Ride on a High Speed Train

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Many folks prefer train travel to the ever more inconvenient exercise of flying and the legions of those High Speed Rail fans are ever-growing. Unlike airplanes that confine you to a seat suited only for a child, trains provide a spacious seat and the freedom to get up and walk around. When you compare flight times to a train’s travel time, usually the actual time spent moving is shorter with the plane ride, however, when your travel to the airport is combined with the recommended 2-3 hour early arrival, security lines, flight delays, cancellations and time spent sitting on the tarmac before and after a flight, many folks begin to see train travel as more than an 2nd option. Layer in the efficiency of High Speed rail and it’s almost a no-brainer. High Speed trains travel at speeds that are faster than any other land vehicle. The Japanese led the way with High Speed train travel in the 1960’s when they deployed “bullet trains” to move passengers between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, a distance of slightly more than 315 miles (520 kilometers) at 130 mph (210km/h). The opening was timed to coincide with Tokyo’s hosting of the Olympic Games in 1964. By the end of 2012 the system had carried more than 5.3 Billion passengers. The Japanese are experimenting with a MagLev system that will cut the travel time from Tokyo to Osaka in half again with speeds as high as a breathtaking 360 mph. Russia boasts a High Speed rail line that debuted in 2009 running between Moscow and St. Petersburg at a top speed of 175 mph. Travel time between the 2 cities has been cut in half as a result. Russia is looking forward to expanding the system before hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2018. Travel in Western Europe was unalterably changed when the Eurostar High Speed train debuted in 1994 whisking riders between London and Paris via the “Chunnel”, an underground tunnel dug beneath the English Channel. Passengers are treated to rides at speeds as high as 186 mph, although the trains have run as fast as 208 mph. The system now links upwards of 100 destinations in Europe and has carried more than 100 million passengers. France led the way in Europe, though, with the first fully functioning High Speed rail network. Service between Paris and Lyon kicked off in 1981 and now serves more than 150 locations throughout the country. French trains have been tested at speeds over 350 mph but routinely operate around 200 mph. Italy was a pioneer of High Speed rail having developed the first such line in Europe; the 86 mile route between Rome and Città della Pieve commenced carrying passengers in 1977. Italy’s fastest trains now approach speeds of 225 mph and connect cities as far-ranging as Torino in the north and Napoli in the south. The longest High Speed rail system in Europe belongs to Spain. 3,400 miles of track supports trains that travel as fast as 250 mph across 6 different lines. Germany is on the cutting edge of rail technology as the home of the Siemens Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of High Speed trains. Germans developed the Transrapid system which operates a MagLev monorail that runs as fast as 310 mph. However, these trains have not seen commercial use in Germany but have been deployed in Shanghai, China. The aforementioned German manufactured MagLev trains are found on the Shanghai Transrapid, the first commercial MagLev line in the world. China has, by far, the most intricate and expansive High Speed rail system in the world. Operating only since 2007, over 6,000 miles of High Speed track is in use with the world’s longest route, Beijing to Shanghai covering over 819 miles at the system's core. China’s goal is to have at least 28,000 miles of High Speed rail lines in operation by the end of 2015. China’s fastest trains have been tested at speeds in excess of 300 mph. Taiwan boasts one of the largest privately funded High Speed rail systems in the world with more than 30 operating trains. Travel time between the capital city, Tapei and Kaohsiung has been cut from more than 4 hours to about 90 minutes. More than 100,000 passengers use the South Korean High Speed rail system every day. The popularity of High Speed rail travel in South Korea has been at the expense of the domestic airline industry which has seen its capacity shrink since the initiation of the rapid train system in the country. As air travel becomes more challenging travelers all over the world are looking for alternatives. High Speed rail lines are springing up across the globe in ever more convenient locations. Consider how your trip of a lifetime could be made more enjoyable by including travel on a High Speed train in your itinerary.

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