Thursday, August 09, 2012

GREEN TRANSPORT: LAND TRAVEL

High speed railway systems have the potential to bring about rapid progress in the war against warming

Europe has decided to add an extra 1,711 more miles by 2010 under a similar program. Thanks to HSR, the air travel frequency between Paris-to-Brussels has almost disappeared after opening up of the HSR link.

What is most astounding is that this HSR model can be emulated in developing countries too. Third world countries will not only benefit due to ‘technology-leapfrogging’ but will also experience a boost in other sectors. They will obviously have a second mover advantage and can reduce loss (by analysing the success model of HSR already in place) and customise the model as per requirement and infrastructure. Implementation of HSR will augment their infrastructure and employment. Besides this, if HSR links the urban and rural areas, it will also decrease urban migration (urban sprawl) and help bridge the rural-urban divide. With proper planning, HSR can give rise to mid-sized cities and satellite towns in developing (and highly populated) Asian nations. Proper planning can surely make HSR a successful socially beneficial model and a landmark social initiative in the third world. Green HSR is, without even an iota of apprehension, a credible answer to carbon emitting short distance air travel.

But governments have to be clear about the fact that private investment would be far and few, as the ‘business’ model, for lack of a better term, doesn’t exist. That the HSR concept would be loss making is a surety from day one. Therefore, the government has to take the initiative. For example, the Chinese government has recently launched the fastest HSR (CRH3) on the planet – trains with an average speed of 217 mph covering a total distance of 663 miles connecting over 20 cities (connecting less developed regions to the metros) and is further planning to expand it to 42 more HSR lines by 2012.


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