FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) architectural and urban planning subsidiary Arep has been awarded a contract worth around €7m to carry out studies into the modernisation of three of Iran's busiest stations.

THE European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to provide Kosovo with a €39.9m loan, which will be used by Kosovo Railways (HK) infrastructure subsidiary Infrakos to fund the first phase of a project to rehabilitate the 148km north-south corridor between the Serbian and Macedonian borders.

VIENNA City Council has unveiled plans for further additions to the tram network in the Austrian capital, which will serve new urban developments on former railway land in Leopoldstadt and Brigittenau north of the city centre.

ROLLING stock leasing company Alpha Trains has awarded Stadler Pankow a contract to supply eight five-car Flirt 3 EMUs, which will be used by Keolis subsidiary Eurobahn on RB61 Wiehengebirgsbahn cross-border services from Bielefeld and Bad Bentheim in Germany to Hengelo in the Netherlands.

GE Transportation Africa president and CEO Mr Thomas Konditi and Mr Hippy Tijvikua, acting CEO of Namibia's national railway TransNamib signed a $US 22.7m contract in Windhoek on September 11 for six 1067mm-gauge C23EMP diesel locomotives.

PORTLAND, Oregon, added a fifth line to its light rail network on September 12 with the start of public services on the Max Orange Line from Portland State University (PSU) to SE Park Avenue in Milwaukie.

BEIJING Metro is planning to start construction of three new lines and extensions to two existing lines before the end of this year. Designs for these extensions went on public display on September 10 for 20 days to allow the public to vote on which designs they prefer.

SWITZERLAND's Federal Office of Transport (BAV) has granted Basle Transport Authority (BVB) planning permission for the Swiss section of the cross-border extension of tram Line 3 to Saint Louis in France.

NEW YORK celebrated the opening of the first addition to its subway network for 26 years on September 13 with the inauguration of the 2.4km western extension of Line 7 (Flushing Line) from Times Square to 34th Street-Hudson Yards.

THE Australian government has published a 10-year delivery plan to implement the $A 10bn ($US 7bn) Inland Rail project to create a 1700km line for freight traffic linking Brisbane with Melbourne by building around 600km of new line.