PASSENGER Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has confirmed it expects its new Vossloh Afro 4000 diesel locomotives to enter service on long-distance mainline passenger trains within the next two months.

GERMANY's railfreight operators failed to capitalise on growth in the overall freight transport market last year as strikes held back volumes, according to preliminary annual figures released on February 13 by the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis).

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) reported revenues of €27.24bn in 2014, despite the continued difficult economic environment in France, which included a 7-10% increase on domestic passenger travel VAT rates and a 5% rise in track access fees.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has begun six months of trials with the first of 32 diesel locomotives being supplied by Sinara for the 1067mm-gauge network on the Pacific island of Sakhalin.

SCOTTISH cabinet secretary for infrastructure Mr Keith Brown joined contractors at Tweedbank station on February 12 to attach the final rail clip on the Borders Railway, marking the completion of tracklaying on the 48km line from Newcraighall, south of Edinburgh.

SWEDISH infrastructure manager Trafikverket announced on February 12 that tracklaying has been completed in the 8.7km Hallandsås tunnel, Sweden's longest railway tunnel, and the SKr 10.5bn ($US 1.25bn) project is on course for its official opening on December 13.

OMAN's Ministry of Transport and Communications has awarded a consortium led by Spain's Tecnicas Reunidas a $US 149m contract for project management consultancy on the 207km first phase of Oman's proposed 2135km railway network.

COSAN Logistics has been granted approval by Brazil's anti-trust regulator Cade to proceed with a takeover of the country's largest railway operator Latin American Logistics (ALL) through its Rumo Logistics subsidiary, which is expected to create a logistics company worth Reais 11bn ($US 3.85bn).

SPANISH rolling stock manufacturer Talgo has selected JP Morgan, Santander, and Nomura as banking advisors to evaluate the possibility of launching an initial public offering on the Madrid stock exchange, which is provisionally valued at €400-500m.

PASSENGER numbers on the German rail network reached their highest recorded level in 2014, according to annual figures published on February 12 by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).