[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('anador', 'T')he sad thing is that most freight corridors used to be mixed freight and passenger, as most trains themselves were, the modern rail shippers have disassembled or neglected to destruction most of the double line track in these corridors. Theres no way to pass. this is why theres such an outcry, its not congestion so much as an inability to move out of the way.

Now returning to mixed freight and passenger on the same engine probably holds more promise then having two competing systems on a marginalized track network.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hillsidedigger', 'T')he freight-line tracks should generally not be carrying passenger trains.

[PrestonSturges]

There's a 4 track right of way all the way into Pittsburgh, and most of the old rails were pulled up.

Also, that area has desperately bad roads

[Newfie]

FYI - From this mornings Progressive Railroading daily brief. Obviously a sales pitch, no endorsement, just info.

1/28/2010 High-Speed Rail

Visit HSRupdates.com for high-speed stimulus grant coverage

Last night, the White House unveiled details on the high-speed stimulus grants that will be announced by President Obama today during town hall meeting being held at the University of Tampa.

Information on the grant awards is being provided on Progressive Railroading’s HSRupdates.com. In addition, HSRupdates will feature a live video stream of the president’s town hall meeting, which is scheduled to begin today at 12:30 p.m. eastern time.

During the coming days and weeks, the site will include further details on the grant awards, including interviews with grant recipients and high-speed stakeholders, and information on how, when and where the stimulus money will be spent.

A one-year subscription to HSRupdates.com is $199. In addition to stimulus grant coverage, the site features high-speed rail news, a state-by-state listing of high-speed rail plans and profiles on each of the federally designated high-speed rail corridors.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hillsidedigger', 'T')he freight-line tracks should generally not be carrying passenger trains.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'F')YI - From this mornings Progressive Railroading daily brief. Obviously a sales pitch, no endorsement, just info.

1/28/2010 High-Speed Rail

Visit HSRupdates.com for high-speed stimulus grant coverage

Last night, the White House unveiled details on the high-speed stimulus grants that will be announced by President Obama today during town hall meeting being held at the University of Tampa.

Information on the grant awards is being provided on Progressive Railroading’s HSRupdates.com. In addition, HSRupdates will feature a live video stream of the president’s town hall meeting, which is scheduled to begin today at 12:30 p.m. eastern time.

During the coming days and weeks, the site will include further details on the grant awards, including interviews with grant recipients and high-speed stakeholders, and information on how, when and where the stimulus money will be spent.

A one-year subscription to HSRupdates.com is $199. In addition to stimulus grant coverage, the site features high-speed rail news, a state-by-state listing of high-speed rail plans and profiles on each of the federally designated high-speed rail corridors.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '
')I am not arguing with you but the topic is High Speed Rail. NOWHERE does HSR coexist with freight.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'O')bama's commitment of 8 billion isn't enough to actually build anything.

The estimated cost of an LA to Las Vegas high speed rail line, for instance, is about 80-100 billion.

The tiny amount of money Obama is giving to high speed rail shows he really isn't serious about it.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '[')I am not arguing with you but the topic is High Speed Rail. NOWHERE does HSR coexist with freight.

As to the mail, fat chance. The infrastructure is GONE. Paid for by US dollars during the last depression and our generation has pissed it away. GONE! To private development.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'O')bama's commitment of 8 billion isn't enough to actually build anything.

The estimated cost of an LA to Las Vegas high speed rail line, for instance, is about 80-100 billion.

The tiny amount of money Obama is giving to high speed rail shows he really isn't serious about it.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', 'T')here's a 4 track right of way all the way into Pittsburgh, and most of the old rails were pulled up.

Also, that area has desperately bad roads

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'O')bama's commitment of 8 billion isn't enough to actually build anything.

The estimated cost of an LA to Las Vegas high speed rail line, for instance, is about 80-100 billion.

The tiny amount of money Obama is giving to high speed rail shows he really isn't serious about it.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '
')A big part of the cost in the US is building new train stations and related infrastrucure like modern train yards that can handle the high speed trains. There are already TGV stations in Paris and Strassbourg, and they already have the central control systems all constructed, so all they have to do is build track.

In the US we'd have to build a new high speed rail station in downtown LA and another new station in downtown Las Vegas and new control centers to monitor the trains and new train yards to maintain the trains. Thats got a cost of billions right there. Once you got a train station built in downtown LA, then you could use the same station for a high speed line to, say, San Francisco, and then to Phoenix, but right now we've got nothing and we are starting from essentially zero.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')And you can do this all over America.

[Newfie]

8 BILLION over 13 routes in 31 states is nothing but pork. It's peeing in a wheat field and calling it an irrigation project.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')And you can do this all over America.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '
')A big part of the cost in the US is building new train stations and related infrastrucure like modern train yards that can handle the high speed trains. There are already TGV stations in Paris and Strassbourg, and they already have the central control systems all constructed, so all they have to do is build track.

In the US we'd have to build a new high speed rail station in downtown LA and another new station in downtown Las Vegas and new control centers to monitor the trains and new train yards to maintain the trains. Thats got a cost of billions right there. Once you got a train station built in downtown LA, then you could use the same station for a high speed line to, say, San Francisco, and then to Phoenix, but right now we've got nothing and we are starting from essentially zero.

[Newfie]

Plantangent,

Even better would have been to convert the US grid to HVDC. That would have yielded something like 30% increase electricity efficiency.