TESTING of the first class 755/4 Flirt UK electro-diesel multiple unit for Abellio subsidiary Greater Anglia has begun at Stadler’s Erlen Commissioning Centre in northeast Switzerland.

LOCOMOTIVE leasing company Mitsui Rail Capital Europe (MRCE) has awarded Siemens a contract to supply 25 additional Vectron locomotives, taking its Vectron fleet to 136 units.

THE first CAF Civity EMU for British operator Arriva Rail North (Northern) began dynamic testing at the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic last week.

BRITISH train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) presented its new fleet of class 717 Desiro City EMUs for Great Northern suburban services to the press at Siemens’ Wildenrath test centre in Germany on May 2.

DORTMUND public transport operator DSW21 has awarded a consortium of HeiterBlick and Kiepe Electric a €195m contract to supply 24 new high-floor LRVs and modernise 64 existing vehicles.

CZECH Railways (ČD) has invited bids for contracts to equip 468 vehicles of 24 different types with ETCS.

THE tendering committee of Société du Grand Paris (SGP) and the SGP-Ile-de-France Mobility coordination committee have approved the selection of Alstom as preferred bidder for a contract to supply around 1000 driverless metro cars for the Grand Paris Express metro network.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) subsidiary NS International has confirmed it is planning to lease 12 multi-system Siemens Vectron locomotives for Amsterdam Central - Berlin East services.

DYNAMIC testing of the first Coradia Polyvalent bi-mode (diesel/25kV ac electric) multiple unit for the Dakar Express Regional Rail (TER) project has begun at Alstom’s Reichshoffen plant in eastern France.

CZECH Railways (CD) has launched an international tender for a framework contract to supply up to 50 dual-voltage EMUs for regional services.