High Speed Rail Development Worldwide

The document examines the global landscape of high-speed rail (HSR), highlighting the leadership of China, Japan, and Europe in deployment. It contrasts this with the United States, where HSR is largely absent due to factors like low population density, car culture, and property rights. The text argues that HSR offers significant energy and environmental advantages over air and car travel, while noting that China's rapid expansion is driven by government funding and strategic goals for economic integration and energy independence.

• The United States lacks a fully high-speed train line, with only California currently building such a system, which is not expected to be completed until 2029.
• Several systemic and cultural factors hinder HSR development in the U.S., including lower population density, strong property rights, a dominant car culture, and the priority given to freight trains on long-distance railways.
• High-speed rail is significantly more energy efficient than other transport modes, being more than four times as efficient as cars and nearly nine times more efficient than flying.
• The California High-Speed Rail Authority estimates that by 2040, its system will reduce daily vehicle miles of travel by 10 million miles and reduce daily flights by 93 to 171 starting in 2030.
• Japan operates the world's busiest HSR service, the Shinkansen, which carries over 420,000 passengers on a typical weekday and has reported no passenger fatalities or injuries due to accidents in over 50 years.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2018). High Speed Rail Development Worldwide. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_High_Speed_Rail_Worldwide.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. High Speed Rail Development Worldwide. 2018. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_High_Speed_Rail_Worldwide.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=High Speed Rail Development Worldwide |date=June 2018 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_High_Speed_Rail_Worldwide.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2018high, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{High Speed Rail Development Worldwide}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_High_Speed_Rail_Worldwide.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }