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"High speed train" redirects here. For an article about the High Speed Train, a diesel-powered train in the UK, see InterCity 125. The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain.
Eurostar and Thalys PBA TGVs side-by-side in the Paris-Gare du Nord. Eurostar trains connect London with Brussels and Paris through the Channel Tunnel. Thalys trains connect Paris with Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne.
Eurostar and Thalys PBA TGVs side-by-side in the Paris-Gare du Nord. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Gare du Nord ("Paris North station" is one of the six large terminus stations of the SNCF 's main line network in Paris. Eurostar trains connect London with Brussels and Paris through the Channel Tunnel. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with Thalys trains connect Paris with Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne. Thalys is an international high-speed train operator built around the high-speed lines between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west
World speed record holding (581 km/h) JR-Maglev in Yamanashi, Japan
World speed record holding (581 km/h) JR-Maglev in Yamanashi, Japan

High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. JR-Maglev is a Magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute (association of WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Specific definitions include 200 km/h (124 mph) and faster — depending on whether the track is upgraded or new — by the European Union, and above 90 mph (145 km/h) by the United States Federal Railroad Administration, but there is no single standard, and lower speeds can be required by local constraints. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA is an administration in the United States Department of Transportation. [1][2]

While high-speed rail is designed for passenger travel, some high speed systems offer also some kind of freight service. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, For instance, the French mail service La Poste owns a few special TGV trains for carrying postal freight. The SNCF TGV La Poste (TGV-Postes trains were built by Alstom between 1978 - 1986.

Contents

History

Railways were the first form of mass transportation, and until the development of the motorcar in the early 20th century had an effective monopoly on land transport. Railway companies in Europe and the United States used streamlined trains since 1933 for high speed services with an average speed of up to 130 km/h and top speed of more than 160 km/h. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A streamliner is any vehicle that incorporates streamlining to produce a shape that provides less resistance to air. With this service they were able to compete with the upcoming airplanes. Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. World War II stopped these services. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1957, the Odakyu Electric Railway in Greater Tokyo launched its Romancecar 3000 SSE. The, or OER, is a major private Railway company in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its Romance car series of limited express trains from Tokyo The Greater Tokyo Area is a large Metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama The is Odakyu Electric Railway 's name for its Limited express tourist/luxury services south-west of Tōkyō, to mountain resorts such as Gotenba This set a world record for narrow gauge trains at 145 km/h, giving Japanese designers confidence they could safely build even faster trains at standard gauge. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Desperate for transport solutions due to overloaded trains between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, the idea of high speed rail was born. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū

The world's first "high-speed train" was Japan's Tōkaidō Shinkansen, officially opened in October 1964, with construction commencing in 1959. is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen line opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka. [2] The 0 Series Shinkansen, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, achieved speeds of 200 km/h (125 mph) on the Tokyo–Nagoya–Kyoto–Osaka route. ( is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato Tokyo. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū

Definition of High-Speed Rail

There is no globally accepted standard separating high-speed rail from conventional railroads; however a number of widely accepted variables have been acknowledged by the industry in recent years. Generally high-speed is defined as greater than 200 km/h- applying to both the train's maximum speed and the track's dimensions. Most modern high-speed trains do not exceed 350 km/h and trains exceeding this speed encounter several physical and electrical challenges; in the future this may lead to a separate designation for these even higher-speed trains. One of the most defining aspects of high-speed rail is the tracks on which the train travels, which must have high turn radii, and be welded together, and extremely well supported and anchored to avoid vibrations and other damage. The track itself in most cases is un-interrupted, with roads and other tracks crossing over bridges. Although almost every form of high-speed rail is electrically driven via overhead cables, this is not necessarily a defining aspect and other forms of propulsion, such as diesel locomotives, may be used. Magnetic levitation trains fall under the category of high-speed rail due to their association with track oriented vehicles; however their inability to operate on conventional railroads often leads to their classification in a separate category. Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than Magnetic fields The

Rationale

Mount Fuji with Shinkansen and Sakura trees in the foreground, Japan.
Mount Fuji with Shinkansen and Sakura trees in the foreground, Japan. is the highest Mountain in Japan at.An Active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08 it straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
German designed 3rd generation InterCityExpress on Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line
German designed 3rd generation InterCityExpress on Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line

In both Japan and France the initial impetus for the introduction of high speed rail was the need for additional capacity to meet increasing demand for passenger rail travel. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The InterCityExpress or ICE (German pronunciation) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries Operational use The line starts in Cologne at the Abzweig Köln-Steinstraße in the Cologne borough of Porz. By the mid-1950s, the Tōkaidō Main Line in Japan was operating at full capacity, and construction of the first segment of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka started in 1959. The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railway (JR connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station. is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen line opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū The Tōkaidō Shinkansen opened on October 1, 1964, in time for the Tokyo Olympics. The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan In France the main line between Paris and Lyon was projected to run out of capacity by 1970, so it was decided to build a new line. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. In both cases the choice to build a completely separate passenger-only line allowed for the much straighter higher speed lines. The dramatically reduced travel times on both lines bringing cities within three hours of one another caused explosions in ridership[3]. It was the commercial success of both lines that inspired those countries and their economies to expand or start high speed rail networks.

In the United States the decades after World War II, improvements in automobiles and aircraft, severe antitrust restrictions on railroads, and government subsidization of highways and airports made those means practical for a greater portion of the population than previously. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land In Europe and Japan, emphasis was given to rebuilding the railways after the war. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. In the United States, emphasis was given to building a huge national interstate highway system and airports. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Urban mass transport systems in the United States were largely eschewed in favor of road expansion. The U. S. railways have been less competitive partly because the government has tended to favour road and air transportation more than in Japan and European countries, and partly because of lower population density in the United States, but as energy costs increase, rail ridership is increasing across the country. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the [4]

Travel by rail becomes more competitive in areas of higher population density or where gasoline is expensive, because conventional trains are more fuel efficient than cars . Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Very few high-speed trains consume diesel or other fossil fuels but the power stations that provide electric trains with power can consume fossil fuels. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are fossil source Fuels that is Hydrocarbons found within the top layer of the Earth’s crust. In Japan and France, where the most extensive high speed rail networks exist, a large proportion of electricity comes from nuclear power. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Nuclear power is any Nuclear technology designed to extract usable Energy from atomic nuclei via controlled Nuclear reactions Even using electricity generated from coal or oil, trains are more fuel efficient per passenger per kilometer travelled than the typical automobile because of efficiencies of scale in generator technology. Rail networks, like highways, require large fixed capital investments and thus require a blend of high density and government investment to be competitive against existing capital infrastructure for aircraft and automobiles. Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. Urban density and mass transit have been key factors in the success of European and Japanese railway transport, especially in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and France. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

High-speed rail by country

High-speed lines in Europe.      320–350 km/h      300 km/h      250–280 km/h      200–230 km/h
High-speed lines in Europe.      320–350 km/h      300 km/h      250–280 km/h      200–230 km/h
CRH1, a Chinese high-speed train based on Bombardier's Regina trains.
CRH1, a Chinese high-speed train based on Bombardier's Regina trains. The CRH1 Electric multiple units is a Chinese high-speed train based on Bombardier technology and built by a Chinese-Canadian joint venture between Bombardier Bombardier Inc (bɔ̃baʁdje is a Canadian conglomerate, founded by Joseph-Armand Bombardier as L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée in 1942
Main article: High-speed rail by country
See also: Planned high-speed rail by country

High speed rail is defined as passenger rail running at a top speed of 125 mph (200 kph) or higher. This article provides of a list of operating High-speed rail networks, listed by country. This article provides of planned or proposed High-speed rail projects listed by country.
List of countries with maximum speed:

