PALERMO celebrated the inaugural trial run on Line 1 of the city's new light rail network on July 14 when a Bombardier Flexity Outlook LRV operated from the depot at Roccella to Scaffa square, where it was presented to the media and citizens.

ITALY's South East Railway (FSE) has awarded a €107m contract to the Stabile Eureca Consortium to expand the 10.3km surface metro line in Bari.

THE first of eight DMUs being supplied by CAF, Spain, was presented in Cagliari in southern Sardinia on July 25 by the new president of Sardinia Region, Mr Francesco Pigliaru, and transport councillor Mr Massimo Deiana.

FOLLOWING a shareholders' meeting, the board of Italian Railway Network (RFI) announced on July 24 that it has appointed Mr Maurizio Gentile as the infrastructure manager's new CEO.

TRENITALIA's new Alstom Jazz EMU was formally presented to regional and local council representatives from the Piedmont region of northern Italy at Turin Porta Susa station on July 18 by the new Italian State Railways (FS) CEO Mr Michele Elia and Trenitalia CEO Mr Vincenzo Soprano.

In an effort to improve the reliability of its E464 and E405 locomotives, Trenitalia selected Bombardier to supply a telediagnostics system which recognises potential faults before they disturb operations thereby enhancing maintenance. Marco Chiandoni visited Bombardier's plant in Vado Ligure to witness the system in action.

ITALIAN State Railways' (FS) steering committee, led by its new president Mr Marcello Messori, has appointed Mr Michele Mario Elia as CEO of FS Group.

FERROVIENORD, Italy, has signed a contract worth around €100m with AnsaldoBreda for seven additional TSR six-car double-deck EMUs, which will be used on regional services in Lombardy by Trenord, the company's joint venture with Trenitalia.

CAF has been issued with a €4.5m penalty by the Italian autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) for the late delivery of a fleet of eight ETR 563 EMUs.

ITALY's prime minister Mr Matteo Renzi has named Italian State Railways (FS) CEO Mr Mauro Moretti as CEO of Finmeccanica, the country's largest state-owned conglomerate, as part of a wider reshuffle of senior managers at public sector companies.