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High Speed Trains

High speed trains

trains began the development of modern high-speed railways (shown here: West Japan Railway Company 500 Series Shinkansen at Kyoto).]] Kyoto's high-speed network.]] Kyoto, seen here at Boston South Station, currently provides North America's only high-speed railway service. (www.trainweb.com photo)]] South Station to run at high speeds, but is not compatible with conventional tracks.]] :This page is about high-speed rail in general. For Britain's InterCity 125 or HST, see High Speed Train. High-speed rail is public transport by rail at a speeds over 200 km/h (125 mi/h). Typically, high–speed trains travel at top service speeds of between 250 km/h (155 mph) and 300 km/h (186 mph). The world speed record for a conventional wheeled train was set in 1990 by a French TGV (train à grande vitesse; literally "high speed train") that reached a speed of 515 km/h (320 mi/h), and an experimental Japanese magnetic levitation (maglev) train JR-Maglev MLX01 has reached 581 km/h (361 mph).

Definition

The International Union of Railways' high–speed task force provides definitions of high–speed rail travel [http://www.uic.asso.fr/d_gv/toutsavoir/definitions_en.html]. There is no single definition of the term, but rather a combination of elements—new or upgraded track, rolling stock, operating practices—that lead to high-speed rail operations. The speeds at which a train must travel to qualify as 'high–speed' vary from country to country, ranging from 160 km/h (100 mi/h) to over 300 km/h (186 mi/h). The countries that have either developed their own High-speed rail technology, or is in use of their own technology are: Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Korea.

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. In the decades after World War II, improvements in automobiles, highways, and aircraft made those means practical for a greater portion of the population than previously. In Europe and Japan, emphasis was given to rebuilding the railways after the war. In the United States, emphasis was given to building a huge national highway system and airports. Urban mass transport systems in the US were largely neglected. The US railways have been more uncompetitive partly because the government has tended to favour road and air transportation more than in Asian and European countries, and partly because the population density in the US is lower. Travel by rail becomes more competitive in areas of higher population density or when petrol is expensive because conventional trains are more fuel efficient than cars (though less fuel efficient than buses). Very few trains consume diesel or some other fossil fuels but the power stations that provide the Electric trains with power do consume fuel, usually Natural Gas. Others are powered by Coal or Hydroelectricity and in Japan and France a large proportion is powered by Nuclear fission. Even if the power stations were powered by Oil or Coal, Trains would still remain more fuel efficient per passenger per kilometer travelled than the typical automobile. Upgrading rail networks require enormous fixed investments and thus require high population densities to be competitive against airplanes and automobiles. The world's first "high–speed train" was Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen, officially launched in 1964. The "Series 0" Shinkansen, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, achieved speeds of 200 km/h (124 mi/h) on the Tokyo–Nagoya–Kyoto–Osaka route. High–speed rail was conceived as an attempt to win back railway passengers who had been lost to other means of travel; in most cases it has been quite successful to this end.

High-speed trains vs. automobiles or airplanes

There are constraints on the growth of the highway and air travel systems, widely cited as traffic congestion, or capacity limits. Airports have limited capacity to serve passengers during peak travel times, as do highways. High–speed rail, which has potentially very high capacity on its fixed corridors, offers the promise of relieving congestion on the other systems. Prior to World War II conventional passenger rail was the principal means of intercity transport. Passenger rail services have lost their primary role in transport since, due to the small proportion of journeys made by rail. High–speed rail has the advantage over automobiles in that it can move passengers at speeds far faster than those possible by car, while also avoiding congestion. For journeys that do not connect city centre to city centre, the door to door travel time and the total cost of high–speed rail can be comparable to that of driving, a fact often mentioned by critics of high–speed trains. However, supporters argue that journeys by train are less strenuous and more productive than car journeys. While high–speed trains generally do not travel as fast as jet aircraft, they have advantages over air travel for relatively short distances. 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 journey time comparable to HSR. Trains can be boarded more quickly in a central location, eliminating the speed advantage of air travel. Rail lines also permit far greater capacity and frequency of service than what is possible with aircraft.

Target areas for high-speed trains

The early target areas, identified by France, Japan, and the U.S., were connections between pairs of large cities. In France this was Paris–Lyon, in Japan Tokyo–Osaka, and in the U.S. the proposals are in high-density areas. Its only U.S. high–speed rail service at present is in the Northeast Corridor between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.; it uses tilting trains to achieve high speeds (though lower than those of their European and Asian counterparts) on existing tracks, since building new, straighter lines was not practical given the level of funding. The California High Speed Rail Authority is currently studying a San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego line. 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. The first French high–speed rail line (LGV) was opened in 1981 by SNCF, the French rail agency, planning starting in 1966 and construction in 1976. The opening ceremonies were significant events, being reported internationally, but not associated with a major showpiece such as a World's Fair or Olympic Games. Market segmentation has principally focused on the business travel market. The French focus on business travelers is reflected in the nature of their rail cars (including the all-important bar–car). Pleasure travel is a secondary market, though many of the French extensions connect with vacation beaches on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as major amusement parks. Friday evenings are the peak time for TGVs (Metzler, 1992). 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. A side effect of the first high–speed rail lines in France was the opening up of previously isolated regions to fast economic development. Some newer high–speed lines have been planned primarily for this purpose, such as the Madrid–Sevilla line and the proposed Amsterdam–Groningen line.

Countries currently with High-speed rail

In Europe

France

Groningen Groningen France has perhaps the most developed high-speed network in Europe. The TGV network started in 1981 with the opening of the line between Lyon and Paris. The TGV network gradually spread out to other cities, and into other countries such as Switzerland. Trains that cross national boundaries may need to have special characteristics, such as the ability to handle different power supplies and signalling systems. This means that not all TGVs are the same, and there are interoperability considerations. Later the TGV network was also extended with LGVs towards Bordeaux, Marseille, and Lille and faster trains were introduced. Rather than have separate lines from Paris, towns in Britanny are reached via a relatively short detour—it being argued that the trains run fast enough that the extra distance causes little real delay on the long distance travel between Paris and Bordeaux, and this routing allows additional service to Brittany. A new generation of TGV Automotrice à grande vitesse (AGV) with an operational speed of 350 km/h is currently under development.

Germany

Construction on first German high-speed lines began shortly after that of the French LGVs. Legal battles caused significant delays, so that the InterCity Express (ICE) trains were deployed ten years after the TGV network was established. The ICE network is more tightly integrated with pre-existing lines and trains as a result of the different settlement structure in Germany, which has almost twice the population density of France. ICE trains reached destinations in Austria and Switzerland soon after they entered service, taking advantage of the same voltage used in these countries. Starting in 2000, multisystem third-generation ICE trains entered the Netherlands and Belgium. Admission of ICE trains onto French LGVs was applied for in 2001, but trial runs have only just been completed in 2005. Germany is also developing Transrapid, a Magnetic levitation train system. A Transrapid test track with a total lenght of 31.5 km is operating in Emsland.

Spain

The Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) high–speed rail system in Spain is currently being constructed. High–speed trains have been running on the Madrid–Sevilla route since 1992. Should the aims of the ambitious AVE construction program be met, by 2010 Spain will have 7000 km (4350 mi) of high–speed trains linking all provincial cities to Madrid in under 4 hours and Barcelona within 6 hours. By 2007, the fastest commercial trains in operation will be moving passengers between Barcelona and Madrid at a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), traveling the 600 km (373 mi) between the two cities in only 2.5 hours. Three corporations have or will build trains for the Spanish high–speed rail network: Spanish Talgo, French Alstom and German Siemens AG.

