THE county executive of St Louis County, Missouri, Mr Steve Stenger announced on June 23 that feasibility studies will be commissioned into three potential extensions of the MetroLink light rail network, which have been identified as part of the region's long-range transportation plan.

THE first two Siemens SC-44 Charger diesel passenger locomotives have arrived in Colorado for the start of testing at TTCI's Pueblo facility.

THE United States Department of Transportation has awarded a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (Tifia) loan of $US 874.6m to Purple Line Transit Partners for the $US 2bn Maryland Purple Line light rail public-private partnership (PPP) project.

THE prime minister of Canada, Mr Justin Trudeau, and the premier of British Columbia (BC), Ms Christy Clark, announced in Vancouver on June 16 the $C 900m ($US 697m) of additional funding will be made available for transport improvements in the province.

RAILPROS, which is lead programme manager for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project in California, has awarded a contract to CH2M to assist with development and implementation of the $US 250m commuter rail scheme.

ŠKODA Transportation, Czech Republic, is to set up a subsidiary company in the United States with a view to selling light rail vehicles and trains in North America.

WHITING Corporation, United States, has acquired LB Foster's rolling stock and locomotive repair and service assets in Pittsburgh for an undisclosed sum.

THE Canadian province of Ontario is to provide $C 205m ($US 160m) to help advance work for the Yonge North subway extension and the proposed Relief Line which is designed to help relieve congestion on Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) Yonge Line.

THE European Parliament (EP) has adopted a resolution aimed at improving the competitiveness of the European railway supply industry in the face of what it regards as aggressive competition from Asia.

THE premier of the Canadian state of Ontario Mrs Kathleen Wynne visited the site of the future Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station in York on June 6 to mark the completion of tracklaying on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension.