New Era Hi-Tech Buses

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New Era Hi-tech Buses
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New Era Hi-tech Buses.
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This page is dedicated to the new breed of hi-tech buses currently being introduced into towns and cities as part of high-profile upgrades to existing bus services and as part of new "Bus Rapid Transit" (BRT) systems.
Navigating through this website is easier with the navigator frame which should be to the left of this window. If it is not there then click here to turn it on! Alternatively there is a system map at the foot of this page. More information about this website & why it was created can be found by visiting this website's "front" pages (link opens in a new window).
Experience in many towns and cities both in Europe and in North America has shown that steel-wheel on steel-rail railways (and especially light rail - modern trams and streetcars) are the most popular and successful of model choices for enticing motorists out of their cars; but not every conurbation is large enough to justify such systems, plus no matter the size of the city there will still be transport corridors where 'some improvement' over traditional buses is required but the traffic flow does not justify investing in (steel-wheeled) rail transport. In Europe as a whole there is reported to be over 150 cities that are too small to justify fully fledged steel-wheel tram systems but where some sort of higher capacity bus-based transport could be a viable alternative. If other cities elsewhere globally are included too then these new transports potentially could have a very large market for them. Many of the transports seen on this page are capable of operating in both 'pseudo-tram' self-steering mode as well as 'driver steered bus' modes. So as with the other types of guided bus (last two topics on the 'Side-Step Congestion' / Bus priority systems. page) they are able to provide through seamless services without requiring a change of vehicle - operating in self-steering mode along busy corridors & in city centres and as driver-steered buses to serve the quieter traffic areas. Effectively this means that expensive infrastructure need only be built where it is most needed. Alternatively it is possible to introduce services first and then as required (or funds permit) install infrastructure later. So if a new housing or business estate is being developed it would be easy to reserve a segregated private right of way independent of the public highway (perhaps alongside a dedicated cycle and pedestrian route) and install it when traffic has built up. Until then the new service would use the public highway.
A Question Of terminology?
As with when the trolleybus (which in North America is also known as the trolleycoach, trackless trolley or ETB) was first introduced, the development of what effectively is a new mode of transport causes problems regarding generic names. Nowadays everyone knows roughly what trams / streetcars are, although in cities such as Karlsruhe - where the same vehicles can be found using the public highway, pedestrian zones and mainline rail tracks shared with InterCity & heavy freight trains - the distinction between them and trains can become somewhat blurred. Likewise, everyone understands the term bus, even though they too come in many shapes, sizes and colours! However, what is a rubber-tyred vehicle that looks somewhat like a bus, and a tram, and is able to behave like both modes too? Purists will say that without steel wheels it must be a bus, but since when could buses behave as if they were on rails just like a tram? Page Index.
l l l l l l
The GLT / TVR. The CIVIS and Cristalis. The Translohr. Phileas "f - t - r". A "Better Buses" Footnote.
The GLT.
Several views from the Belgian
http://www.citytransport.info/Buses03.htm
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Ardennes, where the GLT has a test track.
The GLT (Guided Light Transport / Transit) was the first system to feature purpose built vehicles designed around the theme of merging the well proven popularity of the tram with the 'go anywhere' capability of the motorbus. Indeed its promoters Bombardier - often promote it as 'A Tramway on Tyres'.
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In 'pseudo-tram' (guided bus) mode tractive effort is via the rubber tyres, with guidance coming from double-flanged rollers which follow a central rail located flush in the roadway. This allows for sharing roadspace with the other traffic or operating along a traffic-free town centre with pedestrians. (Theoretically the single rail makes the GLT a part-time monorail)! Other guided mode possibilities include multiple-unit operation, electric collection via a pantograph (return is via the guide rail), Driver steered mode: A GLT vehicle fills up at a local roadside elevated / underground tunnel operation and because the 'rear' filling station, which because of its 24.5 end can be fitted with tram-type driving controls - full metre length it quite literally fills! reversibility. In bus mode the GLT will behave like any other road vehicle, driven from the front and able to roam freely as required. An onboard fossil fuel engine powers the electric drive system, although 100% electric two-wire trolleybus operation is also a design possibility. With the GLT it is possible is for several suburban routes to meet at a station located on the edge of a city centre with the vehicles coupling up (the design criteria is for up to three units at a time) to provide a higher capacity service (up to 20,000 Calling at a bus stop in Han-Sur-Lesse, a passengers/hour) where traffic is such that single units cannot passenger asks the driver for timetable cope. When operating in this way the GLT will be able to information whilst a friend waits outside. emulate the cost effective advantages also enjoyed by conventional rail systems for one member of staff to operate trains carrying several hundreds of passengers at a time.
A Brief History.
One of the vehicles in Han-Sur-Lesse. The tram tracks seen in the roadway are disused and nothing to do with the GLT.
The GLT idea goes back to 1985, when a pre-developmental prototype was used on a short demonstration track at the UITP exhibition in the Heysal area of Brussels see picture below, left. In 1988 three more vehicles were built to further evaluate the technologies involved. One of these vehicles was single articulated and used on the Brussels tram system to test the new bogies for the Tram 2000 project that was then under development. Being out of gauge it only operated out of traffic hours, when the system had otherwise shut down. The fate of this vehicle is unknown. (See picture below, left). The other two vehicles are double articulated, and are used on the specially built test track which is a converted railway branch line (closed 1980, re-opened for GLT 1988) located between Jemelle and Rochefort, in the Belgian Ardennes. For a few years these vehicles operated a (summer only) public service, running from The view inside one of these vehicles, outside Jemelle railway station to the popular tourist village of looking from the back towards the front. Han-Sur-Lesse, travelling via Rochefort where they changed to bus mode for the second part of their journey. Han-Sur-Lesse is already well known to transport enthusiasts because of its unusual diesel trams (see picture on the Trams & Streetcars page) which take passengers to some tourist orientated caves, from which after a 3km guided tour the visitors exit by battery powered boat.
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About The Vehicles.
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The GLT vehicles follow a railway based philosophy by using a steel chassis built to withstand 30-tonne end loadings, although to fit all the necessary components means that the underframes layout is more akin to a bus chassis. The bodywork uses the Alusuisse system of aluminium construction. All together the structure is designed for a 30 year life, although in one of their promotional leaflets Bombardier suggest that with a 15 year 'half life' refit (new front, external aspect, interior arrangement, etc.,) it would be possible to obtain many of the visual benefits that Guided mode: will make passengers feel as if they were travelling on a At a level crossing, operating in electric / completely new vehicle - without the high expense. The guided mode with power collection via principle of half-life refits is well proven in the public transport the pantograph and returned via the industry. guide rail. For motive power the GLT uses a trolleybus type electric traction system. The two double articulated prototypes are each equipped with two 600v dc 175kw (approximately 240bhp) electric motors (axles 2 and 4 are driven) and one rear mounted 260kw (approximately 350 bhp) 9 litre two-stroke Detroit diesel engine. Driving controls have been fitted only at the front - for reversibility a closed-circuit television system links the front and rear cabs and the vehicles feature a full range of head / tail lights and direction indicators at each end. Maximum speed is 70 km/h, acceleration is 1.2m/s, deceleration 5.5m/s (all axles have ABS and ASR anti - skid systems) gradient is 1 in 7 and The view out the front window, because all axles are steered the minimum curve radius is a approaching a projected crossover in the tight 12 metres. On curves the middle and rear axles always test track. follow the same track as the front axle - this means that if a road was painted white and the GLT made a 'U' turn there would be just one set of tyre tracks visible. It also means that on 'ordinary' road surfaces the GLT will suffer from 'rutting' of the road surface - a common problem with bus lanes - caused by the vehicles' rubber tyres only using the same narrow strips of roadway. This applies to both guided and unguided modes. These vehicles are 24.5m long, 3.3m high, 2.5m wide and weigh 26,000kg empty. Total capacity ranges from 175 (@ 4 people per sqmetre) to 200 (@ 6 people per sqmetre). Seating capacity also varies, with promotional literature quoting figures At Jemelle the GLT buses would wait in front of a car parking area outside the between 51 and 75. Being prototypes the purpose of these vehicles is to assist development of the technology, and railway station before their allotted promote the system, so passenger accommodation is not an departure time. Here the GLT is issue of vital importance. Being a modular system vehicle reversing to allow a car to leave. This view also shows the vehicle using its configurations are variable. In addition to the triple-unit / double 'stop' lamps for when being driven from articulated vehicle described above other possibilities are 17m the unsteered end. twin-unit / single articulated and 42m quad-unit / triple articulated versions. Even longer versions are technically possible, the principle constraining factor being that many countries have different laws relating to maximum permitted lengths of road vehicles, so is very probable that for most European installations only the shorter two sizes would actually be built.
How It Operates.
Under each axle are two double flanged rollers which lock onto a central guidance rail using patented technology. To become guided these rollers are lowered while the vehicle is driven slowly forward over two short lengths of rail (standing slightly
The pre-developmental prototype GLT vehicle in the Heysal area of Brussels.
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Picture from manufacturers' leaflet.
proud of the road surface) which form a 'V' shape to steer the guidance rollers into place. This process takes a little less than a minute. Becoming unguided can take place anywhere as required whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion. This means that if the GLT is sharing the road with other traffic and there is an obstruction - for instance roadworks or a traffic accident - then the service can continue with minimal delay. The special profile guidance rail is built in the centre of a 55cm deep reinforced concrete lane and rests on an elastic footing. For straight track a single lane will require to be 308cm wide, on curves this widens to a maximum of 370 cms.
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New Vehicle, New Name.

