FINLAND’s passenger rail market will be opened to competition in the early 2020s, ending the monopoly of incumbent operator VR Group, under plans unveiled by minister of transport and communications Mrs Anne Berner and minister of economic affairs Mr Mika Lintilä on August 9.

MALAYSIAN prime minister Mr Najib Razak attended a groundbreaking ceremony in his home region of Pahang on August 9 to officially launch construction of the East Coast Rail Link, hailing the Ringgits 55bn ($US 12.8bn) project as a “game changer” for eastern states not currently served by the country’s national rail network.

CONSTRUCTION was officially launched on the 113.5km Dunhua - Baihe high-speed line in China’s northeastern Jilin province on August 8.

MPK Krakow has selected Pesa as preferred bidder for a contract to supply 35 LRVs, with an option for 15 vehicles, after a decision to exclude the Polish manufacturer from the tender was overturned.

SWEDISH mining company LKAB has awarded Hector Rail a five-year contract to operate trains from its iron ore mines in Kiruna and Malmberget in the north of the country.

NOMAD Digital, Airbus Defence and Space (ADS), FirstGroup and TTG Transportation Technology are working together to support the development of real-time train location data sources to be used to locate trains at any given time.

SIEMENS confirmed on August 8 that it has received an order from DB Regio for 57 three-car Mireo EMUs for use on the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn network around Mannheim and Heidelberg.

TRIAL operation began on the initial phase of Beijing maglev Mentougou Line (Line S1) on August 5.

NETWORK RAIL (NR) has begun work to increase capacity at London Waterloo station, as part of the £800m Waterloo and South West upgrade, which will enable the station to accommodate 45,000 extra passengers in the morning and evening peaks.

TRANSMASHHOLDING subsidiary Oktyrbrsky Electric Plant (OEVRZ) has handed over the first of a batch of 27 six-car metro trains for St Petersburg.