Italy

The earliest high-speed train deployed in Europe was the italian "Direttissima" that connected Rome with Florence (254 km,158 mi) in 1978. The maximum speed of this line was 250 km/h (155 mi/h). The journey time between the two cities is just over 90 minutes and the trains average about 200 km/h (125 mi/h). The service is carried out by Eurostar Italia trains (not related to the Eurostar trains operating to the United Kingdom). Italy makes extensive use of tilting train technology, "Pendolino", based on research work undertaken in the 1970s by Fiat Ferroviaria. The Italian Treno Alta Velocità is building a new high speed network between Turin and Naples with a total length of 650km. The first route of this network will be opened in December 2005 and it will connect Naples with Rome (214km) in 1 hour.

Netherlands & Belgium

The Dutch HSL-Zuid line are being built to connect the Netherlands with Belgium and France. It will carry both the TGV-derived Thalys and domestic high-speed trains. High-speed Thalys trains already operate between Belgium, France and The Netherlands. Brussels in Belgium has three HSR lines connecting it with other cities, one going to Lille in France, one going to Koln in Germany, and one going to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Switzerland

Switzerland has had a tilting train since 28 May 2000, when along with the Fahrplanwechsel (change of train schedules) the ICN (InterCity Neigezug, or InterCity Tilting Train) came into being, first running from Geneva through Biel/Bienne, Grenchen South, Zürich, Winterthur through to St. Gallen. The ICN is now used on several routes. Speeds on the ICN can reach 200 km/h (125 mi/h). As Swiss rail tracks are full of curves, and as the ICN is a tilting train, it is the fastest Swiss train on Swiss tracks.

Turkey

Turkey has recently started building high-speed rail lines. The first line, between Istanbul (Turkey's largest city) and Ankara (capital of Turkey), is under construction and will open in 2007. The commercial high speed trains are expected to reach at a top speed of 250km/h, reducing the traveling time from 6-7 hours to 3 hours 10 minutes. Several other lines between major cities are also being planned.

Asia

Japan

Ankara.]] Japan might be considered the spiritual home of modern high-speed railways. In 1964, after the Tokaido Shinkansen was deployed, a second line—the Sanyo Shinkansen—was inaugurated. The recognition of the inter–relationship between land development and the high–speed rail network led, in 1970, to the enaction in Japan of a law for the construction of a nationwide Shinkansen railway network. By 1973, the Transport Minister approved construction plans for five additional lines and basic plans for twelve others. Despite the approval, financial considerations intervened; the cost of the five lines (five trillion yen, or fifty billion U.S. dollars at 100 yen to the dollar, a somewhat hopeful exchange rate), combined with the oil shock and recession of the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in some lines being cancelled and others delayed until 1982. Ironically, high oil prices, which should increase the relative demand for non–oil based transportation such as high–speed rail, delayed their construction. Some Japanese lines constucted during the 1990's are not "Full Shinkansen" with all of the characteristics of high–speed rail. Rather they are mixed, and thus composed of less expensive technology, combining narrow-gauge and standard-gauge lines on the same structures. New structures allow for eventual upgrade, but existing narrow gauge structures are kept in places, allowing the bullet train to use them, but not at the higher speeds. As with its inauguration, the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan were a target for the opening of a rail line extension: Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tokyo to Nagano) was opened under this scheme just in time. Within Japan, some of the most significant changes in the mode's growth phase has been the break–up and privatization of the rail system, begun in 1987. The hope is that restructuring leads to more efficient and profitable methods in the passenger rail sector. Incremental improvements to the high–speed rail technology are continuously being undertaken, and the network continues to be expanded. As an example of improvements, the travel time from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka (the first route opened) has decreased from 4 hours in 1964 to 2 hours 30 minutes. A Japanese consortium led by the Central Japan Railway Company are currently researching new high–speed rail systems based on magnetic levitation. Test trains JR-Maglev MLX01 on the Yamanashi Test Line have achieved speeds of over 580 km/h (360 mph) (crewed), easily making them the fastest trains in the world. These new maglev trains are intended to be deployed as a new Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen route, called the Chuo Shinkansen. A new generation of Shinkansen FASTECH 360 with a top speed of 405 km/h and a operational speed of 360 km/h is currently under development. Production trains are expected to enter service in 2011.

Korea

FASTECH 360 There is now a high–speed train line in Korea; KTX. apart from its conventional railway system that boasted a top-speed of 150km/h. The new high-speed rail became operational on April 2004. The maximum speeds of the KTX which derives its technology directly from France's Alstrom, is 300km/h. It has made a previous journey from Seoul to Daejon that took around 1:30- 2 hours by vehicle to a mere 47 minutes. Since its operation, there has been many complaints with regards to the French product, citing reasons of general discomfort, together with the ridiculous seatings that face the opposite direction. As of December 2005], the South Korean government has made a "negotiation priority" on a new South Korean high-speed technnology called the G-7. It runs faster than the French Alstrom, at speeds of 350km/h. The train is a product of near 10 years of research and development by the Korean [[Rotem]] and the National Rail Technology Institute. The train uses a digital-mode for its operation, and allows passengers to rotate their seats, regardless of whether they were given a forward facing or a rear facing seat. If the [[G-7 is selected for adoption on the currently KTX lines, Korea joins the ranks of Japan, Germany and France as the forth country to develop its own High-speed rail.

Countries currently without High-speed rail or currently planning High-speed rail

Europe

The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Eurostar trains, which run through the Channel Tunnel between the UK and both France and Belgium, are substantially different versions of the TGV trains, with support for multiple voltages, both pantograph and third–rail power collection, the ability to adapt to multiple platform heights, and to cope with no fewer than seven different signalling modes. Like the TGVs, Eurostar trains are articulated with bogies between the carriages, and typical operating units have 18 carriages. A fully loaded train of 794 passengers is roughly equivalent to seven Boeing 737s (the aircraft typically used by low-cost airlines). These trains operate at the highest scheduled speeds of any in the UK, using specially-built track between the Channel Tunnel and London. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link currently supports high speed trains between Dover to Fawkham Junction, and the extension to London St Pancras is due to open in 2007. The remainder of Britain's railway network is determinedly slower - nominal top speeds on some lines of 225kmh/140mph have yet to be run, and most inter-city traffic is restricted to a maximum speed of 200kmh/125mph using track largely built in the middle years of the nineteenth century. Much of this traffic is still handled by diesel-powered High Speed Trains which are around three decades old, however GNER trains on the East Coast Main Line between London and York still achieve an average point-to-point speed that puts them in the world top ten. An attempt was made in the 1970s and 1980s to introduce a high-speed train that could operate on Britain's winding infrastructure - British Rail developed the Advanced Passenger Train using active tilting technology. While this was, ultimately, technically successful, the project was closed-down following a series of high-profile failures. The technology was widely sold, and is used in today's Pendolino trains developed in Italy. However due to a large investment in the West Coast Mainline tilting Pendolinos have been introducted from 2004. These trains have a speed of about 125mph and are operated by Virgin Trains. These services run between London Euston and Glasgow with some services starting and finishing at Manchester Piccadilly and going both north and south. Considerable upgrades are still happening north of Manchester.

Asia

China

Shanghai Maglev Train, a Transrapid maglev capable of 267 mph (430 km/h), connect Shanghai to Pu Dong International Airport since March 2004. China is considering maglev as a possible technology option for building a planned high-speed rail network to connect major cities, although the cost may make this impractical. Talks with Germany on the possible construction of a second Transrapid maglev rail linking Shanghai to Hangzhou have started. The Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line would become the first inter-city Maglev rail line in commercial service in the world. The line will be an extension of the only other Maglev line in commercial service, the Shanghai airport Maglev line. The new line would have to be in service no later than 2010. A conventional high-speed line based on InterCity Express technology between Beijing and Tianjin is expected to open in 2007.

