MPK Lodz signed a Zlotys 166m ($US 45.8m) contract with Pesa on December 30 for 22 low-floor LRVs, which will be used on the Polish city's 120km metre-gauge tram network.

ISTANBUL Metropolitan Municipality has placed a Won 103.8bn ($US 93.3m) provisional order with Hyundai Rotem for the supply of 17 four-car metro trains that will boost capacity on Line M2 between Yenikapi and Haciosman.

ILE-de-France Transport Authority (Stif) and SNCF Mobility have placed a €397m order with Bombardier for 42 Regio 2N double-deck EMUs for delivery starting in September 2017.

SWEDISH national passenger operator SJ and Arriva have awarded Alstom rolling stock maintenance contracts covering 82 regional trains in Sweden.

CATALONIA Government Railways (FGC) is celebrating the entry of the first two of seven new three-car class 114 trains purchased from a CAF-Alstom consortium for its standard-gauge Barcelona Metro line L7, which runs 7km from Plaça Catalunya to Avinguda Tibidabo.

TRENITALIA has signed two contracts with AnsaldoBreda for rolling stock maintenance services.

JR East outlined its future procurement strategy at the EU-Japan 2nd Railway Industrial Dialogue earlier this month, pledging to strengthen links with European suppliers.

A report by Britain's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the Department for Transport's (DfT) handling of two major rolling stock procurement projects, arguing that the government has taken on a disproportionate share of the risk because of the DfT's failure to fully investigate other methods of financing new trains.