IRELAND's minister of transport, tourism and sport, Mr Paschal Donohoe, officially launched a €13.7m project on August 18 to upgrade a line in Dublin to create a new cross-city link for passenger trains.

AFTER more than a decade at the helm of one of the world's largest railways, Dr Vladimir Yakunin confirmed on August 18 that he will be standing down as president of Russian Railways (RZD) to seek election to the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament.

THE board of Australian logistics group Asciano has recommended that shareholders accept a bid from Brookfield Infrastructure Partners for 100% of the company, which includes Pacific National, Australia's second largest railfreight operator.

MPK Wroclaw's new fleet of Pesa Twist low-floor LRVs entered passenger service in the Polish city on August 14, when the first three vehicles were introduced on Line 3.

BRAZIL's Ministry of Cities and Brazilian Urban Trains Company (CBTU) have launched a study into the feasibility of building a light rail line in Campina Grande, a city of more than 350,000 inhabitants in the northeastern state of Paraiba.

SWITZERLAND's second-largest railway company BLS is to issue a public tender for a contract to lengthen the double-track section of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel.

CROATIAN wagon manufacturer Duro Daković has been awarded a Kuna 80m ($US 11.8m) contract by French rolling stock leasing company Atir Rail to supply a batch of type Zacns bogie tank wagons.

THE mayor of Mülheim, Germany, Ms Dagmar Mühlenfeld, named the first of 15 Bombardier Flexity City LRVs Mülheim an der Ruhr at a ceremony on August 14 attended by the CEO of Mülheim Transport (MVG) Mr Wolfgang Michels.

THE president of Latvian Railways (LDZ) Mr Ugis Magonis has been removed from his job and is currently in custody as Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combat Bureau (KNAB) begins criminal proceedings against him concerning bribery allegations.

CHINA launched passenger services on its most northerly high-speed line on August 17 with the start of commercial operations on the Harbin - Qiqihar line in Heilongjiang province.