USA: Union Pacific is to begin testing the first of six diesel-battery-hybrid shunting locomotives during May.

ASIA: Japan’s JR Hokkaido and JR East have sold cars of ex-Series KiHa 183 diesel multiple-units to Thailand and Cambodia.

EUROPE: Subsidiaries of Chinese rolling stock group CRRC delivered passenger trainsets to two operators in southeast Europe during April.

UK: Rail Business UK has been speaking to industry leaders as they start to digest the rail policy proposals set out by the Labour Party ahead of the forthcoming general election.

IRELAND: The National Transport Authority has awarded Indra a contract to supply and manage a national multimodal transport payment system covering trains, trams and buses.

SYSTRA: French national railway SNCF and Paris transport operator RATP have entered into exclusive negotiations for the sale of a majority stake in transport engineering consultancy Systra to Latour Capital and Fimalac.