In January the British government unveiled its initial preferred route for the second phase of High Speed 2, which will extend the line north from the Birmingham area to Manchester and Leeds. Keith Barrow looks at the developing proposals for the Y-shaped network.

Scotland has seen ridership increase by more than 30% over the last decade, spurred by the reopening of lines and stations, improved services, and new trains. Transport Scotland director of rail Aidan Grisewood explains to Keith Barrow how planned investment will support further growth.

Britain's infrastructure manager Network Rail is in the midst of a huge investment programme to modernise the railway and expand capacity, while at the same time trying to reduce costs. David Briginshaw talks exclusively to Network Rail's CEO Sir David Higgins about the challenges the organisation faces.

POLISH infrastructure manager PKP PLP has selected a consortium of Thales and Trakce, Czech Republic, in a €76m contract to upgrade train management systems including signalling and supervision on the 100km Warsaw Okecie - Radom line.

THE Stadler Rail Group, Switzerland, is being forced to reduce its workforce for the first time as a result of a falling order book. This is the result of the debt crisis in Europe and the consequent increase in the value of the Swiss franc against the Euro.

THE European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to lend Warsaw Metro Zlotys 1bn ($US 313.5m) to support construction of the 6.7km central section of the new Line 2 which is currently being built between Ptocka and Szwedzka stations.

CZECH open-access operator Leo Express recorded a 25% increase in traffic in March on its services linking Prague, Ostrava and Bohumin. This contrasts with January which had weak growth.

SWEDEN's infrastructure manager Trafikverket says it has received applications from 27 passenger operators and 13 freight companies to run trains on the national network starting from the new timetable on December 15.

THE PCM Group, India, has acquired Rail.One, Germany, bringing to an end the latter's search for a strategic investor.

RUSSIAN car builder Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) and its partner Bombardier have today unveiled at the Hannover Fair models of a new metro train and a new LRV which they are developing jointly for Russia.