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  • We chose our inability. We are not victims of anything but ourselves.

  • Imagine what a boost to remote working overnight trains to East Coast cities would be. We wouldn't have to wake up at 3:00 a.m. for 5:00 a.m. flights anymore nor have to stay the night at expensive Ea

  • westerninterloper
    westerninterloper

    I lived in Japan for several years and the transit systems are not too difficult to understand. Once you learn the basics of the ticketing and transfers, it's remarkably easy for non-Japanese readers

Posted Images

Yep, we're not as great as we think we are

 

https://x.com/the_transit_guy/status/1737910859697959204?s=20

 

The European Union has unveiled an agreement wherein the core network of the 27 countries must have rail systems capable of speeds of 160 kph (99 mph) or faster by 2040. The economy of the US is $10 trillion larger. This country really needs to step it up.

 

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"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

But, but... you can't have intentional humor on public transport! 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

I'm willing to bet that while climate concerns might play a small role in the booming passenger rail market in Europe, the biggest factor is increased price competitiveness with airlines due to growing competition.  (Note: Cuyahoga County Public Library card holders can get 3-days of free access to the NYT via the library website)

In Europe, Trains Are Full, and More Are on the Way

Amid concerns about climate change, demand for rail service is strong, and both governments and private investors are trying to keep up. Even Eurostar may see competition on its London-Paris route.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/travel/europe-new-trains.html

 

By Paige McClanahan

Jan. 4, 2024

 

Paris to Venice. Barcelona to Amsterdam. Brussels to Bratislava, Slovakia. European cities could see a flurry of new rail connections in the next few years, as governments and private investors respond to climate concerns and strive to keep up with strong demand for cross-border passenger rail traffic.

 

Patience is required: Some new connections will take a year or more to start operating, and there will be the occasional inconveniences — like the six-month suspension of nonstop service from Amsterdam to London beginning in June, as Amsterdam’s Central Station undergoes renovations.

 

The route that passes under the English Channel could also have some slow-building changes in the works. Eurostar has had a monopoly on passenger rail traffic under the Channel for nearly 30 years. But the Channel Tunnel is open access, and competitors are lining up to offer additional services between Britain and the continent.

It’s all part of Europe’s ongoing rail renaissance, which is being driven in large part by strong interest from passengers...

  • 2 weeks later...

 

check out the grand paris express project -- 🙀

 

 

 

 

 

whoa geez --- very nice hadid group tod for a historic prague station -- 🙀

 

 

 

 

 

Zaha Hadid Architects Unveils Undulating Masterpiece in Prague

 

By Jessica Stewart on December 18, 2023

 

 

The creative minds at Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) have revealed their newest design, located in the city of Prague. The Masaryčka building is a new, contemporary addition to the Czech capital that integrates with the modernization of the historic Masaryk Railway Station. Rising up like a bronzed razor blade, Masaryčka provides access to new civic spaces in the capital city.

 

 

more:

https://mymodernmet.com/zha-masarycka-building-prague/

 

 

 

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Masaryk Railway Station (1845)

 

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if i could take a stove train up to a snow monkeys onsen i think … i think … that would be my rail transit dream. 😂👍

 

 

Europe-Africa Rail Tunnel Project to Connect Two Continents

Jan 24, 2024 by Heritier

Home » News » Europe-Africa Rail Tunnel Project to Connect Two Continents

The Europe-Africa rail tunnel project is a high-speed link across the Straits of Gibraltar to unite Africa with Europe. Leaders in Spain, Portugal and also Morocco have for long desired this construction. This plan has regained a lot of momentum and support prior to the 2030 World Cup preparations as matches will be in Spain and also Morocco...

 

https://constructionreviewonline.com/biggest-projects/europe-africa-rail-tunnel-project-to-connect-two-continents/?

 

Europe-Africa-Rail-Tunnel.webp.4a9d8c3e2bab8ad8df26ea6ad0c1651d.webp

11 minutes ago, gildone said:

 

 

Europe-Africa Rail Tunnel Project to Connect Two Continents

Jan 24, 2024 by Heritier

Home » News » Europe-Africa Rail Tunnel Project to Connect Two Continents

The Europe-Africa rail tunnel project is a high-speed link across the Straits of Gibraltar to unite Africa with Europe. Leaders in Spain, Portugal and also Morocco have for long desired this construction. This plan has regained a lot of momentum and support prior to the 2030 World Cup preparations as matches will be in Spain and also Morocco...

