Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | 'This article provides of a list of operating '''[[High-speed rail]] networks''', listed by '''country'''. High-speed rail is [[public transport]] by [[rail transport|rail]] at speeds of at least 200 [[km/h]] (125 [[mph]]) for updated truck and {{convert|250|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} or faster for new track <!-- According to EU principles, and the [[High-speed rail]] article--><ref> [http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article971 General definitions of highspeed.] ''uic.asso.fr/'' November 28, 2006. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.</ref><ref>Papacostas, C.S. (2001). ''Transportation Engineering & Planning'', Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-081419-9</ref>. The article also includes any planned expansion of existing high-speed rail networks in countries that already have one. For projects or plans in countries without existing high-speed rail lines, see [[Planned high-speed rail by country]].
==High Speed Rail by Country==
The following table shows all high speed dedicated lines (speed over 250km/h) in service and under construction (updated 21 May 2010), listed by country. Source: UIC (International Union of Railways). Since the purpose is to convey updated information with unified criteria, planned lines are not included.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country !! In operation (Km)<ref>http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article573</ref> !! Under construction (Km)<ref>http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article573</ref> !! '''Total Country (Km)'''
|-
| China || 7055<ref>http://discover.news.163.com/10/0929/07/6HO0OTPU000125LI.html</ref><sup>*</sup> || >10000 || '''>17000'''
|-
| Spain || 1604 || 2219 || '''3823'''
|-
| Japan || 2452 || 590 || '''3042'''
|-
| France || 1872 || 234 || '''2106'''
|-
| Germany || 1285 || 378 || '''1663'''
|-
| Italy || 923 || 0 || '''923'''
|-
| Turkey || 235 || 510 || '''745'''
|-
| South Korea || 330 || 82 || '''412'''
|-
| Taiwan || 345 || 0 || '''345'''
|-
| Belgium || 209 || 0 || '''209'''
|-
| The Netherlands || 120 || 0 || '''120'''
|-
| United Kingdom || 113 || 0 || '''113'''
|-
| Switzerland || 35 || 72 || '''107'''
|}
==East Asia==
===China===
[[File:China Railway High-Speed .png|thumb|400px|[[Greater China]](大中華地區) Railway High-Speed Network]]
{{Main|High-speed rail in China}}
[[Image:Shanghai Transrapid 002.jpg|left|thumb|Shanghai's [[Transrapid]] uses [[magnetic levitation]] to run at high speeds, but is not compatible with conventional tracks.]]
The [[Shanghai Maglev Train]], a [[turnkey]] [[Transrapid]] [[Magnetic levitation train|maglev]] project, imported from [[Germany]], is capable of an operational speed of 430 km/h and of a top speed of 501 km/h. It has connected [[Shanghai]] and [[Pu Dong International Airport]] since March, 2004. In April 2007, China opened several high speed rail lines between major cities, providing a network of 6,003 km, making it the world's largest high speed rail network. By 2012, China will have a 110,000km rail network, of which 13,000km will be high speed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/tracklaying-begins-on-beijing-shanghai-hsl.html
|accessdate=2010-07-22
|title=Tracklaying begins on Beijing - Shanghai HSL - International Railway Journal
|date=2010-07-22
}}</ref> However, the Maglev line has suffered from low ridership, and {{As of|2008|lc=on}} various expansion plans (eg. [[Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train|to Hangzhou]]) remain stalled.
The [[Qinshen Passenger Railway|Qinshen Passenger Railway (Qinhuangdao-Shenyang)]], China's first conventional high-speed line between, opened in 2003 with a maximum speed of 200 km/h (to be increased to 300 km/h). The [[Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail]], the first in China to support 300+ km/h, opened in August 2008. The [[Shitai Passenger Railway|Shitai Passenger Railway (Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan)]] started operating on 1st of April with a speed of 250 km/h. The construction of the 1,318-km [[Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway]] started in April 2008; tracklaying began in July 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/tracklaying-begins-on-beijing-shanghai-hsl.html
|accessdate=2010-07-22
|title=Tracklaying begins on Beijing - Shanghai HSL - International Railway Journal
|date=2010-07-22
}}</ref> Additional lines are also under construction so that by 2015, the high-speed railway network in China will be larger than the combined length and capacity of the rest of the world.
On December 9, 2009, China test-ran the world's longest high speed railway line - the [[Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway]], which reduces the travel time from [[Guangzhou]] to [[Wuhan]] to just over 3 hours. The maximum speed on this test run was 394 km/h. Commercial operation of Wuhan-Guangzhou High-speed railway between [[Guangzhou North Railway Station|Guangzhou North station]] and [[Wuhan Railway Station|Wuhan station]] started on December 26, 2009, at a maximum speed of 350 km/h. The last section of the railway between Guangzhou North station and [[Guangzhou South Railway Station|Guangzhou South station]] was opened on January 30, 2010.
===Japan===
[[File:Shinkansen map 201009.png|thumb|right|Shinkansen network]]
[[File:Shinkansen map en.png|thumb|right|Shinkansen network]]
{{Main|Shinkansen|JR-Maglev}}
Japan might be considered the pioneer of modern high-speed railways. Pioneering modern high speed rail, it also has the most heavily travelled, and was the largest network (in km) in operation until China opened 6,000 km of high speed lines all at once in April 2007. Construction began in 1959, and in 1964, the world's first line, [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] opened to the public, then operating at a speed of 210 km/h. A maximum speed of 443 km/h was recorded in a test run in 1996.
