With fires in Spain and recurrent heatwaves across Europe, initiatives to curb Green House Gas (GHG) emissions have become a priority. According to Euronews, aviation generates nearly 14% per cent of the emissions, making it the second biggest source of transport GHG emissions after road transport.
In this context, the EU is aiming to double high-speed rail use by 2030 and triple current levels by 2050. The vision was announced in Lyon, France, on June 29th, during the Connecting Europe Days 2022, organized by the European Commission. Several projects will boost the EU’s railway network, including cross-border links and connections to ports and airports.
More and more people are willing to spend five hours, six hours, seven hours on a train.
SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou
Although the world’s fastest trains run in Japan, Europe accounts for 60% of the world’s high-speed rail lines. The remaining 40% is shared between Asia (30%), America and Africa (10%). Here’s an overview of some of the high-speed networks in Europe.
1. Spain
With 3,152 kilometers of track, Spain is the country with the largest high-speed network on the European continent. At the beginning of 2019, the Spanish rail network had 3,152 kilometers of high-speed lines, of which 2,514 km are Standard Gauge, 567 km correspond to Iberian Gauge and 71 km to Mixed Network, a combination of Standard and Iberian Gauge. AVE, Alvia and Avant trains of the Spanish operator Renfe operate on these tracks.
The Spanish high-speed network carried 28.7 million passengers in 2017. It currently consists of five corridors along which Renfe’s fast trains run, mainly AVE, Alvia and Avant.
New AVLO
Renfe-Avlo is Renfe’s new High speed-Long distance offer that started to operate in the summer of 2021 on the Madrid-Barcelona-Figueres line. Avlo trains can travel up to 300 Km/h, all seats are in Economy class with assigned seating.
On board you can find free Wifi access through the PlayRenfe platform, sockets at each seat to charge phones and laptops and vending machines with hot and cold drinks and snacks. The only fare offered on Avlo services is called Basic, all tickets are nominative. Children under 14 years of age can travel at a discounted fixed price, they must have a seat and a ticket.
AVE
AVE trains connect the main cities of Spain at more than 300 km/h. With more than 20 daily services each way between Madrid and Barcelona, the AVE has become the best means of transport to travel between Spain’s two largest cities. In addition to the 12 routes operated by AVE nationwide, Renfe connects Spain and France with high-speed trains.
ALVIA
Capable of changing gauge without stopping, Renfe’s Alvia trains run on both high-speed lines (maximum speed of 250 km/h) and conventional gauge tracks (at a maximum of 200 km/h). All Alvia services depart from or arrive in the cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante.
AVANT
Avant is Renfe’s high-speed mid-distance service. Designed for journeys of less than 200 kilometers, Avant trains run at a maximum speed of 250 km/h.
2. Italy
Trains in Italy are chosen by tourists looking for speed and savings, because connections between major cities are generally faster and cheaper by train than by air, and because driving and parking in Italy can be stressful.
For example, a train trip from Rome to Milan takes an average of 2 hours and 48 minutes, similar to the same trip by plane (including transfers to and from the airport) and much faster than by car (6 hours). The schedule offers numerous daily departures, so you can easily plan your next adventure.
Italo High Speed Train
The Italo high-speed train is a favorite mode of transportation for travelers. This Italian express train offers 4 classes of travel and can travel at speeds of up to 300 kph. Another unique feature of this Italian train is its cinema car with high definition screens. Italo EVO high-speed trains are considered “green” because they were built with recyclable materials and designed to guarantee reduced CO2 emissions.
Frecciarossa High Speed Train
Operated by Trenitalia and called “Red Arrow” in English, the Frecciarossa train is an absolute legend of high-speed rail in Italy. The top speed of the Frecciarossa reaches 300kph (186mph). There are two different classes on board, each equipped with power sockets, air conditioning, plenty of luggage space and free Wi-Fi.
According to Euronews, FrecciaRossa unveiled in July 2022 direct high-speed rail links running from Rome’s Fiumicino airport to Naples and Florence.
Railjet High Speed Train
With a top speed of 230kph (143mph), Railjet is one of the fastest ways to travel around Italy by train. You can choose from 3 different class carriages: Second Economy Class, First Class and Business Class. In addition, passengers are welcome to enjoy the children’s cinema and the restaurant car.
EuroCity High Speed Train
Operating on numerous rail routes throughout Europe, EuroCity trains offer two-class carriages, both equipped with everything needed for a comfortable journey, including air conditioning, good seating and spacious luggage storage areas. In addition, EuroCity city trains have an extensive timetable so you can easily choose the time that best suits your travel schedule.
Nightjet Night Train
Instead of booking a hotel room, save travel time and hop on a modern Nightjet train. This night train offers high quality on-board services as well as 3-class carriages: sleeper, couchette, and seating car. In addition, the Nightjet is perfect for traveling with family or groups of friends as some compartments can accommodate 4 to 6 people.
EuroNight Night Train
Relax in one of the comfortable and cozy carriages as the EuroNight train takes you to your next stop. To offer a high level of comfort, all EuroNight sleeper cars are equipped with modern amenities including power outlets, luggage racks and air conditioning. Unfortunately, there is no Wi-Fi on board.
3. France
The abbreviation TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) defines a family of high-speed trains. Designed by SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) or French national railway company, in collaboration with the manufacturing company Alstom, the TGV is one of the fastest conventional trains in the world; on some sections it operates at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph).
The TGV train network runs through France from north to south and east to west, reaching as far as Marseille, Lille, Calais or Strasbourg. Paris is the most popular destination in France among the most popular TGV train routes.
The central stations of Paris (Paris Gare du Nord, Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Montparnasse and Paris Gare de l’Est) are served by InOUI trains and the outlying stations (Massy, Marne-la-Vallée and Roissy) by OUIGO trains.
SNCF and Deutsche Bahn are planning to launch a direct high-speed train between Paris and Berlin at the end of 2023. “We want to launch a TGV Paris-Berlin in December 2023,” SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou told AFP. “More and more people are willing to spend five hours, six hours, seven hours on a train.”
We want to launch a TGV Paris-Berlin in December 2023.
Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO SNCF
4. Germany
The German railway network is one of the most comprehensive in Europe. The company that manages train traffic in the country, Deutsche Bahn, manages more than 25,000 kilometers of tracks that connect most of the country’s cities and regions. According to Euronews, a new Stuttgart–Wendlingen high-speed railway which is 25 km long is currently underway and should be completed by 2025.
Despite being one of the largest countries on the continent, high-speed trains travel between the main German cities and other foreign capitals in just a few hours. It is possible to travel from Frankfurt to Paris in 3h 40 min.
Among the most popular routes in Germany are those between the three cities mentioned above: Berlin, Cologne and Munich. The trip from Berlin to Cologne, is made daily with a multitude of schedules available. The direct journey can be made in 4 h 20 min, from Berlin’s main station with Intercity Express (ICE), the German high-speed trains. The WiFi service is free of charge.
The route from Cologne to Munich is one of the most used in Germany. The shortest direct route takes 4 h 32 min and is also operated by ICE. The transfer routes usually take at least 1 hour longer.
The route from Munich to Berlin is also very common. ICE makes the trip daily with a multitude of schedules to choose from. The direct journey on this line usually takes 4 h 2 min on average. There are other routes with transfers that only take half an hour longer. As in the previous cases, the seat reservation is made at a separate cost.
