Australia: Queensland is to build a 15 km light rail line from the Royal Brisbane Hospital to the University at St Lucia as a A$200m public-private project .
Austria: Wiener Linien has ordered 10 more three-section low-floor cars worth Sch168m from Bombardier Transportation for light metro Line U6; electrical equipment is being supplied by Kiepe Elektrik. Delivery is due by early 2000.
Canada: Transport Canada is to spend C$25000 on a study into providing a rail link to Toronto's Pearson airport.
The Québec government has proposed the creation of a single transport authority for Montréal, Laval and South Shore.
Germany: Siemens-Duewag and Kiepe Elektrik have won a DM300m order from Düsseldorf's Rheinbahn for 18 R100 LRVs, with an option for 68 more. The 100% low-floor 40m-long cars will be delivered by the end of 1999. (DM97 p40).
Great Britain: Stagecoach Holdings has been named as preferred bidder for a 20-year concession to operate the South Yorkshire Supertram in Sheffield.
Ematech is to upgrade 144 traction motors for the Docklands Light Railway.
Singapore: GEC Alsthom has won a ?“51m contract for control of driverless trains on the North East MRT line.
Spain: Barcelona has inaugurated a 4 km extension to metro Line 2 from Sagrada Família to La Pau, including an interchange with Line 1 at Clot.
Sweden: On December 9 CGEA Transport of France announced that it had bought Sweden's second-biggest bus and rail operator Linjebuss for SKr956m (p43).
Taiwan: Sécheron is to supply DC substations worth SFr9.5m for Taipei's Blue line by September.
Turkey: Istanbul municipality has called tenders for a turnkey contract to build a 2.5 km section of the Yenikapi - Taksim heavy metro line south of the bridge crossing the Golden Horn at Unkapani.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is to call tenders for 12 km of extensions of its light rail line, to central Bornova and Isikkent bus station in the north, and from Üçyol to Fahrettin Altay in the south.
Venezuela: Metro de Caracas has invited expressions of interest from consultants to identify and solve technical problems.
