The USHSR conference on 16 – 17 May in Washington, DC provided the most recent insights into the status of railway projects in the USA, particularly the strong support for high-speed rail deployment. Philippe Lorand, Senior Advisor in charge of HSR, shared the progress of the UIC members’ projects worldwide in the session “High Speed Rail around the world”. Beyond projects already in operation, numerous networks are expanding and developing in all regions, positioning HSR as a key player in sustainable mobility in the near future.

In the last four years, the world HSR network has increased by 20%, i.e. 10,000 km, reaching a total network length of nearly 60,000 km.

The presentation was later followed by a panel discussion on high-speed rail operations. The initial results of market liberalisation in Italy, Spain, and France were discussed. HSR passenger numbers have seen a significant increase, both for new entrants and incumbents.

In the USA, as well as worldwide, UIC serves as a strong partner, leveraging the collective experience of its members in high-speed rail. It acts as a bridge for sharing the unique expertise acquired over the past 60 years in this field.