ABSTRACT
High-speed trains (HST) were the response of railways to the transport market requirement for reduced travel times. However, there is no universally accepted top speed, beyond which a system can be called as HST system. It has been generally accepted that existing conventional railway technology, with improvements in the track and rolling stock, can accommodate top speeds of up to 200 kmIh. Beyond this speed, additional capital costs are needed to meet the requirements of more stringent design features and sophisticated system components. Thus, we consider HST when V>200 kmIh. This broad definition ofHST is included in the European legislation, among others in Directive 4911996. High speeds were pioneered by two railway networks: - the Japanese railways, with the 1964 operation of the "Shinkansen" high-
speed line between Tokyo and Osaka, with a top speed of 210 kmlh, increased in 1985 to 240 kmIh and later up to 300 kmIh, depending on the section of the line,
- the French railways, by operating the TGV' high-speed train between Paris and Lyons in 1981, with a top speed of 260 kmIh, increased to 270 kmIh in 1983 and to 300 kmIh in 1989.
