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NORTHEAST France could soon get a direct rail connection to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) after the board of infrastructure manager French Rail Networks (RFF) voted to begin studies into the project.

THE FIRST phase of the United Arab Emirates national railway network has moved a step closer to construction after Union Railway Company appointed project management and preliminary engineering consultants for the project.

CALIFORNIA High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) says it has identified the section of line that will form the first phase of the state's planned $US 43 billion high-speed network.

SIEMENS has secured a contract from CSR Zhouzhou Electric Locomotive, China, to supply traction equipment and control systems for a new fleet of commuter emus for Malayan Railway (KTMB).

THE world congress on communications-based train control (CBTC) staged in Paris last month by Global Transport Forum gave delegates a good overview of the current state of development with this relatively new technology and its deployment. But the debate during the conference revealed the varied ways in which metro operators are adopting and using CBTC leading to the question: are operators making the best use of this technology and if not, why not? Some of the issues raised can equally be applied to other new technologies such as ERTMS.

November marked the first anniversary of the return of Britain’s East Coast franchise to state control. Keith Barrow looks at how custodian Directly Operated Railways is rebuilding the franchise for a return to the private sector.

From this month the Iberian peninsula will be connected to the European standard-gauge network with the opening of the cross-border link between Figueras and Perpignan. Keith Barrow reports from Barcelona on how this new infrastructure could reinvigorate international railfreight operations to and from Spain.

THE Municipality of Copenhagen will conduct final negotiations with Ansaldo STS for a project worth around Euros 700 million to equip the new 16km City Ring Line in the Danish capital, and maintain and operate it for five years with an option for a further three years. The underground light metro line will have 17 stations and will be fully automated and driverless in common with the existing line.

SHENTONG, which owns and operates Shanghai metro, has awarded a Euros 22.5 million contract to Alstom and Casco to install Alstom's Urbalis communications-based train control (CBTC) system on the first phase of Line 13, which will be 16.4km long and have 14 stations. The line will be operated by 24 trains.

A $A 467 million ($US 459.6 million) five-year framework contract has been awarded by Rio Tinto Iron Ore to Ansaldo STS to introduce new technology to streamline its iron-ore railway operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.