You can build rail vehicles that are like military tanks.
But they become so heavy that they are uneconomical to
operate, as is partly the case with Acela equipment.

The basic thing to understand about rail crashes is that
if a railcar hits a solid object at high speed, the
car will stop, but the contents will not. That's the
basic laws of physics -- inertia.

That's where and how most people get hurt in major rail
accidents. In these situations, the external strength of
the rail vehicle is usually only a minor factor.


There is an excellent commentary on this subject in this
week's newsletter at the site of the National Corridors
Initiative:

http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df3/df07222013.shtml

(Scroll down to the first major article in the newsletter.)


I have traveled extensively by rail in Europe (including
multiple rides on engines over the years) and have not
felt any less safe there than in the U.S. In fact, with
fewer grade crossings in Europe, I have generally felt safer
there than in the U.S. I've had some close calls while on
engine rides in the U.S. and was once on a passenger train
(not on the engine at that time) that hit a tractor trailer.
The train did not derail but sustained substantial underbody
damage to the passenger cars.

-- Ernest