| High-Speed Rail Coming to America |
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| Written by Kate Trainor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday, 22 February 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The popularity of high-speed passenger rails is picking up in cities throughout the world. Latin America, Europe, and China have big plans to construct or expand such rail systems in the near future. Argentina has shocked the world by deciding to build the first high-speed railway in the Americas. Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) in Italy looks set to be the world’s first open-access high-speed rail operator. China has unveiled its first 300km/h train and started to award contracts for its huge Beijing-Shanghai high-speed project.
In Argentina, newly elected President Christina Kirchner, wife of former President Nestor Kirchner, is rallying behind high-speed rail systems as an alternative, efficient mode of transport, and, unlike most politicians, she’s putting her money where her mouth is. Kirchner signed a $1.35 billion contract with a consortium led by Alstom, a French company, to construct a 440 mile (710 km) high-speed rail system that would connect the country's major cities. According to TreeHugger, the train will eventually cut travel time between Buenos Aires and Cordoba from fourteen hours to three hours. In Asia, China has been putting a tremendous and increasing effort into developing its long-distance passenger services. A series of so-called speed-ups have cut journey times substantially. Construction of a huge high-speed network is underway, and as I write this work is about to start on the massive Beijing-Shanghai project.
Comments (24)
brian goldner
said:
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don't despair!! High speed rail may still reach the US!! This November 2008, Californians will vote on whether or not to approve a HSR connection between LA and SF...spread the word! |
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what does "a French…company LINK " mean ?? |
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Europe, Japan and China to some extent are geographically much smaller than the Americas. The cost of laying down enough track for a single line across Canada or the US likely outweighs the cost of the entire rail networks of several European countries. It's easy for Europe to introduce mass transit, when space is a premium and distance isn't an issue. North Americans will continue to rely on cars (Green ones, hopefully), since it will be prohibitively expensive to build a rail network that can get us almost anywhere we want to go (i.e. many destinations). I'm all for the rail - travelling to Europe, one can just buy an unlimited rail pass that will let you easily go between countries. I just don't think the money will be spent. |
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That's why a state should have a certain sovereignty similar to that of an EU nation.I believe that is the original intent of the Founding Fathers. E.g., France = California Although I could foresee that the EU is going to be a lot like the US in term of federalism in say two centuries or less. |
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China is the same size as the U.S., yet has inexpensive and efficient trains that travel from one side of the country to the other. Most notably the controversial Beijing - Tibet train. |
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Taken as a whole, yes, the difference in scale between the US and Europe is quite large. When broken down and compared by corridor though comparisons could be made. Take the North East Corridor, home of 55 million Americans, which contains the Political, Historic, Financial, and Educational capitals of the United States. Here it makes sense to interconnect these important population centers with the latest most efficient rail systems. Each center should support its own hub extending outward and linking to the main corridor. Compare this to TGV linking London and Paris. In this comparison it seems quite viable. The same ability to move people in the exchange of trade and ideas could presumably benefit Mid-Western cities as they struggle to transform their role in an era of post-industrial decline. The opportunity to for a cleaner travel on the smog choked California coast would also offer crucial environmental relief there. More and more is being written lately about the need for the North America to catch up to the rest of the world in terms of clean, efficient rail travel. As awareness and momentum is built, it becomes more and more a reality. Dugg. |
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The photo is from the Taiwan High Speed Rail. I'm currently traveling around the island and I use it all the time instead of flying between major cities. I'm from California where I wish we have something like this. It's wildly successful here in Taiwan, although apparently to the detriment of the domestic airline industry-- an excellent sign/trend for the environment. It totally makes sense. |
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Glad to see America is following the trend of mass transit...ohh wait...we aren't. Kudos to South America. |
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To Kev, China and the US are not the same size. Like most Americans you have not been or even looked outside your small world. To Kate, Japan is leading the way in Asia, not China. Japan has has the 'Bullet Train' for many years now. |
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stop whining guys. you're all liberal whinos. |
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Dean, China = 9,326,410 SQ KM US = 9,161,923 SQ KM And most of the billion is in the eastern half. ps. I'm an American whose been to most of China (by rail of course) |
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Europe and Japan's high speed transit systems show how high speed rail links are the way forward for providing clean and fast travel amongst tight conurbations, I cant see why highly populated areas of the states cant implement such a system. It doesnt have to be a country -wide thing, why not have an east coast line and a west coast line? |
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America doesn't need high speed rail, it needs large scale steam trains. Steam trains can move freight and people cost effectively, using cheap and plentiful coal resources. |
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It is not "Sao Paolo". It is "São Paulo". |
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Hi, i'm from Argentina, and can assure you this train its kind of joke. The president has been announcing stuff like this from years, but the projects never gets executed. Previous presidents even announced an airplane that will travel from Argentina to China in 1 hour, through the stratosphere. Yeah, it's true. Actually this is a smoke curtain to keep people talking about unimportant things, and to stole some money... |
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First High Speed Rail system will be opened in 2008. First high speed line will be operated between capital Ankara and Eskisehir. This line will be expanded to Istanbul in near future. Also Ankara-Konya High Speed Rail is under construction too. Also Edirne which is a border city with Greece and Bulgaria, will be connected to Istanbul. Construction of this line is in early stage. |
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The corporations that make money from oil-based fuels have to much influence and control to allow efficient high-speed rail to succeed in the US. |
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Its somewhat ironic that Treehugger or anyone else for that matter believes that high speed rail is inherently green. It is only as green as the energy used to power it, and going 300km/h on land requires a lot of power. A survey done by the Economist a few years back found that a modern passenger (saloon) car with 4 passengers (1 driver 3 riders) is more energy efficient per passenger over long distances than trains. A highly utilized bus or airplane is more energy efficient and therefore clean as well. Until a TGV or Bullet train is powered by all nuke, geothermal or what not, they will continue to appear green by polluting elsewhere  . That being said, they are convenient and personally I prefer riding a fast train for a few hours as opposed to dealing with airports or traffic. |
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a-rod is right, the fact that the train will traval hundreds of miles its gonna cost alot and take alot to keep it going |
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We already have the Acela high speed rail (well, sort of)in the Northeast corridor. The State of Connecticut has already purchased a bunch of used cars from Virginia. They have been refurbished and activated. Every seat they put out there is filled. There is another couple dozen new cars on order. The time is right. |
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We'll probably build one in Iraq soon. |
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Actually it takes 10 hours to go from cordoba to BA by bus, not 14. |
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Posted this link in www.surfurls.com |
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our country is so poor that, it even does not have good road transport than how can it go for such fastest rail. will you help.if yes, then please send me your reply |
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