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High-speed rail
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{{Short description|Fastest rail-based transport systems}}{{Redirect|High-speed train|the “High Speed Train” in the United Kingdom|InterCity 125}}{{For|fast railway services with speeds less than {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}|Higher-speed rail}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}{{multiple image| direction = vertical| header = High-speed rail | image1 = N700a-Mt.Fuji.jpg| width1 = 300| alt1 = | caption1 = The Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed line in Japan, with Mount Fuji in the background. The Tokaido Shinkansen, which connects the cities of Tokyo and Osaka, was the world’s first high-speed rail line.| image2 = CR400BF-G-5168@IFP (20210128114403).jpg| width2 = 300| alt2 = | caption2 = High-speed trains operated by China Railway at Beijing Chaoyang railway station; China has the most extensive high-speed rail network in the world.}}High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilizing trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialized rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines built to handle speeds above {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} or upgraded lines in excess of {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} are widely considered to be high-speed.The first high-speed rail system, the TÅkaidÅ Shinkansen, began operations in Honshu, Japan, in 1964. Due to the streamlined spitzer-shaped nose cone of the locomotive, the system also became known by its English nickname bullet train. Japan’s example was followed by several European countries, initially in Italy with the Direttissima line, followed shortly thereafter by France, Germany, and Spain. Today, much of Europe has an extensive network with numerous international connections. More recent construction since the 21st century has led to China taking a leading role in high-speed rail. {{as of|2023}}, its network accounted for over two-thirds of the world’s total.In addition to these, many other countries have developed high-speed rail infrastructure to connect major cities, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uzbekistan. Only in continental Europe and Asia does high-speed rail cross international borders.WEB, 27 February 2020, High Speed Lines in the World,uic.org/IMG/pdf/20200227_high_speed_lines_in_the_world.pdf, dead,web.archive.org/web/20210117092100/https://uic.org/IMG/pdf/20200227_high_speed_lines_in_the_world.pdf, 17 January 2021, 18 March 2021, International Union of Railways, High-speed trains mostly operate on standard gauge tracks of continuously welded rail on grade-separated rights of way with large radii. However, certain regions with wider legacy railways, including Russia and Uzbekistan, have sought to develop a high-speed railway network in Russian gauge. There are no narrow gauge high-speed trains. Countries whose legacy network is entirely or mostly of a different gauge than 1435mm â including Japan and Spain â have however often opted to build their high speed lines to standard gauge instead of the legacy railway gauge.High-speed rail is the fastest and most efficient ground-based method of commercial transportation, however due to requirements for large track curves, gentle gradients and grade separated track the construction of high-speed rail is more costly than conventional rail and therefore does not always present an economical advantage over conventional speed rail.{{TOC limit|3}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
Definitions
{{train topics}}{{See also|Passenger rail terminology}}Multiple definitions for high-speed rail are in use worldwide.The European Union Directive 96/48/EC, Annex 1 (see also Trans-European high-speed rail network) defines high-speed rail in terms of:- Infrastructure: Track built specially for high-speed travel or specially upgraded for high-speed travel.
- Minimum speed limit: Minimum speed of {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on lines specially built for high speed and of about {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on existing lines which have been specially upgraded. This must apply to at least one section of the line. Rolling stock must be able to reach a speed of at least 200 km/h to be considered high speed.
- Operating conditions: Rolling stock must be designed alongside its infrastructure for complete compatibility, safety and quality of service.WEB, International Union of Railways,www.uic.org/spip.php?article971, General definitions of highspeed, 13 May 2009, dead,www.uic.org/spip.php?article971," title="web.archive.org/web/20110720214528www.uic.org/spip.php?article971,">web.archive.org/web/20110720214528www.uic.org/spip.php?article971, 20 July 2011,
- Minimum speed limit: Minimum speed of {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on lines specially built for high speed and of about {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on existing lines which have been specially upgraded. This must apply to at least one section of the line. Rolling stock must be able to reach a speed of at least 200 km/h to be considered high speed.
- Category I: New tracks specially constructed for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.
- Category II: Existing tracks specially upgraded for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.
- Category III: Existing tracks specially upgraded for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least 200 km/h, but with some sections having a lower allowable speed (for example due to topographic constraints, or passage through urban areas).
- Category II: Existing tracks specially upgraded for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.
- Maximum achievable running speed in excess of {{Convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, or {{Convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}} for very high-speed,
- Average running speed across the corridor in excess of {{convert|150|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, or {{Convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} for very high-speed.
History
Railways were the first form of rapid land transportation and had an effective monopoly on long-distance passenger traffic until the development of the motor car and airliners in the early-mid 20th century. Speed had always been an important factor for railroads and they constantly tried to achieve higher speeds and decrease journey times. Rail transportation in the late 19th century was not much slower than non-high-speed trains today, and many railroads regularly operated relatively fast express trains which averaged speeds of around {{cvt|100|km/h}}.Official Guide of the Railways, 1910: The Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, Rand McNally & Company Publishing, 1910,Early research
(File:STES-AEG Versuchstriebwagen.jpg|thumb|The German 1903 record holder)First experiments
High-speed rail development began in Germany in 1899 when the Prussian state railway joined with ten electrical and engineering firms and electrified {{convert|72|km|abbr=on}} of military owned railway between Marienfelde and Zossen. The line used three-phase current at 10 kilovolts and 45 Hz.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}The Van der Zypen & Charlier company of Deutz, Cologne built two railcars, one fitted with electrical equipment from Siemens-Halske, the second with equipment from Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG), that were tested on the MarienfeldeâZossen line during 1902 and 1903 (see Experimental three-phase railcar).{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}On 23 October 1903, the S&H-equipped railcar achieved a speed of {{convert|206.7|km/h|abbr=on}} and on 27 October the AEG-equipped railcar achieved {{convert|210.2|km/h|abbr=on}}.Sith Sastrasinh, “Electrical Train MarienfeldeâZossen in 1901 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911101535www.worldrailfans.info/forum/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F2292-electrical-train-marienfelde-zossen-in-1901%2F%3Fp=18578 |date=11 September 2016 }}”, 21 January 2000, WorldRailFans. Accessed 23 January 2013. These trains demonstrated the feasibility of electric high-speed rail; however, regularly scheduled electric high-speed rail travel was still more than 30 years away.High-speed aspirations
After the breakthrough of electric railroads, it was clearly the infrastructure â especially the cost of it â which hampered the introduction of high-speed rail. Several disasters happened â derailments, head-on collisions on single-track lines, collisions with road traffic at grade crossings, etc. The physical laws were well-known, i.e. if the speed was doubled, the curve radius should be quadrupled; the same was true for the acceleration and braking distances.(File:Károly Zipernowsky.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Károly Zipernowsky)In 1891 the engineer Károly Zipernowsky proposed a high-speed line ViennaâBudapest, bound for electric railcars at {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Krettek|1975|p= 47}} In 1893 Wellington Adams proposed an air-line from Chicago to St. Louis of {{convert|252|mi}},{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=27}} at a speed of only {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}.(File:CNY map.png|thumb|right|upright=1.4|1907 map showing the projected ChicagoâNew York Electric Air Line Railroad)Alexander C. Miller had greater ambitions. In 1906, he launched the Chicago-New York Electric Air Line Railroad project to reduce the running time between the two big cities to ten hours by using electric {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} locomotives. After seven years of effort, however, less than {{convert|50|km|abbr=on}} of arrow-straight track was finished.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=27}} A part of the line is still used as one of the last interurbans in the US.High-speed interurbans
In the US, some of the interurbans (i.e. trams or streetcars which run from city to city) of the early 20th century were very high-speed for their time (also Europe had and still does have some interurbans). Several high-speed rail technologies have their origin in the interurban field.In 1903 â 30 years before the conventional railways started to streamline their trains â the officials of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition organised the Electric Railway Test Commission to conduct a series of tests to develop a carbody design that would reduce wind resistance at high speeds. A long series of tests was carried.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=68}} In 1905, St. Louis Car Company built a railcar for the traction magnate Henry E. Huntington, capable of speeds approaching {{cvt|100|mph|order=flip}}. Once it ran {{cvt|20|mi|order=flip}} between Los Angeles and Long Beach in 15 minutes, an average speed of {{cvt|80|mph|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=60}} However, it was too heavy for much of the tracks, so Cincinnati Car Company, J. G. Brill and others pioneered lightweight constructions, use of aluminium alloys, and low-level bogies which could operate smoothly at extremely high speeds on rough interurban tracks. Westinghouse and General Electric designed motors compact enough to be mounted on the bogies. From 1930 on, the Red Devils from Cincinnati Car Company and a some other interurban rail cars reached about {{convert|145|km/h|abbr=on}} in commercial traffic. The Red Devils weighed only 22 tons though they could seat 44 passengers.Extensive wind tunnel research â the first in the railway industry â was done before J. G. Brill in 1931 built the Bullet cars for Philadelphia and Western Railroad (P&W). They were capable of running at {{cvt|92|mph|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=72}} Some of them were almost 60 years in service.WEB,ruins.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/built-to-last-jg-brills-bullets/, Built to Last: J.G. Brill’s ‘Bullets’, 5 April 2007, P&W’s Norristown High Speed Line is still in use, almost 110 years after P&W in 1907 opened their double-track Upper DarbyâStrafford line without a single grade crossing with roads or other railways. The entire line was governed by an absolute block signal system.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=10}}Early German high-speed network
(File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-14151, “Fliegender Hamburger”, DRG 778.jpg|thumb|The German Fliegender Hamburger)On 15 May 1933, the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft company introduced the diesel-powered “Fliegender Hamburger” in regular service between Hamburg and Berlin ({{convert|286|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), thereby achieving a new top speed for a regular service, with a top speed of {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}. This train was a streamlined multi-powered unit, albeit diesel, and used Jakobs bogies.Following the success of the Hamburg line, the steam-powered Henschel-Wegmann Train was developed and introduced in June 1936 for service from Berlin to Dresden, with a regular top speed of {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}. Incidentally no train service since the cancelation of this express train in 1939 has traveled between the two cities in a faster time {{As of|2018|lc=y}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}} In August 2019, the travel time between Dresden-Neustadt and Berlin-Südkreuz was 102 minutes.WEB,reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/dn/185376/364783/130852/3634/80?ld=43181&protocol=https:&seqnr=5&ident=2a.026610181.1565204730&date=08.08.19&station_evaId=8010085&station_type=dep¤tReferrer=tp&rt=1&rtMode=DB-HYBRID&&time=14:46¤tJourneyClass=2&,archive.today/20190807190812/https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/dn/185376/364783/130852/3634/80?ld=43181&protocol=https:&seqnr=5&ident=2a.026610181.1565204730&date=08.08.19&station_evaId=8010085&station_type=dep¤tReferrer=tp&rt=1&rtMode=DB-HYBRID&&time=14:46¤tJourneyClass=2&, dead, 7 August 2019, Timetable for EuroCity 378, Deutsche Bahn, See BerlinâDresden railway.Further development allowed the usage of these “Fliegenden Züge” (flying trains) on a rail network across Germany.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}The “Diesel-Schnelltriebwagen-Netz” (diesel high-speed-vehicle network) had been in the planning since 1934 but it never reached its envisaged size.All high-speed service stopped in August 1939 shortly before the outbreak of World War II.BOOK, de, {{Google books, yes, YPmMUHzFVqwC, 218, |title=Geschichte und Zukunft des Verkehrs.: Verkehrskonzepte von der FrÏhen ... |access-date=26 March 2013|isbn=978-3593357669 |year=1997 |last1=Dienel |first1=Hans-Liudger |last2=Trischler |first2=Helmuth |publisher=Campus Verlag }}American Streamliners
File:Twin Cities Zephyr Oregon Illinois early 1940s.jpg|right|thumb|Burlington Zephyr passenger train]]On 26 May 1934, one year after Fliegender Hamburger introduction, the Burlington Railroad set an average speed record on long distance with their new streamlined train, the Zephyr, at {{convert|124|km/h|abbr=on}} with peaks at {{convert|185|km/h|abbr=on}}. The Zephyr was made of stainless steel and, like the Fliegender Hamburger, was diesel powered, articulated with Jacobs bogies, and could reach {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} as commercial speed.The new service was inaugurated 11 November 1934, traveling between Kansas City and Lincoln, but at a lower speed than the record, on average speed {{convert|74|km/h|abbr=on}}.WEB,www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/pioneerzeph193809.html, The Pioneer Zephyr â September, 1938 â Streamliner Schedules, Eric H. Bowen, 17 December 2014, 21 October 2014,www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/pioneerzeph193809.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20141021054656www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/pioneerzeph193809.html,">web.archive.org/web/20141021054656www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/pioneerzeph193809.html, dead, In 1935, the Milwaukee Road introduced the Morning Hiawatha service, hauled at {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} by steam locomotives. In 1939, the largest railroad of the world, the Pennsylvania Railroad introduced a duplex steam engine Class S1, which was designed to be capable of hauling 1200 tons passenger trains at {{convert|161|km/h|abbr=on}}. The S1 engine was assigned to power the popular all-coach overnight premier train the Trail Blazer between New York and Chicago since the late 1940s and it consistently reached {{convert|161|km/h|abbr=on}} in its service life. These were the last “high-speed” trains to use steam power. In 1936, the Twin Cities Zephyr entered service, from Chicago to Minneapolis, with an average speed of {{convert|101|km/h|abbr=on}}.WEB,www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/twinzephyrs193809.html, The Twin Zephyrs â September, 1938 â Streamliner Schedules, Eric H. Bowen, 17 December 2014, 21 October 2014,www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/twinzephyrs193809.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20141021053729www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/twinzephyrs193809.html,">web.archive.org/web/20141021053729www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/twinzephyrs193809.html, dead, Many of these streamliners posted travel times comparable to or even better than their modern Amtrak successors, which are limited to {{convert|79|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}} top speed on most of the network.Italian electric and the last steam record
