international passenger news

[BaltACD]

Danish incident kills six

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46734728

 

a lot of statements don't add up.

[blue streak 1]

Balt is correct.  Some items do not add up .  Note the attached link pictures.  TOFC trailers usually do not blow off and no picture shows any trailer off of a carrier.  However there is a wheel showing between tracks that came off one trailer.  Where did it come from ?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6546741/Several-people-killed-train-crash-bridge-linking-islands-Denmark.html 

[blue streak 1]

Danish graphic about 1/2 way down link

https://politiken.dk/indland/art6945125/Politiet-opjusterer-dødstal-Otte-er-dræbt-i-togulykken 

[blue streak 1]

UK has modified some EMUs to carry mail and express packages.  Not quite clear diesels have been added so they can run in non electrified territory.  Picture does seem to show 3rd rail pick up shoe ? So we have a dual mode EMU - Diesel ?

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/electro-diesel-multiple-units-ordered-for-postal-services.html

 

[MidlandMike]

There have been cases where diesels operating in electric territory have electric pick-ups for signal rasons.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

MidlandMike

There have been cases where diesels operating in electric territory have electric pick-ups for signal rasons.

 

Pacific Electric is the prime example of such an arrangement, with EMD and Baldwin switchers equipped with trolley poles to activate signals.

[blue streak 1]

Russian Railroad is buy a few new coaches noted to replace some old ones.  Wonder where all the cars will go?

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/russian-railways-awards-long-term-coach-contract.html 

[blue streak 1]

Irish rail over crowded until probably 2023.  Looking to buy or lease rolling stock.

https://www.herald.ie/news/train-overcrowding-will-get-worse-before-new-carriages-arrive-37731053.html 

[BaltACD]

Egyptian incident

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47401140

[blue streak 1]

Russian rail is significantly increasing its electrification.  Article does not specify how much traffic will go to electric operations ?

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/russian-railways-to-increase-electric-operation.html 

[Jones1945]

World's fastest bullet train with a 72ft nose is unveiled in Japan 

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a27457041/japans-new-bullet-train-can-hit-224-mph/

The *operating speed of it would be 360kph(224mph) which is merely 10kph faster than China's CR400AF/BF operating speed. Since it is set to be put into service by 2030, let's see how China react to it. 

Meanwhile, somewhere in China...... 

 

[blue streak 1]

SNCF reports 14% growth on TGV network.  Soome from new service to Bordeaux region but overall still more growth.  Hey  USA what would happen if awe had some network in high density population areas such as NEC, CHI, LAX, SFO ?

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/high-performance/sncf-reports-strong-high-speed-growth/?RAchannel=news 

[JOHN PRIVARA]

Re:  Hey  USA what would 

Don’t forget, you can’t compare any other country to the US because we are so unique.

1)  We’re the best.

2)  The eastern part of the US is only as densely populated as France and Spain, so HSR would never work due to our spare density.

3)  The US enjoys decimating its cities with freeways to ensure cars move fast enough to negate the need for HSR,  other countries don’t because they hate freedom.  

You can’t compare apples to orangutans when it comes to HSR.

[Overmod]

Jones1945

World's fastest bullet train with a 72ft nose is unveiled in Japan 

It's as if, in a Chuck Jones cartoon parody of Star Wars, Wile E. Coyote's bumbling Sith apprentice was an opossum.

With Augie Doggie's Doggie Daddy's nose.

[Jones1945]

Overmod

It's as if, in a Chuck Jones cartoon parody of Star Wars, Wile E. Coyote's bumbling Sith apprentice was an opossum.

With Augie Doggie's Doggie Daddy's nose.

I think Augie Doggie was cute! I bet you never heard about Moomin in "The Moomins."

Anyway, I think that "World's fastest bullet train of Japan" is another case of given up esthetics in favor of engineering...

[blue streak 1]

China is now #1 in high speed trains.

 

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/single-view/view/china-out-in-front-with-the-worlds-fastest-trains.html

 

[BaltACD]

Overmod

Jones1945

World's fastest bullet train with a 72ft nose is unveiled in Japan  

It's as if, in a Chuck Jones cartoon parody of Star Wars, Wile E. Coyote's bumbling Sith apprentice was an opossum.

