SPAIN's Ministry of Public Works and Transport's 2013 draft budget published last week includes a 15.6% cut in infrastructure investment for all transport modes in line with the Spain's deficit target for 2012.
THE first of 10 pre-series KZ8A 25kV ac freight locomotives was unveiled today in Belfort, France, by the president of Alstom Transport, Mr Henri Poupart-Lafarge, who was accompanied by the president of Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ), Mr Askar Mamin.
THE Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has received seven bids for its Rand 123bn ($US 14.93bn) rolling stock fleet renewal programme (IRJ June p16) for state-owned commuter operator Metrorail.
TWO consortia consisting of Indonesian state-owned and Japanese companies are in the running for construction of the underground section of Jakarta's first metro line.
A consortium of Pöyry's urban business unit and German engineering consultant PTB Magdeburg have secured a contract from DB Projects for construction management and supervision of the refurbishment and electrification of the Upper Rhine railway between Erzingen on the German – Swiss border and Beringen to the west of Schaffhausen.
THE Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has given bidders an extra month to submit pre-qualification documents for a Pesos 30bn ($US 720m) contract for the civil works to extend Line 1 of Manila's light rail network from Baclaran to Bacoor in Cavite.
GERMAN Rail (DB) has placed a €50m order with Bombardier for five more Twindexx Vario double-deck emus.
AN Alstom Prima II locomotive was tested in the Channel Tunnel on the night of September 29-30 in what EuroTunnel says was a step to introducing standard locomotives on railfreight services between Britain and continental Europe.
COMMERCIAL operations began today on the latest addition to China's high-speed network, a 536km line between Zhengzhou and Wuhan.
CALIFORNIA Department of Transportation (Caltrans), acting on behalf of its counterparts in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri, has issued a notice of intent to award a contract to Sumitomo for the supply of 130 double-deck coaches for use on regional and long-distance services in California and the Midwest United States.