PRESIDENT Dilma Rousseff announced ambitious plans on June 9 to revive investment in Brazil's inadequate transport infrastructure in an attempt to stop the country's slide into recession. The plan includes a new funding model aimed at addressing the previous failed concession strategy.

RIO de Janeiro's suburban operator SuperVia recently completed phase 1 of its programme to upgrade its Central do Brazil terminal and 102 outlying stations, with work including the installation of Harman's IDX Information Delivery System at key stations on the network.

A MILESTONE was reached on the construction of the eastern section of Santo Domingo metro Line 2 on May 20, with the completion of tunnelling works on the extension from Eduardo Brito to Carretera Malla on San Vinente de Paul Avenue.

With Brazil's ambitious programme of railway construction plans stalling, the government is revising its concession model for new projects to rely more on private investment while easing pressure on public debt. Kevin Smith looks at the intricacies of this new policy and how the market might receive it.  

MEXICO's Federal Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) has agreed to pay $US 1.3m in damages to China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) for costs incurred in bidding for the cancelled Mexico City – Queretaro high-speed line.

LEGISLATION to renationalise Argentina's railways become law on May 20 when President Mrs Christina Fernandez de Kirchner signed a bill reviving Argentinean Railways (FA) as a state company.

THE government of Panama announced on May 14 that it has selected Consorcio Linea 2, a consortium of Constructora Norberto Odebrecht, Brazil, and FCC Construcciones, Spain, to build the second metro line in Panama City.

TORRENTIAL rains in the Andean foothills in Chile´s Atacama region might put an end to rail transport on the 155km line from the copper smelter at Potrerillos, 2880m above sea level, down to the wharf on the coast at Barquito.

ALSTOM has completed manufacturing of the first Citadis LRV for the Ecuadorian city of Cuenca at its plant in La Rochelle. The vehicle is currently in transit and is expected to arrive in Ecuador's third largest city by the end of June.

REHABILITATION is underway of the 62km line linking Tacna in southern Perú, with Arica in northern Chile, and the passenger service should be restored in July with two round trips per day using a refurbished railbus.