Reporting steady progress on the Bankstown extension, Sydney Metro West and the Western Airport Line, Sydney Metro’s Acting Chief Executive Hugh Lawson explains to Benjámin Zelki how Australia’s first metro has changed ridership patterns and supported housing development. It is now six years since the first section of the Sydney Metro opened. How has ridership…

CANADA: Alstom has launched a dedicated registration portal for Indigenous-owned businesses to present their capabilities directly to its procurement team and pursue opportunities linked to the company’s newest Canadian contracts. The portal aims to give Indigenous-owned businesses a straightforward way to share information about their ownership, certifications, capabilities, experience and geographic reach. It complements a…

USA: Middle market private equity firm One Equity Partners has invested in Metro East Industries, which provides wagon and locomotive maintenance and repair services to Class I railways, leasing companies, short lines and other operators. MEI was founded by the Ortyl family in 1990 and now has around 490 employees. It is headquartered in Alorton,…

USA: Middle market private equity firm One Equity Partners has invested in Metro East Industries, which provides wagon and locomotive maintenance and repair services to Class I railways, leasing companies, short lines and other operators. MEI was founded by the Ortyl family in 1990 and now has around 490 employees. It is headquartered in Alorton,…

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: The first extension of Sarajevo’s tram network since 1962 has opened. Trams running from the city centre over the extension operate as Route 11, numbered in honour of the outgoing captain of the national football team Edin Džeko, who wears shirt 11. The double-track extension which opened on September 27 runs 6.4…

PORTUGAL: National operator CP has prequalified Alstom and Talgo for a contract to supply 12 high speed trains. They were the only bidders, and will now submit detailed proposals. CP expects to award the contract by the end of Q1 2027. The estimated value is €504m, including spare parts and the provision of two years…

INNOTRANS: Leasing company Leo Mobility Management has selected Hungarian rolling stock manufacturer Magyar Vagon Vasúti Kft to supply 200 Neo modular passenger coaches that can be configured to meet operator requirements. Leo Mobility Management has been established by Leoš Novotný, founder of Leo Express, backed by Czech investment company Creditas Group. It aims to provide…

SINGAPORE: Alstom has handed over the last of 106 six-car metro trainsets built to replace the fleets operated by SMRT Trains on the North-South and East-West lines. Land Transport Authority awarded what was then Bombardier Transportation an initial S$827m contract for 66 Movia trainsets in July 2018. This was followed in September 2020 by a…

SWITZERLAND: Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera has awarded Stadler a contract to supply two custom-made electro-diesel Abt rack locomotives to haul engineering trains on the steep 800 mm gauge mountain railway between Montreux and Rochers-de-Naye. The 13.5 m long and 2 234 mm wide four-axle HGem 4/4 locomotives will have a maximum speed of 25 km/h, a maximum…

FINLAND: Helsinki City Council has voted in favour of the Crown Bridges light rail line connecting Laajasalo with Hakaniemi being extended by a further 5 km through the city to Jätkäsaari. The cost is estimated at €48m. The three vehicle-free Crown Bridges are still under construction at a cost of €326m with a view to…

This week’s global railway supply chain news from Railway Gazette International. At InnoTrans, IT services provider FPT and German railway software company Zedas signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate by combining Zedas’s expertise in rail asset and maintenance management, infrastructure, and logistics with FPT’s capabilities in software engineering, AI, data, IoT, and global delivery.…

USA: Amtrak’s first two Airo push-pull trainsets entered passenger services on the Cascades route in the Pacific Northwest on September 30. The new trainsets supplied by Siemens Mobility are scheduled to operate four daily services between Vancouver in Canada, Seattle, Portland and Eugene. ‘After extensive planning, design, manufacturing and testing, we’re excited to welcome customers…

INNOTRANS: From major train launches and investment announcements to debates over resilience, capacity and the future of European rail, Berlin produced no shortage of news. Railway Gazette International was on the ground throughout InnoTrans 2026; here are 10 of the stories that stood out. 1. Speaking to Railway Gazette International on the European Train from Brussels…

SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng Provincial Government has awarded the Sihamba Sonke Mobility consortium the next contract to operate, maintain and refurbish the 80 km Gautrain passenger rail network connecting Pretoria, Johannesburg and OR Tambo International Airport. Gautrain Management Agency said there will be a ‘renewed focus on investment, modernisation, operational sustainability, improved passenger experience and stronger…

SWITZERLAND: SBB has put the first rebuilt FV-Dosto double-deck train into regular passenger service, following approval from the Swiss rail safety regulator BAV. The double-deck Bombardier Twindexx EMU re-entered service on September 30, marking the first deployment of an FV-Dosto equipped with modified bogies without the WAKO passive tilt mechanism. The modifications to the fleet…

INNOTRANS: Adhesives and coatings specialist 3M has launched a new coating film aimed at reducing the effect of passive radiation on rolling stock roofs. The 3M Cooling Film offers a high solar reflectance, deflecting or reflecting more than 85% of incoming solar radiation, and has a thermal emittance of around 91% to radiate absorbed heat…

INNOTRANS: Adhesives and coatings specialist 3M has launched a new coating film aimed at reducing the effect of passive radiation on rolling stock roofs. The 3M Cooling Film offers a high solar reflectance, deflecting or reflecting more than 85% of incoming solar radiation, and has a thermal emittance of around 91% to radiate absorbed heat…

AUSTRALIA: The first of 55 eight-car Tangara electric multiple-units to undergo a life-extension refit has re-entered service on Line T4 of the Sydney Trains commuter network. The Tangara double-deck EMUs were built by Goninan in 1988-95. Sydney Trains is currently undertaking an A$447m programme that is intended to extend their service life by more than…

INNOTRANS: With digital signalling infrastructure moving towards a more centralised architecture, Frauscher Sensortechnik has been developing its IP-based Frauscher Advanced Platform to support a range of train detection and control functionality. The concept combines a centralised interlocking logic with distributed modular object controllers using standard software and interfaces. FAdP uses SIL 4 certified application units…

USA: The Gateway Development Commission held a celebration at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen on September 29 to mark the start of boring work for the Hudson Tunnel project to excavate a second pair of railway tunnels between New York and New Jersey. Final testing of the first tunnel boring machine is expected to be…

SENEGAL: Dakar’s Train Express Régional service was extended 19 km to Blaise Diagne International Airport on September 28. The opening comes shortly before the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Land Transport & Air Transport Serigne Abdoul Ahad Ndiaye, Minister of Infrastructure Déthié Fall and Minister of Employment…

INNOTRANS: ‘It is essential for the future talent pipeline to involve youth now’, 16-year-old InnoTrans ambassador Adam El Rafey told the 2026 Railway Influencer Festival. The UAE’s youngest university student emphasised that digital content creators’ knowledge of young audiences could help the railway industry understand what excites the next generation. Speaking about his personal journey…

UKRAINE: Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi told European rail leaders at innoTrans 2026 in Berlin that Ukraine’s experience should be a warning for their own long-term resilience strategies. Pertsovskyi reported that Russian drone attacks on Ukraine’s railway have entered a new phase, with increasingly precise strikes targeting moving trains, with more than 360 locomotives hit in…

EUROPE: FlixTrain is to install more than 40 000 Vela Pax seats from Polish manufacturer Recaro Rail across its existing fleet and new trains. The first series deliveries began this year, and the programme runs until the end of 2028. An ergonomically designed backrest was developed to meet the operator’s specific needs while continuing to…

VIETNAM: Siemens Mobility has signed a €1bn contract with the VinSpeed High Speed Railway Investment & Development Joint Stock Co for the supply of 10 Velaro Novo trains, ETCS Level 2 signalling with ATO, telecommunications, and electrification systems for two high speed lines. The turnkey contract for rolling stock and railway systems was announced on…

