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.

February 12, 2013 | Light Rail

Manchester Metrolink opens eastern extension

MANCHESTER Metrolink launched full commercial services on the East Manchester line on February 11 with the opening of the initial 6.3km section between Piccadilly and Droylsden.

February 11, 2013 | Light Rail

Mauritius seeks bidders for light rail PPP

THE Mauritian Ministry of Public Infrastructure has invited expressions of interest for a design-build-operate-maintain PPP concession for the planned light rail line between the island's capital Port Louis and Curepipe.

February 11, 2013 | Asia

N700A Shinkansen trains enter service

CENTRAL Japan Railway Company (JR Central) held simultaneous ceremonies in Tokyo and Osaka on February 8 to mark the entry into commercial service of its latest-generation Shinkansen train, the N700A.

February 8, 2013 | Signalling

Consortium wins Bulgarian ERTMS contract

BULGARIAN track authority National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) has awarded a consortium of Thales Austria and Kapsch CarrierCom a €35m turnkey contract to install ERTMS on the 133km Sofia – Plovdiv line, which forms part of Trans-European Corridor IV from Dresden and Nuremberg to Istanbul.

February 8, 2013 | Rolling stock

Alpha Trains orders 28 Stadler emus for WestfalenBahn

LEASING company Alpha Trains has signed a contract worth nearly €250m with Stadler Pankow to supply a fleet of 28 emus for German regional operator WestfalenBahn.

February 8, 2013 | Locomotives

Bombardier tests last-mile Traxx locomotive

BOMBARDIER began dynamic testing of the Traxx F140 AC LM electro-diesel locomotive at its Henningsdorf facility near Berlin during January.

February 7, 2013 | Commuter Rail

London Overground to introduce five-car trains

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has announced plans for a £320m project to lengthen trains on the London Overground network from four to five cars with the aim of accommodating rapidly-increasing ridership.

February 6, 2013 | North America

Chicago invites bids for up to 846 metro cars

CHICAGO Transit Authority (CTA) has invited bids for a contract to supply the city's next-generation metro trains, which will supplement the 5000 series sets currently being delivered by Bombardier and reduce the average age of the fleet to less than 10 years by 2022.

February 6, 2013 | Central/South America

Belgrano Cargas to remain under state control

THE Argentine government has decided to make its takeover of Belgrano Cargas permanent in an effort to revive the fortunes of the flagging railway, which has seen once-healthy freight volumes plummet in recent years.

February 5, 2013 | Europe

EU to co-finance Helsinki City Rail Loop study

THE Finnish Transport Agency has secured match-funding worth €5m from the European Union's TEN-T Programme for further studies into the proposed Helsinki City Rail Loop.