Siemens leads in railway bid

A US$788 million contract to build 60 Chinese high-speed trains places Siemens in the lead to secure further orders in Beijing's railway expansion program, reported the International Herald Tribune. State media said Siemens had gained an edge over Alstom, maker of the French TGV, and a Japanese consortium offering Shinkansen, or "bullet trains". China plans to add 10,000 kilometers of passenger lines and 2,000 kilometers of high-speed links to its railway network by 2020.