THE deputy premier of the Australian state of New South Wales Mr Troy Grant and minister for transport Mr Andrew Constance announced on October 28 that the state government has allocated $A 50m ($US 37.9m) to accelerate the renewal of NSW TrainLink’s medium-and long-distance diesel fleet, starting with the XPT trains.

A new contract for the operation of regional services in the region around Rome was signed on October 28 by the president of the region of Lazio Mr Nicola Zingareti and Trenitalia CEO Mrs Barbara Morgante.

THE first of eight LRVs being supplied by Durmazlar, Turkey, to Samsun arrived in the Turkish city on October 26 after completing its road journey from the company’s plant in Bursa.

MINNEAPOLIS St Paul Metropolitan Council has awarded Siemens a $US 118m contract to supply 27 LRVs for the expansion of the light rail network in the Twin Cities.

FAIVELEY Transport announced on October 26 that it will sell its US freight wagon braking business to Amsted Rail as a condition of the company’s planned $US 1.8bn acquisition by Wabtec.

PRODUCTION of the first of 66 bodyshells for the new fleet of Mk 5A locomotive-hauled coaches for British train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) began at CAF’s plant at Bessain in northern Spain on October 27.

FOLLOWING a public vote, Kobe Municipal Transport Authority has finalised the design for a new fleet of metro trains for the Seishin-Yamate Line.

ALSTOM confirmed on October 27 that it has received a €130m order from DB Regio for 24 Coradia Continental EMUs, which will be used on the Breisgau S-Bahn network in southwest Germany.

SYTRAL, which is responsible for the four-line metro in Lyon, has awarded a €140m contract to Alstom for 30 two-car rubber-tyred trains with an option for another 18 trains.

STOCKHOLM-based investment company Ratos announced on October 25 that it has sold its 100% stake in Swedish rolling stock maintenance specialist Euromaint to private equity fund SSVP, in a deal worth SKr 650m ($US 73m).