In Numbers

 $2.4bn

The $2.4bn Parramatta Light Rail project recently saw its first tracks laid in Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.

 £865,000

The UK Government Culture Recovery Fund has offered an £865,000 grant to the West Somerset Railway, according to Rail Advent.

 £4bn

Signalling accounted for more than £4bn of Network Rail’s spend between 2014 and 2019, according to the Office of Rail and Road.

 $121m

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide a $121m loan for railway modernisation works in eastern Uzbekistan.

 €400m

The Nordic Investment Bank and Danish State Railways (DSB) have signed a €400m loan agreement to support a project that aims to fully electrify and convert DSB’s fleet.

Projects

Northwest Light Rail Extension Phase II, Phoenix

Valley Metro is extending a light rail system in Phoenix, Arizona, US. The project seeks to improve connectivity in the greater Phoenix area.

Eswatini Rail Link Project (ESRL)

Also known as Swaziland Rail Link or Swazilink, theESRL project is a proposed seamless rail line between South Africa and Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland).

Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS

The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut regional rapid transit system (RRTS) is a high-speed commuter service being developed to connect the regional nodes in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India.

Alaska-Alberta (A2A) Rail Corridor

Alaska-Alberta (A2A) rail corridor is a proposed rail network that will connect the US state of Alaska with Alberta, Canada. The route will link the deep-water ports and the existing railway network of Alaska to the Canadian railway system.

Victoria Cross Station, Sydney

Victoria Cross Station is a new underground station proposed to be developed in the central business district (CBD) of North Sydney in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Moscow-Kazan High-Speed Rail Line

The 770km-long Moscow-Kazan high-speed rail line will connect the two large Russian cities of Moscow and Kazan.

In Quotes

IRITS Events managing director Jules Omura, reacting to Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US election:

“We would like the Biden administration’s trade policy to support free and fair public procurement of products and systems based on international competitive tenders, which will benefit both American rail operators and American manufacturers exporting products abroad, as well as the global rail and supply sectors.”

Source: PMLive

AMTRAK president and CEO Bill Flynn, as part of a congratulatory statement to President-elect Joe Biden:

“To get the economy moving and help Amtrak and our employees through this unprecedented situation, Congress must act now on pandemic relief and economic stimulus funding which enables Amtrak to recall furloughed employees, restore service frequency on long-distance and state-supported routes, and make investments that will advance critical capital projects such as bridges and tunnels on the Northeast Corridor and new equipment, infrastructure improvements and major station upgrades throughout our network,” Flynn said.