SOUTH Africa's Department of Transport has established a steering committee to oversee the development of the country's four proposed high-speed lines, together with an investor unit which will market the public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

BRAZIL's National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) has begun discussions with the country's freight railways on the possibility of introducing a new concessioning model.

THE United States Congress voted on November 17 to abolish all funding for high-speed rail projects this year, but with $US 10.1bn already distributed to states, work will continue on projects that are already underway.

UGANDA's minister for public works, Mr John Byabagambi, says negotiations are in progress with China for a joint project to rehabilitate the country's 1240km metre-gauge network.

THE states of Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger and Benin have agreed to study a plan to build a new line at least 900km long to connect the existing metre-gauge railways in Burkina Faso and Benin. A roadmap will be drawn up soon to secure funding with a view to starting construction in 2014.

PLASSER & Theurer's German subsidiary has produced what it claims to be the world's first 3D tamping simulator which it has installed at its extended training centre in Bingen on the Rhine.

ADELAIDE-based operator Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA) has received the first of 16 new locomotives that will be delivered this year.

A JOINT venture of Ganz, Hungary, and Škoda Transportation has been selected as preferred supplier for a contract to supply 31 low-floor LRVs to Miskolc in a deal worth around $US 104m, which includes an option for a further 10 vehicles worth $US 9.17m.

HONOLULU Authority for Rapid Transportation (Hart) has awarded the $US 1.33bn core systems contract for the city's first driverless metro line to Ansaldo Honolulu Joint Venture, a consortium of Ansaldo STS and AnsaldoBreda.

INDIAN Railways (IR) is inviting international bids to set up two locomotive factories at Marhaura and Madhepura in Bihar state.