TRANSMASHHOLDING (TMH) moved a step closer to entering the Argentinean rail market on December 20, when the Russian company’s local subsidiary signed an agreement with Argentinean Trains Infrastructure to lease the disused Mechita workshops in Buenos Aires province for a minimum of three years.

PLANS for Santiago Metro’s future Line 7, announced in May 2017, were modified in December to relieve congestion on the parallel Line 1 more effectively and to better serve the eastern part of the Chilean capital.

THE Brazilian city of Niterói, which is located across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro, has started a feasibility study for the construction of an 11km light rail network.

BRAZIL’s federal government plans to start the tender process for the 1142km Ferrogrão rail project in the first quarter of 2018, leading to an auction in the second quarter.

Santiago is already home to South America’s most extensive metro, and with two new lines nearing completion and a third planned, the network is set to expand to eight lines totalling 174km. Ian Thomson Newman reports.

The first high-speed railway in California and the United States is starting to take shape following ground breaking on the first section two years ago. Anitra Green reports from the headquarters of the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHRSA) in Sacramento on how the project is progressing.

Despite continuing political problems, the Brazilian economy is beginning to recover after two years of recession, with a 2.4% increase in GDP predicted for 2018. As Renata Passos reports, the return to economic growth is expected to lead to the revival of stalled passenger rail projects and the launch of new schemes.

THE Autonomous Municipal Decentralised Government of Cuenca, Ecuador, has selected the ACTN Consortium to complete the civil works for a 10km light rail line with 27 stations in this Unesco world heritage city.

PUBLIC consultation will be conducted on December 7-22 for a Procedure for Demonstrating Interest (PMI) in the Metrofor Public Private Partnership (PPP) concession in the Brazilian state of Ceará to operate the South metro line and Parangaba-Mucuripe LRT in Fortaleza, the light rail network in Sobral, and the Cariri LRT line in Juazeiro do Norte.

THE government of the Brazilian state of Paraná held an event in São Paulo on November 28 during which it presented plans for a new freight railway that will improve the flow of agricultural products from the midwest of Brazil through the port of Paranaguá.