CASA Transport has appointed a French consortium of Systra, CID and Arep to provide project management services for the construction of Casablanca light rail Line 2 and the second phase of Line 1.

MYANMAR's Ministry of Rail Transport signed a joint contract with Marubeni Corporation and Mitsui on August 1 to supply and install an operational control centre and railway safety equipment for Myanmar Railways (MR).

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure confirmed on August 10 that it has selected DB Regio as preferred bidder for a concession to operate the so-called Gäu-Murr regional network.

TRANSPORT for New South Wales (TfNSW) has launched a tender seeking a technical advisor for the planned 2.6km light rail line in Newcastle.

THE municipal government in the Iranian city of Shiraz and Shiraz Urban Railway Organisation have launched a tender for a contract to provide engineering consultancy and design services for metro lines 4, 5, and 6.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has taken delivery of its first batch of Evraz 100m-long head-hardened rails for the Moscow - St Petersburg line.

SWEDISH national train operator SJ marked the launch of its enhanced services between the Norwegian and Swedish capitals in a ceremony at Oslo Central station on August 10, which was attended by Norway's transport minister Mr Ketil Solvik-Olsen, the mayor of Oslo Mr Stian Berger Røsland, and SJ CEO Mr Crister Fritzson.

ISRAEL Railways (IR) has taken delivery of the first two units from an order for six NGT26CW diesel-electric locomotives, ordered from National Railway Equipment (NRE), United States, and assembled by TZV Gredelj, Croatia.

THE United States sent its latest status report on the rollout of Positive Train Control (PTC) to congress on August 7, warning policymakers that despite seven years of strenuous efforts by the industry most railways will not complete installation by the federally-mandated December 31 deadline.

THE first new railway bridge between the United States and Mexico for more than 100 years became operational on August 7, with the opening of the West Rail link between Brownsville, Texas, and the neighbouring town of Matamoros in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.