Canada(220,170,130 and 100 kph trains) Romania(150,110and 70 kph trains) Czech Republic(160,120and 80 kph trains) Switzerland(180,140 and 100 kph trains) Croatia(140,100 and 60 kph trains) Poland(150,110,70 kph trains} Greece(150,120 and 80 kph trains) Mexico(179,130 and 90 kph trains) Guatemala(120,90and 60 kph trains) New Zealand( 160,125 and 90 kph trains) Monogolia(120. The Austrian Western Railway ( German Westbahn) was the name of a former Railway company during the time of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Belgium 's rail network is served by four types of high-speed trains Thalys, Eurostar, ICE and TGV trains The People's Republic of China introduced highspeed train services on mainlines in April 2007 when the sixth national speed-up (increasing of the maximum speed on some lines made it possible The Sm3 is a class of high-speed body-tilting Tilting trains operated by the VR Group (Finnish railways built by FIAT Ferroviaria (except for The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Construction on first German high-speed lines began shortly after that of the French LGVs ( lignes à grande vitesse, high speed lines Italy was the first country in Europe to feature a high-speed rail connection The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies HSL-Zuid ( Hogesnelheidslijn Zuid, Southern High-Speed Line is a 125-km long high-speed railway line under construction between the Netherlands and Currently the only high-speed rail in Norway, on the railways of Norway is on Gardermobanen, a 60 kilometer line between Oslo Central Station and Since the late 1990s Comboios de Portugal - CP (formerly Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses has run the Alfa Pendular service High-speed rail is emerging in Europe as an increasingly popular and efficient means of transportation The Korea Train eXpress ( KTX) is South Korea 's High-speed rail system Ave! or aue! is a Latin phrase used by the Romans as a salutation and Greeting, meaning 'hail' Sweden today runs many trains at 200 km/h Train types include the X2 tilting trains for long distances the Regina widebody trains the X40 double-decker The Turkish State Railways started building High-speed rail lines in 2003 The Taiwan High Speed Rail ( also known as the THSR) is a High-speed rail network that runs along the west coast of Taiwan. The United Kingdom has four "classic" main Railway lines operating at, plus of High Speed 1 high-speed line. Development of High-speed rail in the United States can be traced back to the Streamliners in the 1930s 1940s and 1950s 90. 60 kph trains) Kazakhstan(170,120,70 kph trains) Indonezia(130,100 and 70 kph trains) Argentina(170,120 and 70 kph trains) North Koreea(160,120 and 80 kph trains) India(180,120 and 60 kph trains) South Africa(200,140,80 kph trains)

Comparison with other modes of transport

High speed rail is often viewed as an isolated system and simply as advantageous or disadvantageous as compared to other transport systems, but all transport systems must work together to maximize benefits. A good HSR system has capacity for non-stop and local services, and has good connectivity with other transport systems. HSR, like any transport system, is not inherently convenient, fast, clean, nor comfortable. All of this depends on design, implementation, maintenance, operation and funding. Operational smoothness is often more indicative of discipline than technological prowess.

Due to current infrastructure designs in many nations, there are constraints on the growth of the highway and air travel systems. Some key factors promoting HSR is that airports and highways have no room to expand, and are often overloaded. High-speed rail has the potential for high capacity on its fixed corridors (double decked E4 Series Shinkansen can carry 1634 passengers, double that of an Airbus A380 in all economy class), and has the potential to relieve congestion on the other systems. The E4 Series Shinkansen were the second series of completely bi-level Shinkansen high-speed trainsets to be built in Japan (the other being the E1 Series; the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Well established high speed rail systems in use today are more environmentally friendly than air or road travel. This is due to:

Automobiles

Shinkansen First High speed train design in 1964, the 0 Series at Fukuyama Station, April 2002 (retired). The first Shinkansen trains ran at speeds of up to 210 km/h (130 mph)[1], soon after increased to 220 km/h (135 mph).
Shinkansen First High speed train design in 1964, the 0 Series at Fukuyama Station, April 2002 (retired). The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The first Shinkansen trains ran at speeds of up to 210 km/h (130 mph)[1], soon after increased to 220 km/h (135 mph).

