Porterbrook will supply 56 new box wagons to GB Railfreight, with the wagons built by WH Davis in Nottinghamshire. The fleet is due to start completion in September 2027 and will be used to move recycled material to 7Steel’s Cardiff site for UK steel production.
A Scottish fatal accident inquiry found that an off-design drain, missing as-built records, and maintenance and weather-management gaps contributed to the 2020 Carmont derailment. The inquiry said building the drain to its approved design might realistically have prevented the crash. No new recommendations were made.
The Mutiara Line LRT link from Macallum to Penang Sentral, including a 5.5 km marine bridge across the Penang Strait, is expected to start construction in Q3 2027 after MRT Corp completes tender evaluation this month. Completion is targeted for December 2031.
Hitachi Rail opened a new C$30 million, 125,000-square-foot headquarters and center of excellence for signalling and systems in Toronto, Canada. The facility is intended to support the company’s signalling and systems work in the Canadian market.
VIA Rail Canada completed the modernisation of its Toronto Maintenance Centre, funded by a US$310 million Government of Canada investment. The upgraded facility supports maintenance of VIA Rail’s new Corridor fleet of 32 bidirectional trainsets and existing equipment, with expanded bays, heavy-maintenance tools and a new vehicle monitoring system.
CPKC signed a five-year agreement to increase steelmaking coal shipments from British Columbia to Vancouver export terminals. CN expanded its Vaughan, Ontario fuel terminal to handle more than 15,000 railcars a year. Audi chose a Norfolk Southern-served site in Georgia for a EUR 3.6 billion factory.
Transport for Greater Manchester will start redeveloping Bury Interchange later this month in two phases. The first phase includes a new footbridge, lift access to Metrolink platforms, platform resurfacing, canopy replacement, and upgrades to lighting, signage, CCTV, passenger information displays and ticketing facilities.
Porterbrook and GB Railfreight have signed a deal for 56 new MWA box wagons to be built by WH Davis in Nottinghamshire. The first wagon is due for completion by September 2027, and the wagons will carry recycled material to 7Steel’s Cardiff site.
Freightliner has introduced a new logo after CMA CGM completed its acquisition of the UK intermodal business on 29 January 2026. The deal covered rail and road operations, inland terminals and the Freightliner brand, while heavy haul, Rotterdam Rail Feeding, and operations in Poland and Germany were excluded.
KORAIL won the 2026 UIC Sustainability Impact Awards’ Modal Shift category for its “Love Regional Rail Travel” initiative, which promotes rail tourism with local partners and a 50% fare discount. The programme launched in August 2024 and had about 470,000 passengers by July 2026.
VIA Rail has completed a C$310 million modernization of its Toronto Maintenance Centre, adding expanded heavy-maintenance facilities and a Vehicle Equipment Measurement System for early fault detection. The federally funded project supports VIA’s new Siemens Venture Corridor fleet and existing trains.
UIC has released IRS 30345, a new non-binding standard for procuring new rolling stock with harmonised environmental specifications. It replaces UIC Leaflet 345 and sets guidance on energy use, emissions, noise, air quality, and circularity, including raising component recyclability targets from 85% to 95%.
Hitachi Rail opened its new Canadian headquarters in Scarborough, Toronto, to serve its signalling and systems business. The company is delivering the Ontario Line and Hazel McCallion Line, and modernizing TTC Line 2 signalling after a $400 million contract award in July.
Network Rail completed drainage renewal and related maintenance on the East Coast Main Line in North Yorkshire after two weekend possessions. The programme included 300 metres of drainage at Chapman’s Bridge near Shipton, work on track, power lines and points, vegetation management, and a new bridge at Church Fenton for overhead line preparation.
EBRD will fund €50 million for rehabilitation of Montenegro’s 39 km Golubovci–Bar railway section, including track, stations, bridges, signalling, telecommunications and power upgrades. Separately, ŽPCG and Stadler are progressing discussions on the design of three new electric multiple units.
SRI Rail Invest ordered a Vectron Dual Mode locomotive for delivery in late 2027 or early 2028. In a separate deal, it arranged financing for Projektbahn to acquire former ICE 2 vehicles from DB Fernverkehr.
Stadler has started construction of a new commissioning facility in Weinfelden, Switzerland, to relieve capacity constraints at its Erlen site. The EUR 44 million project includes indoor and outdoor test tracks, final assembly areas and technical space. Operations are expected to begin in the first half of 2028.
EdgeProp profiles Summer Suites, a freehold serviced residence in Johor Bahru by Connoisseur Properties, about 850m from JB CIQ and the future Bukit Chagar RTS Station. The 44-storey project has 748 units, smart-home features, more than 20 facilities, and a target completion in 2029.
Summer Suites is a freehold serviced apartment project in Johor Bahru by Connoisseur Properties, about 850m from JB CIQ and the future Bukit Chagar RTS Station. The 44-storey tower has 748 units, smart-home features and more than 20 facilities, with completion targeted for 2029.
HS2 reached a tunnel breakthrough at Old Oak Common station, linking the station box to the 8.8-mile West Ruislip tunnel portal. The 360-metre tunnel, excavated with miners rather than TBMs, used sprayed concrete and cast-in-situ lining. HS2 says other major route works are also progressing ahead of plan.
UIC said it will participate in COP31 to promote rail’s role in climate action, focusing on carbon-credit methodologies and including rail in national adaptation planning. It also highlighted the MoveCredits Coalition and joint work with UITP and Alstom on rail and public transport climate finance and resilience.
The Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society has formally taken ownership of steam locomotive 35025 Brocklebank Line. The group is assessing required restoration work, available parts and storage plans, with major components still needed for a future mainline return.
Opinion piece argues that ECRL’s high cost, loan burden and limited ridership or cargo capacity make its financial return doubtful, and says its value should be judged by wider economic spillovers rather than operating profits.
Kelantan plans industrial and logistics development around the ECRL station in Cherang Tuli, Pasir Puteh, including processing industries, warehousing, a logistics hub and a proposed dry port in Bandar Baru Tok Bali. The state also wants supporting roads, distribution centres and last-mile logistics facilities.
Belgian freight operator Lineas has extended lease contracts with Ermewa for about 4,000 freight wagons across its European network. The renewal continues a sale-and-leaseback arrangement first agreed in 2021 and comes as Lineas works through financial restructuring after government rescue support.