Railways are frequently promoted as one of the most sustainable modes of transport. However, their impact will in practice be significantly affected by the ways in which they are designed, constructed, and used. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the issues involved in planning,...

From its origin with the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, High Speed Rail (HSR), defined here as new rail lines capable of operating speeds of 250 kilometres per hour or more, has grown relatively slowly over the last 50 years, with the World HSR network as of late 2013 standing at under 22 000 km....