High-speed rail has the advantage over automobiles in that it can move passengers at speeds far faster than those possible by car. The lower limit for HSR (200 km/h, 125 mph) is substantially faster than the highest road speed limit in any country. Ignoring the few countries without a general speed limit, the speed limit is rarely higher than 130 km/h (80 mph). For journeys that connect city center to city center, HSR's advantage is increased due to the lower speed limits within most urban areas. Generally, the longer the journey, the better the time advantage of rail over road if going to the same destination.

Moreover, train tracks permit a far higher throughput of passengers per hour than a road the same width. A high speed rail needs just a double track railway, one track for each direction. A typical capacity is 15 trains per hour and 800 passengers per train (as for the Eurostar sets), which implies a capacity of 12,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris By way of contrast, the Highway Capacity Manual gives a maximum capacity for a single lane of highway of 2,250 passenger cars per hour (excluding trucks or RVs). The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM is a publication of the Transportation Research Board (TRB in the United States. Assuming an average vehicle occupancy of 1. 57 people [24], a standard twin track railway has a typical capacity 13% greater than a 6-lane highway (3 lanes each way), while requiring only 40% of the land (1. 0/3. 0 versus 2. 5/7. 5 hectares per kilometer of direct/indirect land consumption). This means that typical passenger rail carries 2. 83 times as many passengers per hour per meter (width) as a road. Some passenger rail systems, such as the Tokaido Shinkansen line in Japan, have much higher ratios (with as many as 20,000 passengers per hour per direction). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Congested roadways tend to be commuter - these carry fewer than 1. 57 persons per vehicle (Washington State Department of Transportation, for instance, uses 1. 2 persons per vehicle) during commute times. Congestion also causes the maximum throughput of a lane to decrease.

South Korea's KTX train can speed up to 300 km/h. French TGV type.
South Korea's KTX train can speed up to 300 km/h. The Korea Train eXpress ( KTX) is South Korea 's High-speed rail system French TGV type.

Aircraft

Optimal distance

While commercial high-speed trains have maximum operating speeds much slower than jet aircraft, they have advantages over air travel mostly for relatively short distances, and can be an integral part of any good transportation system. They also connect city center rail stations to multiple other city center rail stations (with an intermediate stop passenger loading/unloading time of 3-8 minutes), while air transport necessarily connects airports outside city centers to other airports outside city centers (with a stop time for intermediate destinations of 30 minutes to 1 hour. ) Both systems complement each other if they are well designed and maintained.

HSR is best suited for journeys of 2 - 3 hours (150-600 km or about 100-400 miles), for which the train can beat both air and car in this range. When traveling less than about 650 km (400 mi), the process of checking in and going through security screening at airports, as well as the journey to the airport itself makes the total air journey time no faster than HSR. However, anecdotally, competition authorities in Europe treat HSR for city pairs as competitive with passenger air at 4-4. 5 hours, allowing on a 1-hour flight at least 40 minutes at each point for travel to and from the airport, checkin-security-boarding, disembarcation-baggage retrieval and other waits.

However, unless air travel is severely congested, merely providing a comparable service is often not a compelling financial basis for build an HSR system from scratch. As a rule of thumb, rail journeys need to be four hours or thereabouts to be competitive with air travel on journey time. One factor which may have a further bearing on HSR's competitiveness is the general lack of inconvenience when using HSR, for example the lack of a requirement to check baggage, or repeated queuing for checkin, security and boarding as well as the typically high on-time reliability as compared to air. Separately, from a business traveler's perspective, HSR can offer amenities such as cellular phone network availability and on for example Franco-German TGV-Est wireless internet broadband.

There are routes where high-speed trains have totally beaten air transport, so that there is no air connection anymore. Examples are Paris-Brussels and Cologne-Frankfurt. If the train stops at a big airport, like Paris and Frankfurt, these short distance airplanes lose an extra advantage for the many travellers who want to go to the airport for a long-distance journey. Air plane tickets can include a train segment for the journey, with guarranteed rebooking if the connection is missed, like normal air travel.

