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ASSIGNMENT

OF

GEOGRAPHY

SUMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY

MRS. SHIVANI GAGAN SHARMA

BSC AIRLINES

2nd YEAR 

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  World Raiway network 

There are trains which are the fastest. Some of them are noted because they are thelargest. Some trains do not fall into any of these categories but are known to carrythe largest number of passengers. Newer versions of such super fast trains havestarted making their appearance around the length and breadth of several countries.They have made travel faster and easier for human beings. The following is the listof the fastest trains in the world!

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1. CRH2 of China

The CRH2 is a modified E 2-1000 series Shinkansen design and is one among thefastest train models in China. It is also the second Shinkansen model of train thatwas exported. The other one was the 700T series.

2. THSR – Taiwan

Th

e Taiwan High Speed Rail is roughly 335.50 kms and runs along the west coast of Taiwan. It runs to Kaohsiung city from Taipei City and is said to have started itsoperation on January 5, 2007.

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3. KTX – Korea

So

uth Korea’s high-speed rail system, the Korea Train eXpress (KTX) is operated byKorail. It has a high speed of 350km/hr and its technology is based on the FrenchTGV system. Its speed can be limited to 300 km/h for safety during normalservice. This super fast train reached a great speed of 352.4 kms per hour onDecember 16, 2004.

4. Shinkanzen – Japan

Anetwork of super fast trains connects Honshu in Japan with other major cities. Italso connects Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu and Tokyo. The super fast trains of Japan are known as shinkansen. These trains of bullet types are run by JapanRailways.

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5. Ave – Spain

AVE is an abbreviation for Alta Velocidad Española meaning High Speed. It can alsoimply bird in Spanish. Ave is a network of high speed trains that operate at speedsof up to 300 km/h and connects all important towns and cities in Spain.

6. Eurostar – UK 

Ahigh speed train service in Western Europe, Eurostar connects London and Kent inthe United Kingdom, with Brussels in Belgium and Paris and Lille in France.There are also seasonal trains to France and limited services to Disneyland ResortParis.

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7. TGV- France

A

high speed train service of France, the TGV rail service was developed by theFrench national rail operator, SNCF and GEC-Alsthom (now Alstom). The TGVrail network connects Paris with other important cities of France and also nearbycountries.

8. MLX01 – Japan

This is an older version of the maglev Shinkansen and it ran at a speed of 320 mph(515 km/h) in 1990. This was a fastest train in Japan during the 1990’s.

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9. TR-07 – Germany

Th

e TR-07 was a German maglev train which ran from Hamburg reaching a speed of 270.3 mph in 1989. Its noise level was very much reduced owing to the enginedesign. Transrapid is a German monorail which is presently amongst the quickestof all the trains in the world. It is run by magnetic levitation. During its trial, thetrain was able to reach speed upto 450 km/hour. The newer and latest versionseven reach a speed of over 500 km/hour.

10. MLU001 – Japan

TheMLU001 was a Japanese Maglev Train which ran at a speed of 248.9 mph (400.4 km/h) in 1987.This marked the way for other super fast trains that made its appearance in the 1990’s and2000’s.

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E N E R G Y

China's High-Speed-Rail Revolution

China has begun operating what is, by several measures, the world's fastest rail

line: a dedicated 968-kilometer line linking Wuhan, in the heart of central China, to

Guangzhou, on the southeastern coast. In trials, the "WuGuang" line trains (locally built variants of Japan's Shinkansen and Germany's InterCity Express high-speed

trains) clocked peak speeds of up to 394 kilometers per hour (or 245 miles per 

hour). They have also recorded an average speed of 312 kph in nonstop runs four 

times daily since the WuGuang's December 26 launch, slashing travel time from

Wuhan to Guangzhou from 10.5 hours to less than three.

WuGuang's speed blows away the reigning champion: France's TGV, which runs

from Lorraine to Champagne and averages 272 kph. It also bests China's first high-

speed train, the Beijing-to-Tianjin trains that average 230 kph, as wellas Shanghai's magnetically levitated airport shuttle trains that can hit 430 kph but

average less than 251 kph.

