BRITISH rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook has awarded Vossloh Kiepe a £40m contract to supply IGBT traction equipment for the fleet of 91 class 455 emus used by South West Trains on commuter services from London Waterloo.

TRANSNET Engineering, South Africa, is developing a prototype 1067mm-gauge shunting and short trip diesel locomotive designed for African operators, which it hopes will boost locomotive sales outside the domestic market.

PREQUALIFICATION bids are invited by Quito Metro by May 27 for phase 2 of a $US 1.5bn project to build the first metro line in the Ecuadorian capital. Construction is underway of the 22.5km, 15-station line following the award in November 2012 of a contract for phase 1 to Acciona Infrastructure, Spain.

Despite strong growth in demand, the German rail market is facing considerable uncertainty resulting from changes in the way rail services are funded, amendments to legislation and regulation and a squeeze on public spending. Maria Leenen and Karl Strang from consultancy SCI Verkehr say the decisions being taken now are likely to have a profound effect on the entire market.

THE first two of seven locomotives ordered by Etihad Rail from EMD arrived today at Mussafah Port in the United Arab Emirates. The locomotives follow Etihad Rail's first covered hopper wagons supplied by CSR, China, which arrived in December 2012.

THE Stadler Rail Group, Switzerland, is being forced to reduce its workforce for the first time as a result of a falling order book. This is the result of the debt crisis in Europe and the consequent increase in the value of the Swiss franc against the Euro.

RUSSIAN car builder Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) and its partner Bombardier have today unveiled at the Hannover Fair models of a new metro train and a new LRV which they are developing jointly for Russia.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has signed a memorandum of understanding for the supply of 350 four-axle electric locomotives with Siemens and its Russian joint venture partner Sinara.

SIEMENS has awarded Bombardier a €336m contract to supply bodyshells and bogies for a batch of 170 ICx high-speed coaches ordered by German Rail (DB) under a framework agreement with Siemens.

EXPRESSIONS of interest from between three and five bidders are being sought by Transport Scotland for a new 15-year franchise to operate overnight sleeper services between Scottish cities and London.