JR Hokkaido and JR East have announced that the Hokkaido Shinkansen will open on March 26, and the two railways have also revealed the initial operating pattern for services over the 149km line from Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate.
THE Indonesian government has scrapped a project to build a high-speed line between Jakarta and Bandung disappointing Japanese and Chinese bidders that were competing for the $US 5bn project. However, the government has left the door open for a new main line between the two cities.
FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) has announced plans to triple the number of routes operated its Ouigo low-cost high-speed subsidiary next year.
BOMBARDIER announced on September 2 that its Bombardier Sifang Transportation (BST) Chinese joint venture has secured a Yuan 2.4bn ($US 381m) contract to supply 15 additional CRH380D high-speed trains to China Railway Corporation (CRC).
RAIL will remain Spain's transport priority according to the draft budget for 2016 which allocates more than half of spending to rail projects with a special focus on completing the extensive high-speed network.
CHINA is to construct a second high-speed line between Fuzhou and Zhangzhou, but with a design speed of 350km/h rather than the 250km/h design speed of the existing line which opened in 2010 and is now very busy with trains operating in excess of 100% occupancy.
CHINA launched passenger services on its most northerly high-speed line on August 17 with the start of commercial operations on the Harbin - Qiqihar line in Heilongjiang province.
JAPAN's ruling Liberal Democratic and Komeito parties began discussions on August 7 on the proposed third phase of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which would extend the line from Tsuruga to Shin-Osaka.
A new structure for Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) came into effect on July 27, when the Ministry of Transport and Communications signed two agreements with the company to terminate the original build-operate-transfer concession for the Taipei - Kaohsiung high-speed line.
CALIFORNIA High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has awarded Sener, Spain, a contract to develop engineering and environmental services for the 72.4km Palmdale - Burbank Airport section of the first phase of California's high-speed line.
