GHANA plans to rehabilitate the Dunkwa - Awaso branch line of the 340km 1067mm-gauge western main line that links Takoradi, Dunkwa and Kumasi.

IRJ at the UIC High-Speed Rail World Congress, Tokyo: SIGNALLING suppliers will need to commit to the second release of ERTMS Baseline 3 if the technology is to finally become truly interoperable, European Railway Agency executive director Mr Josef Doppelbauer told delegates at the UIC High-Speed Rail World Congress in Tokyo on July 8.

HUAWEI and Alstom claim to have achieved a world first after completing a successful test of 4G LTE multi-service broadband radio technology based on Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC).

CISCO, a US IT specialist, has launched its internet of things system based on six technology pillars which, when combined together, should help to reduce the complexity of digitalisation for the railway industry.

GREATER Stockholm Transport (SL) has awarded a six-year contract to Eltel, Sweden, to maintain infrastructure on two of its tram lines.

SHANGHAI Shentong Metro has awarded a Yuan 808m ($US 130m) turnkey contract to the CSR Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems joint venture for a new automated peoplemover. Bombardier's share of the contract is Yuan 89m.

BELARUS Railways (BC) has awarded AŽD Praha, Czech Republic, a contract worth around $US 14.4m to resignal the 86km Zhlobin – Gomel line, which is currently being electrified as part of a project to create a 387km north-south electrified corridor between Lithuania, Minsk, and the Ukrainian border.

PARIS Transport Authority (RATP) and Ile-de-France transport authority Stif have awarded Alstom a contract worth around €20m to supply and install automatic train operation (ATO) on Paris RER Line A as part of a project to increase capacity on one of the city's busiest rail arteries.

HELSINKI City Transport (HKL) and Länsimetro, the public company overseeing the construction of the 21km western extension of the Helsinki metro, have awarded Mipro, Finland, a .€19.7m contract to supply electronic interlockings, operational control systems, and passenger information systems for the initial 14km phase of West Metro from Mellunmäki to Matinkylä in Espoo.
The contract includes options to supply equipment for the existing line from Ruoholahti to Vuosaari and Mellunmäki as well as the second 7km phase of West Metro from Mellunmäki to Kivenlahti.
The Ruoholahti – Matinkylä extension is due to open in August 2016 and is forecast to increase ridership on the east-west metro line to 100,000 passengers per day. The remainder of the line to Kivenlahti is scheduled for commissioning in 2020.

NORTHERN Ireland transport minister Mr Danny Kennedy announced on June 2 that two infrastructure contracts have been awarded for the £46m second phase of the Coleraine – Londonderry upgrading project.