Integrating High-Speed Rail Stations at Airports

High-speed rail has been a successful and globally-adopted mode for intercity travel since 1964, with over 36,561 miles (58,839 km) in operation worldwide (UIC, 2022). Trains with commercial speeds of 155 mph (250 kmh) or greater are capable of competing with air travel for journeys of 500 miles (800 km) or less (UIC, 2022). Of the 20 countries with systems in operation, 60 percent offer rail service with speeds competitive with air travel. Currently, an additional 24 countries (UIC, 2022) are planning or constructing new high-speed rail systems in corridors adjacent to airports, including the United States (UIC, 2022). In 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which established $66 billion in federal funding for modernizing passenger and freight rail networks, including $36 billion in competitive grants for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (The White House in Building a better America: Passenger and freight rail, 2022). This funding program is dedicated to new intercity rail projects, including high-speed rail, and is the largest investment in American passenger rail since 1971 (USDOT in Fact sheet: Equity in the bipartisan infrastructure law, 2022). To better understand common conditions that have resulted in successful air/rail station integrations worldwide (Interrail in Airport train station connections, 2022), semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts who are familiar with the implementation and functionality of rail stations at airports. Following the interviews, the author quantified, coded, and sorted interview responses and identified trends in the data. The results of this evaluation have identified three exemplary airports with good high-speed rail integration, six criteria of successful air/rail station integrations, and three common conditions to avoid building poorly integrated air/rail stations. Understanding challenges with existing rail stations at airports in the United States and conditions that have made for successful stations at airports abroad can help decision makers design station locations that attract ridership and capitalize on the environmental and economic benefits of multimodal collaboration. With many new projects in development stages, due to funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, emphasis on successful integration of high-speed rail stations at airports is key for growth planning, economics, and addressing environmental impacts of intercity transportation.