SHANGHAI launched commercial services on three metro extensions on December 19, taking the total length of the network to 617km with 366 stations.
PRELIMINARY construction was officially launched on Auckland's $NZ 2.5bn ($US 1.7bn) City Rail Link (CRL) on December 21, when around 80 people attended a Manawhenua dawn blessing of the initial worksite at the intersection of Victoria Street and Albert Street in the city centre.
THE Polish city of Olsztyn launched regular services on its light rail network on December 19, with operator MPK Olsztyn offering two weeks of free travel on the 10.5km two-line system.
BERLIN Transport Authority (BVG) has exercised an option with Bombardier Transportation for an additional 47 bi-directional Flexity low-floor LRVs at a cost of €176m.
GERMAN Rail (DB) has confirmed that as part of its planned cost reductions for next year it will cease operating all overnight trains with sleeper, couchette and specially-equipped overnight seating coaches from December 15 2016.
MONTREAL's Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT) has launched two tenders, one for additional cars and the other for a contract to operate the commuter rail network and maintain its entire fleet.
CHINA Railways Corporation (CRC) has awarded Bombardier Sifang Transportation (BST), a joint venture of Bombardier and CRRC's CSR Sifang Rolling Stock, a Yuan 1.1bn ($US 169.8m) contract to supply five 16-car CRH1E-250 high-speed sleeper trains.
TRANSPORT for London (TfL) announced on December 17 that it will begin "detailed technical work" next year to develop a case for the extension of the Bakerloo Line southeast from its current terminus at Elephant and Castle to Old Kent Road and Lewisham.
RENFE started commercial service in the Olmedo - Zamora section of the Madrid - Galicia high - speed line on December 17 with a single return service which will cut travel time for the 232km Madrid - Zamora trip by 22 minutes to 1h 33min.
INNSBRUCK Transport (IVB) has awarded Bombardier a contract to supply 20 Flexity 2 low-floor LRVs as part of the expansion of the Austrian city's metre-gauge tram network.