Japan is an extremely densely populated country: more than 70% of the land surface is mountainous and thus uninhabitable or unsuitable for road travel and parking. In fact, drivers must prove they have a parking space before they can buy a car. With such a population density, the only practical possibility for transport across the country is rail.
The recognition of the interrelationship between land development and the high-speed rail network led, in 1970, to the enactment of a law for the construction of a nationwide [[Shinkansen]] railway network. By 1973, the [[Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan)|Transport Minister]] approved construction plans for five additional lines and basic plans for twelve others. Despite the approval, financial considerations intervened; the cost of the five lines (five trillion [[yen]], or roughly 18 billion [[United States dollar|U.S. dollars]] at the 1973 exchange rate), combined with the [[1973 energy crisis|oil shock]] and the recession of the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in some lines being cancelled and others delayed until 1982.
The hosting of the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] in [[Nagano, Nagano|Nagano]] provided Japan with a valuable opportunity to showcase its technological skills with the opening of a new rail line extension, the [[Nagano Shinkansen]] from Tokyo to Nagano.
The national rail system (JNR), which included Shinkansen was broken up and privatized beginning in 1987 with the aim of more efficient and profitable operations in the passenger rail sector. Incremental improvements to the high-speed rail technology are being undertaken, and the network continues to be expanded. Tilting trains have been introduced to take curves faster; meanwhile, aerodynamic redesigns, stronger engines and lighter materials, [[Air brake (rail)|air brakes]], [[typhoon]] and [[earthquake]] precautions, and track upgrades are among the developments. As a result of improvements, the travel time from Tokyo to [[Shin-Osaka Station|Shin-Osaka]] (the first route opened) has decreased from 4 hours in 1964 to 2 hours 25 minutes in 2007.
A Japanese consortium led by the [[Central Japan Railway Company]] have been researching new high-speed rail systems based on [[magnetic levitation]] since the 1970s. Although the trains and guideways are technologically ready and over 100,000 people have ridden them, high costs remains as barriers. Test trains [[JR-Maglev|JR-Maglev MLX01]] on the [[Yamanashi Prefecture|Yamanashi]] Test Line have reached speeds of 581 km/h (crewed), making them the fastest trains in the world. These new maglev trains are intended to be deployed on new Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen maglev route, called the [[Chuo Shinkansen]], though the project has no political support, due to a spiralling Japanese national debt.
Experimental [[FASTECH 360]] steel-wheeled Shinkansen trains with a top speed of 405 km/h and an operational speed of 360 km/h are currently being tested. Production trains derived from them are scheduled to enter service in 2011.
===South Korea===
[[File:HSL South Korea en-semi-kr.png|300px|thumb|Korea Train Express Routes]]
{{Main|Korea Train Express}}
[[Image:2777380415 7a66a08008.jpg|thumb|left|South Korea's [[KTX|KTX II]], based on its self-developed [[HSR-350x]] (also known as [[HSR-350x|Korean G7]]), reaches maximum speed of 352.4 km/h.]]
South Korean [[Korea Train Express|KTX]] high-speed rail, which runs on a dedicated line, became operational in April 2004, and was the third nation outside Western Europe to have high speed intercity service, after Japan and the US.
(China still didn't have service ''between'' major cities) The maximum speed of the KTX, which derives its technology directly from France's [[Alstom]] TGV, is 300 km/h. A journey from [[Seoul]] to [[Daejeon]] that previously took around 90 to 120 minutes now takes only 49, and the time from [[Daejeon]] to [[Daegu]] (Dongdaegu St.) has been similarly reduced. Passengers can save up to 2 hours on journeys from Seoul to [[Busan]]. Since service began, there have been many complaints about the trainsets, citing general discomfort, together with seating that faces opposite the direction of travel. However, rail demand rose 25% in the second three months of service (April–June 2004). Rail revenue in general increased more than 91% from the previous year with 33% more seats offered. Recent observations indicate a growth trend and increasing public acceptance of the service. Daily ridership is now in the range of 85,000 passengers. Diversions from other modes show wide variability, according to customer surveys. KTX enticed 56% from existing rail services, 17% from air, 15% from express buses, and 12% from highways.
With the development of the [[HSR-350x]], South Korean media argue that Korea came to be the fourth nation to develop high-speed rail independently, and the seventh nation to acquire the technology. However, the statistics should vary according to the multiple definitions of a high speed rail. The "High Speed Rail 350x" went under development by South Korean engineers several years before the French technology-transfer program. [http://www.cityglance.org/asia/korea/trains/main.shtml] The train is a product of nearly 10 years of research and development by the Korean company [[Rotem]] and the National Rail Technology Institute of Korea.
Called the [[G-7 (train)|"Korean G-7"]] (a direct reference to Korea's ambitions of joining the technological prowess of [[G7|G-7 nations]]) this technology is currently in its test-run phase and is scheduled for initial passenger operation through the Seoul-to-[[Gwangju]] sector by 2007. The proposed train would run faster than the TGV, at 350 km/h as opposed to 300 km/h.<ref>[http://www.cityglance.org/asia/korea/trains/main.shtml Trains - cityglance.org<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Korean G-7 incorporates several technologies the French TGV doesn't, including an aluminum body, digital traffic control, and a pressure compensation system. When operational the Korean G-7 will also allow passengers to rotate their seats, giving them the choice of a forward facing or a rear facing seat, in response to the many complaints about the fixed one-directional seating arrangements on the KTX.
