Welcome to Honda Racing Corporation. TrialGP 2020. Tuesday, April 14th 2020. Takahisa Fujinami, ready for a 25th season in the Trial World Championship. This week marks 25 years since the debut of Japanese Repsol Honda Team rider Takahisa Fujinami in Trial World Championship, the Trial rider with most participations, 338. NCE Corporation - NCE Corporation Tony’s Train Exchange is your number one source for NCE Corporation digital command control products! Shop Tony’s Trains Exchange for NCE DCC decoders, boosters, power supplies, accessories and more available for purchase online!

The high-speed line in Japan, with in the background. The Tokaido Shinkansen was the world's first high-speed rail line.High-speed rail ( HSR) is a type of rail transport that runs significantly faster than traditional rail traffic, using an integrated system of specialized and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, new lines in excess of 250 kilometres per hour (160 mph) and existing lines in excess of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) are widely considered to be high-speed.

The first high-speed rail system, the, began operations in Japan in 1964 and was widely known as the bullet train. High-speed trains normally operate on tracks of on that incorporates a large in its design.Many countries have built and developed high-speed rail infrastructure to connect major cities, including, the, the. Only in Europe does high-speed rail cross international borders. China had built over 29,000 kilometres (18,000 mi) of high-speed rail as of December 2018, accounting for two-thirds of the world's total.

See also:Multiple definitions for high-speed rail are in use worldwide.The 96/48/EC, Annex 1 (see also ) defines high-speed rail in terms of:. Infrastructure: track built specially for high-speed travel or specially upgraded for high-speed travel. Minimum Speed Limit: Minimum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) on lines specially built for high speed and of about 200 km/h (124 mph) on existing lines which have been specially upgraded. This must apply to at least one section of the line.

Rolling stock must be able to reach a speed of at least 200 km/h (124 mph) to be considered high speed. Operating conditions: Rolling stock must be designed alongside its infrastructure for complete compatibility, safety and quality of service.The (UIC) identifies three categories of high-speed rail: Category I – New tracks specially constructed for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least 250 km/h (155 mph). Category II – Existing tracks specially upgraded for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least 200 km/h (124 mph). The German 1903 record holder First experiments High-speed rail development began in Germany in 1899 when the joined with ten electrical and engineering firms and electrified 72 km (45 mi) of military owned railway between. The line used at.

The Van der Zypen & Charlier company of built two railcars, one fitted with electrical equipment from, the second with equipment from (AEG), that were tested on the – line during 1902 and 1903. On 23 October 1903, the S&H-equipped railcar achieved a speed of 206.7 km/h (128.4 mph) and on 27 October the AEG-equipped railcar achieved 210.2 km/h (130.6 mph). These trains demonstrated the feasibility of electric high-speed rail; however, regularly scheduled electric high-speed rail travel was still more than 30 years away.High-speed aspirations After the breakthrough of electric railroads, it was clearly the infrastructure – especially the cost of it – which hampered the introduction of high-speed rail. Several disasters happened – derailments, head-on collisions on single-track lines, collisions with road traffic at grade crossings, etc. The physical laws were well-known, i.e. If the speed was doubled, the curve radius should be quadrupled; the same was true for the acceleration and braking distances. 1907 map showing the projected Chicago–New York Electric Air Line RailroadAlexander C.

Miller had greater ambitions. In 1906, he launched the project to reduce the running time between the two big cities to ten hours by using electric 160 km/h (99 mph) locomotives. After seven years of effort, however, less than 50 km (31 mi) of arrow-straight track was finished. A part of the line is still used as one of the last interurbans in the US.High-speed interurbans In the US, some of the (i.e. Trams or which run from city to city) of the early 20th century were very high-speed for their time (also Europe had and still does have some interurbans). Several high-speed rail technologies have their origin in the interurban field.In 1903 – 30 years before the conventional railways started to streamline their trains – the officials of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition organized the Electric Railway Test Commission to conduct a series of tests to develop a carbody design that would reduce wind resistance at high speeds. A long series of tests was carried.

