THE government of the Australian state of Queensland has shortlisted companies for the two contracts to build and equip Queensland’s highest priority infrastructure project, the $A 5.4bn ($US 4.26bn) Cross River Rail project in Brisbane.

PARIS Transport Authority (RATP) and Ile-de-France Mobility have awarded a €157m contract to Alstom for an additional 20 MP14 rubber-tyred metro trains for operation on Line 11.

BAKU Metro has awarded Metrowagonmash, Russia, a contract to suppy two five-car metro trains for the 37km 1520mm-gauge network in the Azerbaijani capital.

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) has exercised an option with Bombardier Transportation for nine Regio 2N double-deck EMUs at a cost of €96m.

SPAIN’s infrastructure manager Adif expected to receive bids on February 19 for a €34.3m contract to electrify the final Salamanca - Fuentes de Oñoro section of the main line which connects Medina del Campo with the Portuguese border.

THE Argentine government has announced that it will not renew the contract held by operator Ferrovías for the 54km metre-gauge Belgrano North commuter line from Retiro Belgrano station to Villa Rosa despite Ferrovías’ application for a contract extension.

ESTONIA’s Ministry of Public Administration approved the spatial plan for the Rail Baltica high-speed line in Estonia on February 14 thereby completing the final route and preliminary design of the entire railway in the three Baltic states.

ACCORDING to German press reports, three senior ministers in the German government have written to the European Union’s environment commissioner Mr Karmenu Vella proposing to make public transport in five German cities free-of-charge together with other measures in order to cut road transport pollution.

TRIMET, the public transport authority in Portland, Oregon, has launched a public consultation on plans to order 26 new LRVs, which will replace the oldest vehicles in the Max light rail fleet.

METROPOLITAN Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Marta), which operates the Atlanta Streetcar 4.3km Downtown Loop light rail line, has engaged Siemens to maintain the fleet of four S70 LRVs which it supplied prior to the opening of the line in December 2014.