The economics and politics of high speed rail

About this book

This book introduces the main questions policy makers and scholars should examine when considering and studying high speed rail (HSR) implementation, with particular emphasis on the US's recent interest in this technology and possible application in California. The authors then review the experiences of the most significant implementations of HSR around the globe. This in-depth international perspective includes chapters on the pioneers of HSR (Japan and France), the European followers (Germany, Spain and Italy), as well as Asian experiences in China, Taiwan, and Korea. Among the most relevant findings, this study highlights how HSR projects that do not satisfy highly restrictive conditions-on mobility patterns, measured costs, and economically rational designs-that make it desirable have been the source of huge financial debacles and the economic failure of HSR in most cases, which result in unfortunate consequences for taxpayers.