ISRAEL Railways (IR) has invited bids by June 30 for a 10-year contract to design, build, test, commission, and maintain a radio communications system for the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem A1 fast rail link.
THE Indian government has approved plans by the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) for new metro networks in Varanasi and Kanpur which should enable construction to start by the end of this year. The UP government allocated Rs 500m ($US 7.4m) to each city in its latest budget.
THE Swiss Federal Council has submitted plans to parliament for SFr 13.2bn ($US 13.3bn) in funding to cover the cost of maintaining the Swiss rail network for the period 2017-2020.
LOS Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) opened a 10.6km extension to its Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica on May 20 with free trips offered on May 20 and 21 before the start of regular services on May 22.
KOREA's national train operator Korail has selected Hyundai Rotem to supply a fleet of 30 HEMU-250 trains for operation on the new Gyeongjeon line to Masan in the south of the country in 2020.
BRITISH train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) has selected CAF, Spain, to supply and maintain a fleet of 200km/h inter-city EMUs as well as coaches to be hauled by class 68 locomotives under a total investment worth £230m.
Significant passenger growth in the past 12 years is forcing Munich Transport (MVG) to engage in a variety of projects in order to continue to offer a high-level of service. CEO Herbert König reflects on the challenges MVG faces to deliver the required improvements with Kevin Smith.
CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles plans to start a six-month testing programme with China's first hybrid-power train at the China Academy of Railway Sciences in June. The train is currently undergoing technical debugging in Jilin province.
Jerusalem's inaugural light rail line has reported impressive ridership figures since it opened in 2011. Kevin Smith visits the Israeli capital to speak with the people involved with this sometimes controversial project and to find out about the city's plans to further expand light rail's reach.
The Turkish government is investing heavily in its railway as it aims to deliver a modern network by 2023. Turkish State Railways (TCDD) is inevitably playing a critical role in delivering various projects and TCDD's assistant general director Ismail Murtazaoglu met Kevin Smith in Ankara to discuss progress so far.
