THE first Stadler RABe 501 Giruno inter-city EMU for Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) began dynamic testing at the VUZ Velim test centre in the Czech Republic on July 24.

THE state government of South Australia has awarded an $A 80m ($US 63.5m) contract for construction of Adelaide’s East End light rail extension to the Downer York joint venture of Downer EDI Works and South Australian partner York Civil.

ITALIAN design and engineering company Italdesign Giugiaro has been awarded a contract by CRRC Guangzhou Electric Locomotive, to design a new tram for Guangzhou.

ALSTOM has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Industrial Development and Renovation Organisation of Iran (IDRO), and Iranian Rail Industries Development Company (IRICO) to create a joint venture for the localised production of metro and suburban rolling stock for Iranian cities.

HELSINKI Transport (HKL) has leased two of its Variotram low-floor LRVs to Rhine-Neckar Transport (RNV), which will evaluate the vehicles on its tram networks in Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, and Heidelberg.

CATALONIAN Government Railways (FGC) expanded its standard-gauge Barcelona - Vallès suburban network on July 20, when the president of Catalonia Mr Carles Puigdemont inaugurated the second phase of the Line S2 Sabadell extension.

AUCKLAND Council is expected to decide next week whether to proceed with an order for 17 battery-electric multiple units, which would replace DMUs on services on suburban services to Pukekohe.

HYUNDAI Rotem announced on July 21 that it has been awarded a Won 176bn ($US 157m) contract by Seoul Metro to supply 214 metro cars for Line 2.

SHENZHEN is set to add another 148.9km to its metro network over the next five years after China’s top economic planner the National Development and Reform Committee approved the fourth phase of the system.

SAN FRANCISCO Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) moved a step closer to the introduction of its Bombardier Fleet of the Future cars this week with the start of mainline testing during normal operating hours.