Hi! Thanks for the question.
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I believe that your report should focus on three things, high speed
railway history, technology, and social issues so as to get a
comprehensive discussion about the topic.
A great initial stop is the TGV website. It has history, technological
and other resources discussing the high speed train technology in
France where this technology is prevalent.
TGV Basics
http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/background.html
Early TGV history
http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/history.html
The TGV Website
http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/tgvindex.html
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Another good resource for high speed train history and technology is
High Speed Rail (HSR) which has worldwide coverage of this technology.
High Speed Rail (HSR)
http://www.o-keating.com/hsr/
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Another variety of this technology is MAGLEVS or Magnetically
levitated Trains. The following are links to discussions about this
technology.
Maglevs (Magnetically levitated trains)
http://www.o-keating.com/hsr/maglev.htm
Magnetic attraction: High speed trains
By Peter N. Spotts | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1213/p15s1-stct.html
The project which is the realization of MAGLEVS is the Japanese bullet
train.
SHINKANSEN HIGH SPEED 'BULLET TRAIN', JAPAN
http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/shinkansen/
------------------
In terms of social effects of high speed trains the following
documents will be of help.
Our next links discusses the commercial viability of such trains.
“SOME TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL AND ORGANISATIONAL
ASPECTS OF HIGH-SPEED TRAINS” (discussion of the economics of high
speed trains in Europe)
http://www.pp.bme.hu/tr/1999_1/pdf/tr1999_1_10.pdf
Southeast High Speed Rail
http://www.sehsr.org/reports/FactSheet5.PDF
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The following links meanwhile provides insights on the social and also
economical effects of high speed trains. I will provide direct
quotations from the articles so as to save you time but I highly
recommend that you read them in their complete form.
“The project is now under way because governors, transportation
planners, and citizen activists from nine Midwest states united in the
late 1990s to develop a world-class, intercity rail network. The
Midwest system is one of eight proposed high-speed rail corridors in
the United States. The others are located in upstate New York,
California, Florida, Pennsylvania, between Oregon and Washington,
between Washington D.C. and Florida on the Atlantic Coast, and between
Texas and Alabama on the Gulf Coast.”
“Rail backers pitch high-speed rail as a relaxing, reliable, and
energy-efficient alternative to driving and air travel. They point out
that 18 of the country's 20 most delay-prone airports, as well as
miles of congested highways, are located along the proposed corridors.
High-speed trains can reduce traffic and relieve clogged airports by
moving medium-distance, intercity traffic off the roads and runways
and onto rail.”
“Take a Fast Train”
High-Speed, Intercity Rail Coming to Midwest
By DUSTY FANCHER and KELLY THAYER
http://www.mlui.org/pubs/glb/glb13-01/glb13-12.asp
“Japan has created a system of mass train transit that is able to move
a tremendous amount of people in a very fast time. Japan also does not
share our problems of over crowded roads, a car dominated society, and
overly populated airports because the train industry dominates the
transportation field there. With their continuing technology in the
field, they are able to establish an even better transport system than
what they have. The Japanese are continually looking to improve a
system that has already established a punctual schedule and efficient
system. Many countries, including the United States could learn from
the examples of the Japanese.”
“An Overlooked Solution High-Speed Trains” by Steven Rocca (Loyola
College in Maryland)
http://www.loyola.edu/dept/philosophy/techne/rocca.htm
“HIGH-SPEED railways---those operating at speeds between 200 and
350km/h---have a crucial and increasing role in the mobility of
billions, yes billions, of people. Mr Gunther Ellwanger, director of
high-speed at the Paris-based International Union of Railways (UIC),
says that high-speed issues are different today compared with only a
few years ago, and include great advantages for third world
countries.”
“Third World Countries Need High-Speed Rail”
Mike Knutton
Senior Editorial Consultant
http://www.railjournal.com/2001-03/highspeed.html
--------------------------------
It would also be helpful to find current events articles regarding the
high speed transport system. Here are the following things I found:
High-Speed Trains Shut Down Again
By Don Phillips of the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A24067-2002Aug15¬Found=true
“Amtrak finds more flaws in high-speed trains”
http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/796820.asp#BODY
“High-speed train hard to get running”
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/news/stories/20020929/localnews/184144.html
“Governor signs California high-speed rail plan”
http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2002/09/19/rtr726367.html
For more news about high speed trains, this Google News Page provides
links to other sources;
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=%22high+speed+trains%22
Search terms used:
“high speed rail transit”
“high speed trains” economic, technology social issues
I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
Thanks for visiting us at Google Answers.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga |
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