File:Rimessa ferroviaria pistoia 61.jpg|thumb|The Italian ETR 200 ]]The German high-speed service was followed in Italy in 1938 with an electric-multiple-unit ETR 200, designed for {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}, between Bologna and Naples. It too reached {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} in commercial service, and achieved a world mean speed record of {{convert|203|km/h|abbr=on}} between Florence and Milan in 1938.In Great Britain in the same year, the streamlined steam locomotive Mallard achieved the official world speed record for steam locomotives at {{convert|125.88|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}}. The external combustion engines and boilers on steam locomotives were large, heavy and time and labor-intensive to maintain, and the days of steam for high speed were numbered.Introduction of the Talgo system
In 1945, a Spanish engineer, Alejandro Goicoechea, developed a streamlined, articulated train that was able to run on existing tracks at higher speeds than contemporary passenger trains. This was achieved by providing the locomotive and cars with a unique axle system that used one axle set per car end, connected by a Y-bar coupler. Amongst other advantages, the centre of mass was only half as high as usual.{{Google books |id=AyEDAAAAMBAJ |page=70 |title=Low Slung Train Travels Fast }} Popular Science, February 1945, p. 70 This system became famous under the name of Talgo (Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol), and for half a century was the main Spanish provider of high-speed trains.First above 300 km/h developments
(File:SNCF CC 7102 Pk42 Le Mee sur Seine.jpg|thumb|The French CC 7100, 1955 record holder)In the early 1950s, the French National Railway started to receive their new powerful CC 7100 electric locomotives, and began to study and evaluate running at higher speeds. In 1954, the CC 7121 hauling a full train achieved a record {{convert|243|km/h|abbr=on}} during a test on standard track. The next year, two specially tuned electric locomotives, the CC 7107 and the prototype BB 9004, broke previous speed records, reaching respectively {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} and {{convert|331|km/h|abbr=on}}, again on standard track.WEB,archivchemindefer.free.fr/dossierTGV/DouviensTGV.pdf, D’où viens tu TGV, fr, Picard, Jean François, Beltran, Alain, For the first time, {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}} was surpassed, allowing the idea of higher-speed services to be developed and further engineering studies commenced. Especially, during the 1955 records, a dangerous hunting oscillation, the swaying of the bogies which leads to dynamic instability and potential derailment was discovered. This problem was solved by yaw dampers which enabled safe running at high speeds today. Research was also made about “current harnessing“{{clarify|date=November 2015}} at high-speed by the pantographs, which was solved 20 years later by the Zébulon TGV’s prototype.Breakthrough: Shinkansen
File:Model 3000 SE of Odakyu Electric Railway.JPG|thumb|The Odakyu 3000 series SEOdakyu 3000 series SE(File:0 series Yurakucho 19670505.jpg|thumb|The original 0 series Shinkansen train. Introduced in 1964, it reached a speed of {{convert|210|km/h|abbr=on}}.)(File:E6-E5-Coupling in omiya 20130320.jpg|thumb|E6 and E5 series Shinkansen models)Japanese research and development
With some 45 million people living in the densely populated TokyoâOsaka corridor, congestion on road and rail became a serious problem after World War II,{{sfn|Hood|2006|pp=18â43}} and the Japanese government began thinking about ways to transport people in and between cities. Because Japan was resource limited and did not want to import petroleum for security reasons, energy-efficient high-speed rail was an attractive potential solution.Japanese National Railways (JNR) engineers began to study the development of a high-speed regular mass transit service. In 1955, they were present at the Lille’s Electrotechnology Congress in France, and during a 6-month visit, the head engineer of JNR accompanied the deputy director Marcel Tessier at the DETE (SNCF Electric traction study department). JNR engineers returned to Japan with a number of ideas and technologies they would use on their future trains, including alternating current for rail traction, and international standard gauge.{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}}First narrow-gauge Japanese high-speed service
In 1957, the engineers at the private Odakyu Electric Railway in Greater Tokyo Area launched the Odakyu 3000 series SE EMU. This EMU set a world record for narrow gauge trains at {{convert|145|km/h|abbr=on}}, giving the Odakyu engineers confidence they could safely and reliably build even faster trains at standard gauge.{{sfn|Hood|2006|pp=18â43}} Conventional Japanese railways up until that point had largely been built in the {{Track gauge|1067mm}} Cape gauge, however widening the tracks to standard gauge ({{Track gauge|1435mm}}) would make very high-speed rail much simpler due to improved stability of the wider rail gauge, and thus standard gauge was adopted for high-speed service.NEWS, Jones, Ben, 2 December 2019, How Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains changed the world of rail travel,www.kimt.com/content/national/565685772.html, 18 November 2020, KIMT News, Associated Press, en, 18 April 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210418072549/https://www.kimt.com/content/national/565685772.html, dead, With the sole exceptions of Russia, Finland, and Uzbekistan all high-speed rail lines in the world are still standard gauge, even in countries where the preferred gauge for legacy lines is different.A new train on a new line
The new service, named Shinkansen (meaning new main line) would provide a new alignment, 25% wider standard gauge, continuously welded rails between Tokyo and Osaka using new rolling stock, designed for {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on}}. However, the World Bank, whilst supporting the project, considered the design of the equipment as unproven for that speed, and set the maximum speed to {{convert|210|km/h|abbr=on}}.After initial feasibility tests, the plan was fast-tracked and construction of the first section of the line started on 20 April 1959.WEB, ja,www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/p19871.html, ja:Kanagawa Prefecture:ç央ã»æ¹åã®ç°å¢ã¨å ±çããé½å¸ã¥ããNEWS NO. 11ãæ°å¹¹ç·è±ç¥èã¯ã¤ãºã®è§£èª¬, Pref.kanagawa.jp, 17 October 2011, dead,www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/p19871.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20110927053732www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/p19871.html,">web.archive.org/web/20110927053732www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/p19871.html, 27 September 2011, In 1963, on the new track, test runs hit a top speed of {{convert|256|km/h|abbr=on}}. Five years after the beginning of the construction work, in October 1964, just in time for the Olympic Games, the first modern high-speed rail, the TÅkaidÅ Shinkansen, was opened between the two cities; a {{cvt|320|mi|order=flip}} stretch between Tokyo and Åsaka.WEB, Shinkansen {{!, Summary & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinkansen |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} As a result of its speeds, the Shinkansen earned international publicity and praise, and it was dubbed the “bullet train.“The first Shinkansen trains, the 0 Series Shinkansen, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries{{snd}}in English often called “Bullet Trains”, after the original Japanese name {{Nihongo||弾丸åè»|Dangan Ressha}}{{snd}}outclassed the earlier fast trains in commercial service. They traversed the {{convert|515|km|abbr=on}} distance in 3 hours 10 minutes, reaching a top speed of {{convert|210|km/h|abbr=on}} and sustaining an average speed of {{convert|162.8|km/h|abbr=on}} with stops at Nagoya and Kyoto.WEB, The Shinkansen Turns 50: The History and Future of Japan’s High-Speed Train,www.nippon.com/en/features/h00078/, nippon.com, 25 January 2021, en, 1 October 2014,High-speed rail for the masses
Speed was not only a part of the Shinkansen revolution: the Shinkansen offered high-speed rail travel to the masses. The first Bullet trains had 12 cars and later versions had up to 16,WEB,english.jr-central.co.jp/about/outline.html, Outline History and Overview of the Tokaido Shinkansen, Central Japan Railway Company, March 2010, 2 March 2011, and double-deck trains further increased the capacity.WEB,www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/tohokushinkansen.html, Tohoku Shinkansen, East Japan Railway Company, March 2011, 2 May 2011, WEB,www.jreast.co.jp/investor/factsheet/pdf/factsheet.pdf, 2010 Fact Sheets, JR East, 30 July 2010, 2 May 2011, After three years, more than 100 million passengers had used the trains, and the milestone of the first one billion passengers was reached in 1976. In 1972, the line was extended a further {{convert|161|km|abbr=on}}, and further construction has resulted in the network expanding to {{convert|3058|km|abbr=on}} as of March 2020, with a further {{convert|399|km|abbr=on}} of extensions currently under construction and due to open in stages between March 2023 and 2031. The cumulative patronage on the entire system since 1964 is over 10 billion, the equivalent of approximately 140% of the world’s population, without a single train passenger fatality. (Suicides, passengers falling off the platforms, and industrial accidents have resulted in fatalities.){{sfn|Hood|2006|p=214}}Since their introduction, Japan’s Shinkansen systems have been undergoing constant improvement, not only increasing line speeds. Over a dozen train models have been produced, addressing diverse issues such as tunnel boom noise, vibration, aerodynamic drag, lines with lower patronage (“Mini shinkansen“), earthquake and typhoon safety, braking distance, problems due to snow, and energy consumption (newer trains are twice as energy-efficient as the initial ones despite greater speeds).WEB,ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201309190078, New maglev Shinkansen to run underground for 86% of initial route, AJW by The Asahi Shimbun, 17 December 2014, dead,ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201309190078," title="web.archive.org/web/20141226124352ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201309190078,">web.archive.org/web/20141226124352ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201309190078, 26 December 2014, (File:JR-Maglev-MLX01-901 001.jpg|thumb|A maglev train on the Yamanashi Test Track, November 2005)Future developments
After decades of research and successful testing on a {{Convert|43|km|0|abbr=on}} test track, JR Central is now{{when|date=January 2024}} constructing a Maglev Shinkansen line, which is known as the ChÅ«Å Shinkansen. These Maglev trains still have the traditional underlying tracks and the cars have wheels. This serves a practical purpose at stations and a safety purpose out on the lines in the event of a power failure. However, in normal operation, the wheels are raised up into the car as the train reaches certain speeds where the magnetic levitation effect takes over. It will link Tokyo and Osaka by 2037, with the section from Tokyo to Nagoya expected to be operational by 2027.WEB,www.hurriyetdailynews.com/japan-produces-next-generation-of-train-technology-151376, Japan produces next generation of train technology, 25 January 2020, 26 January 2020, Average speed is anticipated at {{convert|505|kph|mph|abbr=on}}. The first generation train can be ridden by tourists visiting the test track.China is developing two separate high-speed maglev systems.- the CRRC 600, is based on the Transrapid technology and is being developed by the CRRC under license from Thyssen-Krupp.NEWS, German maglev test track set for revival? CRRC could use the Transrapid Emsland track to test maglev vehicles.,www.railjournal.com/passenger/high-speed/german-maglev-test-track-set-for-revival/, International Railway Journal, 6 April 2021, A {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} test track has been operating since 2006 at the Jiading Campus of Tongji University, northwest of Shanghai. A prototype vehicle was developed in 2019 and was tested in June 2020.NEWS, China’s super fast 600km/h maglev train performs its first test run,www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3090079/chinas-super-fast-600km/h-maglev-train-performs-its-first-test, 21 July 2021, SCMP, 22 June 2020, In July 2021 a four car train was unveiled.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} A high-speed test track is under development and in April 2021 there was consideration given to re-opening the Emsland test facility in Germany.
- An incompatible system has been developed at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, the design uses high-temperature super conducting magnets, which the university has been researching since 2000, and is capable of {{convert|620|kph|mph|abbr=on}}. A prototype was demonstrated in January 2021 on a {{convert|165|m|yd|abbr=on}} test track.NEWS, China reveals 620km/hr high-temp electric maglev train,thedriven.io/2021/01/21/china-reveals-620km-hr-high-temp-electric-maglev-train/, 21 July 2021, The Driven, 21 January 2021,
Europe and North America
File:103 224+TEE DDM.jpg|thumb|The German DB Class 103DB Class 103First demonstrations at {{convert|200|km/h|abbron}}
In Europe, high-speed rail began during the International Transport Fair in Munich in June 1965, when Dr Ãpfering, the director of Deutsche Bundesbahn (German Federal Railways), performed 347 demonstrations at {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} between Munich and Augsburg by DB Class 103 hauled trains. The same year the Aérotrain, a French hovercraft monorail train prototype, reached {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} within days of operation.Le Capitole“>Le Capitole
File:Spoorwegmuseum_Mulhouse_Capitole.jpg|thumb|left|The BB 9200 hauled Le Capitole at 200 km/h.]]After the successful introduction of the Japanese Shinkansen in 1964, at {{convert|210|km/h|abbr=on}}, the German demonstrations up to {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} in 1965, and the proof-of-concept jet-powered Aérotrain, SNCF ran its fastest trains at {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}.In 1966, French Infrastructure Minister Edgard Pisani consulted engineers and gave the French National Railways twelve months to raise speeds to {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}. The classic line ParisâToulouse was chosen, and fitted, to support {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} rather than {{convert|140|km/h|abbr=on}}. Some improvements were set, notably the signals system, development of on board “in-cab” signalling system, and curve revision.The next year, in May 1967, a regular service at {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} was inaugurated by the TEE Le Capitole between Paris and Toulouse, with specially adapted SNCF Class BB 9200 locomotives hauling classic UIC cars, and a full red livery. It averaged {{convert|119|km/h|abbr=on|}} over the {{convert|713|km|abbr=on|}}.WEB, Le Capitole â 1969 SNCF Ferroviaire / French Trains, YouTube,www.youtube.com/watch?v=leb5TveiK3g,ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/leb5TveiK3g, 2021-12-11, live, 2 February 2021, www.youtube.com, {{cbignore}}At the same time, the Aérotrain prototype 02 reached {{convert|345|km/h|abbr=on}} on a half-scale experimental track. In 1969, it achieved {{convert|422|km/h|abbr=on}} on the same track. On 5 March 1974, the full-scale commercial prototype Aérotrain I80HV, jet powered, reached {{convert|430|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}}US Metroliner trains
File:metroliner1968.jpg|thumb|Metroliner trains developed in the U.S. for rapid service between New York and Washington, DC]]In the United States, following the creation of Japan’s first high-speed Shinkansen, President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his Great Society infrastructure building initiatives asked the Congress to devise a way to increase speeds on the railroads.Remarks at the Signing of the High-Speed Ground Transportation Act {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708221044www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=27281 |date=8 July 2018 }}. 30 September 1965 Congress delivered the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and helped to create regular Metroliner service between New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The new service was inaugurated in 1969, with top speeds of {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}} and averaging {{convert|145|km/h|abbr=on}} along the route, with the travel time as little as 2 hours 30 minutes.The Metroliner was able to travel from New York to Washington in just 2.5 hours because it did not make any intermediate stops, Metroliner Timetable, Penn Central, 26 October 1969, The Metroliners this travel time beats the Contemporary (2015) Acela on the same route, though the latter makes intermediate stops In a 1967 competition with a GE powered Metroliner on Penn Central’s mainline, the United Aircraft Corporation TurboTrain set a record of {{convert|275|km/h|abbr=on}}.WEB,ewh.ieee.org/cmte/asmeltc/hsr_plaque.htm, High Speed Rail Transportation I, ewh.ieee.org,United Kingdom, Italy and Germany
