Latest news with #LightRail
South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Mainland tourists imagine they see magic of Japan in Hong Kong's satellite towns
Tuen Mun, a satellite town located in the northwestern part of the New Territories, has become an improbably popular destination among tourists after it was dubbed Hong Kong's version of Japan, with similarities to cities such as Sapporo. Advertisement Users of Chinese social media platform RedNote have been sharing various tips on how travellers can capture pictures of the above-ground Light Rail trains running through the town and create scenes that could double for a Hokkaido cityscape. Vicky Chong Ting-ting, a 27-year-old tourist from mainland China who works in a restaurant in Shenzhen, made her first trip to Tuen Mun to see the ocean, after visiting other spots in Hong Kong on previous trips. 'I would say the scenery here is beautiful,' said Chong, noting the similarities between the Light Rail station and that of Japan. 'It has that kind of atmosphere.' Tuen Mun is not the only spot in Hong Kong trending on Chinese social media platforms because of its supposed resemblance to Japan. Advertisement And while some locals noticed that there was indeed an influx of tourists to lesser-known locales in the city, others wondered if those places would live up to visitors' expectations of a pseudo-Japanese travel experience.
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
LRT-1 on limited ops to and from Gil Puyat to FPJ Station
Light Rail Transit-Line 1 (LRT-1) trips were temporary limited on Wednesday morning to and from Gil Puyat Station in Pasay City to Fernando Poe Jr. Station in Quezon City. The temporary limited operations was implemented at 8:54 a.m., according to an advisory posted by LRT-1 private operator Light Rail Management Corporation. The LRMC said an electrical fault was reported between the Redemptorist-Aseana Station and Baclaran Station in Parañaque City. The company said its engineering team was already on site to address the problem. "Simultaneously, our Team is conducting a thorough assessment of our catenary facilities to resolve the issues, followed by necessary repairs," the LRMC added. "These proactive measures are crucial for ensuring safety and reliability across the entire LRT-1 system. LRMC is committed to providing continuous service to our passengers. We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide real-time updates as progress is made," it said. LRMC apologized to the public for the inconvenience the incident caused. —KG, GMA Integrated News
Daily Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
‘We won't wait': Brutal reality of life without light rail for Palm Beach
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News. Mayor Tom Tate warns council will dig up the southern stretch of the Gold Coast Highway to the border for critical infrastructure work, regardless of whether the light rail proceeds. Worn-out underground infrastructure, including pipes, must be replaced in the next few years in Palm Beach, Currumbin and Tugun, he says, something that had been planned to occur during construction of the multi-billion dollar tram extension to the Gold Coast Airport. Artist impression of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 between Tugun and Coolangatta, including Gold Coast Airport and the NSW border. Picture: Department of Transport and Main Roads. But with the project's future in doubt and under State Government review, city leaders have used Friday's council budget to underline the critical need for the tram to be built promptly, saying even a delay until after the 2032 Olympics would force the roads to be dug up twice – once for the pipes and again years later for the light rail Mr Tate followed his budget speech by urging the state government to back in the trams, saying he didn't want to have to perform a 'double-bypass' on the heart of Palm Beach. 'While the state government does their review and consultation, we need to continue planning for underground infrastructure upgrades along the southern end of the Gold Coast no matter what and there is $10m already allocated for (upgrades to) kilometres and kilometres of water pipes, sewer pipes, storm water pipes under the highway,' he said. 'If the (state) report comes back that we have to move and the state wants to delay light rail Stage 4, we won't wait (because) we will have to go and rectify (the) sewer and water now. Mayor Tom Tate and Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel discussing the budget. Picture: Andrew Potts 'It means you've got to dig it up twice, double expenditure and the pain of opening the roads up in Palm Beach and that's what (critics) don't understand.' Council committed $13.8m to progressing light rail Stage 4 in its 2024-25 budget last year but did not list specific new funding for it in this year's budget. However, budget documents do list progressing the business case on the project as a key action for improving connectivity in the city the next financial year, subject to state government approval. The long-planned light rail stage 4 from Burleigh Heads to the border via the airport has paused as the new state government kept its pre-election promise to review the route and perform community consultation, which closed in early May. It is not known when the results of this will be released. Business leaders across the city have backed the extension as essential as the Gold Coast population soars. Artist impression of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 between Tugun and Coolangatta, including Gold Coast Airport and the NSW border. Picture: Department of Transport and Main Roads. Deputy Mayor and city planning boss Mark Hammel said delays and uncertainty around the future of stage 4 were having a serious knock-on effect on the council's own planning for transport infrastructure for the future. 'It's the state government that sets the regional plans projections of the city's future population and it also sets projection of where they expect most that population to be and the coastal strip from Paradise Point to Coolangatta is where the largest proportion of this city's future population will go, light rail or no light rail,' he said. 'We're looking to make investments in infrastructure to support that population growth and the investment the state government needs to make is in public transport to allow that sustainable growth to occur down there, so it is a concern. 'They need to come through with investment in public transport and while Stage 4 is the next (element), that's not the end of it – it's just the next (piece) in a series of projects to deliver the city's long-term public transport network with the heavy rail and the light rail as the two spines connected by east-west links. 'The frustration is the longer we delay this next stage, we waste precious time and energy and increasing costs to see it delivered with every year goes by. 'That's also having an effect on those east-west connections which open up other opportunities for not just population growth but connecting the entire city to high frequency public transport.' It comes weeks after an 'Enterprising City' report, by KPMG, underlined the critical role of light rail in the city's future as it looked forward to 2030 and the city's economy as it evolves from a tourism town to a modern metropolis. 'Longer term, stage 4 of the light rail from Burleigh to the Airport and investments related to the 2032 Olympic Games will further enhance the Gold Coast's attractiveness,' it reads. 'The Gold Coast has always had an unbeatable lifestyle, but the continued creation of highly-skilled jobs and investment in world-class infrastructure truly makes it a global city.' Originally published as Gold Coast light rail Stage 4: Brutal reality of life without tram extension to Coolangatta via Gold Coast Airport
Middle East Eye
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK envoy arrives in Israel to 'promote trade' a week after Starmer suspends talks
The UK has sent its Israel trade envoy, Lord Ian Austin, to Israel to "promote trade" - less than a week after suspending free trade agreement talks with Israel over its attacks on Gaza. On Monday Austin was in Haifa, where he visited the customs scanning centre, Haifa Bayport and the Haifa-Nazareth Light Rail project. "Greetings from Israel!" the envoy said in a post on X on Monday. "I'm here to meet businesses & officials to promote trade with the UK." Austin added: "Trade with Israel provides many thousands of good jobs in the UK and brings people together in the great multi-cultural democracy that is Israel." Just last Tuesday, Britain announced it was summoning the Israeli ambassador in London and suspending its free trade agreement talks with Israel in response to its expanded military operations in Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Israel lashed out in response, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the UK of emboldening Hamas. Austin, who sits as a life peer in the House of Lords, was a Labour MP until he resigned in 2019 under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, citing the party's alleged failure to tackle antisemitism. He was appointed trade envoy to Israel under the previous Conservative government. Islamophobia accusations Austin faced allegations of Islamophobia in 2021 after tweeting a photo of a fake Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavour called 'Hamas Terror Misu' - in response to the company deciding to stop selling its ice cream in illegal Israeli settlements. In 2012, Austin had to publicly apologise after he falsely claimed that Friends of Al-Aqsa, a pro-Palestine campaign group, were Holocaust deniers. Netanyahu accuses UK, France, and Canada of 'emboldening' Hamas after Gaza criticism Read More » And last year, he was suspended as chair of Midland Heart housing association after posting on social media platform X: 'Everyone, better safe than sorry: before you go to bed, nip down and check you haven't inadvertently got a death cult of Islamist murderers and rapists running their operations downstairs. It's easily done.' He has since deleted the post. Austin has denied claims of racism and Islamophobia. Last week, after the UK suspended free trade agreement talks with Israel, Austin wrote a column for PoliticsHome arguing that "thousands of jobs in the UK depend on trade with Israel". He added: "One in eight of the drugs dispensed by the NHS comes from Israeli companies. Every business and family in the country uses Israeli technology in their homes, computers, cars and phones every day. "The RAF would not be able to get its planes off the ground, and British soldiers would have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan without Israeli defence equipment." Great to welcome @LordIanAustin to Haifa! In a day full of innovation by the Carmel, the UK Trade Envoy to Israel visited the cutting-edge Customs Scanning Centre, Haifa Bayport, the Haifa–Nazareth Light Rail project, and the Technion - witnessing 🇬🇧–🇮🇱 cooperation at every stop — UK in Israel 🇬🇧 (@ukinisrael) May 26, 2025 Austin said Britain's "relationship with Israel is worth billions and brings massive benefits to Britain. It is in our national interest, and the decision this week by the government to pause negotiations on a new Free Trade Agreement does not change that. "I'll be visiting Israel next week to show our support and solidarity and to drum up business for Britain. "Even without the benefits a new trade agreement would bring to Britain, our message is that we're open for business, so we'll still be encouraging British businesses to export to Israel and Israeli businesses to invest in the UK to create jobs here."
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
SWLRT audit prompts more Met Council criticism from Minnesota lawmakers
Minnesota state auditors on Monday released the results of their investigation into construction of the Metropoilitan Council's oft-delayed and over budget Southwest Light Rail Transit project. The Office of the Legislative Auditor's report found "instances of noncompliance and weaknesses in internal controls" in cost discrepancies, work with certain subcontractors, contaminated soils and security. The audit focused on "construction activities and the work performed by the civil construction contractor, Lunda/C.S. McCrossan Joint Venture," the OLA said. The 14.5-mile extension of the Metro Green Line from downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie is the most expensive public works project in state history at $2.8 billion. Construction began in 2018 and has been delayed numerous times. The Metropolitan Council expects it to be up and running sometime in 2027. At a hearing Monday morning with the Legislative Audit Commission, the Metropolitan Council responded to the findings. "Most importantly, as I mentioned before, there were no overpayments and we have protected, we believe, taxpayers' interests in delivering this project," Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle said. "Southwest Light Rail, or we refer to as the Green Line Extension, is a generational investment in a transformative network of transit throughout this metro area." Lawmakers on both sides excoriated the Met Council during the hearing. "There is a big problem in the Met Council, the way they conduct business, spending other people's money," Republican state Sen. Calvin Bahr said. "People work hard for their money, and all three of your problems go so over budget, it's like you don't care." "We will continue to get these results because that's the way the system is designed. It's up to the public to rise up if they want better outcomes from this regional body," DFL state Sen. Scott Dibble said. The auditors' full findings and recommendations can be found on the OLA website . Two years ago, an OLA report found the Met Council wasn't fully transparent about the project's cost overruns and delays and began construction without securing the necessary funds for completion. The council's alleged mismanagement of the SWLRT project has led to calls to reform the unelected body.
