MTR Corporation has taken delivery of the first of 10 three-car trains from CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles, China, which will be used on Hong Kong's new South Island Line.

BANGLADESH Railways (BR) has published an invitation to prequalify for a contract to design and build a 60.4km 1676mm-gauge line linking Khulna with the port of Mongla in the Ganges delta.

ALSTOM has successfully delivered the first two trains manufactured at its inaugural Indian rolling stock plant in Sricity, Andhra Pradesh to Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) as part of a €243m order for 42 Metropolis trains placed in 2010.

SAMSUNG C&T Engineering and Construction Mongolia has awarded Vossloh Fastening Systems a contract to supply its MNG 30 fastening system for a new heavy-haul line in Mongolia.

SEOUL Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRT) has issued an invitation to tender for a contract to carry out detailed design for the 7.7km eastern extension of metro Line 5 from Sangildong to Hanam.

MONGOLIAN State Railways (MTZ) says it expects freight traffic to almost double on its 1815km network by 2020 after volumes reached record levels in 2013.

THE UZBEK Reconstruction and Development Fund has allocated a $US 280m loan to help finance the construction of a new railway through the Kamchik pass in eastern Uzbekistan, which will allow east-west freight traffic to bypass northern Tajikistan.

CHINA Southern Rolling Stock Corporation (CSR) subsidiary CSR Sifang has been awarded a contract to supply 32 four-car emus for the first phase of the Wenzhou City Railway network.

TAIWAN High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) has awarded a Yen 2.8bn ($US 27.5m) turnkey contract to Toshiba, Japan, for installation of electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems at three new stations.

OKINAWA, the only Japanese prefecture without a railway, is to develop plans this year for a 69km line linking the capital Naha on the southern part of Okinawa Island with Nago in the north.