CROWN Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed laid a foundation stone on September 5 to officially launch construction on the Route 2020 metro link to the site of Expo 2020.

ISRAEL’s minister of transport Mr Yisrael Katz took an inaugural trip on August 29 on the 60km Jezreel Valley line linking Haifa and Beit Shee’an ahead of the start of scheduled services on October 16.

QATAR Rail has awarded an 80:20 joint venture of Hill International, United States, and Astad Engineering Consultancy, Qatar, a 30-month extension to its contract to provide project management services on the Doha metro Green Line.

TEST running has started on part of Saudi Railway Company’s (SAR) 2750km North-South Railway in preparation for the launch of passenger services on the southern section from Riyadh to Qassim at the end of the year.

TEST running started on July 24 on the 60km Valley Line linking Haifa Lev Hamifratz with Beit Shee'an while Israel’s transport minister Mr Israel Katz has announced plans for two more new lines.

ISRAEL Railways has invited bids by November 11 for a five-year contract, extendable up to 10 years, to design, install and maintain a GSM-R telecommunications system on its 800km network.

JERUSALEM's district council has approved the alignment of the 19.6km Green Line, the Israeli capital's second light rail line.

DUBAI Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirmed on June 29 that it has award the Alstom-led Expolink consortium a Dirhams 10.6bn ($US 2.9bn) contract to build and equip an extension of the metro Red Line to serve the Expo 2020 site.

FOLLOWING the cancellation of a tender for switches and crossings, Israel Railways (IR) has decided to invite prospective suppliers to attend face-to-face meetings to assess the tender documents.

SAUDI Arabia's minister of transport Mr Suleiman Al Hamdan has been appointed head of Saudi Railway Company (SAR), which the government has decreed will now become responsible for all new line construction projects.