CHINA Railway Corporation (CRC) has almost twice as much debt as the Greek government, according to an external audit of the company's first quarter results, which reveals total debts reached Yuan 4.14 trillion ($US 640bn) at the end of March, a 10.4% year-on-year increase.

SHANGHAI Disneyland Resort joined the city's metro network on April 26 with the start of trial passenger operation on the one-station eastern extension of Line 11 from Kangxin Highway.

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) rail freight subsidiary Fret SNCF celebrated the launch of a new China - France container service on April 21, when the first train from Wuhan arrived at the Saint-Priest terminal in Venissieux south of Lyon.

CHINA's weakening economic growth continued to dampen rail freight demand in the first quarter of this year, according figures released by China Railways Corporation (CRC) on April 11, which show volumes declined 9.4% year-on-year to 788 million tonnes.

Formed following the merger of Chinese state-owned companies CSR and CNR in June 2015, CRRC is by some distance the world's largest rolling stock manufacturer. While its rise is based largely on demand from its vast domestic market, the company is now engaged in a push to boost exports, as vice-president Weiping Yu reveals in an exclusive interview with Kevin Smith.

CRRC Nanjing Puzhen has awarded Škoda Electric and its Chinese joint venture company Škoda Kingway Electric a contract to supply electrical equipment for a fleet of 18 low-floor LRVs being built for Suzhou Line 2.

THE Chinese city of Changsha launched commercial operations on an 18.6km maglev line linking Changsha South main line station with Huanghua International Airport to the west of the city.

THE Chinese city of Ningbo inaugurated the second phase of metro Line 1 on March 19 with the launch of trial operation on the 25.3km nine-station western extension from Donghuan South Road to Xiapu in Beilun district.

MTR Corporation, Hong Kong, achieved a 3.8% increase in revenues last year as the company continued to expand its international operations, particularly in Europe.

THE Chinese city of Qingdao has launched passenger operations on the city's inaugural light rail line, the 9km link from Qianwangtuan to Chenyang Wholesale Market.