The third GLT vehicle undergoing tests on the Brussels tramway system in connection with a planned new design of tramcar that was then under development. Picture from manufacturers' leaflet.
The previous GLT vehicles were of an obsolete high-floor design which required passengers to board / alight via steps. By 1997 there was a new 24.5m low-floor easy access version, which is seen here on the Belgian test track (last pictures in the panel on the left). The new vehicles have been renamed as 'TVR', which means Transport sur voie reserve - transport on reserved track. It seems that the rename was to appease the French who were planning to test it in Paris, and their envy of the global supremacy of the English Language. The GLT's designers would have chosen to market it in English because it is an acceptable common language in Belgium which is a bilingual nation where the two linguistic factions - French and Flemish - are constantly at loggerheads. English also has an international marketability that surpasses all other languages, therefore it would have been seen as an ideal marketing tool for a global audience.
Some more detailed information about the new TVR vehicles. Length 24,5 m; Width 2,50 m; Height 3,22 m; Seated passengers 41; Total capacity 154 (@ 4 people per square metre); Weight 25,5 tonnes; electric motors (by GEC ALSTHOM) 300 kW; diesel engine 200 kW; guidance from all four axles; all wheels steerable; max speed 70km/h (about 45 mph); max incline 13%; min curve radius 12 m; designed for a 30 year life; lane width required when travelling straight 3 m; and on curves 3,42 m.
Scan from Bombardier (the manufacturer) promotional leaflet demonstrating the GLT/TVR central guidance system.
The GLT/TVR guidance system is based on a single double flanged wheel running on a railway style rail located flush in the roadway. Image sourced from the free online "Wikipedia" encyclopdia http://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/Image:TVRGeleiding.png (link to an external site which opens in a new window).
As part of the development of the TVR the low floor prototype was 'endurance tested' in Paris, the French capital, on a 1.5km section of the Trans Val-de-Marne busway. Part of the route involved electric / guided operation and part fossil fuel / non guided operation. In Paris the RATP is reportedly looking at the TVR for quieter routes in the outer suburbs - to complement its current expansion schemes for the suburban rail, metro and tramway systems. These trials were supposed to last just six months but actually continued for much longer, it seems that there was a problem with severe vibrations whilst operating in guided mode caused by the interaction between the guide wheels and guide rail. Some pundits (rather unkindly) suggested that the vibration issue was so severe that the TVR vehicles could quite literally 'shake themselves to pieces ' long before their design life of 30 years has been reached (Paris not illustrated.)
End Of Trials - Into Commercial Service.

