Moscow Big Circle Line
Country: Russia
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2011
Completion: 2022 or 2023
Length: 70km
Cost: $US 6.79bn
The 21km Mnyovniki - Kakhovskaya section of the Moscow Big Circle Line (BCL) was opened on December 7 2021 by Russian president Mr Vladimir Putin. When the BCL is complete it will be one of the longest metro lines in the world, with 31 stations and three maintenance depots, interchanging with metro services at 20 stations on 11 radial lines, three stations on the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) system, 13 stations on the Moscow Central Diameters and 11 railway stations. Overall ridership is expected to be more than 95,000 passengers per day and journey times are expected to decrease by up to 40 minutes on some routes due to improved connections. The line is currently 34.5km long.
Jakarta - Bandung HSL
Country: Indonesia
Type: High-speed
Construction start: 2018
Completion: 2022
Length: 142.3km
Cost: $US 8.0bn
Two tunnels were completed in the summer of 2021, including the 2190m-long Number 8 tunnel in the West Bandung Regency’s Cikalong, West Java province, and the 1230m-long Number 10 in West Bandung Regency’s Padalarang West Java province. The first of 11 CR400AF Yawan trains built for the line has been completed by CRRC. The 350km/h high-speed line will start at a new four-track terminal station in Jakarta at Halim and will run parallel to the Jakarta - Cikampek highway exit from the city.
There will be two intermediate stations at Karawang and Padalarang (where there will be a connection to conventional services) and a terminal at Tegalluar in southeast Bandung. More than 80km of the line will be elevated and there will be 13 tunnels. The HSL was due to have opened in 2019, but has been delayed.
East Side Access
Country: United States
Type: Commuter rail
Construction Start: 2007
Completion: 2022
Length: 9.8km
Cost: $US 11.1bn
The East Side Access project, one of the largest transport infrastructure projects in New York, is scheduled to open in December 2022. The 9.8km railway will connect the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) from its main line in Queens to a new station under Grand Central Terminal on Manhattan’s east side. The project will double the number of LIRR trains running into Manhattan with up to 24 trains per hour while reducing commute times by 40 minutes.
London Elizabeth Line (Crossrail)
Country: Britain
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2009
Completion: 2022
Length: 117.5km
Cost: $US 23.32bn
Crossrail merges the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) with 21km of new twin-bore tunnel beneath central London, connecting Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west with Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east. Trial operation finally began in November 2021, with passenger operations expected to start in the central tunnel section in the first half of this year, nearly four years late, and at $US 23.328bn, more than $US 3.73bn over budget.
Shatin - Central Link (SCL)
Country: Hong Kong
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2012
Completion: 2022
Length: 17km
Cost: $US 12.48bn
The Shatin - Central Link (SCL) comprises an east-west section from Tai Wai to Hung Hom, as an extension of the Ma On Shan Line, and a north-south cross-harbour section from the Hung Hom terminal of East Rail to Admiralty on Hong Kong Island. The 6.8km Tai Wai - Diamond Hill - Kai Tak section opened in February 2020, however the 4.2km Kai Tai - Hung Hom section of the SCL, which was due to open in the third quarter of 2021, is now scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2022 along with the final 6km section from Hung Hom to Admiralty.
Brightline Florida Phase 2 Extension
Country: United States
Type: Main line
Construction Start: 2019
Completion: 2022
Length: 273.6km
Cost: $US 4.2bn
Brightline described progress on the Florida Phase 2 line as “nearly there” at the end of September, by which point around 60% of the project was complete while the first new Siemens trains have been delivered to Florida for testing. The extension will connect the existing Miami - Fort Lauderdale - West Palm Beach line to Orlando via south and central Florida. The extension uses a mixture of existing tracks and a new right-of-way to the new South Terminal at Orlando International Airport (MCO). A $US 100m maintenance facility is being constructed south of the airport.
Pro Trilhos Programme
Country: Brazil
Type: Main line
Construction start: 2022
Completion: N/A
Length: 3506km
Cost: $US 8.877bn
The construction of nine freight lines was authorised by the Brazilian government on December 9 as part of the Pro Trilhos Programme which aims to expand the national rail network based on private investment. The new lines are located in the states of São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Piauí and Pernambuco. Contracts for the construction work were signed by Bracell, Ferroeste, Grão Pará, Macro Desenvolvimento, Petrocity and Planalto Piauí Participações. Apart from Ferroeste, they are all new operators. The projects vary from a Reais 40m ($US 7.05m) 4.29km line connecting a factory in Lençóis Paulistas to the Port of Santos, to a Reais 14.2bn 1108km line between Petrocity Portos SA Barra de São Francisco and Brasília that aims to transport products from the Brazilian midwest to the dry port of Barra de São Francisco.
