PERSPECTIVES OF HIGH SPEED RAIL TRANSPORT IN SHORT-MEDIUM PERIOD

Abstract In this paper an analytic method to evaluate technical and economic conditions of convenience for new high speed lines in guided transport systems, is described. In particular it answers the following main questions: what are the conditions to construct a new high speed line; what is the optimal operational speed of a new line; which is the better between two systems, differing in costs structure and quality of performance? It is shown that a modern railway, able to reach a speed up to 300 km/h, is in short-medium period better than contactless systems so far tested. In the last part of the paper a hypothesis of a new generation contactless system is outlined. A comparison with high speed railway shows that, from a theoretical point of view, this new system called “synthesis solution,” could be in the future the real competitor of the railway.