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.

THE government of the Australian state of New South Wales has announced the two consortia that have been shortlisted for the contract to construct twin tunnels under Sydney Harbour that will link Sydney Metro North West project, which is already under construction with the planned Sydney Metro City & Southwest.

TRIAL operation began on the initial phase of Tianjin’s metro Line 6 on August 6, five years after the start of construction on the north-south line.

PRINCESS Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand opened Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit Purple Line on August 6 with an inaugural trip on the 23.5km line from Tao Poon to Khlong Bang Phai station in the district of Bang Yai, where the opening ceremony took place.

ST Petersburg Metro has launched a tender for a contract to supply 27 six-car metro trains for a maximum price of Roubles 13.6bn ($US 208m), with an August 25 deadline for bids.

THE first of 70 class 385 regional EMUs has begun its journey from Hitachi’s Kasado plant in Japan to Europe.

CZECH private passenger operator GW Train Regio has been directly awarded a 10-year contract by the Czech Ministry of Transport to operate express services on the Plzen - Most line.

THE governor of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, Mr Geraldo Alckmin, says he wants to privatise six of the nine existing or planned metro and monorail lines serving the city of São Paulo, which represents about 60% of the network.

GERMANY’s federal cabinet approved the 2030 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (BVWP 2030) and three items of draft enabling legislation on August 3, bringing the country a step closer to implementing the €269.6bn programme.

FIVE manufacturers have submitted bids to Spanish national train operator Renfe for a contract to supply a fleet of high-speed trains after a previous tender was abandoned following a judicial appeal by Bombardier.