CHINA’s top economic planner the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved plans for five more new lines representing a total investment of Yuan 187bn ($US 27.3bn) as the government seeks to revive flagging economic growth through infrastructure spending.

BRITAIN’s secretary of state for transport Mr Chris Grayling announced on November 15 that the government has finalised its preferred route for most of Phase 2b of High-Speed 2 (HS2), which will extend the line to the East Midlands and Northern England in the early 2030s.

NEW Zealand’s South Island Main Trunk railway between Christchurch and Picton could be closed for several months following the devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake which struck near the coastal town of Kaikoura, 170km north of Christchurch, on November 14.

URUGUAYAN State Railways (AFE) has acquired seven Y1 single-car DMUs from Swedish rolling stock leasing company NetRail to improve services on the Montevideo - 25 de Agosto line.

NOKIA has been selected by Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA) to supply the world’s first LTE-R mobile broadband network to support main line railway operations and employee services. The system will be deployed on the 250km/h Wonju - Gangneung line in preparation for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.

ARRIVA Rail London took sole charge of the London Overground orbital suburban rail network on November 13 with the start of a new seven-and-a-half-year operating concession.

CHINA Railway Corporation (CRC) has begun testing piggyback wagons built by CRRC Qiqihar Rolling Stock as part of a joint initiative to evaluate the possibility of transporting of articulated lorries and semitrailers on the Chinese rail network.

SEOUL Metropolitan Infrastructure invites bids by November 23 for a fleet of 32 trains for operation on Line 9 of the Korean’s capital’s metro network.

KOREA Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Rotem and Korail in Seoul on November 10 pledging to collaborate on a project to develop Korea’s first double-deck high-speed train.

THE director of Cuban foreign trade agency Tradex Mr José Antonio Arias signed a contract with Mr Andrei Solovey, CEO of Transmashholding subsidiary Tver Carriage Works (TVZ), on November 10 for 68 passenger coaches for Cuban Union Railways (UFC).