MIPRO announced on September 15 that it has been awarded a €22.3m contract by the Finnish Transport Agency (Liikennevirasto) for the renewal of signalling systems at Niirala, Kotolahti-Mussalo, and Vainkkala marshalling yards in eastern Finland.

FOLLOWING months of preparation, the railway world is set to descend on Berlin this month for the leading showpiece in the railway exhibition calendar: InnoTrans which runs from September 20-23. Kevin Smith and Dan Templeton are here to guide you though some of the highlights.

SWITZERLAND’s Federal Office of Transport (BAV) confirmed on September 8 that four types of modern freight locomotive will be banned from operating through the Gotthard Base Tunnel when it opens in December due to problems with the functioning of ETCS Level 2 equipment.

NETWORK Rail announced on August 11 that it has awarded a contract to Siemens Rail Automation for the design, construction, testing and commissioning of the Port Talbot West Phase 1 resignalling project on the Cardiff – Swansea section of the South Wales Main Line.

BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail’s Thameslink Programme achieved a milestone on July 30 following the successful operation of a class 700 train through central London using European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2.

BRUSSELS Transport Company (Stib) has awarded two contracts to supply rolling stock and train control systems for the automation of metro lines 1 and 5.

THE first class 345 Aventra commuter EMU for London’s east-west Crossrail link was unveiled to the press by Bombardier and Transport for London (TfL) at Bombardier’s Derby plant on July 29.

DUTCH infrastructure manager Prorail has awarded Strukton Systems a contract to install the Dutch ATB-Vv train protection system on around 400 signals on the Rotterdam - Venlo and Alkmaar - Maastricht lines.

ISRAEL Railways has invited bids by November 11 for a five-year contract, extendable up to 10 years, to design, install and maintain a GSM-R telecommunications system on its 800km network.

A consortium of Alstom and its Chinese joint venture partner, Casco Signalling, has been awarded a contract by Qinghai – Tibet Railway Company to supply and improve the Incremental Train Control System (ITCS) signalling on the Golmud – Lhasa section of the Qinghai – Tibet Railway by August 2018.