Cuanstad Metro
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| File:Cuanstad metro.png Logo | |
_TP3125_@_Truck_Centre_WA_Kewdale.jpg) A TBD bus at the depot in Bridgetown | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Government of Imagua and the Assimas |
| Locale | Cuanstad, Imagua |
| Transit type | Bus rapid transit |
| Number of lines | 1 |
| Number of stations | 16 |
| Daily ridership | 16,500 |
| Chief executive | Rodney Gibbs |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 14 November, 2019 |
| Operator(s) | Ministry of Transportation |
| Number of vehicles | 28 articulated buses |
| Headway | Average of 5 minutes during peak periods |
| Technical | |
| Average speed | 60 km/h (37.28 mph) |
The Cuanstad Metro (Vespasian: Metropolitana di Cuanstad, Western Imaguan Creole: Meto a Kuanstad), informally known as Libas (Western Imaguan Creole for fast bus) is a bus rapid transit system based around the Imaguan capital of Cuanstad and operated by the Ministry of Transportation.
Opened in November 2019, its main purpose is to connect commuters from outside Cuanstad to Cuanstad itself and to reduce congestion on the motorway between Altaithe and Cuanstad. As of 2021, the daily ridership of the Cuanstad Metro is around 16,500 passengers per day, with an annual ridership of just over six million passengers.
History
Shortly before the closure of Imaguan Government Railways in 1981, plans were already being made as early as the mid-1970s for a commuter rail service on the Glen Valley line between Altaithe and Cuanstad. However, high costs meant that despite two studies: one released in 1979, and the other released in 1993, the Imaguan government never committed to setting up a light rail system. In 2006, the Imaguan government decided to go with bus rapid transit over light rail, due to cheaper costs of construction compared to light rail, as well as the cheap cost of buses compared to light rail vehicles.
In 2010, the project was officially announced, with the former right-of-way belonging to the Glen Valley railway between Cuanstad and Altaithe to be turned into a separated bus way. Construction began in 2012, with plans being that construction would be completed by 2017. However, due to delays concerning the demolition and construction of bridges over the Glen River, as well as expropriating of land around Conington to build a connection from the Airport to the old right-of-way, construction was only completed in 2018. Trial operations took place until the Cuanstad Metro opened in November 2019, when it first opened to the public. Service was free to promote ridership until 2 January 2020 when fares were introduced.
Routes
Line 1
Line 1 opened on 14 November, 2019, and it is a 32 km long line comprising of sixteen stations from Central Station in Cuanstad to Altaithe Station in Altaithe.
With the exception of the two termini stations in Cuanstad and Altaithe, all stations solely comprise of island platforms. In many cases, they were originally island platforms for the Glen Valley line that were renovated during construction, while in several cases, new island platforms were constructed to serve stations that did not previously exist (i.e. The Yard, University, Overview Junction, Eastgate Mall, Fleming, Airport, Conington and Altaithe South), or had to be replaced due to decades of neglect, as was the case with Nelbrook, with most of the other island platforms being lengthened to accommodate buses and the expected traffic flow.
All stations on Line 1 are accessible via ramps, and provide level boarding. They have ticket machines, a dot-matrix display, bicycle racks, and have a bus shelter with benches. Furthermore, termini stations have customer service offices, restaurants, convenience stores, washrooms, and provide easy interchange between the Cuanstad Metro and the local bus systems that serve Altaithe and Cuanstad.
Stations
| Station | Notes |
|---|---|
| Central Station | Interchange between Cuanstad Metro and Cuanstad Transit |
| The Yard | Future interchange with Line 2 |
| Nelbrook | |
| University | Serves the University of Cuanstad |
| Worley Heights | |
| Clyte | |
| Overview Junction | Potential future interchange with Line 2 |
| Eastgate Mall | |
| Carney | |
| Bridgetown | Originally called South Bridgetown |
| Fleming | Originally called North Bridgetown |
| Airport | Serves Cuanstad International Airport near Conington |
| Conington | Serves Conington |
| Fanshaw | |
| Altaithe South | |
| Altaithe | Interchange between Cuanstad Metro and Altaithe Public Transit |
Line 1b
Since the opening of Line 1, proposals have been floated to extend Line 1 from Altaithe Station to New Burdale. In 2020, Transport Minister Ambro Terrasabbiosa said that in the near future, Line 1 will be extended to New Burdale. This expansion will be dubbed as Line 1b, and besides the new termini at New Burdale, would include stations in Newstead, Ballavagg, and a new station in northern Altaithe.
