Development of Operational Speed for Major Transport Modes, 1750-2000 (km per hour)

Technological developments have two significant consequences over transportation modes. The first involves the emergence of new modes and the second concerns an improvement of their operational speeds. Many modes follow a similar pattern where a significant growth of their operational speed takes place in their introduction phase. Once technical constraints are solved and modal networks expand, the operational speeds reach a threshold which remains until the mode becomes obsolete and is abandoned (stage coach, clipper ships and liners) or a new technology is introduced and a new wave of technical improvements incurs (jet planes, high speed trains).

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