Rail experts say the builders of the new WuGuang line deserve more bragging

rights than the trains' European and Japanese designers.

"The high-speed rail technology implemented in China is not that much different

from the TGV, Germany's ICE, and the Shinkansen," says Rongfang Liu, a rail

expert at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. What is notable, she

and others say, is that unlike many high-speed lines that repurpose older tracks,

this one was designed from the ground up for very high-speed operation over hundreds of kilometers. Bridges and tunnels, as well as the concrete bed beneath

the track, have been designed to safely rocket passengers around, through, or over 

the natural and man-made obstacles that would otherwise force the trains to slow

down.

Plenty more speedy lines are coming in China under an ambitious build-out

initiated in 2006 by China's Ministry of Railways, and accelerated with

government stimulus funds. A two-trillion-yuan ($293 billion) plan envisions

16,000 kilometers of dedicated high-speed rail lines connecting all of China's

major cities by 2020. The first East-West segment--a link from Xi'an toZhengzhou--could begin operating as early as this month, and work is underway to

extend the Beijing-Tianjin line southward to Shanghai by 2012. WuGuang,

meanwhile, is expected to expand northward to Beijing and South to Hong Kong

 by 2013. "Over the next five years there'll be more high-speed rail added in China

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than the rest of the world combined," says Keith Dierkx, director of IBM's Beijing-

 based Global Rail Innovation Center .

High-speed rail is seen as a clean way to boost the expansion of China's

transportation system, according to Dierkx. Dedicated lines will help meet rail

demand, which is expected to more than triple to five billion passengers per year  by 2020. And building these lines is seen as preferable to further expanding

reliance on imported oil for automobiles and airplanes. Dierkx says dedicated high-

speed rail should also improve freight transportation by easing congestion on

conventional rail lines.

Building fast lines requires civil engineering works on a massive scale. WuGuang

has 625 bridges with a combined length of 362 kilometers, and 221 tunnels with a

combined length of 177 kilometers, contributing to a total construction cost of 116

 billion yuan ($17 billion). The 1,300-kilometer Beijing-to-Shanghai line will cost

an estimated 221 billion yuan--more than the Three Gorges Dam hydroelectric

 project.

However, experts say part of the high cost will be paid back through lower 

operating costs. Rather than laying rail on wood or concrete sleepers set into

crushed rock, the Chinese rails are almost exclusively set into beds of concrete

slabs designed by German rail engineering firms RAIL.ONE and Max Bögl. This

eliminates damage to the track and rolling stock caused by flying stones lifted by

turbulence from the high-speed trains. It also reduces wear on the wheels from

shifting tracks.

9 Best Train Journeys in the World

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In a modern world where traveling between destinations is viewed as a waste of time andresources, it is hard to actually comprehend the beauty of some of the most spectacular rides onthe planet. Far less comfortable, yet far more beautiful and interesting, the time spent between

two destinations is equally captivating and offers many sights and sounds.

While we are very much in a century where we have ‘no time to stand and stare’, there are stillsome awesome train rides across the globe where the trip itself turns into a destination. So howabout hopping on these 10 grand train journeys?

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Glacier Express

Arguably the slowest ‘express’ on the planet, the 180 mile ride on this delightful route takes agood 8 hours. Not that we are complaining about the pace as this offers you loads of time tocatch a glimpse of the magical panorama that lies on its path, which links the two mountain

resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. 291 bridges, 91 tunnels and an altitude of 6,670 feet make this train ride similar to an expedition through fairyland.

Spectacular, stunning and picture perfect, this is a trip that the shutter bugs will really love!

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Linking some of the best cities of Europe including London, Venice, Rome, Budapest or Prague, the Orient Express is the most charming way to travel on tracks. With scores of movies,

novels and romantic Hollywood scenes captured on this luxurious trip, this is one for those withdeep pockets. The three day trip past the beautiful countryside of France, Switzerland andAustria will cost well over 2,000 Euros for the old-age charm of the Orient Express.

