The governments of France and Spain have agreed to establish a European Economic Interest Group that will be responsible for the design, construction and operation of a new central rail crossing of the Pyrenees, whose route is to be selected in autumn 2009. By the end of this year, SNCF and RENFE are to form a joint venture to operate international high-speed services via the new Perpignan - Figueres crossing.
The Indian Railway Board has invited bids by August 19 for consultants to undertake pre-feasibility studies for construction of a high speed line in the Pune - Mumbai - Ahmedabad corridor.
TransNamib CEO Titus Haimbili has unveiled proposals for a US$1bn upgrading of the 1 067 mm gauge network, with US$564m to be spent on infrastructure improvements to permit 18·5 tonne axleloads at 80 km/h. Another US$17m will fund 10 new diesel locos, and a further 30 will be refurbished at a cost of US$15m.
Deutsche Bahn is expected to confirm this month an order for 130 four-axle diesel shunting locomotives to be delivered in 2010-13. DB AG called tenders in July 2007, and is reported to favour the Voith Gravita 10BB design, which is due to be unveiled at InnoTrans in Berlin next month, over the established Vossloh G1000.
Hamburg metro operator HHA may take over responsibility for the city's 330 km harbour rail network as part of plans to restructure the Hamburg Port Authority now being debated by the city's Senate. HHA is also expected to take over the regional Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster Railway owned jointly by Hamburg and the Land of Schleswig-Holstein.
SARCC is looking for a private-sector partner to help develop a rail link to Cape Town airport. According to CEO Lucky Montana, a feasibility study has been completed for the 4 km branch from Bonteheuwel on the Langa - Sarepta line, and construction could get underway after 2010.
The city council in Toulouse is to study the scope for developing additional light rail lines, including an orbital tram route, following the decision by Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo to cancel plans for motorway ring roads around both Toulouse and Bordeaux.
Ottawa City Council has appointed Delcan Corp and Halcrow Group to undertake a 20-month study to determine the optimum route for a cross-city light rail tunnel which will form the heart of a planned C$3·8bn rapid transit network.
