|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In this month's briefing: Vietnam aims to join the high speed club after plans for a Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City line are approved; Paris- Berlin high speed service starts; China unveils prototype 450 km/h trainset.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vietnam high speed rail plan approved
|
|
|
The National Assembly has backed investment in the proposed 1 541 km north-south high speed railway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The 1 435 mm gauge line would be designed for 350 km/h operation. A pre-feasibility study which looked at high speed rail development in other countries has concluded that the conditions in Vietnam are now suitable for implementation.
Construction of the first sections from the planned Ngoc Hoi station in Hanoi to Vinh, and from Nha Trang to a Thu Thiem station in Ho Chi Minh City, is scheduled to begin in late 2027. Civil works on the remaining central section from Vinh to Nha Trang is scheduled to begin in 2028–29. Opening by 2035, it would offer a 5½ h journey time between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
|
|
|
|
|
Korean network grows as second Seoul – Busan route completed
|
|
|
SOUTH KOREA: The national network has expanded with the opening of two strategic links in recent weeks.
The final 145·1 km section of the upgraded Central main line and the handover of a 166·3 km missing link on the country’s eastern coast has enabled national operator Korail to launch a second route from Seoul to Busan while also introducing services from Daegu and Busan to Gangneung.
The 328 km Central (Jungang) line now runs from Cheongnyangni station in Seoul to Gyeongju on the existing Gyeongbu high speed line that links Seoul to Busan.
|
|
|
|
|
Moskva – St Petersburg high speed line financing agreement signed
|
|
|
RUSSIA: Agreements on the organisational structure, financing and risk allocation for the Moskva – St Petersburg high speed rail project were signed on December 23.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Paris – Berlin direct high speed train service launched
A daily high speed train service linking Paris Est and Berlin Hbf was launched on December 16.
It is operated through the Alleo partnership of SNCF Voyageurs and DB, with both French and German onboard staff and using DB Class 407 Velaro D trainsets built by Siemens Mobility. |
|
| | Prototype 450 km/h high speed trains unveiled in China
Two prototype CR450 high speed trainsets designed for a maximum speed of 450 km/h and an operating speed of 400 km/h have been unveiled in Beijing.
The CR450AF and CR450BF trainsets unveiled by CRRC and China Railway on December 29 2024 each have four powered and four non-powered vehicles. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong links enhanced in latest expansion of Chinese high speed network
|
|
|
|
More cities on the Chinese mainland have got direct rail links to and from Hong Kong under CR’s latest timetable, while the national rail network continues to grow with another flurry of year-end openings.
The length of China’s high speed network has now reached 47 000 km, the National Railway Administration reported on December 26. A total of 3 000 route-km of new line was put into service during 2024, of which 2 300 km was designated as high speed. This has increased the overall length of the China Railway network to 162 000 km. Another 590bn yuan has been allocated for railway investment during 2025, which is expected to see a further 2 600 km of new line coming into operation. China’s total rail network is now targeted to reach 180 000 route-km by 2030, including around 60 000 km of high speed lines.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Technology: HS1 explores potential of digital twins High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has been working with partners to assess an AI-supported digital twin model that can help integrate multiple aspects of its business.
Comment: A glimpse over the horizon As celebrations in Britain this year mark 200 years since the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, our Consultant Editor Murray Hughes reflects on his 50 years writing for Railway Gazette International and assesses where the rail sector might go in the coming half-century.
He concludes by citing comments made by Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General of international public transport association UITP, at COP29 in November 2024 that ‘by aligning transport policies with climate goals, governments can significantly accelerate the transition toward a low-emission transport system, ultimately enabling citizens to reduce their transport emissions by 50%’. Imagine, then, what could happen if air travel, one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, were to become less acceptable in a more climate-conscious world? Could rail step in for journeys of up to, say, 1 500 km or even 2 000 km? Read the answer in Railway Gazette International in the years to come.
All of these stories and more can be found at Railway Gazette’s high speed rail news hub.
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you for reading Fast Track, a curated briefing covering high speed rail. This newsletter forms part of the Railway Gazette Group’s Market Essentials series tracking key trends shaping the future of rail globally. Railway Gazette Group is committed to providing authoritative, independent and industry-relevant coverage wherever there are railways. Subscribe to stay ahead here – Nick Kingsley, Executive Editor |
|
|
|
|
Fast Track is compiled by Andy Hellawell. Executive Editor: Nick Kingsley. DVV Media International Ltd | Registered office: Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB, England | Registered in England under company number: 6090951
If you would prefer not to receive Fast Track e-newsletters unsubscribe here
|
|
