The minutes immediately after a train failure are a crucial period for both the driver and controller as they seek to move the train and its passengers to safety while minimising the impact of the incident on traffic. Keith Barrow looks at a new system developed by British train operating company First Capital Connect which gives controllers the fleet knowledge to make decisions quickly and safely.

A BIDDERS conference held in Tel Aviv today by NTA for a tender for a fleet of LRVs was attended by representatives from 22 companies from Israel and several European countries.

EAST German Railway Company (Odeg) introduced the first of 16 Stadler Kiss class 445 double-deck emus on regional express services on the Rathenow - Jüterbog line on January 8. This follows the approval for the first four trains by Germany's Federal Railway Authority (EBA) on December 21 and subsequent approval of a fifth train.

HUNGARIAN State Railways (MÁV) announced on January 4 that Stadler is the sole bidder for the supply of 48 low-floor emus, 42 of which will be purchased by regional operator MÁV-Start and six by Györ-Sopron-Ebenfurth Railway (GySEV).

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) subsidiary Abellio Rail has awarded Bombardier a €172m contract to supply 35 class 442 Talent 2 emus for use on Germany's Saale-Thuringia-South Harz network.

AMTRAK is planning to formally request revisions to United States Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety standards to facilitate the introduction of standard lightweight high-speed trains, a move US rail advocates have sought for at least two decades.

GERMANY's Federal Railway Authority (EBA) gave its approval on December 21 for the operation of four out of 16 Kiss double-deck emus supplied by Stadler Rail to East German Railway (Odeg).

THE first batch out of 240 wagons being supplied by CSR, China, to Etihad Rail has arrived in Abu Dhabi's port of Mina Zayed.

EGYPT's National Authority for Tunnels has placed a $US 360m contract with Hyundai Rotem, Korea, for 20 nine-car trains.

HESSEN State Rail (HLB) has awarded two contracts worth about €40m to Alstom. One contract is for the supply of seven Coradia Lint dmus and the other is to modernise 25 existing Coradia Lint trains.