Preliminary surveying took place in 2021 and 2022 to determine a suitable route: because the Glen Valley railway line north of Altaithe Station was sold, it is expected that Line 1b would be built alongside the road to New Burdale. Plans are for Line 1b to begin construction in 2024 or 2025.
In November 2022, the Cuanstad Metro announced an experimental service called Metrolink, which would determine if demand exists for Line 1b to be built in the first place. Metrolink ran from January 2023 to March 2023 during peak hours (from 7 am to 11 am, and from 3 pm to 7 pm) every 30 minutes, with Metrolink serving stops on the future Line 1b nearest the planned locations.
Future lines
Line 2
In 2020, Transport Minister Ambro Terrasabbiosa said that preliminary studies are being done for a second line of the Cuanstad Metro that would connect the western communities in the Cuanstad metropolitan area with eastern communities. At the time of the 2020 announcement, it was unclear where the termini would be.
In 2022, the Ministry of Transportation decided that Line 2's route will "largely parallel the Imaguan Motorway" between Wimney and Lundholm, with a future expansion that would include stops in Selander and Anpas before following Line 1 to Central Station, although an exact route has not yet been determined. The Ministry of Transportation said that there will be no expansion to Bronstad, due to its distance from Cuanstad. Construction for Line 2 is scheduled to start sometime in the 2030s.
Travelling
Fares
The Cuanstad Metro uses a distance-based fare system. The base price for a journey between two or three stations is 3ſ- (€0.41), with an additional 1ſ50 (€0.21) added on for every additional station up to a maximum of 22ſ50 (€3.10) for a journey between Altaithe and Cuanstad. Reduced fares for schoolchildren, seniors, and people with disabilities are 2ſ50 (€0.34) for a journey between two or three stations, with an additional 1ſ25 added on (€0.17) for every additional station up to a maximum of 18ſ75 (€2.58) for a journey between Altaithe and Cuanstad.
Fares can be paid by paper tickets that can be purchased at any station, or from April 2024, with an Omnipass. If one is caught travelling without a valid ticket, the passenger will have to pay a penalty fare of 50 shillings (€6.88).
Schedule
The Cuanstad Metro's regular hours of operation is from 5 am to 2 am, with the first bus departing Altaithe Station at 5 am and arriving at Central Station at 5:46 am, and the last bus departing Cuanstad Central Station at 1:06 am so it can arrive at Altaithe Station at 1:53 am. During peak hours (from 6:50 am until 9:05 am, and from 2 pm until 8 pm), buses arrive every five minutes. During the midday off-peak (from 9:10 am until 2 pm) and part of the morning off-peak (from 6 am until 6:50 am), buses arrive at each station every ten minutes, and then during night hours (from 8 pm to 2 am) and part of the early morning off-peak (from 5 am until 6 am), buses arrive at each station every ten minutes.
On Sundays and most holidays, the Cuanstad Metro's hours of operation is from 10 am to 8 pm, with the first bus arriving at Central Station at 10:46 am, and the last bus leaving Central Station at 7:11 pm. Buses arrive at each station every 10 minutes on Sundays. The only exceptions are Nativity, when the Cuanstad Metro is closed the entire day, and New Year's, when the Cuanstad Metro runs from 5 am on December 31st to 2 am on January 2nd every ten minutes from 5 am on December 31st until 8 pm on January 1st, when it switches to the regular evening service.
Fleet
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All buses operated by the Cuanstad Metro are articulated TBDs produced in TBA. Every bus on the Cuanstad Metro has a capacity of 90 passengers, and can support a maximum daily ridership of 19,440 passengers per day. In addition to the twenty buses normally in use, eight serve as relief buses that can be sent out in case one of the buses breaks down, or to relieve overcrowding.
Due to the Cuanstad Metro serving island platforms, these buses are right-hand drive as opposed to most Imaguan vehicles, which are left-hand drive. All buses operated by the Cuanstad Metro are equipped with air conditioning, security cameras, and Wi-Fi, and all buses are low-floor, making it easier for people with disabilities to ride the bus.
The bus depot for the Cuanstad Metro is located in Bridgetown, due to its position halfway between Altaithe and Cuanstad, and can accommodate up to 100 buses at any one time.