FRENCH Railway Network (RFF) has awarded the first of nine civil works contracts for the second phase of TGV Est to a consortium of French construction companies. Guintioli, Maia Sonnier, and NGE will begin construction this summer on the 16.8km Sarraltoff - Danne-et-Quatre-Vents section at the eastern end of the 106km extension from Baudrecourt to Vendenheim, north of Strasbourg. The contract is worth Euros 78.9 million.

BELARUS Railways (BC) has awarded Stadler a Euros 60 million contract to supply a fleet of 10 four-car Flirt emus for suburban services in the Minsk area.

 

INTERPIPE, Ukraine, and its KLW wheelset subsidiary, is to host the next International Wheelset Congress in 2013. The announcement was made yesterday at closure of the 16th congress in Cape Town, South Africa.

GERMAN RAIL (DB) could be poised to take over British train and bus operator Arriva, just weeks after talks with French National Railways (SNCF) ended in failure. The Financial Times reported today that DB had approached Arriva in a bid that could value the company at around £1.2 billion.

DRILLING work has commenced on the 15.4km Ceneri base tunnel, which is on the south ramp of the Gotthard base tunnel and part of the same project. The formal start was marked by a first detonation at the midway point of Sigirino, where an access tunnel has already been excavated.

 

PASSENGER services to the World Heritage site at Machu Picchu in Peru are to resume in stages following repairs to flood-damaged tracks by Transandine Railway. PeruRail will reinstate its Vistadome service from Pisacucho to Aguas Calientes on March 29, three days earlier than planned, and in time for the reopening of the Inca Citadel at Machu Picchu on April 1.

BRITAIN'S Secretary of State for Transport Lord Andrew Adonis has unveiled plans for the first stage of a 539km high-speed network linking London with central and northern England.

ISRAEL Railways (IR) has exercised an option to for 31 Viaggio Light coaches from Siemens in a deal worth €47 million. The order, which comprises four driving trailers and 27 intermediate coaches, follows on from a contract for 87 vehicles signed in 2006 with options for up to 585 additional coaches.

EUROTUNNEL ended 2009 in the black, despite the loss of revenue caused by the partial closure of the Channel Tunnel for the first five weeks of the year and the suspension of Eurostar services in December.

BRITAIN'S Department for Transport has approved two further extensions of Manchester's Metrolink light rail network, at a total cost of £170 million. The 3.9km extension from Droylsden to Ashton-under-Lyne and the 4.5km line from Chorlton St Werburgh's Road to East Didsbury are being funded through the Greater Manchester Transport Fund, a £1.5 billion investment programme covering 15 transport projects across the city.