 stops and a target end to end journey time of about 20 minutes - this being about half the present day journey time. Most of the route will be on private rights of way, with 30 road crossings where the automatically driven Phileas trolleybuses will benefit from traffic signal priority. 4.8km of the route will use a former railway right of way known as Strada Parco. The overhead wire support poles will be 6 metres in height and of an award winning decorative design. They will be located 30 metres apart and also double up as street lighting supports, reducing the need for other street furniture. This service was first proposed in 1992, and construction has been dogged by disagreements, but at the time of writing (summer 2010) opening has been tentatively projected for 2012. However, timescales may yet slip even further - and as some aspects of what is being proposed are locally controversial so there might yet be some late changes to what finally transpires. The system has been given an official name of Filò and a website lauched at http://www.filo-pe.it (link to external site opens in a new window). Also in Italy a 10km former railway route between the coastal towns of Rimini and Riccione will be converted into a TBRT (trolleybus rapid transit) line which will use nine Phileas guided buses. To be known as Trasporto Rapido Costiero (TRC) it seems that this installation will include tunnel operation, where guidance will be a positive safety feature. This line will be in addition to the existing street-based trolleybus services linking these towns. Scheduled to open in 2011, the Haifa, Israel Metronit BRT system is planned to use as many as 100 double-articulated Phileas buses on a three-route system, for which an extensive network of bus priority lanes are being built. |
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A large banner put up in Kiryat Eliezer, Haifa, advertising the Metronit.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metronit.JPG. | | Example of completed BRT right of way, ready for the Metronit - and until then used by existing bus services.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metronit_track.jpg. |
Fuel Cell Hybrids.In or around late 2010 / early 2011 four hydrogen fuel cell hybrid 18 metre Phileas buses will be entering service. Two will feature supercapacitors and are destined for the Dutch city of Amsterdam whilst the other two will use batteries (type not specified) and are destined for the German city of Cologne (Köln).
"f - t - r".In the autumn of 2004 one of the major British transport operators (FirstGroup) and a major British Isles-based bus builder (The Wright Group) announced plans for a new concept in bus travel. Known as 'f-t-r' this heralds the introduction of a brand new UK-sourced high-tech (looking) bus which has been designed somewhat along the lines of a rubber-tyred tram and is called 'StreetCar'. At 18.75m (62ft) in length the "StreetCar" buses are slightly longer than ordinary (British) bendy buses, and feature two doorways through which passengers can board or alight. To help create a high-quality environment for the passengers and driver they use an advanced stiffened structure to address what the automotive industry describes as NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness). However despite all the other niceties under the skin (as described below) the StreetCar vehicles are still bog-standard motorbuses, being powered by a reduced-emission Volvo diesel engine and using a drivetrain based on the successful Volvo B7L model - albeit with the radiator, which is normally fitted just above the engine, having been relocated to the roof. Effectively this means that under the very sleek and sophisticated looking skin these buses are based on standard diesel bus mechanical components. So it could be said that the StreetCar buses are more of a styling exercise or a fashion statement than a genuinely innovative attempt to re-invent the motorbus as a rubber-tyred electric tram. It is understood that the people involved with the creation of the StreetCar wanted to reduce potential teething issues by using proven tried and tested mechanical components - and that the creation a hybrid electric version is under consideration. This would be most fortunate, as it would then create the possibility for conversion to 100% zero emission two - wire electric (ie: trolleybus) operation. Inside the StreetCar passengers benefit from a choice of conventional seating, perches to provide support for those who prefer to stand, a lounge-style area at the rear and open standing areas for people making short journeys. To help to reduce solar gain there are tinted, double-glazed windows. To create a pleasant draught-free environment the windows are sealed and instead the vehicles feature a sophisticated heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Both the passengers and the pilot (as with aircraft StreetCar drivers are is known as "pilots") should also benefit from the noise absorption materials which have been fitted throughout the vehicle, providing what are described as new levels of sound-proofing. To further help create a modern ambiance there is concealed lighting, backed up by LED spotlights. Accepting that people do drop litter, the interior has also been designed with ease of cleaning as a high priority. Real-time passenger information is provided by two screens and a sophisticated computerised system developed by the bus builder in conjunction with specialist third parties ensure that different systems such as CCTV, automatic vehicle location and passenger information can interact. Real-time information systems are also used to provide traffic signal priority and is clever enough to be able to do this only if the StreetCars are running late. As with trams, but unusually for a bus, the StreetCars feature totally-enclosed full-width driving compartments separated from the passengers by a full-height partition with tinted glazing. The pilots’ workstation features ergonomically-designed controls. StreetCars feature deep front windscreens, to give the pilot a good view of the road ahead. A public address system allows two-way communication between pilot and passengers. f-t-r is more than just vehicles. The design brief for the f-t-r system was / is to create a new idiom in British bus transport by merging "the best from the bus in terms of affordability, accessibility and flexibility with the best from the tram in terms of image, dedicated infrastructure and perceived reliability." The concepts designers took "an integrated approach, tackling issues such as frequency, service quality, ticketing, vehicle design, infrastructure, engineering and route management." Passengers using 'f-t-r' services (bus routes) are encouraged to buy tickets off-vehicle - for instance some types of travel tickets can be bought at local shops which are part of the "PayPoint" system, and using the M-Ticket system 10 ride tickets can be texted to pre-registered mobile phones. These are displayed as barcodes so that they can "read" and validated on boarding the StreetCar buses. Cash fares can also be bought from the on-board ticket machines, however these only accept the exact money (ie: do not give change) and fares paid cash are slightly higher than the other payment options. f-t-r has a stated aim of attracting 10% of car journeys off the roads its serves within five to six years - increasing public transport usage on those same corridors by 30%. It is conceivable that in time f-t-r services using the StreetCar buses could be rolled out to any and many of the British towns and cities where the FirstGroup operates bus services Where first?At a glitzy razzmatazz public launch in March 2005 it was announced that the first 11 of the £200,000 (the price then) vehicles will be delivered to the city of York in January 2006 and will run on route No.4, which travels on the route from the University to Acomb via the main railway station. After training, etc., passenger services began in May 2006. First Impressions.Whilst the StreetCar buses have certainly "turned heads" the much hoped-for gloss has been tarnished by teething issues. Perhaps the most significant of these has revolved around the ticketing system - as mentioned above it is understood that the people involved with the creation of the StreetCar wanted to reduce potential teething issues by using tried, tested, and proven viable components, but for a bus where paying the driver was a physical impossibility something different had to be devised. Unfortunately whilst the adopted solutions could and should have been successful its implementation was less than beneficial. Part of the problem was local dismay at the flat fare of £1.50 instead of the graduated fares of £1, £1.50 and £2 that the bus company charged on most of its other services in York. However also a significant cause for complaint was the slowness of the ticket issuing process. It seems that the single machine located behind the Pilot were very slow and at busy bus stops the queue of passengers waiting to pay often extended on to the footpath - delaying the services as if they were "pay driver" buses. Whilst some off-vehicle ticket sales were available for period tickets a far better solution would have been to adopt the well proven European system whereby local shops sell single and discounted multi-ride tickets which can be validated using separate readers fitted on the buses (near the doorways) which are independent of the ticket machine. Alternatively the busiest bus stops could have been equipped with ticket machines, although it is