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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Christian Wolmar

The most dynamic countries are surging ahead with high-speed rail. Others, like Britain, are stuck in the station

About 15 trains with lights in their windows
High-speed trains depart from sidings at Nanjing South railway station, China, 30 June 2026. Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

With all our grumbling about trains – and it is close to a national pastime – it is easy to forget the successes. There is a tale to tell, for example, about high-speed trains, that goes beyond the endless wrangling over HS2.

If you look at the history around the globe, as I have, you find that high-speed trains saved the railways. An industry that was gradually sinking into oblivion, thanks to motorways and aeroplanes, has been revitalised by a technological revolution that means trains travel faster, more safely and more comfortably.

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