CHINA Railway Corporation (CRC) launched commercial operations on a 224km high-speed line linking Wuhan in Hubei province with Jiuijang in neighbouring Jiangxi on September 21.

SWEDEN’s national passenger operator, SJ, has launched a global tender for the supply of 30 trains with a maximum speed of 250km/h at an estimated cost of SKr 5-6bn ($US 627-752m).

FIVE years after it was originally due to open, the first light rail line in the Spanish city of Granada finally began carrying passengers on September 21.

CHENGDU Metro has awarded a €57m contract to Alstom to supply traction equipment for 496 metro cars being built for the 49km Line 5, which is due to open at the end of 2019.

DYNAMIC testing of the first trains to be delivered for the Doha metro network has begun in Qatar.

ATLANTA City Council approved a statute on September 19 transferring all assets and operations of Atlanta Streetcar to Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Marta).

VIRGIN Trains East Coast has launched a new smartphone app which enables passengers to bid for last-minute upgrades for first-class seats.

SPAIN’s infrastructure manager Adif has started tunnelling for a 4.5km rail link to serve both terminals at Barcelona Airport replacing the existing single-track branch line which only serves Terminal 2 on the north side of the airport.

BELARUSIAN Railways (BC) electric locomotives have begun operating into Lithuania following the completion of electrification on the Maladzečna - Kena line, the final section of the Minsk - Vilnius route to be energised.

BANGKOK Expressway and Metro together with C H Karnchang have awarded a contract to a consortium of Siemens and ST Electronics, Thailand, to supply trains and equip and maintain two extensions of the Blue Line.