Bullet train engine

High-speed railis a type of rail transportthat operates significantly faster than traditional rail traffic, using an integrated system of specialized rolling stockand dedicated tracks. The first such system began operations in Japan in 1964 and was widely known as the bullet train. High-speed trains normally operate on standard gaugetracks of continuously welded railon grade- separated right-of-waythat incorporates a large turning radiusin its design. Many countries have developed high-speed rail to connect major cities, including China, France, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, South Korea and Spain. While high-speed rail is usually designed for passenger travel, some high-speed systems also offer freightservice. For instance, the French mail service La Posteowns a few special TGV trainsfor carrying postal freight. Definitions See also: Passenger rail terminology Multiple definitions for high-speed rail are in use worldwide. *.The European Union Directive 96/48/EC, Annex 1defines high-speed rail as a set of three elements with precise criteria: 1.Infrastructure:track built specially for high-speed travel or specially upgraded for high-speed travel. 2.Maximum Speed Limit:Minimum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) on lines specially built for high speedand250 km/h (155 mph) on existing lines which have been specially upgraded. This must apply to at least one section of the line. Rolling stock must have a maximum speed of at least 200 km/h to be considered high speed. 3.Operating conditions:Rolling stock must be designed alongside its infrastructure for complete compatibility, safety and quality of service. [ 1 ] *.The International Union of Railways(UIC) prefers to use "definitions" (plural) because they consider that there is no single standard definition of high-speed rail, nor even standard usage of the terms ("high speed", or "very high speed"). They make use of the European EC Directive 96/48, stating that high speed is a combination of all the elements which constitute the system: infrastructure, rolling stock and operating conditions. [ 1 ] *.Some nations[ which?]have domestic standards which may vary from the international ones.