Michael Ward says no to the President

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Thanks for the link, so we can review the source ourselves.   

Minor fact question: I didn't get that a formal 'panel' was involved, but that Ward was discussing policy and position on the issue - which would be the same, panel or not.  That clarified, onto specifics:   

I believe UP's project is just the Chicago - St. Louis line, though that's not stated in this article.  Also, that terrain is- guess what ? -  mostly flat, and farmland.  Hence, it is either already - or easier to make into - an alignment suitable for higher speed trains.  Most of CSX's inland routes wind along rivers and around mountains in areas that are built-up, and so cannot be easily or cheaply straightened, though I'll concede that those routes on the coastal plain would be more accomodating to HSR. 

Therefore, I can understand the 90 MPH limitation.  That corresponds to about 6 inches of "super-elevation" ("banking") of the outer rail above the inner rail on a curve, for about a 1-degree curve, which has a radius of approx. 5,730 ft..  To illustrate that dimension another way, to accomplish a full 90-degree turn would require 90 degrees x 100 ft. per degree = 9,000 ft. or about 1.7 miles, plus spirals - practically, 2 miles.  A higher speed or sharper curve would require more elevation, which is strongly frowned upon by most practical railroad track engineers, so the 1-degree curve becomes the sharpest acceptable curve for that speed (unless exotic rail passenger vehicle technology such as tilting bodies are used).  Unfortunately, there aren't many that gentle 1-degree curves now over long distances, so how, where, and with what money would they be straightened ?

And the easy answer is this:  If general freight can supposedly mix with HSR, then how come Amtrak is so very discouraging of any freight on its NorthEast Corridor ?  Even late at night when traffic interference is minimized - though the MOW people need the track then too often enough - no less a luminary than Amtrak CEO W. Graham Claytor, Jr. said that the deterioration in the track geometry parameters caused by a single freight train was significant enough that it was measurable . . . 

- Paul North. 

[PNWRMNM]

I think it is GREAT to hear any railroad president tell the plain unvarnished truth.  Kudos to Mr Ward!!

Mac

[schlimm]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-06/csx-chief-says-he-can-t-be-part-of-obama-high-speed-rail-plan.html

Interesting that he claims CSX cannot run above 90 because of the"curvature and elevation of freight rail" while UP is working with states to do just that.

[diningcar]

Bloomberg News reports the CEO Michael Ward of CSX says he cannot serve on the President's  rail vision panel. Ward says that passenger trains operating at speeds greater than 90 MPH shouild not run on tracks designed for freight. His lengthy commentary furnishes compelling  reasons.