Summary
China and Japan’s high-speed rail networks helped fast-track economic growth and are a source of national pride. But speed bumps threaten to slow further expansion.
Rapid construction of rail lines in China left its operator with a significant debt load. Only seven routes are turning a profit, while the cost of building new stations has risen. Some underutilised stations were shut and remained unused for years – until recently. Can their reopening spur local development and bring returns on infrastructure investment?
Japan pioneered high-speed rail in 1964 with its now iconic shinkansen. Sixty years on, the infrastructure is ageing and operators face mounting obstacles such as high costs and a labour crunch. This threatens to derail ambitious plans to reinvent the wheel, such as the launch of the super high-speed maglev and the export of shinkansen technology.
Can these Asian powerhouses put high-speed rail development back in the fast lane, or will they risk veering off track?
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