SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) has exercised an SFr 38m ($US 37.3m) option with a German consortium of Windhoff and Dräger Safety for three additional self-propelled firefighting and rescue trains (LRZs), which will be delivered by the end of 2018.

KAZAKHSTAN Railways (KTZ) president Mr Askar Mamin and Tajik Railways (TDJ) presdient Mr Komil Mirzoali signed an agreement in Astana on January 27 pledging to continue their cooperation and extend KTZ's involvement in the modernisation of Tajikistan's railway network.

GERMAN open-access operator Locomore moved a step closer to launching its planned Stuttgart - Berlin service on January 27 when it reached its €460,000 crowdfunding target for the project, two days before the deadline for the initiative.

THE board of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has agreed to provide Morocco with a $US 112.3m loan, which will be used by Moroccan National Railways to construct a second track on part of the Casablanca - Marrakech line.

THE City of Buenos Aires confirmed on January 26 that it is planning to order 60 additional 300 series Metropolis cars from Alstom as part of the ongoing modernisation of its metro train fleet.

PORTUGUESE Trains (CP) and Railway Equipment Maintenance Company (EMEF) unveiled interior and exterior designs for CP's refurbished Alfa Pendular EMUs in Lisbon on January 27.

THE privatisation of Greece's national train operator Trainose is set to resume after the board of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) gave the go-ahead on January 20 for a new international tender for the sale of 100% of the company's share capital.

HITACHI has begun production of a fleet of 70 class 385 EMUs ordered by last year by Abellio for the ScotRail franchise.

THE government of the Austrian province of Styria has given its backing to a €20m project to restore the 2.8km cross-border link between Bad Radkersburg and Gorna Radgona after more than 70 years.

FOLLOWING a competitive tender, the Korean city of Yongin has awarded NeoTrans a Won 169bn ($US 141m) contract to operate and maintain the 18.1km light metro Everline.