RAILROAD Development Corporation (RDC) has developed plans to take a Vivarail D-Train from Britain to the United States to demonstrate how the rebuilt former London Underground (LU) trains could provide a low-cost rolling stock option for new passenger services.

ROLLS-ROYCE has won a contract from Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW), United States, to supply two types of EPA Tier-4-compliant MTU diesel engines to power switching locomotives.

THE board of Chicago commuter rail operator Metra voted on February 21 to authorise negotiations to purchase up to 21 locomotives from Amtrak at a price of $US 1.3m each.

THE board of New York state’s Niagra Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) voted on February 22 to authorise the awarding of a $US 4.8m contract to WSP USA for environmental review and engineering design services on the first phase of the 11km extension of the Buffalo light rail network to Amherst.

TRIMET, the public transport authority in Portland, Oregon, has launched a public consultation on plans to order 26 new LRVs, which will replace the oldest vehicles in the Max light rail fleet.

METROPOLITAN Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Marta), which operates the Atlanta Streetcar 4.3km Downtown Loop light rail line, has engaged Siemens to maintain the fleet of four S70 LRVs which it supplied prior to the opening of the line in December 2014.

THE first LRV for the Oklahoma City Streetcar project arrived in the city on February 13 after completing its four-day 1900km road journey from Brookville, Pennsylvania.

AN investigation is underway after an Amtrak Acela Express train en route from Washington DC to New York split in two while running at a reported 200km/h as it travelled along the Northeast Corridor in Maryland at about 06.30 on February 6.

LORAM Maintenance of Way and Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (Grex) have completed a definitive merger agreement whereby Loram will acquire all outstanding shares of Grex.

BNSF Railway published its $US 3.3bn 2018 spending plan on January 31 which comprises $US 2.4bn for track and rolling stock maintenance and $US 900m for new projects.