- U.S. rail tracks are typically too old to handle the speed of new train technology.
- The limits of the rails can reduce the effectiveness of the train speeds, sometimes by more than 100 mph.
- The issues with the rail run from overly sharp curves to old bridges.
It turns out spending millions—or in some cases, billions—of dollars on upgrading our trains to attain bullet train status in the United States isn’t all we need to do. Our rail system needs an overhaul, too.
It isn’t just that the actual rail gauge is too old (although, that’s not helpful), but a report from E&E News says that the rail in the U.S. will force slower bullet trains thanks to route design, aging infrastructure, and train crowding.
Bullet trains run commonplace around the world—just not in the U.S. They took off in Japan in 1964 and started a takeover in Europe thanks to a push in France in the 1980s, according to CNN. China has 26,000 miles of high-speed rail, but in the U.S., there’s only a measly 375 miles of track that can handle more than 100 miles per hour, which isn’t even close to the 200-plus mph standard of most bullet train lines.
The $102 billion in the 2021-signed infrastructure bill known as the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act meant to bolster our railroads included improved efficiency from the Northeast Corridor to California. In most cases, that doesn’t help with speeds. It will take building entirely new track to give us high-speed status. We can’t just put quick cars on old rail lines.
“A U.S. high-speed rail network is a pipe dream,” Scott Sherin, vice president of Alstom USA, the French-owned rail manufacturer Alstom, tells CNN.
Blame age.
In places such as the 450-mile Northeast Corridor route, the tracks can’t handle any new trains designed for over 200 mph, instead often forced into the 100-mph range. That’s thanks to the track’s design, with curves too sharp for the speed; tunnel and bridge infrastructure too old to take the forces of the speed; and congestion with freight traffic that makes high-speed trains dangerous.
“Until we are serious about high-speed rail in the same way that we were serious about the interstate highways, we’re highly unlikely to see a national high-speed rail system,” Louis Thompson, former director of the Federal Railroad Administration and member of the California High-Speed Rial Peer Review Group, tells E&E News.
The problems abound with age in the Northeast and land issues most everywhere. Whether 150-year-old tunnels forcing slowdowns to as little as 30 mph or sharp curves requiring reduced speed, the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor would need new rail alignment and infrastructure to make an investment of high-speed trains worth it. E&E News reports that only 32 miles of Northeast Corridor track can handle speeds of even 160 mph.
Amtrak has plan to add 100 miles of track capable of hosting bullet trains by 2035. So, even with the addition of 28 high-speed trains purchased in 2016 with $2.45 billion, it won’t be until 2035 that even 30 percent of the route offers up speeds worth talking about.
Just modernizing the Northeast Corridor track to handle current needs—not even the high-speed effort—is an estimated $117 billion. “Most of the money [from the act] goes in fixing stuff,” Thompson tells E&E News, “which is really not high-speed related.”
Then comes the roadblocks when dealing with building new track, as seen prominently in California. The California High Speed Rail (CHSR) project, designed to run 171 miles from Merced to Bakersfield while connecting to existing rail, could offer up a total of 350 miles of rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
But the $100-plus billion project to build the 171-mile CHSR has been planned since 1996 and hit all sorts of route squabbles, land acquisition hurdles, and management delays. Getting it done, CNN reports, would equate to 4,200 miles of new highway lanes, 91 additional airport gates, and two new airport runways.
With all the issues, money is always the biggest. Even the California project isn’t fully funded. The United States can’t keep its existing rail line serviceable, so there’s no telling how it will pay for upgrades needed to invite high-speed rail on old rail that can’t handle increased speeds.
Tim Newcomb
Tim Newcomb is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. He covers stadiums, sneakers, gear, infrastructure, and more for a variety of publications, including Popular Mechanics. His favorite interviews have included sit-downs with Roger Federer in Switzerland, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and Tinker Hatfield in Portland.
FAQs
Winding tracks mean that trains on the Northeast Corridor travel at an average speed between 70 and 80 miles per hour. To enable true high speed, the U.S. would need to build specially designed tracks that are straighter, a project that would take at least 10 years and possibly up to 30, Gardner says.