Taiwan

Taiwan is constructing its high speed railway to connect Taipei and Kaohsiung using Shinkansen technology. It is scheduled to begin revenue service in October 2006.

The Americas

Canada

Shinkansen Canada placed some early hopes in high–speed trains with the United Aircraft Turbo train, in the 1960s. Run by CN and later VIA Rail, the Talgo–inspired articulated tilt–train achieved speeds as high as 200 km/h (125 mph) in regular service, but for most of its service life (marred with lengthy interruptions to address conception problems), it ran at a more conventional 160 km/h (99 mph). A similar but shorter train was also experimented with in the United States. Beginning in the 1970s, a consortium of several companies started to study the Bombardier LRC, which was a more conventional approach to high–speed rail, in having separate cars rather than being an articulated train. Pulled by a conventional–technology diesel–electric locomotives designed for 200 km/h (125 mi/h) normal operating speed, it entered full–scale service in 1981 for VIA Rail, linking cities in the Québec–Windsor corridor, but at speeds never exceeding the 170 km/h (105 mph) limit mandated by line signalling. The troublesome Bombardier LRC locomotives were eventually all retired by 2000, and replaced by more conventional diesel–electric locomotives manufactured by General Motors and General Electric. The LRC is the oldest tilt–train that is still operational to this day. Recently, Bombardier and VIA have proposed high-speed services along the Québec–Windsor corridor using Bombardier's experimental JetTrain tilting trains, which are similar to Bombardier's Acela Express, but powered by a small jet engine rather than overhead electric wires. As yet, no government support for this plan has been forthcoming, and Bombardier appears to have stopped promoting the JetTrain. Bombardier has also recently promoted high-speed rail in the province of Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary. Although in the U.S. Amtrak has invested enormous amounts of money in electrifying the New Haven–Boston portion of the Northeast Corridor and outfitting itself with sleek Acela Express trains, it is VIA Rail that operates the fastest scheduled passenger train in North America: train 66, which runs the 520 km (323 miles) between Toronto and Dorval in 3 hours 44 minutes, an average speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).

United States

Dorval High-speed rail in the U.S is more a case of hope than reality. It is possible to trace the development of high–speed railways back to the streamliners that criss–crossed the U.S. in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s which, in turn, can be traced further back to the competing companies operating different routes between London and Scotland, and to railways in Germany and France. However, several factors contributed to the stagnation of rail transport in the U.S. just as Europe and Japan were pushing forward. There has been a resurgence of interest in recent decades, with many plans being examined for high–speed rail across the country, but current service remains relatively limited. The major passenger carrier in the U.S., Amtrak, has been operating Acela Express trains between Boston and Washington, D.C. since 2001. These trains tilt because of curves along the track, and the top speed is 150 mph (240 km/h). This maximum speed might not be considered fast enough for this train to be designated a high–speed train, though the average speeds suggest that it should be. The average speed from Washington, D.C. to Boston is about 82 mph (132 km/h): 5 hours 30 minutes for the 450 mi (724 km) trip. High–speed rail in the U.S. today remains largely in an early, conceptual stage. The U.S. efforts have been multi–pronged. Various states have promoted study and design of high–speed rail lines, and six corridors have been designated by U.S. Department of Transportation for study:
- Chicago, Illinois–Minneapolis, Minnesota–St. Louis, Missouri–Detroit, Michigan (as planned by the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative [http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/onepagers/midwest.html#mwmap])
- Miami, Florida–Orlando–Tampa (Florida High Speed Rail [http://www.floridahighspeedrail.org/])
- Washington, D.C.–Richmond, Virginia–Raleigh–Charlotte
- San Diego, California–Los Angeles–Sacramento (California High Speed Rail [http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/])
- Eugene, Oregon–Portland–Seattle, Washington–Vancouver (Canada)
- New York City–Albany, New York–Buffalo The Clinton Administration proposed a High Speed Rail Development Act in 1993 to study the issues involved and provide seed money. Money was set aside in Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA 1991) for maglev development, and proposals for deployment have been made in Orlando, Florida and in Texas, but there is still no operating maglev in revenue-earning passenger service in the United States. Amtrak's North East Corridor has been electrified and has seen elimination of grade crossings. In terms of its top–down planning, the development of high–speed rail in the U.S. borrows conceptually from the interstate highway system. Typically modes emerge without either significant or central planning at the outset. Examples include air travel, highways, and rail. Later, central planning is tacked on, as when the government established specific trans–continental routes, or began funding airports or the interstate highways. In all likelihood this probably confirms high–speed rail's role as a successor to conventional rail rather than holding status as a new mode on its own. Operationally, the systems are largely adapted from conventional rail systems, with similar labor organization and ownership in Japan and France and similar architectures in many other respects.

Mexico

After a rigorous technical and economic evaluation involving nine companies of international experience with high–speed trains, the French company Systra will be the consulting company to advise the Secretariat of Communication and Transportion of Mexico on the process of elaboration of the Basis of Licitation for the Mexico City–Guadalajara high–speed train service. The licitation is to be released in autumn 2005. The estimate for this project is about $5 billion according to the SCT.

Australia

Australia has no high–speed trains. Queensland Rail's tilting train between Brisbane and Cairns is believed to be the fastest narrow-gauge railway in the world. The development of Australia's railways has always been hampered by the country's low population density; it has a population comparable to a small European country such as the Netherlands occupying an area only slightly smaller than the mainland United States. With the consequent deregulation and intense competition in the domestic airline industry, the cheapest method of travel between the major population centres is by air. While car fuel is not taxed as lightly as in the United States, it is still much less expensive than in European nations, which greatly reduces the appeal of train travel and the hope of significant expansions in the near future. There have, however, been discussions of a high-speed railway between Sydney and Canberra, which could ultimately expand into a corridor extended from Sydney to Brisbane and from Canberra to Melbourne and Adelaide. [http://www.railpage.org.au/vhst/]

Technology

Adelaide Much of the technology behind high–speed rail is an improved application of existing technology. By building a new rail infrastructure with 20th century engineering, including elimination of constrictions such as roadway at–grade 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 (250–300 km/h; 155–185 mph) are maintained. The record speed of 515 km/h (320 mph) is held by a shortened TGV train. The French TGV routes typically combine some sections of older track, on which they run at standard speeds, with segments on new track to provide an overall high–speed, one-seat journey to many destinations. In France, the cost of construction is minimised by adopting steeper grades rather than building tunnels and viaducts. Because the lines are dedicated to passengers, grades 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.

Existing high-speed rail systems

TGV family


- TGV (Train à grande vitesse) (France)
- Automotrice à grande vitesse
- Eurostar (United Kingdom – France/Belgium)
- Thalys (France – Belgium – Netherlands – Germany)
- Renfe AVE (Spain)
- KTX (Korea)
- Amtrak Acela Express (United States); only distantly related to TGV (not articulated, and with a tilt mechanism)

ICE family


- ICE (InterCity Express), (Germany – Netherlands – Belgium – Switzerland – Austria)
- Renfe AVE, (Spain)
- CRH3, (China)

Shinkansen family


- Shinkansen (Japan)
- FASTECH 360
- (HSR) Taiwan High Speed Rail (Taiwan)

ETR 500 family


- ETR 500 (Italy)

Talgo family


- Talgo 350 (Spain)
- Talgo 200 (Spain) (able to travel at 200 km/h (124 mph) on broad and standard-gauge track)

Tilting trains


- Pendolino–type trains in Italy, Finland, Portugal (Alfa Pendular by CP), Slovenia (InterCitySlovenija), Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom (by Virgin Trains). These are all broadly derived from technology developed in the 1970s and early 1980s by British Rail for their Advanced Passenger Train.
- LRC, (Canada)
- Amtrak Acela Express, (United States)
- X2000, Linx (Sweden)
- ETR 450/460/480, Cisalpino (Italy, Switzerland)
- ICN (Switzerland)
- Signatur (Norway)

Magnetic levitation


- Chuo Shinkansen, a proposed maglev Shinkansen line to serve the Tokyo–Osaka corridor. Test trains JR-Maglev MLX01 are currently running in Yamanashi Prefecture at speeds of over 580 km/h (360 mph).
- Transrapid (German maglev company) has a test track in Emsland, Germany, and constructed the first commercial maglev railway, from Shanghai, China to Pu Dong International Airport, opened in 2002).

