NETHERLANDS RAILWAYS (NS) is to operate peak-hour bus services from today in an effort to relieve overcrowding on its busiest rail services.

DUSSELDORF's €843.6m underground Wehrhahn Line light rail line opened on February 20. Regular operation and closure of the previous on-street route followed overnight with services starting via the new route on February 21.

ROLLS-ROYCE is to supply 100 2200kW MTU Series 4000 diesel engines for freight locomotives in Argentina in a €30m+ deal with China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).

Rolls-Royce, Britain, and China Yuchai International subsidiary Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company (GYMC) have formed a 50:50 joint venture for the production of MTU diesel engines under licence in China. Both parties will invest RMB 75 million ($US 11.4m) in the joint venture.

International Railway Summit 2016, Vienna: Mr Jerzy Lejk, CEO, of Warsaw Metro, announced that a general contractor will be appointed very soon to construct the first phase of planned extensions to Line M2.

Battery manufacturer Saft has won a multi-million dollar contract from Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Septa) to supply lineside lithium-ion energy storage equipment.

GERMAN open-access operator derschnellzug.de - which was planning to start services between Stuttgart and Hamburg on March 18 says its planned services will be delayed.

JR East, Japan, plans to spend Yen 1.04 trillion ($US 9.1bn) on upgrading its Tokyo - Morioka and Niigata – Omiya high-speed lines from 2031.

GERMAN Rail (DB) passenger numbers showed a small decline in 2015 according to figures released this week by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

CHANNEL Tunnel operator Eurotunnel says revenues and profits for the year ending December 31 2015 rose.