 

https://constructionreviewonline.com/biggest-projects/europe-africa-rail-tunnel-project-to-connect-two-continents/?

 

Europe-Africa-Rail-Tunnel.webp.4a9d8c3e2bab8ad8df26ea6ad0c1651d.webp

 

11 minutes ago, gildone said:

 

 

urope-Africa Rail Tunnel Project to Connect Two Continents

Jan 24, 2024 by Heritier

Home » News » Europe-Africa Rail Tunnel Project to Connect Two Continents

The Europe-Africa rail tunnel project is a high-speed link across the Straits of Gibraltar to unite Africa with Europe. Leaders in Spain, Portugal and also Morocco have for long desired this construction. This plan has regained a lot of momentum and support prior to the 2030 World Cup preparations as matches will be in Spain and also Morocco...

 

https://constructionreviewonline.com/biggest-projects/europe-africa-rail-tunnel-project-to-connect-two-continents/?

 

Europe-Africa-Rail-Tunnel.webp.4a9d8c3e2bab8ad8df26ea6ad0c1651d.webp

I don't know about Gibraltar specifically, but the Mediterranean is rather tectonically active.  Also, the political stability in Europe is getting strained.  Would the EU be contributing much money to this?

Edited by urb-a-saurus

2 hours ago, urb-a-saurus said:

I don't know about Gibraltar specifically, but the Mediterranean is rather tectonically active.  Also, the political stability in Europe is getting strained.  Would the EU be contributing much money to this?

I think the EU is paying for it.  Morocco couldn't do it on its own.

 

Looks like the faults are around the mountains in Spain and Morocco and not through the Strait of Gibraltar.  I'm sure they are considering the geology.

 

slide20_orig.jpg.ebf0fec52f402bb5f4876a2a46ac13b2.jpg

(https://the-geology-of-southern-spain.weebly.com/places---earthquakes--tsunamis.html)

Edited by gildone

Japan has plenty of earthquakes and plenty of rail tunnels including the 33-mile Seikan Tunnel linking the Japanese island of Honshu from the northern island of Hokkaido.

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

8 hours ago, KJP said:

Japan has plenty of earthquakes and plenty of rail tunnels including the 33-mile Seikan Tunnel linking the Japanese island of Honshu from the northern island of Hokkaido.

True. The Strait of Gibraltar is gradually closing, as that part of Africa moves closer to Europe at a rate of 2.5 inches per year.  I'm sure they will design for that somehow.  

Edited by gildone

Japan is amazing. Check out this journey which has now been added to my bucket list. 
 

 

When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?

Did you know that there is a three day luxury train excursion across the Peruvian Andes? I didn’t

 

 

When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?

  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting… HSR Alliance is hosting a webinar on HSR construction in China. The (Chinese) engineer is explaining that their best practice is to put the rail on viaducts. On earlier lines they built most of the track on the ground and they discovered that ground settling degrades the track conditions and they have to run at lower speeds. As a result, now they put the vast majority of the track up on viaduct. 
 

Maybe that Texas Central plan for mostly elevated is the right decision?
 

This webinar will be posted on YouTube soon. 

When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?

contracts awarded in poland for new rail line — 

 

 

Polish new line planning contracts awarded

 

By Railway Gazette International13 February 2024

 

 

POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded Infra Centrum Doradztwa contracts to produce documentation for the construction of a proposed Lublin – Łęczna – Bogdanka line and modernisation of the Chełm – Włodawa route.

 

The proposed 25 km single track electrified would run from the regional capital Lublin to Łęczna and the Bogdanka coal mine, with 12 stations. The cost of construction is estimated at 736m złoty. The journey time from Łęczna to Lublin would be around 40 min.

 

 

more:

https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/polish-new-line-planning-contracts-awarded/65893.article

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another great video from Not Just Bikes. This one is about traveling Europe's railways to take his son to dinosaur museums. He talks about how even the EU spends more on roads than rail.

 

I guess our equivalent is driving our $90k pickup trucks to the Creation Museum 

after 2yrs and 9months of drilling — the big hs2 line breakthrough —

 

 

 

HS2 milestone as tunnelling machine breaks through in the Chilterns

 

28th February 2024

 

 

The journey of TBM Florence has taken 2 years and 11 months, travelling at about 16 metres a day, but a train will travel through the tunnel in a few minutes when HS2 is open between London and Birmingham.

