Australia: Victoria's Department of Infrastructure has awarded Funkwerk IT York a £2·3m contract to develop timing and fleet management modules for a timetable planning and platform allocation system which will be used by V/Line and Connex.

Malaysia: The government has decided not to support an 8bn ringgit proposal by YTL Corp for a standard gauge high speed line between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. A part-owner of the Kuala Lumpur airport rail link, YTL aimed to raise funding from the private sector if the government assisted with land acquisition.

South Africa: Transnet Freight Rail has selected Israeli firm NICE Systems to provide IP-based video security links enabling three control centres to monitor 670 sites.

Spain: The Tracción Rail subsidiary of construction company Azvi has become the fourth open-access operator on the national network with a trial flow of palm oil from Huelva to Valdetorres near Mérida on the Madrid - Badajoz route. Trains run three days a week, carrying biodiesel on the return working.

UK: The Scottish government has ?exercised an option to extend FirstGroup's ScotRail franchise by three years. It now runs to November 2014 with amended revenue sharing arrangements.

USA: This month Genesee & Wyoming expects to complete its $78m acquisition of CAGY Industries, parent company of the Columbus & Greenville, Chattooga & Chickamauga and Luxapalila Valley short lines.

Amtrak has selected Arinc to supply a centralised electrification and traffic control system for the Northeast Corridor.

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