understood that because of vandalism and theft issues there was a desire to avoid street-based ticket machines. Another gripe was that the ticket machines only took exact money - they neither accepted paper money nor gave change. When a couple with a £5.00 note wanted to travel they were unable to do so as they had no way of paying. At the university bus stop a lady was overheard telling her friends and relatives who had come for her graduation that these buses were "an absolute nightmare - you can only go on them if you have exact change." Whether the same lady would use a car park "pay & display" machine that also refuses to give change is not known. In October 2006 some media reports were suggesting that FirstGroup officials had recognised that the ticket machines seem to have proven to be f-t-r's Achilles Heel and were even considering replacing them with (human) conductors on a full-time basis. Unoffical briefing also suggested that an unexpected 'problem' was the variability in boarding times depending on the proportion of passengers with passes or paying cash.In May 2007 it was announced that 20 customer service hosts (aka: 'bus conductors') would be recruited to replace the disliked ticket selling machines. This puts the York StreetCar on par with several of the British tram systems which also use human conductors instead of machines to collect the fares. Not evenings / Sundays.In the spring of 2009 it was announced that as a cost saving measure, during the evenings (after 7pm / 19.00) and all day Sundays and public holidays f-t-r services in York would be operated by conventional buses which consume less fuel and can be operated without the added cost of the bus conductor. |
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| StreetCar buses outside York station. |
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| ftr bus stop flag. | | The StreetCar buses feature wide twin leaf plug doors which, at the front of the bus, open to a circulating area and the ticket machine. Seen outside York station with its decorative flower planters |
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| A passenger's eye view from the rear section looking forwards. On the articulation top bulkhead and to the right of the vehicle number (ftr 19011) can be seen one of the two passenger information display screens plus (in the larger image) the "stopping" message indicating that the bus has been requested to call at the next bus stop. | | The "better bus" theme even extends to the ceiling with diffused fluorescent lighting and fashionable LED downlights. |
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| Rear looking internal view showing how the low floor only partially extends towards the back of the bus, plus some overseas tourists who were happy to be photographed sitting on the sideways facing seats opposite the rear doorway. | | Forward looking internal view showing the pushchair / wheelchair space on the left. On the right the white square on the Pilot's cab bulkhead is actually one of the two passenger information display screens. |
NextIn October 2006 it was announced that Leeds would be the second city to host f-t-r services using the 17 of the StreetCar buses - also on route No.4. In an attempt to reduce the impact of any possible teething issues it was decided that they would be slowly introduced alongside ordinary buses, a process which began in January 2007 and resulted in it taking a number of months for the route to become 100% f-t-r. As with several of the British tram systems fares are being collected by conductors / customer service hosts. Whether f-t-r services in Leeds will also be extended to bus routes which use the kerb-guided busway remains to be seen. (Leeds not illustrated). After Leeds the next service to use the pink and purple livered StreetCar buses was expected to be a high profile BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) route serving Swansea (South Wales), however instead with the opening of the Swansea system having been delayed (see below) January 2008 saw four of the spare Wrightbus StreetCars being allocated to the 'train2plane' services linking Luton Airport with Luton Airport Parkway railway station, operating as feeders to the cross-London 'Thameslink' railway service which FirstGroup renamed 'First Capital Connect' when they won the Thameslink railway franchise. At the same time, and because of the higher cost (and quality) of the StreetCar buses, fares were introduced on the previously free bus shuttle, although as a concession railway passengers benefit from discounted rates. |
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| StreetCar buses on the 'train2plane' service outside Luton Airport Parkway railway station. |
A StreetCar bus seen on the 'train2plane' service 'en route'.
The white trees seen in the background do not represent a new variety of tree (those sort of changes are still a few years away / will be after 2012) but are because despite the brilliant sunshine it was a freezing cold day and there was a 'day frost'. |  |
The Swansea Metro (Metro Abertawe).In Swansea f-t-r services are being marketed as the Swansea Metro (Metro Abertawe in the Welsh language). Costing £14 million this is the first f-t-r service to include sections of specially built private right of way in addition to bus lanes, shared use of the public highway - including High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes - plus, where required, other bus priority measures. This includes the Landore Express Bus Route. Located just to the north of the railway station this is specially built bus-only road that is about a mile in length. To ensure that only permitted vehicles are able to enter it is fully enclosed. On one side the busway runs alongside the railway, whilst on the other side there is a walkway / cycleway which is physically separated from the busway by a high fence. At both ends opening gates allow permitted buses to enter / leave. These include StreetCar buses and buses from certain other bus services, such as a park+ride service. The Swansea Metro is a partnership between the City & County of Swansea and First Cymru Buses. It is being funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Objective One programme. With the StreetCar buses ready for delivery (for staff training) in late 2007 public services were originally expected to commence in 2008, but delays with the roadway works (which includes the creation of 'quality bus stops' complete with shelters) saw the scheme being delayed until mid 2009. The first StreetCar bus entered service on 1st June with the rest of the 10-vehicle fleet (nine for regular services plus one spare) entering service 'one at a time' over a period of weeks. In September 2009 there was a formal opening ceremony. Curiously, as with York and Leeds the Swansea Metro just happens to be No.4 in the local bus numbering scheme. It will be left for people with an interest in numerology to investigate the significance of this. In keeping with the bi-lingual status of Wales, all signage is in both English and Welsh, although being in South Wales the English language is usually displayed first. Not evenings / Sundays.As with York in Swansea the use of StreetCar buses is to be restricted to weekday and Saturday daytimes, with single person operated buses used at other times. |
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| Passing through the electrically powered gates to leave the "Landore Express Bus Route". | | In the city centre the Swansea Metro benefits from a true BRT style private right of way which is restricted buses only (plus some local access, for permit holders only). |
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The Swansea Metro includes some light rail style stops with modern shelters and (at some locations) dedicated bus priority traffic signals too. In some countries (eg: Holland, Switzerland) buses sometimes follow similar style dedicated signals as the trams, however in this image we see that they have been provided with a green pictogram of a single-deck bus. Even More???Several other British cities are reported to be interested in f-t-r services and StreetCar buses, however what happens next / where is next might depend as much upon on funding as anything else. What the f-t-r concept lacks. |
For all its merits and attempts to be like a 'rubber tyred light rail vehicle' in its initial form the StreetCar buses and f-t-r concept avoid one of the most appreciated features of light rail, ie: instead of vehicles having tail pipes emitting noxious exhaust fumes they are electrically powered. However thanks to a professional CAD (computer aided design) draughtsman from the Electric Tbus Group - www.tbus.org.uk (external link opens in a new window) one StreetCar bus has become much more city (and environmentally) friendly. Indeed, a f-t-r TBRT (Trolleybus Rapid Transit) system would be 'just the ticket' for many British urban areas. Trolleybuses, electric buses, air pollution and why so called "cleaner" diesel (aka "less dirty") buses could be worse that buses which give off visible smoke are looked at on the Electric Buses page. The StreetCar goes to the USA (and Canada).In June 2006 it was announced that the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada is to purchase 50 StreetCar buses, with two further options each for an additional 50 buses. These would be used on two new Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) routes serving downtown Las Vegas and out to Boulder City. Known as 'StreetCar RTV' (Rapid Transit Vehicle) these buses feature the same core vehicle design as the initial batch of British StreetCars, but use a chassis produced by Swiss manufacturer Hess plus a diesel hybrid drive system based on a Cummins ISL engine developed in conjunction with the ISE Corporation of California and Siemens Energy & Automation in Georgia. | 
A Swansea Metro StreetCar which has been converted to 100% electric traction (and painted blue rather than purple). Image modified by a professional CAD (computer aided design) draughtsman from the Electric Tbus Group - www.tbus.org.uk |
Inside the StreetCar RTV. |
These StreetCar RTV images were sourced from promotional images on the Wrightbus website
http://www.wrightbus.com/site/default.asp?CATID=49 - note that page (which opens in a new window) includes some very large images (over 9mb each). |
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The StreetCar RTV.
