Brazil: The federal government has backed proposals for a 15 km extension of Trensurb's Porto Alegre commuter line from Mercado to Triângulo. A 3·9 km extension to Estação Unisinos is expected to open later this year.
Germany: German Railway has commissioned the first 11 km of the Hannover S-Bahn, from the city centre to Seelze. The route is worked by Stadt-Express trains, which will be replaced by Class 424 S-Bahn EMUs next year.
Great Britain: The Arrow consortium of Adtranz, Tarmac, Transdev and Nottingham City Transport, and the Tramrider group of Siemens, BICC and FirstBus have submitted bids for the Nottingham LRT concession.
London Transport is to conduct studies into noise and vibration on the Underground network.
Italy: Brescia has called bids for construction of a 13·5 km automated light metro from Concesio to Santa Eufemia. The government is providing 165bn lire towards the estimated 700bn cost.
Studies are under way for an automated metro in Monza, costed at 175bn lire.
Japan: JR Kyushu has begun a ´16·2bn project to double 11·1 km of the Chikuhi Line between Shimoyamato and Chikuzen-Maebaru, used by through services to central Fukuoka over metro tracks.
Netherlands: Construction of the north-south metro line in Amsterdam is to go ahead next year at a cost of 2bn guilders; a local referendum on June 25 failed to reach the minimum 155000 votes against the project.
Spain: Cobra Ferrocarriles has won a contract to install a substation at Gregorio Marañón station on the Madrid metro, serving the link between Lines 8 and 10 and the extension of Line 7. Dimetronic is to provide signalling and ATP for the link.
Turkey: A consortium of Eser Muhendislik, Tractebel and Transurb was low bidder for a TL43bn contract to study an urban rail network in Isparta.
USA: Chicago Transit Authority introduced stored-value fare cards on its metro lines on July 7.
NJ Transit's proposed 54 km Trenton - Camden light rail route was supported by 72% of voters in three counties in a recent poll.
Tidewater Transportation District Commission has called bids for engineering and environmental studies into a 28·5 km light rail line from Norfolk to Virginia Beach.
Bi-State Development Agency has called for expressions of interest in supplying up to 24 LRVs for the St Louis MetroLink extension to St Clair County, Illinois.
