"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

On 9/2/13 1:22 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:


"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
m...

On 9/2/13 10:27 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:


"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

...can't compete with this:

Japan Railway Comp. (JR Tokai) (TYO:9022) (aka. "The Central Japan
Railway Comp.) is responsible for ferrying close to 400,000
passengers
a day between some of the largest cities in central Japan. While
its
fastest bullet trains can cut the transit time from Tokyo to Osaka
from
about 6 hours by car to about 2 hours and 20 minutes by bullet
train, JR
Tokai is dreaming of a next generation maglev system that could go
even
faster, completing the 500+ kilometer (310+ mile) journey in under
an
hour.



When you don't waste your money on the military, you can have nice
things.

--------------------------------

Funds have been approved to develop high speed rail corridors in
the US
however the Department of Transportation is still working on the
safety
standards that will apply. Right now, the "crash worthiness"
spec for
the trains is more than double (in terms of forces than can be
withstood without frame deformation) than the standards used in
Europe
and Japan's high speed rail systems, i.e. almost 900,000 lbs versus
350,000 lbs.

The cost of designing and manufacturing such trains is a major
impediment, as is the cost of the rail system itself. Right now
there
are Amtrak trains between Boston and Wash DC capable of doing over
200
mph however there are very limited stretches of track that would
allow
speeds of even 150 mph. Plus, even if they could run at high
speed,
they would never be able to sustain the speed very long without
having
to stop at stations along the way. Not enough passenger usage for
"non
stop" tracks.



Yeah, I've heard and read every excuse here for at least the last 20
years. The fact remains that in the operation of high speed trains,
we're still in the caboose.

-------------------------------

We've also had viable options like a network of airports, airlines
and a
love affair with cars.
We are not Europe or Japan and don't necessarily need to emulate
them
just because it works for them.



Most of our airports are obsolete and our interstate highway system is
crumbling, along with our power grid.

------------------------------

I'll betcha if a national poll was taken the majority of people would
prefer spending money on fixing roads and airports in lieu of building
a rail system network and trains capable of travelling 200+ mph.

The power grid isn't as big of a problem as you may think. Demand has
basically flat lined in the past several years and has actually
dropped in some. Smart grids and energy efficient devices have
helped.