Australia: On April 3 ARTC signed an A$85m deal under which Telstra will replace nine separate communication systems between Brisbane and Perth and in the Hunter Valley. When it is fully operational in June 2009, the integrated system will use 77 Telstra Next G base stations to cover 10 000 track-km and more than 700 locos, with satellite back-up. The federal government has committed A$69·6m to the project under the AusLink programme.
Belgium: SNCB has awarded Bombardier a €50m contract for the refurbishment of 130 M5 double-deck coaches in 2008-11, including heavy maintenance of bogies and brakes. The project is the first Bombardier will undertake in partnership with the railway, supplying kits of parts for work to be carried out by SNCB's Cuesmes plant.
Bosnia: Last month DPOV Prerov took delivery of six stored ZFBH Class 441 Bo-Bo 25 kV electric locos which the Czech Railway subsidiary has been contracted to return to working order at a cost of €9m.
Botswana: BR has signed an eight-year signalling and communications maintenance deal with Ansaldo STS subsidiary Union Switch & Signal.
France: Acting on behalf of regional authorities, on April 3 SNCF confirmed it was exercising options with Bombardier for an additional 67 dual-mode and dual-voltage AGC multiple-units worth €311m to be delivered from August 2009.
At the end of March SNCF ordered 16 five-car TER-2N NG Coradia Duplex double-deck EMUs for use in Haute-Normandie by 2010, exercising an option from September 2000. Alstom has a €108m share in the contract, with Bombardier supplying 80 power bogies and assembling 32 cars for €37m.
Germany: DB has taken up a 2003 option for a further 53 Bombardier double-deck coaches for Dresden suburban services. The €72m order includes 13 driving cars.
India: The Ministry of Defence has awarded Stone India a Rs140m contract to refurbish 1 115 wagons over eight months.
Italy: RFI has awarded Alstom a €15m contract to supply 1 000 MET in-sleeper point machines for harsh environments and locations with restricted clearances.
Jordan: Last month Aqaba Railway Corp was due to take delivery of four C24 MMI locomotives remanufactured at GE Transportation's plant at Contagem in Brazil. The 1 050 mm gauge locos have 20 tonne axleloads and GE's Brightstar control and monitoring system, and will be used to haul phosphates to Aqaba Port.
Mexico: On April 3 Bombardier announced a framework agreement to assemble 100 SD70Ace locos at its plant in Sahag?n by the end of the year, under a deal with Electro-Motive Diesel worth US$67m. The plant has produced more than 1 100 EMD locos since 1998.
Netherlands: NS Reizigers has commissioned Bombardier to refurbish 30 two-car SGM II Sprinter EMUs at a cost of €40m. Renewal of the interiors to the standard of the SGM III units, installation of real-time information system and modernisation of the electronics will be undertaken at Bombardier's Randers workshops in Denmark by 2009.
Veolia has awarded Voith a nine-year contract to maintain the five two-car GTW 2/6 and three GTW2/8 three-car EMUs which Stadler is to supply in late 2008 for use on Maastricht - Kerkrade services.
Russia: On April 20 RZD and Siemens signed a contract worth more than €300m under which the German firm will maintain for 30 years the eight Velaro RUS 10-car trainsets it is supplying for 250 km/h St Petersburg - Moscow services from 2009 (RG 11.06 p717).
Serbia: On March 16 AZD Praha signed a KC300m contract to supply ESA11 interlockings and control equipment for the 25 kV electrified rail network serving the Nikola Tesla power station at Obrenovac, 40 km from Beograd. The Czech firm is also participating in the modernisation of the junction at Kraljevo, and electrification of the Podgorica - Nik?i line in neighbouring Montenegro.
Spain: Alcatel Transport Solutions has been awarded a four-year contract worth €57·6m to maintain signalling and train control systems on the Madrid - Sevilla high speed line, including the branch to Toledo and the workshops at La Sagra. A separate telecommunications maintenance contract has been awarded to Siemens for €23·6m.
Sweden: Hector Rail has bought the three Class 1012 electric locos from ÖBB Traktion. The 6·4 MW machines were supplied by SGP in 1997 as prototypes for a planned standard fleet of Austrian Federal Railways locos, and will be modernised by ÖBB Technische Services before delivery to Sweden.
Switzerland: AAR bus+bahn has placed a SFr14m order with Stadler for 10 new low-floor single-car electric units, which will be put into service in 2009 as part of the modernisation of the metre-gauge Wynental and Suhrental lines running south from Aarau. Existing vehicles dating from the 1970s will also be refurbished.
Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn has placed a SFr53·4m order with Stadler for six three-car metre-gauge low floor EMUs which will allow the introduction of a 15 min interval service from 2009.
UK: The Department for Transport has selected leasing company Porterbrook to finance 48 additional Bombardier Electrostar EMU cars for use by train operator Southern, releasing Class 319 dual-voltage EMUs for transfer to First Capital Connect for use on the Thameslink route.
USA: Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has issued Sumitomo Corp of America and Nippon Sharyo with a notice of award for a $48m contract covering 14 EMU gallery cars, to be delivered by March 2009.
On March 30 Bombardier announced it had won a $84m seven-year contract extendable for three years covering the maintenance of South Florida Regional Transportation Authority's Tri-Rail commuter train fleet from July 1.
