GERMANY: Work to build the automated MegaHub intermodal terminal at Lehrte, about 20 km east of Hannover, was formally launched on May 15. Speaking at a midday ceremony, Parliamentary Secretary...

RUSSIA: Transmashholding and Hitachi signed an agreement on May 21 to form a joint venture to manufacture traction inverters for the CIS market. Transmashholding will own 51% of the 375m rouble...

UK: In a written statement issued on May 23, the Welsh government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Transport Ken Skates announced the award of a contract for KeolisAmey to ‘operate and develop...

EUROPE: Irreparable damage caused to the Friesen Bridge over the River Ems when it was hit by a freight ship in in December 2015 has disrupted the EU-backed Wunderline project’s ambitions to boost...

UK: Railway Gazette went to the Velim test circuit in the Czech Republic for a ride on a set of the Mark 5A locomotive-hauled coaches being built by Spanish company CAF for TransPennine Express...

INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways has moved to strengthen its nascent network of academic institutions which are intended to work together to promote the development of high speed...

POLAND: Suburban operator SKM Warszawa signed a contract with Pesa on May 21 for the supply of up to 21 Elf2 electric multiple-units. Deliveries of the base order of eight five-car and five...

ITALY: Sicily regional President Sebastiano Musumeci and Trenitalia CEO Orazio Iacono signed an operating contract on May 17. This is the first operating agreement since the transfer of...