19/7/2018 · Europe: An International High-Speed Network The next country to make high-speed rail available to the public was France in 1981, with service at 200 km/h (124 mph) between Paris and Lyon. Today, the French high-speed rail network comprises over 2,800 km of Lignes à grande vitesse (LGV), which allows speeds of up to 320 km/h or 200 mph, on which its TGVs (Trains à grande vitesse) run.