BOMBARDIER Transportation revealed today that it received $US 4.3 billion of new orders in the second quarter of this year, bringing its order backlog to $US 30.3 billion on July 31, compared with $US 27.1 billion on January 31.

THE FIRST appearance of a German Rail (DB) high-speed train in London will take place on October 19, according to CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube, who confirmed today that an ICE will run through the Channel Tunnel next month.

NJ Transit has awarded Bombardier a $US 267 million contract to supply an additional 100 double-deck coaches, with options for up to 79 further vehicles, as part of a major investment in its commuter rail network. Bombardier has already supplied 329 of these coaches under a contract placed in 2003.

ELEVEN years after construction began, the first regular passenger trains ran yesterday on Sweden's Bothniabanan with the launch of commercial services on the 112km Umeå - Nordmaling - Örnskoldsvik section.

NETWORK Rail (NR) has laid the final section of track on the new 24km line between Airdrie and Bathgate, the longest passenger line with new stations to be constructed in Britain in over a century.

EGYPTIAN private equity firm Citadel has finally been confirmed as the major shareholder of Rift Valley Railways (RVR), the consortium operating Kenya and Uganda's railways, following months of protracted negotiations.

SOUTH Africa's transport minister Mr Sibusiso Ndebele has signed a cooperative agreement on railways and other transport issues with Chinese railway minster Mr Liu Zhijun during a three-day state visit to China by 350 South African delegates, led by president Mr Jacob Zuma.

THE first bore of the much-delayed twin-bore Hallandsås tunnel was holed through today, at the same time as work officially begun on a major track doubling project.

ADANI Enterprises, India, is to invest $US 1.65 billion in the construction of a new railway and port on the Indonesian island of Sumatra to allow the extraction of coal for generating electricity in India. This follows an agreement reached today with the Indonesian government and Indonesian coal mining company PT Bukit Asam.

VIETNAM's deputy prime minister, Mr Hoang Trung Hai, presided at a groundbreaking ceremony today in Ho Chi Minh City for the start of construction of Line 2 of the metro. The 20km line will run from Tay Ninh bus station to Thu Thiem. Construction is due to be completed in 2015 with commercial services starting the following year.

CAF, Spain, is reported to be the lowest bidder for a contract to supply the Warsaw metro with 35 six-car trains for delivery in 2012. CAF bid Zlotys 1.19 billion ($US 379.6 million) against an estimated price of Zlotys 1.2 billion.