Network development of the world’s high-speed railways

The first high-speed railway appeared in 1964 in Japan, which was the leader in this business up to its economic crisis in the 1990s. Certain European countries developed these railways in 1980-90s, and some other Asian states also joined this club. China commenced with the construction of its high-speed railways in the 2000s, transforming itself into the world’s new leader in the field. This article is dedicated to a geographical analysis of the network development of high-speed railways in the years 1964-2017. Graph theory methods (network analysis) are applied to compare processes of development.