Back in 1997 the French city of Caen was planning to be the
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first to install a commercial TVR system, but it was rejected in a local referendum where, with less than a quarter of eligible voters turning out, in reality 'apathy' could be said to have been the real winner. Instead the first commercial TVR installation was in the French city of Nancy, where it was seen to be a logical upgrade to their pre-existing trolleybus system. Another reason for choosing a rubber tyred solution was the better ability of buses to cope with steeper gradients, which on Line 1 in Nancy were as steep as 13%. With the overhead infrastructure already in situ TVR The GLT has become the TVR; in these services were expected to commence towards the end of 2000 summer 1997 views we see the new low but testing took longer than originally expected so public floor prototype on the test track in the services actually began on 11th February 2001. This is over an Belgian Ardennes. 11.5km route which features 29 stops.
(above and below.)
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Unfortunately not only was the commencement of services late but there were two accidents within the first month of operation (on 6th & 10th March) which occurred whilst vehicles were changing from guided to unguided mode. Both accidents involved the rear of the vehicles swinging out and sideswiping nearby overhead-wire masts. These were followed by a strike by transport workers questioning whether the technology was safe and as a result all services were suspended for a year whilst investigations and modifications were carried out. That there should be not one but two accidents so soon after the start of services is somewhat surprising because the although the TVR is a new technology it had been thought to have been thoroughly proven safe in many hours of developmental testing at its Belgian test track and during its Parisian demonstration trials. Services were restarted on the 6th March 2002. To help reassure both staff and passengers that the technology is safe all 25 vehicles have been fitted with aircraft-style black boxes which record data such as the vehicles speed, acceleration and braking during the 5 minutes prior to any further incidents (should they happen). Meanwhile, despite the negative vote and problems in Nancy after a 14 year planning saga Caen's TVR service finally opened on 15th November 2002. In Caen the TVR remains in guided mode at all times (during passenger service) and the vehicles are powered via a single overhead wire and a pantograph (as is usual with trams) with electrical return being via the guide rail. Caen's system features 24 vehicles operating over a 15.7km route with 34 stations; it is marketed under the name of "Twisto". ------------------------As of Spring 2006 it seems that the derailing issue has been resolved, and according to the Nancy transport authorities everything is now operating at "design speeds". The derailments were blamed on the vehicle drivers holding (or resting) on the steering wheel, which had the effect of raising the guide wheel slightly. So a combination of staff retraining, some changes to the guidance system (see below) and engineers changing the linkage between the steering wheel and the guide wheel seems to have solved the problem. To further help ensure that there are no more derailments and that the system remains safe the guidance wheels must now exert a minimal pressure of 750 kgs upon the guidance rail. Unfortunately this high downward pressure creates several problems, including an increase in noise levels, especially at higher speeds and increased abrasion (wear) of the guidance wheel and guidance rail. Furthermore, this effectively reduces the weight borne by the traction wheels, which results in the vehicles sometimes having difficulty climbing gradients when the road is wet and / or slippery from fallen leaves, snow and ice. In this case they must switch to unguided mode, which in Caen means using the diesel engine too, and drive slowly & extra carefully to avoid things such as the overhead wire support poles. Other issues which the TVR has experienced include exploding tyres and that because the wheels follow exactly the same path abnormal wear and tear is resulting in tracks or "rutting" forming in the road surface. At some locations this has resulted in a need for the laying of asphalt to fill the grooves,
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something which can be done overnight during non-traffic hours. It is very likely that in the longer term short service suspensions will be required for more drastic road surface repairs / renewal. Some pundits are suggesting that repairing the grooves and replacing worn guidance rails in the worst affected locations will need doing annually, and that in the long term a steel wheel tramway (or kerb guided trolleybusway) would have been cheaper.
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Experience in Service.
Some of the information below comes from French language Internet discussion sites with people who live in the relevant cities discussing their transports, and possible future plans.
Whilst the vehicles seem nice enough the many problems have negatively impacted on what it was hoped to be able to achieve. In 2001 when Nancy's system first opened the total end to end journey time was 29 minutes but because of speed reductions imposed to improve safety whilst in guided mode it became 36 minutes. At one stage the speed reductions were as low as 30km/h (20 mph) on straight track and 10km/h on (some) curves, but later this was raised to 40km/h (25 mph). A comparison of journey times with ordinary buses has also proven unfavourable - for instance sections of road which ordinary buses can cover in 7 minutes the TVR needs 9 minutes. The information source for the comparison did not state whether the TVR was operating in guided mode - it is assumed that it was because from personal experience in 2003 it was found that when in normal driver steered mode the TVR was able to be driven without constraint, much like any ordinary trolleybus. Because of the relatively small quantity of work to be carried out the Nancy system was expected to be much cheaper than a steel-wheel tramway. Officially its final cost is quoted as being 156 million which works out at about 14.2 million per km. As a comparison a new steel wheel tramline in the French city of Orlans worked out at 15,5 million per km. It is reported that Bombardier have guaranteed that until 2009 annual maintenance costs will be pegged at a maximun of 2 million. It is also reported that in a final settlement for the problems Bombardier refunded 7.6 million of the total 47.3 million cost of the TVR vehicles. In October 2006 it was reported that Line 1 (the TVR route) carries about 40,000 passengers daily - out of a total of 100,000 daily journeys in Nancy. The original projections were for a daily ridership of 54,000. The average speed of 14.6km/h is lower than other buses services in the city, as well as a traditional steel wheel tramways elsewhere in France. In Caen there were far fewer problems and as a general theme they are reasonably satisfied with their "tram on tyres". Perhaps one gripe which could be levied is that whilst the earlier GLT prototypes were designed to be capable of multiple-unit operation this feature was dropped from the low floor versions and because of overcrowding at busy times this is something that they would have liked to have been able to do. Caen thought that steel-wheel trams would be too expensive for an average city and instead took a risk in going with innovative new technology. In that way they quite literally became a city-wide test track. It could be said that they paid a financial price for that innovation, with a transport system which had been estimated to cost 113 million ending up costing more like 234 million.
The Future.
Nancy originally planned a three-route 28km TVR network, which was expected to have been completed by 2007. Line 2 was actually originally planned to open in 2001 but it did not happen and the 7 vehicles bought for it are now indispensable to help provide a minimal service on Line 1. What had been proposed as Line 3 has now been renamed Line 2 and it has been suggested that construction will start in 2007 with it open by 2011. As yet the choice of vehicle remains unknown, and although it will use some form of trolleybus BRT technology it not expected to be the TVR. Nancy has also had problems with a fleet of new trolleybuses for other services which in the end were returned to the manufacturer never having actually been used in public service. Line 3 is still on the horizon - also as some sort of BRT, and pencilled in for 2015... In October 2006 revamped plans also talked of improvements and extensions for Line 1, although these
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are more aspirational as no hard facts are known - other than that the TVR is no longer in production. Also being considered is the possibility of using 'tram-train' technology which would copy Karlsruhe, Kassel, and others where local heavy rail services would be converted to light rail (with the tracks still available for other heavy rail trains) and extended as steel wheel trams through city streets. If this does happen then there is a possibility of some locations (eg: near the railway station) where there would be the twin rails of steel-wheel trams and the single rail of the TVR along the same formation! This will probably sound very unprofessional, but it does seem that with all the bad luck that Nancy seems to have suffered that something out of the ordinary is going on here. The idea of an entire cities' transports being jinxed sounds ridiculous, yet that is the very impression which has been gained. Caen still wants to expand its TVR system.
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In late 2004 they announced their proposals for what they would like for their city in 2015, and this included extending the existing 15.7km TVR Line 1 by another 6.9km. The big question for them however would be the issue of vehicles, as apparently Bombardier have discontinued the TVR from their product range. Some online discussion included the thought that as Nancy has been less than delighted with the TVR and might even harbour thoughts of wanting to be rid of it and its problems (even though it is questionable whether the city could afford to replace it with a steel wheel tramway) so that maybe Caen would be happy to have Nancy's vehicles and after conversion to pantograph operation use them to enhance its Line 1 - plus have a few extra to use as a source of spare parts. Caen's 2015 proposals also include Lines 2, 3, and 4. Ideally Caen would have liked the 11.3 km Line 2 to use the TVR, to complement Line 1. This would have been desirable from many viewpoints including maintenance and fleet management, however as new vehicles are no longer in production so the options include the Translohr (described below) or a trolleybus based system using the Vise Optical guidance system (also described below). The 6km Line 3 and the 5km Line will almost certainly be BRT services, possibly also using trolleybuses and possibly also using the Vise Optical guidance system. In January 2008 reports spoke of an ever increasing urgency to resolve the situation in Caen, both because of a desire to lengthen existing services and because the existing services are operating at full capacity (especially in the rush hours) and without more vehicles the much needed service frequency enhancements are simply not possible. Reports also suggested that Bombardier might be prepared to build more TVR vehicles, although they would want a minimum build quantity of 20.
Views of production TVR vehicles in commercial service.
The Caen and Nancy vehicles are essentially the same, except for livery, internal furnishing colours and power collection methods. Caen left uses blue based furnishings and a railway-style pantograph, with electrical return being via the guide rail. Nancy right uses red based furnishings and trolleybus-style twin trolleypoles.
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In guided mode the vehicles operate as regular trams (streetcars) and call at stations with fixed platforms. In Caen left they remain in guided mode at all times whilst in passenger service, although for non-revenue journey to, from and within the dept they operate as driver-steered diesel-electric buses. In Nancy right only part of the system sees guided operation....
... the rest of the time they operate as normal trolleybuses (electric trolleycoach in American) sharing roadspace with other road users and calling at normal bus stops.
'Track' view at one of two locations in Caen where services in guided mode split into two routes.
Montant-Octroi is one of several locations in Nancy where vehicles swap between guided and unguided mode.
Internal view of a Caen vehicle from the back looking forwards.
At the back the vehicles feature this 'U'-shaped seating area. (Nancy version illustrated)
Internal view of a Nancy vehicle from the front looking backwards.
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Civis and Cristalis.
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Designed for medium sized towns and the suburbs of larger cities the Civis is actually a complete transport package including vehicles, guidance system and street furniture. When launched it was marketed as a 'Reserved Lane Light Urban Transport System' and designed to be suitable for traffic flows of up to 3,000 passengers per hour / per direction. Civis was originally developed by Renault and Matra, two well established French transport concerns. Since then Matra was bought out by Siemens and Renault's bus and coach division merged with the Fiat-Iveco group's bus and coach division. Apparently however the euro-bureaucrats cried foul claiming that this merger was anti-competitive (as if there are no other bus builders anywhere globally) and demanded a change in ownership, so since early 2003 Irisbus has been fully owned by the Iveco Group. The traction equipment is sourced from Alsthom. (Its a pity that there is no-one with similar powers to cry foul over
the euro-bureaucrats not being elected to office, nor being democratically accountable, or that so much [British] taxpayers' [our] money goes astray within the EU that it is a decade since auditors were last willing to approve its accounts).
About The Vehicles.

The vehicles come in two variants which share essentially the same bodywork and drive systems. For the "rubber-tyred tram / streetcar" market the vehicles would feature a pointed front where driver sits centrally in a cab. This adds a little to the overall length. It is expected that vehicles which use this configuration would also use the optical self-steering guidance system and therefore be known as Civis (see below). The cab variant is only suitable for fare collection systems that do not An electric Civis vehicle as seen at the need to be supervised by the driver. The other basic body 2003 UITP exhibition in Madrid, Spain. variant would feature the conventional bus-style flat front making them more akin to state-of-the-art 'second generation' modern buses. These are generally known as Cristalis. For length there are several options: 12 metre rigid, 18.50 metre (Cristalis) / 18.75 metre (Civis) single-articulated and 24 metre double-articulated (Civis only). All variants are 2.55 metres wide, this being the euro-standard maximum width for buses. Production is mostly based at Rorthais in the centre-west of France, near to Nantes, although the chassis is treated with a full anti-corrosion immersion process (cataphoresis) at the main A flat (conventional bus) fronted Cristalis Irisbus bus plant at Annonay. The structure is fabricated out of vehicle on the TEOR route in Rouen. stainless steel; the main side framing is very substantial, partly Image source - Irisbus promotional because with an integral low floor architecture most ancillaries photograph. are located at roof level. Over the last two decades a production system has been developed whereby the two main sides, front & rear ends plus roof are all constructed as separate subassemblies. They are built complete with glazing, wiring and trim, then, late in the production process, bolted to the chassis and to each other, to make a very strong structure. One of the features carried over from the conventional bus range is the use of main side panels made in a fibreglass material which are both visually attractive and easier to repair in the event of minor bumps and scrapes. The vehicles are electrically operated, either as trolleybuses (which collect 750v dc power from twin overhead wires via poles mounted on the vehicle's roof) or as diesel-electric buses where a rear mounted 224kW / 300 HP Iveco Euro 3 fossil engine powers an electric generator (alternator). The trolleybus variants
Rear view of one of a 'rigid' (not
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articulated) Cristalis in Lyon, France. The rear window is an especially welcome feature which too often bus designers leave out.
can also fitted with a 66kW / 88 HP diesel alternator APU (auxiliary power unit) which gives them an ability to travel offwire - this being useful for emergency (& dept) use allowing the vehicle to travel a short distance around an obstruction (eg: a road traffic accident) at reduced speed. Transmission is via 80kw electric wheelhub motors driving the centre (artics only) and rear wheels which feature the extra-wide low profile Michelin 'Super-Single' tyres obviating the need for paired wheels. These state-of-the-art tyres are designed to limit ground floor pressure, save 130kg per axle in weight, reduce rolling resistance (and hence energy consumption), and enable the vehicles' interior to be as wide at the back as at the front. This saves about 400mm in internal width.
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Side three-quarter view of an 'articulated' Cristalis on the very busy route No.1 in Lyon, France
The main entrance doors are electrically operated. The twinleaf doors open outward and sit very close to the side of the body. When using guidance systems the buses can dock so close to raised compatible kerbs that there is practically no gap. However, for non-guided vehicles there are the usual options of kneeling suspension and ramps. With accurate docking the bus stop platform can be raised up to 27 cm (or 21 cm when the vehicle is kneeled), to provide accessibility to every user.
About The Guidance System.

