The Best Countries for High-Speed Train
Infrastructure: the USA Ranks 16th in
Analysis by Omio
A comprehensive analysis by Omio reveals the countries with the world’s most advanced high-speed train infrastructure
- The USA’s high-speed line, the Acela Express, runs 281 miles between Washington D.C. and Boston.
- Spain ranks top for Europe, with 562 miles of tracks currently under construction.
- China ranks first, with over 19,000 miles of high-speed tracks in operation.
Omio, Europe’s leading booking platform for travel by train, bus and flight, has released a ranking of the countries with the world’s best high-speed train infrastructure. The findings show the prevalence of high-speed trains around the world; highlighting the economies which have started to invest in a future fuelled by high-speed technology.
From a long list of countries with advanced high-speed infrastructure, the top 20 were ranked according to the operational and record speed of the trains, the length of track in operation, and the length of track under construction.
High-speed trains are environmentally-friendly and efficient. They reduce CO2 emissions by offering an alternative to road and air travel. In the USA, the California bullet train is under ongoing construction and scheduled to open by 2022. The line will connect Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2 hours 40 minutes. The 119-mileproject, owned and managed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority, is projected to cost around $77 billion.
USA High-Speed Train Ranking
Worldwide High-Speed Train Ranking
The research for this study was completed on the 20th of June 2019.
Complete results for 2019 High-Speed Train ranking are available on: http://www.omio.com/trains/
Further findings worldwide
China has more miles of high-speed tracks than the rest of the world combined.
Japan ranks second, with almost 1,900 miles of high-speed tracks currently in operation.
Saudi Arabia ranks tenth. Opened in October 2018, 281 miles of Haramain High-Speed Railway connect the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The line is expected to transport over 50 million passengers a year.
Further findings for Europe
Spain has the most miles of high-speed tracks currently under construction in Europe, followed by Austria and the United Kingdom. The AVE networkalready connects Malaga in the south, Barcelona in the north, and Valencia in the east.
In France, the TGV intercity line has a record speed of 357 mph (575km/h): the fastest worldwide.
Germany outperforms the United Kingdom, with 14 times the length of high-speed tracks currently in operation.
About Omio, formerly GoEuro
Omio is a travel app and platform that allows customers to find and book trains, buses and flights across Europe. Partnering with over 800 European transport operators, Omio is revolutionising the travel planning experience, providing customers with more choice, transparent pricing and easier booking.
Omio lets travellers search for any location, including cities, towns and villages, showing the best possible transport combinations while eliminating the need to visit multiple websites to plan an entire trip. With Omio, travel planning is simple, flexible and personal.
The travel startup, founded in 2013, changed its name from GoEuro to Omio in early 2019. Omio is headquartered in Berlin with over 300 employees from 45 different countries. The latest funding round totalling $150 million, led by Kinnevik AB, Temasek and Hillhouse, was announced in October 2018.
Photo Credit: TripTripNow.com
