MRT Corp has awarded a RM2.69 billion civil main contract to a JV of CCCC, TRC Construction and Ufuk Semarak for the Penang LRT Mutiara Line cross-sea extension. The 5.5km package includes a 3.05km sea bridge linking Macallum on Penang Island to Penang Sentral in Seberang Perai.
Penang’s Mutiara Line LRT Macallum–Penang Sentral alignment, including a 5.5km marine bridge across the Penang Strait, is scheduled to start construction in 3Q2027 after MRT Corp completes tender evaluation this month. The alignment is targeted for completion by December 2031.
FS Logistix ordered six more CZ LOKO EffiShunter 1000 diesel-electric locomotives for Mercitalia Shunting & Terminal. The four-axle Class D744 units will be used for shunting at ports and terminals, freight on non-electrified lines, and rescue duties. The group already operates earlier EffiShunter orders.
Renfe has awarded Siemens a contract for 30 seven-car Velaro Novo high-speed trains. The trains will run up to 350 km/h, seat 520 passengers each, and be delivered over 62 months, with the first five due within 40 months.
SJ has opened bookings for its 2026/27 winter timetable. Direct sleeper trains between Stockholm and Narvik will return from 13 December 2026 under a new agreement with Trafikverket. SJ also plans overnight services to Umeå and Duved, plus a new train-and-bus connection from Stockholm to Sälen.
Singapore will revamp its Rail Academy from November, partnering five educational institutions and consolidating training from LTA, SMRT and SBS Transit into a common curriculum. The scheme will create clearer pathways for rail workers to earn formal diplomas, degrees and new sector certifications, with WSQ certification starting in early 2027.
Network Rail has advised passengers to plan ahead for heavy festive travel in Birmingham. Christmas markets and events are expected to increase use of Birmingham stations, with staff available at New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill, while some services to New Street will be suspended from 24 to 28 December 2026.
Siemens Mobility launched Tech Experience Launchpad, a UK work-experience programme for 11–16-year-olds that will offer more than 3,300 opportunities a year and 10,000 over three years. The initiative coincided with the opening of Siemens’s £100 million Rail Technology Centre in Chippenham and supports UK rail skills development.
Great Northern will increase off-peak services between Moorgate and Hertford North to four trains per hour from 14 December, creating a 15-minute turn-up-and-go frequency at most stations on the route.
Singapore will expand the Singapore Rail Academy’s role from November with standardised training, wider eligibility, and new certification pathways for engineers, technicians and operations staff. The changes, developed with LTA and rail operators, are meant to support MRT network expansion, upgrades and future technology adoption.
Hitachi Rail Spain and Hitachi Rail Turkey signed a contract to supply, install and commission signalling systems on Turkey’s Ankara-Istanbul line at T26 and Bilecik depot. The scope includes interlockings, the Traffic Control Centre, telecommunications expansion, and ETCS Level 1 and 2.
Southeastern held its annual Remembrance Service in Dover on 4 November, with veterans, cadets and railway colleagues attending. The operator also reminded veterans, serving personnel and bereaved family members that they can travel to Remembrance services for free.
Network Rail has issued travel advice for Manchester Christmas Markets, which open on 6 November 2026 and are expected to draw heavy crowds on Northern and TransPennine Express services. Passengers are advised to plan ahead, use earlier return trains, and expect extra staff at Manchester Piccadilly.
UIC Statistics Platform plenary meeting held on 19 Nov 2026 from 09:30 to 16:00.
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.
Great Northern will double off-peak train frequency between Moorgate and Hertford North from 14 December. Services will run every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, with faster running into London and limited stops at Bayford and Crews Hill.
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.
ÖBB and SBB extended their passenger rail cooperation to 2036, covering more than 30 daily direct services and six night train routes from Zürich. Passenger numbers on the joint services have grown strongly over the past decade, alongside ÖBB’s rollout of new Siemens-built Nightjet trains.
Indian Railways reported higher coal and overall freight loading in October, CONCOR ordered 12 rakes of container wagons from Golden Rock Workshop, DP World expanded double-stack services from JNPA, and the Rowghat iron ore line was commissioned. A new East-West dedicated freight corridor is under study.
Siemens Mobility and Lufthansa Technik Defense have proposed a medical evacuation train for more than 150 patients, including intensive-care cases. The concept uses Vectouro coaches and a Vectron X locomotive, with a dual-mode option under consideration, for cross-border use on Europe’s standard-gauge network.
Alstom says the new-generation TGV M, based on its Avelia Horizon platform, has entered commercial service in France on SNCF’s Paris–Marseille route. The train offers higher capacity, lower energy use and predictive maintenance features, and is the first operational reference for the platform.
Azerbaijan Railways signed a contract with CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive to buy four new passenger trains.
Berlin-based Rail Unit received a Stadler EuroDual and an Alstom TRAXX MS3 in October 2026 as it expands from railway personnel services into its own freight operations in Germany. The locomotives were leased from European Loc Pool and Northrail, following the company’s railway undertaking licence and safety certification.
Trafikverket outlined Sweden’s winter rail maintenance setup for 14,400 km of track, including 32 maintenance contracts, 3,200 workers, 960 vehicles, heated switches, snow-melting machines and new hot-air de-icing systems. Contractors must respond within 60 to 120 minutes depending on time and route.
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.