China: On May 31 Bombardier announced a €53m contract from Guangzhou Metro Corp to supply a fully-automated 4 km underground peoplemover by June 2010. The nine-station Zhujiang Xincheng Central District Passenger Automatic Transportation System will have 14 CX-100 vehicles similar to cars being supplied to Beijing Airport.

Harsco has won a contract to supply a lightweight rail grinder for the 28 km Beijing Dongzhimen Airport Express, which is expected to open in July 2008.

France: Last month Lyon transport authority Sytral placed a €27·4m order with Alstom for 13 five-section Citadis trams. They are to be delivered between September 2008 and April 2009 for use on the 9·5 km Line T4 now under construction between Jet d'Eau and Cliniques Feyzin.

RATP expected to inaugurate a 700 m one-station extension of Paris metro Line 14 from Bibliothèque François Mitterrand to Olympiades on June 25.

Nigeria: Work is reported to have begun on a US$36m monorail in Calabar, 150 km east of Port Harcourt, which is expected to open within 18 months. The 12·9 km line linking Margaret Ekpo Airport to the Tinapa business area is being funded by the Cairo-based African Export-Import Bank.

Philippines: On June 19 the Department of Finance announced it had begun negotiations to buy-out the remaining 18 years of the 25-year Metro Rail Transit Corp franchise for Manila MRT Line 3. The Department of Transportation & Communication has calculated the government could save US$1·7bn in subsidies and interest payments over the remainder of the BOT franchise.

Poland: On May 31 Warszawa's Highways department signed a €3m contract with Sytra for the design of a 280 m bowstring bridge over the River Wis?a. The Krasinski Bridge will carry a double-track tram route and four road lanes.

Warszawa Metro has awarded St Petersburg-based Vagonmash a US$27m contract to supply five trainsets compatible with the existing 81-series fleet.

South Africa: On May 16 Malaysian firm New Sight Vision signed an undertaking with Gauteng province for the construction of a 44 km privately-funded monorail linking Johannesburg with Soweto. Newcyc is providing R12bn for the scheme, and will establish a local rolling stock factory. Opening of the line with 39 stations is planned for late 2009.

Spain: Free to passengers for a trial period of 30 months, a 2·1 km circular light rail route in the city of Murcia opened to traffic on April 29, serving Plaza Circular, the Espinardo-El Punal university campus and the new football stadium. Built by Acciona Infraestructuras, it is operated with two Alstom Citadis LRVs provided by Madrid.

UAE: MVA is developing ridership forecasts after recommending the construction of a 14 km tramway in Dubai as part of the Al Sufouh Transport Masterplan.

UK: Serco has been awarded a contract to manage the Old Dalby test track on behalf of Metronet, the PPP contractor which has leased the site for testing of new Bombardier trains for the London Underground. Metronet plans to electrify a 4 km stretch of line to LU standards, and may make the main 25 kV 50 Hz route available to other organisations.

USA: On May 16 Denver RTD held a formal groundbreaking ceremony in Lakewood, Colorado, for the 19·5 km West Line between Auraria Campus in Denver and Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. Initial work will consist of removing existing tracks along the Associated Railway right-of-way on West 13th Avenue to allow utility relocation. The $512m line is expect to open in 2013.

New York MTA has selected a joint venture of Hill International, LiRo Engineers, Lemley International and HDR to provide construction management services for the 2·2 km two-station extension of the No 7-Flushing subway line from Times Square to Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan by November 2013.

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has provided a $100 000 grant for a study into a proposed $300m extension of Philadelphia's Broad Street subway by 2·4 km from Pattison Avenue to the Navy Yard regeneration area.

Gannet Fleming Inc has won a $350 000 contract for a six-month feasibility study for the proposed CorridorTwo commuter rail project connecting Harrisburg with Hershey and Lebanon in Pennsylvania using an existing freight line. The contract was awarded by Modern Transit Partnership, which is also planning a Harrisburg - Lancaster commuter CorridorOne, currently stalled by funding problems.

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