Other


- InterCity 125 / British Rail Class 43 (HST), was introduced to Britain in 1976 by state corporation British Rail: often called the High Speed Train or HST, it was the fastest train in the country when it was introduced, operating regularly at scheduled speeds of 125 mph (200 km/h). It still holds the world speed record for a diesel-powered train (it achieved 143mph (232km/h) on test in 1973, which it bettered by achieving 148mph (238 km/h) on another test in 1987; its highest speed in passenger service was 144mph (231 km/h) achieved in 1985). It is still in regular inter-city service after three decades.

See also


- Aérotrain
- Ground effect train
- Land speed record for railed vehicles
- Magnetic levitation train

External links


- [http://www.altavelocidad.org/index_en.htm High-Speed Railways around the world]
- [http://www.maglev.de Transrapid – Maglev: High-Speed in Asia (China, Shanghai), Japan (Yamanashi) and Germany (Munich; TVE)]
- [http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov California High-Speed Rail Authority]
- [http://www.tav.it/ High-Speed Railways in Italy] Category:Rail transport zh-min-nan:Ko-sok-thih-lō· ko:고속철도 ja:高速鉄道

500 Series Shinkansen

Category:Shinkansen ja:新幹線500系電車 ja:新幹線500系電車 ja:新幹線500系電車 The 500 Series Shinkansen are the fastest, most powerful and most expensive trainsets yet to run on Japan's Shinkansen high-speed rail network. They are designed to be capable of 320 km/h (200 mph) although they currently operate at a maximum of 300 km/h (186 mph) in service. The running gear utilises computer-controlled active suspension for a smoother, safer ride. All sixteen cars in each train are powered, giving a maximum of 18.24 MW of power (25,000 hp). Each train costs an estimated ¥5 billion, or over US$40 million; because of that pricetag, only nine have been built. The first entered service in 1995 and the last of the nine in 1998. They are used only on the premium Nozomi services. Visually they are quite striking, with a long, pointed needle nose more like that of a supersonic plane than a conventional high speed train. In 1990, Hitachi commissioned Neumeister Design of Germany to create a design for a new Shinkansen. It became the basis for the development of the Nozomi 500. ; External links
- [http://www.neumeisterdesign.de/ Neumeister + Partner]

Shinkansen

The Shinkansen (Japanese: 新幹線) is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. The first line, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, was opened in 1964. The network has since expanded to link most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu with running speeds of up to 300 km/h.

Naming

The popular English name bullet train is a Western translation of the Japanese term dangan ressha (弾丸列車), which was the name given to the project while it was initially being developed in the 1940s. The modern name Shinkansen literally means "New Trunk Line" and hence strictly speaking refers only to the tracks, while the trains themselves are offically referred to as "Super Express" (超特急 chō-tokkyū). In practice, however, the distinction is rarely made even in Japan. When building the Shinkansen network, it was not often feasible to build the line to connect to an already existing station and therefore a new second station was built. Many Shinkansen stations (eg. Shin-Yokohama Station and Shin-Osaka Station) thus have the prefix shin- in their name, but this simply means "new" in Japanese and is not a direct reference to the Shinkansen.

History

Japan was the first country to build dedicated railway lines for high speed travel. Due to the largely mountainous nature of the country, the pre-existing network consisted of 3 ft 6 in gauge (1,067 mm) narrow gauge lines, which generally took indirect routes and could not be adapted to higher speeds. In consequence, Japan had a greater need for new high speed lines than countries where the existing standard gauge or broad gauge rail system had more upgrade potential. In contrast to the older lines, Shinkansen lines are standard gauge, and use tunnels and viaducts to go through and over obstacles, rather than around them. Construction of the first segment of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka started in 1959. The line opened on October 1, 1964, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics. The line was an immediate success, reaching the 100 million passenger mark in less than three years on July 13, 1967 and one billion passengers in 1976. The first Shinkansen trains ran at speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph), later increased to 220 km/h (135 mph). Some of these trains, with their classic bullet-nosed appearance, are still in use for stopping services between Hakata and Osaka. A driving car from one of the original trains is now in the British National Railway Museum in York. Many further models of train followed the first type, generally each with its own distinctive appearance. Shinkansen trains now run regularly at speeds of up to 300 km/h (185 mph), putting them among the fastest trains running in the world, along with the French TGV, Spanish AVE and German ICE trains. Originally intended to carry passenger and freight trains by day and night, the Shinkansen lines carry only passenger trains. The system shuts down between midnight and 06:00 every day to allow maintenance to take place. The few overnight trains that still run in Japan run on the old narrow gauge network which the Shinkansen parallels. Trains can be up to sixteen cars long. With each car measuring 25 m (82 ft) in length, the longest trains are 400 m (1/4 mile) from front to back. Stations are similarly long to accommodate these trains. In 2003, JR Central reported that the Shinkansen's average arrival time was within 0.1 minutes or 6 seconds of the scheduled time. This includes all natural and human accidents and errors and is calculated from all of about 160,000 trips Shinkansen made. The previous record was from 1997 and was 0.3 minutes or 18 seconds. Since 1970, development has been underway for the Chuo Shinkansen, a maglev train by the RTRI of JR Central Railways. It is planned to eventually run from Tokyo to Osaka. On December 2, 2003, the 3 car maglev trainset reached a world speed record of 581 km/h. The first derailment of a Shinkansen train in passenger service occurred during the Chuetsu Earthquake on October 23, 2004. Eight of ten cars of the Toki No. 325 train on the Joetsu Shinkansen derailed near Nagaoka Station in Nagaoka, Niigata. However, there were no injuries nor deaths among the 154 passengers. [http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/investor/ar/2005/pdf/ar2005_17.pdf]

Safety

There have been no passenger fatalities associated with operation of the Shinkansen. There have however been injuries and one fatality due to doors closing on passengers or their belongings, but attendants are on hand at each platform to ensure that these are resolved before operation begins. There have been suicides by passengers jumping both from and in front of moving trains. This has resulted in some stations installing barriers preventing passengers from accessing the tracks, although an incident on January 9, 1999 in Nagano station showed that even these would not stop determined suicides: a man climbed over a safety barrier to be hit by a nonstop service. There is an earthquake detection system that can bring the train to a stop very quickly if an earthquake is detected. During the Chuetsu earthquake in October 2004 a Shinkansen very close to the epicenter was derailed by the earthquake, but with no passenger injuries. The next generation of trains (FASTECH 360) will have ear-like air resistance braking flaps to assist with stopping in the event of an earthquake being detected.

