Guardian Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 Oh, boy. There was a sudden firing of Liu Zhijun, the head of the Chinese Railways Ministry, according to the New York Times. In the article itself, it talks about potential problems with the quality of the rails and the quality of the concrete bases used for China's high speed train network. So far, there is not a single accident reported yet, but this issue has many in the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) nervous. Link: New York Times: China Rail Chief’s Firing Hints at Trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 Florida just killed their Tampa-Orlando plans. I don't see how Calif can continue theirs. No money from the Feds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectator12 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 yeah, FL rail would have been great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rei Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 Private high-speed rail for Italy By Robert Wright in London and Guy Dinmore in Rome Europe's first privately owned high-speed train operator will launch services in September next year in a "historic event" for Italy's rail system, the company's chairman has announced. Italy's NTV <http://www.ntvspa.it/en> will launch its services between Rome and Milan before gradually introducing services on all its routes, which stretch from Salerno in southern Italy to Venice and Turin in the north, by the summer of 2012. NTV will also be the first operator of Alstom's new AGV train, the French company's successor to its TGV high-speed train design. The first of 25 Italos -- as NTV calls its version of the train -- was completed on May 10 and is undergoing testing at Alstom's plant at La Rochelle on France's Atlantic coast. NTV is chaired by Luca di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, the sports car maker, and Fiat. Mr Montezemolo, along with two other Italian businessmen, controls 33.5 per cent of NTV. Intesa Sanpaolo, the bank, and SNCF, France's state-owned train operator, both own 20 per cent, while Generali Insurance holds a further 15 per cent. Giuseppe Sciarrone, a former head of passenger services for Trenitalia, Italy's state-owned train operator, is chief executive of the new venture. Mr di Montezemolo said the Italo was the result of a passionate effort by a group of private investors. "The opening up of rail transport to competition is a historic event that will bring great benefits to travellers and will be a positive stimulus for the country's transport system," he said. The launch of NTV's service follows Italy's introduction of legislation allowing for competition between operators on domestic long-distance routes. Another group, founded by AirOne, the airline, was considering a rival service but it dropped the plans after its 2008 merger with Alitalia, the struggling Italian flag-carrier. NTV aims to exploit the completion last year of much of Italy's high-speed rail network to win over passengers from air travel. The company's initial Rome to Milan services will take about three hours -- which is usually the maximum journey time over which high-speed rail can compete well with air. The Italo trains will offer far greater luxury than the ETR500 trains built by Italy's Ansaldo Breda and used by Trenitalia on the same routes. The trains will offer continuous WiFi internet connection, television and, in one coach, cinema-standard film viewing. A successful debut for the AGV could be vital to the project's success. The AGV's motors are distributed along the train, with all electrical equipment hidden beneath the floors, as on Siemens' successful Velaro train model. TGV-type trains are driven by two heavy power cars at either end. P.S. Not surprised Montezemolo declined to lead of Roma 2020. He's too busy already with cars and trains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Florida just killed their Tampa-Orlando plans. I don't see how Calif can continue theirs. No money from the Feds. Now, it is officially dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reindeer Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 So the US keeps going downhill with it's oil based economy and infrastructure while rest of the world tries to look to the future of renewable energies. Well, what else did we expect... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Most of the rest of the world isn't much better. You cut off the oil and none of us would be in a good place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 So the US keeps going downhill with it's oil based economy and infrastructure while rest of the world tries to look to the future of renewable energies. Well, what else did we expect... The BRICs are NOT much better either. And I'm surprised how lucky France has been with all its nuclear reactors, considering their record in previous wars. But the US ia also leading the way for alternative forms of energy: solar, wind, etc. I dunno...maybe sail-blown bullet trains?? They'd have to build taller tunnels though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Meanwhile, the BBC has a video link that Japan unveiled a new bullet train at Tokyo called the Hayabusa. Link: BBC Video Link: Japan's new bullet train debuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 yeah, FL rail would have been great. Well, it may still happen. It seems that Gov. Rick Scott spoke too soon and is willing to postpone his final decision on the matter until July. Link: Orlando Sentinel: Scott delays SunRail decision until July Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Looks like the US$2.4 billion in grants for high-speed rail, from the US government, is now in the air. I do not know which story to believe here. According to this New York One web site, it seems that Florida has lost the money and it could go to New York instead. Anyway, the deadline for applying for this money is April 4th. However, the Florida governor stated that he wanted to delay his final decision on the matter until July. Link: New York One: State Eligible For Billions In High-Speed Rail Funds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Tokyo-Sendai Bullet Train Service Restored Just over seven weeks after the disaster, JR East resumed shinkansen service between Tokyo and Sendai on Monday. http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/04/25/tokyo-sendai-bullet-train-service-restored/?mod=google_news_blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted May 28, 2011 Report Share Posted May 28, 2011 Tokyo-Osaka maglev gets state OK KYODO The government told Central Railway Japan Co. (JR Tokai) Friday to build a maglev line between Tokyo and Osaka, it said, marking a milestone for the project in the making since the early 1970s. JR Tokai will begin an environmental assessment around December of the route running through the Southern Alps, northwest of Mount Fuji, aiming to begin construction in the business year starting in April 2014. Transport minister Akihiro Ohata issued the order for the ¥9 trillion-plus project to link Tokyo and Osaka in 67 minutes by train running up to 505 kph. The carrier plans to begin the high-speed service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027 and full service between Tokyo and Osaka in 2045 http://ow.ly/54FgG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Study fast tracks high-speed rail linkA study into the feasibility of a high-speed rail network connecting eastern seaboard cities has found it could get passengers from Sydney to Brisbane in three hours for as little as $75. The Federal Government is releasing the first stage of its feasibility study into the high-speed rail network today. It says trains could travel at speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour