SIEMENS rolled out the first completed ACS-64 Cities Sprinter multi-system electric locomotive for Amtrak at its Sacramento plant in California on May 13.

JUST six months after taking the job, India's railways minister Mr Pawan Bansal resigned on Friday amidst a bribery and corruption scandal brought about by the arrest of his nephew Mr Vijay Singla and Indian Railway board member, staff, Mr Mahesh Kumar on May 3.

POLISH infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded Astaldi a Zlotys 240m ($US 57.3m) contract to upgrade the 11km Balice Express rail link between Krakow Central station and the John Paul II International Airport at Balice.

BRITAIN's secretary of state for transport Mr Patrick McLoughlin has asked infrastructure manager Network Rail to carry out a new study into the reopening of the Uckfield – Lewes line in southeast England.

THE council of Velez-Malaga has approved plans to lease three CAF Urbos 2 LRVs, acquired as part of the Spanish town's abandoned light rail project, to Sydney for use on the Metro Light Rail line, which is currently being extended.

MACANDREWS, a subsidiary of shipping group CMA-CGM this week launched a new refrigerated railfreight service linking Bilbao with Murcia in the southeast of Spain.

MR Geraldo Alckmin, governor of the state of São Paulo announced on May 9 that the project to build an Airport Express link between Luz station in central São Paulo and Guarulhos International Airport has been cancelled due lack of interest from the private sector.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) has asked the Dutch Consumer and Market Authority (ACM) to clarify its position on plans being developed by the municipality of The Hague for a new open-access passenger service between The Hague and Brussels, which would compete with NS and Belgian National Railways (SNCB) services.

LOGISTICS group Kuehne & Nagel and wagon leasing company VTG have announced plans to create a jointly-owned rail logistics business after signing a letter of intent at the end of April.