High-Speed Rail

High-speed railways provide an efficient mode of transport, but they are highly complex systems and must combine various elements if they are to operate successfully.

Our high-speed rail content explores projects currently under construction, projects at planning stages and how their vision is taking shape, the funding and financial issues around building new high-speed lines, the importance of understanding what passengers want from high-speed rail services, and how established high-speed lines can help boost economies.

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New development stage of RHEDA 2000®

15 May 2009 | By Jens Kleeberg, Vice President of R&D, RAIL.ONE GmbH

Jens Kleeberg, Vice President of R&D, RAIL.ONE GmbH, discusses the next step in the development of ballastless track.

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Bombardier – worldwide experience in high-speed

26 March 2009 | By Jürgen Jakob, Director of Marketing & Sales and Heiko Mannsbarth, Chief Engineer & Product Manager for Mainline and Metro Bogies, Business Unit Bogie of Bombardier Transportation

Jürgen Jakob covers the history of Bomardier in the field of high-speed rail, from the first railway vehicle to reach 210lm/h to the present day.

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High Speed 1: The First Anniversary

3 December 2008 | By Paul Chapman, Managing Director, High Speed 1 (HS1)

Looking back, it has been quite a year! I remember vividly, the enormous sense of pride I, my colleagues, guests and performers felt as on 6 November 2007, Her Majesty The Queen declared St Pancras International open and that the delivery of High Speed 1 (HS1) was complete… on time…

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High-speed set to gather pace in Poland

3 December 2008 | By Cezary Grabarczyk, Minister of Infrastructure, Poland

Although Poland is finding developing high-speed railway lines difficult, the country recognises that by having better transport infrastructure and by having easier ways to move between agglomerations, the quicker its economic development will be.

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Madrid-Barcelona-French Border high-speed railway line

27 September 2008 | By Antonio Fernández Gil, Director of the Madrid-Barcelona-French Border Line Project, ADIF

Details of the stretch of railway line between Madrid, Barcelona and the French Border, which is managed by RENFE and ADIF.

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Poceirão-Caia PPP call for tenders – a vital infrastructure project

27 September 2008 | By João Pereira Fernandes, Lisbon-Madrid Axis Director, RAVE

On 2 June 2008, the launch of the international call for tenders for the Poceirão-Caia Public-Private Partnership rail infrastructure concession took place, which will be part of the high-speed line from Lisbon to Madrid.

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Recognising the importance of high-speed rail in Norway

28 May 2008 | By Lars Erik Nybø, Project Manager for High-Speed Study, Jernbaneverket

Studies commissioned by Jernbaneverket, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, show potential for developing a high-speed network designed for Norwegian conditions.

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Keeping up-to-date with ETCS implementation plans in Spain

28 May 2008 | By Antonio Domínguez Chala, Network Planning and Development Director, ADIF

This article presents the main aspects concerning the experience that the development of the ERTMS system in Spain has produced, and the established criteria for the migration to this new system.

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DB to add 1,000km to the high-speed network

28 May 2008 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor, Global Railway Review

In a recent presentation from Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Feldwisch of DB Netz AG given at the UIC High-Speed show in Amsterdam, ambitious plans for enlarging the German high-speed network were explained.

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Allocation of resources secure long-term growth

8 April 2008 | By İsa Apaydin, Deputy Director General, Turkish Railways (TCDD)

The history of Turkish Railways started with the construction of the I.zmir-Aydın line during the Ottoman period in 1856. During this period, 8,500km of railway lines were constructed and 4,000km of the total length of this network remained within the existing national boundaries.

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HSL-Zuid: high-speed importance

8 April 2008 | By Dietmar Wegner, RAMS Manager, Industry Sector, Mobility Division, Siemens AG

European cities are linked by an increasing amount of high-speed transport routes that satisfy growing demand for mobility. Ecological and economical/political aspects are also of immense importance to the expansion of the European high-speed transport network. The Netherlands’ connection to the high-speed network takes Europe another step closer to a…

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United Kingdom joins the high-speed club

26 November 2007 | By Dave Pointon, Managing Director, Union Railways (North) Ltd

High Speed 1 (HS1), the UK’s first high speed railway, opened for business on 14 November 2007. Dave Pointon, Managing Director of project client Union Railways, looks back at key aspects of the 14-year planning and construction effort.

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High Speed 1: A new benchmark in project management

26 November 2007 | By

Britain is finally getting its first new successful railway line in over a century. Nine years after construction began, High Speed 1 (HS1) is ready to commence commercial services from St Pancras International, the glorious new home of British high-speed rail travel.

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Performance of Poland’s operational programme

26 November 2007 | By Krzysztof Celinski, President of the Management Board, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.

This article comprehensively describes a modernisation plan for the Polish rail network to be fulfilled during 2007-2013 and subsequent years. This great investment plan is lead by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. (PKP Polish Railway Lines Company). The plan is an extensive one and there is still enough time and…

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Improvement of Alstom’s high-speed bogies

26 November 2007 | By Jean-Daniel Nast, Technical Director of Bogies, Alstom Transport

Alstom’s high-speed bogies are the result of a joint collaboration with SNCF which started some 30 years ago in the frame of the TGV development...