The optical 'self-steering' guidance system is called 'Vise', and this is claimed to be the first technology to use Artificial Vision in passenger transport. It works by a forward looking video camera detecting the correct path by 'seeing' the contrast between twin white dashed lines and the darker road surface on which they are painted. Initially Vise was developed to enable accurate docking at bus stops but it is claimed to be equally competent for full-time vehicle guidance. However, when using the optical guidance (in France) the buses are limited to 30km/h (about 20mph). There are two options for this guidance system with the 'virtual rail' either being located down the centre of the vehicle or offset to the left.
Scan from Irisbus promotional leaflet showing "hands free" driving.
Incidentally, Matra (who developed the Vise Optical guidance system) has now been bought out by Siemens, and at first the 'Civis' name could only be used if the vehicle is fitted with Vise Optical guidance. However the Vise Optical guidance can Scan from Irisbus promotional leaflet actually be fitted to almost any bus - not just the Civis - initially inside of a Cristalis; the skylights are a most trials used otherwise 'standard' Renault (Irisbus) Agora feature of both vehicle ranges. diesel buses, and in some cities this is still the situation (see below). On the Irisbus stand at the 1999 UITP exhibition in Toronto a short promotional film showed a Renault (Irisbus) Agora bus fitted with Vise Optical guidance undergoing trials. Scenes included safe operation in a wide variety of climatic conditions including torrential rain and fog (but not snow), and how easily the driver can safely regain steering control to take emergency action to avoid a potential accident. Interestingly, the film also showed a Civis prototype equipped with O-Bahn / kerb guided bus style guide-wheels while a computer simulation demonstrated it on a mixed mode journey combining both guidance systems. The presence of the raised kerbs would be to help meet safety
Renault / Irisbus Agora L - T2C "conventional" optically guided dieselmechanical bus in Clermont Ferrand on the Lo 2000 service. Picture source
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unknown.
concerns regarding situations where (for instance) the guidance lines become invisible to the camera - such as in wintry weather conditions - and on slippery roads when safety dictates that all rubber-tyred traffic has to slow down. Originally the raised kerbs and physical guidewheels were stated to only be needed in case the Vise system derailed (with there not being any physical contact at other times) but at least one system promoter has suggested using the physical system instead of the Vise Optical system (see below).
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In To Service.
Irisbus promotional image of a Bologna Trolleybus BRT Civis.
The French cities of Rouen and Clermont-Ferrand were the first to choose to use Civis buses, although whilst both opted to use similar diesel-electric hybrid articulated vehicles Rouen went for a traditional front where the driver sits to one side whilst Clermont-Ferrand opted for the variant with the tram style central driving position. Perhaps noteworthy in the reasoning behind choosing a rubber-tyred system in Clermont-Ferrand is that it is the home city of Michelin tyres, so local prestige demands rubber tyred (and not steel wheel) local transport solutions.
In Rouen the Civis buses were intended for a 26km 49-stop BRT system which partially opened in 2000. Services here first Cristalis trolleybus in Milan, Italy, on a began with a fleet of 38 Irisbus Agora buses but the plan was priority road which is restricted to public that eventually these would be replaced by a production fleet of transport, bikers and the emergency 55 Civis buses. Initially however just two prototypes were services. The leaf motifs represent a delivered with the first of these commencing public services at type of tree which grows along many of 4.30pm on 7th February 2002. the tree-lined avenues served by Clermont-Ferrand also decided first to trial some and here too the Vise Optical guidance system has also been fitted to some of its Agora L articulated 'ordinary' buses. In Clermont-Ferrand the Civis buses joined the specially painted Agora buses on route 14, which used the marketing name of Lo 2000. Apparently there is a rule that whilst in guided mode the buses restricted to a speed of just 30km/h (approx 20mph) with the bus drivers being required to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. Having trialed their diesel-electric Civis buses for several years neither of the two cities are introducing production versions onto their fleets. Clermont-Ferrand decided pretty quickly that once the leasing period is over it would neither be purchasing the 6 Civis buses which have already been delivered nor would it be proceeding with purchasing a fleet of Civis buses, citing that this change of plan was for financial reasons. Apparently their trials found that when compared to the diesel mechanical Agora buses the diesel-electric Civis consumes 30% to 35% more fuel plus the Agoras are only half as expensive to purchase. According to media reports Irisbus suggest that the higher fuel consumption is because of the lack of dedicated busway / bus right of way - such as in Rouen. With roadworks for the Translohr rubber-tyred tram (see below) disrupting traffic flows it was also decided to discontinue the use of the optical guidance, with stated reasons including the frequent need to repaint the road markings for the cameras to follow. Longer term plans in Clermont-Ferrand include converting route 14 / Lo 2000 to become Translohr Tram route B, although financial issues may delay this for a while. In the meantime however the Agora buses used on this service have been fitted with wheelchair ramps, making them the first accessible buses in this city. By way of a contrast early in 2005 Rouen confirmed its order for 57 of these high-tech buses (including the two pre-series buses) albeit of the Cristalis and not Civis design for its TEOR BRT system which when completed had expanded from 12km to 25.5km and from 16 to 41 stations using a total of 66 optically guided buses, of various types.
trolleybus routes 90/91 which these vehicles operate on. The building in the background is the central railway station; the vehicles behind the bus are taxis which had to stop whilst the bus called at a bus stop.
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Meanwhile in March 2005 Irisbus replaced their Agora bus range with the Citelis, these also being based on 'normal' and not 'rubber-tyred tram' bus aesthetics. The optional fitting of the Vise Optical guidance system is a design feature for the Citelis buses. Subsequent to this Rouen changed its order so that instead of buying 55 extra diesel-electric Civis / Cristalis buses they would return the two preseries prototypes and purchase 28 optically guided Citelis buses instead. So by February 2007 their TEOR BRT system was served by 38 Agora L buses and 28 Citelis L buses (making 66 in total) - all with optical guidance.
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Electric Success.
Meanwhile, whilst the diesel-electric versions have not found favour, the electric trolleybus versions have proven to be considerably more successful. Lyon, France, has upgraded some of its trolleybus fleet with over 100 Cristalis trolleybuses. Since late 2006 some of these have been used on the first of several trolleybus BRT routes. The urban transport authority sees the Cristalis brand of buses as providing an upgrade to 'ordinary' buses - of whatever traction package - and therefore being ideal for routes which need investment but do not justify trams. Lyon is an excellent example of how the different transport modes can all find a place in a large city - in December 2000 it opened two brand new tram routes totalling 41km in length to complement its preexisting network of trolleybuses (including some brand new midi' trolleybuses for route 6 which uses roads unsuitable for full size vehicles), motorbuses, four mtro lines and several funiculars. (In total the Mtro is 25km in length and the trolleybuses 54km). Even without these planned new investments Lyon already has transport systems that are way, way in advance of just about every British city except London. Furthermore, the combination of these transport means that as much as 70% of Lyon's public transport are electrically operated. Elsewhere in France cities using Cristalis trolleybuses include Limoges and St Etienne (both using the 12m rigid version) whilst Milan, Italy, has a very distinctively liveried fleet of the 18.5m articulated versions. All these cities already operate trolleybuses; St Etienne & Milan also use trams too. The Italian city of Bologna will be introducing a large fleet of Civis buses over a 69 stations / 25 km / 4 route BRT scheme - following experience in Clermont-Ferrand these will be pure trolleybuses and not diesel-electric hybrids. Services are expected to commence running in 2009. In 2006 Irisbus launched a new BRT bus named Cralis which is based on the Citelis chassis and features changeable fronts so that each city can "personalise" their buses - a feature which some tram manufactures already offer. For these buses too the optional fitting of the Vise Optical guidance system is a design feature.
North America Beckons!
In 2004 the Civis arrived in North America. Opening on 30th June, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is using Civis buses on a high-profile Bus Rapid Transit service known as MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) in Las Vegas, Nevada to link the Downtown Transportation Center with Nellis Air Force Base via Las Vegas Boulevard North - a distance of about seven miles. This is the fourth busiest Citizens Area Transit route and the second busiest residential-based route on their system, with many of the area's residents being low-income service industry workers who depend on transit to Irisbus promotional photograph showing get to work.
the demonstration Civis vehicle which went to the USA in 2002.
MAX requires ten air-conditioned 18.75m diesel-electric articulated Civis buses; because these European vehicles are so different to anything the American transport operators have seen before the first (demonstration) vehicle arrived in Southern Nevada in August 2002 for extensive testing and evaluation with
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the others coming later. The RTC describe their MAX buses as looking like a cross between a bus and a bullet train. MAX is a Federal Transit Administration national demonstration project. To help meet stringent "local content" requirements these buses are fitted with locally sourced diesel traction units. In April 2006 discussion on various transport - related Internet chat and advocacy sites suggested that there is disappointment with the vehicles' fuel consumption, which is described as being Transport operator's promotional in the order of 1 (one) litre per km. This is at least partly photograph of a MAX (Metropolitan Area attributed to their diesel - electric propulsion system, which is Express) Civis vehicle in Las Vegas. where the fossil fuel motor powers an electric generator which powers the electric motors; it is probable that the vehicles would have been less thirsty had they been series hybrids, which is where the electric motors are powered by on board batteries, with these being charged by a low power fossil fuel engine. However the batteries also impose a weight penalty, plus take up much space - reducing the passenger capacity. In 2006 it was announced that MAX would be expanded - but rather than using the French Civis buses it would employ the Transport operator's promotional 'similarish' British 'StreetCar' buses - see "f - t - r" below - albeit photograph of a MAX Civis vehicle in Las kitted out with a US sourced hybrid electric drive system instead Vegas. of the straight diesel engines as on the British variants. A reason for this change is not known, however it is no secret that the Americans are "less than happy" with the French because of the two countries' different views on global affairs. Some sources suggest that at one stage the Americans even tried to cancel the order for the Civis buses - simply based on global politics. Although the British buses will be driver steered at all times this will not be an issue because apparently experience has shown that sand blowing over the roadway has so frequently left the road markings either compromised or invisible / unreadable that the Vise Optical guidance system has now been deactivated.
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Spanish Expansion.
In January 2008 a small experimental Trolleybus Rapid Transit system using (initially) three 12m rigid optically guided Cristalis vehicles will open in Castelln de la Plana (Castell de la Plana in Valencian) which is the capital city of the province of Castelln, in the Valencian Community, Spain. This is located to
the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea.
The idea behind this new BRT system is to create what is being called a 'new culture for transport'. Ultimately there is an aim of 90km 600million euro network, although this will be built incrementally taking until 2019 to complete. The initial line will be 2.1km in length, and until September 2008 it will be treated as an experimental system, after which further decisions will be made. Although mostly operating as trolleybuses there will be some unwired sections where the buses will operate in diesel-electric mode. (eg: bus garage, city centre). Apparently it is intended to use the optical guidance system throughout the busway section of the route and not just for docking at bus stops. Depending on the outcome of the 2008 trials then similar BRT systems will be installed in several other communities in the Valencia Region.
