An original approach for dealing with High Speed Rail (HSR) transportation development in the United States, this book serves as a blueprint for such development by providing an in-depth evaluation of the different systems and their inherent linkage to other transportation modes, their potential costs, financing options, system benefits, the current level of use and success of HSR and Maglev elsewhere in the world, the current state of thinking on these systems in the US and their prospects to further efficient and environmentally benign economic growth. While technical descriptions of each system are included, the book differs from previous texts on the general subject, as it deals comprehensively with the feasibility of such systems here in the US.