Other considerations

Although air travel has a speed advantage, trains can typically be boarded more quickly, and in a central location. This can mostly - or completely - offset the speed advantage of air travel. Many people live in suburbs of large cities and drive their own car to the airport when they want to fly. In a hub-and-spoke air system like in the USA, large airports are heavily favored by airlines because using them can increase load factor and thus profitability. Airlines do not want to commit to non-hub areas, which if along the route have the potential for benefit from supplementation with high speed rail. However, in a point-to-point air system like in Europe (where population density is higher), major air hubs are discouraged by low-cost carriers due to congestion and high landing costs. Therefore, travel between two minor cities is already better served by air.

Rail lines also permit far greater capacity and frequency of service than what is possible with aircraft, and rail schedules find fewer weather-related interruptions than do airline schedules. Although comfort over air travel is often believed to be a trait of high speed rail, it is not inherent, it depends on the specific implementation, for example in Japan, Shinkansen passengers often must stand the entire journey due to crowding, and queueing depends on supply, demand, design, funding, and operational issues. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies From the operator's point of view, a single train can call in at multiple stops, often far more stops than aircraft, and each stop takes much less down time. One train stopping pattern can allow a multitude of possible journeys, increasing the potential market.

In regards to large amounts of luggage, HSR can be trying compared to air travel, as storage space is limited, and in the case of Japan, trains can and often are crowded, have standing passengers, especially during rush hour and holidays.

High speed trains are more energy efficient than aircraft on a same load factor basis, as trains consume less energy per passenger kilometer. This may result in less carbon dioxide emissions, however this depends on each implementation's actual usage patterns and their indirect effects. Short-haul energy requirements for transporting people are generally more competitive on trains than long haul. In Aviation, the flight length is defined as the time airborne during a flight (where rail competes best on time), because takeoff and landing have proportionately high energy requirements per km versus cruising.

From the point of view of required traffic control systems and infrastructure, high-speed rail has the added advantage of being much simpler to control due to its predictable course, even at very high passenger loads; this issue is becoming more relevant as air traffic reaches its safe limit in busy airspaces over London, New York, and other large centers. However, it must be noted that high speed rail systems eliminate the possibility of traffic collisions with automobiles (adding cost, simplicity, and safety), while other systems do not.

The history of a maximum speed

Maximum speed in service

Although one time specially modified system and trainset land speed record for railed vehicles make headlines, such as the 574. Determination of the fastest railed vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of " rail " 8 km/h TGV run or the non-wheeled 581 km/h JR-Maglev MLX01 run, they are far from typical situations as safety, cost, reliability, mass production are major concerns for high speed rail engineers and designers. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service JR-Maglev is a Magnetic levitation train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute (association of If one wants to compete purely on records, railed vehicles have attained 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph) (rocket propulsion, unmanned, test of missiles etc, done in the USA).

What is more useful is the fastest maximum operating speed (MOR) of ANY segment of any high speed rail line, currently 320 km/h (198. 9 mph), a record held by TGV and ICE service on part of the LGV Est Line in France. The InterCityExpress or ICE (German pronunciation) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries The LGV Est européenne (sometimes referred to as LGV Est) is an extension to the French high-speed TGV network connecting Paris and Strasbourg This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. That line has now the fastest scheduled run in the world at 279. 4 km/h from Lorraine-TGV to Champagne-Ardennes-TGV (167. 66 km in 36 min), followed by other TGVs on the same section at 271. 9 and 264. 7 km/h. [25]

Former record holders were TGV Lyon-St Exupéry to Aix-en-Provence at 263. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service 3 km/h (163. 6 mph) and Nozomi Shinkansen at 261. Nozomi (のぞみ ( Japanese for "Wish" and known before launch as Planet-B) was planned as a Mars - Orbiting Aeronomy The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies 8 km/h (162. 7 mph) from Hiroshima to Kokura according to the last official Railway Gazette International World Speed Survey study in 2005. The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's is an ancient Castle town and the center of Kitakyūshū, Japan, guarding via its suburb Moji, the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshū Railway Gazette International is a monthly business journal covering the Railway, metro, Light rail and Tram industries worldwide With the introduction of the new N700 Shinkansen on July 1, 2007, the Kokura to Hiroshima time may have decreased further. is an ancient Castle town and the center of Kitakyūshū, Japan, guarding via its suburb Moji, the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshū The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's [26]