Pride of Africa

The Pride of Africa is a train journey that no nature lover should ever miss if they wish toexplore the beauty, majesty and the hidden grandeur of the spectacular Dark Continent at aleisurely pace. Apart from the impeccable comfort it has to offer, the once in a year trip plannedon the ‘Pride of Africa’ will take you on a 14-day epic expedition through Cape Town, Dar EsSalaam, Kimberley, Pretoria, the Kruger National Park, Beit Bridge, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls,Lusaka and through Tanzania to Dar Es Salaam.

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Billed as the most luxurious train in the world, you’d better not lose the opportunity if you’re planning a romantic vacation through the heart of Southern Africa.

Eurostar

While not many will really be happy with the fact that you get to spend plenty of time in theEurostar under the sea, it sure offers a great mix of comfort and class. Apart from getting you toyour chosen destination in a pretty short time, it is a much better option compared to choosing

the flight between London and Paris. Innovative …

Flam Railway

Remember the awesome Norwegian Fjords? Well, here is a train ride through the world’slongest fjord Sognefjord, where on a 20 kilometer trip you’ll get to see an amazing descentfrom an altitude of almost 3,000 feet into the fjords of Flam. The ride looks both enthralling andhair-raising with its narrow passage way and the unforgettable sights

A popular tourist attraction in Norway, this is all about exploring unadulterated beauty of natureat a leisurely pace.

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Palace on Wheels

Step on the Palace on Wheels and you will find exactly what you have been promised with thename. The train that starts from Delhi in India and ends up in the royal state of Rajasthan, offerscomplete luxury on tracks, much like the pampering enjoyed by royal kings in the days long

gone. Just to roll back time, a steam engine is used to pull the train initially out of Delhi, addingfurther to the experience. An elephant welcome in Jaipur, lunch at the Lake Palace in Udaipur, acamel safari near Jaisalmer and an afternoon at the Taj Mahal; the Palace on Wheels is the mostcomfortable way to explore India.

Eastern & Oriental Express

Stretching between the ultra-modern Singapore and Bangkok, and traveling through lush greentropical forests, the Eastern and Oriental Express is modern, stylish and comfortable.

Apart from all the delights it offers in terms of cuisine and hospitality, the train journey presentsa perfect window into South-East Asia, its changing topography and the contrast between itsurban present and its naturally-endowed past.

Royal Scotsman

If you are getting on board the Royal Scotsman, then you must have really deep pockets – it’sthe most expensive train ride on the planet. Just consider the fact that a 4-day trip on the RoyalScotsman costs more than an entire 19-day first-class trip on the Trans-Siberian, and you will

get the idea. The observation car accommodates 36 passengers (yes, only 36 passengersallowed) in comfortable armchairs along with cabins specially designed for dining and other 

 purposes.

The train pulls over at night when you need to sleep and while the trip offers a great passagethrough little known waterfalls, mountains and valleys, it is obviously not for everyone.

Trans-Siberian Railway

There is hardly any doubt that a 6000 mile ride across the vastness of Russia that carries youover a distance of one-third the planet is the grand daddy of them all. The Trans-Siberian trainride is a journey that has already achieved a mythical status for the vastness it encompasses andthe magnitude of brilliance that it has in store.

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From Vladivostok across Siberia to Moscow and then to St. Petersburg, the 19-day ride offersmore than you could ever find on any other train. Carriages once used by the Politburo are fittedwith two bedrooms, a bathroom and a sitting/dining-room, complete with private chef.Carrying you in comfort across seven time zones, this is the ultimate experience on tracks.

It is a unique feeling to carry home when your whole journey becomes your destination as thereis never a dull moment on your trip. Instead of waiting for fun and good times to start rolling asyou sit in your airline seat, the great train journeys turn every moment into a memory you cancherish for a lifetime.

The World’s 7 Best High Speed Rail Networks

Obama’s $8

 billion gambit for high-speed rail in the stimulus package may be the country’s

largest-ever investment in its railways, but America is still decades behind the

curve when it comes to fast trains. We reviewed the state of the high speed rail in

other countries around the world, and came up with this ranking of the best

networks. We could do a lot worse than to emulate any one of them.

