GERMAN Rail (DB) subsidiary S-Bahn Hamburg marked a milestone in the modernisation of its rolling stock fleet on October 10, when the first Bombardier class 490 EMU arrived at Ohlsdorf depot in readiness for the start of testing on the Hamburg S-Bahn network.

THE European Investment Bank (EIB) announced on October 3 that it is lending €50m to the Republic of Moldova to finance the modernisation of its railway infrastructure and rolling stock.

CHINA’s top economic planner the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) gave the go-ahead on October 11 for two new lines in western China, representing a total investment of Yuan 79.5bn ($US 11.8bn).

BANGALORE Metro Rail Corporation has issued an invitation to tender for a contract to lengthen its fleet of 50 three-car trains, which were supplied by a consortium of BEML, Mitsubishi and Hyundai Rotem for the initial phase of the network.

FOLLOWING an international tender, Gothenburg Tramways has awarded a consortium of Bombardier and Vossloh Kiepe a €140m contract to supply 40 Flexity low-floor LRVs.

KEOLIS is set to continue operating bus, light rail and metro networks in Lyon until 2023 after the board of the city’s public transport authority voted unanimously on October 7 to award the incumbent operator a new six-year contract.

A TOTAL of 6.1 million passengers were carried during the first month of operation on the Moscow central ring railway.

A ceremony was held in Chemnitz on October 1 to mark the completion of the first phase of the Chemnitzer-Modell tram-train network.

JAPAN International Cooperation Agency (Jica) signed an agreement with the government of Thailand on September 30 for the loan of up to Yen 166.9bn ($US 1.6bn) for the construction of the metre-gauge Red Line in Bangkok.

GERMAN Rail (DB) has confirmed to IRJ that it has placed an order with Bombardier for a further eight class 245 Traxx ME multi-engine diesel-electric locomotives, supplementing the fleet of 27 units already in service.