INDIAN Railways (IR) has confirmed that it will select one of two Japanese suppliers within the next few months for a contract to supply 200 electric freight locomotives for use on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) from Delhi to Mumbai.

EAST Japan Railway Company (JR East) unveiled its new generation E235 EMU for Tokyo's Yamanote Line to the press at its Shinagawa depot on March 28.

SIEMENS presented the new class 700 EMU for cross-London Thameslink suburban services to the press at its Krefeld plant in Germany on April 2, confirming that the first sets will be delivered to the new depot at Three Bridges in August in readiness for the start of mainline testing.

OSIRIS, a three-year research programme to identify means to improve energy efficiency in urban railway transport, concluded this week with participants hailing its success during the final conference in Brussels.

ELECTRO-MOTIVE Diesel (EMD) has delivered the first 10 units from a batch of 19 SD70ACe six-axle diesel-electric locomotives ordered last year by Ferromex.

NATIONAL Express Group has awarded Bombardier a 10-year contract to provide maintenance services and spare parts for the fleet of Bombardier class 357 Electrostar EMUs used for the Essex Thameside franchise. The contract is worth £143m.

FINISH passenger operator VR has announced plans to purchase a further 27 double-deck coaches, including 10 double-deck sleeper coaches, from Transtech in a €90m order.

GE Transportation (GE) has secured a contract from AEnergia to supply 100 C30ACi locomotives to Angolan National Railways (INCFA) to boost railfreight services in the country.

SWISS freight operator BLS Cargo has confirmed an order for 15 new Siemens Vectron locomotives for use on the Rhine-Alpine corridor between Rotterdam and Melzo in northern Italy.

LEIPZIG City Transport (LVB) has awarded Solaris a framework contract for the supply of up to 41 Tramino LRVs for the city's 1458mm-gauge light rail network.