The introduction of Automatic Train Operation (ATO) on Paris RER Line A reached a milestone on April 27, when a double-deck MI09 EMU began operating under ATO on the core section of the line.

BOMBARDIER and Siemens are discussing a possible merger between their two railway equipment manufacturing division, Bombardier Transportation and Siemens Mobility, according to a report by Bloomberg.

FRANCE’s Institute of Technological Research (IRT) SystemX, together with French National Railways (SNCF) and Alstom, has launched a two-year project to automate the observation functions of train drivers.

THE German rail industry achieved a 5.2% increase in exports in 2016 to €6.1bn taking exports to 52% of total sales of €11.8bn. However, domestic sales fell by 12% to €5.7bn compared with 2015.

ROMANIAN infrastructure manager CFR has awarded a consortium of Astaldi, FCC Construction, Salcef, and Thales a Lei 1.76bn ($US 420m) contract to upgrade the 36.1km Bârzava - Ilteu section of the Curtici - Simeria line, which forms part of Pan-European Corridor IV (Dresden/Nuremberg - Prague - Vienna - Budapest - Bucharest - Sofia - Thessaloniki/Istanbul).

A project to increase capacity on Singapore’s North-South Line (NSL) reached a milestone on March 28, when Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the line’s operator SMRT launched operational trials using the newly-installed Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system.

TENDERS have been invited for a €23m project to electrify the 49km Viana do Castelo - Valença section of Portugal’s Minho line which runs north from Nine via Viana do Castelo to Valença on the Spanish border.

FRANCE’s infrastructure manager, SNCF Network, put into service a new control centre for Paris Gare de Lyon during the weekend of March 18-19. The first train departed the terminal at 05.01 on March 20.

Rail vehicle applications such as public address or track fault monitoring systems require position information, which is often delivered by GPS. But GPS might not always be available, for example in tunnels or valleys. Televic and Flanders Make profile a new vehicle positioning system suitable for these kinds of applications.

FORT Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) has awarded a $US 97m signalling and communication services contract to Wabtec for the new Tex Rail commuter line in Texas.