This week’s round-up of news from the global urban transport sector. Construction of the underground metro station at Manila‘s Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and connecting tunnels was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 16. The work forms part of Contract Package 109 for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MRT9) which is currently…

This week’s round-up of news from the global urban transport sector. Construction of the underground metro station at Manila‘s Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and connecting tunnels was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 16. The work forms part of Contract Package 109 for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MRT9) which is currently…

USA: Florida inter-city operator Brightline has announced a financial restructuring of its parent holding company aimed at securing the future of its Miami – Orlando passenger service. The private sector operator announced on September 25 that ‘certain entities associated with the company’ had entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement, which would ‘significantly deleverage Brightline’s balance…

SWEDEN: Västra Götaland regional transport authority Västtrafik has exercised an €350m option for Alstom to supply a further 35 Avelia Stream Nordic X80 electric multiple-units. This takes the total number ordered under the existing framework contract to 80 units, the first of which entered service this year. ‘With these 35 new trains, we are taking…

INNOTRANS: Stadler presented four cars of a Flirt Nordic Express long-distance trainset it is supplying for Norwegian state-owned rolling stock company Norske Tog at InnoTrans 2026. The four cars from the Type C daytime configuration were on show. These included a bistro car, a family/play saloon and two passenger cars with standard and reclining seating.…

INNOTRANS: Italian manufacturer Bertolotti presented one of its e² Formula battery shunting locomotives at InnoTrans 2026. The vehicle is one of the eight locos being supplied to Milano metro operator ATM for shunting and rescue operations. The manufacturer told Railway Gazette International that the loco was completed in early September. The locomotive was built with…

One year after Europe launched its high speed rail action plan, industry leaders at InnoTrans 2026 said demand and investment are not the main barriers to expansion; from certification and testing capacity to fragmented standards and network access, uncertainty remains the key constraint. ‘We can find the money’, said FS International CEO Luigi Corradi: ‘The…

One year after Europe launched its high speed rail action plan, industry leaders at InnoTrans 2026 said demand and investment are not the main barriers to expansion; from certification and testing capacity to fragmented standards and network access, uncertainty remains the key constraint. ‘We can find the money’, said FS International CEO Luigi Corradi: ‘The…

DENMARK: Three bidders have pre-qualified to bid for the Transport Systems contract for the København metro Line M5 project. The contract will cover the supply of 14 automated metro trainsets, traction power, SCADA, radio, signalling and passenger information systems, platform screen doors, as well as delivering a control centre and maintenance depot at Prøvestenen. The…

SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has decided to purchase 21 high speed trainsets for international passenger services, with options for a further 20, as demand for rail travel to neighbouring countries continues to grow. The decision announced on September 25 reverses a previous plan to procure up to 40 high speed trainsets through a 15-year operating…

SWEDEN: InfraRed Capital Partners has agreed to acquire 100% of Hector Rail from Ancala in a deal which values the largest private rail freight operator in Scandinavia at SKr2.61bn.  The transaction announced on September 28 is subject to customary third-party consents and is expected to close by late 2026. Stockholm-based Hector Rail is a full-service…

CANADA: Alstom has established a research partnership with Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal and École de Technologie Supérieure to advance the use of artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 technologies to improve the quality, efficiency and performance of manufacturing in rail design and manufacturing. Research will focus on welding procedures, augmented reality support for…

INTERNATIONAL: Quectel Wireless Solutions says it is investing early to ensure its customers have a reliable path to migration from GSM-R to the Future Railway Mobile Communication System, with the launch of an Land Grid Array version of its RG660Qx 5G communications module which is designed to enable FRMCS evaluation and testing. The RG660Qx series…

