VIETNAM Railways (VNR) is seeking to invest Dong 4.6 trillion ($US 202m) in new locomotives and rolling stock by 2020, according to a proposal submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Transport.

THE chief minister of the Indian state of Telengana Mr K. Chandrashekhar Rao has invited India’s prime minister Mr Narendra Modi to inaugurate the first phase of the Hyderabad metro network, with the official opening ceremony expected to take place on November 28.

As Canada embarks on an unprecedented public transport infrastructure spending progamme, Kevin Smith asks Canadian Urban Transit Association president and CEO, Patrick Leclerc, how transit agencies can make the most of this new era of investment.

Spurred on by the Canadian federal government’s infrastructure investment agenda, Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (Translink) is embarking on a wide-reaching public transport enhancement programme. Kevin Smith met CEO Kevin Desmond at the authority’s headquarters in New Westminster to find out more.

Deregulation of the US rail freight industry in the 1980s heralded a remarkable turnaround for the country’s secondary railways after years of seemingly-terminal decline. American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association president Linda Darr tells Keith Barrow how these vibrant and largely locally-owned businesses are investing in their assets to ensure they remain competitive.

CHINA Railway Investment Corporation (CRIC), the procurement arm of China Railway Corporation (CRC) has awarded CRRC Sifang a contract to supply 10 160km/h EMUs for services to Beijing’s new international airport at Daxing.

MILWAUKEE Department of Public Works has awarded Transdev Services a contract to operate the 4km Milwaukee Streetcar network, which is due to open next year.

THE Sagami Railway in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture has taken delivery of its first 10-car 20000 series EMU from Hitachi.

THE government of the Australian state of Western Australia announced on September 7 that it has allocated a budget of $A 1.34bn ($US 1.08bn) over the next four years for its Metronet expansion of the Perth suburban rail network.

SWITZERLAND’s second-largest railway BLS announced on September 8 that it has submitted concession application for the operation of two long-distance and three RegioExpress routes as it seeks to re-enter the inter-city passenger market.