TRENITALIA rolled out its next-generation high-speed train, the ETR 1000 Frecciarossa, at AnsaldoBreda's Pistoia plant on March 26, when the first completed train was christened Pietro Mennea in honour of the Italian 100m sprinter who died on March 21.

GERMAN Rail (DB) subsidiary DB Regio is carrying out a series of test runs with the new Bombardier class 146.2 locomotives for DB Long Distance.

CONSTRUCTION has been completed of the first metro line in the Chinese city of Harbin and a fleet of 17 six-car trains has been delivered by CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles ready to start trial operation.

BOMBARDIER has appointed Mr Lutz Bertling as president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Transportation with effect from June 3. Bertling succeeds Mr André Navarri who will continue as strategic advisor to Bertling until he retires on June 1 2014.

POLAND's infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded a €35m contract to Bombardier to install ERTMS Level 2 on the 148km Legnica – Wroclaw – Opole line.

BOMBARDIER began dynamic testing of the Traxx F140 AC LM electro-diesel locomotive at its Henningsdorf facility near Berlin during January.

LATVIAN Railways (LDZ) has selected a consortium of Bombardier and Belam Riga to deliver Bombardier's Interflo 200 mainline signalling system on a section of the Bolderaja - Zasulauks line which connects the capital Riga with the Bolderaja and Riga harbour area. The contract is worth Lats 9.5m ($US 17.9m), including a Lats 3.7m share for Bombardier.

FOLLOWING China's first public tender for low-floor LRVs, CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock has been awarded a contract to supply 18 Flexity 2 vehicles for the first phase of the light rail network in Suzhou, which is currently under construction.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) subsidiary Abellio Rail has awarded Bombardier a €172m contract to supply 35 class 442 Talent 2 emus for use on Germany's Saale-Thuringia-South Harz network.

BRITAIN's Department for Transport (DfT) has approved the acquisition by train operating company Southern of 116 emu cars with an option for another 140 vehicles. Southern will now invite bids for the new trains.