In this issue, we ask whether the newly elected South African Government could help revitalise Cape Town’s railways after a surge in crime rates and arson attacks have rocked the region.

We also investigate a swathe of upgrades and renovations being introduced on Switzerland’s rail network, and explore how the UK’s coastal lines are responding to an increased threat from climate change. Staying in the UK, we ask about the benefits of a radical new design for the country’s ongoing High Speed 2 (HS2) project.

Elsewhere, we investigate how Qatar’s Doha Metro project is progressing ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and ask whether a new airline-style ticketing and reservation system proposed by Virgin Trains could provide a viable model for other rail companies to latch onto. In addition, we ask (and answer) five questions for the developers of Japan’s newly announced Alfa X Shinkansen, which is expected to be the world’s fastest bullet train when it commences operation in 2030.

Finally, we take a visual tour of Glasgow Subway’s recently unveiled driverless trains, which are set to be the first in the UK to run with no staff on-board.

Joe Baker, editor.