THE government of the Brazilian state of Ceará says it will launch a new tender on December 10 for a contract to complete construction of the Reais 265.5m ($US 102.7m) Parangaba – Mururipe LRT line in Fortaleza.

HYUNDAI-ROTEM, Korea, is to establish a rolling stock assembly plant in Brazil under an agreement with the government of the state of São Paulo, which was signed at Bandeirantes Palace on November 12 in the presence of the state's recently re-elected governor Mr Geraldo Alckmin.

MEXICO City Public Transport System (STC) has awarded Alstom Transport Mexico a Pesos 5.8bn ($US 343m) contract to modernise 85 rubber-tyred trains, which are used on metro lines 4, 5, 6, 7, and B.

THE Chilean government has announced a $US 4.2bn urban public transport investment plan, of which some 45% is slated to be financed by concessionaires.

THE government of Suriname has selected Strukton Systems, Netherlands, as preferred bidder for a €130m contract to construct a 29km diesel-operated light rail line linking the capital Paramaribo with the suburb of Onverwacht.

THE Mexican government announced on November 3 that a consortium of Chinese and Mexican companies has been selected for a turnkey contract to design, build, operate and maintain the country's first high-speed line.

THE Bolivian Ministry of Public Works says it has received four bids from Chinese companies for a contract to construct a 130km railway from Motacusito in Santa Cruz province to Puerto Busch on the Paraguay River, a project which the government says is vital to the future of iron ore mining in the east of the country.

THE New Mexico Border Authority has selected HNTB to perform an extensive feasibility study of a new railway bypass and international border crossing with Mexico near Santa Teresa, close to the New Mexico-Texas state line.

ALSTOM announced on October 15 that it has delivered the last of 10 eight-car 4000 series Metropolis EMUs to Rio de Janeiro suburban operator SuperVia.