High speed rail - not!

**Mulder** · 16th April 2009, 05:38 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8003077.stm

Why only 240 Km/h? Eurostar runs at 300 already and future lines planned in Europe will be at 350 and beyond. If you want to get people out of planes and on to trains you need end to end times between cities better than 3 hours (and 2 hours or less is best). I wonder if it's because Obama doesn't want source off the shelf kit from Europe or Japan?

**Croydon Bob** · 17th April 2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Mulder

Why only 240 Km/h? Eurostar runs at 300 already

Indeed. The reason that Eurostars don't run a bit faster is mainly quality of infrastructure and tightness of corners. You'd think that the US would have less of a problem running long straight lines so that only gives us the infrastructure as a reason for them to be so slow. American workmanship is probably your answer...

**Mulder** · 17th April 2009, 10:53 AM

I suspect they may not be building much new track. It isn't practical to fix existing track for high speed - look at the West Coast Main Line upgrade debacle. I suspect it would have been quicker, cheaper and certainly less disruptive to have built a new high speed line instead!

The US plans are a wasted opportunity. If only they'd swallowed their pride and bought in European or Japanese expertise they could have had a great new system. Still the existing one is at least scenic!

I just wonder if it's a disturbing sign of creeping protectionism.

**lost thought** · 18th April 2009, 10:35 AM

How about a supertube ( underground train system). A balistic tube train that would travel at 500 miles an hour for intercontinental travelers. like the pneumatic capsuls that shops used to have.
Seal the passengers in then fire them at a country they will be there in a matter of minutes, off course the mess will need to be cleaned all those mashed bodies before the next load can be sent.

**Trinoc** · 18th April 2009, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by lost thought

How about a supertube ( underground train system). A balistic tube train that would travel at 500 miles an hour for intercontinental travelers. like the pneumatic capsuls that shops used to have.
Seal the passengers in then fire them at a country they will be there in a matter of minutes, off course the mess will need to be cleaned all those mashed bodies before the next load can be sent.

Never heard of inertial dampers?

(What do you mean, they don't exist?)