March 18, 201411 yr I wasn't sure if this was the appropriate thread, but couldn't find one for what other countries were doing with rail. Wherever it belongs, it's sad! http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/16/1285080/-Amazing-photos-show-us-why-the-American-transportation-network-has-fallen-off-the-rails#
March 24, 201411 yr So Iraq is going to have better trains than Ohio now. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2014/03/iraq-trains/ After Decades of War, Iraq Adds Fleet of New Trains to Its Aging Railway Brand new trains were delivered to Iraq for use on a popular railway route, another sign that the country is rebuilding the public transportation network that had fallen into disrepair over decades of neglect and war. The 10 new trains will roll on the Baghdad-Basra line, between Iraq’s capital and one of its key cities. It’s a line that’s been of strategic importance since it was built as part of the Baghdad Railway in the years surrounding World War I, and now it’s getting trains capable of 100 mph.
September 29, 201410 yr The US continues to fall behind international rail developments. Japan planning for 300mph maglev trains by 2027. http://gizmodo.com/japan-tests-its-new-500kmph-maglev-train-1638957502 and Japan, not someone in the US, has offered $5B toward bringing the maglev technology to the US http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/04/technology/maglev-washington-baltimore/
October 2, 201410 yr Thursday, October 02, 2014 Rail to receive 54% of Spanish transport budget Written by Fernando Puente THE Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Transport has published its draft budget for 2015 this week and once again funds allocated to rail investments will exceed those for the department's other areas of responsibility, notably roads and air transport. Rail investment is expected to reach €5.2bn in 2015, representing 54% of the €9.6bn transport budget. Despite the deep recession and the ensuing budgetary constraints, Spain's central government is committed to completing its ambitious rail programme and has invested more than €10bn in the high-speed network in the last three years alone. READ MORE AT: http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/europe/rail-to-receive-54-of-spanish-transport-budget.html?channel=542 Monday, September 29, 2014 Netherlands sets 2015 rail budget at €2.4bn (or $3.05 billion US at the current exchange rate) Written by Quintus Vosman THE DUTCH government has allocated to €2.4bn to maintain and improve the country's railway network as part of its 2015 budget, which was announced on September 16. Half of the funds will be used to maintain and manage the network, while the remainder will be used to finance enhancement projects, one of the largest being the national ERTMS programme, which will consume €2.5bn by 2028. The budget also includes funds for a number of other safety-related improvements including level crossing upgrades and extending the rollout of ATB-VV, an enhanced version of the Dutch national ATB automatic train protection system. READ MORE AT: http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/europe/netherlands-sets-2015-rail-budget-at-%E2%82%AC24bn.html?channel=542 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 18, 201410 yr China and Russia are talking about a $230B high speed train line between Moscow and Beijing. And we can't build any? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2796861/plans-unveiled-new-144bn-high-speed-rail-link-moscow-beijing-cut-trans-siberian-journey-time-4-hours.html … "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 24, 201410 yr Not really overseas but.... Chinese Group sole bidder for $3 billion Mexico high-speed rail project 24-Oct-2014 12:00:00 CRCC_LogoChina continues to lead the way in high-speed rail as state backed China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) are the only group bidding to win tender for Mexico’s major high speed-rail project worth more than $3 billion writes SmartRail World's Abigail Francis. The proposed project plans to connect the industrial cities of Mexico City & Queretaro and carry an estimated 23,000 commuters a day, at high speeds of 300kph. The developments follow President Enrique Pena Nieto’s plans to reintroduce inter-city passenger services between major industrial cities following their privatization and subsequent dissolution over a decade ago. CRCC have offered to build trains and 210 kilometres of railway as part of their $4.3 billion bid. The deal is set to place China in an extremely strong position to establish and win further contracts to construct more of Mexico’s high-speed passenger rail. Having built over 12,000 kilometers of track at home in less than a decade, China is pushing to export more of its high-speed technology abroad. CNR and CSR Corp are China's largest train builders, while CRCC and China Railway Group build track. http://www.smartrailworld.com/chinese-group-sole-successful-bid-for-3-billion-mexico-high-speed-rail-project … "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 11, 201410 yr China just opened a new 6-hour, 50-minute rail link that covers a distance