Off the Rails: Modern Trains in America

The traditional railroad was a great catalyst to expansion in the late 19th and early 20th century. This was enabled by Congress's passage of the Pacific Railway Act in 1862, which permitted transcontinental railroads. As a result, 170000 miles of track were laid from 1871 to 1900, compared to the only 45000 miles of track that existed before. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, allowing people and freight to be shipped dramatically faster across the nation.

The first subway was built in London and was opened in 1863. The United States followed in 1897 with a subway in Boston, which was quickly integrated by the Boston Elevated Rail Company with elevated lines to bring together different methods of public transportation.

A man named Frank Sprague electrified transportation when he developed a system for electric traction in Richmond. He developed a system for automatic signaling and braking systems as well as a method to control the train from an external source. These developments greatly increased safety in the new subways and trains.

However, today, America's rail systems are much less developed than the elaborate subways and commuter trains of, say, Japan. In Japan and other Asian and European countries, bullet trains are common, and Shanghai and Tokyo already boast maglevs that float above the rail, enabling speeds of over 300 miles per hour.

Why has American technology fallen behind?
Michael Smart of CNN gives a few reasons:

For a start, much of the United States is not exactly an ideal market for high-speed rail. Compared to places where rail really flourishes -- Japan and Western Europe, for instance -- the United States is geographically vast. As a result, in much of the country, cities are far enough apart that air travel provides significant time savings, even compared to some of the fastest trains.

However, the biggest barrier to improved rail service in the United States is simply the lack of political will. At the federal level, support for passenger rail service has languished and Washington has devolved decision-making (and increasingly, funding) to the states. With the nation's transportation trust fund nearly broke and no permanent solution in sight, it seems unlikely the federal government will champion high-speed rail -- a costly endeavor -- in the near future.

However, a couple efforts are still being undertaken to improve high speed rail. California has created a proposal for a rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Some privately funded projects (like Japan's subways) are working on service in Texas and Florida.

Perhaps the most futuristic and at the same time interesting concept is Elon Musk's Hyperloop system. This planned railway (?) consists of an elevated tube containing a vacuum that would allow commuters to travel up to 600 miles per hour, while not feeling any side effects. Such visionary concepts are a possibility for the United States; it's up to private entrepreneurship like Musk's to see if they will pan out.

Sources:
Libary of Congress, "Railroads in the Late 19th Century," http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/railroad/
Category, 4-24-2011, "Mass Moments: Nation's First Subway Opens in Boston," Mass  Moments, http://massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=254
Engineering and Technology History Wiki, "Frank J. Sprague," http://ethw.org/Frank_J._Sprague
Stephen Smith Blogs About The Politics, Economics, and History Of Urbanism For Marketurbanism, 10-31-2011, "Why Tokyo's Privately Owned Rail Systems Work So Well," CityLab, http://www.citylab.com/commute/2011/10/why-tokyos-privately-owned-rail-systems-work-so-well/389/
Ellie Zolfagharifard, 4-1-2015, "Japanese Maglev train breaks 12-year speed record reaching 366mph," Mail Online, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3047627/Japanese-Maglev-breaks-12-year-speed-record-Train-FLOATS-366mph-faster-tomorrow-s-test-run.html
Riordan Frost, 10-22-2010, "Barriers to truly high-speed rail: Why are our trains so much slower than others'?," MinnPost, https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2010/10/barriers-truly-high-speed-rail-why-are-our-trains-so-much-slower-others
Michael Smart, 5-4-2015, "Why can't America have high-speed trains?," CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/03/opinions/smart-high-speed-trains-america/
Ashlee Vance, 8-12-2013, "Revealed: Elon Musk Explains the Hyperloop, the Solar-Powered High-Speed Future of Inter-City Transportation," Businessweek, http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2013-08-12/revealed-elon-musk-explains-the-hyperloop
Brian Dodson, 6-6-2013, "How does Elon Musk's Hyperloop work?," Gizmag, http://www.gizmag.com/how-does-elon-musk-hyperloop-work/27757/