MORE than 23 years after construction began, Kazakhstan's first metro line finally opened on December 1, with the inauguration of Almaty Line 1.

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) launched its latest radio-based train control system on October 10 2011. Takashi Kato, manager, and Kenji Fujita, deputy manager of electrical and signal network system department at JR East, highlight the merits and characteristics of the new system.

The Bangladeshi government says it expects to conclude a $US 2.7bn loan agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency by next month for the city's first metro line.

THE man who has managed the construction and expansion of Delhi's successful metro network for the last 16 years, Dr E Sreedharan, will retire as managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tomorrow at the age of 79 and hand over to his chosen successor Mr Mangu Singh. Sreedharan, who joined DMRC in 1995, is a career railwayman and has been in Indian government service for 58 years.

THE International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the UITP Centre for Transport Excellence at LTA's Academy in Singapore.

CHINA's minister of railways Mr Sheng Guangzu says Yuan 400bn ($US 63.1bn) will be invested in railway infrastructure construction in 2012, which is 15% less than the Yuan 469bn spent this year, and a 42% reduction compared with the Yuan 700bn invested in 2010. Total fixed asset railway investment will be around Yuan 500bn next year.

Thales has been selected to implement a fare collection system on Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon, the city's new metro.

Mumbai is one of the world's largest cities and India's commercial core, but it has trailed behind Delhi in terms of metro development. However, the finishing touches are now being added to the first line and work is progressing rapidly on two more, as Jagdish Kumar explains.