A video clip on YouTube titled Seven-Minute Miracle has been viewed more than six million times. It is about a marvellous Shinkansen train cleaning crew finishing their job within seven minutes.

2017 is a landmark year for Norway’s rail sector as competitive tendering begins for two passenger operations packages, and a reformed administration, including a revamped infrastructure manager, starts work. Kevin Smith visits Oslo to find out more about the reforms and what the government is hoping to achieve.

THIS year Austria will celebrate the 180th anniversary of its railways, and while many will pause to reflect on the many historical achievements that shaped the modern network, it is also a good opportunity to consider what the future might hold.

BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) successfully completed £100m of infrastructure upgrade work comprising 200 projects over the Christmas period, with a team of 24,000 accumulating 600,000 hours of work over the 10 days.

After decades of decline, the government of Argentina has drawn up plans to invest $US 16.6bn in the country’s railway network by 2023. Keith Barrow explains how international expertise - and finance - will play a vital role in realising this bold vision.

Montreal is set to profit from the Canadian federal government’s plans to invest heavily in public infrastructure projects, including rail, over the next five years. Kevin Smith assesses what this could mean for metro operator Montreal Transport’s (STM) long-held ambitions for expansion.

Coal was once the cornerstone of the British rail freight business, but changes in energy policy have triggered a steep and rapid decline in volumes. Keith Barrow looks at the prospects for the industry as it grapples with a seismic shift in the foundations of the market and uncertainty over Britain’s departure from the European Union.

German Rail (DB) is actively engaged in a project to use 3D printing to produce components for both infrastructure and rolling stock. Kevin Smith spoke with Stefanie Brickwede, who is leading the effort at DB, about progress so far.

With ageing signalling infrastructure posing an increasing threat to operating performance, Norway has adopted a plan to roll out ERTMS across its entire national network by 2030. Sverre Kjenne, director of signalling and telecommunications for infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket, tells Keith Barrow how Norway will manage procurement and deployment of new signalling and train control technologies.

Singapore Rail Engineering (SRE) was founded in 2014 as an in-house engineering subsidiary of operator SMRT. SRE is currently engaged in rolling stock overhaul projects for SMRT, and as managing director Mario Favaits revealed to Kevin Smith in Singapore, has ambitious plans for growth at home and abroad.