High-speed Rail - Definitions

Definitions

See also: Passenger rail terminology

Multiple definitions for high-speed rail are in use worldwide.

  • The International Union of Railways (UIC) and EC Directive 96/58 define high-speed rail as systems of rolling stock and infrastructure which regularly operate at or above 250 km/h (155 mph) on new tracks, or 200 km/h (125 mph) on existing tracks. However lower speeds can be required by local constraints.
  • In the United States, the United States Code defines high-speed rail as services "reasonably expected to reach sustained speeds of more than 125 mph (200 km/h)", although the Federal Railroad Administration uses a definition of top speeds at 90 mph (145 km/h) and above. The Congressional Research Service uses the term "higher speed rail" for speeds up to 150 mph (240 km/h) and "very high speed rail" for the rail on dedicated tracks with speeds over 150 mph (240 km/h).

Some features are unique to high-speed rail: many conventionally-hauled trains – beginning with the French "Capitole", launched in 1967 – reach 200 km/h in commercial service, but are not considered to be high-speed trains.

Read more about this topic:  High-speed Rail

Famous quotes containing the word definitions:

    “What I do not like about our definitions of genius is that there is in them nothing of the day of judgment, nothing of resounding through eternity and nothing of the footsteps of the Almighty.”
    —G.C. (Georg Christoph)

    “The loosening, for some people, of rigid role definitions for men and women has shown that dads can be great at calming babies—if they take the time and make the effort to learn how. It’s that time and effort that not only teaches the dad how to calm the babies, but also turns him into a parent, just as the time and effort the mother puts into the babies turns her into a parent.”
    —Pamela Patrick Novotny (20th century)

    “Lord Byron is an exceedingly interesting person, and as such is it not to be regretted that he is a slave to the vilest and most vulgar prejudices, and as mad as the winds?
    There have been many definitions of beauty in art. What is it? Beauty is what the untrained eyes consider abominable.”
    —Edmond De Goncourt (1822–1896)