France followed Japan with the introduction of the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) in 1981. The TGV quickly became the pride of French engineering, holding the world speed record for conventional trains at 574.8 km/h. Spain introduced the under the name AVE (Alta Velocidad Española). Spain’s network has become the largest in Europe, effectively uniting the geographically diverse regions of the country and revitalizing cities like Ciudad Real and Zaragoza. In Spain, the term Tren Bala is colloquially used to refer to these services, which have captured a massive market share from domestic airlines.
In the 21st century, no country has embraced the more aggressively than China. In less than two decades, China built the world's largest high-speed rail network, spanning over 40,000 kilometers. The Chinese "Fuxing" trains operate at speeds up to 350 km/h, connecting distant provinces and fueling economic Tren Bala
While remote peripheral areas may see population shifts, suburban areas near metropolitan hubs often experience significant growth due to improved connectivity. France followed Japan with the introduction of the
Compared to cars, bullet trains can reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons per year. Spain’s network has become the largest in Europe,
High-speed rail distributes tourism revenues. For instance, the Tren Bala in Japan allows tourists to stay in Tokyo but do day trips to Nagano or Sendai, relieving pressure on the capital’s hotels while injecting cash into rural economies.