MITSUBISHI Electric Corporation announced on May 27 that it has been awarded a contract by CAF, Spain to supply traction equipment for the fleet of 118 New Generation Sprinter (SNG) EMUs ordered by Netherlands Railways (NS) last December.

DYNAMIC testing of the first Pesa ED161 Dart EMU for Polish long-distance operator PKP Intercity has begun with trials on the Bydgoszcz – Gdansk line in northern Poland.

A commission set up by the French government to draw up proposals for the development of loss-making Intercity services published its initial report on May 26, recommending significant changes to the organisation and operation of the network.

ITALY's National Railway Safety Agency (ANSF) says it will issue an Authorisation to Place into Service (APS) on May 29 for the ETR 563/564 Civity EMUs supplied by CAF for the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, enabling the first trains to enter service within the next few weeks.

AUSTRIA's €3.3bn Semmering Base Tunnel has been given the green light for construction by the country's Federal Administrative Court, enabling work on the project to restart.

THE Dutch province of Overijssel and infrastructure manager Prorail have awarded Volker Rail, Netherlands, a contract to electrify the 40km Zwolle – Wierden line.

GERMANY's Federal Railway Authority (EBA) has granted Škoda Transportation a Supplementary Authorisation to Place in Service (SAPS) for its type 109E electric locomotive, enabling the design to operate in regular service on the German railway network.

Vossloh and VR Track, a subsidiary of Finnish state-owned railway VR Group, have signed contracts to jointly operate three switch production facilities and cooperate in continuous welded rail production.

HOUSTON's Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Metro) celebrated the opening of two new light rail lines over the weekend of May 23.

STADTWERKE Ulm (SWU) signed a €32m contract with Siemens on May 22 for 12 Avenio M low-floor LRVs as part of a project to expand the German city's metre-gauge tram network.