ETHIOPIAN Railway Corporation (ERC) has selected a consortium of China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and Shenzhen Metro Group to maintain the new 34km Addis Ababa light rail network.

China is a relative newcomer to building metros in its major cities, and there was even a ban on new projects in 2002. However, since this policy was reversed in 2004 there has been an explosion in metro construction. As Hans-Ulrich Riedel reports, 23 cities in China have metros totalling 2735km, with a further 2853km under construction.

CHINA has reportedly begun construction of a 1214km line linking the western Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region with the neighbouring province of Qinghai.

THE Chinese government has agreed a soft loan for the construction of standard-gauge double-track lines in Thailand, which currently has a metre-gauge rail network.

TRIAL operation has begun on a 1.7km section of China's first catenary-free light rail line in Zhuhai in time for the start of the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition.

CHINA Railway Corporation (CRC) confirmed on November 5 that commercial operations will begin on November 16 on the first section of high-speed line in the western region of Xinjiang Uygar.

THE government of Mali has signed framework agreements worth $US 9.5bn with two Chinese railway civil engineering companies to build a new line to the Guinean port of Conakry and to upgrade the existing railway linking Mali with Senegal.

THE government of Mongolia has approved a new national rail policy, which includes an extension of the existing line from Erdenet to Ovoot and Arts Suuri on the Russian border that will provide a direct link to Russia's coal coking plant in the Ulug Khem Basin.

CHINA Railway Investment Corporation (CRIC) has begun procurement for 10 packages to supply onboard Chinese Train Control System (CTCS) equipment for 740 high-speed trains operated by China Railway Corporation (CRC).

CHINA's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved plans for the construction of the country's first rail links to Laos and Myanmar, together with a major project to increase capacity for coal traffic from Inner Mongolia.