HELSINKI Transport (HKL) has leased two of its Variotram low-floor LRVs to Rhine-Neckar Transport (RNV), which will evaluate the vehicles on its tram networks in Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, and Heidelberg.

CATALONIAN Government Railways (FGC) expanded its standard-gauge Barcelona - Vallès suburban network on July 20, when the president of Catalonia Mr Carles Puigdemont inaugurated the second phase of the Line S2 Sabadell extension.

CZECH Railways (CD) has ordered 12 EffiShunter 300 shunting locomotives from CZ Loko to replace class 714 locomotives, which were built in the mid-1990s.

BEACON Rail Leasing announced on July 21 that it has concluded the acquisition of the fleet of class 220 and 221 Voyager inter-city DEMUs operated by British franchises Virgin Trains West Coast and Cross Country Trains.

AUCKLAND Council is expected to decide next week whether to proceed with an order for 17 battery-electric multiple units, which would replace DMUs on services on suburban services to Pukekohe.

ETHIOPIAN Railway Corporation (ERC) announced at the beginning of July that construction on a new line linking the Addis Ababa - Djibouti standard-gauge railway with the north of the country is making good progress.

HYUNDAI Rotem announced on July 21 that it has been awarded a Won 176bn ($US 157m) contract by Seoul Metro to supply 214 metro cars for Line 2.

SHENZHEN is set to add another 148.9km to its metro network over the next five years after China’s top economic planner the National Development and Reform Committee approved the fourth phase of the system.

SAN FRANCISCO Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) moved a step closer to the introduction of its Bombardier Fleet of the Future cars this week with the start of mainline testing during normal operating hours.

RABAT-Salé Tramway Company (STRS) has awarded a consortium of Colas Rail and its Moroccan road construction subsidiary GTR a €29m contract to construct infrastructure on two extensions of light rail Line T2.