Does the US have a bullet train?

The U.S. does not have high-speed rail under definitions set by the International Union of Railways, a professional association representing the rail industry. The group defines high-speed rail as trains that travel faster than 155 mph on special tracks.



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Tracks: None of the nation's rail lines are built for trains to run 200 mph. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor — the busiest intercity U.S. passenger route by a wide margin — is filled with sharp curves, bottlenecks, decaying tunnels, bridges and overhead power lines that slow down trains.

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Amtrak's Acela, which reaches 150 mph (240 km/h) over 49.9 mi (80.3 km) of track and Brightline, which runs at 125 mph (201 km/h) in a dedicated ROW between Orlando and Cocoa, are the US's only high-speed rail services.

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High-speed rail in the United Kingdom is provided on five upgraded railway lines running at top speeds of 125 mph (200 km/h) and one purpose-built high-speed line reaching 186 mph (300 km/h).

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In fact, the only high speed network with a top speed similar to HS2's is in China, where trains can reach 350km per hour – still less than HS2's 360.

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Ghost trains – also known as parliamentary trains – date back to the 1960s and are services that run over a line – or stop at a station – so infrequently that they often go unnoticed.

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Japan: L0 Series Maglev (374 mph) Although not yet in regular service, this Japanese train, which is currently being developed and tested by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), holds the land speed record for rail vehicles, clocking in at 374 mph.

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The new Acela will operate at top speeds of 160 mph vs. today's fleet, which operates at top speeds of 150 mph. Amtrak's new Acela fleet is scheduled to enter service on the NEC in 2024.

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How fast are high-speed trains in Europe? High-speed trains in Europe can reach speeds of up to 198 mph (320 km/h). Some of the fastest trains in Europe travelling at these speeds include AVE, TGV and Frecciarossa 1000.

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But to take the wider spirit of the question, there are a few reasons why high-speed train lines aren't used here: Short distances. About 80% of the population lives in a very small area between Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and London. Spending a lot of money to go not very far more quickly is questionable.

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American railways were also built on a wider gauge (the distance between the rails), which allows for larger and heavier trains. As a result, American freight railways are much more efficient than their European counterparts, carrying almost three times as much cargo per mile of track.

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The Eurostar travels through the Channel Tunnel at a speed of 100 miles per hour (160kph) although when the train is outside the tunnel it reaches speed of 186 miles per hour (300 kph).

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Japan: L0 Series Maglev (374 mph) Although not yet in regular service, this Japanese train, which is currently being developed and tested by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), holds the land speed record for rail vehicles, clocking in at 374 mph.

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They can reach a top speed of 300 kilometres per hour (that's 186 miles per hour) on high-speed lines in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. Going through the Channel Tunnel's a little slower - 160 kilometres per hour (or 100 miles per hour) to be precise. But that's still pretty quick.

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Journeys between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston will take just one hour and 11 minutes on HS2, 54 minutes quicker than today's fastest time by rail.

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UK Ultraspeed was a proposed high-speed magnetic-levitation train line between London and Glasgow, linking 16 stations including Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle and six airports. It was rejected in 2007 by the UK government, in favour of conventional high-speed rail.

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