UGANDA's minister for public works, Mr John Byabagambi, says negotiations are in progress with China for a joint project to rehabilitate the country's 1240km metre-gauge network.

Last month the Czech Republic's first open-access long-distance passenger operator extended its services into neighbouring Slovakia, and has ambitions to expand even further. Aleš Ondruj, director, onboard services, for RegioJet tells Keith Barrow how liberalisation of the sector is bringing innovation and greater choice for passengers.

This year Hamburg-Köln-Express will break new ground for open-access operators in Germany when it goes head-to-head with DB on one of the national operator's most lucrative long-distance routes. Keith Barrow talks to the team behind HKX.