To be fair, the “miles of rail” statistic is one that a tiny island like Japan would never lead the world in for very long. They’ve got so much track I’m pretty sure all of their new HSR comes from upgrading existing lines rather than building new ones. It’s absolutely wild seeing China’s production of it take off in 2007 though.
I’m pretty sure all of their new HSR comes from upgrading existing lines rather than building new ones.
Most older Japanese track didn’t meet the grade and turn requirements for Shinkansen track, so much of it had to be built from scratch. That’s why there’s so many HSR stations in Japan named “New <Place>” - they couldn’t get the new track into existing stations.
Current examples would be the Chuo Linear Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagoya, which is a brand new maglev track that takes a different route from even existing HSR tracks. There’s also the Sapporo leg of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which I understand to be completely new track.
lol, if they look like they’re behind I’m pretty sure it’s because China is coming back around to lap you. And not for the first time either…
To be fair, the “miles of rail” statistic is one that a tiny island like Japan would never lead the world in for very long. They’ve got so much track I’m pretty sure all of their new HSR comes from upgrading existing lines rather than building new ones. It’s absolutely wild seeing China’s production of it take off in 2007 though.
Most older Japanese track didn’t meet the grade and turn requirements for Shinkansen track, so much of it had to be built from scratch. That’s why there’s so many HSR stations in Japan named “New <Place>” - they couldn’t get the new track into existing stations.
Current examples would be the Chuo Linear Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagoya, which is a brand new maglev track that takes a different route from even existing HSR tracks. There’s also the Sapporo leg of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which I understand to be completely new track.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy: