Europe’s High-Speed Rail Network: Maturation and Opportunities

Passenger railway service is almost two centuries old and commercial high speed rail service has been operating over 40-years, is high speed rail a mature technology or are there possibilities for innovative new technology and operating practices to create a new type of transport, competitive in today’s globalized world? This research argues that high speed rail is at a major crossroads. It faces two different development paths: sustaining innovation, i.e. continued refinement of the current system (minor technology improvements and traditional operations), or disruptive innovation, i.e. moving to a totally new development path (creating and implementing new services designed to better meet society’s changing needs). Another way of viewing this choice is asking the question, is high speed rail simply a faster form of traditional passenger rail service or is it (could it be) something different? The paper summarizes recent developments that are leading to the creation of a true European HSR network. Next, it describes innovation theory in general and in the railway context. Then it describes current ideas that could be building blocks for creating a new transport network. Finally, it presents conclusions including ideas for how HSR might be implemented in the United States, and recommendations for further research.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Nash, Andrew
  • Weidmann, Ulrich Alois
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2008-1-13 to 2008-1-17
• Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 87th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: High speed ground transportation; High speed rail; Passenger transportation; Railroad transportation; Sustainable development; Technological innovations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maturity methods
• Geographic Terms: Europe
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01095578
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 08-0883
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 28 2008 9:33AM