China to mass-produce 400km/h fast train

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There are a few cities in the U.S. that could use this sort of thing for sure.
 
Our different government agencies can't even manage keeping our highways and rr tracks in good condition. How will they manage a bullet train? Or better yet, how will they pay for it?
 
A bullet train would be good for the Northeast corridor but for the rest of the country not so much. We have large population centers but only the east coast from say Boston down to Virginia or so is feasible. There the cities are close together. Places like Japan have large cities everywhere. China is pretty much the same.
 
Texas put forward the idea of a bullet train "triangle" between the Dallas-Ft.Worth area, Houston, and San Antonio (with a stop in Austin) decades ago. I think the airlines and Southwest in particular kept it from hapoening. Now we ever wider and ever more heavily loaded interstate highways connecting those points.
 
Using Seattle as an example, you can have trains leaving every thirty minutes full of passengers and the freeways are still parking lots, contrary to what was said in favor of the trains. The reality is, if you live in a large metro, expect traffic.
 
I've used China's bullet train system extensively over the past 6 years of traveling there. One of the most efficient and consistently on time systems I've experienced. They must have had upgrades to the rails though because Harmony class trains are limited to 300kph due to past track issues, not speed capacities. This route is the biggest though, I can see it being upgraded first. However the time quoted of five hours and 45 minutes isn't any faster than Harmony.
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Using Seattle as an example, you can have trains leaving every thirty minutes full of passengers and the freeways are still parking lots, contrary to what was said in favor of the trains. The reality is, if you live in a large metro, expect traffic.


Excellent analysis. We can also expect large subsidies for the railroads as we pay now. Rail in this country is simply not popular anywhere except the aforementioned NE corridor.
 
Originally Posted By: wemay
...and we (U.S.A.) continue to flounder on infrastructure.

https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/


Doesn't surprise me. Sometimes I wonder if our infrastructure is designed in a way that purposely makes us consume more fuel. Like constant stop signs and traffic lights where there could easily be yields and round-a-bouts.

There are a lot of traffic lights in my area that switch to red and cycle through even when there is nobody on the other side. Extremely annoying and inefficient.
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
A bullet train would be good for the Northeast corridor but for the rest of the country not so much. We have large population centers but only the east coast from say Boston down to Virginia or so is feasible. There the cities are close together. Places like Japan have large cities everywhere. China is pretty much the same.
Much of the roadbed in New England goes back to before the Civil War. The NIMBYS all love "green" but fight tooth and nail against roadbed upgrades. There's only one ten mile stretch in the Boston to New York run where the Amtrack rolling stock can hit top speed. So, "we" are all for improving the rail system to get folks out of their horrible cars UNTIL AMTRACK proposes some work in THEIR community.
 
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: PimTac
A bullet train would be good for the Northeast corridor but for the rest of the country not so much. We have large population centers but only the east coast from say Boston down to Virginia or so is feasible. There the cities are close together. Places like Japan have large cities everywhere. China is pretty much the same.
Much of the roadbed in New England goes back to before the Civil War. The NIMBYS all love "green" but fight tooth and nail against roadbed upgrades. There's only one ten mile stretch in the Boston to New York run where the Amtrack rolling stock can hit top speed. So, "we" are all for improving the rail system to get folks out of their horrible cars UNTIL AMTRACK proposes some work in THEIR community.



Good point. Those bullet trains are not quiet. They would most likely have to build a whole new line. That would take 30 years in which time another mode of transportation would exist.
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: PimTac
A bullet train would be good for the Northeast corridor but for the rest of the country not so much. We have large population centers but only the east coast from say Boston down to Virginia or so is feasible. There the cities are close together. Places like Japan have large cities everywhere. China is pretty much the same.
Much of the roadbed in New England goes back to before the Civil War. The NIMBYS all love "green" but fight tooth and nail against roadbed upgrades. There's only one ten mile stretch in the Boston to New York run where the Amtrack rolling stock can hit top speed. So, "we" are all for improving the rail system to get folks out of their horrible cars UNTIL AMTRACK proposes some work in THEIR community.



Good point. Those bullet trains are not quiet. They would most likely have to build a whole new line. That would take 30 years in which time another mode of transportation would exist.


I'm sure one day we will catch up with China.

https://youtu.be/hrTL8_42rLs
 
There should be a train that runs from the west coast to the East Coast ,a good portion of it sitting on top of the Border wall and train fare used to pay for the border wall.
 
Originally Posted By: c502cid
I've used China's bullet train system extensively over the past 6 years of traveling there. One of the most efficient and consistently on time systems I've experienced. They must have had upgrades to the rails though because Harmony class trains are limited to 300kph due to past track issues, not speed capacities. This route is the biggest though, I can see it being upgraded first. However the time quoted of five hours and 45 minutes isn't any faster than Harmony.


That's because if human error causes a delay, it's off to the salt mines for the human that erred...
 
Originally Posted By: NStuart
There should be a train that runs from the west coast to the East Coast ,a good portion of it sitting on top of the Border wall and train fare used to pay for the border wall.


Now that is thinking outside the box right there, I'm serious.
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: PimTac
A bullet train would be good for the Northeast corridor but for the rest of the country not so much. We have large population centers but only the east coast from say Boston down to Virginia or so is feasible. There the cities are close together. Places like Japan have large cities everywhere. China is pretty much the same.
Much of the roadbed in New England goes back to before the Civil War. The NIMBYS all love "green" but fight tooth and nail against roadbed upgrades. There's only one ten mile stretch in the Boston to New York run where the Amtrack rolling stock can hit top speed. So, "we" are all for improving the rail system to get folks out of their horrible cars UNTIL AMTRACK proposes some work in THEIR community.



Good point. Those bullet trains are not quiet. They would most likely have to build a whole new line. That would take 30 years in which time another mode of transportation would exist.


Actually they are very quiet since they are electric. I've had some express trains come through a station at full gallop and while they are louder than a whisper, the track and wheel design are quieter than the air being moved out of the way.
 
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