7. Germany

Germany began developing its high-speed rail program just after France introduced

its own in the 1980s, but though InterCityExpress (ICE) trains are a common sight

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on the Teutonic landscape, they rarely run at their maximum speeds. In fact,

though Germany is Europe’s biggest economy, it only has two rail lines operating 

at speeds of 180 mph or above: between Frankfurt and Cologne and between

Munich and Nuremburg. Much of the rest of the country is connected via lines

running at about 120 mph. The result are relatively slow travel speeds: the trip between Munich and Berlin takes almost six hours, compared to three on a similar-

distance Paris-Marseille TGV.

ICE trains were subject to major mechanical flaws in the late 1990s, culminating in

the Eschede disaster in 1998, when a train slammed into a bridge at full speed,

killing more than 100 people. The problem was the German train operator’s lack of  

maintenance on the steel wheels, which were subjected to excessive wear and tear;

a crack developed on a ring surrounding the wheel, eventually causing it to

dislodge and push the train off the tracks. (It should be noted that since then there

has not been a major accident on the German rail network and that, in general,high-speed rail is one of the world’s safest commuting options, with a perfect

record in France, Japan, Spain, and Italy. Germany’s experience was a rare

deviation from the norm.)

6. Italy

Italy isn’t often given credit for its efforts, but it was the first country in Europe to

offer high-speed rail, starting in 1978 between Rome and Florence. Until recently,

however, the network hasn’t been expanding very quickly, with Venice and Genoa

consistently left out of the fold and the Rome-Milan line severely limited becauseof delays between Florence and Bologna.

But the opening last year of the new link between Milan and Bologna has cut the

travel time between the cities in half to just 65 minutes. And connections south of 

 Naples and north of Florence are in construction, as are links north to Austria

through the giant Brenner Base Tunnel and west to France through the

 planned Lyon-Turin link .

Italy’s transportation future may lie in privatized high-speed rail lines, since it will

  be the first country in Europe to offer such service.  Nuovo Trasporto 

Viaggiatori will use brand-new Alstom AGV trainsets to compete directly with thestate-run lines beginning in 2011.

5. Japan

In 1964, Japan began operating the Shinkansen, the world’s first high-speed trains,

 between Tokyo and Osaka. Today, the country’s network extends almost 1,500

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miles, from Tokyo north to Hachinohe and south to Hakata; new lines extending

the network west to Kanazawa, south to Nagasaki, and north to Sapporo are in the

 planning phase.

The most important route, running from Tokyo to Osaka, often sees overcrowding,

forcing some trains to operate at 200% capacity. But the network simply cannothandle more vehicles – they already operate every five minutes at peak periods – 

so the country is busy developing a maglev line that will parallel the existing route.

Unfortunately, it won’t be ready until 2025.

As excellent as Japan’s rail system is, the privatization of the railways in 1987 into

six separate entities, all managing distinct portions of the network, makes through

connections between different parts of Japan difficult, sometimes requiring a train

change on routes that should be direct.

4. TaiwanTaiwan opened its high-speed rail line, which runs the length of the western coast

of the country, only two years ago, but it has been so successful that

competing bus and air service has already been scaled way back. That’s because

theTaiwan High Speed Rail Corporation runs trains at 180 mph and reduced the

travel time by rail from Taipei in the north to Kaohsiung in the south from 4.5

hours to just 90 minutes.

The project was subject to a number of problems, including an internal battle over 

whether European or Japanese technology would be used for the line (the latter 

was ultimately picked). Its construction was also marred by an electrical system  breakdown. But its operation has been problem-free.

The country’s $15 billion investment in fast rail services was significant, but the

  project was tolerable for the nation’s pocketbook because80% of the total 

costs were covered by private investors. The private company that runs the service

isalready operating at a profit and slowly but surely paying back initial capital

costs. Along with being a boon to travelers, Taiwan’s high-speed railway makes

economic sense.

3. France

France’s Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) is probably the best-known brand in high-

speed rail because the service, which first opened for the public in 1981, has been

consistently reliable, fast, and convenient. Now the network, extending in all

directions from Paris, ensures that the vast majority of French citizens have easy

access to their capital – which explains why the service attracts 100 million

 passengers a year. International high-speed connections to England, Germany, and

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Belgium are in service, and fast links to Italy and Spain are under construction.

