BRITAIN's Rolling Stock Strategy Steering Group, which combines rolling stock leasing companies and the Rail Delivery Group, says the national train fleet could double in size by 2045 to meet increasing passenger demand.

A new Danish rail speed record was set on the night of March 21/22 when a Hector Rail locomotive operating on behalf of infrastructure manager Banedanmark reached 235.8km/h during testing.

JR East has awarded a contract to Toshiba to supply its H2One autonomous hydrogen energy supply system for installation at Musashi-Mizonokuchi station on the Nambu Line in Kawasaki City. The system will start operating in the first half of 2017.

ALSTOM handed over the first 16 of 29 Coradia Continental EMUs for the Mid-Saxony Electric Network (EMS) regional concession to representatives of Mid-Saxony Transport Authority (VMS) and Transdev at the company's Salzgitter plant on March 23.

BRITAIN's House of Commons passed the third reading of the High-Speed 2 (HS2) Hybrid Bill on March 23, authorising construction of the 190km line from London to Birmingham and a junction with the West Coast Main Line (WCML) near Lichfield.

OKLAHOMA City Council voted on March 22 to award a $US 24.9m contract for five low-floor LRVs for the Oklahoma City Streetcar project to Brookville Equipment, United States.

GERMAN infrastructure manager DB Network is planning to upgrade the 3.1km line on Swiss territory between the German border and the bridge across the River Rhine in Basle at a cost €273m.

HAMBURG U-Bahn operator Hamburger Hochbahn has unveiled plans for a new depot in the east of the city, which will provide additional maintenance and stabling capacity for the expansion of its train fleet.

CANADIAN finance minister Mr Bill Morneau announced details of phase 1 of the federal government's new infrastructure plan, which was unveiled as part of the 2016 budget on March 22.

BRITISH open-access passenger operator First Hull Trains has been granted a 10-year extension to its track access agreement from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) which will enable it to continue running its Hull – London King's Cross service until 2029.