Argentina: Alstom has won a €17m contract to renew power supplies on Buenos Aires metro Line B.
Australia: Victoria's Level Crossing Removal Authority has awarded KBR a contract for engineering design services for the elimination of two more crossings in the Melbourne suburban area. The work is to be undertaken by John Holland for completion in 2018.
On April 25 Victoria's Transport Minister Jacinta Allan marked the start of work on a A$600m project to extend Melbourne suburban services to Mernda, requiring the construction of 8 km of electrified double track serving three stations by early 2019.
Transport for NSW has awarded Bechtel a delivery management partner contract covering the tunnels and stations package of Sydney metro Stage 2.
Bulgaria: Porr Bau has completed the double-tracking and upgrading of a 10 km section of NKZh's Stamboliski - Plovdiv line for 160 km/h operation at a cost of 50·9m leva.
Czech Republic: On April 20 AŽD Praha began installation of ECTS Level 2 on 204 km of Corridor 2 between Petrovice u Karviné and Beclav under a KC707m project.
Estonia: Rehabilitation work on 42 km of the 3 kV DC electrified suburban lines from Tallinn to Keila, Paldiski and Riispere began on May 8, under a €23·7m contract co-funded by the EU which is due for completion by 2020.
Israel: Minrav Infrastructures (1993) has been awarded a US$62m contract to build the final 1 km underground section of the Tel Aviv Red Line between Pines Street and Keufmann Street near Yafo.
Spanish supplier La Farga has been selected to supply overhead catenary for 1080 track-km as part of ISR's national electrification programme, in conjunction with ACS Group subsidiary Semi which is supplying 14 substations.
Italy: The city of Varese and infrastructure manager RFI have agreed a €24m programme to upgrade the city's main station and raise the platforms to 550 mm to improve accessibility.
Poland: PKP PLK has selected Porr for a 615m złoty contract to modernise 93 km of the Pozna - Pia line for 120 km/h operation, under a project co-financed by Wielkopolskie voivodship.
A consortium of Infra Silesia and PBS Transkol has won a 77m złoty contract for track and overhead line renewals on the 13 km Woów - Maowice Woowskie and 10 km Grbocice - Gogów routes.
PKP PLK has signed a 428m złoty contract with Trakcja PRKiI for modernisation of track, overhead line and signalling on the 53 km ychlin - Sochaczew route, the last of three big contracts covering the Warszawa - Pozna main line.
Torpol has submitted a bid of 233·7m złoty for the 24-month revitalisation of the 39 km single-track electrified line between Legnica and Rudna Gwizdanów, which serves Lubin and a copper mine, allowing the reinstatement of passenger services suspended in 2010 owing to poor track conditions.
Serbia: Under a project part funded by EBRD, China Civil Engineering Construction Corp has started work on upgrading 7·5 route-km on the southern approaches to Beograd.
Turkey: A joint venture of Makyol, Ietas, Kalyon and Astaldi has been awarded a €627m contract for civil works and M&E systems on the Kirazl - Halkal metro line in Istanbul, including 10 km of twin-bore tunnels and nine underground stations.
UK: HS2 Ltd has begun the procurement process to appoint 'world class' architects to design its planned high speed stations at Birmingham Curzon Street, Birmingham Interchange, Old Oak Common and London Euston. It is also seeking a 'master development partner' to co-ordinate the expansion of Euston with the surrounding area.
Transport for London has awarded Lanes Group a London Underground facilities maintenance contract. The five-year contract has an option for a three-year extension.
VolkerRail has invested in heavy-duty steel electrification mast manipulators for its Colmar road-rail cranes for use in northwest England. It said the manipulators would increase output per possession, and reduce the need for staff to work at height and within the crane exclusion zone.
