Traveling at the Speed of a Bullet

In 1963, Japan introduced the world to high-speed rail when it began service that connected its two major cities: Tokyo and Osaka. Also known as a bullet train, its first passengers traveled 125 mph along the 320-mile journey. What had once taken eight hours, multiple transfers, and slow bus service became a newly branded, state-of-the-art experience that allowed passengers to ‘fly on the ground’ in just two and a half hours.

Today, Japan’s high-speed rail system utilizes Maglev technology. Short for a ‘magnetic levitation train,’ a Maglev system uses powerful magnets to lift the train and float over the specially designed track. The old steel wheel and conventional train engines are replaced by technology that turns the basic principles of magnets into a transportation innovation. Technological advancements to traditional Maglev trains will enable future trains to travel up to 310 mph!

High-speed rail offers several benefits. California’s proposed high-speed rail network from San Francisco to Los Angeles promises to be emission free. Spain’s high-speed train makes the 375-mile trip from Barcelona to Madrid a two-and-a-half hour glide through Spain’s countryside. Germany uses its high-speed rail network to reconnect its major cities once separated by East and West boundaries as well as help alleviate domestic travel congestion at its airports. While Amtrak’s Acela Express from Washington, D.C. to Boston is this country’s only current higher speed train, track limitations force the train to travel less than 60 mph in certain segments of the corridor – hardly providing the same speed or quality of service as our international counterparts. With many Midwestern cities within 400 miles of each other, the Chicago region could benefit from intercity high-speed rail. Connections between Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and Minneapolis, for example, could help alleviate traffic congestion on our highways, capacity issues in our airports, and provide quality travel alternatives.

High-speed rail in Japan - Photo Courtesy of Jim Fischer

For additional resources:

Tokyo Metropolitan Railway Networks – Japan Railway
The World’s Fastest Trains – Forbes

NEWS

Local News

Next leader must get it: Major cities need major investment – Crain’s Chicago Business “If our next president supports proven approaches to unleash the potential of metropolitan areas, the economy will start humming again.”

Dump the car and save BIG – Chicago Sun-Times “Chicago-area commuters save an average of $11,738 a year by taking public transit instead of driving, according to a study by the American Public Transportation Association.”

Chicago area is not alone in transit woes, survey says – Chicago Tribune “Some 85 percent of U.S. transit systems are reporting capacity problems, due mainly to high gas prices, according to a new survey conducted by the American Public Transportation Association, the trade group representing transit agencies.”

Railroad rumble – Chicago Tribune “Thousands of residents have turned out at Chicago-area hearings to voice concerns about CN's $300 million plan to acquire the lightly used Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway and transform it into what has been described as a rail superhighway.”

Chicago transit ridership up, but so are losses – Forbes “While high gas prices have prompted commuters to take subways and buses more often - CTA ridership was up nearly 10 percent in August compared to the previous year - fuel and other energy costs are expected to be around $37 million higher this year than last, straining the CTA's 2008 budget, the agency said.”

RTA awaits payback to help latest budget crisis – Crain’s Chicago Business “The RTA, which oversees the area’s three public transit agencies, should learn in December whether the state will restore roughly $37 million it lost by allowing seniors free passage on Pace, Metra and the Chicago Transit Authority routes.”

World News

Road tolls find business support – BBC News “Congestion charging in Northern Ireland’s towns and cities would be welcomed by many business leaders, a survey has found.”

Congress Weighs Boosting Funds for Mass Transit – Wall Street Journal “The Senate banking committee will hold a hearing Tuesday to examine how the government can strengthen mass-transit options as a way to reduce dependence on imported oil.”

High-speed rail plan a key ballot measure – San Francisco Chronicle “Proposition 1A on the Nov. 4 ballot would authorize the sale of $9.95 billion in bonds to help start construction of an 800-mile high-speed rail network that would send electric trains zipping between Northern and Southern California at up to 220 mph.”

BART considers higher fares for peak hours – San Francisco Chronicle “While the extra revenue from higher fares and parking fees could alter behavior, it also could generate additional revenue to help pay for longer-term fixes, Tumlin said.”

Still stuck in the 50’s – Baltimore Sun “Currently, states receive highway funds based on outdated criteria in which more driving generates more in gas taxes and thus garners more federal dollars.”

Paying for Roads – Washington Post “On Thursday, the House approved a bill that would infuse $8 billion into a trust fund that helps pay for America’s highways, staving off its insolvency and averting layoffs of construction workers and delays of vital transit projects.”

America’s broken infrastructure – Los Angeles Times “Congress complied last week by passing an $8-billion rescue package for the Highway Trust Fund, a bill that Bush had formerly threatened to veto but is now backing.”

California’s 220 mph High-Speed Train Will Be Emissions-Free – Clean Technica “As if the announcement of a high-speed rail line that will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2 hours and 40 minutes isn’t exciting enough, Navigant Consulting now claims that the bullet train can run with zero greenhouse gas emissions.”

Transit users get a San Francisco treat – a tax break – Los Angeles Times “It is called the 'commuter benefits ordinance,' and it says employers with 20 or more employees must do one of three things: 1. Allow employees to pay for mass transit on a pretax basis. 2. Provide employees with transportation to and from work. 3. Pay for employees' transportation to and from work.”

Resources

Access to Destinations: Refining Methods for Calculating Non-Auto Travel Times – Minnesota Department of Transportation
Rising Fuel Costs: Impacts on Transit Ridership and Agency Operations – American Public Transportation Association

Contact Information

For comments, suggestions or submissions, please contact Emily Tapia Lopez, Associate, at etapia@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6047.