CHINA Railway Corporation’s new CR400AF Fuxing high-speed trains entered passenger service on the Beijing - Tianjin route on August 21.

China is continuing to expand its high-speed rail network as fast as it can to meet people’s growing transport needs and support the country’s industrial development and economic restructuring, as Han Qiao and Fan Xi with China Features explain.

TEXAS Central, the developer of a project to build a privately-funded high-speed line between Dallas and Houston, announced on August 14 that it has selected Fluor Enterprises and The Lane Construction Corporation, a subsidiary of Salini Impregilo, to support the planning and implementation of the scheme.

TURKEY’s transport, maritime affairs and communications minister Mr Ahmet Arslan says that the long-delayed second phase of the Marmaray project in Istanbul will now be completed next year.

CONSTRUCTION was officially launched on the 113.5km Dunhua - Baihe high-speed line in China’s northeastern Jilin province on August 8.

SPAIN’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Madrid City Council and Distrito Castellana Norte, a subsidiary of Spanish bank BBVA, have finally agreed terms for a major redevelopment around Madrid Chamartin station, a project first planned more than 24 years ago.

THE autonomous region of Inner Mongolia joined China’s high-speed network on August 3 with the opening of the 126km Hohhot - Ulanqab section of the 287km Hohhot - Zhangjiakou high-speed line.

THE first trial run on the Haramain high-speed line with VIPs and invited guests onboard was organised by Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) between Jeddah and Medina on July 25.

ITALIAN State Railways (FS) says traffic rose by 3% to 24 million journeys during the first half of 2017 on its 250 daily Frecce-branded services operated by Trenitalia comprising Frecciarossa and Frecciargento high-speed trains and Frecciabianca long-distance services.