TANZANIA has introduced a 1.5% infrastructure development levy on imports to assist the government with raising $US 14.2bn to finance new rail projects and improve existing lines over the next five years.
SAN FRANCISCO Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) unveiled a full-size mock-up of its forthcoming S200 SF LRV on June 16 and confirmed that it has exercised an option with Siemens for 40 additional vehicles.
FOLLOWING a European tender, Rhine-Ruhr Transport Authority (VRR) announced on June 15 that it has selected National Express and Abellio for three contracts to operate the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) network for up to 15 years from its launch in December 2018.
A prototype 1524mm-gauge LRV developed by the Stadler Minsk joint venture of Stadler Rail and Belkommunmash, Belarus is to undergo trials in the Russian city of Samara following four months of successful testing with Moscow tram operator Mosgortrans.
THE board of Ile-de-France transport authority Stif adopted a financing agreement on June 15 which will fully fund a €63m order for 17 additional Alstom Citadis LRVs for Paris light rail Line T3 to support the extension of the line and increase capacity on the existing route.
EGYPT's Ministry of Transport has applied to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a €175m loan to help fund the acquisition of a fleet of trains for the Cairo metro.
SOLARIS, Poland, has delivered the first of 15 standard-gauge Tramino S111O low-floor LRVs for the first phase of the light rail network in the Polish city of Olsztyn.
THE final section of the Australian state of Victoria's $A 3.65bn ($US 2.8bn) Regional Rail Link was officially completed on June 14 paving the way for the introduction of new high-frequency timetable on June 21.
TRANSPORT for Greater Manchester (TFGM) celebrated a milestone in the delivery of its fleet of M5000 LRVs on June 15 when the 100th vehicle was unloaded at Metrolink's Queens's Road depot.
THE fourth phase of Algiers' light rail network was inaugurated on June 14, when Algeria's transport minister Mr Boudjema Talai launched public services on the eastern extension of Line 1 from Kahouat Echergui to Dergana.
