What is High-speed rail?
{{redirect|High speed train|an article about the High Speed Train, a diesel-powered train in the UK|InterCity 125}} [[Image:Eurostar, thalys at gare du nord.jpg|thumb| [[Eurostar]] and Thalys PBA [[TGV]]s side-by-side in the [[Paris]]-[[Gare du Nord]]. [[Eurostar]] trains connect [[London]] with [[Brussels]] and [[Paris]] through the [[Channel Tunnel]]. [[Thalys]] trains connect [[Paris]] with [[Brussels]], [[Amsterdam]] and [[Cologne]].]] [[Image:JR-Maglev-MLX01-2.jpg|thumb|right|World speed record holding {{Convert|581|km/h||abbr=on}} [[JR-Maglev]] in [[Yamanashi Prefecture|Yamanashi]], Japan]] '''High-speed rail''' is a type of passenger [[rail transport]] that operates significantly faster than the normal rail traffic. Early [[Shinkansen]] trains had a top speed of {{Convert|200|km/h||abbr=on}}, which is the world's first high-speed rail. Various definitions are used in different countries. According to the [[European Union]], high-speed trains must run at least {{Convert|200|km/h||abbr=on}} on existing lines, and at least {{Convert|250|km/h||abbr=on}} on newly built ones. According to the [[United States]] [[Federal Railroad Administration]], they should go above {{Convert|90|mph||abbr=on}} but there is no single standard, and lower speeds can be required by local constraints.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[International Union of Railways]] |url=http://www.uic.asso.fr/gv/article.php3?id_article=14 |title=General definitions of highspeed |accessdate=2007-05-02 |archive-date=2006-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061210125239/http://www.uic.asso.fr/gv/article.php3?id_article=14 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Federal Railroad Administration]] |url=http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/199 |title=High-Speed Rail |accessdate=2007-05-02 |archive-date=2009-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221055107/http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/199 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 2020, speeds of {{Convert|300|km/h||abbr=on}} to {{Convert|350|km/h||abbr=on}} are common in reg