Padma Rail Link (Dhaka - Jessore)
Country: Bangladesh
Type: Main line
Construction Start: 2018
Completion: 2022
Length: 215km
Cost: $US 4.12bn
Construction of the 120km/h 215km line from Dhaka to Jessore via the 6.2km road-rail Padma Bridge was approved by the Bangladeshi government in July 2016. In August 2016, the government signed a contract with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) to build the line, which is due to be completed by June. The project is funded by the Bangladeshi government and through a soft loan from China. The project includes the construction of 66 major bridges, 244 minor bridges, 14 stations and the procurement of 100 passenger coaches. The line is part of the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) project, which aims to create an integrated rail freight network across Europe and Asia.
Taormina - Giampilieri Line
Country: Italy
Type: Main line
Construction Start: 2022
Completion: 2027-28
Length: 28.3km
Cost: $US 2.16bn
Messina and Catania on the island of Sicily.
Italian Rail Network (RFI) awarded a Webuild-led consortium a €1bn contract in March 2021 to construct a new 28.3km double-track line between Giampilieri and Taormina, which will double capacity between Messina and Catania on the island of Sicily. This is the first stage of a project that will eliminate the last remaining single track bottleneck on the Messina - Catania main line. Of the new alignment, 25km will be in tunnels. A new underground station will be built to serve Taormina. The existing station at Letojanni will be remodelled.
Trans-Ecowas Railway
Country: Ghana
Type: Main line
Construction Start: 2022
Completion: 2025
Length: 550km
Cost: $US 3.80bn
The proposed 550km east-west, mixed-traffic line will run from Aflao on the Togo border to Elubo on the border with Côte d’Ivoire, with plans for a branch line to Keta. The 550km line is one of 16 projects across various infrastructure disciplines that the government believes will help it achieve the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union Agenda 2063. The project is due to be completed through a public-private partnership (PPP) and will be funded through debt.
Quito Line 1
Country: Ecuador
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2013
Completion: 2022
Length: 22.5km
Cost: $US 2bn
The first test train operated from the depot in the Quitumbe sector to El Labrador station in October 2020 and the first two stations, Iñaquito and Jipijapa, were handed over to Quito Metro Metropolitan Public Company (EPMMQ) on May 3 2021. Trial passenger operation was due to begin by the end of 2021. The 22.5km 37km/h Quitumbe - El Labrador line will have 15 stations and run underground for 19.49km. Ridership is expected to be around 369,000 passengers per day in the first year of operation.
Mindanao Railway Phase 1
Country: Philippines
Type: Main line
Construction Start: 2022
Completion: 2024
Length: 102km
Cost: $US 1.6bn
Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2022. In September 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) awarded the consortium of China Railways Design and Guangzhou Wanan Construction Supervision a contract for project management consultancy services for Phase 1. The first phase will link Tagum, Davao and Digos and is the first part of the 1550km Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) designed to connect the key cities on the southern island of Mindanao. Three bidders have been shortlisted to construct the single-track, non-electrified line which will be designed for passenger trains to run at 120km/h and freight trains to operate at 80km/h. Two-car DMUs will operate passenger trains initially, with scope to lengthen the trains. The full MRP is expected to be completed by 2037.
Ahmedabad Metro Phase 1
Country: India
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2015
Completion: 2022
Length: 40km
Cost: $US 1.47bn
Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) plans to open the line for public service by August 2022. By August 2021, GMRC had completed construction of 6.5km tunnels, a bridge over the Sabarmati railway yard and the metro river bridge connecting eastern and western Ahmedabad. The remainder of the line, which has 32 stations, is elevated. Phase 1 consists of two lines: Line 1 (Blue Line) is a 21.16km east-west corridor which will run from Vastral Gaam to Thaltej Gaam with 17 stations of which four will be underground. Line 1 will interchange with Line 2 (Red Line), an 18.87km north-south line that will run from Motera Stadium to APMC with 15 stations.
Wendlingen - Ulm HSL
Country: Germany
Type: High-speed
Construction Start: 2012
Completion: 2022
Length: 59.6km
Cost: $US 4.76bn
Testing of the new line commenced in mid-December 2021, one year ahead of DB Regio beginning operation of initial regional services in December 2022. The 250km/h line will cross the Swabian Alb mountain range, connecting with the existing Neu-Ulm station in the east and the Stuttgart 21 project in the west. The line is designed to accommodate freight and regional traffic as well as long-distance trains, reducing the journey time for inter-city trains between Stuttgart and Ulm from 54 minutes to 28 minutes. Approximately 30.4km will be in tunnels, with the 8.8km Bossler tunnel the longest.