With Augie Doggie's Doggie Daddy's nose.

[ORNHOO]

For something completely different, how about a full size DMU converted to run entirely on solar energy:

https://jalopnik.com/this-delightful-solar-powered-train-is-the-pinnacle-of-1834284676 (in OZ, of course).

[blue streak 1]

700 passengers rescued from IR railways train near Mumbia. India.  Train got flooded frrom moonsoon initiated flood.

[blue streak 1]

The French SNCF is having to order more TGVs due to surging ridership.  This means older equippment set for retirement will have to be maintained for an indefinite extension

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/ridership-surge-prompts-sncf-to-order-more-tgvs.html

 

[JOHN PRIVARA]

blue streak 1

China is now #1 in high speed trains.

 

 

Based on the fastest regular services, the top countries in the 2019 survey are China, Italy, France, Japan, Spain and Taiwan, all of which operate at least one train timetabled at an average of more than 250 km/h. Germany is ranked seventh, the UK 13th and the USA 19th.

We may be 19th, but we're better than, uh....   Oh yeah,  we've got the best slow-motion eagles in the world.  

[blue streak 1]

Want to run a coast to coast excursion train across Africa?  It only takes better than 2 years to get permits and 2 weeks to run the train.  It is a first !

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/africa/single-view/view/coast-to-coast-cruise-train-crosses-africa.html  

[BaltACD]

blue streak 1

Want to run a coast to coast excursion train across Africa?  It only takes better than 2 years to get permits and 2 weeks to run the train.  It is a first !

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/africa/single-view/view/coast-to-coast-cruise-train-crosses-africa.html  

And at only $12.8K US - only a little over $900 a day

[JPS1]

JOHN PRIVARA

 blue streak 1 China is now #1 in high speed trains. 

Based on the fastest regular services, the top countries in the 2019 survey are China, Italy, France, Japan, Spain and Taiwan, all of which operate at least one train timetabled at an average of more than 250 km/h. Germany is ranked seventh, the UK 13th and the USA 19th.

We may be 19th, but we're better than, uh....   Oh yeah,  we've got the best slow-motion eagles in the world.  

With the possible exception of China, the other countries don't have long-distance trains comparable to those in the U.S.  Amtrak's long-distance trains account for 70 to 75 percent of the company's mileage.  They are relatively slow.

What would be the position of the U.S. if the long-distance trains were removed from the comparison?

Amtrak is the predominate commercial carrier between New York and Washington.  It also has a significant portion of the New York to Boston commercial market.  

What would be the cost/benefit ratio for increasing the speeds between New York and Washington so that Amtrak's NEC would place in the top five of the countries for speed comparisons?  

[daveklepper]

Russia and South Africa have long-distance trains comparible to those in the USA.  Some are faster and some are slower.

[JPS1]

daveklepper

Russia and South Africa have long-distance trains comparible to those in the USA.  Some are faster and some are slower. 

Where do Russia and South Africa stand in the comparisons? 

Meaningful country to country comparisons are difficult at best.  

What is the cost/benefit ratio for the U.S. to increase its standing in the speed contest? 

Who will pay for the upgrades necessary to move the country up the comparative speed ladder? 

What will be the return on the investment? 

[blue streak 1]

China has approved another HSR line.681 Km ( Approx 425 miles ) .  Price $19.8B US .  When will we ever learn here in the US ?

 

https://www.railjournal.com/regions/asia/china-approves-chongqing-kunming-high-speed-line/ 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

blue streak 1

China has approved another HSR line.681 Km ( Approx 425 miles ) .  Price $19.8B US .  When will we ever learn here in the US ?

 

https://www.railjournal.com/regions/asia/china-approves-chongqing-kunming-high-speed-line/ 

 

Probably sometime after the collapse of democracy and the establishment of an authoritarian state.

[blue streak 1]

KLM airlines is replacing on flight with reserved seating on a Thalys effective March 2020

[54light15]

 Germany and France are both raising the taxes on short-haul flights to encourage an increase in rail travel. If only aviation fuel in Europe (which is untaxed from what I've heard) is taxed the way diesel fuel is. Maybe Greta Thunberg is having an impact.