MONTREAL's Metropolitan Transport Agency (AMT) has launched two tenders, one for additional cars and the other for a contract to operate the commuter rail network and maintain its entire fleet.

BELGIAN National Railways (SNCB) signed a framework contract with a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier on December 18 for up to 1362 M7 double-deck coaches, with an initial firm order for 445 vehicles.

CHINA Railways Corporation (CRC) has awarded Bombardier Sifang Transportation (BST), a joint venture of Bombardier and CRRC's CSR Sifang Rolling Stock, a Yuan 1.1bn ($US 169.8m) contract to supply five 16-car CRH1E-250 high-speed sleeper trains.

ROTTERDAM Electric Tram (RET) has exercised a €30m option with Bombardier for six additional three-car Flexity Swift light metro trains as part of a project to increase capacity on Randstandrail Line E.

ITALIAN open-access high-speed operator NTV and Alstom have unveiled the design for the eight Pendolinos which NTV ordered in a €460m contract placed in October.

FOLLOWING a European tender, Rhine-Ruhr Transport Authority (VRR) has acquired 48 class 422 EMUs used on Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn services from German Rail (DB) subsidiary DB Regio.

THE first of 600 X'Trapolis Mega six-car commuter EMUs for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has been delivered to the operator's Wolmerton depot near Pretoria in readiness for the start of dynamic testing on the South African network.

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) announced on December 17 that it will begin "detailed technical work" next year to develop a case for the extension of the Bakerloo Line southeast from its current terminus at Elephant and Castle to Old Kent Road and Lewisham.

RENFE started commercial service in the Olmedo - Zamora section of the Madrid - Galicia high - speed line on December 17 with a single return service which will cut travel time for the 232km Madrid - Zamora trip by 22 minutes to 1h 33min.

THE Shift²Rail joint technology initiative published its first call for proposals on December 17, making an initial tranche of €170m in grant funding available for railway research projects in Europe.