BRITAIN’s prime minister Mrs Theresa May announced during a visit to the West Midlands on November 20 that the government will provide West Midlands Combined Authority with a £250m grant to support the extension of the Midland Metro light rail network to Brierley Hill.

THE Municipality of Naples has finally agreed terms for a €90m contract with CAF to supply 10 six-car metro trains for Line 1 for delivery in 2019 with an option for 10 additional trains.

THE Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications has awarded Mitsubishi Corporation and CAF a €225m contract for 30 LRVs for Manila Light Rail Transit Authority’s Line LRT1.

GROUPE Eurotunnel announced on November 20 that it has changed its name to Getlink, with the new brand intended to “reflect the dynamism of connection and exchange.”

THE Mayor of San Francisco Mr Ed Lee and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) director of transportation Mr Ed Reiskin officially launched the city’s new fleet of Siemens S200 SF LRVs on November 17, when the first vehicle entered passenger service on the Muni light rail network.

AFTER several delays, Finland’s second-largest city Espoo joined the Helsinki metro network on November 18 with the inauguration of the first phase of West Metro, the country’s largest infrastructure project.

SOUND Transit’s board of directors voted on November 16 to approve a $US 26.5m order for five Liberty LRVs from Brookville Equipment Company, which are being acquired as part of the Tacoma Link Extension project.

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) issued invitations to negotiate to four prequalified bidders on November 17 for a contract to supply 43 driverless metro trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

THE Estonian capital Tallinn is preparing a tender for new LRVs, which will be used on a new line to the city’s port.

THE CAS IV Etele consortium of Colas and Siemens started construction of the southern extension of Budapest tram line 1 on November 13.