Shortening journey time relative to air travel is the vital priority for high-speed trains, and it is a very full agenda.

2007: High Speed One
On 14 November 2007 Eurostar will inaugurate the High Speed One line, which will mean a time saving of 20 minutes between Paris and London (2 hours and 15 minutes) and Brussels and London (1 hour and 51 minutes). The line will have its terminus at St Pancras International station, which is much more central and intermodal than Waterloo, the current station.

2008: HSL Zuid
100 km of a new high-speed line bringing Brussels closer to Amsterdam via Thalys from April 2008.

2010: Perpignan-Figueres-Barcelona
Of particular note: Perpignan-Barcelona will be the first combined line. It will be used by TGVs running at 280 kph and freight trains at 160 kph. Two works programmes are being carried out in parallel: a reworking of terminal facilities in Perpignan to host the new line and on the section between Perpignan and Figueres: 44 km of tracks crossing the Albères massif through an 8.3 km dual track tunnel, the Perthus tunnel.

2011: Rhin-Rhône High-Speed Line
This High Speed Line project is shaped like a star with three branches, and work has started on the Eastern branch, 190 km linking Dijon with Mulhouse via Besançon. The first phase involves 140 km of track, 12 viaducts, 160 bridges, 1 tunnel and 2 stations between Villers-les-Pots (Côte d’Or) and Petit-Croix (Territory of Belfort). By the end of 2011, Dijon to Strasbourg will take 2 hours and 10 minutes, compared to 3 hours and 40 minutes today. Coming soon: the connection between the high-speed line and the Paris South-East network, north of Dijon (Western branch) and to the TGV Mediterranean in Lyon (Southern branch).

2012: Charles de Gaulle Express
The contract for the construction, maintenance and management of the railway link between Paris East and Roissy should be awarded in the first half of 2008. The first trains are planned for 2012, with SNCF acting as owner/operator.

2013: Nîmes and Montpellier bypass
60 km of new track + about 20 kilometres linking to the Mediterrannean high-speed line. Financing agreement expected in 2007 followed by the acquisition of land.

2013: South-Atlantic high-speed line
The first phase between Angoulême and Bordeaux was declared to be in the public interest on 20 July 2006. The second phase between Tours and Angoulême will be subject to a public enquiry in 2007.

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Brittany-Pays de la Loire high-speed line
Public service declaration expected by the beginning of 2008 at the latest. Launch of works planned for 2009.

Poitiers-Limoges TGV
Public debate completed on 18 December 2006; findings awaited in 2007. Expect about 8 years of study before the launch of a public enquiry.

Bordeaux-Toulouse High-Speed line
This project is being debated by the regional authorities. RFF is continuing its studies into the high-speed lines connecting these cities in one hour rather than two.

Lyon-Turin
The French and Italian Transport Minister have applied to Europe for €1 billion in funding and have confirmed their intention to launch this project in 2010.

TGV PACA
This plan aims to link Nice to Paris in 4 hours by 2020, but the public debate in 2005 highlighted the existence of "several families of projects".