Why are high speed rails not efficient?

HSR is surprisingly fast and can provide high capacity with low operating costs, yet its high infrastructure costs and frequent budget overruns outweigh its advantages. Air travel remains more time-efficient for many US trips and requires far less infrastructure.



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Most passenger trains, however, make many intermediate stops, and the trains must be sized to meet the maximum demand along the route. As a result, many trains tend to be relatively empty for much of their journeys, greatly reducing their energy efficiency.

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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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Building high-speed rail systems require steel and concrete, the manufacturing of which typically generates greenhouse gases. Trucks, bulldozers, and other construction site equipment also consume energy. Thus, during their long construction phases, high-speed rail projects add greenhouse gases.

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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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HSR is electrically powered and can run 100% on clean, safe renewable energy. One high speed train powered by the wind can carry more passengers than 9 oil-burning, carbon-spewing airplanes!

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High Speed Rail is the world's safest form of transportation proven by decades of operations all around the world. Japan was the first nation to build high speed rail in 1964, and has since transported 10 billion passengers without a single injury or fatality!

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High Speed Rail Association. The International Union of Railways showed that even commuter trains are far more efficient than buses, cars, and planes, and they produce far less carbon dioxide pollution than cars and planes. A 2021 study showed China's stunning rails reduced vehicle-produced air pollution.

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This paper highlights that HSR can help achieve accessibility of rural area and poverty alleviation simultaneously. An understanding of the effect is critical for policymakers to promote intra-regional development, balancing efficiency and regional equality.

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While the US was a passenger train pioneer in the 19th century, after WWII, railways began to decline. The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail.

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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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Eurostar estimates that a one-way train trip emits around 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of CO2 per passenger, making it a much more sustainable choice compared to flying.

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High-?speed trains, in particular, were rendered obsolete in 1958, when Boeing introduced the 707 jetliner, which was twice as fast as the fastest trains today. Slower than flying, less convenient than driving, and more expensive than either one. Aside from speed, what makes high-?speed rail obsolete is its high cost.

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It is shown that, on average, high-speed railway systems usually consume 29% less energy than conventional railway systems.

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With one possible exception, no high-speed rail system in this country could pay for itself, and the claimed external benefits - cleaner air, energy saved, eased pressure on airports - are nonexistent.

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The results of a national survey that show that nearly two-thirds of Americans are interested in traveling by high-speed rail and the figure soars to 74 percent among those in the 18-24 age brackets.

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In 2022, there were more than 1,000 train derailments in the U.S. There were at least 1,164 train derailments across the country last year, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration. That means the country is averaging roughly three derailments per day.

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oil-free transport HSR is electrically powered and can run 100% on clean, safe renewable energy.

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46.0 g CO2 / pkm The analysis concludes that the carbon footprint of high speed rail including operation, track construction and rolling stock construction is about 14 to 16 times less than transport by private car or airplane.

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Empirical results suggest that the newly launched HSR services have induced industrial gentrification in the developed station area. Except for the displacement of agricultural production activities, HSR-induced industrial gentrification has not yet been manifested in the newly developed station area.

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Per mile, the New York project cost $2.6 billion, which is high even by U.S. standards. For example, the Purple Line in Los Angeles cost $800 million per mile.

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