SIEMENS and Tisséo, the operator of the VAL light metro in Toulouse, are to conduct a three-year study of the adhesion of rubber-tyred metro trains with a view to improving their safety.

BRITAIN's infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has issued the Wessex Route Plan, a blueprint for the future of passenger and freight services from London Waterloo to the south and the west of England over the next 30 years.

DELAYS in delivery of Stadler Flirt EMUs for the new Nordbahn service, which is due to commence on Schleswig-Holstein's central network from Hamburg to Itzehoe and Wrist on December 14, is putting the start of operations in doubt.

BUDAPEST Transport Company (BKV) has published a tender to rebuild 222 metro cars used on Line 3 with an option to rebuild a further 42 cars.

FRENCH transport minister Mr Alain Vidalies announced on November 20 that the government will form a commission of politicians and industry experts to develop proposals for the future development of the country's loss-making network of conventional Intercity services.

THE German federal government has approved a draft amendment of the federal railway act by transport minister Mr Alexander Dobrindt which is intended to pave the way for major changes in the authorisation and commissioning of new rolling stock.

AFTER months of political deadlock, the British government and the Welsh assembly have reached an agreement on funding for the electrification of the South Wales Main Line between Cardiff and Swansea and the Valley Lines suburban network around Cardiff.

ITALY's economy minister Mr Giancarlo Padoan has announced that the government is planning a "quick" partial-privatisation of Italian State Railways (FS) in a bid to reduce the public debt and improve the competitiveness of the railway in the high-speed rail and regional public transport markets.

SITURV, the public transport authority in the French city of Valenciennes, has awarded Paris Transport Authority (RATP) subsidiary RATP Dev a contract to operate the Transvilles light rail and bus network in Valenciennes and Porte du Hainaut.

CZECH open-access long-distance operator RegioJet has taken delivery of the first of three Siemens Vectron locomotives, which are being leased from European Locomotive Leasing (ELL) under a five-year contract.