GE Transportation announced on April 9 that it has completed the first production test of its new Evolution Series diesel engine, which is compliant with the latest US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions standards.

THE French Railway Safety Board (EPSF) granted a supplementary authorisation to place in service (SAPS) on March 31 for the Siemens Velaro D multi-system high-speed train, enabling the operation of German Rail's (DB) class 407 fleet on the French network.

FINLAND's VR Group has received its first 1524mm-gauge electric Vectron locomotive from Siemens, which will be used for testing purposes, ahead of delivery from early 2016 of the first 10 units from a €320m order for 80 locomotives placed in .

TRANSAMO, acting as an agent for Ile-de-France Transport Authority (Stif), has issued a call for tender for the supply of LRV fleets for the new light rail lines T9 and T10 in southern Paris. Closing date for bids is May 4.

TRENITALIA has placed a €98m order with AnsaldoBreda for 70 additional Vivalto double-deck coaches, which will be used on regional services in Liguria, Veneto, and Lazio.

SHANGHAI Songjiang Tramway Investment and Operation Company has awarded a joint venture of Alstom and Shanghai Rail Traffic Equipment Development Company (Satco) a €72m contract to supply 30 low-floor LRVs for the first phase of the Songjiang tram network.

THE government of Luxembourg has given Luxembourg Railways (CFL) the go-ahead to order 11 additional Kiss double-deck EMUs from Stadler.

MZKT, the municipal public transport operator in the Polish city of Toruń, has awarded Pesa Bydgoszcz a Zlotys 37.8m ($US 10.2m) contract to supply five bi-directional Swing low-floor LRVs for the city's metre-gauge tram network.

THE merger between China's two largest train builders, CNR and CSR, has been approved by China's Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Commerce, and according to Xinhua the process could be completed by June.

THE first KZ4AT four-axle passenger locomotive for Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) entered service on the Astana – Kokshetau route at the end of March.