THE International Union of Railways' (UIC) Railway Global Executive MBA is in danger of collapsing if more students don't sign up soon, warns Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC secretary general.

MASS Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) awarded four contracts worth a total of Baht 28.8bn ($US 888m) on April 3 for construction of the 19.5km northern extension of the BTS Skytrain Sukhumvit Line from Mor Chit to Saphan Mai and Khu Kot.

CONSTRUCTION of Austria's 55km Brenner Base Tunnel took another step forward on March 19, when a ceremony was held to mark the start of drilling on the main bore of the tunnel.

PLANNING began on March 18 for Hungary's first tram-train project, which will link the tram network in the city Szeged and a planned light rail line in Hódmezővásárhely via Hungarian State Railways' (MÁV) Szeged – Békéscsaba line.

ST ETIENNE Metropolitan Council gave the go-ahead on April 1 to develop plans for the French city's third light rail line, which will extend the network to serve northern districts of the city.

EAST Japan Railway Company (JR East) unveiled its new generation E235 EMU for Tokyo's Yamanote Line to the press at its Shinagawa depot on March 28.

SIEMENS presented the new class 700 EMU for cross-London Thameslink suburban services to the press at its Krefeld plant in Germany on April 2, confirming that the first sets will be delivered to the new depot at Three Bridges in August in readiness for the start of mainline testing.

CONSTRUCTION of the delayed 26km Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Hong Kong Express Rail Link (ERL) reached a milestone at the beginning of March with the breakthrough of the Ngau Tam Mei – Tai Kong Po tunnel.

OSIRIS, a three-year research programme to identify means to improve energy efficiency in urban railway transport, concluded this week with participants hailing its success during the final conference in Brussels.

THE chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region Mr Losang Jamcan has told Nepalese president Mr Ram Baran Yadav that the Chinese government plans to extend the Tibet Railway to the Neapalese border within five years.