THE government of the Australian state of Victoria has committed significant funds to new rolling stock, rail projects, and infrastructure upgrades across the state over the next four years in its 2015-16 budget announced on May 5.

THE government of Australia's Northern Territory (NT) will contribute $A 1m from its 2015 budget towards feasibility studies into a new 600km line to link mines in Mount Isa in northwest Queensland with Tennant Creek on the existing Adelaide - Darwin line.

AUCKLAND Transport (AT) announced on April 24 that it has shortlisted three bidders for a contract to operate the city's commuter rail network from July 2016.

NEW ZEALAND's state-owned national railway KiwiRail dipped back into the red in the second half of last year according to the company's latest financial results, which show a loss of $NZ 6.8m ($US 5m) compared with a profit of $NZ 3.5m in the second half of 2013.

PRIVATE equity firm Allegro Funds has acquired luxury train company Great Southern Rail from Serco for a figure 'below $A20m' ($US15m).

THE chairman of Australian mining company Hancock Prospecting Mrs Gina Rhinehart marked the delivery of the locomotive fleet for the new Roy Hill heavy-haul railway in Western Australia's Pilbara region on March 23, when she named the first unit Ginny in a ceremony at Port Hedland.

THE Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government announced on March 17 that it has shortlisted two consortia to submit bids for the contract to design, build, and operate Canberra's Capital Metro light rail line.

AUSTRALIAN Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has issued an invitation to tender for engineering design and environmental consultancy services for the Inland Rail project, the first contract to be tendered for the new freight link from Brisbane to Melbourne.

THE Premier of the Australian state of Victoria Mr Daniel Andrews announced on March 3 that the state will place an order for five additional six-car X'Trapolis EMUs for the Melbourne suburban network, safeguarding the immediate future of the Alstom assembly plant at Ballarat.

SYDNEY's CBD and South East Light Rail line light rail project took another step towards the start of construction on February 25, when the Altrac Light Rail consortium of Acciona Infrastructure Australia, Transdev Sydney, Alstom Transport Australia and Capella Capital confirmed it had reached financial close on the $A 2.1bn ($US 1.72bn) PPP project.