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A uthor: Stephen Mattingly , University of Texas at Arlington

High-speed rail systems are found all over the globe. Japan’s bullet train began operating in 1964. China will have 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) of high-speed track by the end of 2025. The fastest train in Europe goes almost 200 mph (320 kph) . Yet high-speed rail remains absent from most of the U.S.

Stephen Mattingly , a civil engineering professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, explains why high-speed rail projects in much of the country so often go off track.

The Conversation has collaborated with SciLine to bring you highlights from the discussion, edited for brevity and

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