A financing agreement for the electrification of the Paris Est - Troyes line was signed on September 13 by Mr Patrick Jeantet, president of French infrastructure manager SNCF Network, and representatives of the French government and regional and local councils.

INCREASING passenger and freight traffic helped boost Swiss Federal Railways’ (SBB) first half by 2.4% to SFr 4.36bn ($US 4.48bn), according to the company’s latest financial results, which were published on September 13.

CHINA Railway Group (CRG) announced on September 8 that three of its subsidiaries have been awarded contracts with a total value of Yuan 8.1bn ($US 1.2bn) by Laos-China Railway Company to build three sections of a 414km standard-gauge line running south from China-Laos border at Boten to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and the Laotian capital Vientiane.

THE US city of Charlotte has issued a call for tender for the construction of Phase 2 of its CityLynx light rail Gold Line, adding extensions totalling 4km at each end of the 2.4km Phase 1 which opened in mid-2015.

CONSTRUCTION of the 375km Awash - Weldia railway in Ethiopia achieved a major milestone during the weekend of August 7-8 with the holing through of a 1530m-long tunnel, just over one year after tunnelling started.

MIPRO announced on September 15 that it has been awarded a €22.3m contract by the Finnish Transport Agency (Liikennevirasto) for the renewal of signalling systems at Niirala, Kotolahti-Mussalo, and Vainkkala marshalling yards in eastern Finland.

THE Japanese government is seeking to raise up to Yen 392bn ($US 3.8bn) from the forthcoming privatisation of Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu), according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on September 15.

THE first of six Liberty LRVs being built by Brookville Equipment Corporation, United States, for Detroit’s first modern tram line arrived at the line’s Penske Technical Center depot on September 13, two months ahead of schedule.

THE San Diego Association of Governments (Sandag) has announced on September 14 that it secured a $US 1bn grant from the Federal Transit Administration for the 17.7km Mid-Coast LRT extension.