Note that whilst the British StreetCar buses feature two pair of passenger doorways per vehicle the RTV version features three pair of passenger doorways. Services using 50 StreetCar buses in Las Vegas began in March 2010. Two routes are served - ACE Gold Line and ACExpress - with the buses being painted in a distinctive gold and blue livery. These are being operated as true high-quality BRT services, featuring facilities such as prepaid ticketing from vending machines (through a system known as Ticket Now), limited stop service, dedicated bus-only lanes, and bus stops with level-platform boarding. It took just a fortnight for the new services to be exceeding ridership expectations, with them carrying over 30,000 people per day - this being far in excess of the original estimations of the originally predicted 4,000 - 6,000 passengers a day. Also in 2010 one of the Las Vegas StreetCar RTV buses was demonstrated in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada as a possible choice of vehicle for a projected rapid transit system which will use either buses or light rail.
Earlier than expected British expansion...
(for political reasons to help the national govt.)With the government de facto encouraging Leeds city council to fund proposals for a steel wheel tramway in Leeds and then point blank refusing to adequately fund its construction, it has been suggested that the autumn of 2006 announcement saying that the f-t-r concept complete with StreetCar buses would be introduced into this city was little more than an appeasement - "here, have something that vaguely looks like what you wanted but is still a motor bus and therefore still does next to nothing to help reduce the urban air pollution that harms your health". For some less than complimentary comments by disgruntled users plus other information which points to some of the reasons why so many British people are so keen on new tram systems & why bus patronage in cities in such as Leeds are in freefall the comments by local people on the BBC website will make some very interesting reading.... that will horrify some bus operators.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2005/02/01/travel_overview_buses_feature.shtml
(link opens in new a window.)
StreetCar Genesis.It might be wondered exactly how the StreetCar and f-t-r concept came about... the following tale is an urban legend, based on comments gleaned from various online sources, but believed to be mostly if not 100% accurate... It is said that at a "chance" meeting between the then govt. transport secretary (The Rt. Hon. Alaister Darling) and the Chief Executive of a transport operator the transport secretary was bemoaning the fact that so many people want trams which he thought were simply too expensive (even though quality items are rarely cheap - and sometimes the cost of not investing is even higher [dearer] than the cost of making the investment) so between them the two men used the back of an envelope to list what they thought were the primary positive features of trams which could be transferred to buses.
ExquicityIn 2011 the Belgian bus builder Van Hool introduced the Exquicity. Exquicity is available in two lengths - an 18.6 metre single articulated version and a 23.8 metre double (bi) articulated version. Depending on which of the pre-set internal layouts is chosen the single articulated version can seat 29, 35 or 44 passengers whilst the double articulated version can seat 28, 42 or 61 passengers. Both versions feature four sets of passenger doorways, air-conditioning, an enclosed drivers cab with centre driving position and a tram-style sloping front; the longer versions also include a sloping back. Fitted with an electric drive system these buses are available with a range of prime power source technologies, including diesel-hybrid, traditional twin wire overhead (ie: electric trolleybus), battery / inductive charging and fuel cell.
A "Better Buses" Footnote.All of the transports shown on this page follow the theme of "better buses". To achieve this part of the ethos has been to use designers to create something which looks "different" and / or "distinctive". The buses seen below come from Hannover in Germany and are also very innovatively styled. Unfortunately at present it is not possible to offer a video clip of one of these buses - which is most unfortunate - because under the skin they are still traditional motor buses, as very quickly becomes apparent as soon as one pulls away from the bus stop. The transport industry and politicians need to remember that it is the combination of the "roar" of the fossil fuel engine - no matter how it is fuelled (mineral diesel, biodiesel, CNG, LPG, ethanol, etc.,) - and their harmful exhaust fumes which are the important features that distinguish a motor bus from an electric tram or trolleybus - for the wrong reasons. |
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| Very distinctively styled but still motor buses in Hannover, Germany. |
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