Europe’s high-speed rail coverage, in a revealing map

An updated collaborative map shows Europe’s high-speed rail network is heavily concentrated in Western Europe.

Spain leads Europe in kilometers of high-speed line in service, followed by other Western hubs such as France, Germany and the Benelux.

Large parts of Eastern Europe still have few or no fast rail lines, highlighting a major infrastructure gap across the continent.

The map, based on UIC and Wikimedia Commons data, underscores where high-speed rail already competes with flying and where investment is still needed.