POLISH open-access railfreight operator Lotos Kolej signed a contract with Newag in Gdansk on December 23 for the supply and maintenance of five Griffin E4DCU-DP electric locomotives.

DB Regio subsidiary S-Bahn Berlin has selected a consortium of Stadler Pankow and Siemens in a framework contract to supply up to 1380 vehicles, with the initial order for 106 trains consisting of 85 four-car and 21 two-car sets.

GOVIA Thameslink Railway, the franchise operator of Great Northern services from London Moorgate, has selected Siemens as preferred bidder for a fleet of 25 six-car EMUs, a variant of the class 700 Desiro City trains on order for Thameslink.

BOMBELA Concession Company, which operates and maintains South Africa's Gautrain commuter network, has issued a request for qualification for the design, manufacture, supply and maintenance of 12 four-car EMUs.

BERLIN Transport Authority (BVG) has exercised an option with Bombardier Transportation for an additional 47 bi-directional Flexity low-floor LRVs at a cost of €176m.

MONTREAL's Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT) has launched two tenders, one for additional cars and the other for a contract to operate the commuter rail network and maintain its entire fleet.

BELGIAN National Railways (SNCB) signed a framework contract with a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier on December 18 for up to 1362 M7 double-deck coaches, with an initial firm order for 445 vehicles.

CHINA Railways Corporation (CRC) has awarded Bombardier Sifang Transportation (BST), a joint venture of Bombardier and CRRC's CSR Sifang Rolling Stock, a Yuan 1.1bn ($US 169.8m) contract to supply five 16-car CRH1E-250 high-speed sleeper trains.

ROTTERDAM Electric Tram (RET) has exercised a €30m option with Bombardier for six additional three-car Flexity Swift light metro trains as part of a project to increase capacity on Randstandrail Line E.