DB Regio subsidiary S-Bahn Berlin has selected a consortium of Stadler Pankow and Siemens in a framework contract to supply up to 1380 vehicles, with the initial order for 106 trains consisting of 85 four-car and 21 two-car sets.

GOVIA Thameslink Railway, the franchise operator of Great Northern services from London Moorgate, has selected Siemens as preferred bidder for a fleet of 25 six-car EMUs, a variant of the class 700 Desiro City trains on order for Thameslink.

FOR the first time a train has operated under ETCS with cab signalling through central London marking six years of development by Network Rail (NR) for the Thameslink upgrading project.

SIEMENS Mobility Austria CEO Mr Arnulf Wolfram officially handed over the first of 101 Cityjet EMUs for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to the company's head of local and regional transport Mr Klaus Garstenauer and project manager Mr Thomas Grasl in a ceremony at Vienna Main Station on December 4.

ESTEL RA, a joint venture of Algerian Railways (SNTF) and Siemens, has secured a contract to supply signalling, safety and control systems, including ETCS, for the 140km Algiers RER commuter rail network which is operated by SNTF.

Deep beneath the streets of Espoo, Finland's second city, the finishing touches are being applied to the first phase of West Metro, the country's largest infrastructure project. Keith Barrow profiles the project and assesses its impact on public transport in the region.

GERMAN Rail's (DB) next generation high-speed train was officially christened ICE 4 by DB CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube and German federal minister for transport and digital infrastructure Mr Alexander Dobrindt, in a ceremony at Berlin Südkreuz station on December 4.

UNICREDIT Leasing, Germany, has awarded Siemens a contract to supply eight 3kV dc Vectron electric locomotives, which will be leased by DB Schenker Rail Italy.

EUROSTAR's new fleet of Siemens Velaro e320 (class 374) high-speed trains entered passenger service on the morning of November 20, when one of the 16-car sets formed the 10.24 from London St Pancras to Paris Nord.

NUREMBERG Transport (VAG) announced on November 17 that it will replace the oldest rolling stock in its U-Bahn fleet with new trains from mid-2018.