Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has achieved considerable success in maintaining and even improving track quality while simultaneously reducing costs.

WESTBAHN has become the first open-access operator to challenge Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in Austria's domestic long-distance market, with the launch on December 11 of its Vienna - Linz - Salzburg service.

Last month the Czech Republic's first open-access long-distance passenger operator extended its services into neighbouring Slovakia, and has ambitions to expand even further. Aleš Ondruj, director, onboard services, for RegioJet tells Keith Barrow how liberalisation of the sector is bringing innovation and greater choice for passengers.

Still reeling from the worst economic crisis in more than half a century, Europe's railfreight operators enter a new decade contemplating a long line of financial, political, and technical hurdles. Keith Barrow reports from Marketforce's Future of Railfreight in Europe conference in Berlin, where delegates debated the industry's most pressing issues, and how they might be tackled.