and estimates the cost of the network at between $60 billion and $110 billion. A one-way ticket from Brisbane to Sydney is expected to cost between $75 and $177. The feasibility study was commissioned as part of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's deal with the Greens. "This is the most serious study that has ever been undertaken into high-speed rail," Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said. The Coalition's infrastructure spokesman Warren Truss says he is concerned about the price estimates. "To service a relatively small population [it] must raise serious questions about the [network's] viability," he said. Greens MP Adam Bandt says once the feasibility study is complete the Government should make the project a funding priority. "We are in a position to join countries like Spain and other countries in Europe and elsewhere around the world that are now connecting their cities, not by air, which we know contributes enormously to climate change through the greenhouse gas pollution, but instead through the much more efficient and comfortable method of high-speed rail," he said. ABC It'd be nice - but I wouldn't be holding my breath for it to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 (edited) This artical just appeared in the NZ Herald this morning. Wasn't the Sydney-Canberra XPT route suppose to be the beginning of this 25 years ago? Bloody expensive to build, and pointless if the airlines can undercut fares. Sydney - Melbourne would be the first section built. The problem with HSTs are the fact that they have to be custom built, track bed up, for the region they serve in - i.e. you can't run a Shinkansen in Europe or a German ICE in Japan - thus their horrendous cost. As for the Sydney - Canberra route, if you're going to spend money like this, you might as well go for Ultra HST...MagLev. These trains could really finish off the small commuter airlines and give Qantaslink a hard knock on this route. Edited August 5, 2011 by Alexjc88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted August 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 Well, watching a bit of the coverage about this last night - Govt does seem pretty gung-ho on it (well, as gung-ho as they like to push it when it's still just a viability plan). Hard to see how the airfares could undercut it - fares here are already so super cheap it's hard for the challengers to remain viable. And the study says that fares on the train would be pretty matchable for air fares. Interesting fact that was brought up in the coverage that I hadn't realised before - the Sydney-Melbourne air corridor is the fourth busiest in the world. Sorta knew it was one of the highest traffic sectors, but I wish I'd had that fact to hand in the WC race when questions were asked here about the transport capabilities of Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Interesting fact that was brought up in the coverage that I hadn't realised before - the Sydney-Melbourne air corridor is the fourth busiest in the world. Sorta knew it was one of the highest traffic sectors, but I wish I'd had that fact to hand in the WC race when questions were asked here about the transport capabilities of Oz. Ding!...If this rail system is in place by 2026... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Italy Introduces Ferrari on Rails Italy's burgundy red Ferrari on rails is finally going into service. Starting on April 28, the "Italo" will travel at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour between Milan, Rome and Naples. The new high-speed train is more environmentally friendly and also cheaper than its competitors -- on both the rails and roads. ... http://www.spiegel.d...,829474,00.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Italy Introduces Ferrari on Rails Italy's burgundy red Ferrari on rails is finally going into service. Starting on April 28, the "Italo" will travel at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour between Milan, Rome and Naples. The new high-speed train is more environmentally friendly and also cheaper than its competitors -- on both the rails and roads. ... http://www.spiegel.d...,829474,00.html Absolutely gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Well, the BBC has reported that maglevs may become mainstream in the near future. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120504-the-floating-future-of-trains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 So expensive!...Annoyingly Maglev has been around since viable electricity, and in primitive form befor that. It just needs to get cheaper. Perfect airport to downtown transport system, its just so complex a system to operate- for now anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guardian Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Looks like California will eventually get its first high-speed train line, from LA to San Francisco. Price tag: about US$68 billion. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18748717 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) Looks like California will eventually get its first high-speed train line, from LA to San Francisco. Price tag: about US$68 billion. http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-18748717 To make it really work for the San Francisco area, they have to connect it with a BART station. I think that might be the Oakland Coliseum station which can also then offer a short connection to Oakland International. (Then the other stop would be with a CalTrains station somewhere down in San Jose. Hopefully, it'll be up in time for either a SanFrancisco 2024 bid or a tahoe-Reno 2026 bid. Edited July 7, 2012 by baron-pierreIV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted August 23, 2012 Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 Russia drops high-speed rail plan for World Cup MOSCOW: Russia has dropped plans to extend its existing high-speed rail links to 2018 World Cup host cities because of budget constraints, a newspaper report said on Thursday. The highly publicised initiative had represented one of the planks of President Vladimir Putin's promise to use the football tournament to revitalise Russia's far-flung regions and gain long-term benefits from the costly event. The Vedomosti business daily cited several unnamed government officials as saying that spending on the rail extension programme was not included in the long-term programme of Russian Railways (RZD) or the next federal budget. Russia is currently trying to balance World Cup spending worth billions of dollars with more urgent construction demands for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi as well as the 2013 World University Games in Kazan. The state-owned railway company issued no immediate comment on the report. Vedomosti said the government was responsible for 70 per cent of the links' funding but provided no figure for the proposed cost. It said the idea of doing away with the project was promoted by First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov in his capacity as Putin's pointman on football event preparations. The report said the government was also mulling the idea of permanently dropping the development of high-speed rail beyond the existing routes. Russia currently runs fast trains between Moscow and Saint Petersburg and a second line linking the capital to the Volga River city of Nizhny Novgorod. AFP http://www.channelne...1221669/1/.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munichfan Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 2018 seems to become a more or less high-speed-train-free zone when talking about big sporting events... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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