STADLER Rail and Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) announced on December 10 that Stadler's US subsidiary will establish a temporary manufacturing and assembly facility in the state as part of the first phase of a 15-year plan to expand the company's presence in the North American market.

CANADIAN Pacific (CP) made a further move in its bid to merge with Norfolk Southern (NS) on December 8, seeking to quell shareholders' concerns over financial terms and regulatory approval.

What should the cities of 2050 look like? And what investments in public transport infrastructure are required to meet future demand and improve wellbeing? Dr Lewis Fulton and Kevin Smith review a study by researchers at University of California Davis and the Institute for Transportation Development and Policy which attempts to answer these questions and more.

THE board of Norfolk Southern (NS) has unanimously rejected Canadian Pacific's unsolicited bid to acquire the company as "grossly inadequate" and "creating substantial regulatory risks that are unlikely to be overcome."

AMTRAK announced annual results on December 2 for its 2015 financial year on December 2, revealing passenger numbers and fares revenue remained steady, thanks largely to record ridership on its flagship route, the Washington DC - New York - Boston Northeast Corridor (NEC).

NORFOLK Southern (NS) has all-but rejected a $US 28.4bn takeover offer from rival Class 1 railway Canadian Pacific (CP), which was made public on November 17, calling it "low-premium" and stating that it would face difficulties securing regulatory approval.

SAN FRANCISCO Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) announced on November 16 that the first of 775 Fleet of the Future metro cars is nearing completion at Bombardier's Plattsburgh plant in New York state and will be dispatched by road to California next month.

MILWAUKEE City has selected Brookville Equipment to supply the first four LRVs for its new Lakefront Line and plans to exercise an option for a fifth vehicle.

CINCINNATTI Streetcar marked a milestone in the project to return trams to the city's streets on November 10, when the first of five LRVs being supplied by CAF ran under its own power for the first time on the 5.8km line.

ALL Aboard Florida, the inter-city passenger subsidiary of Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) announced on November 9 that its Miami - Fort Lauderdale - Orlando service will be branded Brightline and also revealed the first artist's impressions of the fleet of Siemens trains which will enter service when the first phase of the project is launched in mid-2017.