{{Further|High-speed rail in the United Kingdom}}File:Etr500.JPG|thumb|An ETR 500 train running on the FlorenceâRome high-speed line near Arezzo, (Italy]], the first high-speed railway opened in Europe.WEB, Special report: A European high-speed rail network,op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/high-speed-rail-19-2018/en/, 2023-07-22, op.europa.eu, en-GB, )In 1976, British Rail introduced a high-speed service able to reach {{cvt|125|mph|order=flip}} using the InterCity 125 diesel-electric trainsets under the brand name of High Speed Train (HST). It was the fastest diesel-powered train in regular service and it improved upon its {{cvt|100|mph|order=flip}} forerunners in speed and acceleration. As of 2019 it is still in regular service as the fastest diesel-powered train.WEB, Baylis, Simon, Class 43 High-Speed Train, also known as the InterCity 125, is unveiled at National Railway Museum in York.,www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/about-us/press-office/high-speed-locomotive-sir-kenneth-grange-joins-national-railway-museum, Railway Museum, 11 November 2019, 11 December 2019, The train was as a reversible multi-car set having driving power-cars at both ends and a fixed formation of passenger cars between them. Journey times were reduced by an hour for example on the East Coast Main Line, and passenger numbers increased.NEWS, 2021-05-16, Intercity 125: Workers say farewell to British Rail icon,www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-57069437, 2024-05-20, en-GB, . As of 2019 many of these trains are still in service, private operators have often preferred to rebuild the units with new engines rather than replace them.{{Cn|date=May 2024}} Prior to COVID-19, ridership of the UK’s High Speed Intercity Services had exceeded 40 million journeys per annum.WEB, Passenger rail usage {{!, ORR Data Portal |url=https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=dataportal.orr.gov.uk}}The next year, in 1977, Germany finally introduced a new service at {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}, on the MunichâAugsburg line. That same year, Italy inaugurated the first European High-Speed line, the Direttissima between Rome and Florence, designed for {{cvt|250|km/h}}, but used by FS E444 hauled train at {{cvt|200|km/h}}. In France this year also saw the abandonment for political reasons of the Aérotrain project, in favour of the TGV.Evolution in Europe
Italy
File:Frecciarossa 1000 nuova livrea.jpg|thumb|FS’ Frecciarossa 1000 high speed train at Milano Centrale railway station, with a maximum speed of {{convert|400|km/h|0|abbr=on}},WEB, Frecciarossa 1000 in Figures,www.fsitaliane.it/fsi-en/GROUP/Safety-and-Technology/Frecciarossa1000:-the-train-of-the-future/Frecciarossa-1000-in-Figures, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, 24 November 2014, dead,www.fsitaliane.it/fsi-en/GROUP/Safety-and-Technology/Frecciarossa1000%3A-the-train-of-the-future/Frecciarossa-1000-in-Figures," title="web.archive.org/web/20141218192603www.fsitaliane.it/fsi-en/GROUP/Safety-and-Technology/Frecciarossa1000%3A-the-train-of-the-future/Frecciarossa-1000-in-Figures,">web.archive.org/web/20141218192603www.fsitaliane.it/fsi-en/GROUP/Safety-and-Technology/Frecciarossa1000%3A-the-train-of-the-future/Frecciarossa-1000-in-Figures, 18 December 2014, is one of the fastest trains in Europe.WEB,www.railway-technology.com/projects/frecciarossa-1000-very-high-speed-train/, Frecciarossa 1000 Very High-Speed Train, Railway Technology, 2016-05-05, 9 August 2015,www.railway-technology.com/projects/frecciarossa-1000-very-high-speed-train," title="web.archive.org/web/20150809032916www.railway-technology.com/projects/frecciarossa-1000-very-high-speed-train,">web.archive.org/web/20150809032916www.railway-technology.com/projects/frecciarossa-1000-very-high-speed-train, live, NEWS,www.cbc.ca/news/world/french-train-breaks-speed-record-1.650346, French Train Breaks Speed Record, (CBC News]], 5 June 2019, 5 August 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200805201116/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/french-train-breaks-speed-record-1.650346, live, )File:FS ETR.500 pair, Firenze S.M.N. (1).JPG|thumb|A pair of FS’ ETR 500 at 362|km/h|abbr=on}} on the Bologna-Florence line on 4 February 2009, a new world speed record in a tunnel.WEB,www.corriere.it/cronache/09_febbraio_04/treno_record_galleria_8806fdfa-f2ce-11dd-8878-00144f02aabc.shtml, Due record in prova per il Frecciarossa, 2009-02-04, Repubblica, it, 2009-02-05, The earliest European high-speed railway to be built was the Italian FlorenceâRome high-speed railway (also called “Direttissima“) in 1977. High-speed trains in Italy were developed during the 1960s. E444 locomotives were the first standard locomotives capable of top speed of {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}, while an ALe 601 electrical multiple unit (EMU) reached a speed of {{convert|240|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} during a test. Other EMUs, such as the ETR 220, ETR 250 and ETR 300, were also updated for speeds up to {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}. The braking systems of cars were updated to match the increased travelling speeds.On 25 June 1970, work was started on the RomeâFlorence Direttissima, the first high-speed line in Italy and in Europe. It included the {{convert|5,375|m|mi|adj=mid|-long}} bridge on the Paglia river, then the longest in Europe. Works were completed in the early 1990s.In 1975, a program for a widespread updating of the rolling stock was launched. However, as it was decided to put more emphasis on local traffic, this caused a shifting of resources from the ongoing high-speed projects, with their subsequent slowing or, in some cases, total abandonment. Therefore, 160 E.656 electric and 35 D.345 locomotives for short-medium range traffic were acquired, together with 80 EMUs of the ALe 801/940 class, 120 ALn 668 diesel railcars. Some 1,000 much-needed passenger and 7,000 freight cars were also ordered.In the 1990s, work started on the Treno Alta Velocità (TAV) project, which involved building a new high-speed network on the routes Milan â (BolognaâFlorenceâRomeâNaples) â Salerno, Turin â (MilanâVeronaâVenice) â Trieste and MilanâGenoa. Most of the planned lines have already been opened, while international links with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia are underway.(File:Italy TAV.png|right|thumb|Italy’s high speed rail network)Most of the RomeâNaples line opened in December 2005, the TurinâMilan line partially opened in February 2006 and the MilanâBologna line opened in December 2008. The remaining sections of the RomeâNaples and the TurinâMilan lines and the BolognaâFlorence line were completed in December 2009. All these lines are designed for speeds up to {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on|round=10}}. Since then, it is possible to travel from Turin to Salerno (ca. {{convert|950|km|abbr=on}}) in less than 5 hours. More than 100 trains per day are operated.WEB,www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Le-Frecce/Collegamenti-e-servizi-Frecciarossa, Viaggia con i treni Frecciarossa e acquista il biglietti a prezzi scontati - Le Frecce - Trenitalia, trenitalia.com, it, 2017-05-14, Other proposed high-speed lines are Salerno-Reggio CalabriaWEB, it,www.ferrovie.info/index.php/it/13-treni-reali/17310-ferrovie-ecco-il-progetto-della-av-ac-salerno-reggio-calabria, Ferrovie: Ecco il progetto della AV/AC Salerno-Reggio Calabria, 8 February 2021, (connected to Sicily with the future bridge over the Strait of MessinaWEB, it,www.citynow.it/alta-velocita-ferroviaria-sa-rc-come-cambiano-scenari-foto-social-ponte-stretto/, Alta velocità ferroviaria SA-RC, come cambiano gli scenari., 21 February 2024, ), Palermo-CataniaWEB, it,www.strettoweb.com/2023/05/alta-velocita-salerno-reggio-palermo-catania-messina-lavori-37-miliardi/1520865/, Alta velocità ferroviaria Salerno-Reggio e Palermo-Catania Messina: aggiudicati lavori per altri 3,7 miliardi, 21 February 2024, and NaplesâBari.WEB, it,www.quotidiano.net/economia/alta-velocita-napoli-bari-d84a609c, Alta velocità Napoli-Bari. Partiti i lavori. Sei miliardi per collegare le due città in 2 ore a 40 minuti, 21 February 2024, The main public operator of high-speed trains (alta velocità AV, formerly Eurostar Italia) is Trenitalia, part of FSI. Trains are divided into three categories: Frecciarossa (“Red arrow“) trains operate at a maximum of {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} on dedicated high-speed tracks; Frecciargento (Silver arrow) trains operate at a maximum of {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} on both high-speed and mainline tracks; Frecciabianca (White arrow) trains operate at a maximum of {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} on mainline tracks only.Since 2012, a new and Italy’s first private train operator, NTV (branded as Italo), run high-speed services in competition with Trenitalia. Even nowadays, Italy is the only country in Europe with a private high-speed train operator.Construction of the Milan-Venice high-speed line has begun in 2013 and in 2016 the Milan-Treviglio section has been opened to passenger traffic; the Milan-Genoa high-speed line (Terzo Valico dei Giovi) is also under construction.Today it is possible to travel from Rome to Milan in less than 3 hours (2h 55’) with the Frecciarossa 1000, the new high-speed train. To cover this route, there’s a train every 30 minutes.France
(File:TGV001.JPG|thumb|One power-car of the gas-turbine prototype “TGV 001”)File:Gare de Lyon TGV orange.jpg|thumb|The TGV Sud-Est, at the Gare de LyonGare de Lyon(File:TGV World Speed Record 574 km per hour.jpg|thumb|right|The TGV at {{convert|574.8|km/h|abbr=on}} in 2007)Following the 1955 records, two divisions of the SNCF began to study high-speed services. In 1964, the DETMT (petrol-engine traction studies department of SNCF) investigated the use of gas turbines: a diesel-powered railcar was modified with a gas-turbine, and was called “TGV” (Turbotrain Grande Vitesse). It reached {{convert|230|km/h|abbr=on}} in 1967, and served as a basis for the future Turbotrain and the real TGV. At the same time, the new “SNCF Research Department”, created in 1966, was studying various projects, including one code-named “C03: Railways possibilities on new infrastructure (tracks)”.In 1969, the “C03 project” was transferred to public administration while a contract with Alstom was signed for the construction of two gas-turbine high-speed train prototypes, named “TGV 001”. The prototype consisted of a set of five carriages, plus a power car at each end, both powered by two gas-turbine engines. The sets used Jacobs bogies, which reduce drag and increase safety.{{Citation needed|date=November 2015}}In 1970, the DETMT’s Turbotrain began operations on the ParisâCherbourg line, and operated at {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} despite being designed for usage at {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}. It used gas-turbine powered multiple elements and was the basis for future experimentation with TGV services, including shuttle services and regular high rate schedules.In 1971, the “C03” project, now known as “TGV Sud-Est”, was validated by the government, against Bertin’s Aerotrain. Until this date, there was a rivalry between the French Land Settlement Commission (DATAR), supporting the Aérotrain, and the SNCF and its ministry, supporting conventional rail. The “C03 project” included a new High-Speed line between Paris and Lyon, with new multi-engined trains running at {{convert|260|km/h|abbr=on}}. At that time, the classic Paris-Lyon line was already congested and a new line was required; this busy corridor, neither too short (where high speeds give limited reductions in end to end times) nor too long (where planes are faster in city center to city center travel time), was the best choice for the new service.The 1973 oil crisis substantially increased oil prices. In the continuity of the De Gaulle “energy self-sufficiency” and nuclear-energy policy (Pierre Messmer then French Prime Minister announced an ambitious buildout of nuclear power in France in 1974), a ministry decision switched the future TGV from now costly gas-turbine to full electric energy in 1974. An electric railcar named Zébulon was developed for testing at very high speeds, reaching a speed of {{convert|306|km/h|abbr=on}}. It was used to develop pantographs capable of withstanding speeds of over {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}}.After intensive tests with the gas-turbine “TGV 001” prototype, and the electric “Zébulon”, in 1977, the SNCF placed an order to the group AlstomâFrancorailâMTE for 87 TGV Sud-Est trainsets.They used the “TGV 001” concept, with a permanently coupled set of eight cars, sharing Jacobs bogies, and hauled by two electric-power cars, one at each end.In 1981, the first section of the new ParisâLyon High-Speed line was inaugurated, with a {{convert|260|km/h|abbr=on}} top speed (then {{convert|270|km/h|abbr=on}} soon after). Being able to use both dedicated high-speed and conventional lines, the TGV offered the ability to join every city in the country at shorter journey times. After the introduction of the TGV on some routes, air traffic on these routes decreased and in some cases disappeared. The TGV set a publicised speed records in 1981 at {{convert|380|km/h|abbr=on}}, in 1990 at {{convert|515|km/h|abbr=on}}, and then in 2007 at {{convert|574.8|km/h|abbr=on}}, although these were test speeds, rather than operation train speeds.Germany
(File:ICE 1 in Augsburg-Hochzoll.jpg|thumb|The German ICE 1)Following the ETR 450 and Direttissima in Italy and French TGV, in 1991 Germany was the third country in Europe to inaugurate a high-speed rail service, with the launch of the Intercity-Express (ICE) on the new HannoverâWürzburg high-speed railway, operating at a top speed of {{convert|280|km/h|abbr=on}}. The German ICE train was similar to the TGV, with dedicated streamlined power cars at both ends, but a variable number of trailers between them. Unlike the TGV, the trailers had two conventional bogies per car, and could be uncoupled, allowing the train to be lengthened or shortened. This introduction was the result of ten years of study with the ICE-V prototype, originally called Intercity Experimental, which broke the world speed record in 1988, reaching {{convert|406|km/h|abbr=on}}.Spain
File:Ave.jpg|thumb|The Spanish AVE AVE Class 102 “Pato” (duck) ]]In 1992, just in time for the Barcelona Olympic Games and Seville Expo ‘92, the MadridâSeville high-speed rail line opened in Spain with 25 kV AC electrification, and standard gauge, differing from all other Spanish lines which used Iberian gauge. This allowed the AVE rail service to begin operations using Class 100 trainsets built by Alstom, directly derived in design from the French TGV trains. The service was very popular and development continued on high-speed rail in Spain.In 2005, the Spanish Government announced an ambitious plan, (PEIT 2005â2020)WEB,www.fomento.es/MFOM/LANG_EN/_ESPECIALES/PEIT/default.htm, Strategic Infrastructures and Transport Plan (PEIT) â Strategic Infrastructures and Transport Plan (PEIT) â Ministerio de Fomento, www.fomento.es,www.fomento.es/MFOM/LANG_EN/_ESPECIALES/PEIT/default.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20100626115047www.fomento.es/MFOM/LANG_EN/_ESPECIALES/PEIT/default.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20100626115047www.fomento.es/MFOM/LANG_EN/_ESPECIALES/PEIT/default.htm, 26 June 2010, envisioning that by 2020, 90 percent of the population would live within {{convert|50|km|abbr=on|round=5}} of a station served by AVE. Spain began building the largest HSR network in Europe: {{As of|2011|lc=y}}, five of the new lines have opened (MadridâZaragozaâLleidaâTarragonaâBarcelona, CórdobaâMalaga, MadridâToledo, MadridâSegoviaâValladolid, MadridâCuencaâValencia) and another {{convert|2219|km|abbr=on|round=5}} were under constructionwww.uic.org/IMG/pdf/20100521_a1_high_speed_lines_in_the_world.pdf {{Dead link|date=October 2011}} Opened in early 2013, the PerpignanâBarcelona high-speed rail line provides a link with neighbouring France with trains running to Paris, Lyon, Montpellier and Marseille.{{As of|2023|May}}, the Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest HSR network in Europe with {{convert|3,966|km|mi|abbr=on}}WEB,www.adifaltavelocidad.es/red-ferroviaria/red-de-alta-velocidad, Red de Alta Velocidad, ADIF, 7 May 2023, and the second longest in the world, after China’s.Turkey
In 2009, Turkey inaugurated a high-speed service between Ankara and EskiÅehir.WEB,todayszaman.com/news-167998-high-speed-train-to-make-8-trips-daily-between-ankara-eskisehir.html, High-speed train to make 8 trips daily between Ankara, EskiÈehir, TodaysZaman, 17 December 2014, dead,www.todayszaman.com/news-167998-high-speed-train-to-make-8-trips-daily-between-ankara-eskisehir.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20141021053726www.todayszaman.com/news-167998-high-speed-train-to-make-8-trips-daily-between-ankara-eskisehir.html,">web.archive.org/web/20141021053726www.todayszaman.com/news-167998-high-speed-train-to-make-8-trips-daily-between-ankara-eskisehir.html, 21 October 2014, This has been followed up by an Ankara â Konya route, and the Eskisehir line has been extended to Istanbul (European part). In this extension, Europe and Asia were connected by an undersea tunnel, Marmaray in the Bosphorus. The first connection between two continents in the world as a high-speed train line was made in Istanbul. The last station of this line in Europe is Halkalı station. An Extension to Sivas was opened in April 2023.WEB,www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/ankara-sivas-yht-seferlerinin-ucretsiz-yapilmasina-iliskin-karar-resmi-gazetede/2929971, Ankara Sivas High-speed line inaugurated, railwaypro, 5 November 2023,Evolution in the United States
