USA: Private sector project promoter Brightline West has named Siemens Mobility as preferred bidder to supply 355 km/h electric trainsets for its planned high speed line between Las Vegas and California.

EUROPE: Knorr-Bremse RailServices has signed a contract to provide Stadler with comprehensive rolling stock braking system maintenance, repair and spare part supply services

UK: Dynamic testing has begun with a DB Cargo UK Class 66 diesel locomotive which has been retrofitted with ETCS as the First in Class for the roll-out of the digital signalling technology across the most common type of freight loco in the UK.

USA: Union Pacific is to begin testing the first of six diesel-battery-hybrid shunting locomotives during May.

ASIA: Japan’s JR Hokkaido and JR East have sold cars of ex-Series KiHa 183 diesel multiple-units to Thailand and Cambodia.

EUROPE: Subsidiaries of Chinese rolling stock group CRRC delivered passenger trainsets to two operators in southeast Europe during April.

UK: Rail Business UK has been speaking to industry leaders as they start to digest the rail policy proposals set out by the Labour Party ahead of the forthcoming general election.

IRELAND: The National Transport Authority has awarded Indra a contract to supply and manage a national multimodal transport payment system covering trains, trams and buses.

SYSTRA: French national railway SNCF and Paris transport operator RATP have entered into exclusive negotiations for the sale of a majority stake in transport engineering consultancy Systra to Latour Capital and Fimalac.

FRANCE: SNCF Voyageurs and supplier Alstom have revealed the colour scheme for the operator’s future fleet of TGV-M trainsets.

INTERNATIONAL: On April 26 the People’s Republic of China deposited an application to accede to the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail as an associate member.

TRACK MACHINES: Unipart Rail has launched a range of rail construction, maintenance and renewal machines, developed in partnership with Thomson Engineering Design Ltd.

GERMANY: Transport ministers in the Länder favour keeping the flat-fare Deutschland-Ticket for the long term.

EUROPE: Slovenian Railways and Austrian Federal Railways have launched two cross-border passenger services as an initial step towards better and more frequent connections between the two countries. One links Ljubljana with Villach and the other connects Ljubljana with Pragersko, Maribor and Graz.

UK: CrossCountry has awarded West Midlands Trains a long-term contract to continue to maintain the long-distance operator’s Class 170 diesel multiple-unit fleet at Tyseley depot in Birmingham until 2031.

AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has placed a firm order for Siemens Mobility to supply a further 21 Desiro ML electric multiple-units, which the operator brands as Cityjet.

UK: Leeds-based wagon and industrial component supplier William Cook Rail has acquired coupler, bogie, buffer and wagon maintenance, repair and overhaul specialist Crowle Wharf Engineers Ltd.

USA: CSX has rolled out the first hydrogen-powered locomotive it has produced as part of a partnership with Canadian Pacific Kansas City which was announced last year.

USA: National passenger operator Amtrak on April 16 issued a Request for Information from suppliers as part of its efforts to decarbonise its rolling stock fleet.

UK: The Chartered Institution of Railway Operators is to hold its fourth annual Rail Ops conference on June 4.