The European Union continues to invest in high-speed rail, which today covers 15,200 kilometers, with an additional 3,000 kilometers under construction. Among the recently inaugurated routes is the 1,100-kilometer Paris-Berlin rail line, allowing travel between the two capitals in just 8 hours.
But when and where did high-speed rail originate? The answer is simple: the foundations of this remarkable transportation innovation were laid decades ago in Japan, the pioneer of high-speed rail systems.
Shinkansen: the Birth of High-Speed Rail with the Faster Train in Japan
The world’s first high-speed rail system, the Shinkansen, began service in Japan in 1964 with a 515-kilometer rail line connecting Tokyo Central to Shin-Osaka. Today, Japan high-speed rail boasts nine high-speed rail lines spanning the entire country, carrying over 420,000 passengers on a typical workday.
The First High-Speed Rail Line in Italy
“Half an Hour Less Between Rome and Milan”—this was the headline of Corriere della Sera on February 25, 1977, the day after the inauguration of the first section of the “Direttissima” rail line. Conceived in the early 1960s as a high-speed railway, it was the first of its kind in Europe, capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 km/h on certain sections along the Florence-Rome route. Built by a consortium of Italian companies, some of them later became part of what is now the Webuild Group.
Transport Innovation with High-Speed Rails in Europe: the French TVG Train and the ICE in Germany
France was the next country to introduce high-speed rail in 1981 with the TGV Sud-Est, connecting Paris to Lyon over a distance of 427 kilometers. Germany followed in 1991 with the Inter-City Express (ICE) rail line, which initially linked Frankfurt to Cologne over 170 kilometers, later expanding to other major cities.
The Pinnacle of Modern Transportation: China at full speed with the evolution of its railway lines
China’s high-speed rail network has experienced rapid growth over the past 15 years, a project that began in the early 1990s, inspired by the Shinkansen and Japan’s high-speed rail system. The first service was launched in 2008, connecting Beijing to Tianjin.
By 2025, China’s high-speed rail network will have expanded to approximately 50,000 kilometers of operational lines, solidifying the country’s position as the global leader in mobility innovations. By 2030, further expansion is planned, with the goal of extending the rail lines to 60,000 kilometers.
