China has had its share of high-profile failures (and successes) of late, but a recent high-speed rail crash has shaken the people's confidence more than past mishaps.
America's very successful freight train system will have to make some compromises to accommodate high-speed rail, but those needn't be the end of the world.
In the late 1980s, both Texas and Spain proposed high-speed rail systems: Texas walked away from the idea, while Spain leapt in a little too exuberantly.
While paying for its hefty infrastructure costs may be ambitious, many high-speed rail systems cover their operating costs and even turn a small operating profit.
German high-speed trains started in the provinces, too, but now have a fast, efficient and popular system crisscrossing the nation.
Using rail lines for the energy grid may help a suddenly nuclear-shy Germany transition to wider use of renewable sources.
Past experiences suggest that terrorists who want to derail a train are facing a much more complex task than just leaving a penny on the rail.
Keeping trains safe and keeping trains moving has been a balancing act in Germany, and so far all the weights are on the side of no waiting.
Will investing in speed and electrification create the "sparks effect" needed to convince Americans to ride high-speed rail?
The Obama administration has come through with some serious money for high-speed rail, but arguments that this might be money ill spent don’t spring solely from political nay-saying.
For the U.S. to have world-class high-speed trains, the government will have to subsidize them. The investment would be small compared to the billions lavished on highways and airports.
The United States has lagged behind other industrialized countries in providing high-speed rail, but the stimulus package includes a big boost advocates have been praying for.
A Danish professor promotes a cure for billion-dollar cost overruns in government megaprojects: Use past boondoggles as a baseline.
Former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis is baffled that a missing piece of America's transportation puzzle — passenger rail — isn't on the radar this election year.