High‐Speed Rail Systems in the United States

A great resurgence of interest in High Speed Rail (HSR) Systems is occurring in the U.S. Several intercity corridors are under detailed scrutiny for application of various HSR technologies that have been developed or are in use outside the U.S. At present, all the HSR studies are in the physical and financial feasibility Stages. The HSR industry is projecting that the U.S. has a potential for spending several billions of dollars on HSR systems. If the studies show that these systems are feasible, especially financially, the feasibility studies will lead to preliminary engineering, detailed design and eventually, to the deployment of HSR systems in the U.S.; in such a case, civil engineers around the country will play a major role in planning, design, construction and operation of the new intercity transportation systems. This paper reviews the ongoing effort in the area of HSR systems in the U.S. and presents an overview of the state‐of‐the‐art HSR and Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) technologies presently considered for the intercity corridors of the U.S. The paper also includes an examination of issues associated with implementing HSR systems in the U.S.