> In Europe, it seems like HSR stations are often in greenfield locations outside of town. This is not true at all. If this were the case, it would thoroughly

> In Europe, it seems like HSR stations are often in greenfield locations outside of town. This is not true at all. If this were the case, it would thoroughly defeat the core advantage of HSR over air travel: fast connections between city centres without requiring passengers to travel to some far-flung port of call, adding an additional two hours at least. All the Gares, Hauptbahnhofs, Staziones, Estacións, and St Pancrases of Europe are bang smack in the middle of their respective cities, and almost all predate the introduction of HSR by around a century or so, barring renovations here and there. The only truly brand-new HSR stations are in Japan and China. Plenty of HSR within European cities use existing infrastructure and 1435 mm standard gauge, and travel at lower speeds to account for this. The trains usually only get up to speed as they leave the city and enter dedicated high-speed railways with grade separation, concrete sleepers, reduced turning radii, etc.