This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Trans-European high-speed rail network" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Trans-European high-speed rail network (TEN-R), together with the Trans-European conventional rail network, make up the Trans-European Rail network, which in turn is one of a number of the European Union's Trans-European transport networks (TEN-T). It was defined by the Council Directive 96/48/EC of 23 July 1996.[1]
The European Union council decision 2002/735/EC defines technical standards for interoperability of the system.[2]
The aim of this EU Directive is to achieve the interoperability of the European high-speed train network at the various stages of its design, construction and operation.
The network is defined as a system consisting of a set of infrastructures, fixed installations, logistic equipment and rolling stock.
By definition of the EC decision, a high-speed line must have one of these three infrastructure characteristics:
The rolling stock used on these lines must be compatible with the characteristics of the infrastructure.
Along important listed rail routes (TEN-T), the railway shall be of high speed type, either when new parts are built, or when upgrades are made. This creates a quality requirement on these projects.