The Development of High-Speed Rail in China and Europe

The high-speed rail networks are present in over 20 countries, largely in Europe and East Asia, as well as in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. A passenger train is considered high-speed if it travels at least 200 km/h on modernized tracks or 250 km/h on new tracks. China spent two decades building the world’s largest high-speed rail network, which spans over 40,000 km. By the end of 2021, China’s high-speed rail network covered 93% of cities with a population of more than 0.5 million, significantly contributing to the economy and technology sector.

According to Greenpeace, there are six times more direct flights between European cities than direct trains. Out of the 990 routes between 45 major European cities, 114 (12%) are served by direct trains. However, 305 routes (31%) could have a direct connection using existing tracks, which are currently not utilized. In contrast, 69% of the 990 routes are served by direct flights. The cities with the most direct train connections are Vienna (17), Munich (15), Berlin, Zurich, and Paris (13), whereas there are no direct train connections from Athens, Lisbon, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Tallinn.