US Train Speeds?

Kiwi_Rail

Formerly Rugrat
I've decided its time to speed limt my route (HERE) and I was woundering what the Highest Freight train speeds in the US are? I'm talking high speed class 1 mainline speed, I know of 70mph but is that the highest?

Also I know passenger trains generally travel a fraction faster than freight, is there any rule on that? (Conventional passenger trains, not high speed rail)

Just one of the problems with modeling the US from the other side of the world...

Rugrat:o
 
The Ascella's top speed is rated at 150 MPH. A fast freight could reach a max of 120 MPH but is usually kept at or below 75 MPH.
 
The maximum for conventional passenger trains is currently 79 mph, with specially designated high speed corridors like the NEC excepted. Why the Surface Transportation Board chose 79 as opposed to 80 is a mystery, but then of course it is the government and often behaves irrationally. In the past passenger trains often ran faster and speed limits of 90 and 100 were not at all uncommon.

I think most freight today runs at a 50 mph max on track classified for that speed, although someone with more specific knowledge in here might correct me on that assumption.
 
How the heck is it that one of the biggest industrial nations in the world with one of the biggest rail networks in the world, has such limited maximum speeds on its own tracks? Here in Germany it's not uncommon for mainline maximum speed to be in excess of 80MPH, the line I live close to has a maximum of 100MPH in some spots.

WileeCoyote:D
 
100MPH are you nuts...not in my part of the world

How the heck is it that one of the biggest industrial nations in the world with one of the biggest rail networks in the world, has such limited maximum speeds on its own tracks? Here in Germany it's not uncommon for mainline maximum speed to be in excess of 80MPH, the line I live close to has a maximum of 100MPH in some spots.

WileeCoyote:D

In Western Pennsylvania track speed is limited to 45 to 50 miles per hour because mountain grades and the length of the trains. 50 to hundred 100 cars are common. I can just imagine 100 car coal train coming down the mountain at 100 MPH around sharp turns and steep grades. What are you nuts?:eek:

As a matter of fact maybe its a good idea to hit the brakes:

pc3196_curve.jpg
 
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Germany vs US

Railroads in Germany, or the rest of Western Europe for that matter, have a totally different mission from those in the US. US railroads' primary function is to haul bulk materials. In fact, the last I read, 40% of bulk goods in the US are hauled by trains. In Europe the figure is only 8%. European trains carry lots of passengers and their freight trains consist mostly of light carloads of high value goods run at high speed. In the US, the most efficient method of transport is low speed, minimally superelevated track. UP is perfectly happy to run 10,000 ton unit trains of garbage cans over Donner Pass at 25 mph. No value would be added to the garbage cans by running them any faster so the consignee is happy, too, as long as he gets his two trains a week. BTW it is this prevelant track geometry that makes passenger service problematic here, if your track geometry will sustain high speeds this will cause abnormal and costly wear on slow trains. Here express and passenger service is handled by trucks and aircraft and high speed rail is rare.

So it isn't a question of better or worse, just different.:)

Bernie
 
How the heck is it that one of the biggest industrial nations in the world with one of the biggest rail networks in the world, has such limited maximum speeds on its own tracks? Here in Germany it's not uncommon for mainline maximum speed to be in excess of 80MPH, the line I live close to has a maximum of 100MPH in some spots.

WileeCoyote:D

Perhaps the 1500 million dollars West Germany received from the US under the Marshall Plan can explain this disparity.
Ain't it grand? We level countries with our might, and then rebuild their industrial base to surpass ours every time!
We can't even get a cup of oil out of Iraq, but I bet we're all driving Iraqi cars in 20 years!:o
 
Unfortunately, to model a specific line, you have to know the local speed limits, since they change with eveery railroad and every line.
The Acela, for instance, claims 150 mph. Due to track conditions and other traffic it rarely tops 100, but I hear it edges over 125 for a short stretch in Massachusetts. This is America's premier bullet train. Depressing, isn't it?
Mountains, as Sethmcs mentioned, require lower speeds for safety. Also in cities and other areas where you might have to make an emergency stop.
Bad track also slows you down. The old Santa Fe line between Bartlesville and Tulsa, Oklahoma used to run 60mph freight trains behind steam engines. Now in the diesel age, its down to 25 mph because of track conditions.
The best way to find the speed limits would be to have spies actually go to the track and see how fast the trains are going. I don't think that's practical, but you might be able to contact BNSF, tell them what you're doing and ask what the maximum speed is on that stretch. I don't think they'll answer, but it's worth a try.
Alternatively, I would use generic speeds typical of the service. I would probably go with 70mph for the mainline in the open areas, 50 on the grades and passing small towns, 25 mph in the cities. I'm sure the yards would be slower, but I'm not sure how fast they would go. Does someone know a typical limit in the yards?

:cool: Claude
 
Loaded Coal trains (usually around 130 cars) on the UP is 50 mph
Empty Coal trains are 60 mph... unless otherwise restricted....

Z-Trains, intermodals unless hazmat restricted are 70 mph....

Our Mainlines are typically good for 60mph... Yards are 10mph....
Most crossover movements are good for 40-45mph...

That is for the US midwest on the subdivisions I run on in KS/MO...
BNSF speeds vary a bit I think because they have better maintained track.

hope this helps...
 
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Ran trains for CSX for years in the South.

Routes equipped with ATS systems are allowed 90 for passenger, for other trains, I have no idea but...

Passenger at 79 in CTC
Pigs/intermodal at 70 in CTC unless restricted.
Unrestricted Freight at 60 in CTC
Restricted Freight at 50 in CTC
(this to include trains handling block of 30 or more cars of coal, grain, phosphates or aggregates or a key train.)

Rule 105 and Rule 93 track is 20 max, but operating at a speed that wil permit stopping within half the range of vision.

FRA Excepted Track including yards are 10.

Shop tracks are 5

Passenger trains in dark track is 59, freight 49.

Crossover and switches capable of limited speed is 45, medium speed is 30 and slow is 15.
 
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