High Speed Rail In the Midwest

[mp202]

IDOT, (Illinois Department of Transpotation), is working on Amtrak's high speed rail link in the state of Illinois. Consturction is well under way. The line spans from Chicago to St. Louis and utilizes Union Pacific's mainline. Speeds go up to about 130 mph in some areas.

Heres the official IDOT video. By the way, the first town you see in the video is Virden, Illinois. I used to live there.
[video]http://www.idothsr.org/[/video]

-Blake

 

[Nux_Vomica]

The UPRR is going to benefit from these improvements much more than the Amtrak rider. UP needs track improvements to service their new inter-modal complex in Joliet.

 

[springtransit]

Great, it's under construction! There's been quite some disputes over high-speed rail, but if we can get at least one of the lines going, it may help persuade the others...

 

[mp202]

Great, it's under construction! There's been quite some disputes over high-speed rail, but if we can get at least one of the lines going, it may help persuade the others...

I really wonder what locomotives amtrak will use. I dont think the line will be electrified so no Acelas lol. But the Genesis Locos cant reach 130 mph.

 

[qassaquyangli]

The new Amtrak loco that hasn't come out probably. It would be electricfied I guess since how will ya get all that speed with a diesel or 3rd rail?

 

[Tokkyu40]

There's no reason a DEMU can't reach 150-200 mph other than the fact that the high speed lines have all been electric to start with. Since no one has ruin a high speed diesel line no one has had to develop a train to run on it.
They should run a separate track parallel to the freight line. If you mix freight and passenger, one always gets the short end of the stick.

Claude

 

[mp202]

There's no reason a DEMU can't reach 150-200 mph other than the fact that the high speed lines have all been electric to start with. Since no one has ruin a high speed diesel line no one has had to develop a train to run on it.
They should run a separate track parallel to the freight line. If you mix freight and passenger, one always gets the short end of the stick.

Claude

I believe it works like the marias pass speed limits and operations. Freight trains run slower than passenger trains and will be overtaken on sidings. But long haul trains are pretty much equivalent to freight trains in terms of priority and overtaken by commuter trains.

 

[dricketts]

Maybe the next leg could be to KC on the old Rock Island line.

 

[kws4000]

I really wonder what locomotives amtrak will use. I dont think the line will be electrified so no Acelas lol. But the Genesis Locos cant reach 130 mph.

DID I HEAR 130MPH???

http://www.csrail.org/

http://www.csrail.org/index.php/the-plan

On a note slightly closer to home, I recall reading in a Trains issue from 1992 that the frame for the Genesis was actually designed for 150mph, its just that the guts will need the total makover, not to mention extra damaging tonnage to meet EPA regs.

 

[BobCass]

Its good to hear news about HSR happening right in the Midwest..You know I have been thinking recently how light rail used to ply the streets america..Then came the Interstate Highways..Car travel has never been the same, easier, and faster..The big oil companies are clapping their hands, making all kinds of money..Obama wanted to do the same thing with HSR..Man you should hear the Boos and Hisses..Why, blame it on the Big Oil companies and there greed..

 

[wholbr]

Hi Everybody

There's no reason a DEMU can't reach 150-200 mph other than the fact that the high speed lines have all been electric to start with. Since no one has ruin a high speed diesel line no one has had to develop a train to run on it.
They should run a separate track parallel to the freight line. If you mix freight and passenger, one always gets the short end of the stick.

Claude

In Britain the diesel electric powered HST's have a top speed of 130 mph and average in scheduled service around 100 to 115 mph. However, it is not the top speed or even the average speed which contributes mainly to journey times. That is dependent on the track system being secure enough to allow the HSTs to continue their high-speed right into the centre of major cities. On the GWML line which I regularly travel on the class 130s run at continuous speeds of 90 mph on entering London and do not reduce that until approximately one and a half miles from London Paddington terminus station. watching the houses and other buildings flashing past the coach windows only yards from the train is always quite an experience no matter how many times you witness it.

With reference to running HST and freight traffic over the same track that certainly is possible and carried out in the UK. Although Britains railways carry no where near the same percentage of freight than is carried in the US being mainly a passenger rail service, freight traffic is growing with the major supermarkets transferring work from HGV trunking vehicles to the railways in ever-increasing amounts. The key to success with freight and passenger using the same track is strict scheduling of all movements with no exceptions. Things are naturally made easier as most freight traffic is moved at night after the passenger services are reduced from around 11 PM onwards

Just some of our experiences in the UK, hope this helps the debate in this interesting thread
Bill

 

[PerRock]

P42s can reach 110mph. P40s only 100mph.

Michigan already have sections that the trains regularly hit 90-100mph on & are rated for up to 110mph (maybe more).

peter

 

[wholbr]

Hi perRock And Everybody.

P42s can reach 110mph. P40s only 100mph.

Michigan already have sections that the trains regularly hit 90-100mph on & are rated for up to 110mph (maybe more).

peter

Those units would certainly be good enough to run a high-speed passenger service. The key to it would be for the quality and security of the track to be good enough for trains to maintain those speeds throughout the entirety of the journey. Such things as Road and farm crossings have to be got rid of and replaced with bridges and as stated in my earlier post the track has to be safe and secure enough for the HSTs to maintain high speeds right into the centre of cities. If the outskirts of the city are 10 miles from the railway terminus it makes a substantial difference to the travel time if the train has to slow down to 20 or 30 mph over those last 10 miles. It's average speed as much has top speed which makes for a good HST service.

great debate
Bill

 

[kws4000]

P42s can reach 110mph. P40s only 100mph.

Michigan already have sections that the trains regularly hit 90-100mph on & are rated for up to 110mph (maybe more).

peter

The 110 section is presently between Niles and Kalamazoo, MI. Amtrak Recently bought the track from NS between Niles and Porter, IN. That section will gradually be upgraded as well.

The largest user of the HrSR in MI is the Wolverine and Blue Water services (CHI-Detroit/Pontiac). The Pere Marquette (CHI-Grand Rapids "GRR") will eventually have to work on a section of that track btwn Niles and Porter, specifically from New Buffalo to Porter. This is only 21 miles.

As it was, the PM and the Eastsiders had different stations in NewBuf, with the PM dropping straight south, crossing the Eastsider track via bridge, and stopping next to the old yard on a micro concrete pad on the east side of town, while the Eastsiders go west all the way into downtown with a nice covered platform. Recently, they canceled PM service to NewBuf due to service redundancy, and now they are consoloidating track usage by sending the PM through downtown.

Scource: Pere Marquette Historical Society "Tracks" publication May-June 2012 issue

 

[Euphod]

Its good to hear news about HSR happening right in the Midwest..You know I have been thinking recently how light rail used to ply the streets america..Then came the Interstate Highways..Car travel has never been the same, easier, and faster..The big oil companies are clapping their hands, making all kinds of money..Obama wanted to do the same thing with HSR..Man you should hear the Boos and Hisses..Why, blame it on the Big Oil companies and there greed..

I'll be looking forward to your research that supports this rhetoric.

 

[StorkNest]

The Midwest is not the only area.
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
Last I heard they were well into planning and starting soon on the middle area of California.

 

[Konni]

Hi,

HSTrains need powerful engines. Conventional diesel electric technology may reach its limits there.
In Europe some of the early High Speed Trains were therefore powered by gas turbines. Since practically all main line tracks are electrified in Europe, gas turbines were not further pursued.
In the US, with the much longer distances prevailing in the midwest and west and accordingly higher cost for electric lines, gas turbines might be an approach worth pursuing.

Cheers,

Konni

 

[kws4000]

Hi,

HSTrains need powerful engines. Conventional diesel electric technology may reach its limits there.
In Europe some of the early High Speed Trains were therefore powered by gas turbines. Since practically all main line tracks are electrified in Europe, gas turbines were not further pursued.
In the US, with the much longer distances prevailing in the midwest and west and accordingly higher cost for electric lines, gas turbines might be an approach worth pursuing.

Cheers,

Konni

FRA TEL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JetTrain ->156 mph max on test


Progress Rail Svcs Freight Locomotive: http://www.google.com/patents?id=5XokAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false ->roughly 80% fuel space for LNG, with very small engine


The only issue with these coonstant HP locos is sluggish acceleration at higher speeds, which is why steam locos is so great; the HP output increases at higher speeds.

 

[Blutorse4792]

High speed rail in the midwest? Been there, done that...

 

[wholbr]

I love that one, Great. Some humor on the forum once again after a long time
bill