GERMAN Rail has signed a €146m contract with Bombardier for 29 class 442 Talent 2 suburban emus as part of a framework deal for up to 321 trains, which was agreed in 2007.

HITACHI Rail has announced that it is relocating its global headquarters from Japan to London and that the current head of Hitachi Rail Europe, Mr Alistair Dormer, will be made the company's global CEO from April 1.

STADLER Rail handed over the first two of an order for 42 additional Flirt emus for Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) passenger unit MÁV Start on March 19 at a ceremony attended by Hungary's national development minister Mrs Lászlóné Németh.

Malaysia's Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT) and Siemens have unveiled a full-size mock-up of the forthcoming Inspiro metro train for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Sungai Buloh – Kajang line in Kuala Lumpur, which is currently under construction.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) and Finmeccanica, the parent company of Italian rolling stock manufacturer AnsaldoBreda, have reached a settlement on the future of the V250 Fyra high-speed trains and the cancellation of the contract by NS.

MINISTERS that make up Europe's Transport Council today adopted a favourable position on the legal framework for the regulation establishing the Shift²Rail Joint Undertaking, while the council has also completed its work on the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package, which includes revising the role of the European Railway Agency (ERA).

BASQUE metre-gauge operator EuskoTren has issued an international call for tenders for 28 emus, which will be used on Bilbao metro Line 3 and will also replace some of the oldest trains in its current fleet.

GERMAN infrastructure manager DB Networks has taken delivery of the first of four class 711/2 catenary inspection vehicles from Robel.

DB REGIO has placed a second order worth €30m for nine Link dmus from Polish supplier Pesa as part of a framework contract for up to 470 trains, which was signed in September 2012.

ŠKODA Kingway Electric, a joint venture of Škoda and Jiangsu Kingway Transportation, China, has secured a contract to supply drives and motors for 40 six-car metro trains being supplied by CSR Nanjing Puzhen to the Chinese city of Suzhou.