QR NATIONAL has awarded the Aspect3 Alliance, a joint venture of Invensys Rail and QR National, a $A 37.5m ($US 38.5m) turnkey signalling contract for part of the initial phase of the Wiggins Island Rail Project, which will significantly increase coal capacity on the central Queensland heavy-haul network.

THE government of the Australian state of Queensland has announced plans to sell approximately half of the shareholding it retained in QR National (QRN) following partial privatisation of the railfreight operator in November 2010.

PLANNING approval has been granted by the Australian state government of New South Wales for the start of construction on the North West Rail Link, a 23km line to Rouse Hill to Epping via Castle in the northwest Sydney suburbs.

GREATER Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) is to order an additional 35 FP class Matangi two-car emus from Hyundai-Rotem for Metlink suburban services, instead of refurbishing the fleet of 44 EM class emus built by Ganz Mavag, Hungary, in 1982.

KIWIRAIL is to slash its infrastructure and engineering workforce by almost a quarter as part of its continuing drive to reduce operating expenses by $NZ 200m ($US 164m) over three years.

AFTER a legal battle lasting more than eight years, Fortescue Mining Group has won its appeal in the Australian High Court to gain access to heavy-haul lines in the Pilbara region of Western Australia owned by Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.

THE New South Wales Government has invited expressions of interest for the purchase and removal of Sydney's monorail, which will cease operating in mid-2013.

ANSALDO STS Australia has secured a $A 55.6m ($US 58m) contract to deliver signalling, communications and transmissions systems for Rio Tinto's heavy-haul Rail Capacity Enhancement project 353 for its iron-ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

THE government of New South Wales issued a draft 20-year transport plan today which outlines around $A 100bn ($US 104.24bn) in improvements to transport infrastructure in the Sydney metropolitan area.

PERTH's first light rail line, the Metro Area Express (MAX), has been given the green light with the Western Australian and Federal Governments committing $A 15.8m ($US 16.2m) to a feasibility study that will include engineering and design studies and public consultation.