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Union Internationale des Chemins (UIC) defines the high-speed railway (HSR) as a high-speed railway system that contains the infrastructure and the rolling stock. The infrastructure can be newly built dedicated lines enabled for trains to travel with speed above 250 km/h or upgraded conventional lines with a speed up to 200 or even 220 km/h. HSR requires specially built trains with increased power to weight ratio and must have an in-cab signalling system as traditional signalling systems are incapable of above 200 km/h.

The world is becoming more dependent on energy resources, which translates into political dependency on energy-exported states. This will significantly impact the economy, transport, and the environment around the world. Railway transport is becoming an essential mode of transportation because it can operate on an electrified network and has zero carbon emissions. High-Speed Railways (HSR) is an energy-intensive transport system, and it is important economically and environmentally to reduce the amount of used energy. This study examined high-speed rail from an energy efficiency point of view and found factors that can significantly reduce the energy consumption of high-speed rail. This research aims to answer the question that motivated this research: what fundamental factors affect the energy consumption of the selected HSR systems? It estimated the dynamic changes in the total energy consumption for seven HSR systems from 2010-2017 and benchmarked the most energy efficient HSR systems. The non-radial Data Envelopment Analyses methodology has been used to fulfil this research. To conduct complex statistical analyses, IBM SPSS has been applied. The main findings have shown that the decrease in vehicle mass, improved design of high-speed rolling stock and increased occupancy of trains will support the reduction of energy consumption by high-speed railways. The changes in energy consumption strongly correlate with the type of high-speed rolling stock and operational strategies. The expected outcomes of this research will contribute to developing and advancing more sustainable HSR systems. This research will support train operators in making decisions when acquiring new trains and assess the benefits of acceleration in modernising the current rolling stock.

High-speed railways can move passengers and goods cost-effectively and sustainably. However, there is a need to consider the objectives of high-speed rail (HSR) systems and to analyse eventual public benefits in order to minimise economic risk. Currently, there are three major HSR systems in development around the world – Rail Baltica in northern Europe, California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) in the USA and High Speed Two (HS2) in the UK. In this paper, the benefits of investment in these three projects are investigated and possible consequences and expected outcomes are evaluated. The key influencing factors of HSR sustainability are considered, such as changes in population, population density, ability to pay, the type of energy used and existing railway networks. Data envelopment analysis was used to evaluate the ‘technical efficiency’ of the selected schemes. This type of analysis has been widely used before to benchmark performance and determine best practice. The expected outcome of this research is better understanding of the demand for railway services and of the economic, social and environmental aspects of the sustainability of Rail Baltica, CAHSR and HS2.