High speed trains are racing across the world. But not in America

[John Ashworth]

High speed trains are racing across the world. But not in America

High speed trains have proved their worth across the world over the past 50 years. It’s not just in reducing journey times, but more importantly, it’s in driving economic growth, creating jobs and bringing communities closer together. China, Japan and Europe lead the way. So why doesn’t the United States have a high-speed rail network like those? For the richest and most economically successful nation on the planet, with an increasingly urbanized population of more than 300 million, it’s a position that is becoming more difficult to justify... “Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. They are hopelessly stuck with a highway and airline mindset”... Powerful airline, oil and auto industry lobbies in Washington have spent millions maintaining that superiority, but their position is weakening in the face of environmental concerns and worsening congestion...