What is High-Speed Rail?
Defining high-speed rail has become much like defining art: “I’m not sure what it is, but I’ll know it when I see it.” Purists define high-speed rail as new trains running on dedicated track operating at speeds in excess of 150mph. This definition fails to recognize that high-speed trains spend much of their time operating on mixed-use lines, often on lines shared with freight trains. Others define high-speed as 125 mph and above. By this definition, Amtrak’s Acela and Regional trains fit the bill. MARC’s Washington – Baltimore commuter trains and NJ Transit’s NE Corridor commuter trains also meet this requirement. Many people refer to 110 mph trains as high-speed. (Under current federal regulations 110 mph is the fastest a train can cross a highway at grade.) Under this definition, there were high-speed trains radiating out from Chicago in the late-1930’s. The Federal Railroad Administration defines high-speed as anything faster than driving. Under this definition, Amtrak’s Southwest
High-speed rail refers to trains that travel on special tracks at over 200 km/h (125 mph). The International Union of railways describes a high-speed train as one that travels faster than 250 km/h (155 mph) on dedicated tracks, or 200 km/h on upgraded conventional tracks. High-speed trains are used most widely in Japan and France, but China and the United States each have one and are considering further adoption. Other countries with high-speed trains include Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. The world’s first high-speed train was the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, launched in October 1964, which traveled between Tokyo and Osaka in Japan. The latest research into high-speed rail involves using maglev tracks, where magnets are carefully arranged to allow the train to actually float above the tracks. This is relatively expensive, but greatly lowers friction and increases possible top speed. The Japanese maglev train, JR-Maglev MLX01, reached 361
High-speed rail is a generic name for a family of technologies, both steel-wheel on rail and magnetic levitation (maglev) systems. Refers to a series of technologies involving trains traveling at top speeds of 90 (steel-wheel) to 300 (maglev) mph. Time-competitive with air and/or auto for travel markets in the approximate range of 100 to 500 miles. Ranges from $1-50 million dollars a mile, depending on the technology.
High-Speed Rail (HSR) refers to very fast trains that typically operate at speeds of 125 – 200 mph. Some examples are the TGV in France, ICE in Germany, Shinkansen in Japan, the AVE in Spain, and the KTX in South Korea. By comparison, Caltrain and BART typically travel at maximum speeds of less than 80 mph, and have average speeds (including station stops) of about 35 mph for local trains. Amtrak’s average speed is about 40 -55 mph with a maximum speed of 79 mph in most areas. Most U.S. residents have had no experience with high-speed rail because it doesn’t exist yet in the United States in a form comparable to what’s found elsewhere in the world.
