There is no grounded empirical work to date on the economic development impacts of high speed rail in the United States, since such services do not exist (Levinson, 2010). The theme of the report available on the impacts of high speed rail and development of station areas recognize success is not certain. Examples from European and Japanese cities have demonstrated how a high speed rail station can be a catalyst for improved urban environments, both in the form of great architecture for the train stations and through well-designed new development in the surrounding area .
One
uncertainty is the conditions under which HSR can cause accelerated economic growth in terms of jobs,
households, or real estate values (generally), and further, the extent to which HSR results in new
economic growth or shifting of growth from one area to another.