HIGH-SPEED RAIL: ANOTHER GOLDEN AGE?

Neglected in North America but nurtured in Europe and Japan, high-speed rail systems are a critical complement to jets and cars. In many advanced countries, trains will be playing a very important role. In these regions, rail services have been dramatically enhanced through an evolution of systems and technologies in societies that have never relied on the automobile in quite the same way most in North America have. In many parts of Europe and Asia, trains, rather than airplanes, are now the preferred means of travel on routes of about 200 to 600 kilometers. In North America, the implementation of high-speed rail has been frustratingly slow. Interurban and commuter rail services now account for less than 2 percent of passenger miles per year. Sustaining mobility and economic development will demand a more balanced combination of rail, air and road travel.

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  • Corporate Authors:

    Scientific American Incorporated

    415 Madison Avenue
    New York, NY  United States  10017
  • Authors:
    • Eastham, T R
  • Publication Date: 1995-9

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: p. 100-101
  • Serial:
    • Scientific American
    • Volume: 273
    • Issue Number: 3
    • Publisher: Scientific American Incorporated
    • ISSN: 0036-8733

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00711482
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Sep 26 1995 12:00AM