THE government of the Australian state of Victoria has announced the shortlisted bidders to finance and build 37 high-capacity six-car trains for the Melbourne suburban network.

Cities across Australia have invested in light rail in recent years but many projects widely considered as essential to relieve traffic congestion are yet to secure the funding they need. Mark Carter sheds light on the current situation.

DOWNER EDI announced on February 4 that it has secured a 10-year contract worth around $A 1bn ($US 782m) to maintain more than 300 locomotives for Pacific National, Australia's largest private railfreight operator.

TASRAIL, the operator of the 1067mm-gauge freight network in the Australian state of Tasmania, held a ceremony at its Brighton Transport Hub on March 31 to mark the delivery of the last of 209 new wagons from CNR Shenyang Locomotive and Rolling Stock, China.

THE Western Australian government has placed an order for an additional five three-car B-series emus from a consortium of Bombardier and Downer EDI, to strengthen the Perth suburban fleet.

Years of government ownership, three different rail gauges, industry-specific haulage requirements and the emergence of a plethora of rail operators from post privatisation open-access track regimes has created a diverse, and in part, ageing locomotive fleet in Australia.

DOWNER EDI Limited has signed a five-year agreement with EMD that will see EMD manufacture all future Downer locomotive orders for the Australian market at one of its overseas facilities.

THE government of New South Wales has stepped in with a $A 175m ($US 186m) bailout of the troubled $A 3.6bn Reliance Rail public-private partnership (PPP) in an attempt to secure the delivery of 78 Waratah emus for Sydney's City Rail network.

TASRAIL, which operates the 726km, 1067mm-gauge rail network on the Australian island state of Tasmania, has awarded a $A 60m ($US 61.3m) contract to Downer Rail, Australia, and Progress Rail, United States, for 17 type PR22L locomotives, delivery of which will start in mid-2013.