In July 2006, the South Korean government announced their plan to develop an upgraded version of the G-7 called HEMU(Highspeed Electric Multiple Unit-400㎞/h eXperiment) train system by 2011.
[[Rotem]], a member of the Hyundai group, also manufactures magnetic levitation trains.[http://www.rotem.co.kr/business/stock_product.asp?name=4] They were first introduced in the [[Taejŏn Expo '93|1993 Daejon International Expo]].
===Taiwan===
[[Image:TaiwanHighSpeedRail Route en.gif|thumb|right|Taiwan's high speed rail route]]
{{Main|Taiwan High Speed Rail}}
The Taiwan High Speed Rail, also known as the THSR, is [[Taiwan]]'s [[high-speed rail]] network, running approximately {{convert|335.50|km|mi|0|sp=us}} from [[Taipei City]] to [[Kaohsiung City]], which began operations on 5 January 2007. Adopting [[Japan]]'s [[Shinkansen]] technology for the core system, the THSR uses the [[Taiwan High Speed 700T train]], manufactured by a consortium of Japanese companies, most notably [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]].<ref>{{cite press release | publisher=Kawasaki Heavy Industries | date=2004-01-30 | title=New High Speed 700T for Taiwan Unveiled at Rollout Ceremony | url=http://www.khi.co.jp/sharyo/topic_final/jan_2004.html | accessdate=2006-04-21}}</ref> The total cost of the project is currently estimated to be [[USD|US$]]15 billion,<ref>{{cite web | title=Plan Overview | work=Taiwan High Speed Rail | url=http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/about/plan.asp | accessdate=2006-05-19}}</ref> and is one of the largest privately funded transport schemes to date. Express trains capable of travelling at up to {{convert|300|km/h|mi/h|0|lk=on|abbr=on}}<ref>[http://www.tunnels.mottmac.com/projects/?mode=region&id=3377 Taiwan High Speed Rail Link - Mott MacDonald Project Page]</ref> travel from [[Taipei City]] to [[Kaohsiung City]] in roughly 90 minutes as opposed to 4.5 hours by conventional rail,<ref>{{cite web | title=Transportation | work=A Brief Introduction to Taiwan | publisher=ROC Government Information Office| url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/brief/info04_11.html | accessdate=2006-05-19}}</ref> although local service THSR trains take approximately two hours when stopping at all stations en route.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
On 3 June 2007, THSR served 5 million cumulative passengers,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/archive/detail.asp?cat=1&id=111377&d=200764 |title=THSRC sees 5 millionth passenger |publisher=The China Post |date=2007-06-04 |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> and on 26 September 2007, the 10 millionth passenger boarded.<ref name="10mil">[https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2007/09/27/2003380666 Taipei Times - archives<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the month of September 2007, THSRC carried 1.5 million passengers,<ref name="10mil"/> growing further to 1.66 million in November and 2 million in December 2007,<ref>[https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2008/01/05/2003395827 Taipei Times - archives<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> the latter translating to about 65,000 passengers daily. In the first year of operation, ending 31 December 2007, THSRC's trains were 99.46% on-time, and carried 15.55 million passengers.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
Thirteen Taiwan High Speed Rail stations were planned in the western corridor, with eight stations already open in Taipei, Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying. Five more stations (in Nangang, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, and Kaohsiung) will be built in future years.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
==Europe==
{{Main|High-speed rail in Europe}}
[[File:High Speed Railroad Map Europe 2009.gif|thumb|left|Europe's high speed rail route]]
'''High-speed rail''' is emerging in '''Europe''' as an increasingly popular and efficient means of transportation. The first [[high-speed rail]] lines in [[Europe]], built in the 1980s and 1990s, improved travel times on intra-national corridors. Since then, several countries have built extensive high-speed networks, and there are now several cross-border high-speed rail links. Rail operators frequently run international services, and tracks are continuously being built and upgraded to international standards on the emerging '''European high-speed rail network.''' In 2007, a consortium of European rail operators, [[Railteam]], emerged to coordinate and boost cross-border high-speed rail travel. Developing a [[Trans-European high-speed rail network]] is a stated goal of the [[European Union]], and most cross-border rail lines receive EU funding. Today only the core countries of Western Europe are 'plugged in' to a cross-border high-speed rail network, with Russia having opened a 250 km/h line on December 26, 2008. This will change rapidly in the coming years as Europe invests heavily in tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure and development projects across the continent.