(File:Acela 2000.jpg|thumb|The Acela)In 1992, the United States Congress passed the Amtrak Authorization and Development Act that authorized Amtrak to start working on service improvements on the segment between Boston and New York City of the Northeast Corridor.{{USStatute|102|533|106|3515|1992|10|27|HR|4250}} The primary objectives were to electrify the line north of New Haven, Connecticut, to eliminate grade crossings and replace the then 30-year-old Metro liners with new trains, so that the distance between Boston and New York City could be covered in 3 hours or less.Amtrak started testing two trains, the Swedish X2000 and the German ICE 1, in the same year along its fully electrified segment between New York City and Washington, D.C. The officials favored the X2000 as it had a tilting mechanism. However, the Swedish manufacturer never bid on the contract as the burdensome United States railroad regulations required them to heavily modify the train resulting in added weight, among other things. Eventually, a custom-made tilting train derived from TGV, manufactured by Alstom and Bombardier, won the contract and was put into service in December 2000.The new service was named “Acela Express” and linked Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. The service did not meet the 3-hour travel time objective between Boston and New York City. The time was 3 hours and 24 minutes as it partially ran on regular lines, limiting its average speed, with a maximum speed of {{cvt|150|mph|order=flip}} being reached on a small section of its route through Rhode Island and Massachusetts.WEB, Amtrak’s Management of Northeast Corridor Improvements Demonstrates Need for Applying Best Practices (GAO-04-94),www.gao.gov/new.items/d0494.pdf, Report to the chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate, United States General Accounting Office, 26 August 2013, February 2004,www.gao.gov/new.items/d0494.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20141021053817www.gao.gov/new.items/d0494.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20141021053817www.gao.gov/new.items/d0494.pdf, 21 October 2014, dead, NEWS, Dao, James, Acela, Built to Be Rail’s Savior, Bedevils Amtrak at Every Turn,www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/national/24acela.html, 26 August 2013, The New York Times, 24 April 2005, As of November 2021, the U.S. has one high-speed rail line under construction (California High-Speed Rail) in California,WEB,hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-in-california/construction-activities-interactive-map/, Construction Activities Interactive Map, and advanced planning by a company called Texas Central Railway in Texas, higher-speed rail projects in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Southeast, as well as upgrades on the high-speed Northeast Corridor. The private higher speed rail venture Brightline in Florida started operations along part of its route in early 2018. The top speed is {{cvt|125|mph|order=flip}} but most of the line still runs at {{cvt|79|mph|order=flip}}.Expansion in East Asia
For four decades from its opening in 1964, the Japanese Shinkansen was the only high-speed rail service outside of Europe. In the 2000s a number of new high-speed rail services started operating in East Asia.Chinese CRH and CR
{{multiple image| align = right| direction = vertical| header = | header_align = left| header_background = | footer = | footer_align = left| footer_background = | width = | image1 = CR400AF-2001@BJN (20170626110730).jpg| width1 = | alt1 =Fuxing (train)>CR400AF train set on the BeijingâShanghai high-speed railway at Beijing South railway station| image2 = Zh_HST_nose.jpg | China Railways CRH380A>CRH380A at Luoyang Longmen railway station| width2 = }}High-speed rail was introduced to China in 2003 with the QinhuangdaoâShenyang high-speed railway.The Chinese government made high-speed rail construction a cornerstone of its economic stimulus program in order to combat the effects of the 2008 global financial crisis and the result has been a rapid development of the Chinese rail system into the world’s most extensive high-speed rail network. By 2013 the system had {{convert|11028|km|mi|abbr=on}} of operational track, accounting for about half of the world’s total at the time.WEB,business.sohu.com/20140305/n396105235.shtml, 5 March 2014, Sohu Business, zh-hans, zh:ä¸å½é«éæ»éç¨è¾¾11028å
¬éå ä¸çä¸å”, By the end of 2018, the total high-speed railway (HSR) in China had risen to over {{convert|29000|km|abbr=off|mi}}.Over 1.71 billion trips were made in 2017, more than half of China’s total railway passenger delivery, making it the world’s busiest network.WEB,www.chinanews.com/cj/2018/01-02/8414612.shtml, www.chinanews.com, zh-hans, zh:2017å¹´ä¸å½éè·¯æèµ8010亿å
æ产æ°çº¿3038å
¬é-ä¸æ°ç½, 13 January 2018, State planning for high-speed railway began in the early 1990s, and the country’s first high-speed rail line, the QinhuangdaoâShenyang Passenger Railway, was built in 1999 and opened to commercial operation in 2003. This line could accommodate commercial trains running at up to {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}. Planners also considered Germany’s Transrapid maglev technology and built the Shanghai maglev train, which runs on a {{convert|30.5|km|abbr=on}} track linking the Pudong, the city’s financial district, and the Pudong International Airport.The maglev train service began operating in 2004 with trains reaching a top speed of {{convert|431|km/h|abbr=on}}, and remains the fastest high-speed service in the world. Maglev, however, was not adopted nationally and all subsequent expansion features high-speed rail on conventional tracks.In the 1990s, China’s domestic train production industry designed and produced a series of high-speed train prototypes but few were used in commercial operation and none were mass-produced. The Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) then arranged for the purchase of foreign high-speed trains from French, German, and Japanese manufacturers along with certain technology transfers and joint ventures with domestic trainmakers. In 2007, the MOR introduced the China Railways High-speed (CRH) service, also known as “Harmony Trains”, a version of the German Siemens Velaro high-speed train.In 2008, high-speed trains began running at a top speed of {{convert|350|km/h|abbr=on}} on the BeijingâTianjin intercity railway, which opened during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The following year, trains on the newly opened WuhanâGuangzhou high-speed railway set a world record for average speed over an entire trip, at {{convert|312.5|km/h|abbr=on}} over {{convert|968|km|abbr=off}}.A collision of high-speed trains on 23 July 2011 in Zhejiang province killed 40 and injured 195, raising concerns about operational safety. A credit crunch later that year slowed the construction of new lines. In July 2011, top train speeds were lowered to {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}}. But by 2012, the high-speed rail boom had renewed with new lines and new rolling stock by domestic producers that had indigenised foreign technology. On 26 December 2012, China opened the BeijingâGuangzhouâShenzhenâHong Kong high-speed railway, the world’s longest high-speed rail line, which runs {{convert|2208|km|abbr=on}} from Beijing West railway station to Shenzhen North Railway Station.NEWS, World’s Longest Fast Train Line Opens in China, Associated Press,bigstory.ap.org/article/worlds-longest-fast-train-line-opens-china, dead, 26 December 2012,bigstory.ap.org/article/worlds-longest-fast-train-line-opens-china," title="web.archive.org/web/20121229131846bigstory.ap.org/article/worlds-longest-fast-train-line-opens-china,">web.archive.org/web/20121229131846bigstory.ap.org/article/worlds-longest-fast-train-line-opens-china, 29 December 2012, NEWS, Beijing â Guangzhou high speed line completed, Railway Gazette International,www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/beijing-guangzhou-high-speed-line-completed.html, 31 December 2012, 29 December 2012,www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/beijing-guangzhou-high-speed-line-completed.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20121229151344www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/beijing-guangzhou-high-speed-line-completed.html,">web.archive.org/web/20121229151344www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/beijing-guangzhou-high-speed-line-completed.html, dead, The network set a target to create the 4+4 National high-speed rail Grid by 2015,WEB, China’s operating high-speed railway exceeds 7,000 km,news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-11/27/c_132002966.htm, 27 November 2012, xinhuanet.com, dead,news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-11/27/c_132002966.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20121201060253news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-11/27/c_132002966.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20121201060253news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-11/27/c_132002966.htm, 1 December 2012, 27 November 2012, and continues to rapidly expand with the July 2016 announcement of the 8+8 National high-speed rail Grid. In 2017, {{Convert|350|km/h|0|abbr=on}} services resumed on the BeijingâShanghai high-speed railway,WEB,fortune.com/2017/08/21/china-world-fastest-train/, China Relaunches World’s Fastest Train, Fortune, once again refreshing the world record for average speed with select services running between Beijing South to Nanjing South reaching average speeds of {{convert|317.7|km/h|abbr=on|}}.WEB, China powers ahead as new entrants clock in,www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/PDF/Railway_Gazette_World_Speed_Survey_2019.pdf, Railway Gazette International, 9 July 2019, 9 July 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190709020342/https://www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/PDF/Railway_Gazette_World_Speed_Survey_2019.pdf, dead, South Korean KTXFile:KTX-Sancheon.jpg|thumb|The Korean-developed KTX SancheonKTX SancheonIn South Korea, construction of the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan began in 1992. The SeoulâBusan corridor is Korea’s busiest running between the two largest cities. In 1982, it represented 65.8% of South Korea’s population, a number that grew to 73.3% by 1995, along with 70% of freight traffic and 66% of passenger traffic. With both the Gyeongbu Expressway and Korail’s Gyeongbu Line congested as of the late 1970s, the government saw the pressing need for another form of transportation.JOURNAL, Cho, Nam-Geon, Chung, Jin-Kyu, High Speed Rail Construction of Korea and Its Impact, ko, KRIHS Special Report Series, 12, 2008, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements,168.126.177.50/pub/docu/en/AD/ZA/ADZA2008AAN/ADZA-2008-AAN.PDF, 2010-08-30, dead,168.126.177.50/pub/docu/en/AD/ZA/ADZA2008AAN/ADZA-2008-AAN.PDF," title="web.archive.org/web/20110529073047168.126.177.50/pub/docu/en/AD/ZA/ADZA2008AAN/ADZA-2008-AAN.PDF,">web.archive.org/web/20110529073047168.126.177.50/pub/docu/en/AD/ZA/ADZA2008AAN/ADZA-2008-AAN.PDF, 2011-05-29, 11, The line known as Korea Train Express (KTX) was launched on 1 April 2004, using French (TGV) technology. Top speed for trains in regular service is currently {{convert|305|km/h|abbr=on}}, though the infrastructure is designed for {{convert|350|km/h|abbr=on}}. The initial rolling stock was based on Alstom’s TGV Réseau, and was partly built in Korea. The domestically developed HSR-350x, which achieved {{convert|352.4|km/h|abbr=on}} in tests, resulted in a second type of high-speed trains now operated by Korail, the KTX Sancheon. The next generation KTX train, HEMU-430X, achieved {{convert|421.4|km/h|abbr=on}} in 2013, making South Korea the world’s fourth country after France, Japan, and China to develop a high-speed train running on conventional rail above {{convert|420|km/h|abbr=on}}.Taiwan HSR(File:THSR 700T Front view.jpg|thumb|Taiwan high-speed rail, derived from the Shinkansen)Taiwan High Speed Rail’s first and only HSR line opened for service on 5 January 2007, using Japanese trains with a top speed of {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}}. The service traverses {{convert|345|km|abbr=on}} from {{stl|Taiwan High Speed Rail|Nangang}} to {{stl|Taiwan High Speed Rail|Zuoying}} in as little as 105 minutes. While it contains only one line, its route covers Western Taiwan where over 90% of Taiwan’s population live; connecting most major cities of Taiwan: Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.BOOK, Strategic Plan for National Spatial Development (Summary), June 2010, Council for Economic Planning and Development, Government of Taiwan, Taipei, 28â34,ws.ndc.gov.tw/Download.ashx?u=LzAwMS9hZG1pbmlzdHJhdG9yLzEwL3JlbGZpbGUvMC83Mi9hZjBhNTViZC1mMzU1LTQwMGQtYTQ5ZC0xNDJlYWFjZGE2MWEucGRm&n=57aT5bu65pyD5ZyL5ZyfX%2BS4reaWh1IucGRm&icon=..pdf, 30 January 2022, zh, Once THSR began operations, almost all passengers switched from airlines flying parallel routesNEWS, Chen, Melody, 4 September 2008, Romance of rail jeopardises domestic air routes, Taiwan Journal,taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/site/tj/ct.asp?CtNode=122&xItem=45023, 11 October 2010, dead,taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/site/tj/ct.asp?CtNode=122&xItem=45023," title="web.archive.org/web/20080925003521taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/site/tj/ct.asp?CtNode=122&xItem=45023,">web.archive.org/web/20080925003521taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/site/tj/ct.asp?CtNode=122&xItem=45023, 25 September 2008, while road traffic was also reduced.NEWS, 26 September 2007, Taiwan’s High-speed Rail: It’s Been a Rapid Learning Curve, China Knowledge@Wharton, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania,www.knowledgeatwharton.com.cn/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&articleid=1718&languageid=1, 11 October 2010, 16 July 2011,www.knowledgeatwharton.com.cn/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&articleid=1718&languageid=1," title="web.archive.org/web/20110716031053www.knowledgeatwharton.com.cn/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&articleid=1718&languageid=1,">web.archive.org/web/20110716031053www.knowledgeatwharton.com.cn/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&articleid=1718&languageid=1, dead,Middle East and Central AsiaSaudi ArabiaUzbekistanUzbekistan opened the Afrosiyob {{convert|344|km|abbr=on}} service from Tashkent to Samarkand in 2011, which was upgraded in 2013 to an average operational speed of {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} and peak speed of {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on}}. The Talgo 250 service has been extended to Karshi as of August 2015 whereby the train travels {{convert|450|km|abbr=on}} in 3 hours. As of August 2016, the train service was extended to Bukhara, and the {{convert|600|km|abbr=on}} extension will take 3 hours and 20 minutes down from 7 hours.WEB,www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html, Talgo 250 reaches Bukhara, DVV Media, UK, 26 August 2016, 27 August 2016,www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20160827194202www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html,">web.archive.org/web/20160827194202www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html, dead,Egypt{{As of|2022}}, there are no operational high-speed rail lines in Egypt. Plans have been announced for three lines, aiming to connect the Nile river valley, the Mediterranean coast, and the Red Sea. Construction had started on at least two lines.WEB, 2022-03-14, Egypt’s Transport Ministry starts construction of 2nd express train line,egyptindependent.com/egypts-transport-ministry-starts-construction-of-2nd-express-train-line/, 2022-12-26, Egypt Independent, en-US,AfricaMoroccoIn November 2007, the Moroccan government decided to undertake the construction of a high-speed rail line between the economic capital Casablanca and Tangier, one of the largest harbour cities on the Strait of Gibraltar. The line will also serve the capital Rabat and Kenitra. The first section of the line, the {{convert|323|km|mi|adj=mid|}} KenitraâTangier high-speed rail line, was completed in 2018. Future projects include expansions south to Marrakech and Agadir, and east to Meknes, Fes and Oujda.Network{{See also|Proposed high-speed rail by country}}Maps{{Multiple image| direction = horizontal| align = center| total_width = 875| image1 = High Speed Railroad Map of the United States 2013.svg| caption1 = Operational high-speed lines in the United States| image2 = High Speed Railroad Map of Europe.svg| caption2 = Operational high-speed lines in Europe| image3 = Western Asia HSR.svg| caption3 = Operational high-speed lines in Western & Central Asia| image4 = Eastern Asia HSR2016.svg| caption4 = Operational high-speed lines in East Asia| image5 = South Southeast Asia HSR2023.svg | High-speed rail in Indonesia>Indonesia) and under construction (MumbaiâAhmedabad high-speed rail corridor | , BangkokâNong Khai high-speed railway>Thailand) high-speed lines in South and Southeast Asia | #ae00ff | 310 | 350 | 0 | border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{Legend inline | {{convert | â | km/h | abbr=on}} | #fa9900 | 240 | 260 | 0 | border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{Legend inline | {{convert | â | km/h | abbr=on}} | #00aa00 | border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{Legend inline | Other railways|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}| footer_background = | background color = | footer_align = | width = | alt1 = | width1 = 200}}TechnologiesFile:Viaduc de la Haute-Colme 01 09.jpg|thumb|High-speed line on a viaduct to avoid ramp and road-crossing, with a British Rail Class 373 from EurostarEurostarFile:Steigung NIM.jpg|thumb|A German high-speed line, with ballastless trackballastless trackContinuous welded rail is generally used to reduce track vibrations and misalignment. Almost all high-speed lines are electrically driven via overhead lines, have in-cab signalling, and use advanced switches using very low entry and frog angles. HSR tracks may also be designed to reduce vibrations originating from high speed rail usewww.