High Speed Trains | 76 comments (76 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: High Speed Trains (4.00 / 2)

In a bit more detail than Starvid: conventional fast trains going on upgraded but conventional lines (shared with freight and local passenger), and reaching the top speed only on short sections. In the US, the Acela on the East Coast already fits that bill, but much slower trains further west (100 mph or slower) are also dubbed 'high-speed'. But the X-2[000] service in Starvid's home country Sweden is also such a thing.

On the other hand, what speed shall count high-speed, is not that straightforward. The first true high-speed system, the Japanese Shinkansen, started with 200 km/h. Even today, many Shinkansens only do 240 km/h, close to the Acela's top speed. The French TGV started at 260 km/h. The German ICE started with 250 km/h, though 280 km/h was permitted for late trains.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 at 04:14:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 0)

...and Italy started with 250 km/h (and for the most part is still there), so did Spain but soon they raised it to 300 km/h with the same trains.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 at 04:16:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 1)

But the X-2[000] service in Starvid's home country Sweden is also such a thing.

Yes, and it's a disgrace. Not that it's a bad train, not at all, but not having a real high speed train running on dedicated tracks makes me feel like I'm living in a third world country.

There is a mostly dormant project called the European Corridor that would take care of that, but it's unlikely to happen this side of 2025.

It's supposed to cost about 8-10 billion euros. Half of that being Swedish money, and the other half being German and Danish.

The EU is ready to pay quite a big part of the Denmark-Germany bridge over Fehmarn Belt.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid on Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 at 07:29:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 0)

It is somewhat understandable: for a country of 8 million, bringing up the capital is difficult, and no multimillion cities will support high traffic volumes (IIRC presently total air/rail traffic volumes along each line are only 2-3 million).

But, can you tell me what the new government you helped to elect thinks about the East Link and the upgrade to 250 km/h North of Malmö?

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 at 09:28:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (4.00 / 1)

The Stockholm-Malmö line is the same lenghth as the Madrid-Barcelona one, and along the track the population density is the same as in Spain. There aren't many people living in the northern 2/3 of Sweden.

I think the East Link will go forward as planned. There has been no info in the media about funding being cut, and the new government likes infrastructure investments as much as the old one did (which earmarked something like 12 billion euros for rail investments for the next 10 years, only good thing they did).

The Malmö track, I don't know, but if it had been postponed there would have been moaning in the media so I guess it's still green.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 at 12:12:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: High Speed Trains (none / 0)

The Stockholm-Malmö line is the same lenghth as the Madrid-Barcelona one, and along the track the population density is the same as in Spain.

But at the two ends, there are agglomerations of 5 million in Spain, but only 2 million or so in Sweden, so less potential.

I am happy to hear that there is no news of cutbacks in rail investment.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 07:30:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

High Speed Trains | 76 comments (76 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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