High-speed rail in Europe: Experience and issues for future development

The development of High-Speed Rail has been one of the central features of recent European Union transport infrastructure policy. This paper reviews the developments which have taken place in a number of countries and assesses the outcome, It identifies the lack of genuine network development which has taken place, criticises the failure to provide a more integrated framework between modes and questions the assumptions of improved regional development and cohesion which are claimed for the policy. Instead there is evidence of increasing concentration into the main metropolitan centres served by the emerging network.