President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union speech depicted a vision where 80 percent of Americans would have access to high-speed rail within 25 years; and his 2012 budget includes $8 billion for high-speed rail. Soon after President Obama’s address, Vice President Biden announced a $53 billion six-year project to continue construction of high speed and intercity passenger rail.

The railway vehicle manufacturer Talgo, capitalizing on more than 70 years of experience in the rail sector, has supplied high-speed trains to Oregon and Wisconsin. These can operate on existing rail lines at a significant improvement in speed. As Talgo’s market development director Mario Oriol explains, the company sees this as a way to reinforce Talgo’s presence in the United States market and prepare for improvements in rail that could lead to high-speed lines.

“These trains use advanced technology with lightweight construction, independent wheels, and an independent tilting system—which means that the trains adapt well to existing infrastructure,” says Oriol. “If you can use such a train to improve travel time by 20 percent, this can give planners the justification to invest in future infrastructure.” In addition to supplying trains throughout the Spanish high-speed system, Talgo is also currently providing tilting passenger coaches to the governments of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kazakhstan and high-speed trains to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Talgo’s trains leverage advances in materials and engineering, which make the trains lighter and more energy efficient, more stable, and more comfortable. These advances will continue in the new Avril train, currently under development. Avril will be comfortable and energy efficient and will run at some of the highest speeds possible, and its wider body will accommodate an additional seat in each row. “It’s a natural evolution based on Talgo’s high-speed technology,” points out Oriol, adding that the company will build mock-ups and should have a prototype by about 2013.

“High-speed has become fashionable in [the] U.S. Many projects and studies have been carried out in order to develop rail in several corridors,” says Barron. High-speed rail has grown in Japan and in Korea and has exploded in China, he continues.

Avril is the Talgo's new high-speed train. Source: Talgo

Extract from an article published in the magazine Technology Review.
www.technologyreview.com/microsites/spain/transportation.aspx

President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union speech depicted a vision where 80 percent of Americans would have access to high-speed rail within 25 years; and his 2012 budget includes $8 billion for high-speed rail. Soon after President Obama’s address, Vice President Biden announced a $53 billion six-year project to continue construction of high speed and intercity passenger rail.

The railway vehicle manufacturer Talgo, capitalizing on more than 70 years of experience in the rail sector, has supplied high-speed trains to Oregon and Wisconsin. These can operate on existing rail lines at a significant improvement in speed. As Talgo’s market development director Mario Oriol explains, the company sees this as a way to reinforce Talgo’s presence in the United States market and prepare for improvements in rail that could lead to high-speed lines.

“These trains use advanced technology with lightweight construction, independent wheels, and an independent tilting system—which means that the trains adapt well to existing infrastructure,” says Oriol. “If you can use such a train to improve travel time by 20 percent, this can give planners the justification to invest in future infrastructure.” In addition to supplying trains throughout the Spanish high-speed system, Talgo is also currently providing tilting passenger coaches to the governments of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kazakhstan and high-speed trains to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Talgo’s trains leverage advances in materials and engineering, which make the trains lighter and more energy efficient, more stable, and more comfortable. These advances will continue in the new Avril train, currently under development. Avril will be comfortable and energy efficient and will run at some of the highest speeds possible, and its wider body will accommodate an additional seat in each row. “It’s a natural evolution based on Talgo’s high-speed technology,” points out Oriol, adding that the company will build mock-ups and should have a prototype by about 2013.

“High-speed has become fashionable in [the] U.S. Many projects and studies have been carried out in order to develop rail in several corridors,” says Barron. High-speed rail has grown in Japan and in Korea and has exploded in China, he continues.

Avril is the Talgo's new high-speed train. Source: Talgo

Extract from an article published in the magazine Technology Review.
www.technologyreview.com/microsites/spain/transportation.aspx