About the author

Keith Barrow

Keith Barrow joined IRJ as News Editor in 2006 and was promoted to Associate Editor in 2008. He was previously editor of employee publications for the Welsh Assembly Government, G4S, and Thomsonfly, and has written for a range of other publications including the Derby Telegraph. He graduated from Lincoln University in 2002 with a degree in journalism.

March 24, 2017 | Commuter Rail

Septa board approves double-deck coach order

THE board of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Septa) voted unanimously on March 23 to award a contract for 45 double-deck commuter coaches to CRRC Corporation’s US subsidiary CRRC MA.

March 24, 2017 | North America

Los Angeles orders CRRC metro cars

LOS ANGELES County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has awarded CRRC a contract to supply 64 metro cars for the city’s Red and Purple lines, with options for up to 218 additional vehicles.

March 23, 2017 | Main line

Almaty - Tashkent Talgo services commence

KAZAKHSTAN Railways (KTZ) and Uzbekistan Railways (UTY) held a ceremony on March 22 in Tashkent to mark the arrival of a new twice-weekly overnight service between Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty and the Uzbek capital using KTZ’s wide-bodied Talgo coaches.

March 23, 2017 | Light Rail

Testing begins on Izmit tramway

THE Turkish city of Izmit moved a step closer to opening its first light rail line on March 23, when the mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mr Ibrahim Karaosmanoglu officially launched testing on the 7.2km east-west Akçaray line from Otogar to Seka ferry terminal.

March 23, 2017 | Commuter Rail

Stadler delivers extra DMUs for Austin Capital Metro

THE first two of four additional Stadler GTW DMUs for the Capital MetroRail commuter rail line in Austin, Texas, arrived at the line’s depot on March 22.

March 22, 2017 | Light Rail

Transport for West Midlands to take over Midland Metro operations

TRANSPORT for West Midlands (TfWM) announced on March 22 that it will take the day-to-day operation of the Midland Metro light rail network in Birmingham and Wolverhampton in-house when the current concession expires in October 2018.

March 22, 2017 | Light Rail

Calgary to order more Mask LRVs from Siemens

CALGARY Council’s priorities and finance committee voted on March 21 to acquire six additional S200 LRVs for the city’s CTrain light rail network.

March 22, 2017 | North America

Mock-up of new Boston Orange Line car unveiled

THE governor of Massachusetts Mr Charlie Baker and Mrs Stephanie Pollack, secretary of the state’s Department of Transportation (MassDOT) visited the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) depot at Wellington on March 21 to view a mock up of the new-generation metro car for Boston’s Orange Line.

March 21, 2017 | Rolling stock

Bombardier delivers trains for Guadalajara Line 1

THE first of 12 Bombardier trains for Guadalajara light metro Line 1 arrived in the Mexican city on March 19.

March 21, 2017 | Light Rail

Tendering begins for Blackpool tram extension

BLACKPOOL Council published a tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on March 21 for a contract to extend the Blackpool and Fleetwood Tramway to Blackpool North station.