 

 

more:

https://railnews.mobi/news/2024/02/28-hs2-milestone-as-tunnelling-machine.html

 

https://bdcmagazine.com/2024/02/historic-breakthrough-for-hs2s-longest-tunnel/

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjqjqgxyzjwo

 

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denmark to germany —

 

 

 

Fehmarnbelt tunnel pushes forward with first 100m on land complete

 

01 MARCH, 2024 BY THAMES MENTETH

 

 

The €7.1bn (£6.1bn) Fehmarnbelt tunnel has reached a major milestone with the first 100m of the tunnel laid at the project’s portal area in Lolland, Denmark.

 

Contractors have now fully cast the first four segments of tunnel at the portal with floor, walls and ceiling. When complete, the portal will consist of a total of 13 segments, each of which is 9m high and 41m wide.

 

The tunnel portal is the access through which cars and trains will pass from land into the 18km long undersea Fehmarnbelt tunnel.

 

 

more:

https://www.geplus.co.uk/news/fehmarnbelt-tunnel-pushes-forward-with-first-100m-on-land-complete-01-03-2024/

 

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The first 100m of tunnel have been cast in the project's portal area in Denmark

 

 

 

Edited by mrnyc

  • 2 weeks later...

china is connecting se asia to it —

 

 

 

China is trying to connect Southeast Asia by high-speed rail. Here’s how that’s going

 

By Heather Chen, CNN

 7 minute read

Published 12:05 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024

 

 

Imagine jumping on a train in southwestern China, traveling some 2,000 miles and arriving in Singapore – less than 30 hours later.

 

That’s the scenario China is envisioning for Southeast Asia as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a vast overseas infrastructure development program that launched more than a decade ago.

 

 

more:

https://theendlessnight.com/2024/03/27/filler/107109/china-is-trying-to-connect-southeast-asia-by-high-speed-rail-heres-how-thats-going

 

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A staff member waits for passengers to board the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a week-long public trial phase at the Halim station in Jakarta on September 17, 2023. – Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images

 

 

Wow. I was at South Kenton station in May 2007 and video recorded the action there during the lunch hour, counting 30 trains. 

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 1 month later...

halfway there —

 

 

HS2 tunnel construction reaches half-way point

 

10th May 2024

 

 

Construction of tunnels for HS2 between London and Birmingham has reached the half-way mark, according to HS2 Ltd.

 

A total of almost 47km has been bored, and the project is now reaching ‘peak construction’, with more than 31,000 people working on it at 350 worksites.

When the line is finished trains will travel through 88km of single bore tunnels, which will form 44km of the route, and 53 per cent of the tunnels have now been dug.

 

Tunnel Boring Machine ‘Dorothy’ completed the second drive of the 1500m Long Itchington Wood Tunnel in Warwickshire in March last year, which was the first tunnel to be completed, and at the moment four TBMs are digging the 13.5km Northolt Tunnel. ‘Sushila’ and ‘Caroline’ have excavated around 5km of their 8km route from West Ruislip to Greenford. Two more are building a 5.5km section of this tunnel in the opposite direction from Victoria Road in Ealing.

 

In the Midlands, ‘Mary Ann’ is two kilometres into the 5.5km drive of the first bore of the Bromford Tunnel between Water Orton in North Warwickshire and Washwood Heath in Birmingham. ‘Elizabeth’ has just started on the second bore.

 

 

more:

https://railnews.mobi/news/2024/05/10-hs2-tunnel-construction-reaches-halfway.html

 

 

new train cars for moscow —

 

 

 

May 10, 2024

Written by Kevin Smith

 

Ivolga 4.0 enters service in Moscow

The new 11-car EMU can transport up to 2530 passengers.

 

 

THE first of a new fleet of 18 Ivolga 4.0 EMUs built by Transmashholding (TMH) entered service on Line 4 of the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) network on May 2.

 

The 11-car train is the fourth generation of the Ivolga platform built by TMH at Tver Carriage Works. 97% of the components used in the new train are sourced from within Russia.

 

The new 160km/h trains can carry 2530 passengers, an increase of around 100 compared with previous variants of the train. The addition of nine extra doors to enable rapid metro-style boarding and alighting provides the increase in capacity. The new Ivolga is also equipped with onboard Wi-Fi, smart lighting, passenger information screens and power sockets for passengers.

 

 

more:

https://www.railjournal.com/fleet/ivolga-4-0-enters-service-in-moscow/

 

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The fourth-generation of the Ivolga EMU operated for the first time on May 2.

