High-Speed Rail Project Development Processes in the United States and China

Amid increasing global economic competition, both the United States and China are investing in high-speed rail (HSR) as a national strategy to enhance their competitiveness. China is rapidly advancing by laying down HSR tracks, while the United States is deliberating the environmental, social, and economic implications of HSR development before embarking on actual construction. With the California High-Speed Rail Project and the Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway Project as case studies, this paper juxtaposes the HSR development processes concerning investment decisions, planning, and implementation in the United States and China and draws lessons informative to strategic infrastructure investments in both countries.