THE conglomerate building Manila's overhead Metro Rail Transit Line 7 has secured funding for its construction. Conglomerate San Miguel says its subsidiary Universal LRT, which holds the concession for the 23km route, has now "fully complied" with the financial closure requirements of the concession agreement.

THE Barcelona metro network was extended by 20km on February 12 with the opening of the southern section of the automated Line 9 from Zona Universitària to El Prat International Airport, 10 years after construction began on the €2.9bn project.

LIGHT Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) has awarded a consortium of Alstom and Bouygues Travaux Publics a €450m contract to upgrade and extend Manila light metro Line LRT1.

PARIS Transport Authority (RATP) has awarded a five-year 24/7 contract to Ansaldo STS to maintain the signalling on 17 metro and light rail lines in the French capital.

THE Bihar state cabinet signed off the detailed project report (DPR) for the first phase of the metro network in Patna on February 9, referring the project to the Indian government for final approval.

THE first of 52 Azur metro trains being supplied to Montreal Transport (STM) by Alstom and Bombardier entered passenger service on the Orange Line of the Montreal metro on February 7, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the metro.

KOREA marked a milestone in the development of its maglev technology on February 3 with the start of passenger operations on a 6.1km automated line at the country's largest airport, Incheon International.

THE Philippine Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is set to hold a prequalification conference on February 15 for companies interested in bidding for a 30-year PPP concession to finance, design, build, operate and maintain light metro Line LRT 6.

THE 12.8km southern extension of Seoul's Shinbundang Line opened on January 30, extending the line from the previous terminus at Jeongja to the cities of Yongin and Suwon.

US energy company Constellation has awarded ABB Canada a contract to engineer, manufacture and commission seven Enviline lithium-ion trackside energy storage systems (ESS) for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (Septa) 700V dc Market - Frankford line.