SIEMENS presented the first prototype Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) EMU at its Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre on July 12, where testing will now begin.

THE Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen, in association with Germany’s Lower Saxony Transport Authority (LNVG), have awarded 15-year concessions worth €1.6bn to operate regional passenger services to Arriva Nederland, the incumbent operator.

SANTIAGO Metro has revealed the alignment and station locations for the Chilean capital’s seventh metro line, which will relieve the congested central section of Line 1.

ISRAEL’s Transport Ministry has granted the city of Beer-Sheva approval to proceed with preliminary design on a light rail line linking the city centre with the suburbs and nearby military facilities.

A concept for the modernisation of the fleet of 238 class 423 EMUs used on the Munich S-Bahn network was unveiled by Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) and DB Regio subsidiary S-Bahn Munich on July 6.

CHINA Railway Corporation’s (CRC) new fleet of CRH2E high-speed sleeper trains entered passenger service on the Beijing - Shanghai route on July 1.

THE first of five 5000 series EMUs being supplied by Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-Trec) to Tokyo commuter operator Keio Corporation was delivered to Wakabadai depot on the Keio Sagamihara Line at the beginning of July.

THAILAND’s National Environment Board (NEB) has approved the first phase of the Bangkok - Chiang Mai high-speed line, after an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) has signed a long-term cooperation agreement with Southeastern Railway (SOB), Switzerland’s third largest railway, for the operation of two of its long-distance services under a co-branding arrangement.

COMMERCIAL operations began on the SKr 16.8bn ($US 2bn) Stockholm City Line on July 10, when the 05.04 Stockholm City - Nynashamn service became the first scheduled passenger train to run on the 6km underground line from Tomteboda in the north to Stockholm South.