 |
Re: TRAC calls for hsr return to Tejon route
Author: Michael Mahoney
Date: 02-10-2011 - 15:47
(1) It's unimportant to say an area is "fast growing." A baby grows most the first year of its life; it's still a baby. The largest areas by population, by far, are the metropolitan areas on the coast, not the valley cities.
(2) HSRA looked at Tejon at the beginning and dismissed it as impracticable. However, if you look at their report, it is based on the assumption that the trains must travel over the mountains at three-figure speeds. Nobody in Europe does this. If you slow the train down to conventional speed, Tejon becomes feasible, as far as I know.
(3) But if you slow the train down, you won't get to LA from SF in 2 1/2 hours. And this is the zinger. Who came up with that schedule? It is forcing HSRA to adopt all kinds of wacky ideas, such as the "train in the air," on which I have commented elsewhere, in order to keep the schedule. I think if we sat down and worked it out from first principles a schedule of 4 hours SF-LA would be fine and get the job done.
(4) I am depressed by the general air of zaniness down at HSRA, and I write as one who opposed the plan from the beginning. I thought when Morshed left and was replaced by Van Ark, that is, an actual railroad person, we would see some improvement. Alas.
(2) HSRA looked at Tejon at the beginning and dismissed it as impracticable. However, if you look at their report, it is based on the assumption that the trains must travel over the mountains at three-figure speeds. Nobody in Europe does this. If you slow the train down to conventional speed, Tejon becomes feasible, as far as I know.
(3) But if you slow the train down, you won't get to LA from SF in 2 1/2 hours. And this is the zinger. Who came up with that schedule? It is forcing HSRA to adopt all kinds of wacky ideas, such as the "train in the air," on which I have commented elsewhere, in order to keep the schedule. I think if we sat down and worked it out from first principles a schedule of 4 hours SF-LA would be fine and get the job done.
(4) I am depressed by the general air of zaniness down at HSRA, and I write as one who opposed the plan from the beginning. I thought when Morshed left and was replaced by Van Ark, that is, an actual railroad person, we would see some improvement. Alas.
