Higher-speed rail


Higher-speed rail is used to describe inter-city passenger rail services that have top speeds higher than conventional rail but not fast enough to be called high-speed rail services. The term is also used by planners to identify the incremental rail improvements to increase train speeds and reduce travel time as alternatives to larger efforts to create or expand the high-speed rail networks.
Though the definition of higher-speed rail varies from country to country, most countries refer to rail services operating at speeds up to.
The concept is usually viewed as stemming from efforts to upgrade a legacy railway line to high speed railway standards, but usually falling short on the intended speeds. The faster speeds are achieved through various means including new rolling stock such as tilting trains, upgrades to tracks including shallower curves, electrification, in-cab signalling, and less frequent halts/stops.

Definitions by country

As with the definitions of high-speed rail, the definition varies by country. The term has been used by government agencies, government officials, transportation planners, academia, the rail industry, and the media, but sometimes with overlaps in the speed definitions. Some countries with an established definition of higher-speed rail include:
  • In Canada, according to the Surface Transportation Policy, Department of Transport, the speed range for higher-speed rail is between.
  • In India, according to the Ministry of Railways, the speed range for India's higher-speed rail will be between.
  • In the United Kingdom, the term higher-speed rail is used for upgraded tracks with train speeds up to
  • In the United States, the term "higher-speed rail", as opposed to "high-speed rail", is used by regional planners in many U.S. states to describe inter-city passenger rail services with top speeds of between and. This is the equivalent of the definition of "Emerging High-Speed Rail" as defined by the Federal Railroad Administration. The Congressional Research Service defines rail services on dedicated tracks with speeds over as "Very High Speed Rail".State-level departments of transportation and council of governments may use different definitions. Below is the list of known definitions of higher-speed rail which use some of the 5 speed levels,,,, and :
Agency / CouncilTop speeds Ref
California Department of TransportationUp to 125
Minnesota Department of TransportationGreater than 90 but less than 125
North Central Texas Council of Governments80–150
Oklahoma Department of Transportation110–125
Texas Department of Transportation110–125
Virginia Department of Rail and Public TransportationUp to 110

Speed limits

In Canada, the assumption about grade crossing is that operating higher-speed rail services between would require "improved levels of protection in acceptable areas".
In the United States, railroad tracks are largely used for freight with at-grade crossings. Passenger trains in many corridors run on shared tracks with freight trains. Most trains are limited to top speeds of unless they are equipped with an automatic cab signal, automatic train stop, automatic train control or positive train control system approved by the Federal Railroad Administration. In developing higher-speed rail services, one of those safety systems must be used.
Additionally, the FRA establishes classification of track quality which regulates the speed limits of trains with Class 5, Class 6, Class 7 and Class 8 for top speeds of,, and, respectively. The FRA also regulates passenger train design and safety standards to ensure trains that operate at speeds of up to comply with its Tier I standard and trains that operate at speeds up to comply with its Tier II standard.
Another limitation is the safety of grade crossings which limits how fast trains can go. FRA regulations set speed limits for tracks with grade crossings as follows: Level crossings are generally the most dangerous part of the railway network with a large number of fatal incidents occurring at a grade crossing.
  • For or less: Grade crossings are permitted. States and railroads cooperate to determine the needed warning devices, including passive crossbucks, flashing lights, two quadrant gates, long gate arms, median barriers, and various combinations. Lights and/or gates are activated by circuits wired to the track.
  • For : The FRA permits crossings only if an "impenetrable barrier" blocks highway traffic when a train approaches.
  • Above : No crossings will be permitted.
In Europe, the limit is often over grade crossings. In Sweden there is a special rule permitting if there are barriers and automatic detection of road vehicles standing on the track. In Russia is permitted over grade crossings. The United Kingdom has railway lines of 200 km/h which still use grade crossings.
With the above limitations, many regional transportation planners focus on rail improvements to have the top speeds up to when proposing a new higher-speed rail service.

Similar categories

In countries where there had been rail improvement projects in the later part of the 20th century and into the 2000s, there are inter-city rail services with comparable speed ranges of higher-speed rail, but they are not specifically called "higher-speed rail". Below are some examples of such services that are still in operation.
  • Canada: The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor that runs between Quebec City and Windsor allows Via Rail trains to run at speeds of, about today.
  • Europe: The InterCity services in many European countries have top speeds of mostly up to, but they can go up to. Intercity trains that cross international borders are usually designated as EuroCity and reach similar speeds where tracks allow it. High speed trains also may use upgraded and electrified lines that are not purpose-built during part of their journey at up to.
  • Japan: The Mini-shinkansen lines in Japan are the conventional lines that have been converted from narrow gauge to standard gauge to allow Shinkansen trains to pass through with top speeds of. However, the International Union of Railways recognizes the Mini-shinkansen lines as high-speed rail. Two Mini-shinkansen lines have been constructed: the Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen. Both of these lines branch off from the high-speed Tohoku Shinkansen line with top speeds of 320 km/h.
  • Spain: Many inter-city rail services operated by Renfe Operadora, the state-owned company, are not classified as high-speed rail. Those services are Alaris, Altaria, Arco and Talgo with top speeds of
  • In Norway, there is sometimes talked about høy hastighet, which may be compared to higher-speed rail as used here – and høyhastighet, high-speed rail. Most of the rail network is old, with sharp curves, and speeds at only. The lines around Oslo are upgraded or renewed, or are planned to be so. Some of the sections, like Follobanen, are built or planned for – though others to høy hastighet, i.e. or. By the same token, the Norwegian FLIRT trains and the El 18 locomotives have a top speed of 200 km/h. Gardermobanen is called a high-speed line, and the GMB Class 71 and NSB Class 73 are often called high-speed trains – with top speed. However, the limits are blurry. Sometimes, e.g. the FLIRTs are called high-speed trains.
  • Sweden: SJ operates inter-city rail services using X 2000 and SJ 3000 trains in major routes across the country with top speeds of. The operator brands them as snabbtåg although "high-speed trains" is sometimes used in English language ads; however, the International Union of Railways only recognizes the line from Stockholm to Malmö and Gothenburg as the only high-speed rail lines in Sweden which is still in the planning stage, and are called "höghastighetsbanor".
  • In Germany regional trains along the Munich-Nuremberg high speed line which was built for run at without being specially designated. Those trains use locomotives that are used for Intercity trains elsewhere and the higher speed was chosen mainly to increase capacity.
  • The United Kingdom has service which run at, such as the East Coast Main Line, West Coast Main Line, Great Western Main Line and Midland Main Line. But there are signaling upgrades currently happening on the East Coast Main Line and rolling stock to increase speeds to.
  • South Korea: MOLIT designates railway lines as three categories: high-speed railway lines, semi-high-speed railway lines, or conventional railway lines. High-speed railway lines are limited to dedicated lines with maximum speed over, while semi-high-speed rail can be mixed-use lines with maximum speed ranged in –. For conventional railway lines, due to the limitation of signal systems and designed maximum speed of trains, most lines are limited by maximum speed under. However, Gyeongchun line has been upgraded as a higher-speed railway line, with dedicated ITX-Cheongchun EMU trains designed as maximum speed of.

    Commuter rail services

Some commuter rail services that cover shorter distances may achieve similar speeds but they are not typically called as higher-speed rail. Some examples are: