Cities and conurbations are booming on a global scale. Transport capacities have to keep pace with this growth and the increasing requirements of citizens regarding mobility, with many locations in need of new, high-performance and energy-efficient local and long-distance transport systems. As a specialist in railway and overhead-line technology, KuMa is profiting from this trend: the quality of KuMa products and the expertise and experience of the company’s employees in the areas of engineering and installation are in demand both at home and abroad – and are up there with the best, as shown by four examples in Ethiopia, Canada, Turkey and the USA.
Railway expansion in Ethiopia: KuMa lands major contract
The East-African nation of Ethiopia is investing in a modern transport infrastructure, part of which includes the construction of several new railways. These are designed to connect the rest of the country to the capital, Addis Ababa, a metropolis with three million inhabitants, and to contribute to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity. The initial phase of this project also includes the 270-kilometre-long railway between Awash and Kombolcha. To realise this project, the Ethiopian Railways Corporation commissioned the Turkish construction company Yapı Merkezi, which in turn ordered overhead-line material worth several million Swiss francs from KuMa. Over the course of roughly one year, KuMa exported hundreds of cantilevers and supporting structures to Ethiopia, with the bulk of the material coming from the ARCAS programme, KuMa’s modular railway-cantilever system. Construction is due to be completed by the end of 2015.
Special development of overhead tram lines in Toronto
Thanks to an innovative special development, KuMa secured a material supply contract from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), which operates various underground, tram and bus lines in Canada’s most populous city. As the TTC had purchased a new generation of trams and the fleet now features trolley booms and bow collectors, the overhead lines had to be converted to accommodate both systems. To facilitate this, KuMa developed unique crossings and section insulators – and delivered these to Toronto from Zurich over a period of three years.
Overhead-line material for trolleybuses in Malatya, Turkey
The up-and-coming city of Malatya, the centre of the eponymous province in eastern Turkey and with a population of 400,000, is pursuing an innovative project: it is working towards becoming the first city in Turkey to construct a completely new transport system based on a 51-kilometre-long trolleybus network. KuMa delivered the overhead-line material for the 1548 support points and four switches needed to construct the 19-kilometre stretch between the city’s Maşti district and the university. Furthermore, KuMa was responsible for the entire concept stage and the support during implementation. Following a construction period of one-and-a-half years, the line went into operation in March 2015, with new double-articulated trolleybuses replacing the numerous buses and minibuses – relieving pressure on the streets and on the environment.
ARCAS components for the Expo Line extension in Los Angeles
The metropolis on the US west coast is investing in a new, environmentally friendly transport system. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) runs six tram lines in the city. One of them, the Expo Line, which stretches from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City, was opened in 2012, and in 2016 the line is due to be extended to Santa Monica and the Pacific coast. KuMa supplied the ARCAS overhead-line components and provided the necessary engineering services to realise this 10-kilometre-long westward extension.
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