THE World Bank has agreed to lend $US 205m to the municipality of Quito to support construction of the first metro line in the Ecuadorian capital, which is due to open in 2016.

BUENOS AIRES metro authority Sbase has announced that it is acquiring 73 series 6000 vehicles from Madrid Metro for use on Line B, following the opening of the 2km western extension of the line from Los Incas to Juan Manuel de Rosas on July 26.

IOWA Pacific Holdings, United States and British track and mining equipment supplier Holdtrade have formed a new company Holdtrade Atlantico, which will apply for licenses to operate freight railways in Colombia.

THE government of Argentina has announced electrification and re-signalling work will begin next year on the 60km 1676mm-gauge commuter line from Buenos Aires Plaza Constitución to La Plata, the state capital of Buenos Aires province.

DURING presentations held on July 12 in São Paulo and Sorocaba, technical staff of Paulista Metropolitan Trains Company (CPTM) revealed details of the planned São Paulo – Sorocaba regional rail project.

BRAZIL's National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) has published the results of a public consultation on the planned 457km Açailândia – Maranhão – Barcarena – Pará line, which will be one of the first railways in the country to operate on an open-access basis.

CHILEAN State Railways (EFE) has revised its plans for the re-inauguration of freight services over the Chilean section of the Arica to La Paz Railway (FCALP).

BRAZILIAN freight operator Latin American Logistics (ALL) has signed an agreement with Progress Rail to lease 18 EMD SD40-2 diesel locomotives, which will be used on petroleum and ethanol trains in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

THE first of 20 locomotives supplied by CNR's Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock subsidiary have entered service in Argentina.

CONTRACTS worth a total of $US 214.7m have been signed for a new 10.5km light rail line in Cuenca during a ceremony held in the Ecuadorian city's Old Cathedral on June 28.