In 1905, built a railcar for the traction magnate, capable of speeds approaching 160 km/h (100 mph). Once it ran 32 km (20 mi) between Los Angeles and Long Beach in 15 minutes, an average speed of 130 km/h (80 mph). However, it was too heavy for much of the tracks, so, and others pioneered lightweight constructions, use of aluminium alloys, and low-level which could operate smoothly at extremely high speeds on rough interurban tracks.

And designed motors compact enough to be mounted on the bogies. From 1930 on, the from Cincinnati Car Company and a some other interurban railcars reached about 145 km/h (90 mph) in commercial traffic.

The Red Devils weighed only 22 tons though they could seat 44 passengers.Extensive research – the first in the railway industry – was done before J. Brill in 1931 built the cars for (P&W). They were capable of running at 148 km/h (92 mph). Some of them were almost 60 years in service. P&W's is still in use, almost 110 years after P&W in 1907 opened their double-track Upper Darby–Strafford line without a single grade crossing with roads or other railways.

The entire line was governed by an absolute block signal system. Early German high-speed network.

Burlington passenger trainOn 26 May 1934, one year after Fliegender Hamburger introduction, the set an average speed record on long distance with their new streamlined train, the, at 124 km/h (77 mph) with peaks at 185 km/h (115 mph). The Zephyr was made of stainless steel and, like the Fliegender Hamburger, was diesel powered, articulated with, and could reach 160 km/h (99 mph) as commercial speed.The new service was inaugurated 11 November 1934, traveling between and, but at a lower speed than the record, on average speed 74 km/h (46 mph).In 1935, the introduced the service, hauled at 160 km/h (99 mph) by steam locomotives.In 1939, the largest railroad of the world, the introduced a duplex steam engine, which was designed to be capable of hauling 1200 tons passenger trains at 161 km/h (100 mph). The S1 engine was assigned to power the popular all-coach overnight premier train between New York and Chicago since the late 1940s and it consistently reached 161 km/h (100 mph) in its service life. These were the last 'high-speed' trains to use steam power.

In 1936, the entered service, from Chicago to Minneapolis, with an average speed of 101 km/h (63 mph).Many of these streamliners posted travel times comparable to or even better than their modern successors, which are limited to 127 km/h (79 mph) top speed on most of the network.Italian electric and the last steam record. The ItalianThe German high-speed service was followed in Italy in 1938 with an electric-multiple-unit, designed for 200 km/h (120 mph), between Bologna and Naples. It too reached 160 km/h (99 mph) in commercial service, and achieved a world mean speed record of 203 km/h (126 mph) near Milan in 1938.In Great Britain in the same year, the streamlined achieved the official for at 202.58 km/h (125.88 mph). The external combustion engines and boilers on steam locomotives were large, heavy and time and labor-intensive to maintain, and the days of steam for high speed were numbered.Introduction of the Talgo system In 1945, a Spanish engineer, developed a streamlined articulated train able to run on existing tracks at higher speeds than contemporary passenger trains. This was achieved by providing the locomotive and cars with a unique system that used one axle set per car end, connected by a Y-bar coupler. Amongst other advantages, the centre of mass was only half as high as usual. This system became famous under the name of (Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol), and for half a century was the main Spanish provider of high-speed trains.First above 300 km/h developments.

E6 and E5 series Shinkansen models Japanese research and development With some 45 million people living in the densely populated Tokyo– corridor, congestion on road and rail became a serious problem after, and the Japanese government began thinking seriously about a new high-speed rail service.Japan in the 1950s was a populous, resource-limited nation that for security reasons did not want to import petroleum, but needed a way to transport its millions of people in and between cities.(JNR) engineers then began to study the development of a high-speed regular mass transit service. In 1955, they were present at the 's Electrotechnology Congress in France, and during a 6-month visit, the head engineer of JNR accompanied the deputy director Marcel Tessier at the DETE ( Electric traction study department). JNR engineers returned to Japan with a number of ideas and technologies they would use on their future trains, including alternating current for rail traction, and international standard gauge. First narrow-gauge Japanese high-speed service In 1957, the engineers at the private in launched the EMU. This EMU set a world record for trains at 145 km/h (90 mph), giving the Odakyu engineers confidence they could safely and reliably build even faster trains at standard gauge. The original Japanese railways generally used narrow gauge, but the increased stability offered by widening the rails to would make very high-speed rail much simpler, and thus was adopted for high-speed service. With the sole exceptions of Russia, Finland, and Uzbekistan all high speed rail lines in the world are still standard gauge, even in countries where the preferred gauge for legacy lines is different.A new train on a new line The new service, named (meaning new trunk line) would provide a new alignment, 25% wider standard gauge, continuously welded rails between Tokyo and Osaka using new rolling stock, designed for 250 km/h (160 mph).

