BERLIN Transport Authority (BVG) has exercised an option with Bombardier Transportation for an additional 47 bi-directional Flexity low-floor LRVs at a cost of €176m.

LITHUANIAN Railways (LG) has signed a €50m loan agreement with the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) to aid the funding of various railway infrastructure improvement projects.

GERMAN Rail (DB) has confirmed that as part of its planned cost reductions for next year it will cease operating all overnight trains with sleeper, couchette and specially-equipped overnight seating coaches from December 15 2016.

MONTREAL's Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT) has launched two tenders, one for additional cars and the other for a contract to operate the commuter rail network and maintain its entire fleet.

BELGIAN National Railways (SNCB) signed a framework contract with a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier on December 18 for up to 1362 M7 double-deck coaches, with an initial firm order for 445 vehicles.

CHINA Railways Corporation (CRC) has awarded Bombardier Sifang Transportation (BST), a joint venture of Bombardier and CRRC's CSR Sifang Rolling Stock, a Yuan 1.1bn ($US 169.8m) contract to supply five 16-car CRH1E-250 high-speed sleeper trains.

ROTTERDAM Electric Tram (RET) has exercised a €30m option with Bombardier for six additional three-car Flexity Swift light metro trains as part of a project to increase capacity on Randstandrail Line E.

ITALIAN open-access high-speed operator NTV and Alstom have unveiled the design for the eight Pendolinos which NTV ordered in a €460m contract placed in October.

FOLLOWING a European tender, Rhine-Ruhr Transport Authority (VRR) has acquired 48 class 422 EMUs used on Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn services from German Rail (DB) subsidiary DB Regio.

THE first of 600 X'Trapolis Mega six-car commuter EMUs for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has been delivered to the operator's Wolmerton depot near Pretoria in readiness for the start of dynamic testing on the South African network.