Quintus Vosman

MR Marc Descheemaecker, CEO of Belgian National Railways (SNCB), is to step down from his position to become the new CEO of Brussels Airport. He will be replaced by Mr Frank van Massenhove, the head of the Belgian Federal Public Service for Social Security.

THE municipality of Rotterdam and Rotterdam's public transport authority, Rotterdam City Region, have agreed to retain Rotterdam Electric Tram (RET) as the operator of metro, tram, bus and boat services in the Rotterdam area until 2026.

CZECH open-access operator RegioJet has announced it intends to seek Koruna 270m ($US 14m) in damages from Czech Railways (CD), which it accuses of engaging in anticompetitive practices on the Prague – Ostrava route.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) recorded a net loss of €76m in the first half of this year compared with a profit of €147m in the first half of 2012.

BELGIAN National Railways (SNCB) has begun preparing a claim for damages against AnsaldoBreda following the cancellation of its order for three V250 high-speed trains.

SWEDISH infrastructure manager Trafikverket has awarded Dutch rail construction and maintenance company Strukton Rail a contract worth around €80m to maintain 680km of track on the northern part of the Southern Main Line from Malmö to Katrineholm near Stockholm.

ITALIAN rolling stock manufacturer AnsaldoBreda announced on August 1 that it has filed an appeal against the verdict of the Court of Justice in Utrecht, which ruled on July 3 that Netherlands Railways (NS) and Belgian National Railways (SNCB) will not be required to disclose three technical reports commissioned prior to the cancellation of their orders for V250 Fyra trains.

TRANSPORT authorities in Saxony-Anhalt have published preliminary information for the tendering of regional services on non-electrified lines in German state, the so-called Saxony-Anhalt diesel network.

GERMAN federal transport minister Dr Peter Ramsauer, the first minister of the German state of North Rhine Westphalia Mrs. Hannelore Kraft, and German Rail (DB) CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube signed a €1.5bn agreement in Bonn on July 24 to fund a major upgrade of the 73km line between the Dutch border at Emmerich and Oberhausen.

THE Swiss Federal Transport Office (BAV) has granted a limited approval for use of Bombardier's Traxx F140 AC Last Mile, a 5.6MW electric locomotive with 240kW auxiliary diesel engine for non-electrified branch lines or sidings.