High-speed rail

Türkiye's railway network is expected to extend beyond 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) next year, with the high-speed rail lines alone anticipated to exceed 2,600 kilometers (1,616 miles), according to the country's 2025 central government budget proposal.

NOVI SAD - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday the construction of a Novi Sad-Subotica high-speed rail line section - to be inaugurated on November 24 - was a "big thing" for entire Serbia and that he expected Hungary to complete its stretch of a Belgrade-Budapest line in two years' time.

France's high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks that disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

A source close to the investigation told AFP the attacks were coordinated acts of "sabotage".

The newly initiated super high-speed train project between Istanbul and the capital Ankara will cover 344 kilometers in approximately 80 minutes, Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic announced on Wednesday Serbia would have over 700 km of high-speed rail lines within a decade.

Night trains have made a comeback in Europe thanks to their low-carbon footprint, but after years of neglect, the renaissance has had a bumpy ride.

Operators admit that the trains are outdated - with passengers facing the occasional delays, technical problems or malfunctioning toilets - while companies compete in an overloaded network.

A group of companies, including British transport group Mobico (formerly National Express), plans to launch a high-speed train service to rival Eurostar using the Channel Tunnel.

"There has been discussions in a group of industry parties," a source close to the matter told AFP, confirming information first reported by the Financial Times.

Türkiye aims to bring its national high-speed train, which will have an engine set with eight wagons, to transport passengers in 2025, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has said.

Germany launches on Monday a new flat-rate public transport ticket valid across the country, but the 49-euro ($54) price point has raised doubts about the pass's potential impact.

Touting the monthly pass as a "revolution", policymakers hope it will bring some relief for consumers amid soaring inflation, and encourage people to favor mass transit in the name of the environment.

The U.K. government on March 9 announced a two-year delay to construction on part of the HS2 high-speed railway connecting London with cities in the north of England.

The part of the line running into central London would also be delayed, as part of cost-saving measures, Transport Minister Mark Harper said.