SINGAPORE Land Transport Authority and metro operator SMRT Corporation have announced plans to procure additional trains for North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL) by the end of the decade as part of project to boost capacity on these lines.

CALIFORNIA High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) issued a request for expressions of interest on October 2 for a contract to supply the train fleet and rolling stock maintenance facilities for the first phase of the state's high-speed network.

INTERNATIONAL high-speed services between France and Spain have been suspended since September 29 after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in the 7km tunnel beneath Girona on the Figueres – Barcelona high-speed line.

INSOLVENCY proceedings were launched on October 2 by Vienna's Commercial Court against wagon leasing company ERR Rail Rent Vermietungs.

ISRAEL Railways (IR) says it is on course for a profitable year following a significant improvement in first-half financial performance and traffic figures.

ARRIYADH Development Authority has appointed Lloyd's Register Rail to act as independent safety assessor (ISA) for the $US 22.5bn Riyadh metro project.

THE mayor of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Mr Mikhail Chernyshev has signed a memorandum of understanding with Alstom Russia to develop plans for the modernisation of the city's 112km standard-gauge tram network.

THE Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Transport has published its draft budget for 2015 this week and once again funds allocated to rail investments will exceed those for the department's other areas of responsibility, notably roads and air transport.

A NEW engineering report assessing the damage caused to the Amtrak-owned Hudson River and East River tunnels in New York City by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 recommends a phased process of maintenance works, which will require taking individual tunnel tubes out of service for extended periods.

THE United Arab Emirates' federal government will fund the second phase of the country's railway network, which is set to be built by Etihad Rail, the company's acting CEO confirmed this week.