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr15/pdf/f38_tec.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}}Road-rail parallel layout(File:NIM Baustelle2001 Leidorf Koeschinger Forst.jpg|thumb|A German high-speed line being built along a highway)The road-rail parallel layout uses land beside highways for railway lines. Examples include Paris/Lyon and KölnâFrankfurt in which 15% and 70% of the track runs beside highways, respectively.WEB,www.jhcrawford.com/energy/interstaterail.html, Interstate Rail Proposal, J.H. Crawford, 17 October 2011,www.jhcrawford.com/energy/interstaterail.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20111008204136www.jhcrawford.com/energy/interstaterail.html,">web.archive.org/web/20111008204136www.jhcrawford.com/energy/interstaterail.html, 8 October 2011, dead, There are synergies to be achieved from such a setup as noise mitigation measures for the road benefit the railway and vice versa and furthermore less land must be taken through expropriation as land may have already been acquired for the construction of the other infrastructure. In addition to that, habitats of local wildlife are disrupted only once (by the combined rail/road right of way) instead of at multiple points. However, downsides include the fact that roads usually allow steeper grades and sharper turns than high-speed rail lines and thus co-locating them may not always be suitable. Moreover, both roads and railways often make use of narrow river valleys or mountain passes which do not allow a lot of infrastructure to be sited next to each other.Track sharingIn China, high-speed lines at speeds between {{convert|200|and|250|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} may carry freight or passengers, while lines operating at speeds over {{cvt|300|km/h|mph|0}} are used only by passenger CRH/CR trains.WEB,www.ft.com/cms/s/0/353fecc8-40e1-11df-94c2-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340.html,www.ft.com/cms/s/0/353fecc8-40e1-11df-94c2-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340.html," title="ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210www.ft.com/cms/s/0/353fecc8-40e1-11df-94c2-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340.html,">ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210www.ft.com/cms/s/0/353fecc8-40e1-11df-94c2-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340.html, 10 December 2022, subscription, live, China on track to be world’s biggest network, Jamil Anderlini, Financial Times, 5 April 2010, 12 April 2010, In the United Kingdom, HS1 is also used by regional trains run by Southeastern at speeds of up to {{Convert|225|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, and occasionally freight trains that run to central Europe.In Germany, some lines are shared with Inter-City and regional trains at day and freight trains at night.In France, some lines are shared with regional trains that travel at {{Convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, for example TER Nantes-Laval.WEB,www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/200-km/h-dans-le-ter-inaugural-sur-la-ligne-grande-vitesse-video-5105752, Nantes-Laval. Le TER file à 200 km/H sur la ligne à grande vitesse [vidéo], 2 July 2017, Mixing trains of vastly different speeds and/or stopping patterns on the same tracks drastically reduces capacityvm.baden-wuerttemberg.de/fileadmin/redaktion/m-mvi/intern/Dateien/PDF/Stuttgart_21/Filderdialog_Auswirkungen_Mischverkehr_120629.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}diglib.tugraz.at/download.php?id=60cc41b7f0080&location=browse {{bare URL inline|date=March 2024}tu-dresden.de/bu/verkehr/ibv/gvb/ressourcen/dateien/Abschlussarbeiten/2017_DA_Hannes_Ortlieb.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}} so usually a temporal separation (e.g. freight trains use the high-speed line only at night when no or only a few passenger trains operate)WEB, 2023-07-20, ICE-Neubaustrecke: Nachts wird es in Kommunen mitunter leiser,www.fr.de/rhein-main/ice-neubaustrecke-nachts-wird-es-in-kommunen-mitunter-leiser-92412016.html, 2023-08-17, www.fr.de, de, is employed or the slower train has to wait at a station or passing siding for the faster train to overtake - even if the faster train is delayed, thus delaying the slower train, too.CostThe cost per kilometre in Spain was estimated at between â¬9 million (MadridâAndalucÃa) and â¬22 million (MadridâValladolid). In Italy, the cost was between â¬24 million (RomaâNapoli) and â¬68 million (BolognaâFirenze).JOURNAL, Beria, Paolo, Grimaldi, Raffaele, Albalate, Daniel, Bel, Germà , Delusions of success: Costs and demand of high-speed rail in Italy and Spain, Transport Policy, September 2018, 68, 63â79, 10.1016/j.tranpol.2018.03.011, 11311/1122504, 157978351,re.public.polimi.it/retrieve/handle/11311/1015984/186783/Beria%20Bel%20et%20al%20-%20Mismatches%20HSR%20Italy%20n%20Spain%20-%20PAPER%2013%20%5BSENT%5D.pdf, 17 November 2022, en, In the 2010s, costs per kilometre in France ranged from â¬18 million (BLP Brittany) to â¬26 million (Sud Europe Atlantique).WEB, Ollivier, Gerald, Sondhi, Jitendra, Zhou, Nanyan, High-Speed Railways in China: A Look at Construction Costs, China Transport Topics, 9,documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/695111468024545450/pdf/892000BRI0Box3000china0transport09.pdf, Documents & Reports: The World Bank, The World Bank, 17 November 2022,web.archive.org/web/20201202182104/https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/695111468024545450/pdf/892000BRI0Box3000china0transport09.pdf, 2 December 2020, en, July 2014, live, The World Bank estimated in 2019 that the Chinese HSR network was built at an average cost of $17â21 million per km.WEB,documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/933411559841476316/pdf/Chinas-High-Speed-Rail-Development.pdf, China’s High-Speed Rail Development, Lawrence, Martha, Richard Bullock, and Ziming Liu, 2019, World Bank,Freight high-speed railAll high-speed trains have been designed to carry passengers only. There are very few high-speed freight services in the world; they all use trains that were originally designed to carry passengers.During the planning of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Japanese National Railways were planning for freight services along the route.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} This plan was later discarded.The French TGV La Poste was for a long time the sole very high-speed train service, transporting mail in France for La Poste at a maximum top speed of 270 km/h, between 1984 and 2015. The trainsets were either specifically adapted and built, either converted, passenger TGV Sud-Est trainsets.In Italy, Mercitalia Fast is a high-speed freight service launched in October 2018 by Mercitalia. It uses converted passenger ETR 500 trainsets to carry goods at average speeds of 180 km/h, at first between Caserta and Bologna, with plans to extend the network throughout Italy.WEB,www.fsitaliane.it/content/fsitaliane/en/Media/press-releases-and-news/2018/4/6/mercitalia-fast--from-october--goods-will-travel-at-high-speed.html, Mercitalia Fast: from October, goods will travel at high speed, www.fsitaliane.it, 17 November 2018,web.archive.org/web/20181117233926/https://www.fsitaliane.it/content/fsitaliane/en/Media/press-releases-and-news/2018/4/6/mercitalia-fast--from-october--goods-will-travel-at-high-speed.html, 17 November 2018, dead, In some countries, high-speed rail is integrated with courier services to provide fast door-to-door intercity deliveries. For example, China Railways has partnered with SF Express for high-speed cargo deliveriesWEB,www.caixinglobal.com/2018-08-29/china-railway-corp-sf-express-team-up-on-delivery-venture-101320197.html, China Railway Corp., SF Express Team Up on Delivery Venture, Mo Yelin, 29 August 2018, 22 September 2020, Caixin Global, and offers express deliveries within Germany as well as to some major cities outside the country on the ICE network.WEB,www.time-matters.com/transport-solutions/ickurier/, ic:kurier: Rail courier service by train, 22 September 2020, time:matters, Rather than using dedicated freight trains, these use luggage racks and other unused space in passenger trains.Non-high-speed freight trains running on high-speed lines is much more common; for example, High Speed 1 sees weekly freight services.MAGAZINE,www.railpro.co.uk/magazine/?idArticles=1184, Interview: Alain Thauvette, December 2011, Katie, Silvester, Rail Professional, dead,www.railpro.co.uk/magazine/?idArticles=1184," title="web.archive.org/web/20120420024023www.railpro.co.uk/magazine/?idArticles=1184,">web.archive.org/web/20120420024023www.railpro.co.uk/magazine/?idArticles=1184, 20 April 2012, CPL, Cambridge, However, high speed lines tend to be steeper than regular (non-mountain) railways, which poses a problem for most freight trains as they have a lower power to weight ratio and thus more difficulty climbing steep slopes. For example, the Frankfurt Cologne high speed line has inclines up to 40â°.NEWS, Bös, Nadine, 2012-07-25, 10 Jahre ICE-Strecke Köln-Frankfurt: Was 300 Stundenkilometer kosten, de, FAZ.NET,www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/10-jahre-ice-strecke-koeln-frankfurt-was-300-stundenkilometer-kosten-11831291.html, 2023-08-17, 0174-4909, If a high-speed line through even somewhat hilly terrain is to be usable for freight, expensive engineered structures will need to be built, as is the case with the Hannover Würzburg high-speed line which contains the longest and the second longest mainline rail tunnel in GermanyWEB, 2019-02-02, Deutschlands längster Eisenbahntunnel,www.fr.de/rhein-main/deutschlands-laengster-eisenbahntunnel-11676448.html, 2023-08-17, www.fr.de, de, and altogether runs on tunnels or bridges for roughly half of its length.Rolling stock{{Expand section|date=July 2013}}{{See also|List of high-speed trains}}Key technologies used in high-speed train rolling stock include tilting trainsets, aerodynamic designs (to reduce drag, lift, and noise), air brakes, regenerative braking, engine technology and dynamic weight shifting. Notable high-speed train manufacturers include Alstom, Hitachi, Kawasaki, Siemens, Stadler Rail, and CRRC.Comparison with other modes of transportOptimal distanceWhile commercial high-speed trains have lower maximum speeds than jet aircraft, they offer shorter total trip times than air travel for short distances. They typically connect city centre rail stations to each other, while air transport connects airports that are typically farther from city centres.High-speed rail (HSR) is best suited for journeys of 1 to {{frac|4|1|2}} hours (about {{convert|150|â|900|km|mi|disp=or|abbr=on}}), for which the train can beat air and car trip time. For trips under about {{convert|700|km|mi|abbr=on}}, the process of checking in and going through airport security, as well as travelling to and from the airport, makes the total air journey time equal to or slower than HSR.JOURNAL, Some stylized facts about high-speed rail: A review of HSR experiences around the world, Transport Policy, 2009, 10.1016/j.tranpol.2009.02.008, Campos, Javier, 1, 16, 19â28, European authorities treat HSR as competitive with passenger air for HSR trips under {{frac|4|1|2}} hours.WEB,ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/studies/doc/2010_high_speed_rail_en.pdf, European high-speed rail â An easy way to connect, Publications Office of the European Union, 2010, Luxembourg, 18 April 2011, dead,ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/studies/doc/2010_high_speed_rail_en.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20110419205706ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/studies/doc/2010_high_speed_rail_en.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20110419205706ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/studies/doc/2010_high_speed_rail_en.pdf, 19 April 2011, HSR eliminated air transport from routes such as ParisâLyon, ParisâBrussels, CologneâFrankfurt, NanjingâWuhan, ChongqingâChengdu,WEB,www.chinadaily.com.cn/imqq/bizchina/2011-04/02/content_12267556.htm, High-speed rail cuts into airlines’ success, China Daily, 2 April 2011, 17 October 2011, TaipeiâKaohsiung, TokyoâNagoya, TokyoâSendai and TokyoâNiigata, while also greatly reducing air traffic on routes such as AmsterdamâBrussels, Barcelona-Madrid and NaplesâRomeâMilan.China Southern Airlines, China’s largest airline, expects the construction of China’s high-speed railway network to impact (through increased competition and falling revenues) 25% of its route network in the coming years.WEB,www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=a3GHSPLBfBOM, China Southern Says Railways to Hurt 25% of Routes (Update1), Bloomberg, 28 October 2009, 17 October 2011,Market sharesEuropean data indicate that air traffic is more sensitive than road traffic (car and bus) to competition from HSR, at least on journeys of {{convert|400|km|0|abbr=on}} and more. TGV Sud-Est reduced the travel time ParisâLyon from almost four to about two hours. Market share rose from 40 to 72%. Air and road market shares shrunk from 31 to 7% and from 29 to 21%, respectively. On the MadridâSeville link, the AVE connection increased share from 16 to 52%; air traffic shrunk from 40 to 13%; road traffic from 44 to 36%, hence the rail market amounted to 80% of combined rail and air traffic.WEB,www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20120310224651www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20120310224651www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf, Peter Jorritsma, 3, Substitution Opportunities of High Speed Train for Air Transport,www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf, 10 March 2012, This figure increased to 89% in 2009, according to Spanish rail operator Renfe.Spain’s High-Speed Rail Offers Guideposts for U.S., The New York Times, 29 May 2009.According to Peter Jorritsma, the rail market share s, as compared to planes, can be computed approximately as a function of the travelling time in minutes t by the logistic formulaWEB,www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20120310224651www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20120310224651www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf, Peter Jorritsma, 4, Substitution Opportunities of High Speed Train for Air Transport,www.aerlines.nl/issue_43/43_Jorritsma_AiRail_Substitution.pdf, 10 March 2012,
s = {1 over 0.031 times 1.016^t + 1}
According to this formula, a journey time of three hours yields a 65% market share, not taking into account any price differential in tickets.In Japan, there is a so-called “4-hour wall” in high-speed rail’s market share: If the high-speed rail journey time exceeds 4 hours, then people likely choose planes over high-speed rail. For instance, from Tokyo to Osaka, a 2h22m-journey by Shinkansen, high-speed rail has an 85% market share whereas planes have 15%. From Tokyo to Hiroshima, a 3h44m-journey by Shinkansen, high-speed rail has a 67% market share whereas planes have 33%. The situation is the reverse on the Tokyo to Fukuoka route where high-speed rail takes 4h47m and rail only has 10% market share and planes 90%.WEB, The Hokkaido Shinkansen that couldn’t break the “4 hour wall“! Do customers flow to the plane with a difference of 2 minutes?, J-Cast, 14 October 2021, ja,www.j-cast.com/tv/2015/12/18253570.html, ja:ã4æéã®å£ãåããªãã£ãåæµ·éæ°å¹¹ç·ï¼2åéãã§é£è¡æ©ã«å®¢æµããï¼, 18 December 2015, In Taiwan, China Airlines cancelled all flights to Taichung Airport within a year of Taiwan high-speed rail starting operations.NEWS, Lew, Alexander, 11 September 2007, Bullet Train Challenges Airlines in Taiwan, en-US, Wired,www.wired.com/2007/09/another-blow-th/, 27 June 2020, 1059-1028, Completion of the high-speed railway in 2007 led to drastically fewer flights along the island’s west coast, with flights between Taipei and Kaohsiung ceasing altogether in 2012.WEB, 1 September 2012, Taipei-Kaohsiung flights end â Taipei Times,www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/09/01/2003541700, 27 June 2020, www.taipeitimes.com, Energy efficiencyTravel by rail is more competitive in areas of higher population density or where gasoline is expensive because conventional trains are more fuel-efficient than cars when ridership is high, similar to other forms of mass transit. Very few high-speed trains consume diesel or other fossil fuels but the power stations that provide electric trains with electricity can consume fossil fuels. In Japan (prior to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster) and France, with very extensive high-speed rail networks, a large proportion of electricity comes from nuclear power.The Times, Friday, 6 January 2006, p54. France will run trains free from fossil fuel, says Chirac. On the Eurostar, which primarily runs off the French grid, emissions from traveling by train from London to Paris are 90% lower than by flying.WEB,www.seat61.com/CO2flights.htm, Cut your {{CO2, emissions by taking the train, by up to 90%...