High-Speed Rail - why not in the USA?
My apologies if this blog is becoming a bit HSR-centric these days, but it is a topic that really interests me, so please bear with me …
In the current issue of Passenger Train Journal, there is an article titled “High-Speed Fever” (by Kevin McKinney) and there were two items in that article that were of interest - basically, the article asks the question why we don’t have (true, European/Japanese-style) High-Speed Rail in North America. The article mentions the following two common responses that that question may elicit:
#1: “We just don’t have the population density here - cars or planes are the way to get around”
The answer to that:
Some areas of the United States actually have a higher population density than some countries that do have HSR. E.g. France has 111 people per square kilometer - that is similar to the state of Ohio. Spain has an extensive HSR network and is building even more and its density is almost exactly the same as California’s (I had already made the point about the similarity of California and Spain in an earlier post) - both are at 81 people per square kilometer.
#2: “But they don’t have any cars over there. Americans just love their cars too much.”
Well, just look at the following numbers:
Cars Per 1,000 Population
1. New Zealand: 619
2. Luxembourg: 574
3. Canada: 564
4. Iceland: 557
5. Italy: 547
6. Germany: 546
7. Switzerland: 521
8. Malta: 518
9. Austria: 500
10. France: 492
11. Belgium: 473
12. United States: 468
(etc.)
(That list supposedly is quoted from The Economist.)
So Germany and France actually have more cars per 1,000 people than the United States. So much for that argument.
Posted in: Uncategorized | April 25, 2007 10:44 pm
8 Comments »
Mahesh, on April 27, 2007 @ 8:15 am
Railways are fun. Highspeed railways are scrary though. I like slow moving diesel locamotives pulling 100s of cars.
I am aspiring model railroader and still learning about trains.
Nick, on April 27, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Don’t hesitate to post stuff on High-Speed rail. California needs this!
James, on April 28, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
Unfortunately the missing link in the USA is political vision. American politicians don’t have the necessary long term thinking needed to build high speed rail. French politicans have no problems green lighting the massive infrastructure projects (and they are *massive*) required to build TGV lines across the country, and always play the national pride card in doing so.
Here on the ground in Strasbourg, France (where the new TGV Est arrives in just over a month’s time) you might be amused to actually find some people who are AGAINST the TGV coming. Why? Because when SNCF inaugurate a new TGV line, they cancel ALL slower trains that would run parallel to the TGV, meaning passengers have no choice but to switch to TGV, which the SNCF has confirmed and local press has reported will be up to 35% more expensive than existing ‘Corail’ trains.
*j*
Ran Barton, on May 9, 2007 @ 10:29 am
Another basic reason we don’t have HSR in the US is the simple fact that our cities and rail lines were never bombed flat like most of those in Europe and Japan. Ignoring the obvious horrors of WWII, those countries that were bombed flat were ‘freed’ from their legacy 19th century rights of way, and free to replace them with curve-free routes suited to HSR. Combine that with American assistance, a la the Marshall Plan to build the new systems and several decades of enlightened public policy, and it’s clear that they had a leg up on HSR that America is likely to ever see.
Bryce E, on July 6, 2007 @ 6:29 am
There are many reasons why we dont have what the rest of the world has, but I think the main one is our own unwillingness to leave the auto for an alternative. Though other countries may have more autos per capita we have more dependence on ours. Our government has no money, and, as anyone can see, not much for leadership. No one in politics has the duty to oversee development in the US. Instead developments are always halted by stifling zoning regulations and NIMBYs (Not in my Back Yard). If we are to enjoy the benefits of high speed rail (too many to name) it will have to be done by public-private cooperatives. Also, ideally we should vote to cut all subsidies to transportation, thus putting all modes of transit on a level field, where it is quite obvious that rail is the most economic for travel under 8 hours. Please reply to my blog with your comments. I prefer to listen rather than to talk!
Howard McB, on October 12, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
I am unaware of any suggestions of public ownership of track. I would suggest that the track and associated right-of-way should be under public ownership as are the streets and highways. Use of the track could be charged by lease agreement and/or weight charges. Track would be maintained at a level sutable for high speed traffic and with a safety level sutable for passenger service. Rolling stock would be privately owned and should have required inspection requirements to maintain safety set at the Federal level. This possable solution would work to improve both passenger service throughout the country and have a major inpact on fuel economy.
Brian, on December 11, 2007 @ 7:03 am
There are toll roads that are privately maintained, for a profit, you just don’t hear about it. Private ownership is the only thing that drives accountability. Private ownership would not be difficult either to devise. You have a committee establish a right of way that would then be auctioned off to the highest bidder like they do with the radio spectrum to cell companies. If no one thinks they can make a go of it financially, then no one bids, or they bid what it’s worth. There would obviously be clauses that say the right away must be developed in a certain period of time, etc. The cost is too high right now, but don’t worry, we will have high speed trains in the USA, and they will compete against jets for distances under 1000 miles (3 hours).
Sylvain, on January 24, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Good Evening everyone!
I’m live in Montreal,QC and from my opinion the United States and Canada will not escape to the high-speed rail technology.
Even if lots of American and Canadian peoples traveling with their own automobiles and planes
the high speed trains lines will be multiplicate sooner or later in North America.
Actually,the only high speed rail line in North America is the Northeast Corridor.
But there are a lots of proposed high speed rail lines across the USA. And three high speed rail lines in project in Canada. Among this Canada’s high speed rail projects is Quebec-Windsor Corridor,Edmonton-Calgary Corridor in the Province of Alberta and finally Hamilton,ON-Buffalo,NY Corridor.
The Quebec-Windsor corridor is back on rails and it will be the next Canada’s election campaign stake.
While this time the Edmonton-Calgary Corridor is finalized and plans and estimate is ready for the construction of this HS Railroad.
The lots for futures trains stations are bought and ready to built.
Good Bye and See you soon.
Bonsoir tout le monde!
J’habite à Montréal,QC et à mon avis les États-Unis et le Canada ne va pas échapper à la technologie ferroviaire à haute-vitesse.
Même si beaucoup de gens Américains et Canadiens voyageants avec leurs propres automobiles et en avion les lignes ferroviaires à hautes-vitesses vont se multiplier tôt ou tard en Amérique du Nord.
Actuellement,la seule ligne ferroviaire à haute-vitesse en Amérique du Nord est le Corridor du Nord-Est.
Mais il y a beaucoup de lignes ferroviaires à haute-vitesses en projet à travers les États-Unis. Et il y a trois lignes ferroviaires à hautes-vitesses en projet au Canada. Parmi ces projets à hautes-vitesses du Canada sont le Corridor Québec-Windsor,le Corridor Edmonton-Calgary dans la province de l’Alberta et finalement le Corridor Hamilton,ON-Buffalo,NY.
Le corridor Québec-Windsor est de retour sur les rails et va être le prochain enjeu de la
prochaine campagne électorale du Canada.
Pendant ce temps le corridor Edmonton-Calgary est finalisé et les plans et devis sont près pour la construction de ce chemin de fer à haute-vitesse.
Les terrains des futures gares sont achêtés et près à construires.
Au Revoir et à bientôt.
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