It is one year since the fatal Wenzhou high-speed crash seriously dented China's enthusiasm for high-speed. Construction has resumed, but at a slower pace and in a more cautious way than before, and with concerns over spiralling debt China is now turning to the private sector to invest in rail, reports Han Qiao from China Features.

The development of a high-speed rail network is at the centre of Turkey's ambitious plan to expand and modernise its national railway, which by 2023, when the country celebrates the centenary of the founding of the Turkish republic, will have been completely transformed, reports David Briginshaw from Ankara.

The fitting out of France's newest high-speed line - TGV Rhine-Rhône which opened in December 2011 - was entrusted to a private group of contractors rather than a subsidiary of French National Railways (SNCF). This case study examines the benefits of doing so.

Norway's government will announce a revised 10-year transport plan and details of several new infrastructure projects in 2013. Kevin Smith spoke with Harald Nikolaisen, Jernbaneverket's director of construction and investments, about what the infrastructure manager has suggested these plans include.

THE Indian state of Kerala plans to start work in April 2013 on the first phase of a Rs 1180bn ($US 21.3bn) project to build a 560km standard-gauge line with a maximum speed of 350km/h along the coast from Trivandrum north to Kasaragod by 2021.

FRENCH Rail Network (RFF) has signed a 25-year public-private partnership (PPP) contract with the OC'Via consortium to build and maintain France's first mixed-traffic high-speed line.

ITALIAN infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) opened the new 180km/h high-speed tunnel beneath Bologna on June 21.

SPANISH infrastructure manager Adif has concluded an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) authorising the first €500m tranche of a €1bn loan, which will finance construction of the Basque Y high-speed line.

A CEREMONY was held on June 11 to mark the signing of the contract to build the first section of the Lira 4bn ($US 2.2bn) Ankara – Izmir high-speed line.

A dispute has arisen between NTV, Italy's new open-access high-speed operator, and infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) over access to platform 15 at Rome Ostiense station, which is used by NTV's Italo trains.