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High Speed Passenger Rail: How fast is fast enough?

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500 is too fast. I dont know of anything on land capable of safely decel within G limits people from those speeds in a reasonable time or distance.Consider the 737. You probably will be set up dirty with flaps, spoilers armed and about 140 Kias on touch down. Then you have about a mile and change to slow and stop that 150,000 pound mass with payload. You can oppose it with the two engines and pit 20K+ poounds thrust against the mass in addition to braking power.Now a train at 150 or a tad higher is confined to a set of two rails, has a finite number of wheels and air, vacumn or electricity for braking. Possibly a maglev or monorail track might provide some kind of assist. You can only brake a object with people inside only so fast per unit of time staying within G limits.Washington DC to Baltimore would be... 5 minutes? 10? Washington to Boston? 3 hours maybe? Less? I say 200-250 is fast enough. We may not have the room to hit the max before having to stop.Keep in mind that the prospect of security lines, scanning, restrictions on carry ons, waits and usual over-booking and other issues that create irate and angry travelers all go away with a good fast train going where people are going. Poof. No problem.Take a look at Disney. They have run a Mono for years and even through a hotel lobby without disturbing the folks. Yes the first timer will be floored, but the staff and regulars are used to that sight. Monos are pretty silent. I have ridden a few small ones in my time.If we provide a train that features a social area, internet and wireless services along with various classes with different perks and turn that train into something that people will want to spend time in as part of thier business life or other pursuit instead of merely a metal tube that needs to be endured.What matters is being able to get from DC to any of the points to Boston faster than a car or plane and with a deconstructed and rebuilt corridor, I only see positive things that will be a model for other corridors around the USA.In trucking I recall a town that had several Amtrack Crossings in a short stretch of track affecting a large portion. The newspaper reported that no one was happy having to sit and worry about that train and Amtrack wasnt happy having to deal with 4-7 grade crossings in a short space.I dont recall the details but short, no one was happy. Not the Town, not the railroad. I presented a solution that will remove grade crossings and any conflicts with either town or railroad. It will cost money, concrete and hopefully built high enough to clear all semi trucks and such for years to go.I said to the coffee shop, raise the railroad 20 feet and remove all of that old stuff or bury it and build new tax revenue producting buildings over it. The laugher I heard that morning rings clear even today.Perhaps nothing will get done until the mirth wears off and the reality sets in. They had no use for Amtrack and would rather the entire railroad hassle go away and not interrupt thier morning rush.
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