The European Union’s vision for an integrated and multimodal freight transport network is a key element of its plans to transition to a modern and low-carbon economy. Boosting rail freight’s market share is a central pillar of this strategy, but unsurprisingly it is facing significant challenges, as Kevin Smith reports from Brussels.

TWO new lines and the extension of another, announced by Chilean president Sebastian Piñera in his June 1 address to the nation, are set to almost double Santiago´s metro, already the most extensive in South America at 103.5km.

NEXUS, which owns and operates the 78km Tyne & Wear light metro centred on Newcastle-upon-Tyne, invites expressions of interest by July 9 for a British-government-funded project to replace its entire 90-car train fleet with light rail EMUs.

BRITAIN’s Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a tender for the East Midlands franchise, which will run from August 2019 until August 2027, and started consultation for the new Cross-Country franchise.

PHILIPPINE National Railways (PNR) has awarded contracts worth $US 46.4m to PT Inka, Indonesia, for two types of train.

TWO US rail projects have been recommended for $US 148.2m in grants, plus another four grade-separation schemes totalling $US 66m, out of 26 transport projects recommended by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) to be awarded a total of $US 1.54bn in federal funds which form part of the 2018 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (Infra) grant programme.

ITALY’s infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) awarded a €1.65bn contract to the Cepav Due Consortium on June 7 for the construction of the first section of the Brescia - Verona high-speed line.

THE European alliance of new rail entrants, AllRail, is calling on the Swiss government to open the domestic passenger rail market to competition.

STADLER has won the first order for its new generation of six-axle Co'Co locomotives which were designed at its Albuixech plant in Valencia, Spain, for the European market.