HONOLULU Authority for Rapid Transportation (Hart) confirmed on December 5 that tracklaying has begun on the 32km Honolulu metro, with initial works focussing on the area around Hoopili station in Ewa.

JSC Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ), Kazakhstan, has delivered the first of a batch of 1520mm-gauge TE33A six-axle diesel locomotives for Turkmenistan Railways (TPK).

A parliamentary select committee in Uganda has launched a probe into the award of an $US 8bn contract for the 250km single-track Kampala - Malaba standard-gauge railway to China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

GERMAN Rail (DB) board member for infrastructure and services Dr Volker Kefer has unveiled details of plans to spend a minimum of €28bn over the next four years on maintenance and investment in Germany's mainline rail network.

NAMIBIA's state-owned railway TransNamib is seeking to acquire 21 secondhand GE U20C diesel locomotives following problems with new Chinese-built motive power.

DANISH State Railways (DSB) released the latest independent assessment of its AnsaldoBreda IC4 DMUs on December 5, detailing the current status of the troubled fleet and the measures necessary to ensure the trains operate reliably.

CHINA marked the completion of a key international rail project in its southern Yunnan province on December 1 with the opening of a 142km line from Mengzi to Hekou on the border with Vietnam.

ALSTOM has agreed to purchase an additional 25% stake in its Kazakhstan locomotive joint venture EKZ from Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) increasing its holding to 50%, which will expand the company's scope to include maintenance activities through a dedicated facility in Astana.

NICE Côte dAzur Metropolitan Council has signed a €250m loan agreement with the European Investment Bank to finance construction of a light rail line linking Nice's harbour area and city centre with the city's airport.