Canada: Under a short line investment programme announced on July 5, the federal government is proving C$30m, the province of Québec C$20m and rail operators C$25m for the renewal of 1 641 km of track on nine short lines, upgrading to Class 1 loading standards and installation of sidings.
Finland: The Ministry of Transport has agreed to pay VR €4·9m to support sleeper services on the unelectrified lines to Kemijärvi and Kolari in Lapland from March 2008. The funding runs to 2011.
Senegal: Pakistan is to provide a 15-year US$2m credit and technical assistance for the refurbishment of SNCS rolling stock under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Pakistan Railways Minister Javed Ashraf and Senegalese Industry Minister Landing Savance.
USA: A full funding grant agreement for TriMet's South Corridor light rail expansion programme in Portland was signed on July 3. FTA will provide $345·4m to meet 60% of the $575·7m cost of a 10·5 km line with eight stations parallelling I-205 between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas, and a 2·9 km seven-station spur between Rose Quarter Transit Center and Portland State University. Opening is planned for September 2009.
Zambia: In late June project promoter Enoch Kavindele told the Times of Zambia that he had secured from US, UK and South African private sources the US$250m needed to build a freight line from Chingola to Lumwana in North-Western province without government funding (RG 6.05 p301). UWP, Kwezi V3 and DB International will provide consultancy services.
