THE supervisory board of German Rail (DB) has extended Dr Rüdiger Grube's contract as CEO of DB until December 2017. Grube, who is 61, has been CEO of DB since May 1 2009 and his contract was due to end on January 1 2013.

TRAIN services are to be stepped up on two corridors in Northern Ireland with the introduction of a new timetable on January 6. This follows the entry into service of a fleet of 20 class 4000 dmus supplied earlier this year by CAF, Spain.

GERMAN regional operator Erfurt Rail (EB) is to further expand its territory after it was selected by the Bavarian Railway Authority (BEG) and Thuringia's ministry of construction, state development, and transport (TMBLV) to run services on non-electrified lines around Schweinfurt for 12 years from December 2014.

BULGARIA's Privatisation and Post Privatisation Control Agency (PPCA) says seven prosepctive bidders have expressed an interest in the privatisation of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) freight unit BDZ Tovarni Prevozi.

GERMANY's Federal Railway Authority (EBA) gave its approval on December 21 for the operation of four out of 16 Kiss double-deck emus supplied by Stadler Rail to East German Railway (Odeg).

HESSEN State Rail (HLB) has awarded two contracts worth about €40m to Alstom. One contract is for the supply of seven Coradia Lint dmus and the other is to modernise 25 existing Coradia Lint trains.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has completed the acquisition of 75% of the shares freight logistics operator Gefco from PSA Peugeot Citroën for €800m. PSA Peugeot Citroën will retain its remaining 25% holding in Gefco.

A SEVERE shortage of rolling stock has led to widespread replacement of train services with buses by Slaskie Railway (KS) which only started its new concession in the Polish province of Silesia with the start of the new timetable on December 9. Within the first of couple of days,

BRITAIN's Department for Transport (DfT) has approved the acquisition by train operating company Southern of 116 emu cars with an option for another 140 vehicles. Southern will now invite bids for the new trains.

SIEMENS handed over two 5.2MW Vectron 3kV dc electric locomotives to DB Schenker Rail Poland at a ceremony at the Polish Railway Institute on December 20.