|publisher=Seat61|access-date=28 August 2010}} In Germany 38.5% of all electricity was produced from renewable sources in 2017, however railways run on their own grid partially independent from the general grid and relying in part on dedicated power plants. Even using electricity generated from coal, fossil gas or oil, high-speed trains are significantly more fuel-efficient per passenger per kilometer traveled than the typical automobile because of economies of scale in generator technologyBOOK, The Economical Environmentalist, Prashant Vaze, 298, Earthscan, The Economical Environmentalist, and trains themselves, as well as lower air friction and rolling resistance at the same speed.Automobiles and busesHigh-speed rail can accommodate more passengers at far higher speeds than automobiles. Generally, the longer the journey, the better the time advantage of rail over the road if going to the same destination. However, high-speed rail can be competitive with cars on shorter distances, {{convert|0|â|150|km|mi|-1}}, for example for commuting, especially if the car users experience road congestion or expensive parking fees. In Norway, the Gardermoen Line has made the rail market share for passengers from Oslo to the airport (42 km) rise to 51% in 2014, compared to 17% for buses and 28% for private cars and taxis.Rekordmange kollektivreisende til og fra Oslo Lufthavn {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505153741www.osloby.no/nyheter/Rekordmange-kollektivreisende-til-og-fra-Oslo-Lufthavn-7949419.html |date=5 May 2016 }}, in Norwegian. On such short linesâparticularly services which call at stations close to one anotherâthe acceleration capabilities of the trains may be more important than their maximum speed. Extreme commuting has been enabled by high-speed rail with commuters covering distances by rail daily that they would not usually by car. Furthermore, stations in less densely populated areas within the larger conurbation of larger cities, like Montabaur railway station and Limburg Süd railway station between Frankfurt and Cologne, are attractive for commuters as the housing prices are more affordable than in the central cities - even when taking into account the price of a yearly ticket for the train. Consequently, Montabaur has the highest per capita rate of Bahn Card 100 in GermanyWEB, Schlesiger, Christian, 2018-01-12, Deutsche Bahn: Verkaufte Bahncards 100 auf Rekordwert,www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/dienstleister/deutsche-bahn-verkaufte-bahncards-100-auf-rekordwert/20833438.html, 2023-08-17, www.wiwo.de, de, â a ticket that allows unlimited travel on all trains in Germany for a fixed yearly price.Moreover, a typical passenger rail carries 2.83 times as many passengers per hour per meter width as a road. A typical capacity is the Eurostar, which provides capacity for 12 trains per hour and 800 passengers per train, totaling 9,600 passengers per hour in each direction. By contrast, the Highway Capacity Manual gives a maximum capacity of 2,250 passenger cars per hour per lane, excluding other vehicles, assuming an average vehicle occupancy of 1.57 people.WEB,www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2003/fcvt_fotw257.html, US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fact #257: 3 March 2003 â Vehicle Occupancy by Type of Vehicle, A standard twin track railway has a typical capacity 13% greater than a 6-lane highway (3 lanes each way),{{Citation needed|date=December 2012}} while requiring only 40% of the land (1.0/3.0 versus 2.5/7.5 hectares per kilometre of direct/indirect land consumption).{{Citation needed|date=December 2012}} The Tokaido Shinkansen line in Japan, has a much higher ratio (with as many as 20,000 passengers per hour per direction). Similarly, commuter roads tend to carry fewer than 1.57 persons per vehicle (Washington State Department of Transportation, for instance, uses 1.2 persons per vehicle) during commute times. Compare this to the capacity of typical small to mid-sized airliners like the Airbus A320 which in a high-density arrangement has 186 seats or the Boeing 737-800 which has an absolute maximum seated capacity of 189 in a high-density single-class layout - as employed for example by Ryanair. If a business or first class section is provided, those airliners will have lower seating capacities than that.Air travel{{prose|section|date=February 2019}}HSR Advantages
Disadvantages
PollutionHigh-speed rail usually implements electric power and therefore its energy sources can be distant or renewable. The usage of electric power in high-speed rails can thereby result in a reduction of air pollutants as shown in a case study on China’s high-speed railways throughout its development.JOURNAL, Yang, Xuehui, Lin, Shanlang, Li, Yan, He, Minghua, 2019-12-01, Can high-speed rail reduce environmental pollution? Evidence from China,www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619330057, Journal of Cleaner Production, en, 239, 118135, 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118135, 202318356, 0959-6526, This is an advantage over air travel, which currently uses fossil fuels and is a major source of pollution. Studies regarding busy airports such as LAX, have shown that over an area of about {{convert|60|km2|abbr=off}} downwind of the airport, where hundreds of thousands of people live or work, the particle number concentration was at least twice that of nearby urban areas, showing that airplane pollution far exceeded road pollution, even from heavy freeway traffic.WEB,cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/05/Los-Angeles-Airport-Pollutes-City.html, Los Angeles Airport Pollutes City Air For Miles Downwind â Chemical & Engineering News, Deirdre, Lockwood,TreesAirplanes and airstrips require trees to be cut down, as they are a nuisance to pilots. Some 3,000 trees will be chopped due to obstruction issues at SeattleâTacoma International Airport.WEB,komonews.com/news/local/nearly-3000-trees-around-sea-tac-airport-will-be-chopped-down, Nearly 3,000 trees around Sea-Tac Airport will be chopped down, Mitch, Pittman, 12 August 2016, On the other hand, trees next to rail lines can often become a hazard during leaf-fall seasons, with several German media calling for trees to be cut down following autumn storms in 2017.WEB,www.tagesschau.de/inland/sturm-herwart-bahn-101.html, Nach Herbststürmen â Die Bahn und der Baum, tagesschau.de, tagesschau.de, NEWS,www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/xavier-bahn-bestreitet-mangelnden-rueckschnitt-von-baeumen-a-1171629.html, Folgen von Sturmtief “Xavier”: Bahn bestreitet mangelnden Baumbeschnitt, 6 October 2017, Spiegel Online, NEWS,www.zeit.de/2017/42/deutsche-bahn-sturm-xavier-vorbereitung-aufraeumen, Deutsche Bahn: Die Säge nach dem Sturm, Susan, Djahangard, 12 October 2017, Die Zeit,SafetyHSR is much simpler to control due to its predictable course. High-speed rail systems reduce (but do not eliminate)WEB,www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/08/17/train-crash-horror-in-germany/ice-slashed-open-by-garbage-truck-15-injured.html, ICE train slashed open by garbage truck in Germany, 17 August 2010, Bild.de, 28 August 2010, 20 August 2010,www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/08/17/train-crash-horror-in-germany/ice-slashed-open-by-garbage-truck-15-injured.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20100820045927www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/08/17/train-crash-horror-in-germany/ice-slashed-open-by-garbage-truck-15-injured.html,">web.archive.org/web/20100820045927www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/08/17/train-crash-horror-in-germany/ice-slashed-open-by-garbage-truck-15-injured.html, dead, WEB,www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/06/24/fatal-spain-high-speed-crash/train-kills-12-young-people-near-barcelona.html, Fatal high-speed train kills 12 young pedestrians near beach in Barcelona, 17 August 2010, Bild.de, 28 August 2010, 27 June 2010,www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/06/24/fatal-spain-high-speed-crash/train-kills-12-young-people-near-barcelona.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20100627030855www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/06/24/fatal-spain-high-speed-crash/train-kills-12-young-people-near-barcelona.html,">web.archive.org/web/20100627030855www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/06/24/fatal-spain-high-speed-crash/train-kills-12-young-people-near-barcelona.html, dead, collisions with automobiles or people, by using non-grade level track and eliminating grade-level crossings. To date, the only three deadly accidents involving a high-speed train on high-speed tracks in revenue service were the 1998 Eschede train disaster, the 2011 Wenzhou train collision (in which speed was not a factor), and the 2020 Livraga derailment. Shinkansen trains have anti-derailment devices installed under passenger cars, which do not strictly prevent derailment, but prevent the train from travelling a large distance away from train tracks in case a derailment occurswww.jsme.or.jp/jsme/uploads/2016/11/awardn11-3.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr60/pdf/34-41_web.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}}Accidents{{See also|List of TGV accidents}}In general, travel by high-speed rail has been demonstrated to be remarkably safe. The first high-speed rail network, the Japanese Shinkansen has not had any fatal accidents involving passengers since it began operating in 1964.WEB,edition.cnn.com/2013/07/26/opinion/freemark-high-speed-trains/, Opinion: Why high-speed rail is safe, smart, Yonah Freemark, 26 July 2013, CNN, 17 December 2014, Notable major accidents involving high-speed trains include the following.1998 Eschede accidentIn 1998, after over thirty years of high-speed rail operations worldwide without fatal accidents, the Eschede accident occurred in Germany: a poorly designed ICE 1 wheel fractured at a speed of {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} near Eschede, resulting in the derailment and destruction of almost the entire set of 16 cars, and the deaths of 101 people.WEB,danger-ahead.railfan.net/features/eschede.htm, Special Feature Eschede, Germany ICE High Speed Train Disaster, 30 December 2014, Danger Ahead, WEB,sites.google.com/site/derailmentateschede/causes-of-the-accident, Derailment at Eschede, 30 December 2014, Derailment at Eschede, The derailment began at a switch; the accident was made worse when the derailed cars travelling at high speed struck and collapsed a road bridge located just past the switch.2011 Wenzhou accidentOn 23 July 2011, 13 years after the Eschede train accident, a Chinese CRH2 travelling at {{convert|100|km/h|0|abbr=on}} collided with a CRH1 which was stopped on a viaduct in the suburbs of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China. The two trains derailed, and four cars fell off the viaduct. Forty people were killed and at least 192 were injured, 12 of them severely.WEB,news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/25/c_131008630.htm,news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/25/c_131008630.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20111204194309news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/25/c_131008630.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20111204194309news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/25/c_131008630.htm, dead, 4 December 2011, Death toll from China’s train crash rises to 39, including two Americans, 17 December 2014, The disaster led to a number of changes in management and exploitation of high-speed rail in China. Despite the fact that speed itself was not a factor in the cause of the accident, one of the major changes was to further lower the maximum speeds in high-speed and higher-speed railways in China, the remaining {{convert|350|km/h|0|abbr=on}} becoming 300, {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}} becoming 200, and {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} becoming 160.NEWS,www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-08/12/content_13097239.htm, Decision to slow trains met with mixed response, China Daily, NEWS,www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-08/23/content_13167866.htm, More high-speed trains slow down to improve safety, China Daily, Six years later they started to be restored to their original high speeds.WEB,www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/21/c_136625952.htm,www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/21/c_136625952.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20180131130224www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/21/c_136625952.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20180131130224www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/21/c_136625952.htm, dead, 31 January 2018, China begins to restore 350 km/h bullet train, Xinhuanet,2013 Santiago de Compostela accidentIn July 2013, a high-speed train in Spain travelling at {{convert|190|km/h|abbr=on}} attempted to negotiate a curve whose speed limit is {{convert|80|km/h|abbr=on}}. The train derailed and overturned, resulting in 78 fatalities.WEB,worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/25/19661944-american-among-80-killed-in-spanish-train-crash-driver-detained?lite,worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/25/19661944-american-among-80-killed-in-spanish-train-crash-driver-detained?lite," title="archive.today/20130725220113worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/25/19661944-american-among-80-killed-in-spanish-train-crash-driver-detained?lite,">archive.today/20130725220113worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/25/19661944-american-among-80-killed-in-spanish-train-crash-driver-detained?lite, dead, 25 July 2013, American woman among 80 killed in Spain train crash; driver detained, NBC News, 17 December 2014, Normally high-speed rail has automatic speed limiting restrictions, but this track section is a conventional section and in this case the automatic speed limit was said to be disabled by the driver several kilometers before the station. A few days later, the train worker’s union claimed that the speed limiter didn’t work properly because of lack of proper funding, acknowledging the budget cuts made by the current government. {{Citation needed|date = January 2015}} Two days after the accident, the driver was provisionally charged with homicide by negligence. This is the first accident that occurred with a Spanish high-speed train, but it occurred in a section that was not high speed and as mentioned safety equipment mandatory on high-speed track would have prevented the accident.WEB,www.02b.com/es/notices/2013/07/el_accidente_atemoriza_a_las_empresas_que_pujan_por_el_ave_de_brasil_6826.php, El accidente atemoriza a las empresas que pujan por el AVE de Brasil, 02B, 17 December 2014, 29 November 2014,www.02b.com/es/notices/2013/07/el_accidente_atemoriza_a_las_empresas_que_pujan_por_el_ave_de_brasil_6826.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20141129062120www.02b.com/es/notices/2013/07/el_accidente_atemoriza_a_las_empresas_que_pujan_por_el_ave_de_brasil_6826.php,">web.archive.org/web/20141129062120www.02b.com/es/notices/2013/07/el_accidente_atemoriza_a_las_empresas_que_pujan_por_el_ave_de_brasil_6826.php, dead,2015 Eckwersheim accidentOn 14 November 2015, a specialised TGV EuroDuplex was performing commissioning tests on the unopened second phase of the LGV Est high-speed line in France, when it entered a curve, overturned, and struck the parapet of a bridge over the MarneâRhine Canal. The rear power car came to a rest in the canal, while the remainder of the train came to a rest in the grassy median between the northern and southern tracks. Approximately 50 people were on board, consisting of SNCF technicians and, reportedly, some unauthorised guests. Eleven were killed and 37 were injured. The train was performing tests at 10 percent above the planned speed limit for the line and should have slowed from {{convert|352|km/h|abbr=on}} to {{convert|176|km/h|abbr=on}} before entering the curve. Officials have indicated that excessive speed may have caused the accident.NEWS, Test train catastrophe on LGV Est,www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/test-train-catastrophe-on-lgv-est.html, 16 November 2015, Railway Gazette, 16 November 2015, 17 November 2015,www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/test-train-catastrophe-on-lgv-est.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20151117015359www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/test-train-catastrophe-on-lgv-est.html,">web.archive.org/web/20151117015359www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/test-train-catastrophe-on-lgv-est.html, dead, During testing, some safety features that usually prevent accidents like this one are switched off.2018 Ankara train collisionOn 13 December 2018, a high-speed passenger train travelling at {{convert|80â90|km/h}} and a locomotive collided near Yenimahalle in Ankara Province, Turkey. Three cars (carriages/coaches) of the passenger train derailed in the collision. Three railroad engineers and five passengers were killed at the scene, and 84 people were injured. Another injured passenger later died, and 34 passengers, including two in critical condition, were treated in several hospitals.2020 Lodi derailmentOn 6 February 2020, a high-speed train travelling at {{convert|300|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} derailed at Livraga, Lombardy, Italy. The two drivers were killed and a number of passengers were injured.NEWS,www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51397027, Italy train crash: Two dead in high-speed derailment, BBC News, 6 February 2020, 6 February 2020, The cause as reported by investigators was that a faulty set of junction points was in the reverse position, but was reported by the signaling system as being in the normal â i.e. straight â position.WEB,milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/20_febbraio_07/treno-deragliato-l-ipotesi-pm-uno-scambio-aperto-errore-e65884be-4970-11ea-8e62-fcd8bfe20a1c.shtml, Treno deragliato, le cause dell’incidente: “Uno scambio aperto per errore”, Train derailed, the causes of the accident: «A set of points opened by mistake», it, Corriere, 7 February 2020, 8 February 2020,RidershipHigh-speed rail ridership has been increasing rapidly since 2000. At the beginning of the century, the largest share of ridership was on the Japanese Shinkansen network. In 2000, the Shinkansen was responsible for about 85% of the cumulative world ridership up to that point.WEB, æ°å¹¹ç·æ 客輸ééã®æ¨ç§», Changes in Shinkansen Passenger Traffic Volume,www.mlit.go.jp/common/000232384.pdf, å½å交éç, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 17 November 2022,web.archive.org/web/20130122195823/https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/000232384.pdf, 22 January 2013, ja-JP, live, This has been progressively surpassed by the Chinese high-speed rail network, which has been the largest contributor of global ridership growth since its inception. As of 2018, annual ridership of the Chinese high-speed rail network is over five times larger than that of the Shinkansen.{| class=“wikitable” style="text-align:right;” |
