BRAZIL's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has approved Reais 587.8m ($US 151.3m) in financing for VLI Logistics for the railfreight operator to invest in new locomotives and wagons manufactured in Brazil.

THE tendering committee of Tel Aviv Metropolitan Mass Transit System (NTA) selected CRRC Corporation subsidiary Changchun Railway Vehicles as preferred bidder on November 26 for a contract to supply and maintain 90 LRVs for city's light rail Red Line, with an option for 30 additional vehicles.

DANOBAT has supplied and installed a DWPM wheel profile measuring system at Basque metre-gauge operator EuskoTren's Guernica depot in northern Spain.

ALSTOM announced on November 26 that it has signed an agreement to purchase a 51% share in Commuter Transport and Locomotive Engineering (CTLE) from South African companies Commuter Transport Engineering (CTE) and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which will remain shareholders.

EGYPT's Ministry of Transport has invited expressions of interest for the acquisition of a fleet of 13 trains for the Cairo metro and a consultant to advise on the introduction of a new fares policy designed to increase revenue.

BOMBARDIER has announced it will supply four additional Bombardier Flexity low-floor LRVs for Australia's Gold Coast Light Rail Transit (GCLRT) network.

TRENITALIA's latest-generation high-speed train the Frecciarossa 1000 (ETR 1000) set a new Italian rail speed record on November 26, when one of the eight-car sets reached 389km/h during nocturnal testing on the Milan - Turin high-speed line.

TRANSPORT Infrastructure Ireland (TII) signed a €36.5m contract with Alstom on November 17 for seven additional Citadis low-floor LRVs for Dublin's Luas light rail network, which will expand the existing fleet of 66 vehicles in preparation for the opening of the Cross City Line in 2017.

LYON Transport Authority Sytral has exercised a €20m option with Alstom to supply seven additional Citadis low-floor LRVs for the city's light rail network.

EAST Japan Railway Company (JR East) has announced plans to carry out trials with ac battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) on the 26.6km Oga Line in Japan's northern Akita prefecture from Spring 2017.