Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor

[AMTRAKwannabe]

I know I'm a little late but I just found out about it, I see Acela's through VA in the near future!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_High_Speed_Rail_Corridor

 

[jordon412]

For over ten years, there have been talk about a Mag-Lev running between Atlanta and Chattanooga. However, this would result in building a new right-of-way, tunneling thru mountains, and other things. However, if the high speed route running between the two cities is built the same way as the other sections of this corridor, I would suggest that the route also passes thru Rome, Georgia, home to Berry College. With Dalton being home to Dalton State Community College (but its normally called Dalton State College of just Dalton State), passing thru these two college towns would allow parents in north Georgia to travel to Rome to visit their family member going to Berry College (I know a friend whose sister goes to Berry). Also, it would be best if the high speed rail route connects with the railroad that passes thru those towns (Norfolk Southern in Rome, CSX & Norfolk Southern in Dalton. I can't remember which one runs thru Cartersville.) to allow high speed trains to access downtown of the city it's in. The trains will then split off onto the high speed tracks outside of downtown. I would discuss my idea about what the trains would be, but it would take up a whole lot of space.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

Yes, HSR is a great service, but a costly one, too. They have also proposed to build west on to Chicago VIA the "Raceway." Can't wait for all of this to be completed because then I can get to vacations in Florida, trips to NYC, and tour the whole country, at high speeds!

 

[opus722]

When I lived around Charlotte over 10 years ago a Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte-Atlanta HSR route paralleling I-85 was always "just around the corner" so I have little hope that anything will come out of this. The plan in that link is hardly high-speed anyways. Most countries put a 200 km/h as a minimum for high speed and this one won't go any faster than 175 km/h. So I figure we'll be sitting here in 2023 discussing how a 175 km/h line is planned for 2033 while a country like Vietnam or Brazil, with a fraction the GDP and resources as the USA, is nearing completion of a nationwide network.

 

[wkwood]

I know I'm a little late but I just found out about it, I see Acela's through VA in the near future!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_High_Speed_Rail_Corridor

You don't want Acela's you want something new! The Acela's are over a decade old and were the best that a committee of differing interests could put together. I would
love to see the new Sprinters (ACS-64) and some new coaches.. Amfleet 3s perhaps?

 

[Bluewater]

Amtrak's Michigan Line becomes the mini NEC by 2020. New bilevel coaches with WiFi and cab cars arrive in 2015. Not sure what they're gonna use for locomotives, though. Doubt Amtrak'll spend money on equipping F59PHIs with cab signals. Maybe some MP36s or MP40s?

 

[amtrak2041864]

Amtrak's Michigan Line becomes the mini NEC by 2020. New bilevel coaches with WiFi and cab cars arrive in 2015. Not sure what they're gonna use for locomotives, though. Doubt Amtrak'll spend money on equipping F59PHIs with cab signals. Maybe some MP36s or MP40s?

Why waste money on older technologies, I would look at Europe and their intercity 125, the train is a diesel train that tops 125, High Speed Rail minimum speed. To the world of course.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

Well I hate the look of that new Siemens locomotive...

How bout a TGV or Shinkansen?

 

[opus722]

Doesn't the InterCity 125 date back to the mid-70s? I'm sure they've been updated over the years, but the basic stuff is pushing 40 years old now. Not exactly cutting edge technology at this point. The MPXX engines are commuters and don't have the range for Amtrak use and there is no plans to electrify those lines so the Siemens, and any other corridor locos, are out.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

Then why did Amtrak order the MPXX to replace the HHP-8's and AEM7's on the NEC?

 

[Bluewater]

Why waste money on older technologies, I would look at Europe and their intercity 125, the train is a diesel train that tops 125, High Speed Rail minimum speed. To the world of course.

The Bilevels are capable of 110 MPH travel. They have to be in order to run on the Michigan Line.

Regarding older technologies, the kind of HSR trains that are in Europe will never be on the Michigan Line, or anyware outside of the NEC. Too many crossings. And, on the Michigan Line, we can't make trains longer. The stations can't handle them. Kalamazoo is stretched to the limit as it is, barely able to hold an 8-car Wolverine or Bluewater AND two P42s. We expanded up, not out. It's not money wasted. It's money spent on providing better service by getting new cars rather than expanding the stations all along the line.

 

[opus722]

Then why did Amtrak order the MPXX to replace the HHP-8's and AEM7's on the NEC?

Amtrak doesn't own either modeland, as far as I know, has no plans to purchase them. Why would they use diesel locomotives on the NEC anyways? They are too tall for Penn even if a dual-mode version was developed.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

... then whats that ugly one I posted?

 

[Bluewater]

... then whats that ugly one I posted?

ACS-64 aka "Cities Sprinter". One of the best looking electric locomotives I've ever seen. And the best thing is is that with some modifications of the trainzmarket Vectron model, and a reskin, and you could have one of those.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

Have you read my sig? I don't do payware (except for the Trainz games:hehe: ex: TS2009 TS12)

 

[H222]

So? Most others do...

 

[nicky9499]

Pardon him Jamie, he's a "paywareist".

Anyway, AmtrakWannabe, the HHP8's are unreliable so Amtrak is replacing them.

 

[Paulsw2]

Just wondering if the prevalence of crossings and unfenced track is the real brake on HSR development in the States?

Here in the UK, we've realised - like the Japanese, French, Germans and others - that new dedicated routes are necessary for 200mph+ running, but we're having a huge fight over the cost of a new high speed route from London to Birmingham, Manchester and beyond.

Re. Inter-City125 - a brilliant concept for its day, when introduced in 1976, 125mph as standard for mainlines. But now 180mph+ is the true standard for high speed rail and something we've struggled to introduce in the UK.

Paul

 

[amtrak2041864]

Doesn't the InterCity 125 date back to the mid-70s? I'm sure they've been updated over the years, but the basic stuff is pushing 40 years old now. Not exactly cutting edge technology at this point. The MPXX engines are commuters and don't have the range for Amtrak use and there is no plans to electrify those lines so the Siemens, and any other corridor locos, are out.

I was referring to the concept of 125mph HSR diesel trains, you can travel 125 between crossings.

 

[amtrak2041864]

Just wondering if the prevalence of crossings and unfenced track is the real brake on HSR development in the States?

Here in the UK, we've realized - like the Japanese, French, Germans and others - that new dedicated routes are necessary for 200mph+ running, but we're having a huge fight over the cost of a new high speed route from London to Birmingham, Manchester and beyond.

Re. Inter-City125 - a brilliant concept for its day, when introduced in 1976, 125mph as standard for mainlines. But now 180mph+ is the true standard for high speed rail and something we've struggled to introduce in the UK.

Paul

The UK has come a long way from intercity 125, like Amtrak had to fight the government for resources. Soon one day will be like the uk, and the building of our first true High Speed Line. Not a 110mph line, which other countries had made a stranded years ago. But at least one day 160mph will be implemented along the NEC, in like 5 years but its a start, were now 30 years behind, Great! Also what difference will traveling 110 make from 125, they are still really fast and will kill people(if on the tracks) on contact.