Today, believes Bart Jourquin, “we arrive at a system that is relatively well meshed. We have the possibility to reach most of the big European cities between them by TGV, which is relatively new..”
But who says traveling in a high-speed train, does not necessarily say driving on high-speed lines from point A to point B. In Europe, the high-speed network has the particularity of being added to the existing rail network . In other words, during a train journey, it is not uncommon to switch from the classic network to a high-speed track.
In Japan, for example, this is not the case: “To go by high-speed train in Japan, you have to go from end to end on the high-speed network”explain Patrick Laval, trained engineer and journalist for the French weekly “La vie du Rail”.
The gauge of the rails
In Europe, high-speed trains can run both on the classic network and on high-speed lines“except in Spain, where the high-speed network was built in standard gauge (as in the rest of Europe, the rail gauge is 1435 mm), while the conventional network is wide gauge (1668 mm) .” He adds : “But it’s true that in Spain when you take a high-speed train you’re also driving entirely on a high-speed line.”
Another reality, in France, the high-speed network is relatively separate from the traditional network, “even if there is compatibility. For example: Paris – Lille is 95% done on a high-speed line“, always specifies Patrick Laval.
Belgium and Germany have three types of track: the classic, improved and high-speed line.
Small clarification again, the standard gauge of the rails is found everywhere in Europe, except in Spain (except the high-speed lines), but also in Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Russia and in former countries of the Soviet Union.
