Italy’s minister of infrastructure and transport, Mr Graziano Delrio, explains to Marco Chiandoni how the government is pressing ahead with its rail investment programme.

The publication of a report by the French Infrastructure Policy Board on options for funding future infrastructure projects sheds new light on the true cost of meeting current commitments. Keith Barrow looks at the possible priorities for investment over the next 20 years, and how they might be funded.

Italy has bold plans to update its key signalling infrastructure with some of the latest available technology, including high-density ETCS and Ersat EAV satellite signalling. Maurizio Gentile, CEO of Italian Rail Network (RFI), provides an update on progress so far.

Schwihag has been manufacturing fastenings at its purpose-built factory near Leipzig for 10 years and now produces 25 different types for a wide range of railway applications. Karl-H Schwiede, chairman and CEO of Schwihag, and Erik Danneberg, CEO of Schwihag’s German subsidiary, invited David Briginshaw to tour the plant and discover the latest developments in rail fastening technology.

Regional editor Ian Thomson-Newman reports from the Rail LatAm conference held in Santiago in November, on the latest developments in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

Compact, robust and easily installed, the Data Capture Unit is a one-way gateway that allows live data transmission from your infrastructure to the cloud, for storage, monitoring or analysis purposes, providing safety and security for both technology and passengers.

Network Rail has developed a new desktop-based asset viewing application, which is providing users with an enhanced view of railway infrastructure while aiding decision making and project planning. Kevin Smith got a behind-the-scenes look at the Geo-RINM viewer in London.

Cross-industry cooperation on multimodal mobility platforms is critical for success but is proving a challenge. Francois Lanquetot, partner, and Frank Nosbers, senior consultant at BearingPoint, Germany, reveal the results of a market study into the future development of these platforms.

Despite strong competition from incumbent Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Westbahn has made steady progress since it began operating open-access services between Vienna and Salzburg in 2011. CEO Dr Erich Forster outlines the company’s plans to Kevin Smith.

A crucial decision on the future of Switzerland’s inter-city network will be made this year, which could break SBB’s monopoly on the sector. BLS CEO Bernard Guillelmon talks to Keith Barrow about how the country’s second-largest railway plans to re-enter the long-distance market.