ASPIRE, Fall 2013
The famous Japanese Shinkansen railway network started operating in 1964 and has been progressively improved with the objective of operating at a speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) or more. Since the Shinkansen’s beginning, many countries have implemented high-speed rail (HSR) as an easy link between cities. The first section of the French TGV opened to traffic between Paris and Lyon in 1981. The operation of the 345-km-long (214- mile) Taiwanese HSR, which runs most of the time on viaducts at 300 km/h (186 mph), started in 2007. Today, HSR has become a reality in Asia, Europe, and North America, resulting in the construction of large infrastructures that are designed for dense and heavy rail traffic at speeds never before reached. Read more…