 |
Re: Calif. High-speed rail on track for debacle
Author: Jim Rusk
Date: 07-17-2011 - 21:08
George Andrews Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, I did what little math I know, and I also have
> a question related to the European High Speed Rail
> systems. Using Interstate 5 / I-580 /I - 880/I -
> 80 / U.S. 101 as the route, the household movers
> mileage guide, commonly used by trucking companies
> to compute city - to - city distances, states 403
> miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco. My math
> figures out 403 miles in 2 hours 40 minutes as an
> AVERAGE of 150.375 MPH. I know several of the
> European systems are quite fast, and many can
> exceed 150 MPH top speed. Do any of the European
> High Speed Rail systems AVERAGE 150 MPH or more,
> from end point to end point ??? Remember to
> account for terminal congestion & slower speeds
> when sharing tracks with freights. Just wondering
> if this goal has been attained anywhere else...
Yes The TGV in France has a confirmed average speed of 173.4 mph and in Japan a bullet trains average 150 to 187. Some Chinese trains have faster speeds than that. Maglev trains go considerably faster. These new California trains should not be sharing tracks with freight trains as Amtrak does now. They use a more rigid stronger welded rail for stability at high speeds. I would be happy if the first HSR design could travel from L.A. to S.F. in 3 hrs, averaging 134 mph, since it now takes almost that long to travel from L.A. to San Diego, averaging a little over 30 mph.
3 hrs. would make it competitive with air travel, while being more comfortable and more convenient at its endpoints, considering that that the hour flight requires passengers arrive 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. early, and getting in and out of airports could easily add another hour.
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, I did what little math I know, and I also have
> a question related to the European High Speed Rail
> systems. Using Interstate 5 / I-580 /I - 880/I -
> 80 / U.S. 101 as the route, the household movers
> mileage guide, commonly used by trucking companies
> to compute city - to - city distances, states 403
> miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco. My math
> figures out 403 miles in 2 hours 40 minutes as an
> AVERAGE of 150.375 MPH. I know several of the
> European systems are quite fast, and many can
> exceed 150 MPH top speed. Do any of the European
> High Speed Rail systems AVERAGE 150 MPH or more,
> from end point to end point ??? Remember to
> account for terminal congestion & slower speeds
> when sharing tracks with freights. Just wondering
> if this goal has been attained anywhere else...
Yes The TGV in France has a confirmed average speed of 173.4 mph and in Japan a bullet trains average 150 to 187. Some Chinese trains have faster speeds than that. Maglev trains go considerably faster. These new California trains should not be sharing tracks with freight trains as Amtrak does now. They use a more rigid stronger welded rail for stability at high speeds. I would be happy if the first HSR design could travel from L.A. to S.F. in 3 hrs, averaging 134 mph, since it now takes almost that long to travel from L.A. to San Diego, averaging a little over 30 mph.
3 hrs. would make it competitive with air travel, while being more comfortable and more convenient at its endpoints, considering that that the hour flight requires passengers arrive 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. early, and getting in and out of airports could easily add another hour.
