NORTH America's two largest shortline and regional rail operators are set to begin merging their operations after the United States Surface Transportation Board (STB) approved Genesee & Wyoming's (GWI) application to take control of the assets of RailAmerica from December 28.
RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has completed the acquisition of 75% of the shares freight logistics operator Gefco from PSA Peugeot Citroën for €800m. PSA Peugeot Citroën will retain its remaining 25% holding in Gefco.
A SEVERE shortage of rolling stock has led to widespread replacement of train services with buses by Slaskie Railway (KS) which only started its new concession in the Polish province of Silesia with the start of the new timetable on December 9. Within the first of couple of days,
BRITAIN's Department for Transport (DfT) has approved the acquisition by train operating company Southern of 116 emu cars with an option for another 140 vehicles. Southern will now invite bids for the new trains.
SIEMENS handed over two 5.2MW Vectron 3kV dc electric locomotives to DB Schenker Rail Poland at a ceremony at the Polish Railway Institute on December 20.
THE board of Southern California commuter rail operator Metrolink has approved the purchase of 10 Tier 4-compliant locomotives from EMD, which it says will reduce locomotive emissions by 86%.
TRANSPORT Scotland is to hold briefing sessions in Glasgow and London next month for companies interested in bidding for the new ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper franchises, which are due to start on April 1 2015.
TRIALS have begun in Sydney of the new Opal contactless public transport smartcard system, which is being installed by the Cubic-led Pearl consortium under a $A 370m ($US 398m) contract awarded in May 2010.
POLISH infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded a consortium of Bombardier (ZWUS) Poland, Thales Poland, and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) a Zlotys 470m ($US 153m) contract for the country's first commercial ERTMS Level 2 installation.
SPAIN's Minister for Public Works and Transport has unveiled the first details of the country's plan to extend standard-gauge track from Barcelona to Valencia and the southeast along the Mediterranean coast line.
