DELHI Metro Rail Corporation, which is responsible for implementing the new two-line metro under construction in Jaipur, has awarded a contract to Thales for a passenger information system for the first line.

PREQUALIFICATION bids are invited by Quito Metro by May 27 for phase 2 of a $US 1.5bn project to build the first metro line in the Ecuadorian capital. Construction is underway of the 22.5km, 15-station line following the award in November 2012 of a contract for phase 1 to Acciona Infrastructure, Spain.

POLISH infrastructure manager PKP PLP has selected a consortium of Thales and Trakce, Czech Republic, in a €76m contract to upgrade train management systems including signalling and supervision on the 100km Warsaw Okecie - Radom line.

PRESIDENT Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic attended a ceremony in the capital Santo Domingo on April 1 to mark the opening of the city's second metro line.

MITSUBISHI Heavy Industries (MHI) has started construction of what it describes as Japan's first comprehensive railway system verification facility.

Belgium's infrastructure manager Infrabel is pushing ahead with a €2bn national ETCS rollout programme over the next decade. Kevin Smith examines the project.

ALSTOM and Thales have been selected by JR East to negotiate a contract to install communications-based train control (CBTC) on the Ayase - Toride Joban Local suburban line in Tokyo with a view to awarding a contract to one of the companies in December. JR East plans to introduce CBTC on the line in about 2020.

POLAND's infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded a €35m contract to Bombardier to install ERTMS Level 2 on the 148km Legnica – Wroclaw – Opole line.

INVENSYS Rail has been awarded a $A 39m ($US 40.6m) turnkey contract by South Australia's Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure to install ERTMS signalling and train control on Adelaide's commuter rail network as part of the Adelaide Rail Revitalisation programme.

BULGARIAN track authority National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) has awarded a consortium of Thales Austria and Kapsch CarrierCom a €35m turnkey contract to install ERTMS on the 133km Sofia – Plovdiv line, which forms part of Trans-European Corridor IV from Dresden and Nuremberg to Istanbul.