ENGINEERS from Loughborough University have developed a failsafe and robust track switch mechanism called Repoint which they say will improve safety and reduce maintenance costs.

THE United States Committee on Foreign Investment has cleared the takeover of Alcatel-Lucent by Nokia. The acquisition has already been approved by the US Department of Justice.

FRENCH infrastructure manager SNCF Network has begun work on a €110.5m project to reinstate the 22km link between Belfort and the town of Delle on the Swiss border, which was abandoned in 1992.

A report published on September 16 by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that most US railways will not be able to complete the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) by the federally-mandated December 31 deadline, and warns that legislation to extend the deadline will now be required.

BORING of 113km of tunnels on the first phase of the Doha metro project has reached the halfway point, according to the managing director of Qatar Rail, Mr Abdulla Al-Subaie.

FINLAND's Ministry of Transport and Communications and national train operator VR Group announced on September 15 that they have reached a four-year agreement on the operation of public service obligation (PSO) passenger services.

PRORAIL is facing a shortfall of €475m in its investment budget for 2018-2028, according to an independent financial investigation into the Dutch infrastructure manager's spending plans, which was made public this week.

IRJ at IRSE Aspect 2015 conference, London: In his presentation on the competencies needed to recruit and retain the signalling engineers of the future, Mr Mohanakrishnan Sarvepalli from Atkins called for the creation of basic and advanced signalling diploma courses for engineers entering the industry.

SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) announced its results for the first half of 2015 on September 15, revealing group profits surged 60.1% year-on-year to SFr 92m ($US 94m) despite the worsening financial performance of its freight unit.

THE foreign trade agency of the Cuban Ministry of Transport and RM Rail, Russia, signed a contract on September 15 for the delivery of 363 new freight wagons for Cuban Railways (UFC).