Future

Due to noise pollution concerns, increasing speed is becoming more difficult. Current research is primarily aimed at reducing operational noise, particularly the "tunnel boom" phenomenon caused when trains enter tunnels at high speed. Despite this, there are two planned speed increases, one to 350 km/h for new trains on the Sanyo line, and one to 360 km/h using the FASTECH 360 trains currently in testing on the Tohoku Shinkansen. The Kyushu Shinkansen from Kagoshima to Yatsushiro opened in March 2004. Three more extensions are planned for opening by 2010: Hakata-Yatsushiro, Hachinohe-Aomori, and by 2014: Nagano-Kanazawa. There are also long-term plans to extend the network, Hokkaido Shinkansen from Aomori to Sapporo (through the Seikan Tunnel), Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki, and as well as complete a link from Kanazawa back to Osaka, although none of these are likely to be completed by 2020. The Narita Shinkansen project to connect Tokyo to Narita International Airport, initiated in the 1970s but halted in 1983 after landowner protests, has been officially cancelled and removed from the Basic Plan governing Shinkansen construction. Parts of its planned right-of-way will be utilized by the Narita Rapid Railway link when it opens in 2010. Although the NRR will use standard gauge track, it will not be built to Shinkansen specifications and it would not be feasible to convert it into a full Shinkansen line.

List of Shinkansen lines

Operating lines

2010 The main Shinkansen lines are:
- Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo - Shin-Osaka)
- Sanyo Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka - Hakata)
- Tohoku Shinkansen (Tokyo - Hachinohe)
- Joetsu Shinkansen (Omiya - Niigata)
- Hokuriku Shinkansen or Nagano Shinkansen (Takasaki - Nagano)
- Kyushu Shinkansen (Shin-Yatsushiro - Kagoshima-Chuo) Two further lines, known as Mini-Shinkansen (ミニ新幹線), have also been constructed by upgrading existing sections of line:
- Yamagata Shinkansen (Fukushima - Shinjo)
- Akita Shinkansen (Morioka - Akita) There are two standard gauge not technically classified as Shinkansen lines but with Shinkansen services:
- Hakata Minami Line (Hakata - Hakata-Minami)
- Gala-Yuzawa Line - technically a branch of the Joetsu Line - (Echigo-Yuzawa - Gala-Yuzawa)

Lines Under Construction or Planned

Many Shinkansen lines were proposed during the boom of the early 1970s. However, the route actually started constructing among them was a little. Those are called Constructing plan section or New bullet train projects (整備新幹線 :Seibi Shinkansen).
- Tohoku Shinkansen (Morioka - Aomori)
  - Morioka - Hachinohe section has been opened.
  - Hachinohe - Shin-Aomori section is under construction and will open at 2010.
- Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tokyo - Osaka)
  - Tokyo - Takasaki section is via Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen.
  - Takasaki - Nagano section has been opened.
  - Nagano - Kanazawa section is under construction and will open at 2014.
  - Kanazawa - Osaka section is under development (Only Fukui Station is under construction).
- Kyushu Shinkansen Kagoshima Route (Fukuoka - Kagoshima)
  - Hakata - Shin-Yatsushiro section is under construction and will open at 2010.
  - Shin-Yatsushiro - Kagoshima-Chuo section has been opened.
- Kyushu Shinkansen Nagasaki Route (Fukuoka - Nagasaki)
  - Hakata - Shin-Tosu section is via Kagoshima Route.
  - Shin-Tosu - Nagasaki section is under development.
- Hokkaido Shinkansen (Aomori - Sapporo)
  - Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate section is under construction and will open at 2015 (Seikan Tunnel section has been opened by narrow gauge).
  - Shin-Hakodate - Sapporo section is under development.
- Narita Shinkansen (Tokyo - Narita International Airport)
  - It has been officially removed from planning.

Shinkansen Lines Outside Japan

Railways using Shinkansen technology are not limited to those in Japan.
- Taiwan High Speed Rail (under construction, in the Republic of China)
- Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Hitachi-built EMUs based on shinkansen technology will be exported for use on high-speed commuter services in Britain.)

List of Shinkansen train models


- Passenger Trains
  - 0 Series
  - 100 Series
  - 200 Series
  - 300 Series
  - 400 Series (Mini-Shinkansen)
  - 500 Series
  - 700 Series
  - 700T Series (Taiwan Shinkansen)
  - N700 Series (on Test)
  - 800 Series
  - E1 Series (Max)
  - E2 Series
  - E3 Series (Mini-Shinkansen)
  - E4 Series (Max)
- Experimental Trains
  - 1000 Type
  - 951 Type
  - 961 Type
  - 962 Type
  - 500-900 Series (WIN 350)
  - 952/953 Type (STAR 21)
  - 955 Type (300X)
  - E954 Type (FASTECH 360 S)
  - E955 Type (FASTECH 360 Z)(Mini-Shinkansen)
- Maintenance Trains
  - 911 Type Diesel Locomotive
  - 912 Type Diesel Locomotive
  - DD18 Type Diesel Locomotive
  - DD19 Type Diesel Locomotive
  - 944 Type (Rescue Train)
  - 921 Type 0 Numbers (Track Checking Car)
  - 922 Type (Doctor Yellow Set T1, T2, T3)
  - 923 Type (Doctor Yellow Set T4, T5)
  - 925 Type (Doctor Yellow Set S1, S2)
  - E926 Type (East i)(Mini-Shinkansen)

List of types of Shinkansen services


- Tokaido Shinkansen and Sanyo Shinkansen
- :Nozomi
- :Hikari
- :Hikari Rail Star (in Sanyo area only)
- :Kodama
- Tohoku Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen
- :Hayate
- :Yamabiko, Max Yamabiko
- :Nasuno, Max Nasuno
- :Aoba (discontinued)
- :Komachi (Akita Shinkansen)
- :Tsubasa (Yamagata Shinkansen)
- Joetsu Shinkansen
- :Toki, Max Toki
- :Tanigawa, Max Tanigawa
- :Asahi (discontinued), Max Asahi (discontinued)
- Hokuriku Shinkansen (Nagano Shinkansen)
- :Asama, Max Asama
- Kyushu Shinkansen
- :Tsubame

External links


- [http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/discussionpapers/Hood.html Biting the Bullet: What we can learn from the Shinkansen], discussion paper by Christopher Hood in the [http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies], 23 May 2001
- [http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/ Byun Byun Shinkansen, a comprehensive guide] by D.A.J. Fossett
- [http://www.nrm.org.uk/html/exhiblets/shinkansen/history.asp The Shinkansen Story]
- [http://www.asahi.com/english/nation/TKY200410150138.html East meets West], a story of how the Shinkansen brought Tokyo and Osaka closer together. Category:Shinkansen Category:Rail transport Category:Japanese terms ko:신칸센 ms:Shinkansen ja:新幹線 simple:Shinkansen

South Station (Boston)

South Station, located at Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street, in Boston, Massachusetts is a major intermodal transportation hub. Its facilities include:
- the northern terminus of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor train service, including Acela Express high-speed trains and Regional local trains. There is also a daily Amtrak overnight train to Chicago - the Lake Shore Limited.
- a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail terminus.
- a station stop on the Boston subway's Red Line.
- the eastern terminus of Phase 2 of the Silver Line, with direct service to all Logan Airport terminals and to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
- Boston's main inter-city bus terminal.
- local bus service.
- parking garage.
- staffed ticket windows.
- a food court and waiting area.
- public art, including a sculpture built of railroad car couplers and a model of the planet Jupiter, part of the Museum of Science's scale model of the solar system Note: Several MBTA commuter rail lines plus Amtrak's Downeaster service to Maine originate from North Station, about 1-1/4 miles around the Boston peninsula from South Station. No direct link exists between the two stations although MBTA subway connections exist; see MBTA Commuter Rail and North-South Rail Link.