equivalent to LA to Seattle, or Baltimore to Miami. This is just one of 32 (yes, thirty-two) new high-speed rail routes that China opened for service on Dec. 10! Meanwhile America bumps along over crowded, crumbling roads.... EDIT: BTW, the older rail infrastructure between Shanghai-Guangzhou allowed the slow trains to cover that 1,300-mile distance in 16 hours. Baltimore to Miami on Amtrak takes 24.5 hours, and LA to Seattle on Amtrak takes 35 hours. So even China's older, slower trains were MUCH faster than America's. That's how far behind we really are. http://shanghaiist.com/2014/12/09/from_tomorrow_on_high-speed_rail_wi.php "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 11, 201410 yr China just opened a new 6-hour, 50-minute rail link that covers a distance equivalent to LA to Seattle, or Baltimore to Miami. This is just one of 32 (yes, thirty-two) new high-speed rail routes that China opened for service on Dec. 10! Meanwhile America bumps along over crowded, crumbling roads.... EDIT: BTW, the older rail infrastructure between Shanghai-Guangzhou allowed the slow trains to cover that 1,300-mile distance in 16 hours. Baltimore to Miami on Amtrak takes 24.5 hours, and LA to Seattle on Amtrak takes 35 hours. So even China's older, slower trains were MUCH faster than America's. That's how far behind we really are. http://shanghaiist.com/2014/12/09/from_tomorrow_on_high-speed_rail_wi.php And now that Republicans have taken over the national and state legislatures, expect the USA fall even further behind.
April 17, 201510 yr Meanwhile, in Japan: Japan’s maglev train breaks world speed record A maglev train in Japan reached a record-breaking speed of 590Kph (366Mph) this week, according to the Central Japan Railway Company -- smashing a record that’s been held for 12 years. The seven-car train completed a test run on Thursday on an experimental course in central Japan's Yamanashi prefecture. The train beat the previous record of 581Kph (361Mph), which has been held since 2003.
July 3, 20159 yr So Morocco can afford high-speed rail but the USA cannot? OK.... Africa’s first high speed train delivered 01 Jul 2015 MOROCCO: The first of 12 Alstom Duplex high speed trainsets for national railway ONCF was unloaded at the Port of Tanger on June 29. It had been shipped from the Port of La Pallice near La Rochelle in France onboard Ville de Bordeaux, a roll-on roll-off vessel custom-built to carry Airbus A380 aircraft sections. The double-deck trainsets are based on the TGV Duplex design that has been in service with French national operator SNCF since 1996, but adapted for local operating conditions. They are to be used on Tanger – Casablanca services, using a 320 km route including a 183 km high speed line between Tanger and Kénitra which is being built for operation at up to 320 km/h. From Kénitra to Casablanca the services will use a conventional line upgraded for speeds up to 220 km/h. MORE: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/africas-first-high-speed-train-delivered.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 3, 20159 yr Chinese exceptionalism! 813 km is 508 miles, or the distance from Cleveland to New York City via Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Or from Columbus to the east side of Philadelphia. Or from Cincinnati to Washington DC via Pittsburgh. The existing USA rail travel is far slower than China's old 8-hour travel time (except in Columbus which is North America's largest city with no passenger rail of any kind). And they just cut that in half to four. Yup, Chinese exceptionalism.... Hefei – Fuzhou high speed line opens 30 Jun 2015 CHINA: The 813 km Hefei – Fuzhou Passenger-Dedicated Line opened on June 28, with journey times between the capitals of Anhui and Fujian provinces cut from 8 h to under 4 h. The new line also serves popular tourist destinations. Construction of the line began in 2010, with the route through a mountainous region requiring around 86% of the alignment to be on bridges or in tunnel. The alignment has been designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h. Trains are initially running at up to 300 km/h, however. MORE: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/hefei-fuzhou-high-speed-line-opens.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 3, 20159 yr But wait, there's more! Express Rail Link to open in 2018 #HighSpeedRail #WestKowloon in #HongKong http://t.co/xJHnqFvh8g @railjournal http://t.co/EK55OaZXN8 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 16, 20159 yr Podcast: Lessons from French and German High Speed Rail with @gmfus fellow Eric Eidlin - http://t.co/jk1LnWPvEr http://t.co/pvNWKGXHkO "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 2, 20159 yr It would be a mistake for Europe to eliminate its night trains. People over there have already started protesting. If you're a tourist, why would you want to spend your days traveling when you can do it while you sleep?: Can Europe's last sleeper trains survive? By Marcel Krueger, for CNN Updated 0601 GMT (1301 HKT) September 2, 2015 (CNN)It's close to midnight and Berlin's Hauptbahnhof central station is almost deserted. But on platform five, there are scenes of mild chaos. The City Night Line sleeper has just pulled in and passengers -- me among them -- are grabbing their luggage and eyeing up the carriages that, for the next eight hours, will be their hotel on wheels. I've been fascinated by night trains ever since I first took a sleeper from Munich to the Hungarian capital Budapest 20 years ago. Back then such trains were still relatively common sights in European cities not yet in thrall to the budget airline revolution. Today, it's a different story. Night services are in decline against the competition of cheap airfares and faster daytime intercity train services. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/02/travel/european-night-sleeper-trains/index.html
