TRENITALIA has selected Alstom and Hitachi Rail Italy (HRI) for two framework contracts with a combined value of up to €4.5bn to supply up to 450 regional trains.

LOCOMOTIVE leasing company Akiem have signed a framework agreement with Bombardier Transportation for 52 Bombardier Traxx AC and MS electric locomotives, with an initial firm order for 26 units worth €95m.

A total of 57.9 billion urban public transport journeys were made in the European Union (EU) in 2014 according to a study released by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) on June 20, its highest level since 2000.

THE Municipality of Naples announced on June 17 that it has selected CAF as preferred bidder for a contract worth around €98m to supply 10 six-car trains for metro Line 1.

ANTIN Infrastructures in a joint venture with Icamap and Borletti Group has offered €953m to acquire Grandi Stazioni Retail from Italian State Railways (FS) and Eurostazioni, which FS says is the best of the four offers it has received.

SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) has announced plans to launch a new Frankfurt - Milan service next year in cooperation with both Trenitalia and German Rail (DB).

SICILY's Circumetnea Railway (FCE) introduced its first new trains for more than 20 years on May 24, when the first of four Vulcano DMUs supplied by Newag, Poland, entered service on the 111km 950mm-gauge line from Catania to Riposto, which serves towns surrounding Mount Etna.

THE first of 12 Jazz regional EMUs for the Italian region of Campania was formally presented to regional president Mr Vincenzo de Luca by Mrs Barbara Morgante, CEO of Trenitalia, and Mr Pierre Louis Bertina, CEO of Alstom Italy, on April 26.

MR Vincenzo De Luca, Campania's regional president, and Mr Maurizio Gentile, CEO of infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI), signed a five-plus-five year framework agreement in Naples on April 26 which aims to enhance the region's railway traffic capacity.

FOLLOWING a lengthy legal dispute, Sicily's Department for Mobility, Infrastructure and Transport announced on April 15 that it has provisionally awarded Stadler a €43.9m contract to supply five EMUs for Messina - Palermo services.