Key:highspeed

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Public-images-osm logo.svg highspeed
Bahnhof Nörten-Hardenberg south.jpg
Description
High-speed rail Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: railways
Used on these elements
should not be used on nodesmay be used on waysshould not be used on areasmay be used on relations
Implies
Useful combination

for ways:

for relations:

See also
Status: in use

The tag highspeed=yes indicates that a railway track is part of high-speed rail.

General tagging

While as a main citeria a speed of 200 km/h or higher is required, this shouldn't be the only decision point used when applying this tag. Every data user, no matter if human or script, can easily gather that information by looking at the maxspeed=* key. Instead it should be a nuanced decision based on local conventions, similiar to how the various highway values are applied. As a general guideline the UIC-List of High Speed Lines In The World can be used.

Where this list is considered out of date or unsuitable for other reasons this tag should be applied to lines that have a significantly higher build standard then other lines in the area. For example no Swede would consider the various 200 km/h tracks in the country as high speed lines, simply because these lines are so common they are considered normal lines. Things taken into consideration can be eg. track classes or train protection systems depending on the jurisdirection.

Highspeed lines should also be the primary route of highspeed trains. There are various spots where the conventional line parallel to a highspeed line has been upgraded to 200 km/h to keep delays in the even of a track closure down. Examples can be found at the Southern LGV Atlantique or in the Rhine Valley (under construction). While the conventional lines there are fast no one would call these the high speed line but rather the low speed line with the faster parallel line existing.

The lines shouldn't be segmented too much. A single drop in the speed limit below 200 km/h doesn't exclude that segment from being part of a highspeed line. For it to be part the character of that segment should stay the same as on the other parts of the line and the overall speed of the line needs to be high enough (express tracks on a subway are not a highspeed line). Examples can include the infamous 80 km/h bridge on the 300 km/h HSL Zuid or single tight curves. You can set a segment to not being part of the highspeed line when it is significantly different and low speed, eg. the line ending up in an unmodernized station approach.

For specific aspects of certain regions see the sections below.

Germany

The list of German high-speed rails can be found here(de) and (especially for newer tracks) here(de). The conditions to consider a track to be high-speed tagged with highspeed=yes are defined here(de).

United States

The USA's only high-speed rail by national standards are Amtrak®'s Acela Express® (reaching 150 mph (241 km/h)), Northeast Regional®, Keystone Service℠ and some MARC Penn Line express trains (the latter three services reaching 125 mph (201 km/h)). OSM says (to the right) "implies maxspeed ≥ 200 km/h." What the USA calls "high speed" depends on context or jurisdiction; see here, as the subject is historical, complex and emerging. Also, there is a "lesser" high speed known as "higher speed" (than "conventional rail," often on Class 4 track, limited to 79 mph (127 km/h)). See Amtrak for "higher speed" regional routes on Class 5 (90 mph (145 km/h)) or Class 6 (110 mph (177 km/h)) track. Discussion asks whether highspeed=yes should be tagged on USA railway=rail with maxspeed=* between 80 mph (128 km/h) and 124 mph (199 km/h), concluding it should not. So, tag USA railway=rail with highspeed=yes only where passenger service reaches 125 mph (201 km/h) or greater. The USA calls these Class 7 track (passenger service maxspeed=* is 125 mph (201 km/h)), Class 8 track (150 mph (241 km/h)) and Class 9 track (220 mph (354 km/h)).

See also