Buses: The Concord Trailways ticket counter also sells tickets for Dartmouth Coach and C&J Trailways.
- Platform A1: C&J Trailways
- Platform B1: Concord Trailways MAINE departures
- Gates 1-2: Concord Trailways NEW HAMPSHIRE departures
- Gates 3-7: [Greyhound Lines]
- Gates 8-10: Vermont Transit
- Gates 14-17: Bonanza
- Gates 18-22: Peter Pan Trailways

History

South Station is over 105 years old.

Pre-opening

When the railroads serving Boston were first laid out and built, each one stopped at its own terminal. The four terminals serving the south-side railroads were as follows:
- The New York and New England Railroad crossed the Fort Point Channel from South Boston, just south of the present Summer Street Bridge, and terminated just east of Dewey Square (right at the north end of today's South Station).
- The Old Colony Railroad had a long passenger terminal on the east side of South Street, stretching from Kneeland Street south to Harvard Street. This site is now part of the South Bay Interchange, near the South Station bus terminal.
- The Boston and Albany Railroad's passenger terminal was in the block bounded by Kneeland Street, Beach Street, Albany Street (now Surface Artery) and Lincoln Street. This later became a freight house, and is now a block in Chinatown; the passenger terminal was moved to the west side of Utica Street, from Kneeland Street south to a bit past Harvard Street, now part of the South Bay Interchange.
- The Boston and Providence Railroad continued straight where it now merges with the Boston and Albany, terminating at Park Square, with the passenger terminal on the south side of Providence Street from Columbus Avenue west about 2/3 of the way to Berkeley Street. South Station combined the four terminals in one spot (a union station).

Opening and beyond

union station South Station opened as South Union Station on January 1, 1899 at a cost of $3.6 million (1899 dollars). It became the busiest station in the country by 1910. A station on the Atlantic Avenue Elevated served the station from 1901 to 1938; what is now the Red Line subway was extended from Park Street to South Station in 1913. The train shed was replaced in a 1930 renovation. While the station handled 125,000 passengers each day during World War II, after the war passenger rail declined in the U.S. In 1959, the Old Colony Railroad, which served the South Shore and Cape Cod, stopped passenger service. The New Haven Railroad went bankrupt in 1961. South Station was sold to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) in 1965. Portions of the station were demolished and the land was used to build the Boston South Postal Annex and the Stone and Webster building. 1965 1965 In the original configuration, two tracks came off each approach to join into a four-track line and then run under the main platforms in a two-track loop. These tracks were never put into service, and later became a parking lot and bowling alley for employees.[http://www.southstation.org/southst.htm] In 1978, the BRA sold what was left of the station, now on the National Register of Historic Places, to the MBTA, though the BRA retained air rights over the station. Funding was obtained for a major renovation of the station that was completed in 1989. A total of 13 tracks became available, all with high level platforms and some capable of handling 12 car trains. Piers were installed for the eventual construction of an office building and bus station above the tracks. After some delays, an inter-city bus terminal opened in October 1995, replacing one on top of the I-93 Dewey Square Tunnel diagonally across from the station between Summer Street and Congress Street. The new bus terminal has been called “the best bus facility in the country” and has direct ramp connections to I-93 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. The renovations, including the bus terminal, cost $195 million (2001 dollars). The Red Line subway platforms were extended to allow 6 car trains in 1985 and renovated again in 2005, as part of the Silver Line Phase 2 project. Massachusetts Turnpike

Ridership

Ridership has grown considerably, in part due to the reopening of Old Colony commuter rail service and the electrification of the Amtrak Northeast Corridor from New Haven to Boston, which allowed high speed Acela service. South Station Ridership (passengers/year)

Future

Planned system improvements should result in additional passenger traffic. Construction is underway on a commuter rail line to Greenbush. Silver Line Phase 3 would build a tunnel connecting South Station with the Silver Line Phase I BRT service to Dudley Square, Roxbury. Current plans also include commuter rail service to Fall River and New Bedford Massachusetts, and to T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island. There are still plans to construct an office tower above the track platforms. A relocation of the adjacent Boston South Postal Annex might allow additional expansion.

Attractions


- Boston South Postal Annex, with a post office that is almost never closed (there is a passageway to it at the foot of Track 13).
- Boston's financial district including the Federal Reserve Bank Building.
- the Children's Museum.
- the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, about a 15 minute walk east, or one can take the Silver Line to the World Trade Center stop.
- Boston's Chinatown
- Rowes Wharf ferry terminal, several blocks north of the station.
- Tufts University medical campus and hospital

Accessibility


- South Station is wheelchair accessible, but finding the elevator to the subway can be a bit tricky - it's in the corridor behind the information booth.
- Other Amtrak stations on the Northeast Corridor are generally accessible.
- Some MBTA commuter rail stations have no wheelchair access and many of those that do have short elevated platforms that only serve one or two cars, on the outbound end of the train. See MBTA accessibility.

External links


- [http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Station/Station_Page&c=am2Station&cid=1080080550772&ssid=93 Amtrak - Boston South Station]
- [http://web.mit.edu/wilrf/www/work/southstation/South_Station_web.pdf French & Fowler, The Renovation of Boston’s South Station, 2003]
- [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=102188 Proposed South Station office tower]
- [http://www.south-station.net South Station web site], with event listings

References


- Various Sanborn maps Boston South Category:Red Line (MBTA) Category:Silver Line (MBTA) Category:MBTA Commuter Rail Category:New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Category:National Register of Historic Places Category:Union stations Category:Boston and Albany Railroad category:New York and New England Railroad Category:Old Colony Railroad Category:Bus stations

High speed train

trains began the development of modern high-speed railways (shown here: West Japan Railway Company 500 Series Shinkansen at Kyoto).]] Kyoto's high-speed network.]] Kyoto, seen here at Boston South Station, currently provides North America's only high-speed railway service. (www.trainweb.com photo)]] South Station to run at high speeds, but is not compatible with conventional tracks.]] :This page is about high-speed rail in general. For Britain's InterCity 125 or HST, see High Speed Train. High-speed rail is public transport by rail at a speeds over 200 km/h (125 mi/h). Typically, high–speed trains travel at top service speeds of between 250 km/h (155 mph) and 300 km/h (186 mph). The world speed record for a conventional wheeled train was set in 1990 by a French TGV (train à grande vitesse; literally "high speed train") that reached a speed of 515 km/h (320 mi/h), and an experimental Japanese magnetic levitation (maglev) train JR-Maglev MLX01 has reached 581 km/h (361 mph).

Definition

The International Union of Railways' high–speed task force provides definitions of high–speed rail travel [http://www.uic.asso.fr/d_gv/toutsavoir/definitions_en.html]. There is no single definition of the term, but rather a combination of elements—new or upgraded track, rolling stock, operating practices—that lead to high-speed rail operations. The speeds at which a train must travel to qualify as 'high–speed' vary from country to country, ranging from 160 km/h (100 mi/h) to over 300 km/h (186 mi/h). The countries that have either developed their own High-speed rail technology, or is in use of their own technology are: Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Korea.

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. In the decades after World War II, improvements in automobiles, highways, and aircraft made those means practical for a greater portion of the population than previously. In Europe and Japan, emphasis was given to rebuilding the railways after the war. In the United States, emphasis was given to building a huge national highway system and airports. Urban mass transport systems in the US were largely neglected. The US railways have been more uncompetitive partly because the government has tended to favour road and air transportation more than in Asian and European countries, and partly because the population density in the US is lower. Travel by rail becomes more competitive in areas of higher population density or when petrol is expensive because conventional trains are more fuel efficient than cars (though less fuel efficient than buses). Very few trains consume diesel or some other fossil fuels but the power stations that provide the Electric trains with power do consume fuel, usually Natural Gas. Others are powered by Coal or Hydroelectricity and in Japan and France a large proportion is powered by Nuclear fission. Even if the power stations were powered by Oil or Coal, Trains would still remain more fuel efficient per passenger per kilometer travelled than the typical automobile. Upgrading rail networks require enormous fixed investments and thus require high population densities to be competitive against airplanes and automobiles. The world's first "high–speed train" was Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen, officially launched in 1964. The "Series 0" Shinkansen, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, achieved speeds of 200 km/h (124 mi/h) on the Tokyo–Nagoya–Kyoto–Osaka route. High–speed rail was conceived as an attempt to win back railway passengers who had been lost to other means of travel; in most cases it has been quite successful to this end.