What are the negative effects of bullet trains? ›
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.
Do bullet trains touch the rail? ›
There's no rail friction to speak of, meaning these trains can hit speeds of hundreds of miles per hour. Yet high speed is just one major benefit of maglev trains. Because the trains rarely (if ever) touch the track, there's far less noise and vibration than typical, earth-shaking trains.
Are there any high speed rails in the US? ›
Brightline, the company that is about to construct the L.A.-to-Las-Vegas Brightline West line, also operates a Miami-Orlando rail line that averages 111 km/h. The other is Amtrak's Acela line between Boston and Washington, D.C.—and that line only qualifies as high-speed rail for just 80 km of its 735-km route.
How long would a bullet train take from New York to California? ›
If the train were truly non- stop: It's about 2800 miles from New York City to Los Angeles. If the train could go 300 miles per hour non-stop the entire distance, it would take about 9.5 hours to cover that distance.
Do we really need a bullet train? ›
Reduced Road Congestion: The introduction of bullet trains can alleviate road traffic, leading to lower levels of air and noise pollution. Economic Boost: The bullet train project can stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, promoting tourism, and enhancing business opportunities.
Why is Bullet Train rated badly? ›
As for the content, it's not for young teens and DEFINITELY NOT for kids. Violence is the worst offender of the lot; there's a high body count. Gallons of blood are on display with some throat slicing, graphic stabbings, fatal gunshots, and head explosions.
Can a bullet train derailed? ›
Yes, A bullet train has derailed in Japan due to an earthquake of magnitude of 6.8 occurred on 23/10/2004. HSR was running at a speed of 204Kmph. Some rare accidents have been reported in the past . They were due to some obstructions on the rail route.
Can a bullet train go faster than a bullet? ›
No. The fastest train in the world can travel about 267 MPH. At 1000 feet per second, which is common for a bullet, a bullet is travelling close to 700 MPH.
Do bullet trains have toilets? ›
All shinkansen are equipped with multiple toilets, which are sometimes separated by gender. The toilets are Western-style except on some older train sets. Newer train sets are also equipped with spacious toilets for wheelchair users. Outside the toilets are wash corners with sinks and large mirrors.
To guard against derailments, JR East has installed L-shaped metal parts on its train cars as a countermeasure. The parts are designed to hook the cars on the rails, thus preventing them from colliding with side walls.
Can you walk in a bullet train? ›
There's more than enough legroom, and reclining the seat won't bother the person behind you. You can stand up and walk around to stretch your legs, or just to get a better view out one of the windows. The Tokyo-Kyoto Route hugs the sea, and the other side of the train gets a spectacular view of Mount Fuji.
Does China have bullet trains? ›
The first line opened right before the Beijing Summer Olympics. China's bullet trains typically run at either 186 or 217 miles per hour, depending on the route.
Does Russia have bullet trains? ›
The Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway is Russia's highest speed railway, operating adopted Siemens Velaro trains named Sapsan with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The service commenced on December 26, 2009.
Why don't the USA have bullet trains? ›
Our rail infrastructure combines freight and passenger in many parts of the country, and that can be a real hurdle because freight is always prioritized. If the trains are going fast, then there is the potential issue of bottlenecks and traffic that the system cannot handle.
Why doesn't the US use electric trains? ›
The Association of American Railroads opposes electrification due to its high capital costs. The Environmental Protection Agency states that the entire United States railroad network only contributes to .
Why doesn t Canada have bullet trains? ›
Canadian cities tend to be less densely populated than many of their counterparts in the United States and Europe, so there likely wouldn't be enough customers to make high-speed rail a profitable investment.
Is there a train faster than the bullet? ›
The maglev train service began operating in 2004 with trains reaching a top speed of 431 km/h (268 mph), and remains the fastest high-speed service in the world.
Which country's bullet train is fastest? ›
With a record test speed of 483km/h, the highest speed ever recorded by a conventional unmodified high-speed train, there are 85 trainsets currently in operation in China, split across the Shanghai Railway and Chengdu Railway. The Shanghai Maglev train is the fastest passenger train in operation in the world – for now.