France’s network already forms the backbone of the European rail network , a status

that is expected only to improve in the coming years with the completion of more

track.

France is investing quickly in new lines, hoping to speed services between the provinces, rather than just to and from Paris. Lyon will be getting a line north to 

Strasbourg on the German border, and Toulouse, which currently lacks a high-

speed link, will be connected directly to Bordeaux. Meanwhile, TGVs are likely to

get faster, with tests in 2007 pushing a modified train set to speeds of 345 mph.

TGVs offer speedy service – the trip between Paris and Marseille, at 450 miles,

can be completed in just three hours – but what makes French rail really special is

its accessibility. Since the first line was inaugurated, the French government has

operated the trains under the motto “TGV pour tous,” meaning fast rail for 

everyone. As a result, the trains aren’t luxurious, but they’re comfortable andcheap enough for anyone to ride. That’s especially true because of the national rail

company’s discounts for the poor, the young, the old, the sick, and large families.

There’s little cost incentive in France to take the slow train.

Even so, the national rail company made over a billion Euros in profit in 

2007 and half a billion in 2008, even as the economic crisis started to bite. France’s

example shows that it is possible to imagine fast railways that are accessible to the

rich and to the poor, for travel over short and long distances, that don’t break the

national bank.

2. China

It’s hard to believe that China’s first high-speed train began operating last year. By

2020, the Chinese government plans to have constructed 8000 miles of a fast rail 

network . Focusing on the country’s heavily populated eastern seaboard, trains will

operate at 180 mph and above between Beijing and Shanghai and Hong Kong, and

 between Xuzhou and Lanzhou and Hangzhou and Changsha. Meanwhile, many of 

the other major cities in the country will be upgraded to 120 mph operation.

The 800 mile Beijing-Shanghai line, which will open for operations next year, and

will reduce travel time from 14 hours to 5, attracting an estimated 220,000 daily  passengers and should dramatically reduce air travel between the metropolises.

Shanghai’s maglev system, which began operations in 2004, connects the city

center with the airport some 30 km away. The trains travel up to 431 km/h on

regular runs, making it the fastest operating passenger railway in the world. An

extension to Hangzhou, the city’s other airport, is under consideration.

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Though China has signed several huge contracts with Germany’s Siemens

for hundreds of high-speed trainsets, the expansion of high-speed rail has also

inspired the growth of native Chinese rail manufacturers, which are also selling 

some of the system’s rail vehicles. Not only will high-speed rail make travel faster 

and more convenient in China–it’s also foster scientific ingenuity and a newdomestic industry.

1. Spain

In 1992, Spain’s first high-speed rail link opened between the capital in Madrid

and the southern city of Seville. In the intervening years, the country has invested

significantly in its AVE high-speed rail services, building lines southeast from

Madrid to Malaga, northwest to Valladolid, and west to Barcelona. Those

extensions have already given the country one of the world’s largest fast rail

networks, but it’s what Spain is planning for the years ahead that makes its program the world’s best.

By 2020, the country will have 10,000 kilometers of high-speed lines all within a

land area smaller than Texas. Spain’sStrategic Infrastructure and Transportation

 Plan goes a step further by encouraging transporting freight on rail, pushing back 

against the steady drift towards road transport of freight in Europe in recent

decades.

Finally, Spain’s program emphasizes interconnectivity with its neighbors France

and Portugal, with which it shares open borders. These connections, including a

cross-border tunnel north of Barcelona currently under construction, will allow thenation’s citizens easy train access to the rest of Europe. Even more exciting is a

 plan to build a tunnel under the Mediterranean to Morocco, a project yet to be

funded but which would dramatically alter relationships between Europe and

Africa.

Yonah Freemark is an independent researcher currently working in France on

comparative urban development as part of a Gordon Grand Fellowship from Yale

University, from which he graduated in May 2008 with a BA in architecture. He

writes about transportation and land use issues for The Transport Politic and TheInfrastructurist.

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