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Why is China so far ahead of the world in terms of high-speed trains?
China has built the largest high-speed rail network in the world, and some say that its trains are the fastest in the world as well. In fact, China’s HSR network is both larger and faster than any other country’s rail network, so why is this? What was it about China that made it possible to build such an extensive system of high-speed trains? And more importantly, what can other countries learn from this that they can apply to their own HSR systems?
The History
The first high-speed rail line was completed in Japan in 1964, connecting Tokyo and Osaka. The Japanese Shinkansen or bullet train took passengers from city to city on a sleek, modern railway for a very affordable price.
Inspired by its neighbor’s success, Taiwan also built its own bullet train in 1967. But while other countries like France, Germany and Italy followed suit, it wasn’t until 1976 that Europe finally saw its first true rapid transit system open in Britain. And it wouldn’t be until 1981 that America would get its first high-speed rail: Amtrak’s Metroliner service between New York City and Washington D.C., which ran at speeds up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).
In 1988, Japan opened its first magnetic levitation train line between Tokyo and Osaka — the fastest in the world…
