VIRGIN Trains has awarded Alstom a contract worth around €12m to upgrade its entire fleet of 56 class 390 Pendolino tilting emus, which are used on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, Manchester, and Glasgow.
HUNGARIAN State Railways (MÁV) is making progress with the upgrading of the railway network around Lake Balaton, a popular tourist destination in the west of the country.
BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail has signed contracts with three steel manufacturers to supply rails for five years with an option for a five-year extension.
ARRIVA has called on the Dutch government to allow private operators to help fill the void left by the withdrawal of Fyra high-speed services between the Netherlands and Belgium.
GERMAN Rail (DB) subsidiary DB Regio is to take on the operation of the Mid-German S-Bahn Network Lot 2 concession after the winning bidder Abellio decided to withdraw from the contract with the states of Saxony Anhalt and Brandenburg and Leipzig area transport authority ZVNL.
THE European Commission (EC) announced on October 17 that the EU transport infrastructure budget for 2014-20 will be €26.25bn, a threefold increase over the allocation for 2007-13, and the funds will be allocated to a new 'core network' of nine corridors with emphasis on improving east-west links.
THE FIRST of 20 Urbos LRVs being supplied by CAF to West Midlands transport authority Centro for the Midland Metro was formally unveiled by the leader of Birmingham City Council Sir Albert Bore at Wednesbury depot on October 16.
PLANS to restructure France's railways took a step forward on October 16 when transport minister Mr Frédéric Cuvillier presented a reform bill which, if endorsed by parliament, will bring French National Railways (SNCF) and infrastructure manager French Railway Network (RFF) together under an umbrella organisation.
THE European Commission (EC) has launched an investigation into the use of state aid from the Dutch government for the operation of services on the HSL South high-speed line.
THE Romanian government has announced it will relaunch the sale of a 51% stake in national railfreight operator CFR Marfă after open-access operator Grup Feroviar Român (GFR) failed to meet the October 14 payment deadline for the acquisition.