Transdev Joint Venture to Provide Tram Service in Australia

The Department of Transport and Planning of the State of Victoria, Australia awarded to the joint venture between Transdev (51%) and John Holland (49%) the contract to operate and maintain Yarra Trams, Melbourne's tramway network, for an initial term of nine years.

The contract, which will be taken over by the joint venture in December 2024, is valued at approximately $4.5 billion.

Besides being one of the oldest light rail networks (created in 1885), Yarra Trams is above all the largest in the world. It comprises 24 lines over 155 miles of double track, and 1,600 stops, covering the capital of the State of Victoria, which has a population of 5.3 million.

With more than 500 trams, it carries more than 147 million passengers per year. One hundred Next-Generation Trams, with a capacity of 150 passengers per vehicle, will be added to the existing fleet from 2025.

Cummins Lands $75M Grant for Zero Emissions Plant

Cummins Inc. was awarded $75 million to convert approximately 360,000 sq. ft. of existing manufacturing space at its Columbus, Ind., Engine Plant (CEP) for zero-emissions components and electric powertrain systems.

The $75 million grant is the largest federal grant ever awarded solely to Cummins and is part of the appropriations related to the Inflation Reduction Act.

Cummins will match the grant and invest $75 million for a total of $150 million to convert the space and expand production of battery packs, powertrain systems, and other battery-electric vehicle (BEV) components for Accelera by Cummins, the company’s zero-emissions business segment.

To support this additional manufacturing capacity, Cummins anticipates adding approximately 250 full-time jobs, with opportunities for the plant’s existing workforce to transition to many of these positions over time.

TRC Help Launch Michigan On-Demand Service

The Routing Company (TRC) celebrated the City of Dowagiac’s successful launch of on-demand transit service — powered by TRC’s Ride Pingo app — in Cass County, Mich.

The launch follows two other deployments by TRC in Michigan this year: the City of Big Rapids and Western Washtenaw Area Value Express.

The new service modernizes the phone-in requests and scheduling by incorporating TRC’s Pingo Rural across the City of Dowagiac. Pingo Rural is a product package that supercharges rural transit with on-demand and commingled service that is optimized for rural deployments.

Dowagiac DART operates within city limits, with additional service area to include Southwestern Michigan College, and coordinates its service with Cass County Public Transit, which operates a county-wide transit service. TRC will enhance this Dial-a-Ride service with on-demand service.

Alexander Dennis to Deliver ZEBs for TfL

Alexander Dennis confirmed the first order from a London operator for its next-generation electric buses.

Stagecoach will receive 24 Enviro100EV small buses and 17 Enviro400EV double deckers in early 2025 for routes operated on behalf of the capital’s transport authority Transport for London (TfL).

The next generation of Alexander Dennis electric buses meets the latest iterations of TfL’s pioneering Bus Safety Standard.

In London specification, the next-generation Enviro400EV is approximately 34-feet long and can accommodate up to 62 seated passengers. The Enviro100EV “big small bus” fits TfL’s smallest class of single deckers, providing 21 seats in vehicle that can navigate narrow residential streets thanks to its short 28-foot length and narrow 7.7-foot width.