High-speed trains vs. automobiles or airplanes

There are constraints on the growth of the highway and air travel systems, widely cited as traffic congestion, or capacity limits. Airports have limited capacity to serve passengers during peak travel times, as do highways. High–speed rail, which has potentially very high capacity on its fixed corridors, offers the promise of relieving congestion on the other systems. Prior to World War II conventional passenger rail was the principal means of intercity transport. Passenger rail services have lost their primary role in transport since, due to the small proportion of journeys made by rail. High–speed rail has the advantage over automobiles in that it can move passengers at speeds far faster than those possible by car, while also avoiding congestion. For journeys that do not connect city centre to city centre, the door to door travel time and the total cost of high–speed rail can be comparable to that of driving, a fact often mentioned by critics of high–speed trains. However, supporters argue that journeys by train are less strenuous and more productive than car journeys. While high–speed trains generally do not travel as fast as jet aircraft, they have advantages over air travel for relatively short distances. 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 journey time comparable to HSR. Trains can be boarded more quickly in a central location, eliminating the speed advantage of air travel. Rail lines also permit far greater capacity and frequency of service than what is possible with aircraft.

Target areas for high-speed trains

The early target areas, identified by France, Japan, and the U.S., were connections between pairs of large cities. In France this was Paris–Lyon, in Japan Tokyo–Osaka, and in the U.S. the proposals are in high-density areas. Its only U.S. high–speed rail service at present is in the Northeast Corridor between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.; it uses tilting trains to achieve high speeds (though lower than those of their European and Asian counterparts) on existing tracks, since building new, straighter lines was not practical given the level of funding. The California High Speed Rail Authority is currently studying a San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego line. 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. The first French high–speed rail line (LGV) was opened in 1981 by SNCF, the French rail agency, planning starting in 1966 and construction in 1976. The opening ceremonies were significant events, being reported internationally, but not associated with a major showpiece such as a World's Fair or Olympic Games. Market segmentation has principally focused on the business travel market. The French focus on business travelers is reflected in the nature of their rail cars (including the all-important bar–car). Pleasure travel is a secondary market, though many of the French extensions connect with vacation beaches on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as major amusement parks. Friday evenings are the peak time for TGVs (Metzler, 1992). 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. A side effect of the first high–speed rail lines in France was the opening up of previously isolated regions to fast economic development. Some newer high–speed lines have been planned primarily for this purpose, such as the Madrid–Sevilla line and the proposed Amsterdam–Groningen line.

Countries currently with High-speed rail

In Europe

France

Groningen Groningen France has perhaps the most developed high-speed network in Europe. The TGV network started in 1981 with the opening of the line between Lyon and Paris. The TGV network gradually spread out to other cities, and into other countries such as Switzerland. Trains that cross national boundaries may need to have special characteristics, such as the ability to handle different power supplies and signalling systems. This means that not all TGVs are the same, and there are interoperability considerations. Later the TGV network was also extended with LGVs towards Bordeaux, Marseille, and Lille and faster trains were introduced. Rather than have separate lines from Paris, towns in Britanny are reached via a relatively short detour—it being argued that the trains run fast enough that the extra distance causes little real delay on the long distance travel between Paris and Bordeaux, and this routing allows additional service to Brittany. A new generation of TGV Automotrice à grande vitesse (AGV) with an operational speed of 350 km/h is currently under development.

Germany

Construction on first German high-speed lines began shortly after that of the French LGVs. Legal battles caused significant delays, so that the InterCity Express (ICE) trains were deployed ten years after the TGV network was established. The ICE network is more tightly integrated with pre-existing lines and trains as a result of the different settlement structure in Germany, which has almost twice the population density of France. ICE trains reached destinations in Austria and Switzerland soon after they entered service, taking advantage of the same voltage used in these countries. Starting in 2000, multisystem third-generation ICE trains entered the Netherlands and Belgium. Admission of ICE trains onto French LGVs was applied for in 2001, but trial runs have only just been completed in 2005. Germany is also developing Transrapid, a Magnetic levitation train system. A Transrapid test track with a total lenght of 31.5 km is operating in Emsland.

Spain

The Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) high–speed rail system in Spain is currently being constructed. High–speed trains have been running on the Madrid–Sevilla route since 1992. Should the aims of the ambitious AVE construction program be met, by 2010 Spain will have 7000 km (4350 mi) of high–speed trains linking all provincial cities to Madrid in under 4 hours and Barcelona within 6 hours. By 2007, the fastest commercial trains in operation will be moving passengers between Barcelona and Madrid at a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), traveling the 600 km (373 mi) between the two cities in only 2.5 hours. Three corporations have or will build trains for the Spanish high–speed rail network: Spanish Talgo, French Alstom and German Siemens AG.

Italy

The earliest high-speed train deployed in Europe was the italian "Direttissima" that connected Rome with Florence (254 km,158 mi) in 1978. The maximum speed of this line was 250 km/h (155 mi/h). The journey time between the two cities is just over 90 minutes and the trains average about 200 km/h (125 mi/h). The service is carried out by Eurostar Italia trains (not related to the Eurostar trains operating to the United Kingdom). Italy makes extensive use of tilting train technology, "Pendolino", based on research work undertaken in the 1970s by Fiat Ferroviaria. The Italian Treno Alta Velocità is building a new high speed network between Turin and Naples with a total length of 650km. The first route of this network will be opened in December 2005 and it will connect Naples with Rome (214km) in 1 hour.

Netherlands & Belgium

The Dutch HSL-Zuid line are being built to connect the Netherlands with Belgium and France. It will carry both the TGV-derived Thalys and domestic high-speed trains. High-speed Thalys trains already operate between Belgium, France and The Netherlands. Brussels in Belgium has three HSR lines connecting it with other cities, one going to Lille in France, one going to Koln in Germany, and one going to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Switzerland

Switzerland has had a tilting train since 28 May 2000, when along with the Fahrplanwechsel (change of train schedules) the ICN (InterCity Neigezug, or InterCity Tilting Train) came into being, first running from Geneva through Biel/Bienne, Grenchen South, Zürich, Winterthur through to St. Gallen. The ICN is now used on several routes. Speeds on the ICN can reach 200 km/h (125 mi/h). As Swiss rail tracks are full of curves, and as the ICN is a tilting train, it is the fastest Swiss train on Swiss tracks.

Turkey

Turkey has recently started building high-speed rail lines. The first line, between Istanbul (Turkey's largest city) and Ankara (capital of Turkey), is under construction and will open in 2007. The commercial high speed trains are expected to reach at a top speed of 250km/h, reducing the traveling time from 6-7 hours to 3 hours 10 minutes. Several other lines between major cities are also being planned.

