THE AUSTRALIAN state of Victoria has allocated more than $A 24bn ($US 22.4bn) for investment in infrastructure, including up to $A 14.5bn for major rail projects, as part of its budget for the 2014-15 financial year which was announced this week.

RIO Tinto is to start tests of driverless heavy-haul iron ore trains on the Tom Price railway in the Pilbara region of Western Australia this month as it moves towards completion of its AutoHaul automation project.

AUCKLAND is today celebrating the start of electrified services on its commuter network as eight new three-car CAF EMUs entered revenue service on the Onehunga line, between Onehunga and Britomart in the city centre.

THE government of the Australian state of Victoria has committed to the construction of a heavy rail link connecting central Melbourne with the city's airport, 23km to the north at Tullamarine, although it has not indicated how much it will cost or when it will open.

TASRAIL, the operator of the 1067mm-gauge freight network in the Australian state of Tasmania, held a ceremony at its Brighton Transport Hub on March 31 to mark the delivery of the last of 209 new wagons from CNR Shenyang Locomotive and Rolling Stock, China.

AUSTRALIAN transport logistics group Qube Holdings has announced a $A 50m ($US 45.4m) investment in a new multi-user export grain handling facility at Port Kembla, New South Wales, and in new rail equipment to service the facility.

THE 5.6km extension of the Sydney's light rail network to Dulwich Hill was formally opened on March 27 by New South Wales state premier Mr Barry O'Farrell and minister for transport Mrs Gladys Berejiklian.

THE government of the Australian state of New South Wales launched a tender on March 24 for a contract to reopen the so-called Cowra Lines, which link Blayney on the Sydney – Dubbo line with Demondrille on the Sydney – Melbourne line.

CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Company, China, has completed a batch of five SDA2 diesel locomotives, which will be used by Pacific National (PN), Australia, on the 1067mm-gauge heavy-haul coal network in central Queensland.

AUSTRALIA's federal government and the state of Queensland have agreed to investigate the possibility of incorporating the residual Queensland Rail (QR) narrow gauge regional rail network into the national network.