THE FIRST of 20 metro trains for Dalian metro Line 2 was unveiled at the CNR Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock plant on April 21.

IRAN's New Towns Development Corporation (NTDC) has issued an international invitation to prequalify for a contract to finance, design, build, and commission a 40km suburban line running northeast from Mashhad to the new city of Golbahar.

NATIONAL Express subsidiary Alsa last week announced it has been granted a license by the Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Transport to operate passenger trains on the Spanish main line network.

DALLAS Area Rapid Transit (Dart) operated its first test run on the 8km light rail Orange Line extension to Dallas Forth Worth International Airport on April 16.

FOLLOWING a public tender, Hungary's Györ-Sopron-Ebenfurth Railway (GySEV) has awarded a Forints 11.4bn ($US 51.3m) contract to electrify the 87km Mosonszolnok – Porpác line in western Hungary, which will enable the operation of electric services between Hegyeshalom and Szombathely.

NIPPON Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NS&SMC) announced on April 16 that it has upgraded rail production and handling facilities at its Yawata steel works in the Japanese prefecture of Fukuoka to produce and distribute 150m-long rails, which the company claims are the longest in the world.

BRITAIN's secretary of state of transport Mr Patrick McLoughlin announced on April 16 that the Department for Transport (DfT) has reached financial close on a £2.7bn contract for a fleet of 65 225km/h Super Express Trains (SETs) for long-distance services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

TRIAL operations have begun on Zürich's new Durchmesserlinie (DML) cross-city link, which is due to open on June 15, with a total of 60 test trains passing through the new Löwenstrasse station beneath Zürich's existing main station over the weekend of April 12-13.

BRAZIL's National Development Bank (BNDES) has approved further Reais 6.2bn ($US 2.8bn) in funding for mining giant Vale's plan to increase iron-ore production to 230 million tonnes per year, which includes investment in capacity enhancements on the company's Carajás Railway (EFC).

ALGERIA's transport minister Mr Amar Ghoul inaugurated the 4.2km eastern extension of Algiers light rail Line 1 from Bordj El Kiffan to Kahouat Echergui on April 16.