NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) has reached an agreement with Strukton Rail to acquire its subsidiary NS Spooraansluitingen (NSS), which owns and operates lines between the Dutch national railway network and private sidings.

HELSINKI celebrated the opening of the new 18km Ring Line on July 1 with 80,000 passengers using services on the new line on its inaugural day of operations.

A two-year contract for the operation of regional train services in Sicily was signed on June 25 by the island's regional councillor for transport Mr Giovanni Battista Pizzo and Mr Orazio Iacono, Trenitalia's national director for regional transport.

THE French region of Rhône-Alpes has placed a €160m order with Alstom for 17 multi-system Régiolis EMUs, which will be used on the cross-border Leman Express (formerly Franco-Valdo-Genevois RER) network around Geneva.

A fleet of five type 71-911 City Star low-floor trams has entered passenger service on the 91km tram network in the in the Russian city of Tver.

TRAFIKVERKET is set to bring forward a number of track and structure maintenance projects after the Swedish government increased the infrastructure manager's renewals budget for 2015 by SKr 620m ($US 73.6m).

THE German city of Augsburg is planning to construct a new tram line and a tram/rail interchange beneath the main station as part of its wider Project Augsburg City urban regeneration project.

SUNSHINE Coast, Australia, is to carry out further studies into the development of a light rail network after a public consultation revealed 87% of residents endorse the project.

RHENUS Logistics, Germany, confirmed on July 2 that it has signed an agreement with Austria's Graz-Köflach Railway (GKB) to acquire a 50% stake in open-access railfreight operator LTE Logistics and Transport for an undisclosed sum.

TESTING is underway at Alstom's Lapa plant in Brazil on the first of 600 X'trapolis Mega commuter EMUs for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), while preparations for the transfer of production to South Africa are also making progress.