From 2011, new trains on the Japanese shinkansen will operate at up to 320 km/h. The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies In the further future, several other lines are planned or proposed to operate at this speed, including a line to be built by the California High Speed Rail Authority (although that line will not be operational before 2025 even if financed as soon as possible). The California High-Speed Rail project is a proposed High-speed rail system in the state of California.

Records in trial runs

Main article: Land speed record for railed vehicles

Target areas for high-speed trains

The TGV Sud-Est fleet was built between 1978 and 1988 and connected Paris with Lyon. Originally the sets were built to run at 270 km/h (168 mph), but most were upgraded to 300 km/h (186 mph) for the opening of the LGV Méditerranée.
The TGV Sud-Est fleet was built between 1978 and 1988 and connected Paris with Lyon. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. Originally the sets were built to run at 270 km/h (168 mph), but most were upgraded to 300 km/h (186 mph) for the opening of the LGV Méditerranée. Route The LGV Méditerranée begins at Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, as the extension of the LGV Rhône-Alpes.
Taiwan's Japanese-built 300 km/h 700T series train
Taiwan's Japanese-built 300 km/h 700T series train
Main articles: High-speed rail by country and Planned high-speed rail by country

The early target areas, identified by France, Japan, and the U. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. This article provides of a list of operating High-speed rail networks, listed by country. This article provides of planned or proposed High-speed rail projects listed by country. S. , were connections between pairs of large cities. In France this was Paris–Lyon, in Japan Tokyo–Osaka, and in the U. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū S. the proposals are in high-density areas. The only high-speed rail service at present in the U. S. is the Acela Express, in the Northeast Corridor between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.; it uses tilting trains to achieve speeds of up to 240 km/h (150 mph) on existing tracks. Acela Express (often called simply Acela) is the name used by Amtrak for the high-speed Tilting train service operating between The Northeast Corridor ( NEC) is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D A tilting train is a Train with a tilting mechanism that enables increased speed on regular Railway tracks

One notable fact is that in Europe, Korea, and Japan, dense networks of city subways and railways connect seamlessly with high speed rail lines. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Despite efforts to create high speed rail in the USA, cities that lack dense intra-city rail infrastructure will find low ridership for high speed rail, as it is incompatible with existing automobile infrastructure. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (People will want to drive when traveling in city, so they might as well drive the entire trip). Since in Japan intra-city rail daily usage per capita is the highest, it follows naturally that ridership of 6 billion passengers [3] exceeds the French TGV of 1 billion (until 2003), the only other system to reach a billion cumulative passengers. [4] For comparison, the world's fleet of 22,685 aircraft carried 2. 1 billion passengers in 2006, according to International Civil Aviation Organization.

The California High Speed Rail Authority is currently studying a San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego line. The California High-Speed Rail project is a proposed High-speed rail system in the state of California. The Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation strives to bring Texas an innovative high-speed rail and multimodal transportation corridor. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The Corporation developed the Brazos Express Corridor to link Central Texas. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State.

Later high speed rail lines, such as the LGV Atlantique, the LGV Est, and most high speed lines in Germany, were designed as feeder routes branching into conventional rail lines, serving a larger number of medium-sized cities. The LGV Atlantique is a high-speed Railway line running from Paris ( Gare Montparnasse) to Western France. The LGV Est européenne (sometimes referred to as LGV Est) is an extension to the French high-speed TGV network connecting Paris and Strasbourg

A side effect of the first high-speed rail lines in France was the opening up of previously isolated regions to fast economic development. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Some newer high-speed lines have been planned primarily for this purpose, such as the Madrid–Sevilla line and the proposed Amsterdam–Groningen line. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Cities relatively close to a major city may see an increase in population, but those farther away may actually lose population (except for tourist spots), having a ripple effect on local economies.

