Monday, September 9, 2024 High-speed trains have demonstrated their benefits worldwide over the past five decades. They have not only drastically reduced travel times but have also driven economic growth, created jobs, and brought communities closer. Leading this revolution are countries like China, Japan, and several European nations.
However, the United States, one of the richest and most urbanized nations, continues to lag behind, without a comprehensive high-speed rail network. This delay in adopting high-speed rail solutions has left many wondering why the U.S.
, with a population exceeding 300 million, hasn’t embraced a system that has transformed transportation globally. The inception of high-speed trains dates back to Japan’s launch of the Shinkansen, or “Bullet Trains,” in 1964. However, it was the introduction of France’s TGV in the 1980s that truly ignited a global movement toward high-speed rail systems.
Since then, many countries have rapidly adopted high-speed rail to connect cities, cut travel times, and reduce dependence on more congested transportation methods like highways and airlines. China, for instance, has developed over 26,000 miles (42,000 kilometers) of high-speed rail since 2008 and is aiming to extend this network to 43,000 miles (70,000 kilometers) by 2035. In contrast, the U.
S. boasts only 375 route miles of track capable of supporting speeds above 100 mph. William C.
Vantuono, editor-in-chief of Railway Age , notes that many Americans d.