Report from the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS

This document reports on the status and plans of the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS as of October 2012. First, progress on detector upgrades and overviews of the 2011 Be and 2012 hadron data-taking periods are given. Second, the advance in the NA61 software, data calibration and the data analysis is reported. In particular, new results on p+C interactions at 31 GeV/c for T2K, pion+C interactions at 158 and 350 GeV/c for POA and p+p interactions at 20, 31, 40, 80 and 158 GeV/c for the ion program presented at recent conferences are summarized. Finally, plans for data taking in 2012, 2014 and 2015 are outlined and proposals for an extension of the NA61/SHINE physics program are summarized. We stress again that recent developments underline the urgency of carrying out the NA61/SHINE ion program as soon as technically possible. In particular, the most urgent data for this program, central Ar+Ca collisions at 13A, 20A, 30A, 40A, 80A and 158A GeV/c should be taken with as little delay as possible.