Canada is now a half-century behind the rest of the world in fast efficient passenger rail service. Do not be fooled by terms like "High Frequency Rail" . These trains travel at low speeds. Canada needs TGV (train à grande vitesse). Real high speed trains (TGV) that travel on their own dedicated corridor at speeds over 250km/hr. http://highspeedrailcanada.com  Photo credit - Michael Goll

Remembering the 2007 Alstom/ SNCF French TGV train world record speed of 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) , achieved on 3 April 2007 on the then new LGV Est.

We found this free podcast to be interesting on the topic of integrating high speed rail stations in communities in France.  Eric Eidlin is the host for two French High Speed Rail experts; Stephan de Fay, the Executive Director of Bordeaux Euratlantique, the public agency that is overseeing the redevelopment of Bordeaux’s main train station to accommodate several new high speed rail lines by 2020 and Etienne Tricaud, President and CEO of AREP, the French Railway’s architecture office. http://streetsblog.libsyn.com/episode-129-integrating-high-speed-rail-stations-with-communities-in-france-part-1