REPORTING its first results as an integrated railway, French National Railways (SNCF) achieved a 5% increase in revenue from €29.9bn to €31.4bn in 2015, although Ebitda fell 4.6% from €4.6bn to €4.4bn.

MTR Corporation, Hong Kong, achieved a 3.8% increase in revenues last year as the company continued to expand its international operations, particularly in Europe.

TRENITALIA has launched a tender for a framework agreement to purchase up to 500 electric and diesel trains worth around €4.5bn.

SWEDISH infrastructure manager Trafikverket has awarded Strukton Rail a contract to renew 80km of track on the 40km line between Boden and Bastuträsk in northern Sweden.

TRANSDEV Germany has awarded Alstom a €115m contract to supply 28 Coradia Lint DMUs for Augsburg Diesel Network 1, which the company's Bavarian Regional Rail (BRB) subsidiary will operate for 12 years from December 2018.

BRITAIN's rail minister Mrs Claire Perry officially launched the new fleet of Bombardier class 387/2 EMUs for Gatwick Express on March 10, travelling on an inaugural run from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport.

THE first of 80 Sr3 Vectron electric locomotives for Finnish national train operator VR Group was delivered to the VUZ test track at Velim in the Czech Republic on February 20 for dynamic testing.

A three-pronged strategy to substantially reduce rail noise was outlined by German transport and digital infrastructure minister Mr Alexander Dobrindt at an industry seminar in Berlin on March 9.

BRITAIN's National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has urged the government to bolster support for development the Crossrail 2 link across London, describing the northeast - southwest line as a "priority" for the city.

The €26bn Lyon - Turin high-speed line has moved a step closer to tendering after French president Mr François Hollande and Italian prime minister Mr Matteo Renzi signed a supplementary protocol in Venice on March 8 authorising the release of €8.4bn in funding for the initial stages of construction.