The Money Pit
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He should do California's experiment.
"Ventilation for tunnels? We never considered it."
Slightly on-topic. When D4 and I rode the California Zephyr from SF to Chicago, we had to stop at the Moffatt Tunnel to allow it to be "ventilated." It seems that a freight train had recently passed through, and we had to wait for the air to be cleared. We were also advised by the staff that, while in the tunnel, we should not cross from car to car, and the doors between cars are to remain closed.
Yeah, ventilation is a BFD.
@George-K said in The Money Pit:
He should do California's experiment.
He does - in this video:
Link to videoAt about 7:00.
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Hey! We've got 1/500th the HSR of China!
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@Jolly said in The Money Pit:
Hey! We've got 1/500th the HSR of China!
The funny thing is how Amtrak touts the Acela as being the US "High Speed Rail." As the video says, it's only "HSR" for about 50 miles or so, somewhere in Connecticut. If you compare Acela timetables with NE Corridor timetables, you'll see that the difference in time is about an hour and 20 minutes, sometimes up to two hours. That difference is not because of better speed on the Acela, but because the train doesn't stop as often.
The difference in price is substantial, and you have to ask yourself if it's worth it for the hour and a half. For many, it is.
That said, riding the Adele (especially first-class) is a great experience. Great service, great food and a comfortable ride.
And traveling at 135mph on the ground is impressive.
Bureaucracy, NIMBYism, corruption and inertia all make it not feasible in a country like the US.
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I'm waiting for the Tories to announce the HS2 replacement bus service.
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I'm waiting for the Tories to announce the HS2 replacement bus service.
@Doctor-Phibes said in The Money Pit:
I'm waiting for the Tories to announce the HS2 replacement bus service.
It'll be cheaper and not all that much slower, probably.
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@Doctor-Phibes said in The Money Pit:
I'm waiting for the Tories to announce the HS2 replacement bus service.
It'll be cheaper and not all that much slower, probably.
@George-K said in The Money Pit:
@Doctor-Phibes said in The Money Pit:
I'm waiting for the Tories to announce the HS2 replacement bus service.
It'll be cheaper and not all that much slower, probably.
The fact that the Tories cancelled the bit that goes from Birmingham to Manchester whilst still spending a gargantuan amount of money on the bit in the south of England is one of the least surprising things I've read all year.
As part of the cancellation, they announced that in it's place they were going to extend the Manchester Metro Link to Manchester airport. The only problem with this fantastic bit of news for Manchester is that the Metro Link already goes to Manchester Airport
The chances of them surviving the next election are about as great as that of HS2 being finished within budget.
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As good a place as any....
In 1955, our family moved to Chicago from New York. My grandmother and I rode the New York Central "Pacemaker." It was a "Premium All Coach Train."
It departed NYC at 3PM and was scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 7:05 AM.
Using Google Maps, I mapped out the route, including all stops. Among them, Yonkers, Albany, Utica, Rochester, Cleveland, Toledo, South Bend, etc.
The entire journey was 1036 miles, and took 16 hours 5 minutes. That's an AVERAGE speed of 65 mph - including dwell time at various stops.
I doubt any Amtrak service (other than the NE Regionals and Acela) can match that record.
Of course, out trip was delayed because of a major derailment (which killed the engineer) but that's another story.
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https://www.newsweek.com/texas-dallas-houston-high-speed-rail-train-map-1894286
Plans for a 240 mile-per-hour high-speed railway between Dallas and Houston received a major boost on April 15 when President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida both expressed support for the plan in a list of understandings released by the White House.
The proposal, which would be based around Japanese Shinkansen technology, would cut journey times between Texas's two biggest cities to 90 minutes according to developers, making it quicker than flying once time spent at airports is factored in.
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Texas might be an easier build than California. After a decade and a half (or more) of promises and billions of dollars spent, the California HSR project continues to be a boondoggle.
Getting right-of-way might be easier than in California.
Remember when comparing HSR proposals in the United States, a sense of scale is important.
