In 1964, Japan amazed the world by introducing the bullet trains, or Shinkansen, between Tokyo and Osaka, possibly the busiest rail corridor in the world. By today’s standards, these trains weren’t high-speed rail (which is commonly defined as 150 miles per hour or more), as their top speeds were just 130 mph. But they were the fastest trains in the world, taking that title from the United States, where the Burlington and Milwaukee had previously vied for number one in the Chicago-Twin Cities corridor.

Click image to download a 14.7-MB PDF of this 28-page booklet.

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Since the Shinkansen began operation just before the 1964 Olympics, the world could hardly fail to take note, and many other countries saw this as a challenge to their technological skills. Americans concerned about the space race and missile gap with the Soviet Union suddenly had another technology to worry about.

By 1964, Americans routinely flew around in jet aircraft at 500 mph, and passenger trains were considered to be on their way out. Yet the bullet trains led Congress to take actions that set the precedent for creating Amtrak six years later.