Passenger

Imagine how cool, not to mention how incredibly time and fuel saving it would be, if passenger and/or commuter trains (hell, even freights) didn't have to stop at all the various stations on their routes?

Well, from Taiwan comes a interesting and very energy efficient concept for... 

A train that doesn't stop.

Truly... nonstop service.

It's great to see so many from around the world thinking outside the box when it comes to 21st century train service.

Well it's an interesting animation. Not sure how realistic it would be - for the little top cars to get up to speed to match the train it would need a much longer space than shown in the animation, and the train would have to slow down to a crawl.

I would imagine the train would have to slow some to make the whole concept work. Because the time and energy cost savings would be so substantial, I can't help but think the concept will be looked at further and maybe even developed. Probably not exactly as seen here, but refined inorder to make it practical. 

Good first draft though.

Once upon a time; long, long ago, Americans were brave and innovative.  Before electrification, steam locomotives were not allowed in Grand Central's trainsheds.  So the locomotives were uncoupled while moving, run ahead onto a different track, and then the cars coasted into the station. 

Maglev:

Once upon a time; long, long ago, Americans were brave and innovative.  Before electrification, steam locomotives were not allowed in Grand Central's trainsheds.  So the locomotives were uncoupled while moving, run ahead onto a different track, and then the cars coasted into the station. 

A drop with occupied coaches???  I don't think so.

CSSHEGEWISCH:

Maglev:

Once upon a time; long, long ago, Americans were brave and innovative.  Before electrification, steam locomotives were not allowed in Grand Central's trainsheds.  So the locomotives were uncoupled while moving, run ahead onto a different track, and then the cars coasted into the station. 

A drop with occupied coaches???  I don't think so.

The europeans are already looking into it.

 A Nonstop Train Network.

CSSHEGEWISCH: wrote: "A drop with occupied coaches???  I don't think so." 

The practice of uncoupling occupied coaches while the train was moving was mentioned in Trains a few years ago, but I don't remeber what issue or article.  I guess Trains doesn't have a computer search feature for back issues of the magazines, and I had no luck with Google.  Can anyone substantiate my claim?

 I recall that there were never any accidents from this procedure...

Look up "Adtranz Flexliner."

How about using a giant slingshot on the platforms to shoot the passengers aboard, watch out for the one in the wheelchair as he may not be able to stop. Or maybe moving walkways on the platforms one for boarding and one for disembarking on opposite sides of course. 

Al - in - Stockton

passengerfan:

How about using a giant slingshot on the platforms to shoot the passengers aboard, watch out for the one in the wheelchair as he may not be able to stop. Or maybe moving walkways on the platforms one for boarding and one for disembarking on opposite sides of course. 

Al - in - Stockton

Al - in - Stockton

PS How often due you manage to book a non-stop flight anymore.

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Now the person that can take an idea and figure the logistics to make it practical, now THAT'S rare.

TomDiehl:

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Now the person that can take an idea and figure the logistics to make it practical, now THAT'S rare.

...Not to mention the financing..

Maglev:

CSSHEGEWISCH: wrote: "A drop with occupied coaches???  I don't think so." 

The practice of uncoupling occupied coaches while the train was moving was mentioned in Trains a few years ago, but I don't remeber what issue or article.  I guess Trains doesn't have a computer search feature for back issues of the magazines, and I had no luck with Google.  Can anyone substantiate my claim?

 I recall that there were never any accidents from this procedure...

The closest thing of which I can think would be the slip coaches used in the UK on express trains from London to the southwest.  Instead of stopping at various stations, a slip coach would handle passengers for a given station.  The coach would be uncoupled at speed and be brought to a stop by a brakeman using a hand brake. 

CSSHEGWISCH:  I cannot imagine the FRA ever allowing drops on the fly. However your idea of different routes on the same train has much merit.Here is a generic example that could be modified at many locations:

NJ transit could extend tracks 1 - 4 (maybe 5 & 6) at NYP (I know here I go again on longer platforms)( I understand the real estate for lengthning eastward is available). Then a single train could go to Secaucus connection (maybe not stop platform length is not know) and Newark Penn Station (its platforms are very long) Then the first part could go one of the three routes (Long beach, Newark, Raritan) and the other part could go to another of these lines. Inbound trains could combine at Newark if a system to rapidly conduct a brake test is developed. This method would only reduce the Hudson river tunnels slightly as an extra 10 cars is only a block occupancy of 10 - 12 seconds. Ten long trains an hour would reduce capacity of about 2 trains an hour but with additional passenger capacity the result..

The biggest question of a method such as this is: Which costs more and takes more time?  Lengthening platforms or building tunnels and extra parallel tracks. Actually in some cases a combination of the two methods would be least cost.  Note: SCNF does this in France combining and splitting LOng distance trains at several locatiions.

This is hardly a new idea.  Fox Valley expresses on CA&E would split at Wheaton with one part going to Aurora and the other to Elgin, PRSL ran trains from Philadelphia to multiple destinations on the Jersey Shore which split at various locations, etc.  In the immediate pre-Amtrak era, combined passenger trains with multiple destinations were not unusual, the consolidated "Cities" streamliners of UP being a prime example.