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High Speed Trains


Sir Rols

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Brazil to hold high-speed rail auction on May 2

BRASILIA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Brazil will hold an auction on May 2 for contractors to build a $17.4 billion high-speed rail to link the cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Campinas, the president's chief of staff, Dilma Rousseff, said on Thursday.

The 511-kilometer (320-mile) railway project has drawn interest of international companies such as France's Alstom (ALSO.PA), Germany's Siemens (SIEGn.DE), and Japan's Mitsui & Co (8031.T), local media have reported.

The railway would be ready between 2014 and 2016, said Rousseff, who is also the likely presidential candidate of the ruling Workers' Party in elections on Oct. 3.

"By the Olympics, we are certain. By the World Cup, there may be parts of the railway, but not the whole line," she said at an event in Brasilia.

Reuters

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A proposal about a HST between Santiago and Valparaíso is been studied in Chile. I don't think this is feasible but according to the newspaper, 60% of the income will come from the cargo service instead of the traditional services to passengers.

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London, England (CNN) -- An independent report out Friday slammed Eurostar for the fiasco that saw thousands of passengers stranded before Christmas when winter weather hit the English Channel Tunnel.

The report said Eurostar, which runs the high-speed rail service between London and Paris, and Brussels via the tunnel, must make urgent improvements to train reliability, evacuation procedures and how it manages disruption.

Eurostar trains had not undergone sufficient winter preparations to withstand the conditions at the time, according to the 89-page report.

The train service later concluded that snow found its way into the power cars on the trains and shorted out the electronic systems, causing the trains to stop inside the tunnel.

The report also found that train managers did not give sufficient information to trapped passengers, and that Eurostar poorly handled delayed and evacuated passengers.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/02/12/uk.eurostar.report/

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Train fans send off final 500-series Nozomi service from Tokyo

Some 1,500 railway fans bid farewell to a 500-series Nozomi bullet train at Tokyo Station on Sunday, Feb. 28, as the last service departed for Shin-Osaka.

The 500-series trains, popular for their futuristic pointed nose cones, entered service in March 1997 between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. It became the first train to attain a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour in service in the world.

The 500 series also began to travel between Tokyo and Hakata in November 1997, but the trains were retired from Nozomi service on Sunday to be replaced with the new N700 series. The 500 series was put in use for Kodama services between Shin-Osaka and Hakata on Monday.

Pics

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/photospecials/graph/500/

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Despite that Canada does not have any plans to have a high-speed train network in the near future, it has indirectly, with Bombardier, created the GAUTRAIN for the nation of South Africa. It is part of the overall plan for the country, in conjunction to the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Cannot believe that South Africa has that big sums of money to pay for this infrastructure project.

Link: Africa's First High-Speed Train

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The French railway operator, SNCF, has mistakenly put a dramatic statement on its website saying more than 100 people had died in a train explosion.

_47484837_sncferror466.jpg

The false announcement, of an explosion in Macon in the Burgundy region, was part of a training exercise.

It was only when journalists began flooding the railway operator's phone lines that the company realised there had been an enormous error.

A real SNCF statement later firmly said that the accident had never happened.

The message, which appeared on the SNCF website shortly after 1100 (1000 GMT), stated that following an explosion on a high-speed TGV train on the Paris to Dijon line, 102 people had been confirmed dead, while 380 people had been injured.

During an in-house training exercise in which staff were asked to respond to a massive rail accident, a staff member had accidentally posted details of the pretend scenario on the official website.

In a statement about the misunderstanding, SNCF explained that it was obliged to practise its emergency procedures for the safety of its passengers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8570685.stm

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King's Cross to Beijing in two days on new high-speed rail network

China is in negotiations to build a high-speed rail network to India and Europe with trains that capable of running at over 200mph within the next ten years.

The network would eventually carry passengers from London to Beijing and then to Singapore. It would also run to India and Pakistan, according to Wang Mengshu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a senior consultant on China's domestic high-speed rail project.

A second project would see trains heading north through Russia to Germany and into the European railway system, and a third line will extend south to connect Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia.

