A prototype low-floor tram developed by Pragoimex, Czech Republic, began trial operation with passengers on the Prague tram network on February 1, when the vehicle entered service with the city's public transport operator DPP.

A full-size interior mock-up of the forthcoming Hitachi class 385 EMU for ScotRail was unveiled at Edinburgh Waverley station on February 10 by Scotland's minister for transport and islands Mr Derek Mackay, ScotRail managing director Mr Phil Verster, and Hitachi Rail Europe managing director Mrs Karen Boswell.

THE first major contract for the €3.7bn western extension of Paris RER Line E was awarded on February 10, when French National Railways (SNCF) president Mr Guillaume Pepy and Siemens president Mr Joe Kaeser signed a €186m contract for the rollout of CBTC on the core section of the east-west line.

METRO do Porto, which operates the 67km light rail network in Porto, Portugal, has awarded a €10.5m contract to Railway Equipment Maintenance Company (EMEF) to overhaul part of its fleet of Bombardier Eurotram LRVs.

IN what some industry observers believe may be a final attempt - short of a proxy battle - by hedge fund manager Mr Bill Ackman at a hostile takeover of Norfolk Southern (NS), Canadian Pacific (CP) notified NS on February 9 of its intent to submit a resolution to NS shareholders "to ask their board of directors to engage in good faith discussions with CP regarding a business combination transaction."

ITALIAN State Railways (FS) CEO Mr Renato Mazzoncini and Iranian Islamic Republic Railways (RAI) president Dr Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Tehran on February 9 pledging to co-operate in the development of Iran's high-speed rail network and the modernisation of RAI's rolling stock fleet.

BELARUS Railways (BC) has awarded Pesa, Poland, a contract to supply four additional class DP3 three-car DMUs with an option for a further four trains.

BOMBARDIER has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bozankaya, a Turkish LRV car body manufacturer, to bid for Turkish State Railways' (TCDD) forthcoming tender for 80 high-speed trains, which is expected to be published shortly.

THE Bihar state cabinet signed off the detailed project report (DPR) for the first phase of the metro network in Patna on February 9, referring the project to the Indian government for final approval.

BRITAIN's Department for transport and franchisee Great Western Railway (GWR) have reached an agreement on funding a study into the upgrading of rail links between London, Devon and Cornwall.