Kolkata Line 2
Country: India
Type: Metro
Construction start: 2016
Completion: 2022
Length: 9.1km
Cost: $US 1.15bn
Kolkata Metro Line 2 Phase 2 (Phoolbagan to Howrah Maidan) is part of the 16.6km east-west section, of which 7.5km began operating in February 2020, and the remaining 9.1km is under construction. The project includes the first transport tunnel to be built under the river Ganges. The under-construction section covers the underground Sealdah to Howrah Maidan section, including the operational Phoolbagan station. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is partially funding the project. Delays have been caused by land acquisition issues and campaigning by environmental and heritage conservation activists. The project was envisaged as long ago as 1971, finally securing approval in 2008.
Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop
Country: Australia
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2022
Completion: 2035
Length: 90km
Cost: $US 36.45bn
of the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop.
The Victoria State government committed $A 9.3bn ($US 6.55bn) to the first stage of the project on December 3. Trains are expected to be operating on the eastern section by 2035 and the line is expected to carry around 70,000 passengers per day. Laing O’Rourke has been awarded the construction contract for the first phase. The initial stage will comprise a 26km twin-track tunnel and six stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill. Eventually the loop will run from Cheltenham in the southeast in a sweeping arc to Werribee in the west, with large sections underground. The second section to be built will be Box Hill - Melbourne Airport. Three transport super hubs at Clayton, Broadmeadows and Sunshine will connect with regional services.
West Kyushu Shinkansen
Country: Japan
Type: High-speed
Construction Start: 2012
Completion: 2022
Length: 66km
Cost: $US 1.02bn
Construction began on the West Kyushu Shinkansen from Takeo Onsen to Nagasaki in 2012 and the line is due to open in autumn 2022 following the completion of all civil engineering work in July 2020. The new line will initially be isolated from the rest of Japan’s 1435mm-gauge high-speed network, with the 54km gap between Takeo Onsen and Shin-Tosu on the Kyushu Shinkansen plugged by 1067mm-gauge Limited Express services. Journey times from Hakata to Nagasaki will be 1h 12min including the change of trains. The new line has 31 tunnels with a combined length of more than 40km. Another 21km will run on bridges and viaducts, leaving just 5.3km at grade. The line will include two new stations at Ureshino Onsen and Shin-Omura.
Pearl River Delta
Country: China
Type: Main line
Construction Start: 2022
Completion: N/A
Length: 174km
Cost: $US 14.32bn
Work will commence on two separate projects and continue on a third, which together form part of the $US 68bn inter-city plan for the Pearl River Delta, which itself has a total of 13 separate projects. Local media in November reported that construction had begun on the 133km Shenzhen - Huizhou line that will connect Xili, Shenzhen North station, Longhua, Longgang, Lilin and Huicheng South. This project is expected to cost $US 11.248bn. A $US 1.97bn project to construct the 26km Guangqing inter-city line is due to start next year, alongside the $US 1.10bn 15km line that will connect Guangzhou and Guangzhou South stations, which are both to be redeveloped.
Rennes Metro Line B
Country: France
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2014
Completion: 2022
Length: 14km
Cost: $US 1.3bn
In April 2021 it was confirmed that the planned September 2021 opening would be delayed due to Siemens being unable to deliver 19 Cityval trains ordered in 2013 on time. The 14km Line B mainly runs in tunnels along a northeast-southwest axis from Cesson-Viasilva to Saint-Jaques-Gaîte. There will be 15 stations, two of which will interchange with Line A at Sainte-Anne and Gares, the city’s mainline station. The project includes the construction of 8.6km of bored tunnel, 2.4km of cut-and-cover tunnel, and 2.4km of viaduct. Siemens is also providing system engineering, project management, CBTC, track, electrification, the control centre and the depot. The line is forecast to carry 113,000 passengers per day.
Montreal Metropolitan Electric Network (REM)
Country: Canada
Type: Metro
Construction start: 2018
Completion: 2024
Length: 67km
Cost: $US 5.57bn
The Metropolitan Electric Network (REM) project is a 67km automated light metro system serving 26 stations. REM will link Greater Montreal with Downtown Montreal via Central station. A partial service from the South Shore to Bonaventure-Central station is expected to start in 2022. The project includes the conversion of the existing Montreal - Deux-Montagnes commuter line to a metro, which will be extended from Central station across the St Lawrence River to Brossard, and in the west to Trudeau Airport and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Construction began in April 2018, with full service expected to start in 2024.
Istanbul Metro M11 Airport Line
Country: Turkey
Type: Metro
Construction Start: 2016
Completion: 2022
Length: 37.5km
Cost: $US 1.1bn
The M11 Airport Line will connect Gayrettepe on the existing Line 2 with Istanbul’s new main airport which opened in 2019. End-to-end journey times will be 35 minutes. Trains will operate automatically (GoA 4) at five-minute headways at a maximum speed of 120km/h. There will be nine stations including three at the airport. The line has a design capacity of 70,000 passengers per hour. The line, which is being built by the Kolin-Senbay joint venture, is envisaged as Phase 1 of a Gayrettepe - Halkali metro line, which will offer main line connections with the Marmaray Line.