Passengers could board a train in London and step off in Beijing, 5,070 miles away as the crow flies, in just two days. They could go on to Singapore, 6,750 miles away, within three days.

"We are aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as aeroplanes," said Mr Wang. "The best case scenario is that the three networks will be completed in a decade," he added.

Mr Wang said that China was already in negotiations with 17 countries over the rail lines, which will draw together and open up the whole of Central, East and South East Asia.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7397846/Kings-Cross-to-Beijing-in-two-days-on-new-high-speed-rail-network.html

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Where DOES it say that you can't bring in other angles of the topic? What is WRONG with discussing it?

Do you just get on a plane these days WITHOUT thinking, okay, this is NOT the way it used to be? Certainly the ease of travel has changed because of the harsh realities of life. If these thoughts DON'T occur to you, then you must be an ostrich with your head in the sand or some other hole!! :blink:

To be honest, I don't think I've noticed any change.

Security personnel may have become more alert but I've still been subject to the same checks and search that everyone, at least here, always has. Maybe that's just domestic travel. Australia's always been incredibly tight on customs and security for international flight so I guess there is hardly any change their either. Of course, it's very different at overseas airports.

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Reading from the local newspaper for my area of the world, the rural areas of Alberta are gathering strength to oppose the idea of having a high-speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton. But, it seems that they are in the minority against the need to remove cars from the main north-south highway in the province. Never mind, believe it or not in the region of the oilsands (which is touted as an environment nightmare in the world), the environment is one of many reasons for building one in the first place.

It is funny that not one is considered for the Golden Horseshoe area of Canada, where the biggest majority of Canadians live in the country. They could benefit from it big time. It is also funny, as I have mentioned before, that Bombardier is responsible for South Africa to have one, in time for the World Cup.

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Tampa - Orlando:

High-speed rail construction may begin next year

The Associated Press

LAKELAND, Fla. -- State transportation officials say construction on a high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando could begin in about one year.

During a regional meeting in Lakeland on Wednesday, Florida Department of Transportation officials said the construction could start in February or March of next year and the first trains could be running in the first half of 2015.

State officials are refining cost estimates and plans for required work on the high-speed rail corridor that largely will run on the median of Interstate 4 to prepare for requests for federal funding. Although Florida was awarded $1.25 billion by the Obama administration toward the $2.6 billion project, the state won't receive the money until it completes various portions of the project.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/24/1545081/high-speed-rail-construction-may.html

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Eurostar becomes 30th London 2012 sponsor

LONDON (AP) — Eurostar has been unveiled as the 30th domestic sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics.

Eurostar, the high speed rail service connecting London with Paris and Brussels, becomes a third level sponsor.

Eurostar officials said Wednesday they expect to carry more than 1 million passengers from Europe to London during the Olympics.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2010-05-12-1719907941_x.htm

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Brazil to announce in December who will build $18.7 billion Rio-Sao Paulo train

BRASILIA (AP) - Brazil says it will announce the winner of a contract to build an $18.7 billion bullet train between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo on Dec. 16.

The government says the company offering the lowest fare for the 317-mile (511-kilometer) train will be the winner.

The top fare allowed is the equivalent of $0.49 per kilometer.

If two companies offer the same low rate, the most experienced will be chosen.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended Tuesday's announcement and says he expects the train will be in operation by 2016, when Brazil will host the Olympic Games.

Bidders include companies from China, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D9GUAN080

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A 30-year plan for high speed trains in the Northeast Corridor of the USA between Boston and Washington, D.C.?

NY1: Amtrak Unveils Plan For Eastern High-Speed Rail

Meanwhile, when the USA is planning high-speed rail like that, China is forging ahead with more high-speed rail and trains to other parts of the country. Its goal is to be the country with the fastest trains and the most extensive network in the world.

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Meanwhile, when the USA is planning high-speed rail like that, China is forging ahead with more high-speed rail and trains to other parts of the country. Its goal is to be the country with the fastest trains and the most extensive network in the world.

Which a country their size could badly use. I mean they are 4x the population of the U.S., I believe their major cities too are a little closer to each other...(and nothing like a Rockies) so it's easier to connect their top 12 or 15 metro areas.

