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.

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.

NEW Zealand’s national railway KiwiRail suffered a dramatic decline in profitability in the six months ending December 31 2016, largely due to the impact of November’s Kaikoura earthquake, which has severed the Main Trunk Line between Picton and Christchurch.

THE government of the Australian state of New South Wales has unveiled its preferred route for the first stage of Parramatta Light Rail project, which will connect a major hospital at Westmead with central Parramatta and Carlingford.

METRO Trains Melbourne’s fleet of X’Trapolis EMUs is set to reach 101 trains after Public Transport Victoria (PTV) signed a €100m contract with Alstom for nine additional sets.

AUSTRALIAN rail freight operator Aurizon has announced a 21% increase in underlying Ebit of $A 488m for the six months ending December 31 2016, compared with $A 403m in the first half of the 2016 financial year.

NEW Zealand operator KiwiRail is having to contend with the indefinite closure of a second line on the South Island after a scrub fire badly damaged a major viaduct on the line linking Christchurch and the West Coast.

CITY Rail Link has issued a call for tender to pre-qualify by March 1 for the C3 stations and tunnels package of the $NZ 3bn ($US 2.18bn) project to build a cross-city line in Auckland, New Zealand.

AUSTRALIAN rail freight operator Aurizon has undertaken a review of the value of its assets as of December 31 2016, with the Aurizon Board deciding to recognise impairments and significant items of $A 321m ($US 243.3m), pre-tax and subject to audit, as part of its first half 2016-17 accounts.

ANSALDO STS has been awarded a $A 44m ($US 33m) contract to supply signalling and telecommunications systems for Perth’s Forrestfield – Airport Link.