The second age of rail
Subtitle: a history of high-speed trains
By: Murray Hughes
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9780750961455
Subjects: Passenger trains; High speed trains; Railroad trains; History
Other titles: History of high-speed trains
Description: Speed on steel wheels has fascinated engineers for nearly two centuries, and a string of stunning records in the last twenty-five years has pushed railway engineering towards new frontiers. Japan - pioneer of high-speed train technology - set the precedent with its legendary bullet trains in 1964; since then a dozen countries have joined the high-speed revolution. Today, China is setting the pace as it crafts a nationwide network of super-railways, and Morocco and Saudi Arabia are on the cusp of launching trains that travel at 300km/h. The USA lags far behind, outpaced by Asia and Western Europe, where Eurostar links London to the international high-speed network - although a new-generation railway to northern England is still missing. Here is the full story of high-speed trains, retold in a journey across countries and continents.
Notes: Includes index.

"Details of selected high-speed trains": page 189; "Selected rail speed records": pages 190-191.
Table of contents: title: Records reap rewards; title: Bullet trains in business; title: Powerful forces keep maglev afloat; title: TGV takes the lead; title: Frecciarossa versus Italo; title: ICE lifts the market; title: A question of gauge; title: Asian tigers join the speed club; title: The dragon storms on to the stage; title: Desert dreams come true; title: Trial and error on Russian metals; title: The American enigma; title: High hopes in the Low Countries; title: Britain on a branch line.