The Second Age of Rail: A History of High-Speed Trains

By Murray Hughes

Speed on steel wheels has fascinated engineers for nearly two centuries, and a string of stunning records in the last 25 years has pushed railway engineering towards new frontiers. Japan--pioneer of high-speed train technology--set the precedent with its legendary bullet trains in 1964; since then a dozen countries have joined the high-speed revolution. Today, China is setting the pace as it crafts a nationwide network of super-railways, and Morocco and Saudi Arabia are on the cusp of launching trains that travel at 300km/h. The USA lags far behind, outpaced by Asia and Western Europe, where Eurostar links London to the international high-speed network--although a new-generation railway to northern England is still missing. Here is the full story of high-speed trains, retold in a journey across countries and continents.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0750993987
• ISBN13: 9780750993982
• Release Date: September 2020
• Publisher: History Press
• Length: 204 Pages