NORTH MACEDONIA: Construction of a rail link between Skopje and the international airport at Petrovec is planned to begin in spring 2027, Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski has announced. He said the planned service would cut the journey between central Skopje and the airport terminal to between 8 and 11 min. Wider programme The airport link…

After decades of underinvestment, Portugal is repowering its railway research capabilities, with new courses and working groups emerging at major institutions in Porto and Lisboa. This progress is reflected by Portuguese participation in the recent IMechE Railway Challenge competition, as Diogo Ferreira Nunes reports. There was a time when university students learned about the railway…

INNOTRANS: The 30th anniversary InnoTrans ‘was an InnoTrans of superlatives’ that broke numerous records, according to Dirk Hoffmann, Chief Operating Officer of trade fair organiser Messe Berlin. The preliminary numbers include: 175 000 trade visitors from more than 120 countries, up 5 000 on 2024; 3 190 exhibitors from 59 countries, up 200 on 2024;…

INNOTRANS: Outlining the Italian state railway’s international strategy at InnoTrans, the head of FS International Luigi Corradi said that high speed rail is key to its growth. ‘There is nobody that can do it as we can do’, he said. ‘We want to create an export of our Italian capability.’ Speaking in Berlin on September…

POLAND: Leasing company Alpha Trains has sold 11 Bombardier Transportation Talent diesel multiple-units to Public Transport Service and Modertrans Poznań, and says it could make up to 50 similar DMUs available to the Polish market, subject to customer demand. The closing of the sale was marked at InnoTrans 2026, and follows an agreement announced at…

AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways and Siemens Mobility unveiled a Mireo electric multiple-unit with the Railjet M configuration designed for inter-regional Alpine routes at InnoTrans 2026. Siemens is supplying a total of 100 Mireo EMUs to ÖBB under a 2023 framework contract. This includes 31  Railjet M units. Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter said Railjet M…

GERMANY: BeNEX placed an order for Siemens Mobility to supply 56 electric multiple-units for use on Mainfranken services during InnoTrans 2026. BeNEX is to operate the Frankfurt – Würzburg – Nürnberg/Bamberg regional services from December 2030 to December 2042 under a contract awarded in July by Bayern railway authority BEG and Rhein-Main transport body RMV.…

INNOTRANS: Hyundai Rotem presented design concepts for a 400 km/h train for the international market and a 220 km/h hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit at InnoTrans 2026, where it also reported progress with the production of a hydrogen freight locomotive. Hyundai Rotem is working on the production of a prototype hydrogen freight locomotive. The company told…

INNOTRANS: The Railway Influencer Festival at InnoTrans 2026 was twice the size of the inaugural event in 2024, and InnoTrans PR Manager Simon Pausch told social media influencers that this was ‘a great indicator that you are becoming a more and more important part of the show’.  The Railway Influencer Festival offers opportunities for networking by…

INNOTRANS: Leasing company Railpool signed an order for 100 locomotives from Siemens Mobility’s recently-launched Vectron X family at InnoTrans 2026, while RDC Deutschland Gruppe has ordered two. Vectron X is Siemens Mobility’s new software-defined locomotive platform, intended as an open digital platform with the driver’s cab as a connected workplace. An ‘App Store’ enables operators…

SAUDI ARABIA: Progress Rail and Saudi Arabia Railways announced an order for 33 EMD SD70ACS heavy-haul diesel locomotives at InnoTrans 2026, along with a memorandum of understanding focused on localising rail capabilities and lifecycle services. The latest order will increase SAR’s fleet to more than 150 EMD locomotives to support growing freight demand. The SD70ACS…

SAUDI ARABIA: Progress Rail and Saudi Arabia Railways announced an order for 33 EMD SD70ACS heavy-haul diesel locomotives at InnoTrans 2026, along with a memorandum of understanding focused on localising rail capabilities and lifecycle services. The latest order will increase SAR’s fleet to more than 150 EMD locomotives to support growing freight demand. The SD70ACS…