Asia-Pacific is entering a defining period for high-speed rail development.
Major new programmes are progressing across the region, while established networks continue to expand, modernise and integrate with wider transport systems. From Vietnam’s ambitious high-speed rail plans to developments across Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, India and Australia, high-speed rail is increasingly becoming part of a much broader conversation around mobility, economic development, regional connectivity and sustainable infrastructure.
The challenge is no longer simply whether to build high-speed rail, but how to plan, finance, deliver, integrate and operate the next generation of networks successfully.
HSR Asia 27, taking place in Hanoi, Vietnam in March 2027, will bring together governments, rail authorities, operators, investors, financiers, infrastructure developers, engineering and construction companies, technology providers and mobility specialists to examine how Asia-Pacific can successfully deliver its next generation of high-speed rail and integrated mobility.
We invite industry leaders, policymakers, practitioners, researchers and technology innovators to submit presentation proposals, project case studies and technical papers addressing the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of HSR across Asia-Pacific.
Key Themes & Call For Papers Topics
1. The Next Generation of High-Speed Rail in Asia-Pacific
National HSR strategies and emerging projects
Moving from feasibility and planning to procurement and delivery
Vietnam’s next generation of rail infrastructure
Lessons from established HSR networks
Developing national rail and industrial capability
HSR as a catalyst for economic and regional development
Future HSR corridors across Asia-Pacific
2. Financing & Investing in High-Speed Rail
How can Asia-Pacific mobilise the scale of capital required to deliver the region’s HSR ambitions?
Innovative financing and funding models
Public-private partnerships
Government and private-sector investment
Institutional and infrastructure investors
Multilateral development banks and export credit agencies
Risk allocation and project bankability
Land-value capture and transit-oriented development
Creating investable HSR projects
Financing models for emerging HSR markets
3. Cross-Border HSR & Regional Connectivity
As rail networks expand, greater regional collaboration could transform HSR from a collection of national projects into interconnected transport corridors.
ASEAN and wider Asia-Pacific rail connectivity
Developing cross-border HSR corridors
Interoperability between national networks
Harmonisation of technical and operating standards
Border, customs and passenger integration
Government-to-government collaboration
International passenger rail
Connecting cities, economies and markets through HSR
4. HSR & Integrated Mobility
The future of HSR will depend increasingly on how successfully it connects with the wider transport ecosystem.
Integrating HSR with metro, conventional rail and urban transit
Rail-airport connectivity
First- and last-mile mobility
Multimodal transport hubs
Mobility-as-a-Service
Integrated ticketing and digital passenger journeys
Smart stations
Passenger-centric transport planning
Creating seamless end-to-end journeys
5. Engineering & Delivering HSR at Scale
Engineering HSR for complex urban and regional environments
Tunnels, bridges, viaducts and major civil works
Track, electrification, signalling and communications
Systems integration and interface management
Digital engineering and BIM
Construction productivity and innovation
Supply-chain capability and localisation
Managing cost, programme and delivery risk
Lessons from major HSR projects
6. Digital Rail, AI & the Intelligent Railway
How will emerging technologies change the way future HSR systems are designed, built and operated?
Artificial intelligence in rail
Digital twins
Predictive and condition-based maintenance
Automated operations
Advanced signalling and train control
Intelligent asset management
Data-driven railway operations
Cybersecurity
Smart passenger services
Digital transformation across the railway lifecycle
7. Stations, Cities & Transit-Oriented Development
HSR stations are increasingly becoming destinations and catalysts for economic development rather than simply points of arrival and departure.
HSR stations as catalysts for urban regeneration
Transit-oriented development
Station precinct development
Integrating HSR into existing cities
Commercial and property development
Designing future passenger hubs
Connecting secondary cities and regional economies
Capturing the wider economic benefits of HSR investment
8. Sustainable & Climate-Resilient HSR
HSR’s role in decarbonising regional mobility
Reducing embodied carbon in construction
Low-carbon construction materials and methods
Energy-efficient railway systems
Renewable energy integration
Climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience
Designing for flooding, extreme heat and severe weather
Measuring the environmental and social benefits of HSR
9. From Infrastructure to Operations
Successful HSR does not end when construction is completed.
Operational readiness
Network commissioning
Safety and reliability
Fleet and rolling-stock strategies
Maintenance and lifecycle management
Depot development
Capacity and timetable optimisation
Workforce development
Passenger experience
Accessibility and inclusive design
Using operational data to improve performance
10. The Future Passenger: What Does the Next Generation of Mobility Look Like?
Changing passenger expectations
Seamless digital journeys
Passenger information and connectivity
Ticketing and payment innovation
Accessibility
Comfort, service and onboard experience
Connecting HSR with future mobility platforms
Competing and collaborating with aviation and other transport modes
HSR Asia 27 strongly encourages real-world project and operational case studies from across Asia-Pacific and internationally. We are particularly interested in contributions from Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, together with international projects offering transferable lessons for the region. Papers should wherever possible move beyond project promotion and examine: What worked? What did not? What lessons were learned? What can Asia-Pacific’s next generation of HSR projects do differently?
Submission Guidelines
Presentation proposals should include:
Proposed presentation title
150 word outline or 4-5 bullet points
Speaker name, title and organisation with a brief bio and photo
Contact details
Priority will be given to submissions offering original insight, practical experience, major project case studies, innovative technologies, financing solutions and lessons directly applicable to HSR development across Asia-Pacific. Commercial or purely sales-focused presentations will not normally be accepted for the main conference programme.
Help Shape The Next Generation of HSR In Asia-Pacific!
The scale of high-speed rail development now being considered across Asia-Pacific presents an opportunity to rethink not only how railways are built, but how they are financed, integrated, operated and connected to the wider mobility ecosystem.
HSR Asia 27 will provide a regional platform for the organisations and leaders responsible for planning, financing, designing, building, operating and connecting Asia-Pacific’s next generation of high-speed rail networks.
We invite you to share your expertise, showcase lessons from major projects and contribute to the discussion shaping the future of high-speed rail and integrated mobility across the region.
Submission Guidelines – please submit proposed topic title with 4-5 bullet points include any case studies used for illustration.
Key Dates - Abstract Submission Deadline:30 October 2026
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Our Magazine is sent to Indian and Global Railway Professionals & Major marketing platform, distributed to the decision makers of the Railways Industry in India.
It provides the latest news and updates on Indian projects for International companies to connect with each other and collaborate for projects in India along with information and analysis on railway projects in India.
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