The International Union of Railways (UIC) is pleased to announce that the UIC High-Speed Rail Atlas 2024 has been released. This document is the most comprehensive and internationally recognised reference on the state of high-speed rail (HSR) worldwide.
With its preparation coordinated by the UIC Intercity & High-Speed Committee (ICHSC), the HS Atlas provides an in-depth overview of high-speed networks in more than 40 countries across five continents. It covers systems currently in operation, under construction, and in various stages of planning or development.
Now in its sixth edition, the Atlas includes over 200 pages of validated data, thematic maps, graphs and tables detailing global infrastructure, as well as operations and trends in high-speed rail. It draws on direct input from UIC members and serves as a cornerstone for data consistency, benchmarking and long-term monitoring of the sector.
Key highlights of the 2024 edition:
- Roughly 65,000 km of high-speed lines identified worldwide
- Over 400 lines tracked across all project stages (operational, under construction, planned)
- Approximately 4,900 high-speed trains operating daily
- 2.5 billion passengers transported annually by high-speed rail systems
- China leads with 45,390 km of HSR infrastructure, followed by Spain, Japan, France, and Germany
- Indonesia became the latest country to commence HSR operations in 2024
The Atlas also provides different detailed variables, such as line density, commercial speeds, travel times, rolling stock fleets, and speed records, along with contextual data on historical milestones and market dynamics.
The UIC High-Speed Rail Atlas 2024 is available in open access and can be downloaded at https://uic.org/passenger/highspeed/article/high-speed-data-and-atlas.
