Translohr: from Clermont Ferrand to Honolulu?

Posted on January 30, 2008 by Matthieu Desiderio

Honolulu has a “High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project” and the City & County of Honolulu sent a Request for Information (RFI). Twelve submittals were received from suppliers of fixed guideway transit system vehicles and include all four technology options for evaluation: “steel wheel on steel rail”, “rubber tire on concrete”, “monorail”, and “magnetic levitation”.

Among these twelve proposals, I particularly like one for multiple reasons I can not really explain here: Lohr Industrie Translohr rubber tire on concrete, rail-guided, light rail. This system has been implemented in the city of Clermont Ferrand in France (entered operation on October 14, 2006) and chosen also by four other cities: three in Italy (Padua, L’Aquila, and Mestre-Venice) and one in China (Tianjin).

The Translohr is a part of the new generation of light-rail urban tramways. Being a real tool to re-conquer the urban space and to transform the city as well as its use in-depth, it offers a unique ease of urban insertion thanks to its manoeuvrability and its man-sized gauge.

Source: Lohr Industrie website

Twelve submittals, more than one French!

Despite that I am a Translohr fan, I would say that 12 submittals is really good for such a project, and could also be good for French international commercial development, Alstom Transport and Thales being in the game.

Here is the list of all proposals received by the City & County of Honolulu:

Advanced Public Transport Systems, submitted rubber tire vehicles that run on concrete;
ALSTOM Transport, submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;
AnsaldoBreda Transportation, Inc., submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;
Bombardier Transportation, submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;
Hitachi America, submitted monorail vehicles;
IHI Corporation, submitted rubber tire vehicles that run on concrete;
Mitsubishi-Itochu, submitted magnetic levitation vehicles;
Mitsubishi-Sumitomo, submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;
Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc., submitted steel wheel/steel rail vehicles;
Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc., submitted rubber tired vehicles that run on concrete;
Thales, submitted specialized train control systems; and
Translohr, submitted rubber tired vehicles that run on concrete.

Translohr Padoue. Credits:Lohr 2006

Credits: Lohr 2006

Public transit may not only mean “mass transit”

However, I would like to mention what I read in a Google Group I recently subscribed: Transport Innovators. This group is discussing innovative transport systems (see references below) and posted a message about Honolulu’s project.

Definitely, all proposals submitted are only ligh-rail-like products (“cattle cars” as said in the Transport Innovators’ messages) and none of them include innovative products such as PRTs or lighter vehicles that could fit more with Honolulu’s public transport needs. Indeed, as Mr. Walter Brewer says in the discussion, “the real problem will be getting people to ride“.

References

Press release: Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project, Jan. 29, 2008: here
Website: Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project: here
Website: Lohr Industrie, Translohr page: here
Website: Clermont Ferrand Transit Authority, Tramway’s page: here
Google Group: Transport Innovators: here