Editing High-speed rail (section)

===Early research===
[[File:STES-AEG Versuchstriebwagen.jpg|thumb|The German 1903 record holder]]

====First experiments====
High-speed rail development began in Germany in 1899 when the [[Prussian state railways|Prussian state railway]] joined with ten electrical and engineering firms and electrified {{convert|72|km|abbr=on}} of military owned railway between [[Marienfelde]] and [[Zossen]]. The line used [[Three-phase electric power|three-phase current]] at [[Volt|10 kilovolts]] and [[Hertz|45 Hz]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

The Van der Zypen & Charlier company of [[Deutz, Cologne]] built two railcars, one fitted with electrical equipment from [[Siemens & Halske|Siemens-Halske]], the second with equipment from ''[[AEG (German company)|Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft]]'' (AEG), that were tested on the [[Marienfelde]]–[[Zossen]] line during 1902 and 1903 (see [[Experimental three-phase railcar]]).{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

On 23 October 1903, the S&H-equipped railcar achieved a speed of {{convert|206.7|km/h|abbr=on}} and on 27 October the AEG-equipped railcar achieved {{convert|210.2|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="wrf_sith">Sith Sastrasinh, "[http://www.worldrailfans.info/forum/index.php?/topic/2292-electrical-train-marienfelde-zossen-in-1901/?p=18578 Electrical Train Marienfelde–Zossen in 1901] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911101535/http://www.worldrailfans.info/forum/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F2292-electrical-train-marienfelde-zossen-in-1901%2F%3Fp=18578 |date=11 September 2016 }}", 21 January 2000, WorldRailFans. Accessed 23 January 2013.</ref> These trains demonstrated the feasibility of electric high-speed rail; however, regularly scheduled electric high-speed rail travel was still more than 30 years away.

====High-speed aspirations====
After the breakthrough of electric railroads, it was clearly the infrastructure – especially the cost of it – which hampered the introduction of high-speed rail. Several disasters happened – derailments, head-on collisions on single-track lines, collisions with road traffic at grade crossings, etc. The physical laws were well-known, i.e. if the speed was doubled, the curve radius should be quadrupled; the same was true for the acceleration and braking distances.
[[File:Károly Zipernowsky.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Károly Zipernowsky]]

In 1891, engineer [[Károly Zipernowsky]] proposed a high-speed line from Vienna to Budapest for electric railcars at {{convert|250|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Krettek|1975|p= 47}} In 1893 Wellington Adams proposed an [[air-line railroad|air-line]] from Chicago to St. Louis of {{convert|252|mi}},{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=27}} at a speed of only {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}.

[[File:CNY map.png|thumb|right|upright=1.4|1907 map showing the projected Chicago–New York Electric Air Line Railroad]]
Alexander C. Miller had greater ambitions. In 1906, he launched the ''[[Chicago-New York Electric Air Line Railroad]]'' project to reduce the running time between the two big cities to ten hours by using electric {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} locomotives. After seven years of effort, less than {{convert|50|km|abbr=on}} of straight track was finished.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=27}} A part of the line is still used as one of the last interurbans in the US.

====High-speed interurbans====
In the US, some of the [[interurban]]s (i.e. trams or [[streetcar]]s which run from city to city) of the early 20th century were very high-speed for their time (also Europe had and still does have some interurbans). Several high-speed rail technologies have their origin in the interurban field.

In 1903 – 30 years before the conventional railways started to streamline their trains – the officials of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition organised the Electric Railway Test Commission to conduct a series of tests to develop a carbody design that would reduce wind resistance at high speeds. A long series of tests was carried.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=68}} In 1905, [[St. Louis Car Company]] built a railcar for the traction magnate [[Henry E. Huntington]], capable of speeds approaching {{cvt|100|mph|order=flip}}. Once it ran {{cvt|20|mi|order=flip}} between Los Angeles and Long Beach in 15 minutes, an average speed of {{cvt|80|mph|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=60}} However, it was too heavy for much of the tracks, so [[Cincinnati Car Company]], [[J. G. Brill Company|J. G. Brill]] and others pioneered lightweight constructions, use of aluminium alloys, and low-level [[bogie]]s which could operate smoothly at extremely high speeds on rough interurban tracks. [[Westinghouse Licensing Corporation|Westinghouse]] and [[General Electric]] designed motors compact enough to be mounted on the bogies. From 1930 on, the [[Red Devil (interurban)|Red Devils]] from Cincinnati Car Company and a some other interurban rail cars reached about {{convert|145|km/h|abbr=on}} in commercial traffic. The Red Devils weighed only 22 tons though they could seat 44 passengers.

Extensive [[wind tunnel]] research – the first in the railway industry – was done before J. G. Brill in 1931 built the [[Bullet (interurban)|Bullet]] cars for [[Philadelphia and Western Railroad]] (P&W). They were capable of running at {{cvt|92|mph|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=72}} Some of them were almost 60 years in service.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ruins.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/built-to-last-jg-brills-bullets/ |title=Built to Last: J.G. Brill's 'Bullets' |date=5 April 2007}}</ref> P&W's [[Norristown High Speed Line]] is still in use, almost 110 years after P&W in 1907 opened their double-track Upper Darby–Strafford line without a single grade crossing with roads or other railways. The entire line was governed by an absolute block signal system.{{sfn|Middleton|1968|p=10}}

====Early German high-speed network====
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-14151, "Fliegender Hamburger", DRG 778.jpg|thumb|The German Fliegender Hamburger]]
On 15 May 1933, the [[Deutsche Reichsbahn|Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft]] company introduced the diesel-powered "[[DRG Class SVT 877|Fliegender Hamburger]]" in regular service between [[Berlin–Hamburg Railway|Hamburg and Berlin]] ({{convert|286|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), thereby achieving a new top speed for a regular service, with a top speed of {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}. This train was a streamlined multi-powered unit, albeit diesel, and used [[Jakobs bogie]]s.

Following the success of the Hamburg line, the steam-powered [[Henschel-Wegmann Train]] was developed and introduced in June 1936 for service from [[Berlin]] to [[Dresden]], with a regular top speed of {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}. Incidentally no train service since the cancelation of this express train in 1939 has traveled between the two cities in a faster time {{As of|2018|lc=y}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}} In August 2019, the travel time between [[Dresden-Neustadt station|Dresden-Neustadt]] and [[Berlin-Südkreuz]] was 102 minutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/dn/185376/364783/130852/3634/80?ld=43181&protocol=https:&seqnr=5&ident=2a.026610181.1565204730&date=08.08.19&station_evaId=8010085&station_type=dep¤tReferrer=tp&rt=1&rtMode=DB-HYBRID&&time=14:46¤tJourneyClass=2&|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190807190812/https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/dn/185376/364783/130852/3634/80?ld=43181&protocol=https:&seqnr=5&ident=2a.026610181.1565204730&date=08.08.19&station_evaId=8010085&station_type=dep¤tReferrer=tp&rt=1&rtMode=DB-HYBRID&&time=14:46¤tJourneyClass=2&|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2019|title=Timetable for EuroCity 378|publisher=Deutsche Bahn}}</ref> See [[Berlin–Dresden railway]].

Further development allowed the usage of these "Fliegenden Züge" (flying trains) on a rail network across Germany.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
The "Diesel-Schnelltriebwagen-Netz" (diesel high-speed-vehicle network) had been in the planning since 1934 but it never reached its envisaged size.

All high-speed service stopped in August 1939 shortly before the outbreak of [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite book |language=de |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=YPmMUHzFVqwC |page=218 }} |title=Geschichte und Zukunft des Verkehrs.: Verkehrskonzepte von der Frόhen ... |access-date=26 March 2013|isbn=978-3593357669 |year=1997 |last1=Dienel |first1=Hans-Liudger |last2=Trischler |first2=Helmuth |publisher=Campus Verlag }}</ref>

====American Streamliners====
[[File:Twin Cities Zephyr Oregon Illinois early 1940s.jpg|right|thumb|Burlington ''[[Pioneer Zephyr|Zephyr]]'' passenger train]]
On 26 May 1934, one year after Fliegender Hamburger introduction, the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad|Burlington Railroad]] set an average speed record on long distance with their new streamlined train, the [[Pioneer Zephyr|Zephyr]], at {{convert|124|km/h|abbr=on}} with peaks at {{convert|185|km/h|abbr=on}}. The Zephyr was made of stainless steel and, like the Fliegender Hamburger, was diesel powered, articulated with [[Jacobs bogie]]s, and could reach {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} as commercial speed.