Five years after construction began on the line, the first Japanese high-speed rail line opened on the eve of the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, connecting the capital with Osaka. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū The first French high-speed rail line, or Ligne à grande vitesse (LGV), was opened in 1981 by SNCF, the French rail agency, planning starting in 1966 and construction in 1976. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service SNCF ( Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) (French National Railway Company is a French public enterprise

Market segmentation has principally focused on the business travel market. The French original focus on business travelers is reflected by the early design of the TGV trains, including the bar car. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Pleasure travel was to be a secondary market; now many of the French extensions connect with vacation beaches on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as major amusement parks and also the very popullar Alpine ski resorts in France or Switzerland. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Friday evenings are the peak time for TGVs (train à grande vitesse) (Metzler, 1992). The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service The system has lowered prices on long distance travel to compete more effectively with air services, and as a result some cities within an hour of Paris by TGV have become commuter communities, thus increasing the market while restructuring land use. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Land use' is also often used to refer to the distinct land use types in Zoning.

On the Paris - Lyon service, the number of passengers grew to impressive numbers justifying the introduction of double-decks coaches on the TGV trainsets. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service

Other target areas include freight lines, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia, which would be allow 3 day Far East to Europe service for freight as opposed to months by ship (but still slower than air), and allow just in time deliveries. The Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad (Транссибирская магистраль Транссиб in Russian, or Transsibirskaya magistral' Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Just-in-time ( JIT) is an inventory strategy implemented to improve the Return on investment of a Business by reducing in-process Inventory and High speed north-south freight lines in Switzerland are under construction, avoiding slow mountainous truck traffic, and lowering labour costs. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation

Technology

France's TGV technology has been adapted for use in a number of different countries.
France's TGV technology has been adapted for use in a number of different countries.

Much of the technology behind high-speed rail is an improved application of mature standard gauge rail technology using overhead electrification. By building a new rail infrastructure with 20th century engineering, including elimination of constrictions such as roadway at-grade (level) crossings, frequent stops, a succession of curves and reverse curves, and not sharing the right-of-way with freight or slower passenger trains, higher speeds (250–320 km/h) are maintained. Total cost of ownership of HSR systems is generally lower than the total costs of competing alternatives (new highway or air capacity). Japanese systems are often more expensive than their counterparts but more comprehensive because they have their own dedicated elevated guideway, no traffic crossings, and disaster monitoring systems. Despite this, the lion's share of the Japanese system's cost is related to boring tunnels through mountains, as was in Taiwan. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Recent advances in wheeled trains in the last few decades have pushed the speed limits past 400 km/h, among the advances being tilting trainsets, aerodynamic designs (to reduce drag, lift, and noise), air brakes, regenerative braking, stronger engines, dynamic weight shifting, etc. Some of the advances were to fix problems, like the Eschede disaster. The Eschede train disaster was one of the world's deadliest high-speed train accidents The record speed for a wheeled electric train is 574. Determination of the fastest railed vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of " rail " 8 km/h is held by a shortened TGV train and long straight highly modified track. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service The record speed for an unmodified commercial trainset is 403. 7 km/h, held by the Velaro E. Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed EMUs They are based on Deutsche Bahn 's ICE 3 high-speed trains European high-speed routes typically combine segments on new track, where the train runs at full commercial speed, with some sections of older track on the extremities of the route, near cities.

In France, the cost of construction (which was €10 million/km (US$15. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. 1 million/km) for LGV Est) is minimised by adopting steeper grades rather than building tunnels and viaducts. The LGV Est européenne (sometimes referred to as LGV Est) is an extension to the French high-speed TGV network connecting Paris and Strasbourg However, in mountainous Switzerland, tunnels are inevitable. Because the lines are dedicated to passengers, gradients of 3. 5%, rather than the previous maximum of 1–1. 5% for mixed traffic, are used. Possibly more expensive land is acquired in order to build straighter lines which minimize line construction as well as operating and maintenance costs. In other countries high-speed rail was built without those economies so that the railway can also support other traffic, such as freight. Experience has shown however, that trains of significantly different speeds cause massive decreases of line capacity. As a result, mixed-traffic lines are usually reserved for high-speed passenger trains during the daytime, while freight trains go at night. In some cases, nighttime high-speed trains are even diverted to lower speed lines in favor of freight traffic.

