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PRELIMINARY investigations by Shanghai Shengtong Metro Group into a collision between two trains on Line 10 on September 27 in which 284 people were injured, says failure to follow operating regulations during a power failure led to the accident. Disruption to the power supply had caused the signalling system to fail, and it appears that telephone block working was instituted but the officer in charge failed to enforce the relevant regulations, resulting in one train colliding with the rear of the train in front.

PLANNED urban developments in eastern Amsterdam and Almere could be complemented by a new railway line that will run under the IJmeer Lake from Amsterdam - South to Almere South Centre.

THE transport ministers of France and Italy - Mr Thierry Mariani and Mr Altero Matteoli - have agreed to change the contribution each country will make to the first phase of the project to build a high-speed line between Lyon and Turin which involves building a 57km base tunnel at an estimated cost of Euros 8.2bn. Although more construction will take place in Italy than in France, the two ministers have agreed to reduce Italy's contribution from 63% to 57.9% and to increase the French contribution from 37% to 42.1%.

TORONTO Transit Commission (TTC) has released the first of 255 cars which it has sold for operation on the new Blue Line under construction in Lagos, Nigeria. The cars will be refurbished in the United States before being shipped to Lagos.

THE rail transport activities of Siemens are to become part of a new fourth business unit in the company's corporate structure called the Infrastructure & Cities Sector. The new unit will come into being on October 1 and it will have five divisions, three of which relate to rail transport. Rail Systems will be responsible for rolling stock and railway turnkey projects, Mobility and Logistics will encompass signalling, radio, Scada systems, and passenger information, while electrification will become part of a third division called Smart Grid.

FRENCH Rail Network (RFF) has decided to continue studying proposals for a new high-speed line to the south of Paris serving Orly Airport, following completion of a public enquiry into the project.

INDIAN Railways is drafting legislation to be introduced into the winter session of the Indian parliament to set up the National High-Speed Rail Authority (NHSRA) which will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the country's high-speed rail projects. The NHSRA will have four full-time members responsible for planning, finance, engineering and project management. There will also be four part-time members to represent stakeholders.

THE chairman and CEO of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC), Mr Ou Chin-Der, is to be congratulated on turning around the fortunes of Taiwan’s high-speed railway. As he explains in an exclusive interview with IRJ, it is a real achievement to go from making losses during the first four years of operation to produce sufficient profit to be able to start repaying debt in challenging trading conditions.

BUCHAREST Metro operator Metrorex has selected CAF as its preferred supplier for a fleet of 16 new trains in a deal worth Euros 107.2m. CAF beat off competition from Bombardier, which has already supplied 44 Movia trains to Metrorex.

MEMBERS of the executive board of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) have elected Mr Alain Flausch as the body's new secretary general. Flausch will take over at the end of the year from Mr Hans Rat who will retire from the role he has held for 13 years.