Speed gives way to style as Japan’s new luxury cruise train prepares to offer mini breaks at major prices. Designed by Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama, the exclusive sleeper will host just 34 passengers on a trip dedicated to the journey, not the destination. We step onboard.

Also, with China a world leader in high-speed rail infrastructure, we find out how important technology transfer agreements have been to this progress. And after launching the first China to London direct rail freight service, we look at the future of global rail freight.

Plus, we profile stand-out monorail systems, catch up with GE’s expansion into India, look into Stuttgart station’s 20-year redevelopment, and hear solutions to the industry’s skills gap.

Read the issue for free on the iPad through our app, or if you're on a desktop computer you can also read it in our web viewer.

In this issue

China’s high-speed tech transfer
Today China is the world leader in high-speed rail infrastructure, following extensive technology transfer deals with foreign companies. We speak to the experts to profile the role of tech transfer in China’s high-speed revolution.
Read the article

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Monorail: pie in the sky?
Monorails have turned from amusement park fixtures to reliable urban transport modes in a number of big cities across the world. We look at some of the most successful monorail systems, as well as pending projects, and see what advantages they can offer compared to traditional trains.
Read the article 

An east wind blows
China has launched a direct rail freight service to London, as part of its drive to develop trade and investment ties with Europe through the new Silk Road. What could this means for rail freight transport between the UK and Asia’s superpower?
Read the article

GE’s trains driving India’s economy
General Electric recently passed the first year milestone in its monumental project to supply 1,000 diesel locomotives to India in a deal worth $17bn. With ground broken on the manufacturing facility and the product design complete, we catch up with GE to find out the challenges ahead.
Read the article

Japan’s trip into super-luxury
A new luxury cruise train will begin excursions between Tokyo’s Ueno Station and northern Japan in May this year. This exclusive sleeper will welcome only 34 passengers at a time, in exchange for a hefty ticket price. Here we look inside one of the world’s most luxurious cruise trains.
Read the article

Stuttgart 21: Germany’s most divisive rail project
Radical redevelopment of Stuttgart’s central rail station was first announced in 1995, but the project is still under construction, with completion not expected until 2021 at the earliest. We track the project’s issues causing setbacks, and explore the benefits, once it’s finished.
Read the article

The importance of getting upskilled
The rail industry is preparing to execute many major infrastructure projects while facing a widening skills gap. What can be done to fix the problem?
Read the article

In the next issue

Hong Kong MTR’s new South Island Line started operating in December 2016. The build had to overcome huge challenges when criss-crossing one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and we speak to project manager Atkins to find out how this feat was achieved.

Also, we take a look at the scope of the Rail Baltica project which aims to connect Northern European states, speak to urban designer Luca Giaramidaro about what California can learn from Europe’s high-speed hubs, and assess the future of the Texan bullet train, which gained Presidential support but may still be stalled by local opposition.

Plus, we ask what’s the argument over driver-only trains and investigate the UK’s train ticket overhaul which has the potential to transform the fares system.

Digital Magazine FAQ

You can read Future Rail for free on the iPad. Download our app to read the latest issue and browse the back issues in our archive.

You can also continue to read the desktop version for free on our web viewer. (Browser compatibility: The web viewer works in the latest two version of Chrome, Firefox and Safari, as well as in Internet Explorer 9 and 10. Some features may not be compatible with older browser versions.)