MUCH of last month's UIC conference in Paris on GSM-R was devoted to the situation in Europe, where interference and lack of capacity have become important issues. There were also several presentations on the much-debated evolution of GSM-R. However, only a small amount of time was allocated to speakers to discuss developments outside Europe and consider wider issues, which was a pity because it is always good to be exposed to new thinking.

HAMBURG Cologne Express (HKX) is Germany's second largest long-distance passenger operator after German Rail (DB) and we became the first to take advantage of the liberalisation of the sector when we launched our first services 14 months ago. We set up HKX because we felt that the rail travel market in Europe will support competition. However, the market is being distorted by discrimination in key parts of the value chain, namely access to track and sales infrastructure.

THE economic pendulum of investment patterns appears to be swinging back in favour of developed countries. Among those voicing such opinions is Mr Shane Oliver, a Sydney-based head of investment strategy at AMP Capital Investors. "It's one of these things that happens once a decade or so when you see a turn in relative performance," says Oliver. "We have entered a tougher, more difficult period."

IN an ideal world human beings would never make mistakes and equipment and systems would never fail. Unfortunately we don't live in utopia as the spate of serious railway accidents during the last few weeks in France, Spain and Canada reminds us all too vividly.

THE publication today of a highly-critical report by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) into Britain's planned High Speed 2 (HS2) from London to Birmingham and northern England has grabbed the headlines, primarily by claiming that project will cost 60% more than the current figure given by the government.

THE way railway equipment is procured has changed considerably during the last 20 to 30 years, with competitive tendering now the norm in most parts of the world. While competition should keep prices down and help drive innovation, there has been a trend towards issuing tenders which are too vague.

THIS is the third issue of IRJ this year to include feature articles on rail projects in Africa. It is not a coincidence, but reflects the growing rail revival taking place not just in Morocco and Algeria in the north and South Africa, which itself is developing rapidly, but in many other countries across this large continent.

COMPARED with the spiralling Dutch-Belgian Fyra calamity, which continues to dominate the news, the first anniversary of a cross-border service between Austria and Italy is unlikely to generate many headlines. But the Villach – Udine Micotra service is worthy of attention because it offers some valuable insights into how closer regional co-operation could help international rail travel in Europe recover from years of retrenchment and decline.

JUNE 3 was a cause for celebration within most of the Argentinean railway community when the government announced its decision to revoke the two 30-year railfreight concessions held by Latin American Logistics (ALL) due to contract irregularities and ALL's failure to invest the amounts agreed in the contract for both infrastructure and rolling stock.

THE operation of cross-border rail services, whether freight or passenger, has always been rail's Achilles' heel. Trucks, buses and cars pass from one country to another either without stopping where borders are open or often with only a minimal delay where border controls are in effect, and drivers are on hand to solve any problems.