Scenarios about 'high-speed rail'
High-speed rail refers to passenger train systems operating at speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph) or higher on dedicated tracks. First pioneered by Japan's Shinkansen in 1964, these networks have expanded globally, particularly in Europe and East Asia, revolutionizing intercity travel with reduced journey times and environmental benefits. In alternate history scenarios, different patterns of high-speed rail development often reflect divergent technological priorities, economic systems, or geopolitical relationships between nations.
What If China's High-Speed Rail Network Took a Different Form?
Exploring the alternate timeline where China pursued a different high-speed rail development strategy, potentially reshaping its economic development, urbanization patterns, and global influence.
What If European High-Speed Rail Developed Earlier?
Exploring the alternate timeline where European high-speed rail networks emerged in the immediate post-war period, radically transforming transportation patterns, urban development, and European integration decades before our timeline.
What If Japan's Bullet Train Network Expanded Differently?
Exploring the alternate timeline where Japan's shinkansen system followed a different expansion path, fundamentally altering the nation's economic geography, urban development, and transportation culture.