POLAND's PKP Cargo signed an agreement on December 30 to acquire an 80% stake in AWT, the Czech Republic's second-largest railfreight operator, from Czech businessman Mr Zdenek Bakala and the Bakala Trust.

TESTING commenced on Georgia's Akhalkalaki - Kartsakhi standard-gauge section of the Baku - Tblisi - Kars (BTK) railway on December 30, a key milestone in the much-delayed project which is described by Georgian officials as the "new silk road."

THE ALYSJ consortium, which is responsible for Doha's $US 4.2bn Gold Line metro project, has secured funding worth more than $US 1bn from Qatar's Barwa Bank along with First Gulf Bank and Qatar International Islamic Bank.

ISRAEL Railways has filed a draft prospect with the Israeli Securities Authority for a bond issue worth Shekels 1bn ($US 260m) during 2015, the first step in a plan to issue bonds worth up to Shekels 2bn over the next two years.

THE German state of Baden-Württemberg invites bids for a two-stage tender for a 13-year concession for the so-called Breisgau East-West Network 9a.

TENDERS for concessions to operate three regional rail networks in the German state of Baden-Württemberg have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

TERMS for the merger of China's two largest rolling stock manufacturers, CSR and CNR, have been agreed during board meetings held by the two companies during the last two days.

METROPOLITAN Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) launched public services on the city's first modern tram line on December 30, marking the opening with three months of free travel on the 4.3km route.

TRIAL passenger operation began on December 28 on the second metro line in Wuxi, a city of 6.3 million inhabitants in Cina's eastern Jiangsu province.