The new service was inaugurated 11 November 1934, traveling between [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]] and [[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]], but at a lower speed than the record, on average speed {{convert|74|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="meanspeed1">{{cite web |url=http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/pioneerzeph193809.html |title=The Pioneer Zephyr – September, 1938 – Streamliner Schedules |author=Eric H. Bowen |access-date=17 December 2014 |archive-date=21 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021054656/http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/pioneerzeph193809.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1935, the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad|Milwaukee Road]] introduced the [[Hiawatha (Milwaukee Road trains)|Morning Hiawatha]] service, hauled at {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} by steam locomotives. In 1939, the largest railroad of the world, the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] introduced a duplex steam engine [[Pennsylvania Railroad class S1|Class S1]], which was designed to be capable of hauling 1200 tons passenger trains at {{convert|161|km/h|abbr=on}}. The S1 engine was assigned to power the popular all-coach overnight premier train [[Trail Blazer (passenger train)|the Trail Blazer]] between New York and Chicago since the late 1940s and it consistently reached {{convert|161|km/h|abbr=on}} in its service life. These were the last "high-speed" trains to use steam power. In 1936, the [[Twin Cities Zephyr]] entered service, from Chicago to Minneapolis, with an average speed of {{convert|101|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="meanspeed2">{{cite web |url=http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/twinzephyrs193809.html |title=The Twin Zephyrs – September, 1938 – Streamliner Schedules |author=Eric H. Bowen |access-date=17 December 2014 |archive-date=21 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021053729/http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track4/twinzephyrs193809.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Many of these streamliners posted travel times comparable to or better than their modern [[Amtrak]] successors, which are limited to {{convert|79|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}} top speed on most of the network.

====Italian electric and the last steam record====
[[File:Rimessa ferroviaria pistoia 64.jpg|thumb|The original Italian [[FS Class ETR 200|ETR 200]] trainset of the speed world record ({{convert|203|km/h|abbr=on|disp=or}}) in 1938, now preserved as historical train, was re-numbered ETR 232 in the 1960s]]
The German high-speed service was followed in Italy in 1938 with an electric-multiple-unit [[ETR 200]], designed for {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}, between Bologna and Naples. It too reached {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} in commercial service, and achieved a world mean speed record of {{convert|203|km/h|abbr=on}} between Florence and Milan in 1938.

In Great Britain in the same year, the streamlined [[steam locomotive]] ''[[LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard|Mallard]]'' achieved the official [[Land speed record for railed vehicles|world speed record]] for [[steam locomotive]]s at {{convert|125.88|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}}. The external combustion engines and boilers on steam locomotives were large, heavy and time and labor-intensive to maintain, and the days of steam for high speed were numbered.

====Introduction of the Talgo system====
In 1945, a Spanish engineer, [[Alejandro Goicoechea]], developed a streamlined, articulated train that was able to run on existing tracks at higher speeds than contemporary passenger trains. This was achieved by providing the locomotive and cars with a unique [[axle]] system that used one axle set per car end, connected by a Y-bar coupler. Amongst other advantages, the centre of mass was only half as high as usual.<ref>{{Google books |id=AyEDAAAAMBAJ |page=70 |title=Low Slung Train Travels Fast }} ''Popular Science'', February 1945, p. 70</ref> This system became famous under the name of [[Talgo]] (''Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol''), and for half a century was the main Spanish provider of high-speed trains.

====First above 300&nbsp;km/h developments====
[[File:SNCF CC 7102 Pk42 Le Mee sur Seine.jpg|thumb|The French CC 7100, 1955 record holder]]
In the early 1950s, the French National Railway started to receive their new powerful [[SNCF Class CC 7100|CC 7100]] electric locomotives, and began to study and evaluate running at higher speeds. In 1954, the CC 7121 hauling a full train achieved a record {{convert|243|km/h|abbr=on}} during a test on standard track. The next year, two specially tuned electric locomotives, the CC 7107 and the prototype BB 9004, broke previous speed records, reaching respectively {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} and {{convert|331|km/h|abbr=on}}, again on standard track.<ref name="douviensTGV">{{cite web|url=http://archivchemindefer.free.fr/dossierTGV/DouviensTGV.pdf|title=D'où viens tu TGV |language=fr |last1=Picard |first1=Jean François |last2=Beltran |first2=Alain }}</ref> For the first time, {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} was surpassed, allowing the idea of higher-speed services to be developed and further engineering studies commenced. Especially, during the 1955 records, a dangerous [[hunting oscillation]], the swaying of the [[bogie]]s which leads to dynamic instability and potential derailment was discovered. This problem was solved by [[Yaw damper (railroad)|yaw dampers]] which enabled safe running at high speeds today. Research was also made about "current harnessing"{{clarify|date=November 2015}} at high-speed by the pantographs, which was solved 20 years later by the Zébulon [[TGV]]'s prototype.