However, the, whilst supporting the project, considered the design of the equipment as unproven for that speed, and set the maximum speed to 210 km/h (130 mph).After initial feasibility tests, the plan was fast-tracked and construction of the first section of the line started on 20 April 1959. In 1963, on the new track, test runs hit a top speed of 256 km/h (159 mph). Five years after the beginning of the construction work, in October 1964, just in time for the, the first modern high-speed rail, the, was opened between the two cities.The first Shinkansen trains, the, built by —in English often called 'Bullet Trains', after the original Japanese name Dangan Ressha ( 弾丸列車)—outclassed the earlier fast trains in commercial service. They traversed the 515 km (320 mi) distance in 3 hours 10 minutes, reaching a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph) and sustaining an average speed of 162.8 km/h (101.2 mph) with stops at Nagoya and Kyoto.High-speed rail for the masses Speed was only a part of the Shinkansen revolution: the Shinkansen offered high-speed rail travel to the masses. The first Bullet trains had 12 cars and later versions had up to 16, and double-deck trains further increased the capacity.After three years, more than 100 million passengers had used the trains, and the milestone of the first one billion passengers was reached in 1976. In 1972, the line was extended a further 161 km (100 mi), and further construction has resulted in the network expanding to 3,058 km (1,900 mi) as of March 2020, with a further 399 km (248 mi) of extensions currently under construction and due to open in stages between March 2023 and 2031.

The cumulative patronage on the entire system since 1964 is over 10 billion, the equivalent of approximately 140% of the world's population, without a single train passenger fatality. (Suicides, passengers falling off the platforms, and industrial accidents have resulted in fatalities).Since their introduction, Japan's Shinkansen systems have been undergoing constant improvement, not only increasing line speeds.

Over a dozen train models have been produced, addressing diverse issues such as noise, vibration, aerodynamic drag, lines with lower patronage ('Mini shinkansen'), and safety, problems due to snow, and energy consumption (newer trains are twice as energy efficient as the initial ones despite greater speeds). A maglev train on the Yamanashi Test Track, November 2005 Future developments After decades of research and successful testing on a 43-km test track, JR Central is now constructing a Shinkansen line, which is known as the. These Maglev trains still have the traditional underlying tracks and the cars have wheels. This serves a practical purpose at stations and a safety purpose out on the lines in the event of a power failure. However, in normal operation the wheels are raised up into the car as the train reaches certain speeds where the magnetic levitation effect takes over.It will link Tokyo and Osaka by 2037, with the section from Tokyo to Nagoya expected to be operational by 2027. Average speed is anticipated at 505 km/h.

The first generation train can be ridden by tourists visiting the test track.Europe and North America. Trains developed in the U.S. For rapid service between New York and Washington, DCIn the United States, following the creation of Japan's first high-speed, President as part of his infrastructure building initiatives asked the to devise a way to increase speeds on the railroads. The congress delivered the which passed with overwhelming support and helped to create regular service between New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The new service was inaugurated in 1969, with top speeds of 200 km/h (120 mph) and averaging 145 km/h (90 mph) along the route, with the travel time as little as 2 hours 30 minutes. In a 1967 competition with a GE powered Metroliner on Penn Central's mainline, the set a record of 275 km/h (171 mph).

United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. This article needs to be updated. Tap tap dash oyunu. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( February 2018)In 1992, the authorized the Amtrak Authorization and Development Act to focus on 's service improvement on the segment between and New York City of the. The primary objectives were to electrify the line north of and replace the then 30-year-old Metroliners with new trains to achieve shorter travel time.Amtrak started testing two trains, the Swedish and the German, in the same year along its fully electrified segment between New York City and Washington DC. The officials favored the X2000 as it had a tilting mechanism.

