Australia: The Victoria government has allocated A$70m towards the cost of extending Melbourne’s electrified suburban network to Craigieburn, South Morang and Cranbourne East, as well as a tramway extension from East Burwood to Knox City.
Freight Australia Chief Executive Marius van Onselen has called on the NSW government to reopen the Tocumwal - Narrandera line, or sell it to an operator who would do so. The line could provide an alternative route to towns in Victoria.
Bolivia: Chilean concessionaire CB Transporte e Infraestructura has sold its 24·3% stake in Bolivia’s Eastern Railway (FCO) to Genesee & Wyoming of the USA, which will run it through a new subsidiary, Genesee & Wyoming Bolivia.
China: The 418 km Senchi - Suning section of the Shenmu - Suning - Huanghua coal line carried its first through trains on May 18 (RG 4.00 p202).
Great Britain: The first new passenger train operator since privatisation, Hull Trains, will start its Hull - London service on September 25 with three daily return trains using Class 170 DMUs.
Hungary: Funding of 5·6m euros has been provided by the European Union for three upgrading projects at Z
