der Ruf um HGV in Großbrittanien wird immer lauter. Nur schade, dass es bei Rufen bleibt. Dabei wird sogar der ICE als Werbematerial angewendet. RailNews berichtet.

Aber:

By contrast Paris-Marseille, Frankfurt-Hannover, Madrid-Barcelona, Rome-Milan - all are now linked by 200 mph high-speed trains... yes, displacing thousands of short-haul flights in the process.

Madrid-Barcelona: OK.
Paris-Marseille: incorrect. TGV & Co fahren dort mit lediglich 185 mph. Nur der LGV Est ist für 200 mph zugelassen.
Rom-Mailand: die Strecke ist für lediglich 185 mph gebaut worden. Betrieb mit 155 mph.
Frankfurt-Hannover: offener Brief an Herr Adonis.

Dear Mr. Adonis,

as a high-speed rail fan, I'm very excited about the fact that the UK is considering high speed rail in some form, especially when you compare the country with Europe and Asia.
However: in your comparisons, you state that Frankfurt and Hannover are linked by 200 mph high-speed trains. Just to inform you:

1. The link is served by ICE 1 trains which never reached, reach or will reach 200 mph.
2. Even if the ICE 3 is put into service there, the train will never reach 200 mph because the track does not allow that speed. The Frankfurt-Fulda section only allows 100 mph at best; the high-speed sections only 155.
3. There is not a single railway in Germany that allows 200 mph operation. Sure, the ICE 3 between Frankfurt and Paris travels at 200 mph, but it does this only on the LGV Est, which is in France.
4. Between Frankfurt and Hannover, the ICE is not replacing short-haul flights; flights between the cities were already limited. Instead, the F-H service replaces automotive journeys and lightens the burden on the German motorways.

I have my honest doubt: did you ever travel ICE Frankfurt-Hannover? It seems to me you didn't.

Yours sincerely,

Oscar (last name known at the forum administrator).

gruß,

Oscar (NL).