National rail operator SNCF runs the fastest conventional train network in the world, with average top speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph). Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.įrance started developing its High Speed Rail network soon after Japan launched theirs in 1964, however the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, high-speed train) service didn't open to the public until 1981. Passengers board high speed trains at Gare de Lyon. RENFE operates the Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) at speeds up to 310 km/h (193 mph). Spain runs the biggest HSR network in Europe with 3,100 km (1,926 mi) of track and 1,800 km (1,118 mi) under construction. The China Railway Corporation has no plans on slowing down, as there are currently 14,160 km (8,799 mi) under construction. Photo by Taylor McConnell.Ĭhina has been building high-speed rail at a furious pace since 2007 and now boasts the world's largest network with 9,356 km (5,813 mi) of HSR track, including the longest line the world from Beijing to Guangzhou at 2,298 km (1,428 mi). DB Bahn's InterCityExpress trains reach a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).Ĭhina is the newest high speed rail giant. The Federal Republic got into the HSR game in 1991 and now features 1,334 km (829 mi) of HSR track in operation with 428 km (266 mi) under construction. Japan Railways Group now operates 2,664 km (1,655 mi) of tracks with 782 km (486 mi) under construction. The Land of the Rising Sun invented High Speed Rail with the first bullet train, called Shinkansen (new trunk line) opening in 1964. Here are the five best high speed rail networks in the world: Others, like China, have demonstrated how quickly a high speed rail network can be built in just a few years. Some, like Japan, have been building high speed rail since it was invented in the '60s. While California breaks ground this summer on the United States' first bullet train and Iraq gets into the game with a planned High Speed Rail (HSR) line from Basra to Baghdad, other nations have a long history of fast, efficient and environmentally friendly rail transportation.įive countries – Germany, China, Spain, Japan, and France – are global standouts, providing their citizens with long distance lines, a broad network of stops, and incredible high speeds. In 1964, Japan became the first country to build and operate a High Speed Rail line.
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