THE recently-elected Berlin City "Red-Red-Green" coalition government comprising the SPD or Social Democrats, "Linke" party and the Greens has concluded a wide-ranging coalition agreement covering all aspects of the city's government, including a major expansion of the tram network.

HITACHI Rail Italy (HRI) announced on November 30 that it has been awarded three contracts with a total value of around €108m to provide rolling stock maintenance services for Trenitalia and Trenord.

PRESIDENT-elect of the United States Mr Donald Trump has nominated Ms Elaine Chao as his administration’s secretary of transportation.

FRENCH secretary of state for transport Mr Alain Vidalies and the president of the region of New Aquitaine (Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes) Mr Alain Rousset announced on November 29 that the regional government will take control of three loss-making inter-city services from French National Railways (SNCF).

THE Swedish government has given the go-ahead to an SKr 4bn ($US 440m) project to expand a section of the congested Malmö - Lund line from two to four tracks.

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) will introduce on December 1 a new online compensation scheme for passengers whose journeys on TGV or inter-city services are delayed by 30 minutes or more.

A ceremony was held in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on November 11 to mark the start of electrification works on the 17km Schönbuch Railway from Böblingen to Dettenhausen.

COMMERCIAL operations began on the first high-speed line to serve China’s Three Gorges region on November 28 with the opening of the 247km Chongqing - Wanzhou line.