September 8, 20159 yr Rail returns to Scottish Borders in longest new UK line in 100+ years. Posted on Sep 8, 2015 “This is an amazing moment. This is not just the opening of a new railway line; it is the opening up of a large part of our country to incredible new opportunities to grow and to prosper..." After a wait of 46 years, the picturesque Scottish Borders will again be home to rail when Her Majesty the Queen opens the longest new line built in the UK for over a century tomorrow. The new Borders Railway runs between Tweedbank, the home of Sir Walter Scott and the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Until the line reopened, the Borders was the largest area of the UK without a rail link and had seen a lengthy campaign to bring back rail. Built at a cost of £294 million, it was is the replacement for the Waverley Line which meandered its way through the region before shutting in 1969. Completed on-time and according to its management on-budget, it is expected to carry almost 650,000 passengers a year and will deliver new jobs and new opportunities for economic growth across Midlothian and the Borders. READ MORE AND SEE PHOTOS/VIDEO AT: http://www.smartrailworld.com/rail-returns-to-scottish-borders-in-longest-new-uk-line-in-100-years?utm_campaign=SmartRail+World&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=21867704&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-83JDib8GxG5GroKcYlMdxsVdWupjMfrboh1XAIKw0erGTUssaZvUsSr1KCCmfHzTtzTHOw3jgJjTgxEQ51jyWATr42vA&_hsmi=21867704 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 26, 20159 yr November 15, 2015 China's 'Alpine' high-speed train service starts tomorrow http://nextbigfuture.com/2015/11/chinas-alpine-high-speed-train-service.html A description from the Midwest High Speed Rail Association: China’s newest high-speed train has been approved to begin passenger service next month on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed line. The 250km/h trains will travel at altitudes as high as 3600m above sea level and are equipped to operate in extreme weather ranging from ice storms to sand storms. The CR2HG has a sealed bodyshell that is designed to prevent potential failures from condensing meltwater and the train has been adapted to prevent the accumulation of frost, snow and ice. The train is also able to deal with sandstorms through pressure sealed under floor equipment and an improved ventilation system that ensures onboard air quality. The new trains will be able to stay in service longer as they only have to be cleaned every month or two compared to the current passenger train that requires cleaning every 3 days. Each eight-car train has the capacity for 613 passengers to be carried along the 1,103 mile route and makes the journey in about 8 hours. The distance travelled is similar to traveling from Chicago to Denver, which takes around 18 hours on the California Zephyr. China is considering extending this line even further west along the ancient Silk Road and connecting China to five other countries, ending in Teheran, Iran. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 27, 20159 yr ^Nice. More and more countries are developing HSR, even little South Africa... And even though America's Congress doesn't seem too much interested in funding/developing HSR, I sure hope states like California keep pushing forward with their HSR plans as well as states in partnership neighboring states, like Cali and Nevada are with their so-called DesertXpress proposal between LA and Vegas. Obviously NEC's Acela is the best we've got to date, but it currently only has limited newer track sections north of New Haven where trains are authorized for 150 mph speeds while the numerous slow sections, like the old New Haven RR section and the infamous Baltimore & Potomac tunnels under Baltimore, offset whatever advantages Acele's HSR portions give. I'd like to think new ideas being batted around could find traction, like replacing those B'more tunnels and a fascinating proposal to bypass the current Philadelphia trackage with a new tunnel and station under Center City ... or even crazier, a new HSR line creating service between Philly and Chicago (via Cleveland, of course). These advancements would be great but with the current partisan dysfunctional nature of our national legislature these days, I'm not holding my breath because the situation in Washington doesn't seem likely to change for the foreseeable future... It may even get worse!
April 21, 20169 yr Re-coupling Many railway lines in Britain that were closed in the 1960s are re-opening Apr 16th 2016 A MUSEUM in the centre of Wisbech, a Georgian town of 30,000 souls in East Anglia, proudly displays the original manuscript of Charles Dickens’s “Great Expectations”. Those were days in which Wisbech prospered. The frenzy of railway building in the 19th century gave the town three stations. Now it has none. The last passenger train left in 1968, five years after the report by Richard Beeching, chairman of British Railways, on the future of rail, which led to the closure of nearly a third of Britain’s 17,000 miles of track and a third of its 7,000 stations. The town has suffered economically. Yet Wisbech, like many towns cut off from the rail network, is now expecting great things. In recent years several hundred miles of railways around the country have been restored. As roads clog up and urban house prices climb, commuters, environmentalists and local politicians are pushing for more old lines to be re-opened. Some 200 proposals have been put forward, says Andrew Allen of the Campaign for Better Transport, a lobby group. It is a remarkable new trend. After the war, many thought that roads would rule and rail would go the way of canals. When Milton Keynes, a new town, was built 55 miles north of London in the 1960s, it was deemed not to need a station. One was at last opened in 1982. In 2015 6.6m journeys started or ended there. Traffic on other restored lines has boomed, too. The track that re-opened in 2015 from Edinburgh to the Borders expected 650,000 journeys in its first year. Half a million were made in the first five months. MORE: http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21697012-many-railway-lines-britain-were-closed-1960s-are-re-opening-re-coupling "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 3, 20168 yr Traveling Between Berlin and Munich Is About to Get a Whole Lot Easier Trains on a new high-speed route could ultimately be driverless, too. Feargus O'Sullivan @FeargusOSull Sep 1, 2016 On Wednesday, the E.U.’s most populous country got a little bit smaller. Thanks to a newly electrified stretch of railway track just opened across Germany’s Thuringian Forest, travel times between Berlin and Munich will soon be slashed. By December 2017, it will take a whole two hours less to travel between Germany’s largest and third largest cities. Reducing the 505 kilometer (314 mile) journey to just over 4 hours, down from 6 hours and 15 minutes, will finally offer genuinely fast land transit across one of Central Europe’s most important routes. When the convenience of downtown-to-downtown travel is factored in, the high-speed rail link (trains will eventuall run at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour) will give planes and highways a run for their money... http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/09/berlin-to-munich-train-high-speed-rail/498332/
September 29, 20168 yr China plans world’s deepest high-speed rail station, right under the Great Wall https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/29/china-plans-worlds-deepest-high-speed-rail-station-right-under-the-great-wall/?tid=sm_tw "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 30, 20168 yr 2,252 km, China's longest east-west high-speed rail linking Shanghai and southwestern Kunming starts full operation https://t.co/F2jsmzas35 570 meters above valley! World’s highest bridge in SW China's Guizhou ready to open for #Shanghai–Kunming High-Speed Railway https://t.co/PWNrLXPWc1 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 23, 20178 yr A recent BBC article highlights the journey of a new China-to-London freight train, plus important ramifications: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38654176
March 1, 20178 yr Just in case you forgot how far behind we are.... Chicago-Cincinnati, Chicago-Cleveland, Chicago-Columbus are similar in distance/density to Paris-Bordeaux. But the latter already has 40 trains/day with a trip time now at 3.25-hours for the 350 miles. It will soon be 1 hour faster. Bordeaux realtors are already advertising commuting to Paris. Can you imagine realtors in the 3Cs advertising cheaper living in Ohio and commuting to Chicago on high-speed trains? http://www.thelocal.fr/20170228/bordeaux-paris-speed-line-inaugurated-though-not-open-for-passengers-yet "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 16, 20178 yr Japan's luxurious Shiki-shima sleeper train – in pictures The futuristic champagne-gold Train Suite Shiki-shima, operated by East Japan Railway, has five-star lounge, dining and observatory cars and features a menu devised by a Michelin-starred chef. The 10-car train accommodates just 34 passengers in 17 suites, and the most expensive room, the Shiki-shima, costs ¥950,000 (£6,600) per person for two sharing. The train embarked on its maiden journey on 1 May and seats have already been booked up until March 2018 More below: https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2017/may/03/japan-luxurious-shika-shima-sleeper-train-in-pictures "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 16, 20178 yr Great pics. Japan is truly "Railroad Island" as a friend of mine titled one of his commercial railroad videos from the 1990s. And I forgot to post this earlier this AM..... US Congress just OK'd $200 million additional for passenger rail in 2017, which is nice. But that's only 1% of what Australia just OK'd. Australia's economy is 9% the size of USA's. Australian government to invest $20 billion in rail 11 May 2017 • Author: European Railway Review The Turnbull-Joyce government, the federal executive government of Australia, is investing $20 billion in rail to cut congestion in cities, grow the regions and create thousands of new jobs. To meet growing transport needs, Australia’s government has set out its 2017-18 budget to transform its passenger and freight networks, improve liveability and boost national productivity. This long-term investment includes: MORE https://www.europeanrailwayreview.com/33918/rail-industry-news/australian-government-20-billion/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 16, 20178 yr Every country in the world is investing seriously in passenger EXCEPT for the Republican-dominated, knuckle-dragging US of A where focusing on bombs and the wealthy are the main priorities.
May 30, 20178 yr Britain Debates Nationalizing Its Rail System The Labour Party’s promise to end private ownership of rail services finds broad appeal across the U.K. FEARGUS O'SULLIVAN @FeargusOSull 12:11 PM ET As Britain’s Labour Party closes the gap with its Conservative rivals in the June 8th general election, there’s at least one part of the party’s platform that’s widely popular: nationalizing the railways. According to the party’s manifesto, a Labour government would end the outsourcing of passenger services to private companies, a practice that began in 1994. The idea might seem complex and expensive, but it has become a significant feature of Britain’s current election campaign—and it’s an idea that many U.K. citizens seem to like a lot: A recent survey found 52 percent of respondents favored renationalization, versus 22 percent against. That makes the idea currently more popular than the party that proposed it. It’s just one part of a broader proposal to create national energy, mail, and utility companies if Labour is elected—and that’s no small “if.” Despite recent poll jumps suggesting a close race on the 8th, Britain’s Conservatives are still favored to win, and nationalization has no place in their agenda. Still, Labour’s proposal is striking for its popularity. But is it feasible? MORE https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/05/british-general-election-labour-party-railroad-nationalization/528459/?utm_source=nl__link4_053017 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 30, 20178 yr This reminds me of how legislation in the U.S. is almost always written in a THIS IS FOREVER basis while other countries are able to think to write re-evaluation clauses that take place after a certain period of time. Probably since a very large portion of our laws are crafted with strong belief systems in mind.
June 16, 20177 yr Contrary to what you may have heard, overnight trains in Europe haven't died. And some that did are being revived. Here's some news on overnight trains. Sure would be nice to have similarly low-cost overnight service in the USA, such as from Ohio cities to the East Coast.... From 11 December 2016, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and German Railways (DB) ... launch[ed] six new overnight rail services under ÖBB’s Nightjet brand. ÖBB Nightjet rail services Hamburg – Berlin – Freiburg (B) – Basle – Zurich Innsbruck – Munich – Hamburg (car and motorcycle transport daily) Innsbruck – Munich – Düsseldorf (car and motorcycle transport 3 times a week) Munich – Salzburg – Villach – Venice Munich – Salzburg – Villach – Florence – Rome Munich – Salzburg – Villach – Verona – Milan “In the future there will be an attractive night travel offer in Germany,” said Berthold Huber, DB Chairman of traffic and transportation. “The Night Journey concepts of both companies secure a wide range of different travel needs: With comfortable seating in our night-IC / ICE, but also with the classical sleeping and couchette cars of the ÖBB.” https://www.europeanrailwayreview.com/30237/rail-industry-news/obb-db-overnight-rail-services/#comment-1003707 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 21, 20177 yr If you have 30 minutes to kill, watch this "flyover" of the proposed HS2 route from Birmingham to Central London. It's extremely detailed and informative, although some of the labels do not stay visible long enough. And since there's no sound, feel free to play some music, perhaps something that you consider "very British." I chose OMD's Architecture & Morality album from 1981 -- it made me want to visit to the UK and when I finally did in 2007, the first song I played after landing there was "Souvenir." Anyway, here's the flyover.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 15, 20177 yr Elsewhere, in the civilized world.... Merkel inaugurates München - Berlin Unity Project 8 08 Dec 2017 GERMANY: Special trains from München and Nürnberg, celebrations in multiple cities and a spectacular arrival in Berlin Hauptbahnhof marked the inauguration on December 8 of the railway known as German Unity Project VDE8. Commemorative events had been staged in Nürnberg, Erfurt, Leipzig and Wittenberg to mark the formal opening of the last major element in the München – Berlin upgrading scheme, the 107 km high speed line between Ebensfeld and Erfurt. The day culminated at Berlin Hauptbahnhof with the arrival at 16.15 of the two special trains formed of ICE3 trainsets. Out of one of them stepped Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had boarded it shortly before at Berlin Südkreuz. She inscribed her name on the bodyside, already adorned with the signatures of many other guests. In her formal speech inaugurating the VDE8 project, she congratulated those who had built the bridges, constructed the tunnels and laid the tracks. The €10bn scheme was ‘breathtaking’, she said, later insisting that ‘we must be in a position in the 21st century to handle major projects if we want to keep up with the times’. MORE http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/merkel-inaugurates-muenchen-berlin-unity-project-8.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 18, 20187 yr "Americans won't ride trains." Really? Look who's helping Eurostar reach record ridership.... https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/record-first-quarter-ridership-for-eurostar.html?channel=000 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 18, 20187 yr "Americans won't ride trains." Really? Look who's helping Eurostar reach record ridership.... https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/record-first-quarter-ridership-for-eurostar.html?channel=000 I'm on it at least 2x a year. Glad I am not this month though--French rail workers strike causing lots of cancellations!
April 18, 20187 yr "Americans won't ride trains." Really? Look who's helping Eurostar reach record ridership.... https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/record-first-quarter-ridership-for-eurostar.html?channel=000 "Oh my gosh, the trains and public transit there is so great" -Every American ever who ever went to Europe. I have ridden trains all over Europe but unfortunately never rode Eurostar because it is pricey and there are so many cheap flights into London. I do need to ride it someday.
May 11, 20187 yr TCDD high-speed services to reach central Istanbul this year https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/tcdd-high-speed-services-to-reach-central-istanbul-this-year.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 31, 20186 yr This is the kind of thinking and investing that's not happening in the USA.... Proposed line could connect HS1 and HS2 with London airports http://ow.ly/CpPt30lcaOv "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 15, 20186 yr The world's poorest continent beat the world's richest continent in offering a true high-speed rail service. Keep saying that until our leaders realize we aren't as great as we think we are. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 29, 20196 yr Today's "Big Read" in the Financial Times talks about why Japan's privatized railroads make money (except for JR Hokkaido) and the UK's don't. The UK is studying the differences with a view toward becoming more Japanese. https://www.ft.com/content/9f7f044e-1f16-11e9-b2f7-97e4dbd3580d Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
May 11, 20196 yr japan is testing the world’s fastest bullet train ahead of the olympics: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-fastest-bullet-train-alfax-scli-intl/index.html
May 16, 20196 yr Air France admits it can't compete with high-speed rail on rail routes up to two hours. Edit: The "two hour" detail came from a conference call I can't reference. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-13/air-france-to-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-as-it-slashes-capacity Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
June 14, 20196 yr Foster + Partners completes quartet of high-speed rail stations in Saudi Arabia Tom Ravenscroft https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/14/foster-partners-haramain-high-speed-stations-saudi-arabia/ Foster + Partners has completed stations in Saudi Arabian cities Mecca, Medina, Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City, connected by the 280-mile Haramain high-speed rail line. The stations, "conceived as gateways to each city", are designed to offer a unified appearance to between 60 million and 135 million passengers anticipated to use the high-speed line each year. ... All four of the stations, which can handle up to 20,000 passengers an hour, have been built using the same modular system. ... The Haramain high-speed rail line now links the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca, via the coastal cities of Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City. The 280-mile journey between the two holy cities now takes two hours and 20 minutes, with trains running at a maximum speed of 200 miles per hour. ... Foster + Partners, which was established by Norman Foster in 1967 is also designing the Jeddah metro system, which will connect to the high-speed station in the city. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
July 8, 20195 yr i didnt know this, but in indonesia i see that at long last jakarta finally has rail service to its airport. construction was done in 2018 and it was supposed to be fully up and running this year. they are also working on rail service between their two largest cities, but i think that project has been hit with delays. https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Indonesia-launches-rail-service-from-Jakarta-to-country-s-largest-airport2
July 30, 20195 yr here is a list of viable transit projects put forth in march to london council for them to decide which to prioritize (or should i say prioritise - ha!) -- cool brt stuff and etc, it's interesting: https://www.london.ca/calendar/Documents/DraftList-PotentialTransitProjects.pdf
September 25, 20195 yr video on congested jakarta and very happy people --- they opened its first urban mass transit rail service this past spring -- its called the mrt: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/indonesia-opens-train-system-jakarta-190329134516148.html Edited September 25, 20195 yr by mrnyc
October 27, 20195 yr tashkent, uzbekistan is in the midst of more than doubling their metro: tashkent metro opened in 1977. the last extension was 2001. it currently has 29 stations with three lines. since 2017, new 35 stations are being built. 33 new stations are overground and 2 are underground. the new overground lines are the circle line and the sirghali line. also, the yunusobod line is being extended with two underground stations. the new stations will be completed in 2021. so there will be 64 stations with 500-750k passengers per day https://www.railtech.com/infrastructure/2019/05/31/tashkent-metro-will-be-extended-with-two-elevated-lines/ Edited October 27, 20195 yr by mrnyc
January 15, 20205 yr Germany agrees to invest 86 billion euros in railroads. https://www.ft.com/content/086f62b8-36c8-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4 Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
January 26, 20205 yr seoul gtx high speed rail construction gets going on first of three lines: https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/commuter-rail/construction-starts-on-first-gtx-line-in-seoul/
March 13, 20205 yr This is super-cool: a fuel-cell based self-propelled rail car. Hey @KJP , what would it take to get FRA to approve this for mixed use with freight traffic? Alstom's hydrogen fuel-cell train undergoes testing in the Netherlands https://www.metro-magazine.com/rail/news/737704/alstom-s-hydrogen-fuel-cell-train-undergoes-testing-in-the-netherlands March 11, 2020 Alstom performed 10 days of tests of the Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel-cell train on the approximate 40.3 miles of line between Groningen and Leeuwarden in the north of the Netherlands. The tests follow 18 successful months of passenger service on the Buxtehude–Bremervörde–Bremerhaven–Cuxhaven line in Germany, where a total of 41 Coradia iLint have already been ordered. The latest tests make the Netherlands the second country in Europe where the train has proven itself a unique emissions-free solution for non-electrified lines. ... The Coradia iLint is the world's first regional passenger train to enter service equipped with fuel cells to convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, thus eliminating pollutant emissions related to propulsion. The train is quiet, and its only emission is water. Purpose-built for use on non-electrified lines, it provides clean, sustainable traction with no sacrifice in performance. It has a range of approximately 621 miles — the same as equivalent-size diesel multiple units. The train is developed and produced by the Alstom teams in Salzgitter, Germany and Tarbes, France. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 13, 20205 yr Thankfully the FRA has loosened its rules regarding lighter weight passenger train rolling stock on shared track with freight trains. However there needs to be protective signal systems in place such as positive train control. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 15, 20205 yr singapore moving ahead on a ne service branch off the u/c cross island line. the goal is for 80% of people to live within walking distance of a station by 2030. Singapore announces Cross Island Line Punggol branch alignment Mar 13, 2020 Written byDavid Burroughs SINGAPORE’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced the alignment and station locations for the Cross Island Line (CRL) Punggol branch, which will connect Pasir Ris to Punggol, providing a direct connection between eastern and northeastern Singapore. more: https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/metros/singapore-announces-cross-island-line-punggol-branch-alignment/ and here: https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/metros/singapore-outlines-us-43-5bn-investment-in-rail-to-2030/
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