However, the Swedish manufacturer never bid on the contract as the burdensome United States railroad regulations required them to heavily modify the train resulting in added weight, among other things. Eventually, a custom-made derived from TGV, manufactured by and, won the contract and was put into service in December 2000.The new service was named ' and linked Boston, New York City, and Washington DC. The service did not meet the 3-hour travel time objective, between Boston and New York City. The time was 3 hours and 24 minutes as it partially ran on regular lines, limiting its average speed, with a maximum speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) being reached on a small section of its route through and Massachusetts.The U.S. Currently has one high speed rail line under construction in, and advanced planning by a company called in Texas, higher-speed rail projects in the, and, as well as upgrades on the high-speed. The private higher speed rail venture in started operations along part of its route in early 2018.

Speeds are this far limited to 127 km/h (79 mph) but extensions will be built for a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph).Expansion in East Asia For four decades from its opening in 1964, the Japanese was the only high-speed rail service outside of Europe. In the 2000s a number of new high-speed rail services started operating in.Chinese CRH.

Main article:High-speed rail was introduced to China in 2003 with the.The Chinese government made high-speed rail construction a cornerstone of its in order to combat the effects of the and the result has been a rapid development of the Chinese rail system into the world's most extensive high-speed rail network. By 2013 the system had 11,028 km (6,852 mi) of operational track, accounting for about half of the world's total at the time.By the end of 2018, the total high-speed railway (HSR) in China had risen to over 29,000 kilometres (18,000 miles).Over 1,713 billion trips were made in 2017, more than half of the China's total railway passenger delivery, making it the world's busiest network.State planning for high-speed railway began in the early 1990s, and the country's first high-speed rail line, the, was built in 1999 and opened to commercial operation in 2003.

This line could accommodate commercial trains running at up to 200 km/h (120 mph). Planners also considered Germany's technology and built the, which runs on a 30.5 km (19.0 mi) track linking the, the city's financial district, and the.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. Maglev, however, was not adopted nationally and all subsequent expansion features high-speed rail on conventional tracks.In the 1990s, China's domestic train production industry designed and produced a series of high-speed train prototypes but few were used in commercial operation and none were mass-produced.

The Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) then arranged for the purchase of foreign high-speed trains from French, German, and Japanese manufacturers along with certain technology transfers and joint ventures with domestic trainmakers. In 2007, the MOR introduced the service, also known as 'Harmony Trains', a version of the German high-speed train.In 2008, high-speed trains began running at a top speed of 350 km/h (220 mph) on the, which opened during the in Beijing.The following year, trains on the newly opened set a world record for average speed over an entire trip, at 312.5 km/h (194.2 mph) over 968 kilometres (601 miles).A on 23 July 2011 in province killed 40 and injured 195, raising concerns about operational safety. A credit crunch later that year slowed the construction of new lines.

In July 2011, top train speeds were lowered to 300 km/h (190 mph). But by 2012, the high-speed rail boom had renewed with new lines and new rolling stock by domestic producers that had indigenized foreign technology. On 26 December 2012, China opened the, the world's longest high-speed rail line, which runs 2,208 km (1,372 mi) from to.The network set a target to create the by 2015, and continues to rapidly expand with the July 2016 announcement of the. In 2017, 350 km/h services resumed on the, once again refreshing the world record for average speed with select services running between to reaching average speeds of 317.7 km/h (197.4 mph).

South Korean KTX. The Korean-developedIn South Korea, services were launched on 1 April 2004, using French (TGV) technology, on the Seoul–Busan corridor, Korea's busiest traffic corridor, between the two largest cities. In 1982, it represented 65.8% of South Korea's population, a number that grew to 73.3% by 1995, along with 70% of freight traffic and 66% of passenger traffic. With both the and 's congested as of the late 1970s, the government saw the pressing need for another form of transportation.Construction began on the high-speed line from to in 1992 with the first commercial service launching in 2004. Top speed for trains in regular service is currently 305 km/h (190 mph), though the infrastructure is designed for 350 km/h (220 mph).

The initial rolling stock was based on 's, and was partly built in Korea. The domestically developed, which achieved 352.4 km/h (219.0 mph) in tests, resulted in a second type of high-speed trains now operated by Korail, the. The next generation KTX train, achieved 421.4 km/h (261.8 mph) in 2013, making South Korea the world's fourth country after France, Japan, and China to develop a high-speed train running on conventional rail above 420 km/h (260 mph).Taiwan HSR. Main articles: and Turkey In 2009, Turkey inaugurated a high-speed service between Ankara. This has been followed up by an – route, and the Eskișehir line has been extended to (Asian part).Uzbekistan Uzbekistan opened the 344 km (214 mi) service from to in 2011, which was upgraded in 2013 to an average operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and peak speed of 250 km/h (160 mph). The Talgo 250 service has been extended to Karshi as of August 2015 whereby the train travels 450 km (280 mi) in 3 hours. As of August 2016, the train service was extended to, and the 600 km (370 mi) extension will take 3 hours and 20 minutes down from 7 hours.

This section is in format, but may read better as. You can help by, if appropriate. Is available. ( February 2019)HSR Advantages. Less boarding infrastructure: Although air transit moves at higher speeds than high-speed rail, total time to destination can be increased by travel to/from far out airports, check-in, baggage handling, security, and boarding, which may also increase cost to air travel. Short range advantages: Trains may be preferred in short to mid-range distances since rail stations are typically closer to urban centers than airports.

Likewise, air travel needs longer distances to have a speed advantage after accounting for both processing time and transit to the airport. Urban centers: Particularly for dense city centers, short hop air travel may not be ideal to serve these areas as airports tend to be far out of the city, due to land scarcity, short runway limitations, building heights, as well as airspace issues. Weather: Rail travel also requires less weather dependency than air travel. A well designed and operated rail system can only be affected by severe weather conditions, such as heavy snow, heavy fog, and major storm. Flights however, often face cancellations or delays under less severe conditions. Comfort: High-speed trains also have comfort advantages, since train passengers are allowed to move freely about the train at any point in the journey.

Since airlines have complicated calculations to try to minimize weight to save fuel or to allow takeoff at certain runway lengths, rail seats are also less subject to weight restrictions than on planes, and as such may have more padding and legroom. Technology advances such as have minimized the found on slower railways, while air travel remains affected by when adverse wind conditions arise. Trains can also accommodate intermediate stops at lower time and energetic costs than planes, though this applies less to HSR than to the slower conventional trains. Delays: On particular busy air-routes – those that HSR has historically been most successful on – trains are also less prone to delays due to congested airports, or in the case of, airspace.

A train that is late by a couple of minutes will not have to wait for another slot to open up, unlike airplanes at congested airports. Furthermore, many airlines see short haul flights as increasingly uneconomic and in some countries airlines rely on high-speed rail instead of short haul flights for connecting services.: HSR does not need to spend time deicing as planes do, which is time-consuming but critical; it can dent airline profitability as planes remain on the ground and pay airport fees by the hour, as well as take up parking space and contributing to congestive delays.

Hot and High: Some airlines have cancelled or move their flights to takeoff at night due to conditions. Antzzz. Such is the case for in in 2017, which moved its long haul takeoff slot to after midnight.

Similarly, cancelled all its Europe bound flights during summer due to heat. High speed rail may complement airport operations during hot hours when takeoffs become uneconomical or otherwise problematic. Noise and pollution: Major airports are heavy polluters, downwind of LAX particulate pollution doubles, even accounting for Port of LA/Long Beach shipping and heavy freeway traffic.

Trains may run on renewable energy, and electric trains produce no local pollution in critical urban areas at any rate. Of course, this effect can be mitigated with. Noise also is an issue for residents.

Ability to serve multiple stops: An airplane spends significant amounts of time loading and unloading cargo and/or passengers as well as landing, taxiing and starting again. Trains spend only a few minutes stopping at intermediate stations, often greatly enhancing the business case at little cost. Energy: high speed trains are more fuel efficient per passenger space offered than planes.

Furthermore, they usually run on electricity, which can be produced from a wider range of sources than.Disadvantages. HSR usually requires land acquisition, for example in where it was caught up in legal paperwork. HSR is subject to, where expensive fixes sent costs soaring in Taiwan. HSR can be costly due to required tunneling through mountain terrain as well as earthquake and other safety systems. Crossing mountain ranges or large bodies of water with HSR requires expensive tunnels and bridges, or else slower routes and, and HSR cannot cross oceans. Air routes are largely unaffected by geography.

Airlines frequently and aggressively add and drop routes due to demand and profitability—over. HSR may add or drop services, but the rail line itself represents a significant and cannot be as easily modified in response to changing market conditions. However, for passengers this can present an advantage as services are less likely to be withdrawn for railways. Cities do not always lie in a straight line, so any routing will include bends and twists, which can substantially increase to the length and duration of a journey. This can introduce inefficiency when compared to a flight.

Railways require the security and cooperation of all geographies and governments involved. Political issues can make routes unviable, whereas an airplane can fly over politically sensitive areas and/or be re-routed with relative ease.Pollution High speed rail usually implements electric power and therefore its energy sources can be distant or renewable. This is an advantage over air travel, which currently uses fossil fuels and is a major source of pollution.

Studies regarding busy airports such as LAX, have shown that over an area of about 60 square kilometres (23 square miles) downwind of the airport, where hundreds of thousands of people live or work, the particle number concentration was at least twice that of nearby urban areas, showing that airplane pollution far exceeded road pollution, even from heavy freeway traffic. Trees Airplanes and airstrips require trees to be cut down, as they are a nuisance to pilots. Some 3,000 trees will be chopped due to obstruction issues at. On the other hand, trees next to rail lines can often become a hazard during winter storms, with several German media calling for trees to be cut down following autumn storms in 2017. Safety HSR is much simpler to control due to its predictable course. High-speed rail systems reduce (but do not eliminate) collisions with automobiles or people, by using non-grade level track and eliminating grade-level crossings.

To date the only two deadly accidents involving a high speed train on high speed tracks in revenue service were the 1998 and the 2011 (in which speed was not a factor).Accidents In general, travel by high-speed rail has been demonstrated to be remarkably safe. The first high-speed rail network, the Japanese has not had any fatal accidents involving passengers since it began operating in 1964.Notable major accidents involving high-speed trains include the following.1998 Eschede accident. Main article:In 1998, after over thirty years of high-speed rail operations worldwide without fatal accidents, the Eschede accident occurred in Germany: a poorly designed ICE 1 wheel fractured at a speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) near, resulting in the derailment and destruction of almost the entire set of 16 cars, and the death of 101 people. The derailment began at a switch; the accident was made worse when the derailed cars traveling at high speed struck and collapsed a road bridge located just past the switch.2011 Wenzhou accident. Main article:On 23 July 2011, 13 years after the Eschede train accident, a Chinese CRH2 traveling at 100 km/h (62 mph) collided with a CRH1 which was stopped on a viaduct in the suburbs of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China.

The two trains derailed, and four cars fell off the viaduct. Forty people were killed and at least 192 were injured, 12 of them severely.The disaster led to a number of changes in management and exploitation of high-speed rail in China. Despite the fact that speed itself was not a factor in the cause of the accident, one of the major changes was to further lower the maximum speeds in high-speed and higher-speed railways in China, the remaining 350 km/h (217 mph) becoming 300, 250 km/h (155 mph) becoming 200, and 200 km/h (124 mph) becoming 160. Six years later they started to be restored to their original high speeds. 2013 Santiago de Compostela accident.

Main article:In July 2013, a high-speed train in Spain traveling at 190 km/h (120 mph) attempted to negotiate a curve whose speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph). The train derailed and overturned, resulting in 78 fatalities. Normally high-speed rail has automatic speed limiting restrictions, but this track section is a conventional section and in this case the automatic speed limit was said to be disabled by the driver several kilometers before the station.

A few days later, the train worker's union claimed that the speed limiter didn't work properly because of lack of proper funding, acknowledging the budget cuts made by the current government. Two days after the accident, the driver was provisionally charged with homicide by negligence. This is the first accident that occurred with a Spanish high-speed train, but it occurred in a section that was not high speed and as mentioned safety equipment mandatory on high speed track would have prevented the accident. 2015 Eckwersheim accident. Main article:On 14 November 2015, a specialized was performing commissioning tests on the unopened second phase of the high-speed line, when it entered a curve, overturned, and struck the of a bridge over the. The rear came to a rest in the canal, while the remainder of the train came to a rest in the grassy median between the northern and southern tracks. Approximately 50 people were on board, consisting of SNCF technicians and, reportedly, some unauthorized guests.

Eleven were killed and 37 were injured. The train was performing tests at 10 percent above the planned speed limit for the line and should have slowed from 352 km/h (219 mph) to 176 kilometres per hour (109 mph) before entering the curve. Officials have indicated that excessive speed may have caused the accident. During testing some safety features that usually prevent accidents like this one are switched off.2018 Ankara train collision.

Main article:On 6 February 2020, a high-speed train traveling at 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph) derailed at Livraga, Lombardy, Italy. The two drivers were killed and 31 were injured.

The cause as preliminary reported by investigators that by a set of junction points was put in the reverse position, but were reported to the signalling system as in the normal - i.e. Straight - position.

Ridership High speed rail ridership has been increasing rapidly since 2000. At the beginning of the century, the largest share of ridership was on the Japanese network.In 2000, the Shinkansen was responsible for about 85% of the cumulative world ridership up to that point.This has been progressively surpassed by the Chinese high speed rail network, which has been the largest contributor of global ridership growth since its inception.As of 2018, annual ridership of the Chinese high speed rail network is over five times larger than that of the Shinkansen.Annual passengers worldwide (in millions). Only systems with 200 km/h (124 mph) service speeds or higher are considered.YearAnnual world HSRAnnual world airlines20000010121,181,472,070 (prelim)3,650Records Speed.

Modified, conventional world speed record holder (574.8 km/h or 357.2 mph)There are several definitions of 'maximum speed':. The maximum speed at which a train is allowed to run by law or policy in daily service (MOR).

The maximum speed at which an unmodified train is proved to be capable of running. The maximum speed at which specially modified train is proved to be capable of runningAbsolute speed record Conventional rail Since the 1955 record, France has nearly continuously held the absolute world speed record.

The latest record is held by a trainset, which reached 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) in 2007, on the newly constructed high-speed line. This run was for proof of concept and engineering, not to test normal passenger service.Unconventional rail The speed record for a pre-production unconventional passenger train was set by a seven-car manned train at 603 km/h (375 mph) on 21 April 2015. Maximum speed in service. Main articles: andChina has the largest network of high-speed railways in the world and in 2018 it encompassed 27,000 kilometres (17,000 miles) of high-speed rail or 60% of the world's total. The HSR building boom continues with the HSR network set to reach 38,000 km (24,000 mi) in 2025. It is also the world's busiest with an annual ridership of over 1.44 billion in 2016.

According to, select trains between to on the have the fastest average operating speed in the world at 317.7 km/h (197.4 mph) as of July 2019.The improved mobility and inter connectivity created by these new high speed rail lines has generated a whole new high speed commuter market around some urban areas. Commutes via high speed rail to and from surrounding and into have become increasingly common, likewise are between the cities surrounding,. Main article:is a high-speed rail system that has only one line.

It is approximately 345 kilometres (214 miles) long, along the west coast of Taiwan from the national capital Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. The construction was managed by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation and the total cost of the project was US$18 billion.

The private company operates the line fully, and the system is based primarily on Japan's technology.Eight initial stations were built during the construction of the High Speed Rail system: Taipei, Banqiao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying (Kaohsiung). The line now has 12 total stations (Nangang, Taipei, Banqiao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan and Zuoying) as of August 2018.Middle East and Africa Morocco In November 2007 the Moroccan government decided to undertake the construction of a high-speed rail line between the economic capital and, one of the largest harbour cities on the. The line will also serve the capital. The first section of the line, was completed in 2018. Saudi Arabia Plans in Saudi Arabia to begin service on a high-speed line consist of a phased opening starting with the route from to followed up with the rest of the line to the following year.

The opened in 2018.Turkey. Main article:The started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. The first section of the line, between and, was inaugurated on 13 March 2009.