| 1,674 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1,970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2,628 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2,894 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3,218 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
~2,070 (prelim) >| 3,650 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4,030 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4,290 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4,460 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1,770 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2,280 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Records
Speed
File:JR Central SCMaglev L0 Series Shinkansen 201408081002.jpg|thumb|603|km/h|1|abbr=on|disp=or}})File:2007-06-18 - Gare de Paris-Est - TGV 4402.JPG|thumb|V150 train, modified 574.8|km/h|1|abbr=on|disp=or}})There are several definitions of “maximum speed”:- The maximum speed at which a train is allowed to run by law or policy in daily service (MOR)
- The maximum speed at which an unmodified train is proved to be capable of running
- The maximum speed at which specially modified train is proved to be capable of running
Absolute speed record
Overall rail record
The speed record for a pre-production unconventional passenger train was set by a seven-car L0 series manned maglev train at {{convert|603|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on 21 April 2015 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.WEB,www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/21/japans-maglev-train-notches-up-new-world-speed-record-in-test-run, Japan’s maglev train breaks world speed record with {{convert, 600, km/h, off, test run |date= 21 April 2015|work= The Guardian|location= United Kingdom|access-date= 21 April 2015}}Conventional rail
Since the 1955 record, where France recorded a world record of speed of 331 km/h, France has nearly continuously held the absolute world speed record. The latest record is held by a TGV POS trainset, which reached {{convert|574.8|km/h|1|abbr=on}} in 2007, on the newly constructed LGV Est high-speed line. This run was for proof of concept and engineering, not to test normal passenger service.Maximum speed in service
{{As of|2022}}, the fastest trains currently in commercial operation are :- Shanghai Maglev : {{convert|431|km/h|abbr=on}} (in China, on the lone {{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} maglev track)
- CR400AF/KCIC400AF, CR400BF, CRH2C, CRH3C, CRH380A & AL, CRH380B, BL & CL, CRH380D : {{convert|350|km/h|abbr=on|}} (in China and Indonesia)
- TGV Duplex, TGV Réseau, TGV POS, TGV Euroduplex : {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} (in France)
- Eurostar e320 : {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} (in France and GB)
- E5 Series Shinkansen, E6 Series Shinkansen, H5 Series Shinkansen: {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} (in Japan)
- ICE 3 Class 403, 406, 407 : {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} (in Germany)
- AVE Class 103 : {{convert|310|km/h|abbr=on}} (in Spain)
- KTX-I, KTX-II, KTX-III : {{convert|305|km/h|abbr=on}} (in South Korea)
- AGV 575, ETR 1000 (Frecciarossa 1000): {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}} (in Italy)
- ETR 500: {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}} (in Italy)
Levitation trains
The Shanghai Maglev Train reaches {{convert|431|km/h|0|abbr=on}} during its daily service on its {{convert|30.5|km|abbr=on}} dedicated line, holding the speed record for commercial train service.“Top ten fastest trains in the world” railway-technology.com 29 August 2013 {{Clarify|reason=the source does not mention any official record-awarding body for fastest commercial train service which measures the speeds|date=June 2014}}Conventional rail
The fastest operating conventional trains are the Chinese CR400A and CR400B running on BeijingâShanghai HSR, after China relaunched its 350 km/h class service on select services effective 21 September 2017. In China, from July 2011 until September 2017, the maximum speed was officially {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, but a {{convert|10|km/h|0|abbr=on}} tolerance was acceptable, and trains often reached {{convert|310|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}} Before that, from August 2008 to July 2011, China Railway High-speed trains held the highest commercial operating speed record with {{convert|350|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on some lines such as the WuhanâGuangzhou high-speed railway.The speed of the service was reduced in 2011 due to high costs and safety concerns the top speeds in China were reduced to {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on 1 July 2011.NEWS,english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7351162.html, World’s longest high-speed train to decelerate a bit, 15 April 2011, People’s Daily Online, Six years later they started to be restored to their original high speeds.Other fast conventional trains are the French TGV POS, German ICE 3, and Japanese E5 and E6 Series Shinkansen with a maximum commercial speed of {{convert|320|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, the former two on some French high-speed lines,{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}} and the latter on a part of Tohoku Shinkansen line.WEB,www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/17/national/320-kph-hayabusa-matches-world-speed-record, 320-km/h Hayabusa matches world speed record, 17 March 2013, The Japan Times, The Japan Times Ltd., Japan, 11 September 2013, In Spain, on the MadridâBarcelona HSL, maximum speed is {{convert|310|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}Service distance
The China Railway G403/4, G405/6 and D939/40 BeijingâKunming train ({{convert|2653|km|mi|disp=or|abbr=off}}, 10 hours 43 minutes to 14 hours 54 minutes), which began service on 28 December 2016, are the longest high-speed rail services in the world.Existing high-speed rail systems by country and region
{{See also|Proposed high-speed rail by country}}File:China Railway High-speed train passing through station.webm|thumb|China Railway High-speed train passing through Shenzhou railway stationShenzhou railway stationThe early high-speed lines, built in France, Japan, Italy and Spain, were between pairs of large cities. In France, this was ParisâLyon, in Japan, TokyoâOsaka, in Italy, RomeâFlorence, in Spain, MadridâSeville (then Barcelona). In European and East Asian countries, dense networks of urban subways and railways provide connections with high-speed rail lines.Asia
China
China has the largest network of high-speed railways in the world. {{As of|2022}} it encompassed over {{convert|40000|km|abbr=off}} of high-speed rail or over two-thirds of the world’s total.WEB, Length of Beijing-HK rail network same as Equator,www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/01/01/length-of-beijing-hk-rail-network-same-as-equator, 2022-10-25, The Star, en, It is also the world’s busiest with an annual ridership of over 1.44 billion in 2016NEWS,www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2180562/full-speed-ahead-chinas-high-speed-rail-network-2019-bid-boost, Full speed ahead for China’s high-speed rail network in 2019, South China Morning Post, 24 January 2019, and 2.01 billion in 2018, more than 60% of total passenger rail volume. By the end of 2018, cumulative passengers delivered by high-speed railway trains was reported to be over 9 billion.WEB, ä¸å½é«éå¨è½¦ç»åéæ 客90亿人次ï¼2018å¹´å æ¯è¶ 60ï¼ _å¤å°ç½, China’s high-speed rail trains send 9 billion passengers: more than 60% in 2018,tech.ifeng.com/c/7j6hzuFRsF0, 1 January 2019, 27 February 2021, tech.ifeng.com, Phoenix New Media, According to Railway Gazette International, select trains between Beijing South to Nanjing South on the BeijingâShanghai high-speed railway have the fastest average operating speed in the world at {{convert|317.7|km/h|1|abbr=on}} {{As of|2019|July|lc=y|df=}}.WEB,www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/PDF/Railway_Gazette_World_Speed_Survey_2019.pdf, China powers ahead as new entrants clock in, Railway Gazette International, 9 July 2019, 9 July 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190709020342/https://www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/PDF/Railway_Gazette_World_Speed_Survey_2019.pdf, dead, File:Psb.jpeg|thumb|Chinese CRH380A high-speed train]]The improved mobility and interconnectivity created by these new high-speed rail lines has generated a whole new high-speed commuter market around some urban areas. Commutes via high-speed rail to and from surrounding Hebei and Tianjin into Beijing have become increasingly common, likewise are between the cities surrounding Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.NEWS,urbanland.uli.org/capital-markets/shanghai-shenzhen-beijing-lead-prospects-ulis-china-cities-survey/, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing Lead Prospects in ULI’s China Cities Survey â Urban Land Magazine, 3 October 2016, Urban Land Magazine, 13 March 2017, en-US, WEB,documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/451551468241176543/pdf/932270BRI0Box30ffic020140final000EN.pdf, High-Speed Railways in China: A Look at Traffic, Ollivier, Gerald, NEWS, 27 February 2021, Intercity commuters are a puzzle for Chinese officials, The Economist,www.economist.com/china/2021/02/27/intercity-commuters-are-a-puzzle-for-chinese-officials, 27 February 2021, 0013-0613,Hong Kong
A {{convert|26|km|abbr=off}}, entirely underground express rail link connects Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station near Kwun Chung to the border with Chinese mainland, where the railway continues onwards to Shenzhen’s Futian station. A depot and the stabling sidings are located in Shek Kong. Commercial operations have been suspended since early 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Parts of the West Kowloon station are no longer under the jurisdiction of Hong Kong to facilitate co-location of border clearance.Indonesia
(File:KCIC400AF at Kopo, Bound for Halim (cropped).jpg|thumb|KCIC400AF, Indonesian variant of CR400AF)Indonesia operates a {{convert|142.8|km|abbr=off}} high-speed rail line connecting its two largest cities in Western Java, the Whoosh HSR with an operational speed of {{convert|350|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. Operations commenced in October 2023. It is the first high-speed rail in Southeast Asia and the Southern Hemisphere.NEWS, T, Sharon, Indonesia electrifies railway from Jakarta to Bandung,asiatimes.com/2022/10/g20-to-showcase-chinas-high-speed-rail/, 26 August 2020, AFM, WEB, 2023-06-25, Melesat di Kecepatan 320 Km per Jam, Kereta Cepat Minim Guncangan,mediaindonesia.com/ekonomi/592358/melesat-di-kecepatan-320-km-per-jam-kereta-cepat-minim-guncangan, 2023-06-29, mediaindonesia.com, id,Japan
In Japan, the Shinkansen was the first bullet train and reaches a cumulative ridership of 6 billion passengers with zero passenger fatalities due to operational accidents (as of 2003), now it is second largest high-speed rail in Asia with {{convert|2664|km|abbr=off}} of rail lines.Japanese Bullet Trains, Japan Railways Group. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218064013www.japan-rail-pass.com/plan-your-trip/travel-by-train/shinkansen/japanese-bullet-trains |date=18 December 2009 }}AMTRAK, Off Track, Triplepoint. Boston Universityftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/rail/high_speed/system-summaries/japan.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}}South Korea
Since its opening in 2004, KTX has transferred over 360 million passengers until April 2013, and now Asia’s third largest with {{convert|887|km|abbr=off}} of rail lines. For any transportation involving travel above {{convert|300|km/h|1|abbr=on}}, the KTX secured a market share of 57% over other modes of transport, which is by far the largest.WEB, ko,www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=201304012525g, ko:KTX ê°íµ 9ë â¦ì´ì©ê° 4ìµëª ëí ëì, Hankyung.com, 1 April 2013, 12 July 2013,Taiwan
Taiwan has a single northâsouth high-speed line, Taiwan high-speed rail. It is approximately {{convert|345|km|abbr=off}} long, along the west coast of Taiwan from the national capital Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. The construction was managed by Taiwan high-speed rail Corporation and the total cost of the project was US$18 billion. The private company operates the line fully, and the system is based primarily on Japan’s Shinkansen technologyftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/rail/high_speed/system-summaries/taiwan.pdf {{bare URL PDF|date=March 2024}}Eight initial stations were built during the construction of the high-speed rail system: Taipei, Banqiao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying (Kaohsiung).WEB,www5.thsrc.com.tw/en/about/ab_comp.asp, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, 17 December 2014, dead,www5.thsrc.com.tw/en/about/ab_comp.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20141227080200www5.thsrc.com.tw/en/about/ab_comp.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20141227080200www5.thsrc.com.tw/en/about/ab_comp.asp, 27 December 2014, The line now has 12 total stations (Nangang, Taipei, Banqiao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan and Zuoying) as of August 2018. There is a planned and approved extension to Yilan and Pingtung, which are set to enter service by 2030.Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has a single high-speed rail line, the TashkentâSamarkand high-speed rail line, which allows trains to reach up to {{convert|250|km/h|1|abbr=on}} with {{convert|600|km|abbr=off}} of rail lines. There are also electrified extensions at lower speeds to Bukhara and Dehkanabad.NEWS, Yeniseyev, Maksim, Uzbekistan electrifies railway towards Afghan border,central.asia-news.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_ca/features/2017/01/17/feature-01, 26 August 2020, Caravanserai, LaosIn December 2021 the BotenâVientiane railway was officially opened.Middle East and North Africa
Morocco
In November 2007, the Moroccan government decided to undertake the construction of a high-speed rail line between the economic capital Casablanca and Tangier, one of the largest harbour cities on the Strait of Gibraltar.WEB,www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/moroccan-high-speed-line-to-open-in-spring-2018.html, Moroccan high-speed line to open in spring 2018, Briginshaw, David, 23 September 2015,www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/moroccan-high-speed-line-to-open-in-spring-2018.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20160708054938www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/moroccan-high-speed-line-to-open-in-spring-2018.html,">web.archive.org/web/20160708054938www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/moroccan-high-speed-line-to-open-in-spring-2018.html, 8 July 2016, dead, The line will also serve the capital Rabat and Kenitra. The first section of the line, the {{convert|323|km|mi|adj=mid|}} KenitraâTangier high-speed rail line, was completed in 2018.NEWS,www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/africa-fastest-train-steams-morocco-181115165325722.html, ‘Africa’s fastest train’ steams ahead in Morocco, Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera, 15 November 2018, 17 November 2018,Saudi Arabia
Plans in Saudi Arabia to begin service on a high-speed line consist of a phased opening starting with the route from Medina to King Abdullah Economic City followed up with the rest of the line to Mecca the following year.WEB,www.arabnews.com/news/saudi-arabia/610201, Bridge near KAIA to be removed in 2 months, 31 July 2014, 17 December 2014, The {{convert|453|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} Haramain high-speed railway opened in 2018.Europe
In Europe, several nations are interconnected with cross-border high-speed rail, such as London-Paris, Paris-Brussel-Rotterdam, Madrid-Perpignan, and other future connecting projects exist.France
