High-speed rail
Posted in: Discussion and Debate | Transport
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:58 am
Electric vehicles
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The UK is planning a series of high-speed rail links, but many details, including the routes and types of trains, are still to be decided. Can other countries' experience provide guidance here? Is it worthwhile installing entirely new rails, or could existing rails be upgraded? Here are a selection of comments we've received on this subject.
"HS2 will only benefit anyone travelling to Birmingham by about 20 minutes. What about the parts of the country where you have to plan to take a commuter train at least an hour before you need to because the service is so unreliable?"
"Am I just being cynical, or is HS2 really intended as a shuttle service to carry passengers from Birmingham Airport to London when their airports run out of capacity?"
"There is much to be said for a brand new high speed link between Birmingham and London, but I cannot help but think that money could be better spent in inproving the existing network and opening new links as well as reopening certain closed lines."
"Just back from China. Inside 3 years a high speed line from Shanghai to Beijing (900 kms) will be finished; that's 3 years total project time, 350 kms/hr, 3 stops and three hours travel time . And we're planning to complete HS2 by 2025? That's the problem with lack of foresight, if you are going to do it then just do it NOW. By 2025 the rail will be outdated."
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Tue, 28 Jun 2011 2:02 pm
What is the viability of vacuum trains travelling underground replacing planes? As an avid sci-fi follower with a hint of engineering knowledge these always seemed intriuging because they sound vaguely realistic...
They feature heavily in Peter F Hamilton's Nights Dawn Trilogy on a futuristic Earth across the gliobe...
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Tue, 28 Jun 2011 3:01 pm
A little digging indicates that there is research going on in China into 'vactrains', which would use maglev to propel trains in partially evacuated tunnels. Theoretically, these could travel at speeds higher than Mach 1 without noise.
Apparently (and this is according to Wiipedia, so take it with as large a pinch of salt as you like), researchers at the Chinese Academies of Science and Engineering are working on prototypes designed to travel at 1000km/hr.
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Thu, 30 Jun 2011 4:21 pm
High speed rail is vital if we want to maintain our position as a leading nation, attract foreign investment and, crucially, revive manufacturing in the North.
If a company wants to set up and needs access to London (as many do) or a foreign company wants to build a base here then reasonably priced, convenient and fast public transport is essential.
As petrol prices make road travel increasingly unaffordable, high speed rail is the only alternative to stop the country being divided into a poor North and a rich South.
Plus when so many countries, not just in the West but developing ones too, are already going down the high-speed route, we'll look increasingly backward if we're still chugging along on our old trains.
Can't believe it's going to take until 2026 just to get to Birmingham though!
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Tue, 6 Dec 2011 1:07 pm
Efficiency isn't an European trait.
China is quick in construction. They start working at the whole line at the same time. They work day and night and weekends.
Just have a look at English construction sites.
Currently they pave a pedestrian path in Coventry. In 1 day 5 workers complete about 1m x 2m.
Or have a look at street cleaners. They rush through with their machines and then you can't see any difference. While in China an old lady is walking and using a broom and a shovel and a bucket. But when she is through you don't see any litter or cigarette butts where she has been.
And you see 1 lady in every street. Big cities in China are much cleaner than big cities in Europe.
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Mon, 20 Feb 2012 5:03 pm
I thinks this is a good Civil Engineering project (for this country) but im not coinvinced that its worth the billions.
Environmentaly it would be better if the money were to be spent on electrifing the current lines and replacing the intercity trains with thier huge diesel engines. Also there is scope to lengthen the current platforms reducing congestion on trains.
On the other hand to secure this countries future as a leader in banking, money must be spent on vastly improving the infrastructure.
www.stilwell-ltd.co.uk
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Tue, 8 May 2012 5:27 pm
It does demonstrate that it takes far too long for the UK to build/undetake anything these days. As stated 2026 for Birmingham and another generation to Scotland! Undoubtably further delays will occur due to contract issues, funding cuts half way through shifting timescales to the right (just look at the MOD) etc.
The other abberation is to take the London terminus to Euston and not St. Pancreas forcing a cross-connection down the Euston Road, instead of just changing platforms or even through trains from the tunnet to the North.
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