GERMAN regional operator DB Regio has awarded a €150m contract to Alstom for the supply of 25 additional Coradia Continental EMUs for the states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.

AN investment group is seeking federal permission to construct a $US 2.8bn privately-owned railway around Chicago to bypass congested lines in the city.

DETAILS of plans for a major expansion of the Seattle light rail network were announced by Sound Transit on April 27.

THE supervisory board of Czech rail freight operator ČD Cargo has approved the acquisition of three additional Vectron locomotives from Siemens at a cost of around Koruna 300m ($US 12.2m).

TRANSPORT Scotland has appointed WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff to produce a business case for improvements to the Highland Main Line between Perth and Inverness.

NORWEGIAN infrastructure manager Bane Nor has awarded Infranord Norway an NKr 475m ($US 55.2m) turnkey contract to install railway systems on the 22km Follo Line between Oslo and Ski.

THE government of the Australian state of Victoria has announced that its forthcoming state budget for 2017-18 will include current and forward investment of $A 1.45bn ($US 1.1bn) for a Regional Rail Revival package of upgrades on every regional passenger line across Victoria.

ODENSE Letbane, the public agency responsible for developing the first light rail line in Denmark’s third largest city, has selected Comsa as preferred bidder for the railway systems contract for the 14.4km line from Tarup Centre to Hjallese.

SWITZERLAND’s second-largest railway BLS announced on May 2 that it has selected Stadler Rail for a contract worth around SFr 650m ($US 653m) to supply 58 EMUs for regional and suburban services.

A cross-border tram link between Strasbourg and the German town of Kehl was inaugurated on April 28, kicking off two days of celebrations marking the opening of the extension of Line D from Aristide Briande.