High-Speed Rail: Good or Bad?

Science/Business | Nithya Kunta | January 9th, 2023.

High-speed rail is a form of rail system that runs significantly faster than conventional rail, reaching speeds up to 190-220 mph. Several countries have already implemented high-speed rail, including China, Japan, Germany, and France. As states like California, Florida, and Texas are investing or looking to invest in high-speed rail, the benefits of the new mode of transportation are being heavily debated.

Investing in high-speed rail may improve the economy by creating jobs in the form of building, operating, and maintaining the network and manufacturing. Based on a conservative estimate from the Mineta Transportation Institute, high-speed rail would create nearly 725,000 jobs annually over five years. Furthermore, high-speed rail could connect cities and rural areas with employment centers and business opportunities. This is why overall, Martin Brosnan of the Urbanist quantifies that a high-speed rail line would create $355 billion in economic growth for only $24 billion of investment, a return on investment of 14 times.

Unfortunately, high-speed rail also has the potential of exacerbating climate change. Not only do high-speed trains require more energy, but the construction and maintenance of rail infrastructure also demand heavy resource extraction. For example, the California line alone will release 9.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. These emissions may not be offset, as one estimate finds that this project will need to operate for 71 years at average capacity to neutralize the emissions needed to build the line. 

High-speed rail can give the US an economic boost but can also reduce the world’s timeframe to reverse the impacts of climate change. Do the benefits outweigh the harms?