Speeding across the U.S. at 300 mph on a maglev train or letting the landscape blur past at over 700 mph while on a hyperloop could be a reality sooner than later. With new transportation technologies being rapidly adopted around the world, the conversation has turned to not if new modes of travel will reach the U.S., but when.
Leaders and researchers from the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), staff from the High-Speed-Railway Technology Consulting Corporation and members of the Badger Rail and Badgerloop student organizations, will be presenting at UW–Madison on topics related to the future of high-speed travel.
The event, Back to the Future: Redefining High Speed Transportation in America, will be held from 3–5 p.m., Friday, September 13 at Union South, Landmark A&B.
All students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to attend, however seats are limited. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
The High-Speed-Railway Technology Consulting Corporation—a subsidiary of JR Central—will outline insights from its current project connecting Houston and Dallas. JR Central Internship Participants and Badger Rail members, who recently won the Foxconn Smart Cities-Smart Futures competition for their proposal of high-speed transportation solutions for the Midwest, will discuss potential applications in the U.S.
The event is held in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Badgers learning about high-speed transportation and business practices in Japan through the JR Central Internship Program.
The internship program, which was founded by Distinguished Alum and JR Central Chairman Emeritus Yoshiyuki Kasai, has been offering Badgers professional experiences in the cutting-edge field of high-speed transportation since 2000. To date, 49 Badgers have participated, learning about all aspects of JR Central from marketing and administration to research and engineering.
This event is sponsored by the International Internship Program, a unit of UW–Madison’s International Division.
Story by Steve Barcus