Why The U.S. Doesn't Get High-speed Rail

What is it about high-speed rail that the U.S. doesn't get? An online publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Spectrum, explores why in the Northeastern corridor, "the very place that could and should be one of its greatest success stories of all, high-speed rail remains a disappointment." The article details the problems with Amtrak's high-speed Acela train and the shortcomings of the Northeast corridor. "High-speed rail should be designed and built as a system, with a dedicated right-of-way that has the alignment and trackage with the limited curvature and superelevation (raised outer curves enhance both safety and passenger comfort) demanded by high-speed operation," the article points out. "And it needs compatible rolling stock," none of which are present in the Northeast. Nevertheless, the author concludes that high-speed rail's time is coming in North America.

Thanks to Dateline APA