Asia

Japan

Ankara.]] Japan might be considered the spiritual home of modern high-speed railways. In 1964, after the Tokaido Shinkansen was deployed, a second line—the Sanyo Shinkansen—was inaugurated. The recognition of the inter–relationship between land development and the high–speed rail network led, in 1970, to the enaction in Japan of a law for the construction of a nationwide Shinkansen railway network. By 1973, the Transport Minister approved construction plans for five additional lines and basic plans for twelve others. Despite the approval, financial considerations intervened; the cost of the five lines (five trillion yen, or fifty billion U.S. dollars at 100 yen to the dollar, a somewhat hopeful exchange rate), combined with the oil shock and recession of the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in some lines being cancelled and others delayed until 1982. Ironically, high oil prices, which should increase the relative demand for non–oil based transportation such as high–speed rail, delayed their construction. Some Japanese lines constucted during the 1990's are not "Full Shinkansen" with all of the characteristics of high–speed rail. Rather they are mixed, and thus composed of less expensive technology, combining narrow-gauge and standard-gauge lines on the same structures. New structures allow for eventual upgrade, but existing narrow gauge structures are kept in places, allowing the bullet train to use them, but not at the higher speeds. As with its inauguration, the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan were a target for the opening of a rail line extension: Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tokyo to Nagano) was opened under this scheme just in time. Within Japan, some of the most significant changes in the mode's growth phase has been the break–up and privatization of the rail system, begun in 1987. The hope is that restructuring leads to more efficient and profitable methods in the passenger rail sector. Incremental improvements to the high–speed rail technology are continuously being undertaken, and the network continues to be expanded. As an example of improvements, the travel time from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka (the first route opened) has decreased from 4 hours in 1964 to 2 hours 30 minutes. A Japanese consortium led by the Central Japan Railway Company are currently researching new high–speed rail systems based on magnetic levitation. Test trains JR-Maglev MLX01 on the Yamanashi Test Line have achieved speeds of over 580 km/h (360 mph) (crewed), easily making them the fastest trains in the world. These new maglev trains are intended to be deployed as a new Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen route, called the Chuo Shinkansen. A new generation of Shinkansen FASTECH 360 with a top speed of 405 km/h and a operational speed of 360 km/h is currently under development. Production trains are expected to enter service in 2011.

Korea

FASTECH 360 There is now a high–speed train line in Korea; KTX. apart from its conventional railway system that boasted a top-speed of 150km/h. The new high-speed rail became operational on April 2004. The maximum speeds of the KTX which derives its technology directly from France's Alstrom, is 300km/h. It has made a previous journey from Seoul to Daejon that took around 1:30- 2 hours by vehicle to a mere 47 minutes. Since its operation, there has been many complaints with regards to the French product, citing reasons of general discomfort, together with the ridiculous seatings that face the opposite direction. As of December 2005], the South Korean government has made a "negotiation priority" on a new South Korean high-speed technnology called the G-7. It runs faster than the French Alstrom, at speeds of 350km/h. The train is a product of near 10 years of research and development by the Korean [[Rotem]] and the National Rail Technology Institute. The train uses a digital-mode for its operation, and allows passengers to rotate their seats, regardless of whether they were given a forward facing or a rear facing seat. If the [[G-7 is selected for adoption on the currently KTX lines, Korea joins the ranks of Japan, Germany and France as the forth country to develop its own High-speed rail.

Countries currently without High-speed rail or currently planning High-speed rail

Europe

The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Eurostar trains, which run through the Channel Tunnel between the UK and both France and Belgium, are substantially different versions of the TGV trains, with support for multiple voltages, both pantograph and third–rail power collection, the ability to adapt to multiple platform heights, and to cope with no fewer than seven different signalling modes. Like the TGVs, Eurostar trains are articulated with bogies between the carriages, and typical operating units have 18 carriages. A fully loaded train of 794 passengers is roughly equivalent to seven Boeing 737s (the aircraft typically used by low-cost airlines). These trains operate at the highest scheduled speeds of any in the UK, using specially-built track between the Channel Tunnel and London. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link currently supports high speed trains between Dover to Fawkham Junction, and the extension to London St Pancras is due to open in 2007. The remainder of Britain's railway network is determinedly slower - nominal top speeds on some lines of 225kmh/140mph have yet to be run, and most inter-city traffic is restricted to a maximum speed of 200kmh/125mph using track largely built in the middle years of the nineteenth century. Much of this traffic is still handled by diesel-powered High Speed Trains which are around three decades old, however GNER trains on the East Coast Main Line between London and York still achieve an average point-to-point speed that puts them in the world top ten. An attempt was made in the 1970s and 1980s to introduce a high-speed train that could operate on Britain's winding infrastructure - British Rail developed the Advanced Passenger Train using active tilting technology. While this was, ultimately, technically successful, the project was closed-down following a series of high-profile failures. The technology was widely sold, and is used in today's Pendolino trains developed in Italy. However due to a large investment in the West Coast Mainline tilting Pendolinos have been introducted from 2004. These trains have a speed of about 125mph and are operated by Virgin Trains. These services run between London Euston and Glasgow with some services starting and finishing at Manchester Piccadilly and going both north and south. Considerable upgrades are still happening north of Manchester.

Asia

China

Shanghai Maglev Train, a Transrapid maglev capable of 267 mph (430 km/h), connect Shanghai to Pu Dong International Airport since March 2004. China is considering maglev as a possible technology option for building a planned high-speed rail network to connect major cities, although the cost may make this impractical. Talks with Germany on the possible construction of a second Transrapid maglev rail linking Shanghai to Hangzhou have started. The Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line would become the first inter-city Maglev rail line in commercial service in the world. The line will be an extension of the only other Maglev line in commercial service, the Shanghai airport Maglev line. The new line would have to be in service no later than 2010. A conventional high-speed line based on InterCity Express technology between Beijing and Tianjin is expected to open in 2007.

Taiwan

Taiwan is constructing its high speed railway to connect Taipei and Kaohsiung using Shinkansen technology. It is scheduled to begin revenue service in October 2006.

The Americas

Canada

Shinkansen Canada placed some early hopes in high–speed trains with the United Aircraft Turbo train, in the 1960s. Run by CN and later VIA Rail, the Talgo–inspired articulated tilt–train achieved speeds as high as 200 km/h (125 mph) in regular service, but for most of its service life (marred with lengthy interruptions to address conception problems), it ran at a more conventional 160 km/h (99 mph). A similar but shorter train was also experimented with in the United States. Beginning in the 1970s, a consortium of several companies started to study the Bombardier LRC, which was a more conventional approach to high–speed rail, in having separate cars rather than being an articulated train. Pulled by a conventional–technology diesel–electric locomotives designed for 200 km/h (125 mi/h) normal operating speed, it entered full–scale service in 1981 for VIA Rail, linking cities in the Québec–Windsor corridor, but at speeds never exceeding the 170 km/h (105 mph) limit mandated by line signalling. The troublesome Bombardier LRC locomotives were eventually all retired by 2000, and replaced by more conventional diesel–electric locomotives manufactured by General Motors and General Electric. The LRC is the oldest tilt–train that is still operational to this day. Recently, Bombardier and VIA have proposed high-speed services along the Québec–Windsor corridor using Bombardier's experimental JetTrain tilting trains, which are similar to Bombardier's Acela Express, but powered by a small jet engine rather than overhead electric wires. As yet, no government support for this plan has been forthcoming, and Bombardier appears to have stopped promoting the JetTrain. Bombardier has also recently promoted high-speed rail in the province of Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary. Although in the U.S. Amtrak has invested enormous amounts of money in electrifying the New Haven–Boston portion of the Northeast Corridor and outfitting itself with sleek Acela Express trains, it is VIA Rail that operates the fastest scheduled passenger train in North America: train 66, which runs the 520 km (323 miles) between Toronto and Dorval in 3 hours 44 minutes, an average speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).

United States

Dorval High-speed rail in the U.S is more a case of hope than reality. It is possible to trace the development of high–speed railways back to the streamliners that criss–crossed the U.S. in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s which