Canada:Toronto Transit Commission has signed a C$7·9m contract for integrated software from IFS Applications to replace five maintenance and support systems.
China:Coronet Rail Ltd has won an order to supply fishplates worth £100000 for the 3·5 km Yam O - Penny’s Bay light metro feeder line in Hong Kong.
France:RATP has placed an order for 21 Alstom Citadis trams with options for 49 more which would bring the contract value to €181m. The 40m long low-floor vehicles will be delivered from 2005 for use on the 8 km Maréchaux Sud line in Paris.
A public inquiry considering proposals to build three light rail routes totalling 16·5 km began in Marseille on January 5, and is due to finish on February 13. As well as new Bougainville - Castellane and Quatre Septembre - La Blancarde routes, the €500m programme includes extending Line 68, which closed for rebuilding on January 8, from Saint-Pierre to Les Caillols.
Germany:The Land of Hessen is to provide €20·9m for the fourth stage of the Lossetalbahn project, which will extend the Kassel tram-train network 5·6 km from Helsa to Hessisch-Lichtenau by 2005 (RG 12.02 p779).
Greece:RATP Développement of France has been awarded a three-year contract worth €6m to assist with the creation of a three-line suburban network including the new line to Spata Airport under construction for the opening of the Olympic Games in August (RG 1.01 p40). The routes will be operated by new OSE subsidiary Prostiakos, headed by René Thfoin.