And In Britain?
In August 2004 a Civis vehicle was demonstrated in Manchester as possibly the type of vehicle which would be used on the proposed Leigh - Salford - Manchester Quality Bus Corridor. If built this BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system will feature an 8km segregated guided busway between Leigh and Ellenbrook using the trackbed of a disused railway which would link up with a further 12km of bus priority measures along the East Lancs Road (A580) and the A6 into Manchester city centre. However, whilst the Vise Optical guidance system might possibly be used for bus stop docking on the street section of the route its more likely that the physical kerb guided system will be used on the ex-railway line.
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w .c .d o In late 2005 it was announced that there would be trials of optically guided self-steering buses in the c u-tr a c k English city of Cambridge, and if successful it is proposed that by the end of 2006 a fleet of 22 buses will be so equipped. However these will be ordinary buses, for which it is anticipated that the cost of fitting of the optical guidance equipment will be 25,000 per bus, plus, for the painted lines a few thousand pounds (paid by the highway authority). In an attempt to try and overcome the negative image of bus travel among car users the interior of the self-steering buses will be upgraded with leather seats, TV screens and - for vehicles which operate longer distance services - wireless broadband internet. Regrettably it seems that there are no plans for electrification, which would dispense with the noisy, bone shaking fossil fuel engine & its exhaust fumes - these also being significant reasons why people who have a choice will choose to avoid bus transport.
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Perhaps the principle reason for investigating optical guidance is that will allows bus lanes to be 1.5m (5') narrower than those used by driver-steered buses This will be especially beneficial when travelling through pedestrian zones and narrow streets in city centres, where driver-steered buses are disliked because of a perceived danger that the driver will suddenly veer off course. However, it is questionable whether local people will appreciate the use of motor buses in these areas introducing new sources of tail pipe air pollution. In the longer term it is also proposed that Cambridge might use dual-equipped buses which could use kerb-guidance on the proposed kerb guided busway (which will on the site of a disused railway line between the city & St Ives), and then use optical guidance when travelling on the public highway. ------------------------It is very important to note that some of the Cambridge proposals detailed above depend on the obtaining of the very important safety certification for the optical guidance, and by no means is it certain that this will happen. Already in Britain one high-tech electrical self-steering system has been refused permission for use on buses carrying fare-paying passengers, even though it is safely used elsewhere. This was the magnetic / under-road guidance system trialed on London's Millennium Dome busway in 2000. More information can be found on another page.
Update.
As of September 2006 no information on these proposals had been forthcoming, and as the bus operator does not have a follow-on press release on its web site it is assumed that the proposals have been quietly shelved.
The Translohr.
The Translohr is a range of modular bi-directional low floor (25cms) vehicles designed for passenger flows between 2,000 and 5,000 per hour/direction. To achieve this the vehicles come in several variants:l l l l l
STE2 STE3 STE4 STE5 STE6
- two passenger modules totalling 18 metres in length. - three passenger modules totalling 25 metres in length. - four passenger modules totalling 32 metres in length. - five passenger modules totalling 39 metres in length. - six passenger modules totalling 46 metres in length.
With multiple-unit operation longer trains are also possible although in many countries there are laws restricting the maximum length of vehicles which operate within the street environment. Translohr vehicles can be between 2.2m and 2.65m wide (as per local requirements) and be either bi-directional (with driving cabs at both ends of the vehicle) or uni-directional (which means that they would have a definite front and back). They have a low floor just 25 cm (approximately 10in) above the floor. Passenger seating can be varied according to requirements too, although there are four pre-designed seating 'formats' - sit/stand, wide or extra wide - other options include installing the seats at right angles to the bays to improve passengers' visibility of the town (transverse seating) or longitudinally to increase (standing) passenger capacity. Another design possibility is for special fittings for bicycles. Total
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passenger capacity of the vehicles depends on length, width and seating configurations but is claimed to be between 80 to 250. Translohr publicity material suggests that as ridership increases it would be relatively easy to increase passenger capacity on STE2 / STE3 / STE4 /STE5 vehicles by adding extra modules - up to a maximum length of 6 modules, which equates to the STE6 variant. For really heavily trafficked routes another possibility is for multiple unit operation - for instance two STE3 Translohr vehicles would have a combined length of 51 metres including the couplings.
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Translohr vehicles are supported on a series of single-axle bogies that each have a set of twin guidance rollers located at both the forward and aft ends of the bogies. These rollers form a 'V' as they lock on to a guiderail which is located flush with the road surface. They are mounted at 45 degrees to the road surface and at 90 degrees to each other. Linkages from the roller assembly provide the steering function by connecting to the road wheels. (See image below) Translohr vehicles have a turning circle of 10.5 metres. Because the rail profiles are different the GLT/TVR and Translohr tracks are not compatible. The Translohr is marketed as a tramway and it is intended / expected that at all times the vehicles will remain in guided mode with power coming from an overhead wire via a roof-mounted pantograph and the electric return being via the guide rail. However a design possibility allows for tractive effort without the overhead wire. How this would be achieved depends on local circumstances / requirements. (eg, short distances to be travelled could be powered by flywheels and batteries whilst longer distances might require fossil fuel engines). There are two traction motors providing a total output of 400 kW. At one time other variants of Translohr vehicles were also proposed, these being the ST and the S. One especially noteworthy feature of the S vehicles is that they were designed to be capable of working away from the guidance rail, with electrical power coming from trolleybus-style twin overhead wires. It is not known whether these Translohr variants remain in the manufacturer's product range.
Where?
Initially four European cities chose to install Translohr rubber-tyred tramway systems...
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Clermont-Ferrand [France] with 22 STE4 vehicles, Mestre-Venice [Italy] with 14 STE4 vehicles, L'Aquila [Italy] with 10 STE3 vehicles, Padua [Italy] with 14 STE3 vehicles
Subsequently the Italian city of Latina also opted to install a Translohr system, using 15 STE3 vehicles. Out of six tramway projects underway in the French Capital (Paris) one of them will also use the Translohr rubber-tyred trams. To be known as Line T8 it will follow a radial route 14km in length (including a 1.6km underground section) through the city's southern suburbs. There will be 21 stations, with two of these being underground. With peak hour frequencies of every 3.5 minutes this service is expected to feature 30 Translohr trams and all being well it will open in 2010. Perhaps noteworthy in the reasoning behind choosing a rubber-tyred system in Clermont-Ferrand is that it is the home city of Michelin tyres, so local prestige demands rubber tyred (and not steel wheel) local transport solutions. Because of local politics the marketing of the Padua project has variously used the term Metrobus, Metrotram and Sistema Intermedio a Rete (SIR), with the local politicians initially wanting to hide all references to trams and then the opposite. In all three routes are planned for Padua. Reasons why L'Aquila chose a rubber-tyred solution include that the town centre is on a hill and the roads which will be used are both very steep and very narrow, so that there is no space for private rights of way and it was felt that steel wheel trams would not be suited to the inclines. Apparently the first phase (Ospedale S.Salvatore-Centro) will be 7,5 km in length and follows a route which will not serve the railway station - to which a local person made the following comment "certainly it is not a good example of integrated system....". The Translohr is also being actively marketed in Asia and there is a test / demonstration track (0.5km in
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length) in Osaka, Japan.
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A 30km Translohr line is also planned in the Chinese city of Tianjin, which is East of Beijing. This will be built in several stages, with the first being an approximately 8 km test line. Known as the 'Dongting Street Test Line' it starts at the TEDA (Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area) Station of the light railway, extend northwards along Dongting Street and through the Tianjin new economic and high tech development zone (Tanggu District), ending at the university town with 14 stations along the way. In the initial stage of operations, eight locally built STE4 vehicles are being used, each having three carriages and a maximum speed of 70km/h. As with Europe, more Asian locations have also shown an interest in the Translohr, but nothing firm is known to have been agreed.
The Translohr guidance system is based on a pair of wheels mounted at 45 degrees to the road surface and at 90 degrees to each other running on a specially profiled rail embedded flush in the road surface.
The Translohr uses lightweight trackage with a very distinctive specialist profile, as seen in this image taken during the construction of the Clermont-Ferrand system.
Images sourced from the free online "Wikipedia" encyclopdia... (links to external site which open in new windows). left: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:TranslohrGeleiding.png right: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Rail_section.JPG.
Above and below - four views of the Translohr sourced from Lohr Industries promotional material. The view above left shows the wheel units which feature single-axle bogies that each have a set of twin guidance rollers located both in front and behind them. The view above right shows a STE3 vehicle operating in battery electric mode on the Duppigheim test track.
Translohr vehicles on demonstration - Clermont-Ferrand left and the Japanese test track right.
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Two transport officials pose for the photograph next to a Padua Translohr vehicle awaiting its correct departure time from its terminus outside the railway station.
An internal view - note the upholstered perches on the articulations.
In To Service.
At one time it was expected that both the Clermont-Ferrand and Padua systems would open for passenger services in the autumn / winter of 2005 but the systems were not ready. Padua did manage to open a short 2.5km section of route before municipal elections in 2004, and this was even visited by the Italian Prime Minister. But this was only a 'showpiece' opening and the line remained closed to full passenger services. With only part of the system ready, only two Translohr trams delivered and operating out of a temporary dept, September 2006 saw the commencement of a limited service in Padua. Initially only part of the first route was opened, something which caused some concern as it includes a 675 metre unwired section and there is an element of uncertainty as to whether the "shortened" section which has opened will be long enough to recharge the traction batteries for when travelling in battery-electric mode. Clermont-Ferrand had a 'grand opening' on Saturday 16th October 2006, with free services operating at low speed (30km/h - 20mph) over a portion of the system which did not include the location of a derailment a few weeks earlier (see below). Then the system closed again, although it has since reopened and the system is in full operation. In Clermont-Ferrand the Translohr operates under railway legislation. The significance of this is that had they operated under road vehicle legislation then they would have been limited to just 25 metres in length. The Chinese Translohr line in Tianjin was inaugurated on the 6th December with full services beginning on the 10th May 2007.
Delays & Derailments.

