High-speed rail is the hot topic, as c­ertain lines across Asia and Europe are winning out over air travel, according to Bloomberg analysis. We pinpoint the routes making travel ­­more quick and convenient to find out how it's done.  

Also, a $2bn high-speed rail line connecting Jerusalem with Tel Aviv has been completed in Israel after a 17-year slog. The project, designed to reduce the 37-mile trek to 28 minutes, hit numerous long delays and controversies due to political struggles, but is now firmly in place. We assess how high-speed rail is set to change Israel.

In other sectors, we profile plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail in the UK, get insight into the rapid growth of Asia-Pacific projects from Timetric.  

And in technology, we speak to the team behind the project to 3D print train cars from new materials, hear how drones were used to survey the Alicante-Murcia Line in south-eastern Spain and create digital models of the rail corridor, and take a look at a new train ticket-buying app that lets travellers bid for empty first class seats.

Read on for all this and ­­­­join the conversation on Twitter.

Ceri Jones, editor