AUCKLAND is today celebrating the start of electrified services on its commuter network as eight new three-car CAF EMUs entered revenue service on the Onehunga line, between Onehunga and Britomart in the city centre.

THE board of Adif, Spain's infrastructure manager, has placed a €54m contract with Siemens Rail Automation and Thales to equip the Pajares bypass with Spain's Asfa ATP system, ERTMS and associated signalling and telecommunications equipment.

CHINA Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) has selected Siemens in a €15m contract to supply signalling equipment for the 15km completely-underground extension of Suzhou metro Line 2.

THE governor of Riyadh Prince Khaled bin Bandar officially launched construction on April 3 of the six-line metro to be built in the Saudi capital.

AMERICAN private equity firm KKR has confirmed that it has established European Locomotive Leasing (ELL), which is based in Austria and Germany, and will provide full-service locomotive leasing solutions for freight and passenger operators in continental Europe initially through a fleet of 50 Siemens Vectron locomotives.

THE FIRST of 60 Avenio low-floor LRVs for the Hague Tramways (HTM) has rolled off the production line at Siemens Simmering plant in Vienna.

Malaysia's Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT) and Siemens have unveiled a full-size mock-up of the forthcoming Inspiro metro train for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Sungai Buloh – Kajang line in Kuala Lumpur, which is currently under construction.

THE Illinois Department of Transportation (Idot) has formally awarded a $US 228m contract to Siemens and Cummins to supply 32 diesel-electric locomotives for use on Amtrak services in the states of Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington.

SIEMENS announced on March 13 that The Hague Tramways (HTM) has exercised an option worth around €55m for 20 additional Avenio low-floor LRVs, taking its total order to 60 vehicles.

The Saudi capital Riyadh has set itself a daunting task: to build an automated metro comprising six lines simultaneously in five years. David Briginshaw explains how this ambitious project will be implemented.