About the author

David Briginshaw

David Briginshaw joined IRJ in 1982 as associate editor, and was appointed editor-in-chief in 2001. He has travelled the world extensively interviewing many of the CEOs and senior managers of the world's railways and transit systems which has given him an in-depth knowledge of the global railway industry. David Briginshaw is currently consulting editor and associate publisher of IRJ.

February 5, 2014 | Track

British main line severed by storm

THE London – Penzance main line has been badly damaged by a severe storm which washed away the track along the coastal section of railway at Dawlish west of Exeter.

February 5, 2014 | Light Rail

Rotterdam orders vehicles for new LRT line

ROTTERDAM Electric Tram (RET) has exercised an option worth €66m with Bombardier for 16 Flexity Swift LRVs for operation on the Hook of Holland, which is being converted from heavy rail to light metro operation.

February 4, 2014 | David Briginshaw

Can CBTC cope with complex rail networks?

RECENTLY in IRJ we have reported on a positive development with communications-based train control (CBTC) - its first application in Japan and, on the downside, the cancellation of a major CBTC contract in London which raises doubts about its ability to cope with very complex rail networks.

February 4, 2014 | Asia

Korail hails new tourist services

Korail's new rail tourism initiative is transforming the performance of poorly-patronised regional railways and being hailed as a shining example of president Park Geun-hye's plan to transform Korea into a "creative economy" based more on service industries and innovation, as David Briginshaw discovers.

January 20, 2014 | Freight

French run Europe's longest freight train

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) in cooperation with French Rail Network (RFF) and intermodal operator Kombiverkehr operated a 1500m-long freight train on January 18 between Sibelin yard near Lyon and Nîmes as part of Europe's Marathon project to operate longer freight trains.

January 16, 2014 | Rolling stock

SJ awards ABB contract to replace electrics on X2000 fleet

SWEDEN's national passenger operator, SJ, has placed a $US 200m contract with ABB to install electrical equipment on its fleet of 36 X2000 trains as part of a $US 510m project to refurbish the 200km/h tilting sets.

January 10, 2014 | Track

SNCF and RFF ordered to implement track improvements

FRANCE's deputy minister of transport, Mr Frédéric Cuvillier, has instructed French National Railways (SNCF) and French Rail Network (RFF) to implement three recommendations to improve track safety made by the Office of Land Transport Accident Inquiries (BEA-TT).

January 8, 2014 | High-speed

NTV reports strong increase in traffic in 2013

ITALY's open access high-speed rail operator NTV carried 6.2 million passengers last year compared with more than 2 million between its launch on April 28 2012 and the end of 2012.

January 8, 2014 | Financial

ÖBB targets infrastructure cost savings

SPEAKING at a track seminar organised by Plasser & Theurer in London recently, Mr Wolfgang Nemetz of ÖBB Infrastructure, explained that ÖBB's efficiency programme, which was launched in 2008, is aimed at cutting new construction, renewal and maintenance infrastructure costs by €1256m or 118% by 2018.

January 8, 2014 | Signalling

JR East selects Thales to design first Japanese CBTC

THALES has been chosen by JR East to design Japan's first communications-based train control system (CBTC), following a competition between Thales and Alstom.