==North America==
===Canada===
{{main|High-speed rail in Canada}}
Although [[Canada]] does not have [[high-speed rail]] lines, there have been two routes frequently proposed as suitable for a high-speed rail corridor:
* [[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton]] to [[Calgary, Alberta|Calgary]] via [[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]]
* [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] to [[Quebec City]] via [[London, Ontario|London]], [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]], [[Ottawa, Ontario|Ottawa]] and [[Montreal, Quebec|Montreal]]
A possible international high-speed rail link between [[Montreal]] and [[Boston]] or [[New York City]] is often discussed by regional leaders, though little progress has been made.<ref>[http://www.aot.state.vt.us/Planning/BostonRail.htm Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS)], [[Government of Vermont|State of Vermont]], Boston to Montreal High-Speed Rail (BMHSR) Planning and Feasibility Study</ref><ref>[http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/31 U.S. Department of Transportation: Barrack Obama 2009 HSR proposal]</ref> Between [[Vancouver]] and [[Seattle]], work is in progress to improve the existing [[Amtrak Cascades]] service, though it will not reach speeds normally associated with high-speed rail.{{Fact|date=April 2009}}
On April 10 2008, a new Canadian National Citizen's Advocacy Group High Speed Rail Canada<ref>http://www.highspeedrail.ca</ref> was formed to promote and educate Canadians on the benefits of high speed rail in Canada.<ref>[http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=842335 High Speed Rail Canada Citizens Advocacy Group and Website Forms<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Mexico===
The [[Secretariat of Communications and Transport]] of [[Mexico]] is currently building a high-speed rail link<ref name="azcentral.com">http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0106mextrain06.html</ref><ref>http://guadalajarareporter.com/news-mainmenu-82/regional-mainmenu-85/3249-bullet-train-to-mexico-city-looks-to-be-back-on-track-.html</ref> that will transport its passengers from [[Mexico City]] to [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]], with stops in the cities of [[Santiago de Querétaro|Querétaro]], [[León, Guanajuato|Leon]] and [[Irapuato]] and an separately operated but interconnected line running from the port city of [[Manzanillo]] to [[Aguascalientes]]. The high speed train system will be the fastest high speed rail line in [[North America]] and the first outside of [[East Asia]] or [[Europe]]. The train which travels at 300 kilometers per hour<ref>http://www.systra.com/Project-for-a-Mexico-City-Guadalajara-High-Speed-Line?lang=fr</ref> allows passengers to travel from Mexico City to Guadalajara in just 2 hours<ref>http://www.systra.com/Project-for-a-Mexico-City-Guadalajara-High-Speed-Line?lang=fr</ref> at an affordable price (the same trip by road would last 7 hours). The network will also connect the network to [[Monterrey]], [[Tijuana]], [[Hermosillo]], [[Puerto Peñasco]], [[Mexicali]] and [[Acapulco]] by 2015.<ref name="azcentral.com"/> The whole project was projected to cost 240 billion [[MXN|pesos]], or about 25 billion [[USD|dollars]]<ref name="azcentral.com"/> and is being payed for jointly by the Mexican government and the local private sector including the wealthiest man in the world, Mexico's billionaire business tycoon [[Carlos Slim Helú|Carlos Helú]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-127506564/slim-invest-santa-cruz.html | work=The America's Intelligence Wire | title=Slim to invest in Santa Cruz | date=2005-01-21}}</ref> The government of the state of [[Yucatan]] is also funding the construction of a high speed line connecting the cities of [[Cozumel]] to [[Merida]] and [[Chichen Itza]] and eventually [[Cancun]].<ref>http://www.articlealley.com/article_1717563_33.html</ref> This line will travel at the lower speed of 200 kilometers per hour and the cost of the line was reported at $8.5 billion USD in 2008. A large part of the high speed line will be used in the freight duty, making it the first high speed freight line.<ref name="azcentral.com"/> Some Mexican politicians, such as [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]], suggested a whole national network of such lines; however there were objections from others who believed that Mexico's should focus on shorter rail segments serving more passengers, such as the [[Tren Suburbano]] in [[Mexico City]]. The Model of the train type to be used on this network has not yet been chosen but the Mexican [[Secretariat of Communications and Transport]] has stated that the trains will be of a foreign design but constructed in Mexico and that the final candidates as of 2009 are a lengthened modified variant of the Anglo-German [[Siemens|Siemens/Priestmangoode Mercury]], the French [[Automotrice à grande vitesse|AGV]], and the Japanese [[E5 Series Shinkansen]]. Whichever trainset is chosen will be built locally to (as stated by the [[Secretariat of Communications and Transport]]) increase Mexico's industrial and high-tech production capability and create new jobs.<ref>http://www.sct.gob.mx</ref>. It is likely that the British/German [[Siemens|Siemens/Priestmangoode Mercury]] is the most likely model to be chosen, even though it is the most expensive because it's long term operational costs are lowest and Siemens is offering a full technology transfer for licensed construction in Mexico. It is also possible that this model is being marketed heavily to save the [[Siemens|Siemens/Priestmangoode Mercury]] which has not been ordered by either the British or Germans and the contract to Mexico may be the only way to keep the project alive if it is not ordered in Europe.
===United States===
[[File:High speed rail in the United States map.jpg|thumb|right|United States' potential High-Speed rail network]]
{{Main|High-speed rail in the United States}}
The United States currently has only one high-speed rail line in operation, the [[Acela Express]], which started in 2000, and runs between [[Washington, D.C.]] and [[Boston]] via [[New York City]]. On average, the line is not as fast as other high-speed rail lines.
[[California]] has made the most progress towards establishment of a "true" high-speed line; in the [[2008 elections]] voters in the state approved a ten billion dollar bond to fund construction of an initial line running between [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]]. The full network is planned to also include [[San Diego]] and [[Sacramento]]. The system will run as fast as 220 mph (350 km/h) using steel wheel on steel rail technology. [[Maglev train|Maglev]] propulsion was previously considered but dropped as an option in 2001. The project is being administered under the [[California high-speed rail|California High-Speed Rail Authority]].
