Keith Barrow

GERMANY’s Federal Railway Authority (EBA) has granted Alstom approval for operational testing for its NBT ballastless slab track system, which is designed for use at speeds of up to 360km/h.

THE first of 27 CAF Urbos 100 LRVs for Utrecht’s Uithof Line has begun its journey from Spain to the Netherlands.

HITACHI Rail Italy (HRI) announced on November 30 that it has been awarded three contracts with a total value of around €108m to provide rolling stock maintenance services for Trenitalia and Trenord.

FRENCH secretary of state for transport Mr Alain Vidalies and the president of the region of New Aquitaine (Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes) Mr Alain Rousset announced on November 29 that the regional government will take control of three loss-making inter-city services from French National Railways (SNCF).

THE Swedish government has given the go-ahead to an SKr 4bn ($US 440m) project to expand a section of the congested Malmö - Lund line from two to four tracks.

After decades of decline, the government of Argentina has drawn up plans to invest $US 16.6bn in the country’s railway network by 2023. Keith Barrow explains how international expertise - and finance - will play a vital role in realising this bold vision.

COMMERCIAL operations began on the first high-speed line to serve China’s Three Gorges region on November 28 with the opening of the 247km Chongqing - Wanzhou line.

CRRC Corporation confirmed in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on November 28 that its CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive subsidiary has entered negotiations regarding the potential acquisition of a 100% stake in Škoda Transportation.