Spotlight

Detailed look at a specific topic or area of interest

• Public Transport Improvements in São Paulo: World Bank projects underway

  September 1, 2013
  In August 2013, the federal government of Brazil announced that it would invest USD1.31 billion to create 99 km of new express lanes to speed up bus services in São Paulo.

• Light-rail transit in Middle East: Progress made in the past one year

  August 1, 2013
  In the Middle East, ambitious plans have been chalked out for light-rail transit (LRT). Overall, the Middle East has seven LRT projects spanning over 390 km.

• ITDP's BRT Standard 2013: Upholding the BRT brand

  July 1, 2013
  In March 2013, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) released the first comprehensive Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Standard, a defining and scoring method...

• Transit bus market in North America: Overview, key trends and outlook

  June 1, 2013
  The transit bus market in North America is small with four major manufacturing companies accounting for over 90 per cent of the market and production ranging between 5,000 ...

• Light-rail transit (LRT) in Latin America: Gaining prominence

  May 1, 2013
  Light rail (also known as the tram, tramway, streetcar, light rapid transit and LRT) occupies a special niche in the public transportation sector. After the Second World War, many tram systems either became obsolete or were removed as...

• ERTMS: Systemically moving towards interoperability

  April 1, 2013
  A systemic approach is being followed to achieve the target of complete interoperability on European railways. The deployment of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)...

• ERTMS: Increasing absorption in Europe and beyond

  March 1, 2013
  Today, rail operators across the world aim to improve safety and productivity, improve customer interface, and ensure smoother operations.

• Up and coming: Opportunities in bus transport segment across the globe

  February 1, 2013
  Several transit agencies and authorities across the world revealed major plans to construct bus rapid transit systems (BRT), introduce dedicated bus lanes, procure new buses...

• Focus on bus transport: Key developments of 2012

  January 1, 2013
  The past year witnessed significant developments in the bus transport sector across the world. Authorities and operators in North America and Europe placed the maximum...

• Automated fare systems in North America: Updates as of 2012

  December 1, 2012
  Several transit agencies launched new smart cards, deployed mobile ticketing facilities and awarded contracts for the launch of automated fare collection (AFC) systems....

• Electric buses: Witnessing increasing demand worldwide

  November 1, 2012
  Increasing gasoline prices and environmental issues associated with the use of fossil fuels have engaged policymakers' interest in both pure-electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.

• BHLS in Europe: Buses with High Level of Service

  October 1, 2012
  In Europe, new urban bus schemes called 'Buses with High Level of Service' (BHLS) are being implemented to achieve service quality equivalent to trams at lower costs with the use....

• Public Transport Energy Efficiency in Europe: Need, initiatives and developments

  September 1, 2012
  Reduction of carbon emissions has become an important agenda for policy makers worldwide.The urban transport sector, plagued by an increasing number of automobiles...

• Metro rail tunnels in India: Witnessing growing demand

  August 1, 2012
  Metro rail tunnel projects spanning over 100 km have been undertaken in India (India Infrastructure Research). Construction of the modern underground metro systems...

• Transit Projects for FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil: Status of projects

  July 1, 2012
  In order to improve urban mobility and meet the transport needs of the people, Brazil is undertaking bus rapid transit (BRT) and light-rail transit (LRT) projects....

• Transit Projects for FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil: Status of upcoming projects

  June 1, 2012
  Brazil is hosting the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, 2014 in 12 major cities. The event is expected to attract a large number of...

• US Transit: Capital Investment Impacts and Financing

  May 1, 2012
  In March 2012, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) released its biennial report on the state of transportation infrastructure.....

• US Transit: System characteristics, asset conditions and performance

  April 1, 2012
  In March 2012, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) released its biennial report on the state of transportation infrastructure, the ‘2010 Status....

• AFC in Africa: Evolution to contactless payments, mobile wallets

  March 1, 2012
  Transit agencies all over the world including Africa are progressively migrating away from cash-based payment systems (for example, paper and magnetic stripe tickets)......

• Recap 2011: Key developments in Asia Pacific and Europe

  February 1, 2012
  The mass transit sector continued to grow in terms of investments and opportunities during 2011. In the second part of the two-part series, Global Mass Transit explores the prominent trends and key developments in Asia Pacific and Europe.