==See also==
*[[Planned high-speed rail by country]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.uic.org/IMG/pdf/20100521_a1_high_speed_lines_in_the_world.pdf World HSR lines may 2010] International Union of Railways
{{High-speed rail}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:High-Speed Rail By Country}}
[[Category:High-speed rail by country|*]]
[[ru:Высокоскоростной наземный транспорт по странам]]
[[zh:高速鐵路列表]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | 'This article provides of a list of operating '''[[High-speed rail]] networks''', listed by '''country'''. High-speed rail is [[public transport]] by [[rail transport|rail]] at speeds of at least 200 [[km/h]] (125 [[mph]]) for updated truck and {{convert|250|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} or faster for new track <!-- According to EU principles, and the [[High-speed rail]] article--><ref> [http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article971 General definitions of highspeed.] ''uic.asso.fr/'' November 28, 2006. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.</ref><ref>Papacostas, C.S. (2001). ''Transportation Engineering & Planning'', Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-081419-9</ref>. The article also includes any planned expansion of existing high-speed rail networks in countries that already have one. For projects or plans in countries without existing high-speed rail lines, see [[Planned high-speed rail by country]].
==High Speed Rail by Country==
The following table shows all high speed dedicated lines (speed over 250km/h) in service and under construction (updated 21 May 2010), listed by country. Source: UIC (International Union of Railways). Since the purpose is to convey updated information with unified criteria, planned lines are not included.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country !! In operation (Km)<ref>http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article573</ref> !! Under construction (Km)<ref>http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article573</ref> !! '''Total Country (Km)'''
|-
| China || 3529 || 6696 || '''10225'''
|-
| Spain || 1604 || 2219 || '''3823'''
|-
| Japan || 2452 || 590 || '''3042'''
|-
| France || 1872 || 234 || '''2106'''
|-
| Germany || 1285 || 378 || '''1663'''
|-
| Italy || 923 || 0 || '''923'''
|-
| Turkey || 235 || 510 || '''745'''
|-
| South Korea || 330 || 82 || '''412'''
|-
| Taiwan || 345 || 0 || '''345'''
|-
| Belgium || 209 || 0 || '''209'''
|-
| The Netherlands || 120 || 0 || '''120'''
|-
| United Kingdom || 113 || 0 || '''113'''
|-
| Switzerland || 35 || 72 || '''107'''
|}
==East Asia==
===China===
[[File:China Railway High-Speed .png|thumb|400px|[[Greater China]](大中華地區) Railway High-Speed Network]]
{{Main|High-speed rail in China}}
[[Image:Shanghai Transrapid 002.jpg|left|thumb|Shanghai's [[Transrapid]] uses [[magnetic levitation]] to run at high speeds, but is not compatible with conventional tracks.]]
The [[Shanghai Maglev Train]], a [[turnkey]] [[Transrapid]] [[Magnetic levitation train|maglev]] project, imported from [[Germany]], is capable of an operational speed of 430 km/h and of a top speed of 501 km/h. It has connected [[Shanghai]] and [[Pu Dong International Airport]] since March, 2004. In April 2007, China opened several high speed rail lines between major cities, providing a network of 6,003 km, making it the world's largest high speed rail network. By 2012, China will have a 110,000km rail network, of which 13,000km will be high speed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/tracklaying-begins-on-beijing-shanghai-hsl.html
|accessdate=2010-07-22
|title=Tracklaying begins on Beijing - Shanghai HSL - International Railway Journal
|date=2010-07-22
}}</ref> However, the Maglev line has suffered from low ridership, and {{As of|2008|lc=on}} various expansion plans (eg. [[Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train|to Hangzhou]]) remain stalled.
The [[Qinshen Passenger Railway|Qinshen Passenger Railway (Qinhuangdao-Shenyang)]], China's first conventional high-speed line between, opened in 2003 with a maximum speed of 200 km/h (to be increased to 300 km/h). The [[Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail]], the first in China to support 300+ km/h, opened in August 2008. The [[Shitai Passenger Railway|Shitai Passenger Railway (Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan)]] started operating on 1st of April with a speed of 250 km/h. The construction of the 1,318-km [[Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway]] started in April 2008; tracklaying began in July 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/tracklaying-begins-on-beijing-shanghai-hsl.html
|accessdate=2010-07-22
|title=Tracklaying begins on Beijing - Shanghai HSL - International Railway Journal
|date=2010-07-22
}}</ref> Additional lines are also under construction so that by 2015, the high-speed railway network in China will be larger than the combined length and capacity of the rest of the world.
On December 9, 2009, China test-ran the world's longest high speed railway line - the [[Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway]], which reduces the travel time from [[Guangzhou]] to [[Wuhan]] to just over 3 hours. The maximum speed on this test run was 394 km/h. Commercial operation of Wuhan-Guangzhou High-speed railway between [[Guangzhou North Railway Station|Guangzhou North station]] and [[Wuhan Railway Station|Wuhan station]] started on December 26, 2009, at a maximum speed of 350 km/h. The last section of the railway between Guangzhou North station and [[Guangzhou South Railway Station|Guangzhou South station]] was opened on January 30, 2010.
===Japan===
[[File:Shinkansen map 201009.png|thumb|right|Shinkansen network]]
[[File:Shinkansen map en.png|thumb|right|Shinkansen network]]
{{Main|Shinkansen|JR-Maglev}}
Japan might be considered the pioneer of modern high-speed railways. Pioneering modern high speed rail, it also has the most heavily travelled, and was the largest network (in km) in operation until China opened 6,000 km of high speed lines all at once in April 2007. Construction began in 1959, and in 1964, the world's first line, [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] opened to the public, then operating at a speed of 210 km/h. A maximum speed of 443 km/h was recorded in a test run in 1996.