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German train completes test trip under Channel

On Wednesday, a German high-speed train launched a test run on the Channel Tunnel route. If the trials are successful, the Eurostar monoply on the route could become a thing of the past.

A train belonging to German rail operator Deutsche Bahn entered the Channel Tunnel that connects England with mainland Europe for the first time on Wednesday. The ICE3 train, built by the German company Siemens, threatens to rival the monopoly held by the French-built Eurostar train.

Since the trains still lack approval for the route between France and Britain, they were pulled by a locomotive. On board were staff from Deutsche Bahn and tunnel operator Eurotunnel plus a technical team, but no passengers.

End of an era?

The ICE train was the first passenger train not operated by Eurostar to use the tunnel, after EU rules required the tunnel be opened to competition.

A Eurostar passenger trainBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Eurostar trains have had a monopoly on the tunnel

France, which owns 55 percent of the cross-channel Eurostar service, has reacted angrily to the company decision last week to buy trains worth about 600 million euros ($836 million) from Siemens, rather than the French company Alstom.

Testing continues

The train went only part of the way through the tunnel before returning to France. A full trip to London is scheduled for next week.

Deutsche Bahn plans to offer passengers a high-speed connection with ICE trains through the tunnel under the English Channel by the end of 2013. About nine million passengers travel each year on the Eurotstar train routes that connect Brussels, London and Paris.

Author: Sarah Harman (afp/AP)

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6109980,00.html

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China opens Shanghai-Hangzhou ultra fast rail line

(AP)

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — Two bullet trains glided silently out of a glossy new station Tuesday to inaugurate China's latest high speed rail line, as officials boasted of setting world records using domestic technology.

Many, but not all, of the trains plying the new railway between Shanghai's western suburb of Hongqiao and Hangzhou will travel the 200 kilometers (126 miles) in 45 minutes, about half the time trains usually take to make the trip at their fastest speeds.

The China-made CRH380 train has been clocked at almost 420 kilometers per hour (262 mph), a world speed record, though it will usually operate at a maximum speed of 350 kph (220 mph).

China aims to have 13,000 kilometers (10,000 miles) of high speed rail in operation by 2012.

...

AP

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Channel Tunnel eyes new destinations 20 years on

(Reuters) - On Dec. 1, 1990, British and French workers shook hands beneath the English Channel three years after they began digging from opposite sides of the water to create the first tunnel linking the UK to continental Europe.

...

Traffic between England and the Continent began in 1994 but at a slower pace than initially anticipated, and Eurotunnel soon began drowning in the soaring costs of the project, which rose to around 15 billion euros ($19.7 billion).

Eurotunnel's debt pile brought it close to bankruptcy in 1997, while its shares sank, angering shareholders.

After years of tough restructuring and court battles, Eurotunnel remunerated shareholders for the first time in its history in 2009 with a dividend based on 2008 results.

Its concession now runs until 2086.

In 2010, the Channel Tunnel now carries more than 280 trains a day, linking London, Paris and Brussels. The tunnel is currently only at 52 percent of its capacity. There are plans to extend high-speed rail services further to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Cologne. The tunnel has attracted a large number of passengers and cargo companies over the past few years, but it remains subject to weaknesses during exceptional weather and has had to deal with several fires and smoke alerts.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6AS0FV20101130

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Putin Says Russia Will Have High-Speed Rail by 2018 World Cup

...

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised last week that there would be high-speed rail connecting all of the World Cup's host cities (Moscow, Kazan, Samara, and Ulyanovsk) by 2018.

"It will be a powerful incentive for the development of high speed rail services in the European part of Russia," Putin said.

Putin hasn't provided a lot of detail yet, but he seems fully behind this plan.

The statement came immediately after he and Finnish President Tarja Halonen went on "an inaugural journey on the French-made high speed Allegro train linking Helsinki to St. Petersburg." I think this is what more Americans need to really propel high-speed rail forward in their regions, real-world experience riding a high-speed train.

While, technically, the U.S. has had a high-speed rail line in the Northeast for 10 years now, trains on that line don't really compare to what we consider high-speed rail today.

...

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS330339864920101221

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