UK: Great Western Railway has gained the National Autistic Society’s Autism Friendly Award for businesses which become more inclusive by providing accessible customer services, information and environments.

Digital Automatic Couplings are expected to transform the prospects for European rail freight, with fundamental changes to both technology and operations, but introduction can only be achieved step by step. Testing and revenue service trials are now underway, preparing the path to a widespread roll-out.

The opening of Melbourne’s cross-city tunnel for revenue operation paves the way for a network-wide timetable change in February, which will reshape the Sunbury – Cranbourne/Pakenham axis and release capacity for additional services on other suburban lines. Benjámin Zelki investigates.

LITHUANIA: The national railway’s freight business LTG Cargo is testing the use of a robot dog which autonomously walks around a train and uses artificial intelligence to search for wagon faults.

USA: Supplier INIT has begun work on Atlanta transport agency MARTA’s Better Breeze project to replace the existing Breeze fare collection system ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has updated its Train Protection Strategy, which is designed to help train operators and infrastructure managers understand and mitigate the risks of signals passed at danger and overspeeding.

SWEDEN: Local authority Region Stockholm has awarded Škoda Group a contract to supply rolling stock to a new design for the Saltsjöbanan suburban railway.

This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.

UK: The Rail Delivery Group is planning to develop a centralised British Sign Language real-time information system to make the national railway network more inclusive for deaf passengers.

Completely zero-emission operation and the ability to benefit from electricity cost arbitrage are the among the reasons why Nexrail selected batteries rather than diesel to provide last-mile capabilities for a fleet of powerful locos it has ordered from Stadler, the leasing company’s CEO Luuk von Meijenfeldt tells Railway Gazette International.

GERMANY: Infrastructure manager DB InfraGO is rolling out an AI assistance tool for its dispatchers, with the aim of developing a fully digitalised decision-making workflow to improve regulation of trains on busy routes by 2027.

EGYPT: The joint venture of Hassan Allam Construction and Arab Contractors which is upgrading the Raml tramway in Alexandria has awarded Hitachi Rail a contract to supply signalling and communications systems, the operational control centre, SCADA, CCTV, access control, passenger information systems and onboard equipment.

UK: EG Steele has entered into a framework agreement to supply, store and handle new and reconditioned wagon and bogie components for Mandy Rail, working with an extensive supply chain and providing next-day delivery.

THAILAND: Main contractor Ch Thawee–AS Construction Joint Venture has awarded Progress Rail a contract to provide signalling and telecoms for the double-tracking of the line from Khon Kaen to Nong Khai near the border with Laos.

SINGAPORE: Siemens Mobility has launched its Signaling X train control technology in the metro market at the Singapore Rail Test Centre.

INNOTRANS: The Railway Influencer Festival will return at InnoTrans 2026, where rail influencers and bloggers from around the world will be able to network with invited guests in a festival atmosphere at the world’s biggest rail industry event.

POLAND: PKP Intercity has formally signed the contracts for Alstom to supply 42 Coradia Max partly double-deck 200 km/h EMUs and provide 30 years of maintenance.

UK: The CAF automated light metro trainsets which recently entered service on the Docklands Light Railway have been temporarily withdrawn from traffic as a precautionary measure following what Transport for London described as ‘an issue with braking performance during wet weather on one train’.

EUROPE: The 473 km railway from Narvik in Norway to Kiruna and Luleå in Sweden has been designated as an Arctic Test Arena which will be used to test technology in challenging weather conditions.

HUNGARY: Court proceedings have begun for the liquidation of rolling stock businesses Ganz-Mavag International and Dunakeszi Járműjavító, but the government is seeking to protect their future by declaring them businesses of national strategic importance.