DSB Chairman Søren Eriksen has confirmed that the Danish state railway is looking to enter the German regional market, where around 20 operating concessions are due to be tendered during 2009. DSB is opening a project office in Germany, and Eriksen says it will also look at an opportunities to acquire existing operators. DSB has already won concessions in Sweden, and bid for several UK rail franchises.
South Africa's Gauteng province has unveiled plans for a standard-gauge electrified commuter railway running northeast from Tshwane along the Moloto Road corridor into Mpumalanga province. Costed at R9·7bn, it would be built to the same standards as the Gautrain network now under construction.
Toll Holdings has refused to comment on media reports that it is shortly to sign a contract to take over management of the Royal Cambodian Railways network under an agreement backed by the Asian Development Bank.
Indian Railways is to undertake final location surveys for two new broad-gauge railways into neighbouring Nepal, augmenting the existing crossing from Raxaul to Birganj. One project would see the regauged Northeast Frontier Railway line to Jogbani extended to Biratnagar in Nepal's Eastern province. The other would see the 760 mm gauge line between Jaynagar and Janakpur rebuilt and extended to Vijulpura and Bardibas. Minister of State for Railways R Velu told the Indian parliament on October 24 that the studies would be completed within six months.
Indonesian company PT Inti Rajawali Nusantara has announced plans to develop a 150 km rail link to serve its mines and palm oil plantations around Bintuahan in southwest Sumatera, at a cost of 3bn ruipah. At present the company's traffic moves by road to Tanjung Enim for onward rail transport to Bandar Lampung.
The Dutch environment ministry is reviewing proposals for a direct rail link between the Amsterdam suburb of IJburg and the rapidly-growing satellite city of Almere, including a tunnel under the IJmeer. The line would cut the Amsterdam - Almere distance to 12 km and relieve the existing route via the Hollandse Brug which is close to capacity.
FedEx has announced plans to develop a rail connection into its new European hub at Köln-Bonn airport, which will replace the current Frankfurt base in 2010, in order to link into the emerging Carex high-speed parcels network (RG 9.08 p583).
