GE Transportation has acquired ShipXpress, a cloud-based software solutions company which allows railways to operate efficiently with their supply chain partners.

LUXURY train operator Belmond launched Ireland’s first luxury train on August 30, when the Grand Hibernian departed from Dublin Heuston station carrying 40 guests on the first leg of a six-day tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

TOKYO Metro plans to conduct a trial this autumn to transport parcels on part of the metro network in cooperation with freight forwarders Yamato Transport, Japan Post, and Sagawa Express.

STATE Railway of Thailand (SRT) launched its first new passenger vehicles for more than 20 years on August 29, when a rake of inter-city coaches supplied by CRRC Corporation, China, made an inaugural run from Bangkok Hua Lamphong to Nakhon Pathom.

THE remaining two shortlisted bidders for the West Midlands passenger rail franchise have been invited by the Department of Transport (DfT) to submit bids by November 29 for the new franchise which starts in October 2017.

THE mayor of San Francisco Mr Ed Lee visited Siemens’ Sacramento plant on August 29 to view the first of 215 S200 SF LRVs for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA).

ISRAEL’s minister of transport Mr Yisrael Katz took an inaugural trip on August 29 on the 60km Jezreel Valley line linking Haifa and Beit Shee’an ahead of the start of scheduled services on October 16.

THE first train for Taipei’s metro Circular Line emerged from Hitachi Rail Italy’s Reggio Calabria plant on August 30.

DALLAS Area Rapid Transit (DART) opened a 1.5km second phase of its Dallas Streetcar line on August 29, reaching Bishop Arts District via Zang Boulevard at 6th Street and a stop between Davis and 7th streets (Bishop Arts).

THE mayor of Samsun Mr Yusuf Yilmaz opened the latest phase of the Turkish city’s light rail network on August 26, when he made an inaugural trip over the southeastern extension from the city’s main line station (Gar) to Balikçi.