Fifty years after Japan launched its high-speed railway line, there’s no denying it’s been a game-changer. Run by Japan National Railways, the shinkansen cuts travel time between historical economic centers and connects a network of cities. It’s the spine of one of the most important regional economic belt developments in the world. It’s spurred economic growth in the cities it serves and transformed the country’s economy to what it is today.

It’s no surprise other countries are looking at Japan’s experience in running bullet trains to make sure their huge investments will pay off in the long run.

High-speed rail hubs are among the most expensive infrastructure in the world, and the challenges and opportunities of setting them up vary from country to country. Almost all countries with bullet trains have reported a dynamic change in urban systems associated with the projects within only a few years of the railway’s inauguration.

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Shreyas P. Bharule is an associate at the Asian Development Bank Institute. https://www.adb.org/adbi/about/staff-profiles/shreyas-bharule

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