News from the world rail freight market.

UK: The operation of Greater Anglia passenger services transferred from Transport UK to the public sector on October 12.

DENMARK: An exhibition at the Legoland theme park in Billund shows how the 18 km immersed tunnel for the Fehmarn Belt fixed link is being constructed.

EUROPE: The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking has launched its latest call for proposals, with €148·2m of EU funding available towards research projects worth €245m.

ITALY: National railway FS Group emphasised its ambitions for international expansion, including the launch of Paris – London services, in a panel discussion at the Expo Ferroviaria trade fair.

UK: Network Rail’s East Coast Operations Business Change team recently met specialists from track machine engineering and operating company Loram in Derby to launch a track machine ETCS working group.

TURKEY: Plans have been announced for the construction of a 37·7 km Bat-Ray light rail network in the city of Batman.

INTERATIONAL: Škoda Group announced the certification of its ETCS onboard unit at the 16th Trako International Railway Fair in Gdańsk.

This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.

UK: Intelligent Transport Systems UK is partnering with the Rail Innovation Group on joint events, knowledge sharing and policy engagement with the aim of providing a stronger platform to champion small and emerging companies and promote smarter, more connected transport systems.

USA: Canadian company Cando Rail & Terminals has announced the acquisition of its first US terminal, with a definitive agreement to acquire the Channelview Terminal in Houston from Texas Deepwater Partners.

INTERNATIONAL: The Alstom board has appointed Martin Sion as Chief Executive Officer with effect from April 1 2026.

ITALY: Alstom and Trenitalia have unveiled a variant of the Coradia Stream regional electric multiple-unit family with a higher maximum speed of 200 km/h to enable operation on the Firenze – Roma Direttissima high speed line.

EUROPE: Aspiring Channel Tunnel high speed train operator Gemini Trains has selected Siemens Mobility Velaro Novo trainsets for its proposed services from London to Paris, Brussels and Köln.

AUSTRALIA: Sydney Trains has completed deployment of 610 Mariyung double-deck EMUs on North Coast inter-city services, with Blue Mountains and South Coast lines scheduled for rollout through 2025.

INDIA: The first phase of the Patna Metro priority corridor was inaugurated by Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on October 6, with passenger services starting the following day.

ASIA: Turkey has agreed to fund reconstruction of 30 km of railway in Syria which was destroyed during the civil war, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced following a meeting between transport officials from Turkey, Syria and Jordan.

ITALY: Stadler has unveiled a 950 mm gauge battery trainset for Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, and signed a contract to supply two hydrogen trains to Ferrovia Circumetnea which also uses the so-called ’Italian metre gauge’.

Union Pacific’s $85bn proposal to acquire Norfolk Southern has reignited merger speculation across the US rail industry, with activist investors urging rival operators to explore consolidation options amid changing market dynamics. However, this M&A frenzy could yet prove a risky distraction for the sector, warns Senior Editor Chris Jackson.

EUROPE: The European Shift Enabler Portal for Freight project has been completed with the launch of a website designed to make intermodal rail freight more accessible, transparent and competitive across Europe.