Photo Credit: Moscow Metro

 

cairo extension —

 

 

 

Final section of Cairo Metro Line 3 to open to public on 15 May

 

Ahram Online , Tuesday 7 May 2024

 

 

The last sector of Cairo Metro’s third line will start receiving the public as part of its pilot operation starting Wednesday 15 May, making this eco-friendly line entirely operational.

 

The 7.1-kilometre-long Line 3C stretch will allow commuters to enjoy an uninterrupted journey through a vast network of major destinations across Cairo and Giza.

 

The latest stretch connects Giza’s Mohandessin to Cairo University.

It consists of five stations, including three underground stations—Al-Tawfikia, Wadi El-Nile, and Gamat Al-Dowal—a surface station named Boulak El-Dakrour, and the elevated Cairo University station.

 

Stretching over 41.2 kilometers, Line 3 comprises 34 stations and originates from the massive Adly Mansour central interchange station near Cairo's Al-Salam Bridge.

 

It traverses through Kit Kat in Giza, branching north to Rod El-Farag Axis, and south to Cairo University.

 

This extensive metro line serves as a vital link between East and West Greater Cairo, seamlessly connecting with the Monorail, the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the Third Metro Line, the Superjet Station, and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

 

 

more:

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/523207.aspx

 

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Photo of Cairo Metro Line 3. Source: Arab Contractors

 

 

aww — the revolutionary lisa coleman plays a little bit of power fantastic for us in a paris train station — 👍

 

 

 

  • 5 weeks later...

Have I posted this yet? If yes, so what! Turn up the volume!!

 

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

Italy is beginning to launch a series of upscale day and night trains aimed at tourists. Here's one from Rome to the Alps in NE Italy. Cheaper than Amtrak with freshly prepared, seasonal food in a classy diner served on china:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PQysg1_Y14&t=30s

Nice article about the 4.5 mile long Severn Tunnel in the UK. Amazing to learn that it takes just 16 days to replace all the rail, sleepers and ballast and it’s done just every 15 years due to how inhospitable the environment is. 
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gwp6lz2v8o

My hovercraft is full of eels

My Acela commercial would be to show closeups of different features and angles of a stationary Corvette or some other sports car, with a disembodied voice saying "It has aerodynamic styling, best-in-class amenities, at-seat power outlets with powerful on-board WiFi, a constant-time infotainment system, fold-out tables for eating, working or playing, ergonomically designed seats and leg room that let you relax on your way to your destination at up to 160 mph, and a smooth, powerful, 100-percent electric engine that produces 6,200 horsepower with one-third the emissions of the competition..." as the camera pulls back to reveal the sports car is stuck in traffic on I-95 as an Acela train sails by at full speed "....while letting you get ready for that big meeting today." The camera zooms into the train where a businessman is on a laptop and a phone working. Next, you seem him get off the train and greet his family on the platform. "No, I'm all done for the day. Let's go to Timmy's game!"

 

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 4 weeks later...

poland has you covered —

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

mexico city --

 

 

 

Vasco de Quiroga interuban railway station --

 

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via ssc

 

 

render --

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Observatorio station

 

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via ssc

 

 

render --

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More transit than railroad, but still a significant commitment

 

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 1 month later...

happy 60th birthday today to japanese bullet train the shinkansen — 

 

 

 

How Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains changed the world of rail travel forever

 

By Ben Jones, CNN

 6 minute read

Published 12:46 AM EDT, Tue October 1, 2024

 

 

CNN — 

Sixty years ago, early in the morning of October 1, 1964, a sleek blue and white train slid effortlessly across the urban sprawl of Tokyo, its elevated tracks carrying it south toward the city of Osaka and a place in the history books.

 

This was the dawn of Japan’s “bullet train” era, widely regarded as the defining symbol of the country’s astonishing recovery from the trauma of World War II. In tandem with the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, this technological marvel of the 1960s marked the country’s return to the top table of the international community.

 

 

more:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/japan-shinkansen-bullet-trains-60-years/index.html

 

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A "shinkansen", or high-speed bullet train, passes along the tracks above traffic on the streets below, near Shimbashi station in central Tokyo on May 22, 2024. RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

 

Took it roundtrip Tokyo Osaka in August.   Still a fantastic mode of transport.    Between Germany and Japan (both defeated nations that we helped rebuilid), we could learn a thing or two about rail transport.  

  • 3 weeks later...

I was in Cancun in 2022 and should've checked it out! But I didn't even know about it. I still don't like that it doesn't serve city centers, but the Mexican military is building extensions like crazy and maybe they'll provide through-city routes at some point.

 

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

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