Japan is an extremely densely populated country: more than 70% of the land surface is mountainous and thus uninhabitable or unsuitable for road travel and parking. In fact, drivers must prove they have a parking space before they can buy a car. With such a population density, the only practical possibility for transport across the country is rail.
The recognition of the interrelationship between land development and the high-speed rail network led, in 1970, to the enactment of a law for the construction of a nationwide [[Shinkansen]] railway network. By 1973, the [[Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan)|Transport Minister]] approved construction plans for five additional lines and basic plans for twelve others. Despite the approval, financial considerations intervened; the cost of the five lines (five trillion [[yen]], or roughly 18 billion [[United States dollar|U.S. dollars]] at the 1973 exchange rate), combined with the [[1973 energy crisis|oil shock]] and the recession of the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in some lines being cancelled and others delayed until 1982.
The hosting of the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] in [[Nagano, Nagano|Nagano]] provided Japan with a valuable opportunity to showcase its technological skills with the opening of a new rail line extension, the [[Nagano Shinkansen]] from Tokyo to Nagano.
The national rail system (JNR), which included Shinkansen was broken up and privatized beginning in 1987 with the aim of more efficient and profitable operations in the passenger rail sector. Incremental improvements to the high-speed rail technology are being undertaken, and the network continues to be expanded. Tilting trains have been introduced to take curves faster; meanwhile, aerodynamic redesigns, stronger engines and lighter materials, [[Air brake (rail)|air brakes]], [[typhoon]] and [[earthquake]] precautions, and track upgrades are among the developments. As a result of improvements, the travel time from Tokyo to [[Shin-Osaka Station|Shin-Osaka]] (the first route opened) has decreased from 4 hours in 1964 to 2 hours 25 minutes in 2007.
A Japanese consortium led by the [[Central Japan Railway Company]] have been researching new high-speed rail systems based on [[magnetic levitation]] since the 1970s. Although the trains and guideways are technologically ready and over 100,000 people have ridden them, high costs remains as barriers. Test trains [[JR-Maglev|JR-Maglev MLX01]] on the [[Yamanashi Prefecture|Yamanashi]] Test Line have reached speeds of 581 km/h (crewed), making them the fastest trains in the world. These new maglev trains are intended to be deployed on new Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen maglev route, called the [[Chuo Shinkansen]], though the project has no political support, due to a spiralling Japanese national debt.
Experimental [[FASTECH 360]] steel-wheeled Shinkansen trains with a top speed of 405 km/h and an operational speed of 360 km/h are currently being tested. Production trains derived from them are scheduled to enter service in 2011.
===South Korea===
[[File:HSL South Korea en-semi-kr.png|300px|thumb|Korea Train Express Routes]]
{{Main|Korea Train Express}}
[[Image:2777380415 7a66a08008.jpg|thumb|left|South Korea's [[KTX|KTX II]], based on its self-developed [[HSR-350x]] (also known as [[HSR-350x|Korean G7]]), reaches maximum speed of 352.4 km/h.]]
South Korean [[Korea Train Express|KTX]] high-speed rail, which runs on a dedicated line, became operational in April 2004, and was the third nation outside Western Europe to have high speed intercity service, after Japan and the US.
(China still didn't have service ''between'' major cities) The maximum speed of the KTX, which derives its technology directly from France's [[Alstom]] TGV, is 300 km/h. A journey from [[Seoul]] to [[Daejeon]] that previously took around 90 to 120 minutes now takes only 49, and the time from [[Daejeon]] to [[Daegu]] (Dongdaegu St.) has been similarly reduced. Passengers can save up to 2 hours on journeys from Seoul to [[Busan]]. Since service began, there have been many complaints about the trainsets, citing general discomfort, together with seating that faces opposite the direction of travel. However, rail demand rose 25% in the second three months of service (April–June 2004). Rail revenue in general increased more than 91% from the previous year with 33% more seats offered. Recent observations indicate a growth trend and increasing public acceptance of the service. Daily ridership is now in the range of 85,000 passengers. Diversions from other modes show wide variability, according to customer surveys. KTX enticed 56% from existing rail services, 17% from air, 15% from express buses, and 12% from highways.
With the development of the [[HSR-350x]], South Korean media argue that Korea came to be the fourth nation to develop high-speed rail independently, and the seventh nation to acquire the technology. However, the statistics should vary according to the multiple definitions of a high speed rail. The "High Speed Rail 350x" went under development by South Korean engineers several years before the French technology-transfer program. [http://www.cityglance.org/asia/korea/trains/main.shtml] The train is a product of nearly 10 years of research and development by the Korean company [[Rotem]] and the National Rail Technology Institute of Korea.
Called the [[G-7 (train)|"Korean G-7"]] (a direct reference to Korea's ambitions of joining the technological prowess of [[G7|G-7 nations]]) this technology is currently in its test-run phase and is scheduled for initial passenger operation through the Seoul-to-[[Gwangju]] sector by 2007. The proposed train would run faster than the TGV, at 350 km/h as opposed to 300 km/h.<ref>[http://www.cityglance.org/asia/korea/trains/main.shtml Trains - cityglance.org<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Korean G-7 incorporates several technologies the French TGV doesn't, including an aluminum body, digital traffic control, and a pressure compensation system. When operational the Korean G-7 will also allow passengers to rotate their seats, giving them the choice of a forward facing or a rear facing seat, in response to the many complaints about the fixed one-directional seating arrangements on the KTX.
