High speed rail is commonly defined as a railway capable of operating at speeds of 300 km/hour (186 mph) and above. The EU (through Directive 96/48/EC and related Technical Specifications for Interoperability) defines new high-speed lines as those equipped for speeds generally equal to or greater than 250 km/h (approximately 150 mph). High speed railways are typically designed for passenger travel rather than freight.

High speed rail technology is well-proven and already operates in a number of countries across the world. The first high-speed train was the Shinkansen in Japan, which opened in 1964. France followed with its first TGV line in 1981. Other countries with high speed railways now include Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Korea.

The UK’s first high speed railway, High Speed 1, linking London with the Channel Tunnel opened in November 2007. High Speed 1 is having a major impact on travel between the UK and continental Europe, having cut journey times between London and Paris to 2h15 and between London and Brussels to 1h51.

Europe now has a high speed rail network, co-ordinated through the Railteam network. This will allow seamless journeys across Europe, with co-ordinated ticketing and passenger services.

We should now build on the success of High Speed 1 and start planning in earnest the next steps for high speed rail in the UK. Greengauge21 has set out what a high speed rail network for the UK could look like and has also developed a proposition for High Speed Two.

A High Speed European Rail Network