It is a part of the 533 km (331 mi) to high-speed rail line. A subsidiary of Turkish State Railways, is the sole commercial operator of high-speed trains in Turkey.The construction of three separate high-speed lines from Ankara to Istanbul, and, as well as taking an Ankara– line to the launch stage, form part of the 's strategic aims and targets. Turkey plans to construct a network of high-speed lines in the early part of the 21st century, targeting a 1,500 km (932 mi) network of high-speed lines by 2013 and a 10,000 km (6,214 mi) network by the year 2023. Main article:Germany's first high-speed lines ran north–south, for historical reasons, and later developed east–west after German unification. In the early 1900s, Germany became the first country to run a prototype electric train at speeds in excess of 200 km/h, and during the 1930s several steam and diesel trains achieved revenue speeds of 160 km/h in daily service. The briefly held the world speed record for a steel-wheel-on-steel-rails vehicle during the 1980s. The entered revenue service in 1991 and serves purpose-built high-speed lines (Neubaustrecken) upgraded legacy lines (Ausbaustrecken) and unmodified legacy lines., Germany's flag carrier, has entered into a codeshare agreement with where ICEs run as 'feeder flights' bookable with a Lufthansa flight number under the program.Italy.

Spanish high speed servicesSpain has built an extensive high-speed rail network, with a length of 3,100 km (1,926 mi) (2013), the longest in Europe. It uses as opposed to the used in most of the national railway network, meaning that the high-speed tracks are separated and not shared with local trains or freight. Although standard gauge is the norm for Spanish high speed rail, since 2011 there exists a regional high speed service running on with special trains that connects the cities of, and in northwestern Spain. Connections to the French network exist since 2013, with direct trains from Paris to.

Although on the French side, conventional speed tracks are used from to. Switzerland High-speed north–south freight lines in Switzerland are under construction, avoiding slow mountainous truck traffic, and lowering labour costs.

The new lines, in particular the, are built for 250 km/h (155 mph). But the short high-speed parts and the mix with freight will lower the average speeds. The limited size of the country gives fairly short domestic travel times anyway.

Switzerland is investing money in lines on French and German soil to enable better access to the high speed rail networks of those countries from Switzerland.United Kingdom. Main article:The UK's fastest high-speed line connects with and Paris through the. At speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph), it is the only high-speed line in Britain with an operating speed of more than 125 mph (201 km/h).The, and all have maximum speed limits of 125 mph (201 km/h) on part of the line. Attempts to increase speeds to 140 mph (225 km/h) on both the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line have failed because the trains on those lines do not have, which is a legal requirement in the UK for trains to be permitted to operate at speeds greater than 125 mph (201 km/h) due to the impracticality of observing lineside signals at such speeds.Americas United States. Main article:The United States has domestic definitions for high-speed rail varying between jurisdictions. The defines high-speed rail as services 'reasonably expected to reach sustained speeds of more than 125 mph (201 km/h)',. The uses a definition of top speeds at 110 mph (180 km/h) and above.

The uses the term ' for speeds up to 150 mph (240 km/h) and 'very high speed rail' for the rail on dedicated tracks with speeds over 150 mph.' S (reaching 150 mph (240 km/h)), and certain express trains (the three reaching 125 mph (201 km/h)) are currently the only high-speed services in the country.

The Acela Express links, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and while Northeast Regional trains travel the whole of the same route, but make more station stops. MARC / and Keystone Service trains travel over portions of the route.

The project, eventually linking the 5 largest cities in California, is planned to have its first operating segment, between and, in 2027. Inter-city effects With high speed rail there has been an increase in accessibility within cities. It allows for urban regeneration, accessibility in cities near and far, and efficient inter-city relationships.

Better inter-city relationships lead to high level services to companies, advanced technology, and marketing. The most important effect of HSR is the increase of accessibility due to shorter travel times. HSR lines have been used to create long-distance routes which in many cases cater to business travelers. However, there have also been short-distance routes that have revolutionized the concepts of HSR. They create commuting relationships between cities opening up more opportunities.

Using both longer distance and shorter distance rail in one country allows for the best case of economic development, widening the labor and residential market of a metropolitan area and extending it to smaller cities. Closures The KTX Incheon International Airport to Seoul Line (operates on ) was closed in 2018, due to a mix of issues, including poor ridership and track sharing. The AREX was not constructed as high-speed rail, resulting a cap of 150 on KTX service in its section.Many conventional lines upgraded up to 200km/h had high-speed services abolished because proper high-speed lines replaced them. The most recent case is (200km/h) being replaced by.See also.