{"id":37,"date":"2010-01-28T20:15:24","date_gmt":"2010-01-28T20:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.encoretechresources.com\/insights\/?p=37"},"modified":"2010-02-28T11:35:18","modified_gmt":"2010-02-28T16:35:18","slug":"high-speed-trains-coming-for-the-u-s-finally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.encoretechresources.com\/insights\/2010\/01\/28\/high-speed-trains-coming-for-the-u-s-finally\/","title":{"rendered":"‘High-Speed’ Trains Coming for the U.S., Finally"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’ve been enjoying Wired’s<\/a><\/em> spread<\/a> on bullet trains finally<\/em> (emphasis added) coming to the U.S. Yes, the historical tablet accompanying the Wired pieces shows that Japan introduced a 130 mph train in 1964, France a 161.6 mph one in 1981, China a 267 mph train in 2004 and France, again, a big-wheeled train capable of 357 mph in 2007.<\/p>\n

We’ve long needed a fast, low-hassle alternative to airline travel. We’ve be waiting so long, on fact, one might think the airlines have been responsible for railroad planning and promotion. (At the current speeds they do <\/em>travel, though, AMTRAK’s trains aren’t bad. We went coast-to-coast and back on a couple last year. Very pleasant, and no pat-downs.)<\/p>\n

The St. Petersburg Times<\/em> story\u00a0reporting<\/a> on President O’Bama’s visit to Tampa today to announce $1.25 billion in federal funding for a high-speed rail line there advises on the byplay between the President, Vice President Joe Biden and the Florida crowds, but doesn’t say how fast the “high-speed” trains are expected \u00a0to run. That’s part of the problem \u2013 our personality-based, politically powered culture tends to shun specifics of technology \u2013 even big-time concepts like high-speed rail get shunted aside in the clamor.<\/p>\n

Wired<\/em> says the Tampa-Orlando trains are supposed to run at \u00a0180 \u00a0m.p.h. We hope they do. \u2013 Doug Bedell<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n

Wired<\/strong><\/em> illustration by\u00a0Paul Rogers<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We’ve been enjoying Wired’s spread on bullet trains finally (emphasis added) coming to the U.S. Yes, the historical tablet accompanying the Wired pieces shows that Japan introduced a 130 mph train in 1964, France a 161.6 mph one in 1981, China a 267 mph train in 2004 and France, again, a big-wheeled train capable of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t