DESPITE Spain's economic woes, the country's love affair with high-speed trains is far from over. As IRJ went to press, the candidates best positioned to win the general election on December 20 all had one thing in common: a commitment to continue the massive investment in the AVE network while promising to keep a tight control over the public deficit in 2016.
PAKISTAN Railways (PR) has awarded CRRC Corporation subsidiary Jinan Railway Vehicles Equipment Company (JRVEC) a Rs 3.92bn ($US 37.5m) contract to supply 800 hopper wagons.
THREE months ahead of schedule, the first Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) class 4744 Cityjet EMUs for the southern province of Styria entered passenger service on January 11.
PHOENIX Valley Metro has launched a tender for a contract to supply additional LRVs for the expansion of the light rail network in the state capital of Arizona.
SWEDISH train leasing company Transitio has awarded Motala Train, Sweden, a contract to carry out heavy maintenance on its fleet of 25 class X11 EMUs, which are primarily used by regional operators Krösatågen and Norrtåg.
GERMANY's Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster Railway (AKN) has taken delivery of the last of 14 Coradia Lint 54 DMUs, which were ordered from Alstom in 2013 in a deal worth €60m.
ROMANIAN national passenger operator CFR Calatori says it is planning to order five new inter-regional EMUs this year for use on recently-upgraded routes including Bucharest to Constanta, Brasov, and Craiova.
HAMBURG U-Bahn operator Hamburger Hochbahn has exercised an option worth around €100m with Alstom for a further 27 DT5 trains.
SWEDISH open-access operator and traction provider Hector Rail has acquired 15 six-axle class 151 freight locomotives from DB Schenker with the aim of offering railfreight operators a cost-effective alternative to leasing new locomotives.
TRANSMASHHOLDING (TMH) has unveiled a prototype EMU, the EP2D, developed by its Demikhovsky Engineering Plant subsidiary, and will soon undergo dynamic tests at the Railway Research Institute (VNIIZHT) test track in Shcherbinka, near Moscow.
