URUGUAY Trains (TDU) has put forward plans to two local authorities to reintroduce a passenger rail service between Montevideo and Minas following completion of a feasibility study. The mayor of Canelones, one of the two local authorities, has already pledged his support.

REPRESENTATIVES of Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association (VRR), Westphalia-Lippe Local Transport (NWL) and Rhineland Local Transport (NVR) signed contracts with National Express Group in Wuppertal on September 25 for the operation of two regional routes in North Rhine Westphalia.

BOMBARDIER presented the first Régio 2N double-deck emu to French National Railways (SNCF) president Mr Guillaume Pepy and representatives of regional governments at its Crespin plant in northeast France on September 25.

BRITAIN'S National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) announced on September 24 that approval has been granted for the development of a new training academy for rolling stock engineers, which will be built at Siemens' Kings Heath maintenance depot in Northampton.

A major new freight facility joined the British railway network in the early hours of September 24, when the first revenue-earning train departed from the new London Gateway deep-sea container port and logistics park bound for Trafford Park, Manchester.

BRAZILIAN President Mrs Dilma Rousseff and transport minister Mr César Borges inaugurated Latin American Logistics' (ALL) new Reais 150m ($US 68m) intermodal freight facility near Rondonópolis in the state of Mato Grosso on September 19.

THE extension of Paris tram-train Line T4 to Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil has moved a step closer after the €214m project was granted public utility status by Seine-Saint-Denis council.

THE government of Quebec announced on September 20 that it plans to invest at least $C 1.5bn ($US 1.46bn) in the extension of the Montreal metro Blue Line to St Leonard and Anjou.

A ceremony was held in Rajin, North Korea, on September 22 to mark the reopening of the cross-border line from Hasan, Russia.

SAUDI Railways Organisation (SRO) has awarded a contract to DB International to supervise infrastructure design work, rolling stock production, and project management for the 450km Mecca – Jeddah – Medina high-speed line.