The new Javelin trains vs..
- Thread starter Fossil
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Japan love their public transport, fast and efficient. Mmmmmm!!!!
Seen this on the news this morning and the reporters wheresa ying how great it was, and how fast, and how we are moving forward in rail tech and all this jibber jab etc but its based on train that the Japanese have been using since 2000 oh and the face that we already have trains that can go 140mph so why the big deal...
Isn't that a bit old? 199mph isnt that great (can't be japan's best bullet trains). The trains (eurostar-class 373) on high speed 1 in the UK can do that. Trains in Spain and France have timetabled trains which run at over 200mph.
In addition, China's maglev trains are in a different league.
edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_speed_rail#High-speed_rail_by_region
Yep, Japan arent that special on a global scale. The UK only has 108km of track supporting 300km/h though. The total length in the article is sort of a misnomer since the bar is set to low.
In addition, China's maglev trains are in a different league.
edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_speed_rail#High-speed_rail_by_region
Yep, Japan arent that special on a global scale. The UK only has 108km of track supporting 300km/h though. The total length in the article is sort of a misnomer since the bar is set to low.
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So let me get this right...
Existing ticket holders have to pay more to get on these trains.
I also read elsewhere that the train company has been allowed to raise ticket prices at 3% above inflation to pay for this upgrade, so existing ticket holders who renew their tickets will be charged more whilst also having to pay a £4.40 premium to use the new trains, therefore paying twice for the same service.
Slower services have also had their frequency cut to accommodate the new faster trains, so if you decide not to pay the extra premium and use the standard trains you'll still be paying higher fares in the future but for a reduced service.
...and this is progress?
Reminds me of the time that the contract for my route into london was given to another company, they won it by promising to increase ticket prices above inflation and using the extra profits to improve rail services in the north...same conclusion, more money, less service.
Existing ticket holders have to pay more to get on these trains.
I also read elsewhere that the train company has been allowed to raise ticket prices at 3% above inflation to pay for this upgrade, so existing ticket holders who renew their tickets will be charged more whilst also having to pay a £4.40 premium to use the new trains, therefore paying twice for the same service.
Slower services have also had their frequency cut to accommodate the new faster trains, so if you decide not to pay the extra premium and use the standard trains you'll still be paying higher fares in the future but for a reduced service.
...and this is progress?
Reminds me of the time that the contract for my route into london was given to another company, they won it by promising to increase ticket prices above inflation and using the extra profits to improve rail services in the north...same conclusion, more money, less service.
lol its a joke isnt it.The TGV routinely travels at 300 kilometres per hour through the French countryside and has been clocked at 515 kilometres per hour in test runs.
Britain's fastest commuter train with a 140mph (225km/h) top speed HAHAHA
so it would run about 100 miles an hour.
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Yeah, the new train is great and all - but why not focus money on actually improving the railway system and make everything come on time first.
When I went to Japan, it was fantastic that almost every train was on time. The only one that wasn't was exactly 1 minute and 10 seconds late and there were businessmen looking at their watches tutting/sighing for the entire duration
When I went to Japan, it was fantastic that almost every train was on time. The only one that wasn't was exactly 1 minute and 10 seconds late and there were businessmen looking at their watches tutting/sighing for the entire duration
Cutting journey times from 80 mins to 37 mins deserves a price increase to be fair. Time is money.
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Without a price increase, the fast trains would be inundated with people.
Calm down. We are decades behind France. It took Germany 15 years or so to build their ICE network to the state it is today. Also with lines like WCML unprofitable as it is, I doubt a high speed line could be sustainable without massive wasteful subsidies.
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Without a price increase, the fast trains would be inundated with people.
Calm down. We are decades behind France. It took Germany 15 years or so to build their ICE network to the state it is today. Also with lines like WCML unprofitable as it is, I doubt a high speed line could be sustainable without massive wasteful subsidies.
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The Eurostar is limited to 186mph. Some TGV services operate at a max of 199mph, but none go above 200mph. However, they are capable of doing so from an engineering perspective.
140mph is plenty for a Kent-London line. It would be great if we could have the East Coast mainline from Kings Cross to Edinburgh running at that speed instead of 125mph max as the trains are capable of the higher speed but they aren't allowed to reach it in service until in-cab signalling is implemented, which has been talked about since the 80's!
140mph is plenty for a Kent-London line. It would be great if we could have the East Coast mainline from Kings Cross to Edinburgh running at that speed instead of 125mph max as the trains are capable of the higher speed but they aren't allowed to reach it in service until in-cab signalling is implemented, which has been talked about since the 80's!
Eh? The trains can only legally carry a specified number of people, they aren't going to be jammed in.
Uk is so far behind it's embarassing to live in this country.
Doesn't mean demand cannot be high for these trains. With higher prices, those that genuinely need a faster train can pay for it and therefore benefit.
Look up the economic problems which come with rationing services (i.e. having a price below the market price).
I'm not sure how much it would cost, it can't be prohibitive though to retrofit stock with an in cab system, surely? Not when we spent several billion quid electrifying the line a few decades ago.
The ECML is pretty straight and very flat, before Javelin the fastest average speed of a British service was between Grantham and Stevenage, 113mph.
do you really think they re going to use the top speed of 140 no way it'll be 120 if that.