THE Dutch cabinet has approved a €2.5bn budget to install ERTMS on all trains by 2022 and on the busiest sections of the national rail network by 2030.

CHINA Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) has selected Siemens in a €15m contract to supply signalling equipment for the 15km completely-underground extension of Suzhou metro Line 2.

FINLAND's Transport Agency has selected Mipro in a contract worth €5.3m to supply an upgraded train control system for 1400km of lines in western Finland, around a quarter of the country's railway network.

THE German Rail Industry Association (VDB) says sales of railway equipment increased by 42% in 2013 to a new record of €14.9bn compared with weak performance in 2012.

THE director general of Turkish State Railways (TCDD) Mr Süleyman Karaman says construction is complete on the Istanbul - Eskisehir section of the 533km high-speed line to Ankara allowing test running to begin.

FOLLOWING weeks of speculation, GE confirmed on April 4 that it sees no possibility of acquiring Ansaldo STS from parent company Finmeccanica.

TURKISH State Railways (TCDD) has awarded a €10m contract to Thales to modernise the signalling and telecommunications at Eskisehir station.

THE main line linking London, Plymouth and Penzance reopened today following repairs costing £35m to damage caused by major storms in February to the coastal section at Dawlish between Exeter and Plymouth.

While ERTMS is now widely regarded as a standard train control system and is being adopted by railways around the world, there is still considerable dissatisfaction with the technology and its implementation in Europe. David Briginshaw analyses the current situation.

ALASKA Railroad Corporation (ARR) has selected Wabtec in a $US 16.6m contract to supply positive train control (PTC) equipment and services for its 845km mixed-traffic network.