Roundup of articles on high-speed rail. 2 articles on Korean high-speed rail. 1 article on the lastest Bullet train. The last article deals with the question of whether high-speed rail dollars are being spent well.

Article 1

Link: Arirang | Korea for the World, The World for Korea - Arirang.co.kr

Korea, California Sign MOU for US High-Speed Railway Project

Amid heightening global competition to participate in America's eight billion US dollar high-speed rail project the Korean government signed a memorandum of understanding with the California state government on Thursday promising continuous cooperation in construction efforts.
The signing took place in the state capital, Sacramento, between Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Vice Minister Choi Jang-hyun and California High-Speed Rail Authority board member Quentin Kopp.

The MOU, which is California's fifth including those with China, Germany, Japan and Italy, will allow information sharing between the two governments regarding the state's passenger rail service which was granted 2.2-5 billion dollars in investment from the Obama administration's mass transit program.
The Californian project is anticipated to link San Francisco and Los Angeles in as little as two and a half hours.
Backed by Korea's high technology in the field since the construction of its own high-speed railway, Korea Train eXpress, or KTX, in 2004, the Korean government says it will put utmost efforts in winning the construction deal in the Golden State and prove its competitiveness by providing quality maintenance services.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority responded to such comments by saying that the US is aware of Korea's outstanding economic success and hopes that the railway project will further strengthen ties between the two countries.
Jang Sou-ie, Arirang News.

FEB 12, 2010

Article 2

Link: The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Korea's 1st Homemade Bullet Train on Track in March

Korea's 1st Homemade Bullet Train on Track in March

Korea Railroad on Thursday said it will put the KTX-II, the first bullet train produced with local technology, into service between Seoul and Busan and between Yongsan and Gwangju/Mokpo four times a day starting March 2.

The KTX-II, produced by Hyundai Rotem, can run up to 350 km per hour, the same top speed as the current KTX model made by France's Alstom. But seats on the KTX-II trains have 5 cm more leg room than the KTX and can rotate 360 degrees. They are also furnished with mobile TV receivers and wireless Internet access.

The train's design is inspired by the shape of cherry salmon, an indigenous fish species, KORAIL said.
The KTX-II train is revealed to the press on Thursday. The KTX-II train is revealed to the press on Thursday.

Article 3

Link: Japan's bullet trains: Coming soon to a station near you - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent

Japan's bullet trains: Coming soon to a station near you

Relax News

Friday, 12 February 2010



East Japan Railway has unveiled a new state-of-the-art bullet train that may be the model for other super-express trains around the world.

Photo courtesy of East Japan Railway Co.




Japan has rolled out the latest version of its state-of-the-art bullet trains at the same time as developers go looking for new markets for the technology.

East Japan Railway unveiled its eye-catching new E6 series shinkansen this week. The sleek, seven-car train will go into operation on the Akita Shinkansen Line in northern Japan in the spring of 2013, company officials said, operating at speeds of up to 320 kph.

The new train has caught the imagination thanks to its 13-meter long nose, which is a full 7 meters longer than the nose on the present E3 Komachi generation of super express trains and is designed to reduce drag and noise.

The design of the train was overseen by Ken Okuyama, who previously served as a senior designer for Ferrari.

Quite apart from the look of the trains, they are increasingly in demand for their reliability, high levels of comfort and impeccable safety record - no passenger has been killed since the first bullet train went into operation in 1964.

Taiwan has already introduced a high-speed railway system based on shinkansen technology linking Taipei in the extreme north of the country with Kaohsuing in the far south, while discussions between Vietnam and Japan on a route that would link Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city are reportedly close to completion.

A final decision on that project is expected in May, although the developers of the Japan Railway fleet appear to have fought off competition from France's TGV and the German ICE.

The latest country to express an interest in acquiring Japan's railway know-how is the United States, with President Barack Obama keen to promote a more comprehensive railway system.

Officials representing JR Tokai, a sister firm to JR East that operates in central Japan, have identified the route connecting Tampa, Orlando and Miami as being very promising, as well as a line between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The company also believes there is potential in the even faster maglev system of magnetically levitated trains operating between Baltimore and Washington DC and from Chattanooga to Atlanta.

