Rail cars carry passengers throughout Europe and Asia, and have become an integral part of business and commerce. Allowable passenger rail speeds vary depending on the type of train and the physical conditions. For example, the Federal Railway Association limits passenger rail speeds to 59 miles per hour without block signal systems.
The Federal Railway Administration has set a speed limit of 60 miles per hour for the majority of types of freight trains. Additional speed limits are placed on freight trains traveling through cities and towns, or for specific types of road and bridge crossings. Freight trains are an energy efficient way of transporting dry goods, materials and containers across the country. However, in order to maintain maximum speeds, rails themselves must undergo routine maintenance and replacement.
The Federal Railway Association defines high-speed rail as speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour. High-speed rail is being proposed between San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento at a price of $42 billion. Proponents of high-speed rail welcome its increased efficiency, tourism and positive economic benefits. Critics of high-speed rail are concerned about the effects high-speed rail would have on the existing network of passenger and freight rail systems.
In 2008, Congress passed a law requiring positive train control by 2015. Positive train control will apply to rail systems in the United States used to carry passengers or transport toxic-to-inhale substances. Positive train control is an integrated system designed to slow or stop the speed of a train automatically to prevent catastrophic collisions and derailments. These systems under development are extremely complex technologies that require an enormous amount of research, development, testing and funding.
