THE board of Belgium’s infrastructure manger Infrabel has approved additional investment of €1.15bn for the period 2018-2031 on top of the €4.3bn in the 2017-2020 plan which will enable the Brussels RER project and some regional schemes to be completed.

MALAYSIA’s MyHSR and Singapore’s SG HSR organisations have issued a call for tender for an assets company for the 350km Singapore - Kuala Lumpur high-speed line project, which is due to open in 2026.

ALSTOM has starting dynamic testing at the Velim test track in the Czech Republic of the first Coradia Polyvalent bi-mode - diesel and 25kV electric - trains for Algerian State Railways (SNTF).

HITACHI has started production at its Kasado facility in Japan of two test trains as part of a fleet of 19 five-car electro-diesel trains which it will build for First TransPennine Express in Britain under a deal financed by Angel Trains.

BRITAIN’s infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has awarded a contract to Siemens Rail Automation to start the installation of European Train Control System (ETCS) cab signalling on Britain’s freight locomotive fleet.

THE Brazilian city of Niterói, which is located across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro, has started a feasibility study for the construction of an 11km light rail network.

LUXEMBOURG Railways (CFL) has begun operation of an inter-city service between Luxembourg and Düsseldorf in Germany in cooperation with German Rail (DB).

BOMBARDIER Sifang Transportation has completed delivery of the final 72 CRH1A-A high-speed train cars under two contracts for 184 cars awarded by China Railway Corporation (CRC).

THE Australian state of Victoria has awarded the final contracts for the $A 11bn ($US 8.4bn) Metro Tunnel project to build a 9km twin-bore tunnel and five stations under the centre of Melbourne to create a new cross-city line from Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham.

VIAS Rail took over the operation of the Erft-Schwalm regional rail network in Germany from DB Regio on December 10 operating services on two routes.