Korea marked the completion of a key transport project for the 2018 Winter Olympics on December 22, with the opening of the 120.7km Wonju - Gangneung section of the Gyeonggang Line.

MALAYSIA’s MyHSR and Singapore’s SG HSR organisations have issued a call for tender for an assets company for the 350km Singapore - Kuala Lumpur high-speed line project, which is due to open in 2026.

BOMBARDIER Sifang Transportation has completed delivery of the final 72 CRH1A-A high-speed train cars under two contracts for 184 cars awarded by China Railway Corporation (CRC).

DB Long Distance issued a public apology on December 13 for the poor service and major delays suffered by passengers using the new Berlin - Munich high-speed route following the opening of the last section of the high-speed line between Erfurt in Thuringia and Ebensfeld, north of Bamberg in Bavaria, on December 10.

Sweden’s proposal to build a new Y-shaped high-speed network between its major cities continues to progress, albeit very slowly. But could the project be about to take a significant step forward? Kevin Smith reports.

The first high-speed railway in California and the United States is starting to take shape following ground breaking on the first section two years ago. Anitra Green reports from the headquarters of the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHRSA) in Sacramento on how the project is progressing.

JAPAN’s Transport Safety Board has launched an investigation after bogie cracks and an oil leak were discovered on a West Japan Railway Company (JR West) N700 Series Shinkansen train while operating a Hakata - Tokyo Nozomi service on December 11.

FRENCH National Railways’ (SNCF) low-cost high-speed service, Ouigo, launched services from central Paris for the first time with the start of the new timetable on December 10.

THE first four out of 17 Evo Pendolino trains being supplied by Alstom to Italy’s open-access high-speed operator NTV entered service on December 7 between Rome and Venice.

THE first five 250km/h ICE4 series-production trains which Siemens is supplying to German Rail (DB) entered regular passenger service on December 10 on the Hamburg - Munich and Hamburg - Frankfurt - Stuttgart main lines.