France has {{convert|2800|km|abbr=off}} of high-speed rail lines, making it one of the largest network in Europe and the World. Market segmentation has principally focused on the business travel market. The French original focus on business travellers is reflected by the early design of the TGV trains. Pleasure travel was a secondary market; now many of the French extensions connect with vacation beaches on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as major amusement parks and also the ski resorts in France and Switzerland. Friday evenings are the peak time for TGVs (train à grande vitesse).Metzler, 1992 The system lowered prices on long-distance travel to compete more effectively with air services, and as a result some cities within an hour of Paris by TGV have become commuter communities, increasing the market while restructuring land use.Levinson, D.On the ParisâLyon service, the number of passengers grew sufficiently to justify the introduction of double-decker coaches. Later high-speed rail lines, such as the LGV Atlantique, the LGV Est, and most high-speed lines in France, were designed as feeder routes branching into conventional rail lines, serving a larger number of medium-sized cities.Germany
Germany’s first high-speed lines ran northâsouth, for historical reasons, and later developed eastâwest after German unification.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} In the early 1900s, Germany became the first country to run a prototype electric train at speeds in excess of 200 km/h, and during the 1930s several steam and diesel trains achieved revenue speeds of 160 km/h in daily service. The InterCityExperimental briefly held the world speed record for a steel-wheel-on-steel-rails vehicle during the 1980s. The InterCityExpress entered revenue service in 1991 and serves purpose-built high-speed lines (), upgraded legacy lines (), and unmodified legacy lines. Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, has entered into a codeshare agreement with where ICEs run as “feeder flights” bookable with a Lufthansa flight number under the AIRail program.Greece
In 2022, Greece’s first high-speed train began operations between Athens and Thessaloniki. The 512 km (318 miles) route is covered in 3 to 4 hours with trains reaching speeds of up to 250 km/h (160 miles/h).WEB, First high-speed trains to run in Greece,www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2021/1/first-high-speed-trains-run-greece, 2023-06-13, Alstom, en, The 180 km (112 mile) line from Athens to Patras is also being upgraded to high speed with an expected completion by 2026. The route between Athens and Thessaloniki was previously among the busiest passenger air routes in Europe.Italy
File:ãã¬ããã£ãããµ (36309438424).jpg|thumb|Two Frecciarossa 1000 at Milano CentraleMilano CentraleDuring the 1920s and 1930s, Italy was one of the first countries to develop the technology for high-speed rail. The country constructed the Direttissime railways connecting major cities on dedicated electrified high-speed track (although at speeds lower to what today would be considered high-speed rail) and developed the fast ETR 200 trainset. After the Second World War and the fall of the fascist regime, interest in high-speed rail dwindled, with the successive governments considering it too costly and developing the tilting Pendolino, to run at medium-high speed (up to {{cvt|250|km/h|mph}}) on conventional lines, instead. A true dedicated high-speed rail network was developed during the 1980s and the 1990s, and {{convert|1000|km|0|abbr=on}} of high-speed rail were fully operational by 2010. Frecciarossa services are operated with ETR 500 and ETR1000 non-tilting trains at 25kVAC, 50 Hz power. The operational speed of the service is {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.Over 100 million passengers used the Frecciarossa from the service introduction up to the first months of 2012.WEB, it, Alta Velocità : tagliato il traguardo dei 100 milioni di viaggiatori, 10 May 2012,www.ilsussidiario.net/News/Trasporti-e-Mobilita/2012/5/10/ALTA-VELOCITA-Tagliato-il-traguardo-dei-100-milioni-di-viaggiatori/277551/, ilsussidiario.net, 25 June 2012, 13 May 2012,www.ilsussidiario.net/News/Trasporti-e-Mobilita/2012/5/10/ALTA-VELOCITA-Tagliato-il-traguardo-dei-100-milioni-di-viaggiatori/277551/," title="web.archive.org/web/20120513032808www.ilsussidiario.net/News/Trasporti-e-Mobilita/2012/5/10/ALTA-VELOCITA-Tagliato-il-traguardo-dei-100-milioni-di-viaggiatori/277551/,">web.archive.org/web/20120513032808www.ilsussidiario.net/News/Trasporti-e-Mobilita/2012/5/10/ALTA-VELOCITA-Tagliato-il-traguardo-dei-100-milioni-di-viaggiatori/277551/, dead, The high-speed rail system serves about 20 billion passenger-km per year as of 2016.WEB, Il mercato del Trasporto Ferroviario A/V â NTV, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori,www.ntvspa.it/investor-relations/il-mercato-del-trasporto-ferroviario-a-v.html, www.ntvspa.it, 13 October 2017, it, Italian high-speed services are profitable without government funding.WEB, it, Trenitalia: Dal 2013 a rischio il trasporto locale,tg24.sky.it/tg24/economia/2012/06/11/trenitalia_fs_mauro_moretti_treni_locali.html, SkyTG24, 25 June 2012, 4 April 2013,tg24.sky.it/tg24/economia/2012/06/11/trenitalia_fs_mauro_moretti_treni_locali.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20130404233037tg24.sky.it/tg24/economia/2012/06/11/trenitalia_fs_mauro_moretti_treni_locali.html,">web.archive.org/web/20130404233037tg24.sky.it/tg24/economia/2012/06/11/trenitalia_fs_mauro_moretti_treni_locali.html, dead, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, the world’s first private open-access operator of high-speed rail, is operative in Italy since 2012.WEB, Alta velocità e concorrenza: parte la sfida,www.ilsole24ore.com/art/impresa-e-territori/2012-04-24/alta-velocita-concorrenza-parte-160359.shtml?uuid=AbHufzSF, il Sole 24 Ore, 28 April 2012,Norway
As of 2015, Norway’s fastest trains have a commercial top speed of {{convert|210|km/h|abbr=off}} and the FLIRT trains may attain {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=off}}. A velocity of {{convert|210|km/h|abbr=off}} is permitted on the {{convert|42|km|abbr=off}} Gardermoen Line, which links the Gardermoen airport to Oslo and a part of the main line northwards to Trondheim.Some parts of the trunk railways around Oslo are renewed and built for {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=off}}:- The Follo Line southwards from Oslo, a {{convert|22|km|mi|adj=mid|abbr=off|-long}} line OsloâSki on the Ãstfold Line, mainly in tunnel, planned to be ready in 2021.
- The HolmâHolmestrandâNykirke part of the Vestfold Line (west to southwest of Oslo).
- The Farriseidet project, {{convert|14.3|km|abbr=off}} between Larvik and Porsgrunn on the Vestfold Line, {{convert|12.5|km|abbr=off}} in tunnel.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}}
Russia
The existing Saint PetersburgâMoscow Railway can operate at maximum speeds of 250 km/h, and the HelsinkiâSaint Petersburg railway capable of a maximum of 200 km/h. Future areas include freight lines, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia, which would allow 3-day Far East to Europe service for freight, potentially fitting in between the months by ship and hours by air.Spain
(File:Spain High Speed Services.png|thumb|Spanish high-speed services)Spain has built an extensive high-speed rail network, with a length of {{convert|3622|km|0|abbr=on}} (2021), the longest in Europe. It uses standard gauge as opposed to the Iberian gauge used in most of the national railway network, meaning that the high-speed tracks are separated and not shared with local trains or freight. Although standard gauge is the norm for Spanish high-speed rail, since 2011 there exists a regional high-speed service running on Iberian gauge with special trains that connects the cities of Ourense, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, and Vigo in northwestern Spain. Connections to the French network exist since 2013, with direct trains from Paris to Barcelona. Although on the French side, conventional speed tracks are used from Perpignan to Montpellier.Switzerland
High-speed northâsouth freight lines in Switzerland are under construction, avoiding slow mountainous truck traffic, and lowering labour costs. The new lines, in particular the Gotthard Base Tunnel, are built for {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. But the short high-speed parts and the mix with freight will lower the average speeds. The limited size of the country gives fairly short domestic travel times anyway. Switzerland is investing money in lines on French and German soil to enable better access to the high-speed rail networks of those countries from Switzerland.Turkey
The Turkish State Railways started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. The first section of the line, between Ankara and EskiÅehir, was inaugurated on 13 March 2009. It is a part of the {{convert|533|km|0|abbr=on}} Istanbul to Ankara high-speed rail line. A subsidiary of Turkish State Railways, Yüksek Hızlı Tren is the sole commercial operator of high-speed trains in Turkey.The construction of three separate high-speed lines from Ankara to Istanbul, Konya and Sivas, as well as taking an AnkaraâÄ°zmir line to the launch stage, form part of the Turkish Ministry of Transport’s strategic aims and targets.Strategic Aims and Targetswww.bmc.netUnited Kingdom
The UK’s fastest high-speed line (High Speed 1) connects London St Pancras with Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam through the Channel Tunnel. At speeds of up to {{cvt|300|km/h|mph|0}}, it is the only high-speed line in Britain with an operating speed of more than {{cvt|125|mph|km/h|0}}.The Great Western Main Line, South Wales Main Line, West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line, Cross Country Route and East Coast Main Line all have maximum speed limits of {{cvt|125|mph|km/h|0}}. Attempts to increase speeds to {{cvt|140|mph|km/h|0}} on both the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line were abandoned in the 1980s, due to trains operating on those lines not being capable of cab signalling, which was made a legal requirement in the UK for tracks permitted to operate any service at speeds greater than {{cvt|125|mph|km/h|0}}, due to the impracticality of observing lineside signals at such speeds.WEB, MIRSE, David Bickell, 2018-11-15, The digital railway - progresses to the East Coast Main Line,www.railengineer.co.uk/the-digital-railway-progresses-to-the-east-coast-main-line/, 2024-05-20, Rail Engineer, en-GB,North America
{{further|High-speed rail in Canada|High-speed rail in Mexico}}United States
The United States has domestic definitions for high-speed rail varying between jurisdictions.- The United States Code defines high-speed rail as services “reasonably expected to reach sustained speeds of more than {{cvt|125|mph}}”,WEB,uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t49t50+641+8++, US Code Title 49 § 26105 âDefinitions, 1 February 2010, US Code Title 49,uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t49t50+641+8++," title="web.archive.org/web/20120317074713uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t49t50+641+8++,">web.archive.org/web/20120317074713uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t49t50+641+8++, 17 March 2012, dead, 27 May 2011, reasonably expected to reach sustained speeds of more than 125 mph,
- The Federal Railroad Administration uses a definition of top speeds at {{cvt|110|mph}} and above.WEB,www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L02833, High-Speed Rail Strategic Plan, 1 April 2009, U.S. Department of Transportation, 28 June 2013, 7 January 2013,www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L02833," title="web.archive.org/web/20130107143104www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L02833,">web.archive.org/web/20130107143104www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L02833, dead,
- The Congressional Research Service uses the term “higher-speed rail” for speeds up to {{cvt|150|mph}} and “very high-speed rail” for the rail on dedicated tracks with speeds over 150 mph.WEB,fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42584.pdf, Development of High Speed Rail in the United States: Issues and Recent Events, Congressional Research Service, 10 October 2012,
Inter-city effects
With high-speed rail there has been an increase in accessibility within cities. It allows for urban regeneration, accessibility in cities near and far, and efficient inter-city relationships. Better inter-city relationships lead to high-level services to companies, advanced technology, and marketing. The most important effect of HSR is the increase of accessibility due to shorter travel times. HSR lines have been used to create long-distance routes which in many cases cater to business travellers. However, there have also been short-distance routes that have revolutionised the concepts of HSR. They create commuting relationships between cities opening up more opportunities. Using both longer distance and shorter distance rail in one country allows for the best case of economic development, widening the labor and residential market of a metropolitan area and extending it to smaller cities.JOURNAL, Garmendia, Maddi, Ribalaygua, Cecilia, Ureña, José MarÃa, 1 December 2012, High speed rail: implication for cities, Cities, Current Research on Cities, 29, S26âS31, 10.1016/j.cities.2012.06.005, 0264-2751, Therefore, HSR is highly related to urban development,JOURNAL, Xiao, Fan, Wang, Jiaoe, Du, Delin, High-speed rail heading for innovation: the impact of HSR on intercity technology transfer, Area Development and Policy, 18 January 2022, 7, 3, 293â311, 10.1080/23792949.2021.1999169, 246049230, it attracts offices and start-ups,JOURNAL, Xiao, Fan, Zhou, Yong, Deng, Weipeng, Gu, Hengyu, Did high-speed rail affect the entry of automobile industry start-ups? Empirical evidence from Guangdong Province, China, Travel Behaviour and Society, April 2020, 19, 45â53, 10.1016/j.tbs.2019.12.002, 213535387, induces industrial displacement,JOURNAL, Xiao, Fan, Lin, Jen-Jia, High-speed rail and high-tech industry evolution: Empirical evidence from China, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, June 2021, 10, 100358, 10.1016/j.trip.2021.100358, 234821409, free, and promotes firm innovation.JOURNAL, Dong, Xiaofang, Zheng, Siqi, Kahn, Matthew E., The role of transportation speed in facilitating high skilled teamwork across cities, Journal of Urban Economics, January 2020, 115, 103212, 10.1016/j.jue.2019.103212, 1721.1/132188, 211379852, free,Closures
The KTX Incheon International Airport to Seoul Line (operates on Incheon AREX) was closed in 2018, due to a mix of issues, including poor ridership and track sharing.WEB,www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/south-korea-closes-266m-high-speed-rail-line-passe/, South Korea closes $266m high-speed rail line as passengers prefer the bus, Globalconstructionreview.com, 16 August 2018, The AREX was not constructed as high-speed rail, resulting a cap of 150 km/h on KTX service in its section.In China, many conventional lines upgraded up to 200 km/h had high-speed services shifted to parallel high-speed lines. These lines, often passing through towns and having level crossings, are still used for local trains and freight trains. For example, all (passenger) EMU services on the HankouâDanjiangkou railway were routed over the WuhanâShiyan high-speed railway on its opening to free up capacity for freight trains on the slower railway.WEB, 29 November 2019, ä»å¤©ï¼æ¹åå¤å¿å¸ï¼åå«æ é«éåå²ï¼, Officially opened to traffic! Today, many counties and cities in Hubei bid farewell to the absence of high-speed rail!,wap.peopleapp.com/article/rmh9705393/rmh9705393, ããIt is reported that in order to unleash the freight capacity of the Handan Railway and take advantage of the high-speed rail transportation, all the EMU trains running on the Handan Railway will be transferred to the Han-Dan Railway.,See also
{{div col}}- Ground-effect train
- Railway speed record
- List of high-speed railway lines
- List of high-speed trains
- Maglev
- Megaproject
- Proposed high-speed rail by country
- Passenger rail terminology
- Vactrain
- Inter-city rail
References
{{reflist}}Works cited
- BOOK, Rollen, schweben, gleiten, {{google books, y, 287EmgEACAAJ, |year=1975|publisher=Alba |first=Ottmar |last=Krettek |isbn=3-87094-033-6 }}
- BOOK, William D., Middleton, William D. Middleton,archive.org/stream/interurbanera00midd/interurbanera00midd_djvu.txt, The Interurban Era, Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1968,
- BOOK, Hood, Christopher, Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, {{google books, y, SuN_AgAAQBAJ, 18, |date=18 April 2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-36088-8 |pages=18â43}}
Further reading
- BOOK, Una leggenda che corre: breve storia dell’elettrotreno e dei suoi primati; ETR.200 â ETR.220 â ETR 240,www.trenidicarta.it/schede/5/5997_CORNOLO_GIOVANNI_Una_leggenda_che_corre_Breve_storia_dell_Elettrotreno_e_dei_suoi_primati_ETR200.html, Giovanni, Cornolò, Salò, ETR, 1990, 88-85068-23-5,
- BOOK, Gines, de Rus, 2011, The BCA of HSR: Should the Government Invest in High Speed Rail Infrastructure?, vol 2, issue 1, 2, 1, 1â28, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Berkeley Press,ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/jbcacn/v2y2011i1n2.html,
- BOOK, Hughes, Murray, The Second Age of Rail: a history of high-speed trains, 2015, The History Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 978-0750961455, {{google books, y, uRTXoAEACAAJ, }}
External links
{{Commons category}}{{Wikivoyage|High-speed rail}}- US high-speed rail Association official site
- UIC: high-speed rail
- World’s fastest high-speed trains in commercial operation
- {{Wikivoyage inline|Tips for rail travel}}
- Progress with Railway Interoperability in the European Union 2013 Biennial Report
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