GERMAN operator Hessen State Railway (HLB) has issued a call for tender for between 20 and 30 emus as part of its planned bid to operate train services on the Main-Neckar-Ried network.
SPANISH development minister Mrs Ana Pastor has announced a range of measures aimed at improving safety across the whole rail network after the accident at Santiago de Compostela on July 26, which left 79 dead and dozens injured.
TWO European open-access operators have signed contracts with Siemens for a total of five 15kV ac Vectron locomotives, which will be used on freight services in Germany and Austria.
SWEDISH infrastructure manager Trafikverket has awarded Dutch rail construction and maintenance company Strukton Rail a contract worth around €80m to maintain 680km of track on the northern part of the Southern Main Line from Malmö to Katrineholm near Stockholm.
HORDALAND County Council and Bergen Bybanen have signed a NKr 532m ($US 90.2m) contract with Skanska Norway for the construction of two sections of the third phase extension of Bergen's light rail line from Lagunen to Flesland Airport.
BRITISH train operator South West Trains (SWT) has published a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) for an order for between 135 and 250 emu cars, which will be used to increase capacity on suburban routes south of London.
VIENNESE public transport operator Wiener Linien has begun trial operation of the EcoTram, a Siemens ULF light rail vehicle equipped with low-energy heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.
UKRAINIAN Railways (UZ) has selected Premier Leasing as its leasing partner for 350 new electric freight locomotives, which are being procured from three suppliers at a total cost of Hryvnia 22.1bn ($US 2.8bn).
WEST Midlands transport authority Centro has signed a £18.9m contract with Balfour Beatty to design and build the 1.4km extension of the Midland Metro light rail line from Snow Hill to New Street, where trams will terminate outside the newly-rebuilt mainline station on Stephenson Street.
TURKISH Prime Minister Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally launched test operation of the Marmaray link between the Asian and European sides of Istanbul on August 5, when he took the driver's seat for a historic first trip beneath the Bosphorus.
