GERMAN Rail (DB) has issued a tender for the provision of new locomotive-operated push-pull single-deck inter-city trains. The trains will be bought by DB using its own resources; no EU funding is involved.

ZÜRICH Public Transport (VBZ) signed a contract with Bombardier for the delivery of 70 seven-section Flexity low floor LRVs on March 2, with an option for another 70 vehicles.

THE City of Istanbul has issued a tender for 50 new four-car metro trains for Istanbul Metro.

LIVERPOOL Lime Street station is set to reopen to passengers on March 9 more than a week after a collapsed wall caused 200 tonnes of rubble to fall across four tracks, cutting off all main line traffic to the city centre’s primary rail hub.

A direct metro link between Taipei city centre and Taoyuan International Airport was inaugurated on March 2 by Taiwan’s minister of transport Mr He Che Dan, the mayor of Taipei Mr Ke Wenzhe, and the mayor of Taoyuan Mr Zheng Wencan.

ITALIAN State Railways’ (FS) engineering subsidiary Italferr has awarded a €397m contract to a consortium comprising Salini Impregilo (60%) and Astaldi (40%) for the design and construction of the Naples - Cancello section of the Naples - Bari line in Italy, which will have a maximum speed of 200km/h..

THE government of the Australian state of Victoria has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a $A 518m ($US 395m) project to increase track capacity on the regional rail line serving Ballarat and Melbourne.

FORT Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) has awarded a $US 97m signalling and communication services contract to Wabtec for the new Tex Rail commuter line in Texas.

AUSTRALIA’s Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) will take over full jurisdiction for railway safety in Queensland on June 30 following the passing of legislation by the state government on February 28 for it to cede responsibility to ONRSR.

OMAHA City Council has received a final financial assessment of the proposed Omaha Urban Circulator, which is estimated to cost $US 156m and scheduled to open in 2022.