Source: International Union of Railways

Development of High Speed Train Traffic, Europe and Japan, 1965-2000

Japan saw the first comprehensive development of a high speed train system along the Tokyo - Osaka corridor in 1964. By the 1990s the usage of the system has peaked, in part because of competition from air transport. Europe has been the region where the adoption of the high speed train has been the most significant since the 1990s. Close to a half of all the world's high speed passengers-km are now occurring in Europe. South Korea is the latest country to build a high speed rail system along the Seoul - Pusan corridor, which was inaugurated in 2004.

Copyright © 1998-2008, Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University. For personal or classroom use ONLY. This material (including graphics) is not public domain and cannot be published, in whole or in part, in ANY form (printed or electronic) and on any media without consent. Permission MUST be requested prior to use.