How much would it cost to build a national high-speed rail system?

That works out to $200 million a mile for hilly areas. At these costs, Obama's original high-?speed rail plan would require well over $1 trillion, while the USHSR's plan would need well over $3 trillion. Building a system longer than China's would cost at least $4 trillion.



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China's high speed rail with a maximum speed of 350 km/h has a typical infrastructure unit cost of about US$ 17-21m per km, with a high ratio of viaducts and tunnels, as compared with US$25-39 m per km in Europe and as high as US$ 56m per km currently estimated in California.

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Spain has relied on liberalization to make an underused network profitable and to facilitate the amortization of its infrastructure. The overall result is positive, especially for users, said Carlos Lerida, a professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and a specialist in rail transport.

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From a financial standpoint, only two HSR lines in the world are profitable: Paris-Lyon in France and Tokyo-Osaka in Japan. A third line, Hakata-Osaka in Japan, breaks even. The majority of high-speed rail lines require large government subsidies from both general taxpayers and drivers.

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The design of high speed railroads is more difficult due to grades and curvature. High speed rail requires gentler grades and very slight curvature. This results in more and longer fills, more and longer cuts, more and longer tunnels, and m.

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A lot cheaper. That high-speed train ticket would cost about $75, compared to more than $200 to fly or drive. Ready to ride?

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For China's ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping, high-speed rail is also a powerful tool for social cohesion, political influence and the integration of disparate regions with distinct cultures into the mainstream.

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Eighty percent of the 286 kilometers (177 mile) Maglev bullet train track will be located underground, passing under urban sprawl and mountainous terrain. The project is expected to cost the equivalent of 55 billion dollars.

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With the right commercial strategy, high-speed rail (HSR) routes can be profitable, with some lines achieving modal shares of up to 65%.

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High speed rail would much more efficient and economic for these trips, yielding substantial cost, fuel, and time savings. High speed rail is particularly cost-effective under scenarios where oil prices remain at or above current levels.

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Studies have found that high-?speed trains can generate new economic development near the stations where the trains stop. However, the same studies show that economic development slows in communities not served by such trains.

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Implementing high-speed rail will keep billions of dollars in the U.S. economy by decreasing the amount of oil that the U.S. consumes. According to the International Association of Railways (UIC), high-speed rail is eight times more energy efficient than airplanes and four times more efficient than automobile use.

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CLIMATEWIRE | The first U.S.-made high-speed bullet trains will start running as early as 2024 between Boston, New York and Washington, with the promise of cutting transportation emissions by attracting new rail passengers who now drive or fly.

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There are limits to running trains with tradition wheels and railway track. Wind resistance, infrastructure wear and traction motors all add to the difficulties in running ever faster trains. Power consumption increases disproportionately as speed rises. Most European high speed trains have a top speed of 300 km/h.

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High-speed train revolution China has built around 26,000 miles (42,000 kilometers) of dedicated high-speed railways since 2008 and plans to top 43,000 miles (70,000 kilometers) by 2035. Meanwhile, the United States has just 375 route-miles of track cleared for operation at more than 100 mph.

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High-speed rail is generally regarded as the pinnacle of attractive and green transportation. But all too often, it makes train travel more expensive and less flexible. In the end, costly high-speed lines may just push more people into cars.

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Most passenger trains are managed by Renfe, Spain's state-owned company whose acronym stands for Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles.

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Funding for California high-speed rail has come from the legislative appropriation of state special funds and from federal competitive grants. No funding comes from traditional state sources, such as the gas taxes or general fund dollars.

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