Fast Track

A global history of high speed rail, from the railways' \"wisest, most detailed historian\" (The Observer) Sleek, comfortable, accessible, and sustainable, high-speed rail is the future. Japan's Bullet Train has become a global icon. The French TGV established a template that soon followed across Europe. But China has become the world leader. Now with lines built or planned in over twenty countries, high speed rail has changed the world and, faced with the environmental cost of cars and air travel, might help save it. But two pioneering railway countries - the US and UK - have been left behind in the race. Christian Wolmar, our leading railway writer explores the irresistible global rise of high-speed rail, a story of big personalities, bold decisions, cutting-edge technology, and soaring ambition.