In July 2006, the South Korean government announced their plan to develop an upgraded version of the G-7 called HEMU(Highspeed Electric Multiple Unit-400㎞/h eXperiment) train system by 2011.
[[Rotem]], a member of the Hyundai group, also manufactures magnetic levitation trains.[http://www.rotem.co.kr/business/stock_product.asp?name=4] They were first introduced in the [[Taejŏn Expo '93|1993 Daejon International Expo]].
===Taiwan===
[[Image:TaiwanHighSpeedRail Route en.gif|thumb|right|Taiwan's high speed rail route]]
{{Main|Taiwan High Speed Rail}}
The Taiwan High Speed Rail, also known as the THSR, is [[Taiwan]]'s [[high-speed rail]] network, running approximately {{convert|335.50|km|mi|0|sp=us}} from [[Taipei City]] to [[Kaohsiung City]], which began operations on 5 January 2007. Adopting [[Japan]]'s [[Shinkansen]] technology for the core system, the THSR uses the [[Taiwan High Speed 700T train]], manufactured by a consortium of Japanese companies, most notably [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]].<ref>{{cite press release | publisher=Kawasaki Heavy Industries | date=2004-01-30 | title=New High Speed 700T for Taiwan Unveiled at Rollout Ceremony | url=http://www.khi.co.jp/sharyo/topic_final/jan_2004.html | accessdate=2006-04-21}}</ref> The total cost of the project is currently estimated to be [[USD|US$]]15 billion,<ref>{{cite web | title=Plan Overview | work=Taiwan High Speed Rail | url=http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/about/plan.asp | accessdate=2006-05-19}}</ref> and is one of the largest privately funded transport schemes to date. Express trains capable of travelling at up to {{convert|300|km/h|mi/h|0|lk=on|abbr=on}}<ref>[http://www.tunnels.mottmac.com/projects/?mode=region&id=3377 Taiwan High Speed Rail Link - Mott MacDonald Project Page]</ref> travel from [[Taipei City]] to [[Kaohsiung City]] in roughly 90 minutes as opposed to 4.5 hours by conventional rail,<ref>{{cite web | title=Transportation | work=A Brief Introduction to Taiwan | publisher=ROC Government Information Office| url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/brief/info04_11.html | accessdate=2006-05-19}}</ref> although local service THSR trains take approximately two hours when stopping at all stations en route.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
On 3 June 2007, THSR served 5 million cumulative passengers,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/archive/detail.asp?cat=1&id=111377&d=200764 |title=THSRC sees 5 millionth passenger |publisher=The China Post |date=2007-06-04 |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> and on 26 September 2007, the 10 millionth passenger boarded.<ref name="10mil">[https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2007/09/27/2003380666 Taipei Times - archives<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the month of September 2007, THSRC carried 1.5 million passengers,<ref name="10mil"/> growing further to 1.66 million in November and 2 million in December 2007,<ref>[https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2008/01/05/2003395827 Taipei Times - archives<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> the latter translating to about 65,000 passengers daily. In the first year of operation, ending 31 December 2007, THSRC's trains were 99.46% on-time, and carried 15.55 million passengers.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
Thirteen Taiwan High Speed Rail stations were planned in the western corridor, with eight stations already open in Taipei, Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying. Five more stations (in Nangang, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, and Kaohsiung) will be built in future years.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
==Europe==
{{Main|High-speed rail in Europe}}
[[File:High Speed Railroad Map Europe 2009.gif|thumb|left|Europe's high speed rail route]]
'''High-speed rail''' is emerging in '''Europe''' as an increasingly popular and efficient means of transportation. The first [[high-speed rail]] lines in [[Europe]], built in the 1980s and 1990s, improved travel times on intra-national corridors. Since then, several countries have built extensive high-speed networks, and there are now several cross-border high-speed rail links. Rail operators frequently run international services, and tracks are continuously being built and upgraded to international standards on the emerging '''European high-speed rail network.''' In 2007, a consortium of European rail operators, [[Railteam]], emerged to coordinate and boost cross-border high-speed rail travel. Developing a [[Trans-European high-speed rail network]] is a stated goal of the [[European Union]], and most cross-border rail lines receive EU funding. Today only the core countries of Western Europe are 'plugged in' to a cross-border high-speed rail network, with Russia having opened a 250 km/h line on December 26, 2008. This will change rapidly in the coming years as Europe invests heavily in tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure and development projects across the continent.
==North America==
===Canada===
{{main|High-speed rail in Canada}}
Although [[Canada]] does not have [[high-speed rail]] lines, there have been two routes frequently proposed as suitable for a high-speed rail corridor:
* [[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton]] to [[Calgary, Alberta|Calgary]] via [[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]]
* [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] to [[Quebec City]] via [[London, Ontario|London]], [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]], [[Ottawa, Ontario|Ottawa]] and [[Montreal, Quebec|Montreal]]
A possible international high-speed rail link between [[Montreal]] and [[Boston]] or [[New York City]] is often discussed by regional leaders, though little progress has been made.<ref>[http://www.aot.state.vt.us/Planning/BostonRail.htm Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS)], [[Government of Vermont|State of Vermont]], Boston to Montreal High-Speed Rail (BMHSR) Planning and Feasibility Study</ref><ref>[http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/31 U.S. Department of Transportation: Barrack Obama 2009 HSR proposal]</ref> Between [[Vancouver]] and [[Seattle]], work is in progress to improve the existing [[Amtrak Cascades]] service, though it will not reach speeds normally associated with high-speed rail.{{Fact|date=April 2009}}
On April 10 2008, a new Canadian National Citizen's Advocacy Group High Speed Rail Canada<ref>http://www.highspeedrail.ca</ref> was formed to promote and educate Canadians on the benefits of high speed rail in Canada.<ref>[http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=842335 High Speed Rail Canada Citizens Advocacy Group and Website Forms<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Mexico===
The [[Secretariat of Communications and Transport]] of [[Mexico]] is currently building a high-speed rail link<ref name="azcentral.com">http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0106mextrain06.html</ref><ref>http://guadalajarareporter.com/news-mainmenu-82/regional-mainmenu-85/3249-bullet-train-to-mexico-city-looks-to-be-back-on-track-.html</ref> that will transport its passengers from [[Mexico City]] to [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]], with stops in the cities of [[Santiago de Querétaro|Querétaro]], [[León, Guanajuato|Leon]] and [[Irapuato]] and an separately operated but interconnected line running from the port city of [[Manzanillo]] to [[Aguascalientes]]. The high speed train system will be the fastest high speed rail line in [[North America]] and the first outside of [[East Asia]] or [[Europe]]. The train which travels at 300 kilometers per hour<ref>http://www.systra.com/Project-for-a-Mexico-City-Guadalajara-High-Speed-Line?lang=fr</ref> allows passengers to travel from Mexico City to Guadalajara in just 2 hours<ref>http://www.systra.com/Project-for-a-Mexico-City-Guadalajara-High-Speed-Line?lang=fr</ref> at an affordable price (the same trip by road would last 7 hours). The network will also connect the network to [[Monterrey]], [[Tijuana]], [[Hermosillo]], [[Puerto Peñasco]], [[Mexicali]] and [[Acapulco]] by 2015.<ref name="azcentral.com"/> The whole project was projected to cost 240 billion [[MXN|pesos]], or about 25 billion [[USD|dollars]]<ref name="azcentral.com"/> and is being payed for jointly by the Mexican government and the local private sector including the wealthiest man in the world, Mexico's billionaire business tycoon [[Carlos Slim Helú|Carlos Helú]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-127506564/slim-invest-santa-cruz.html | work=The America's Intelligence Wire | title=Slim to invest in Santa Cruz | date=2005-01-21}}</ref> The government of the state of [[Yucatan]] is also funding the construction of a high speed line connecting the cities of [[Cozumel]] to [[Merida]] and [[Chichen Itza]] and eventually [[Cancun]].<ref>http://www.articlealley.com/article_1717563_33.html</ref> This line will travel at the lower speed of 200 kilometers per hour and the cost of the line was reported at $8.5 billion USD in 2008. A large part of the high speed line will be used in the freight duty, making it the first high speed freight line.<ref name="azcentral.com"/> Some Mexican politicians, such as [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]], suggested a whole national network of such lines; however there were objections from others who believed that Mexico's should focus on shorter rail segments serving more passengers, such as the [[Tren Suburbano]] in [[Mexico City]]. The Model of the train type to be used on this network has not yet been chosen but the Mexican [[Secretariat of Communications and Transport]] has stated that the trains will be of a foreign design but constructed in Mexico and that the final candidates as of 2009 are a lengthened modified variant of the Anglo-German [[Siemens|Siemens/Priestmangoode Mercury]], the French [[Automotrice à grande vitesse|AGV]], and the Japanese [[E5 Series Shinkansen]]. Whichever trainset is chosen will be built locally to (as stated by the [[Secretariat of Communications and Transport]]) increase Mexico's industrial and high-tech production capability and create new jobs.<ref>http://www.sct.gob.mx</ref>. It is likely that the British/German [[Siemens|Siemens/Priestmangoode Mercury]] is the most likely model to be chosen, even though it is the most expensive because it's long term operational costs are lowest and Siemens is offering a full technology transfer for licensed construction in Mexico. It is also possible that this model is being marketed heavily to save the [[Siemens|Siemens/Priestmangoode Mercury]] which has not been ordered by either the British or Germans and the contract to Mexico may be the only way to keep the project alive if it is not ordered in Europe.
===United States===
[[File:High speed rail in the United States map.jpg|thumb|right|United States' potential High-Speed rail network]]
{{Main|High-speed rail in the United States}}
The United States currently has only one high-speed rail line in operation, the [[Acela Express]], which started in 2000, and runs between [[Washington, D.C.]] and [[Boston]] via [[New York City]]. On average, the line is not as fast as other high-speed rail lines.
[[California]] has made the most progress towards establishment of a "true" high-speed line; in the [[2008 elections]] voters in the state approved a ten billion dollar bond to fund construction of an initial line running between [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]]. The full network is planned to also include [[San Diego]] and [[Sacramento]]. The system will run as fast as 220 mph (350 km/h) using steel wheel on steel rail technology. [[Maglev train|Maglev]] propulsion was previously considered but dropped as an option in 2001. The project is being administered under the [[California high-speed rail|California High-Speed Rail Authority]].
==See also==
*[[Planned high-speed rail by country]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.uic.org/IMG/pdf/20100521_a1_high_speed_lines_in_the_world.pdf World HSR lines may 2010] International Union of Railways
{{High-speed rail}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:High-Speed Rail By Country}}
[[Category:High-speed rail by country|*]]
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