Finland's capital has drawn up an ambitious long-term urban plan which seeks to accommodate population and employment growth while halting urban sprawl and reducing carbon emissions. Keith Barrow looks at why rail is central to this bold vision of a 21st century city.
The Japanese city of Sendai inaugurated its second metro line on December 6, four years after the region was devastated by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
BRAZIL's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) confirmed on December 1 that it will provide the Bahia state government with a Reais 2bn ($US 530m) long-term loan to finance the publically-funded element of the second phase of the metro network in the state capital Salvador.
THE Rio de Janeiro state government has announced plans to extend Line 2 of the Rio de Janeiro metro to better serve the city centre and separate it from Line 1.
LINE 12 of the Mexico City metro is fully operational again after nearly two years of repairs to track which resulted in the closure of 11 stations on the elevated section of the 20-station east-west line.
THE Thai cabinet approved on December 1 a Baht 1.8 trillion ($US 50.3bn) investment plan comprising 20 transport projects drawn up by the Ministry of Transport and designed to kick-start the country's economy.
SÃO PAULO Metro launched an international tender on November 24 for a contract worth around Reais 1.3bn ($US 330m) to complete the second phase of metro Line 4, following the termination of the original civil works contract earlier this year.
What does digitisation mean for the urban public transport services of the future? Kevin Smith reflects on how rail operators are responding to these challenges from views expressed during the International Public Transport Association's (UITP) international rail conference held in Munich at the end of October.
EGYPT's Ministry of Transport has invited expressions of interest for the acquisition of a fleet of 13 trains for the Cairo metro and a consultant to advise on the introduction of a new fares policy designed to increase revenue.
RITES, India, has completed a detailed project report for a light metro line in the Indian city of Agra, which will serve key historical sites including Agra Fort, the tomb of Akbar the Great, and the Taj Mahal.