According to official Translohr publicity "There is no possibility of derailment, even under very poor conditions of adhesion." However, there have been some teething problems, and during trials there have been some derailments too. As a result some pundits have been rather unkindly suggesting that the Translohr system is about as un-derailable as the manufacturer's (shipbuilder's) claims that the Titanic would be unsinkable. The information below has been supplied by local people. 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's first derailment was at 4.40am on the 2nd October 2006 and involved a Translohr tram leaving the (temporary) dept. Following this Padua's Translohr trams are being 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.".
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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.
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More Derailments.
Part of the purpose of testing is to look for weaknesses and overcome them. In Padua this resulted in there being several minor (ie: no injuries / damage) derailments, and eventually the issues were identified and resolved. However, at 18.04 (6.04pm) 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 is being 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 of writing (15th May 2007) the information on this accident is based on unofficial reports, so might 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 seems that the malfunctioning of a point is to blame for this incident. 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. There was yet another derailment in Padua on the 31st October 2007, with a tram derailing at a location in the track where there is a junction where the correct route had failed to set properly. 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.
Translohr vehicles in public service in Clermont-Ferrand. Images sourced from the free online "Wikipedia" encyclopdia (link to an external site which open in new windows). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Tramway-clermont-ferrand-2.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Tramway-clermont-ferrand-de-haut.jpg
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Translohr vehicles in public service in Padua; Left: Negotiating a busy junction close to the main railway station, Right: Two pass near the Eremintani stop, with there being a very healthy crowd waiting on the platform.
The articulation covers open out when turning sharper curves - this view shows the outside of the curve, for inside of curve views see the images sourced from the Lohr Industries promotional material above
Switching tracks at the stop outside the railway station. This also shows how the articulation covers open up.
Unlike the GLT/TVR and ordinary trams where rail routes cross the Translohr requires special equipment which maintains continuous guidance
A view of the crossover seen being used above showing a Translohr point ('switch' in American) - and how the vehicles' tyre tracks broaden slightly, suggesting that its swept path widens on sharp curves.
These images come from near the Eremintani stop where the line runs alongside the edge of the road / close
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to a footpath and show provision for an uninstalled crossover. Whether this is uninstalled because of changes to the original plans (perhaps as a cost cutting exercise) or that it is intended to install this at a later date but provision was made during the construction phase (as a cost saving exercise) is unknown. Left: It is to be presumed that the indentation in the footpath is required for the vehicle's wheels to expand over the swept path followed by vehicles travelling straight.
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Right: This better shows the uninstalled crossover... as well as an access cover on the section of road surface used by the vehicle's wheels and (next to it) what looks like a break (ie: damage) to the road surface - both of which will result in a lessening of the vehicle's ride quality.
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.
Some photographs of the Tianjin Translohr can be found on the Gakei.com website at http://gakei.com/tsn/tsnt.htm
(Link to an external website which opens in a new window).
French Success.
On the 27th of August the opening of the last of section Clermont-Ferrand's first line saw it finally reaching its planned ultimate first stage length. Even though the system has been in operation for less than a year extensions are being proposed. The first of these will be a modest 1.7km in length, although more are being planned. Passenger-wise the system is proving to be very successful, with the original anticipated daily ridership of 35,000 passengers per day being proven to have been a significant under-estimate. Instead By August 2007 it was carrying 42,000 passengers per day - and as a consequence of this higher ridership plus the planned extension another six (6) Translohr trams have been ordered from Lohr Industries for delivery in June 2008.
Phileas.
In Holland a fleet of 12 distinctively-styled buses are being trialled on 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 doublearticulated 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.
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w .c .d o Most of the first generation Phileas buses feature a gas powered, 'series' style, hybrid-electric drive c u-tr a c k system whereby an LPG engine runs 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 innercity operation with the LPG engine switched off. This is also claimed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30% compared to an LPG powered bus of comparable size.
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By way of a further refinement (and experimentation) one vehicle has also been fitted with a flywheel which provides 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 the second generation Phileas buses will use the GM Allison 'parallel' style hybrid-electric driveline. 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 5cms. Because bus stop platforms are of the same height as the buses' floor these features should improve access for special needs people and thereby speed the service by helping to reduce dwell time when calling at bus stops. Passenger capacities are around 120 in the 18m version and 180 in the 24m version.
Pioneering Guidance Technology.