Notes and references

  1. ^ International Union of Railways: General definitions of highspeed, accessed May 2, 2007
  2. ^ Federal Railroad Administration, High-Speed Rail, accessed May 2, 2007
  3. ^ Development and Economic Evaluation of High Speed in France
  4. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/business/10transit.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
  5. ^ Austria
  6. ^ HSL 1
  7. ^ High-speed_rail_in_China#200_km.2Fh_railways_by_2007
  8. ^ VR Class Sm3
  9. ^ LGV Est
  10. ^ Cologne-Frankfurt_high-speed_rail_line#Operational_use
  11. ^ High-speed rail in Italy
  12. ^ Shinkansen
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ High-speed rail in Norway
  15. ^ High-speed rail in Portugal
  16. ^ High-speed_rail_in_Europe#Russia
  17. ^ Korea Train Express
  18. ^ AVE
  19. ^ High-speed rail in Sweden
  20. ^ High-speed_rail_in_Turkey#High-speed_train_sets
  21. ^ Taiwan High Speed Rail
  22. ^ High_Speed_1#Background
  23. ^ Acela Express
  24. ^ US Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy : "Fact #257: March 3, 2003 - Vehicle Occupancy by Type of Vehicle"
  25. ^ Dr Colin Taylor. The International Union of Railways &ndash more generally known as the UIC, from its French name Union Internationale des Chemins de fer &ndash is an Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA is an administration in the United States Department of Transportation. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Austrian Western Railway ( German Westbahn) was the name of a former Railway company during the time of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The HSL 1 is a Belgian High speed rail line which connects Brussels with the French border The People's Republic of China introduced highspeed train services on mainlines in April 2007 when the sixth national speed-up (increasing of the maximum speed on some lines made it possible The Sm3 is a class of high-speed body-tilting Tilting trains operated by the VR Group (Finnish railways built by FIAT Ferroviaria (except for The LGV Est européenne (sometimes referred to as LGV Est) is an extension to the French high-speed TGV network connecting Paris and Strasbourg Operational use The line starts in Cologne at the Abzweig Köln-Steinstraße in the Cologne borough of Porz. Italy was the first country in Europe to feature a high-speed rail connection The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies Currently the only high-speed rail in Norway, on the railways of Norway is on Gardermobanen, a 60 kilometer line between Oslo Central Station and Since the late 1990s Comboios de Portugal - CP (formerly Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses has run the Alfa Pendular service High-speed rail is emerging in Europe as an increasingly popular and efficient means of transportation The Korea Train eXpress ( KTX) is South Korea 's High-speed rail system Ave! or aue! is a Latin phrase used by the Romans as a salutation and Greeting, meaning 'hail' Sweden today runs many trains at 200 km/h Train types include the X2 tilting trains for long distances the Regina widebody trains the X40 double-decker The Turkish State Railways started building High-speed rail lines in 2003 The Taiwan High Speed Rail ( also known as the THSR) is a High-speed rail network that runs along the west coast of Taiwan. Acela Express (often called simply Acela) is the name used by Amtrak for the high-speed Tilting train service operating between "New lines boost rail's high speed performance", Railway Gazette International, 2007-09-04. Railway Gazette International is a monthly business journal covering the Railway, metro, Light rail and Tram industries worldwide Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself  
  26. ^ Type N700 bullet train goes into service | The Japan Times Online

See also

The Acela Express, currently the only high-speed rail line in the U.S., with a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h).
The Acela Express, currently the only high-speed rail line in the U. Acela Express (often called simply Acela) is the name used by Amtrak for the high-speed Tilting train service operating between S. , with a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h).

Further reading

External links


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