David Briginshaw

NEXUS, which owns and operates the 78km Tyne & Wear light metro centred on Newcastle-upon-Tyne, invites expressions of interest by July 9 for a British-government-funded project to replace its entire 90-car train fleet with light rail EMUs.

BRITAIN’s Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a tender for the East Midlands franchise, which will run from August 2019 until August 2027, and started consultation for the new Cross-Country franchise.

PHILIPPINE National Railways (PNR) has awarded contracts worth $US 46.4m to PT Inka, Indonesia, for two types of train.

THE European alliance of new rail entrants, AllRail, is calling on the Swiss government to open the domestic passenger rail market to competition.

STADLER has won the first order for its new generation of six-axle Co'Co locomotives which were designed at its Albuixech plant in Valencia, Spain, for the European market.

SWEDISH regional operator Skånetrafiken has awarded a contract to CAF to supply seven LRVs for the new light rail line in Lund and maintain them for 10 years, with an option for additional vehicles.

THE Sri Lankan cabinet has approved plans to start the international tender process for a build-operate-transfer (BOT) project to build a rail link to serve Mattala International Airport.

THE French Senate voted by a large majority on June 5 in favour of the new railway bill to reform French National Railways (SNCF), allow open-access passenger operation, end restrictive working practices, and put SNCF on a sound financial footing.

QATAR’s prime minister and interior minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, together with the transport and communications minister, Mr Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, travelled on an LRV from the depot to Lusail to mark the start of test running on the first section of the 28km three-line Lusail Tram network.