Will Californias high-speed train system use proven high-speed train technology?
Yes. The California High-Speed Train Project will procure extensively-proven high-speed train technology from Europe or Asia. There are a number of potential manufacturers worldwide and the precise type of steel-wheel-on-steel-rail trains will be decided through the states competitive bid process. Like the new lines being planned and built in Europe and Asia, the California High-Speed Rail Project assumes the use of the latest generation of high-speed train technology, which is capable of sustained operational speeds of over 220 mph. High-speed steel-wheel-on-steel rail trains are a modern technology which can allow for efficient and safe passenger operations at speeds over 200 miles per hour. State-of-the art signaling systems can enable trains to operate in utmost safety at these high speeds with a minimum headway (time between trains) of as little as 3 minutes. Since its introduction in Japan in 1964, high-speed train technology has been continually improving. For example, while the