Next to the dedicated vehicles the core of the Phileas system however, is its pioneering guidance technology based on magnetic beacons, which 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 Vise 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:l l l
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.
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So far Phileas remains "under development". Initial trials have been dogged with challenges which are w . d o c u - t r a c k . c still being worked on. Apparently the Frog guidance system has suffered from electrical interference including 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.
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The images below date from August 2006, and as is shown, not enough Phileas buses are available to operate all the journeys on the airport service. On speaking with some local people it seems that whilst the buses themselves work fine there are still issues with the three high-tech computer systems not being able to work together. The rest of the buses are off the road at the maintenance facility.
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.
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. The company Frog/2getthere went into bankruptcy several months ago. The company is considering/trying to do a restart at a moderate size to prevent that 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 will see the LPG engines being replaced with diesel engines. The first of the rebuilt buses is expected to return to Eindhoven in June 2008.
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Other Phileas Bus Systems.

Korea.
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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.
France, Italy and Turkey beckon...

In 2008 a Phileas bus service will be introduced to link the French city of Douai with the nearby community of Guesnain. Phase one of what is projected to be Line 1 will be 12km in length, and feature 39 stations approximately 400 metres apart. Initially services will be provided by ten 18 metre single articulated and two 24 metre double articulated second generation Phileas buses which will use the parallel type of hybrid propulsion system. To permit calling at bus stops with island platforms the Douai Phileas buses will feature doors on both sides. The project includes reducing so called 'visual clutter' by burying existing overhead wires (telephones, electricity). The system is expected to cost around 117 million, and it will 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 'Evole'. 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 (possibly even in late January) however by September 2007 this time frame had slipped to the end of June 2008. This is understood to be because of late delivery of the fleet of buses. Meanwhile, despite not having even opened extensions and a second line are already being planned for the Douai Phileas 'Evole' pseudo (ersatz) tram. In Italy a trolleybus Phileas service has been proposed to link Porta Nuova station in the city of Pescara with Porto Allegro. This will be the first of several new high capacity bus services to serve the area, although it remains to be seen whether they will all use Phileas buses, and whether they will all operate as trolleybuses. 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 Artists' impression of a trolleybus Phileas 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 in Pescara. Image sourced from the promoter's promotional material. road crossings where the automatically driven Phileas trolleybuses will benefit from traffic signal priority. 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. However despite contracts apparently having been signed it remains to be seen (for certain) whether the January 2009 opening date proves to be accurate. On further reading about these proposals it seems that the plans for a service such as this date back to 1992 - but are only coming into fruition now. So timescales may yet slip even further! Furthermore, there are some aspects of what is being
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proposed which is locally controversial and might lead to changes to what finally transpires. A Phileas system is also under construction in Istanbul, Turkey. This will use 50 double articulated Phileas buses which will be 26 metres in length and a capacity of between 200 and 350 passengers each. The buses will use the parallel hybrid drive system. The route will be alongside the E5 freeway, which is also used by thousands of minibuses and regular sized buses. The system is expected to cost around 60 million. The first part of the Istanbul system opened in late summer 2007, although because the Phileas buses were not yet available initial services used two of the Dutch Phileas buses (one each, single and double articulated) plus other buses.
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"f - t - r".
In the autumn of 2004 one of the major British transport operators (FirstGroup) and a major British Islesbased 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 from which passengers can board or leave. 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 soundproofing. 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 s 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
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w .c .d o with the best from the tram in terms of image, dedicated infrastructure and perceived reliability." The c u-tr a c k 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 onboard 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.
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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
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British tram systems which also use human conductors instead of machines to collect the fares.
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Next
In October 2006 it was announced that Leeds would be the second city to host f-t-r services using the StreetCar buses. In all there would be 17 StreetCar buses which will (also) be used on route No.4. However, to reduce the impact of any possible teething issues the StreetCar buses 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 services in Leeds will also eventually include operation on the kerb-guided busway remains to be seen.
Even More...
After Leeds the next services to use the pink and purple livered StreetCar buses were expected to be a high profile BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system linking Swansea with Mumbles (South Wales), however instead with the opening of the Swansea system having beeen delayed (see below) January 2008 saw four of the spare Wrightbus StreetCars being allocated to 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 franchise. Costing 14 million the proposals for Swansea are to create a tram-like 'high quality bus network' which will use a mix of private right of way and shared use of the public highway, including some bus lanes, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes plus, where required, other bus priority measures. Initially services will require 10 vehicles. Marketed as the Swansea Metro this BRT scheme 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. Originally expected to commence in 2008 services have been delayed until April 2009 - the StreetCar buses are expected to be ready in 2007 but it seems that much of the roadway works will not be ready until much later.
Why might things not go well in Swansea? Because it is a coastal city and there is a tsunami risk for most (all?) Atlantic Ocean coastlines - which includes our (the British) south and west coasts. One possible expected cause is the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma (see London Daily Telegraph article dated from 2001) with another possible cause being identified on a webpage on the BBC website in an article which details how Swansea was involved in the 1607 tsunami which hit South Wales and parts of South West England. (Links to external sites open in new windows). Another much talked about (for those who know where to look) possible cause is one (or several) meteorite strikes somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Although nothing is certain a projected timeframe for these events is anywhere between mid 2008 and the end of 2009.
In October 2007 it was announced that the Department for Transport had given a tentative approval for a transport improvement package for the city of Bath which would include the use of an unknown number of StreetCar buses. These will be used on a BRT scheme which will take over a closed railway line, with 10 other local bus routes also being improved (more frequent services, better shelters, accessibility, realtime information at some stops, etc) but will continue to use ordinary buses.
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
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.
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.
For more information visit... * the website of the transport operator http://www.firstgroup.com/ftr/projectambition/index.php, * the bus manufacturer http://www.wright-group.co.uk/streetcar, * the dedicated f-t-r website http://www.goftr.com, * a full colour glossy publicity sheet about the Swansea Metro in Adobe Acrobat format http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/wales/swwales/pdfs/Metro_Newsletter.pdf, * a detailed local government report about the Swansea Metro http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?
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articleid=12990, * a page on the Bath & North East Somerset (local govt.) website about the bid for funding for a package of transport improvements which will include a BRT service using StreetCars www.bathnes.gov.uk/bathpackage
(links to external sites which open in new windows.)
The StreetCar goes to the USA.

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. Delivery of the initial batch is scheduled to commence in 2008 and extend into 2009. They will be used on two new Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) routes serving downtown Las Vegas and out to Boulder City. Although the Las Vegas StreetCar buses will feature the same core vehicle design (albeit with three passenger doorways) they will replace the Volvo diesel drivetrain with chassis produced by Swiss manufacturer Hess, and a diesel hybrid drive system developed in conjunction with the ISE Corporation of California and Siemens Energy & Automation in Georgia. This will be based on a Cummins ISL engine.
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 to external site which 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.
A "Better Buses" Footnote.
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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.
Direct links to other Buses pages...

l l l l l l
Main Buses Page. Carrying The Crowds. A Bus For London. Electric Buses. Hybrid & Tribrid Buses. 'Side-Step Congestion' / Bus priority systems.
Search
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i j k l m n Web n citytransport.info j k l m
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E & OE. Copyright 2001-2008 Simon P Smiler and named contributors.
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New Era Hi-Tech Buses

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New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Ardennes, where the GLT has a test track.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

About The Vehicles.

The pre-developmental prototype GLT vehicle in the Heysal area of Brussels.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Picture from manufacturers' leaflet.

New Vehicle, New Name.

End Of Trials - Into Commercial Service.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Views of production TVR vehicles in commercial service.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Internal view of a Caen vehicle from the back looking forwards.

Internal view of a Nancy vehicle from the front looking backwards.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Civis and Cristalis.

About The Vehicles.

Rear view of one of a 'rigid' (not

New Era Hi-tech Buses

About The Guidance System.

Scan from Irisbus promotional leaflet showing "hands free" driving.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

North America Beckons!

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

STE2 STE3 STE4 STE5 STE6

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

length) in Osaka, Japan.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

An internal view - note the upholstered perches on the articulations.

Delays & Derailments.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

About the Phileas buses.

Pioneering Guidance Technology.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

The on-board ticket machine.

Internal view looking towards the front.

August 2007 Update.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Other Phileas Bus Systems.

France, Italy and Turkey beckon...

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

New Era Hi-tech Buses

StreetCar buses outside York station.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

ftr bus stop flag.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

The StreetCar goes to the USA.

A "Better Buses" Footnote.

New Era Hi-tech Buses

Very distinctively styled but still motor buses in Hannover, Germany.