INNSBRUCK Transport (IVB) has awarded Bombardier a contract to supply 20 Flexity 2 low-floor LRVs as part of the expansion of the Austrian city's metre-gauge tram network.

GREATER Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) announced on December 17 that it has selected Transdev Australasia in a partnership with Hyundai Rotem as preferred bidder for a contract to operate the Metlink suburban network in New Zealand's second-largest city.

FOLLOWING an international tender, the public transport authorities of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Braunschweig have selected Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland as preferred bidder for both lots of the Saxony-Anhalt Diesel Network regional concession.

NORTHEAST Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad (Metra) and Parsons Transportation Group (PTG) have awarded Wabtec contracts totalling $US 45m to supply Positive Train Control (PTC) for the Chicago commuter rail network.

GERMANY's largest long-distance bus operator MeinFernbus-Flixbus has revealed plans to launch open-access passenger rail operations, although not initially in its domestic market.

THE Australian Government has chosen business and legal advisers for a scoping study into options for the future management, operations and ownership of its wholly-owned interstate and Hunter Valley infrastructure manager, Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

GERMAN open-access operator Hamburg-Cologne (HKX) officially launched its new service from Frankfurt to Hamburg on December15.

THE governments of Uganda and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a light rail network in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

TWO Swiss metre-gauge railways - Wynental & Suhrentalbahn (WSB) and Montreux Bernese Overland (MOB) - have issued calls for tender for the supply of new trains.

NORWEGIAN infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket has awarded a NKr 250m ($US 28.9m) signalling contract to Thales for the Follo Line project, Norway largest infrastructure project.