THALES Canada has reacted strongly to claims by Edmonton's mayor Mr Don Iverson's that it has not delivered a "working product" for the city's new Metro Line light rail line, which began restricted operations on September 6.

THE Swiss Federal Transport Office and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) have agreed a budget of SFr 7.6bn ($US 7.7bn) to fund rail infrastructure for the 2017-2020 period which is 15% more than the current 2013-2016 agreement.

EDMONTON's troubled $C 665m ($US 501.4m) Metro Line light rail project began limited operations on September 6, around 16 months after the line was due to enter service.

NORWEGIAN infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket marked the completion of the country's first ERTMS deployment on August 31, when transport minister Mr Ketil Solvik-Olsen officially reopened the 80km Ski – Sarpsborg Østfold Line.

THE Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded contracts totalling $US 205.8m to Siemens and Thales to install communications-based train control (CBTC) on New York Subway's Queens Boulevard Line.

THE final phase of a 10-year project to upgrade Oslo Sporveien's Kolsås line to metro standards has been completed with the commissioning of new signalling at Avløs depot.

UZBEKISTAN Railways (UZ) has completed the electrification and modernisation of the 140.8km line linking Samarkand with Qarshi in the southwest.

LONDON Underground's £11m project to enable 36 trains/hour/direction to operate on the Victoria Line for the first time - the highest frequency on the network - has reached the halfway point.

MYANMAR's Ministry of Rail Transport signed a joint contract with Marubeni Corporation and Mitsui on August 1 to supply and install an operational control centre and railway safety equipment for Myanmar Railways (MR).

THE United States sent its latest status report on the rollout of Positive Train Control (PTC) to congress on August 7, warning policymakers that despite seven years of strenuous efforts by the industry most railways will not complete installation by the federally-mandated December 31 deadline.