Other markets that Japanes firms are exploring include Brazil, while the Japanese-built Javelin trains, which operate between London and Folkestone, in Kent, are also based on shinkansen technology.

Article 4

Link: High-speed rail: Stimulus dollars wisely spent? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

High-speed rail: Stimulus dollars wisely spent?

President Obama's $8-billion investment in high-speed rail may be a giant step forward in the country's transportation system, but experts question if it will gain traction among car-loving Americans.

By Mark Clayton / Staff writer / February 11, 2010

President Obama wants to put a multibillion-dollar down payment on a national high-speed rail network. But will Americans leave their bucket seats to ride those rocket rails in sufficient numbers to justify the investment?

For years, while the United States has focused on its highway and air-transport systems, passenger rail has been an afterthought. Now Mr. Obama has an Eisenhoweresque plan to spend $8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build 13 high-speed rail corridors in 31 states. He also plans to budget an additional $1 billion each year over the next five years. Many say it's a needed "first step."

"Our most congested corridors have to have high-speed rail," says Jack Schenendorf, vice chairman of a blue-ribbon commission that studied America's transportation needs in 2008. "Obviously we can't build an unlimited amount of highway capacity. It's necessary to get people out of their cars and into these high-speed trains."

Who's riding the rails now?

Riders on Amtrak, America's pas- senger rail service, rose steadily from 21.5 million riders in 1999 to peak at 28.7 million in 2008. A weakening economy and lower fuel prices brought the number of riders down to 27.2 million last year, still the second highest in Amtrak's history.

Amtrak's Acela – connecting Boston, New York, and Washington – provides the only existing high-speed rail service in the US. It grew steadily through 2008 to 3.4 million passengers. But last year, ridership dropped below 2007 levels, partially as a result of cooling business travel.

What will $8 billion buy?

The initial investment will pay to build, upgrade, and plan about 7,100 miles of track, including 1,340 miles of new track, 4,724 miles of upgrades to existing track, and planning for 1,032 more.

Building a national network could eventually cost more than $100 billion and take decades, Mr. Schenendorf says. The US High Speed Rail Association, an advocacy group, envisions a 17,000-mile high-speed system to be completed by 2030. But that would require sustained support from Congress and the backing of future presidents.

How fast is 'high-speed'?

Top speeds could reach 220 m.p.h. on the California line that would go through Los Angeles and the San Francisco area, but will be substantially less in the other corridors. None is expected to be as fast as European and Japanese high-speed trains.

What will be the impact?

According to some projections, the $8 billion might be expected to produce about 320,000 jobs and roughly $13 billion in economic benefit.

A nationwide high-speed rail network could mean 29 million fewer car trips and 500,000 fewer plane flights annually, according to a 2006 study. That would save 6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of removing a million cars from the road annually.

Can high-speed rail compete with air and auto?

In Europe and Asia, high-speed rail lessens congestion at airports and on highways.

In the US, the main impact is expected to come on 100- to 600-mile routes. For example, a five-hour, 300-mile trip from St. Louis to Chicago could be cut to about three hours and 40 minutes by high-speed rail, potentially reducing the need for short-hop jets and taking thousands of cars off the road, says Ross Capon, president of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, which represents train riders.

Will it be a boondoggle or a boon?

The plan is "a giant step forward in the transformation of our nation's transportation system," says Howard Learner, whose Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center supports high-speed rail.

But others are leery of what they see as a plan that won't lure Americans from their cars and therefore may not pay off.

"To believe this makes economic sense, you'd have to be foolish," says James Moore, director of the transportation and engineering program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "In the US, autos cover shorter trips better and airlines capture longer trips. That doesn't leave room for high-speed rail to compete."

Schenendorf sees a need for high-speed rail in the US, but says that future funding will be the key.

While the Obama initiative is a "positive first step," he says, it's just "a drop in the bucket of what the nation will need to get the kind of high-speed rail network it needs. It will take a lot more money to get these systems built out."