All articles tagged with #high speed rail
The US lacks true high-speed rail due to historical underfunding, geographic challenges, and strong lobbying from auto and aviation industries. Recent developments include Brightline's bankruptcy and the launch of Amtrak's NextGen Acela, which offers limited speed improvements but faces significant hurdles.
The 1,764-ton tunnel boring machine 'Aurora' has begun excavating the 4.4-kilometer Melito Tunnel, the final underground segment of the Apice-Hirpinia section on Italy's new Naples-Bari high-speed rail line. After completing the 2-kilometer Grottaminarda Tunnel, the machine was dismantled, transported across the Ufita River via a temporary steel bridge, and reassembled to start this new drive. Powered by 18 motors generating 6.3 megawatts, Aurora will operate at depths up to 130 meters, installing over 22,200 concrete segments. This move marks a critical milestone for the project, which aims to connect Campania and Puglia regions and forms part of the European TEN-T network.
A YouTuber rode China's CRH2E sleeper train from Beijing to Shenzhen, featuring over 800 hotel-like pods with curtains, a dining bistro, and onboard amenities. He slept from 10 pm to 6 am on a roughly 12-hour journey at speeds up to 155 mph, noting the beds were surprisingly comfortable and the ride smooth, though space is tight and doors aren’t lockable.
Dunlop Tires North America CEO Darren Thomas criticizes California’s new replacement-tire efficiency rules as rushed and insufficiently tested, urging real-world validation and noting potential price hikes and broader tire-performance trade-offs; he likens the move to California’s High-Speed Rail project and suggests exploring options like tire-pressure management before the 2029 rollout.
California's $231 billion high-speed rail project is at risk of running out of cash by the end of 2027. The project needs an immediate $2.2 billion for fiscal year 2027–28, costs have ballooned to about $231B with completion pushed to 2039, and more than $5.7B has been spent on delay and change orders (including $537M to a single contractor). Construction is now focused mainly on a 119-mile Central Valley segment, while the rest awaits environmental reviews under CEQA and Phase 2 extensions remain largely stalled.
A Chicago startup pitches a privately funded, ultra-fast rail link from O’Hare to the Loop, claiming 15-minute travel times. The plan promises transformative congestion relief but hinges on massive funding, regulatory approvals, and a favorable public-private partnership, with experts cautious on feasibility and timeline.
California’s High-Speed Rail Authority Board approved an American-led consortium (Kiewit, Stacey Witbeck, Herzog) to install electrified track, overhead catenary, and signaling for the nation’s first true high-speed rail system, enabling speeds up to 220 mph on 119 miles in the Central Valley; work will begin as civil construction segments are completed, using the Kern County railhead as a staging hub and direct procurement of long-lead materials, with a 25% small-business participation goal and an expectation of thousands of jobs and billions in economic impact for California.
On Real Time with Bill Maher, California Gov. Gavin Newsom faced sharp questions about mounting costs in the state — from sky‑high gas prices and rents to the long‑troubled high‑speed rail project — with Maher pressing Newsom to acknowledge the problems and Newsom defending his record while noting national‑politics tensions and his stance against Trump.
Spain’s celebrated high-speed rail system is facing a deep crisis after a deadly Andalusia crash that killed 45, followed by a series of incidents, service disruptions, and renewed scrutiny of maintenance and funding as investigators probe potential track faults and safety weaknesses amid growing public and political anxiety.
At least 40 people were killed when the tail of a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming train near Adamuz in Andalusia; 41 hospitalized (12 in ICU) and 81 discharged, as DNA identification helps authorities identify victims. Spain's prime minister declared three days of national mourning, and rescue efforts continued amid service disruptions on Madrid–Andalusia routes. The cause is unknown and could take a month to determine; the trains were within the 250 kph limit on a track renovated in May, involving Renfe and the private Iryo.
At least 39 people were killed and dozens hospitalized after a Madrid-bound high-speed train derailed near Adamuz, Córdoba, colliding with a southbound train. Rescue crews faced a remote crash site as authorities opened DNA-based identifications and expanded the search for the missing; the cause remains unknown, the stretch was straight and renovated, and the crash is Spain’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013.
Two high‑speed trains collided near Adamuz in Andalusia, Spain, on Sunday night, killing at least 39 and seriously injuring 12 as investigators assess the disaster. The crash disrupted a rural area, with the local hall serving as an emergency centre where injured were taken, and residents and officials providing blankets, food and support. Guardia Civil offices were opened for relatives to seek information, and the community rallied to aid victims of the Iryo Málaga–Madrid and Renfe Madrid–Huelva services.
Two high-speed trains collided near Córdoba in southern Spain, killing at least 39 people and injuring dozens as rescue teams work to reach victims; the exact cause remains unclear and an investigation could take weeks, with authorities describing the crash as Spain's worst rail disaster in over a decade.
A high-speed train derailed and collided with another on Spain’s Madrid–Seville line in Adamuz, Córdoba, killing at least 21 and injuring about 73, with the death toll expected to rise. About 300 passengers were aboard the first train; the cause remains unclear and investigators are examining track and equipment after recent renovations. Rail service on Madrid–Andalucía routes was suspended as crews work the wreckage, making this the deadliest Spanish rail disaster since 2013 Santiago de Compostela.
A high-speed train derailed near Córdoba, Spain, collided with an oncoming train, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens as rescue workers searched wreckage; the cause is unknown, the track had been renovated recently, and a full investigation could take weeks to months, with hundreds of passengers affected and services disrupted.