What is High-Speed Rail? High-Speed Rail (HSR) refers to very
fast trains that typically operate at speeds of 125 – 200 mph.
Some examples are the TGV in France, ICE in Germany, Shinkansen
in Japan, the AVE in Spain, and the KTX in South Korea. By
comparison, Caltrain and BART typically travel at maximum speeds
of less than 80 mph, and have average speeds (including station
stops) of about 35 mph for local trains. Amtrak’s average speed
is about 40 -55 mph with a maximum speed of 79 mph in most
areas. Most U.S. residents have had no experience with high-
speed rail because it doesn’t exist yet in the United States in
a form comparable to what’s found elsewhere in the world.
Imagine you are traveling from Mountain View to Los Angeles. You
take Caltrain from Mountain View to San Jose, then transfer to a
high-speed rail train that leaves from San Jose, right on time.
The train that you board looks inviting. It has comfortable
seats that are much roomier and have a lot more legroom than on
an airplane. It has tray