THE president of Alstom Transport, Mr Henri Poupart-Lafarge, inaugurated the company's new €15m Citadis LRV production line at Taubaté in the Brazilian state of São Paulo on March 3.

ARGENTINEAN president Mrs Christina Kirchner announced on March 2 that the government will present a bill to Congress to renationalise all of the country's railways, bringing to an end more than a quarter of a century of private operation in Argentina.

COSAN Logistics has been granted approval by Brazil's anti-trust regulator Cade to proceed with a takeover of the country's largest railway operator Latin American Logistics (ALL) through its Rumo Logistics subsidiary, which is expected to create a logistics company worth Reais 11bn ($US 3.85bn).

THE Brazilian Railway Industry Association (Abifer) says that Brazilian rail vehicles industry production increased substantially in 2014, with the industrial sector producing and delivering 4703 freight wagons, which was more than double the 2280 produced in 2013, and 374 passenger coaches, an increase of 70% from 219 in 2013. Locomotive production remained static at 80 units.

BIDDERS are due to submit offers this week for the contract to construct the second metro line in Panama City, which is estimated to cost $US 2.4bn.

Odebrecht, Brazil, and FCC, Spain, the companies appointed to construct Line 1, have again joined forces for Line 2, while another Spanish company ACS is bidding in a consortium with Mexico's ICA and Graña y Montero, Peru. China Railway Construction Corporation is also expected to submit a bid before the February 12 deadline.

Some bids are likely to include financing options, where Chinese companies have an advantage.

Line 2, will be 21km long with 16 stations, and services should begin within 46 months of the start of constrction. Initially, the line will carry 16,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphphd), although the design capacity will be 40,000 pphpd.

Authorities in Panama are seeking to pay down the infrastructure investment over a period of seven years: 7.5% of the cost in 2015; 11% in 2016; 18.7% in 2017; 14.8% in 2016; 16% in 2019; and 6.2% in 2022.

ARGENTINA's Interior and Transport Ministry has concluded contracts for the resignalling of Buenos Aires' Sarmiento and Mitre suburban lines, together with the electrification of the final section of the 60km Buenos Aires Constitutión – La Plata Line.

THE majority shareholder of Mexico's largest railfreight operator Ferromex says it is considering selling a stake in its rail business.

THE first of 15 six-car trains being supplied by CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles, China, for Rio de Janeiro metro Line 4 was unloaded at the city's port on January 27.

MEXICO's Federal Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) announced on January 28 that it has postponed the publication of final bidding documents for the tender to build and maintain the 210km Mexico City – Queretaro high-speed line to accommodate feedback from prospective bidders and the country's competition authorities.

MITSUBISHI Heavy Industries (MHI) has awarded Nippon Signal, Japan, a contract to supply signalling systems for São Paulo metro Line 6.