Bulgaria: BDZ is planning a 10-year bond issue to raise €120m to pay off debts, fund the purchase of new rolling stock and refurbish existing vehicles.

Canada: Alberta's provincial and city governments have reached agreement in principle for a 10-year infrastructure plan providing municipal autonomy in investment; this will allow Calgary to begin work on the C$600m West LRT extension.

Philippines: SM Prime Holdings has offered to finance an extra station costing 100m pesos on the planned 5·71 km extension of Manila MRT Line 3 from North Ave to Monumento. Construction is due to begin next year for completion in April 2010.

USA: 17 states are sharing $9·2m of federal road and rail grants for safety improvements at level crossings.

FRA is providing AAR's Railroad Research Foundation with $250 000 to study 'prevention and mitigation strategies to impede and discourage rail-related suicidal behavior.' The University of Nebraska Lincoln has received an $849 933 FRA grant to continue research into real-time monitoring of track condition from moving trains.

Zimbabwe: The government has allocated Z$7bn for track, signalling and telecom rehabilitation, and tenders are to be called for the supply of GPS-based train control.