Rio de Janeiro suburban rail operator SuperVia has begun dynamic testing of the first of 34 new emus from CNR Changchun, China, eight of which will enter service by next month. 

USIMINAS Mechanica, Brazil, has agreed to build a second wagon manufacturing plant in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais as the company aims to tap into Brazil's expected need to buy 4500 wagons per year.

Bidding has begun for the contract to build the city's Reais 1.2bn ($US 683m) light rail network, which is due to open in time for the 2014 Soccer World Cup, which Brazil is hosting.

DANISH infrastructure manager Banedanmark has selected Alstom and a joint venture of Thales and Balfour Beatty Rail as preferred bidders for two contracts to resignal Denmark's entire 2132km mainline network with ETCS Level 2 by 2021.

East German Railway Company (Odeg) took over operation of Berlin Wannsee - Jüterbog and Brandenburg - Rathenow regional services south of Berlin from German Rail (DB) in December. 

BOMBARDIER has secured two contracts worth more than €240m to supply LRVs to two German cities.

DOMODEDOVO Trans Development (DTD) has revealed ambitious plans for a 214km light rail network that will link Moscow's expanding southern outer suburbs, and connect Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports.

The first of six Stadler Pankow Variobahn low-floor LRVs for Transport for London's Croydon light rail network was tested in the German city of Chemnitz during December and January. 

MANY light rail projects launched in Spain more than five years ago are facing serious financial difficulties because of the economic crisis.

DB REGIO has ordered an additional 90 class 430 emus from Bombardier and Alstom in a deal worth approximately e500m.