Detroit To Chicago By Rail, In One Hour?

[hoborich]

China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record

AP – In this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, a China Railway High-Speed (CRH) train enters Bengbu …
. Slideshow:China opens new high-speed railway .
By ANITA CHANG, Associated Press Anita Chang, Associated Press – Fri Dec 3, 4:18 am ET
BEIJING – A Chinese passenger train hit a record speed of 302 miles per hour (486 kilometers per hour) Friday during a test run of a yet-to-be opened link between Beijing and Shanghai, state media said.

The Xinhua News Agency said it was the fastest speed recorded by an unmodified conventional commercial train. Other types of trains in other countries have traveled faster.

A specially modified French TGV train reached 357.2 mph (574.8 kph) during a 2007 test, while a Japanese magnetically levitated train sped to 361 mph (581 kph) in 2003.

State television footage showed the sleek white train whipping past green farm fields in eastern China. It reached the top speed on a segment of the 824-mile (1,318-kilometer) -long line between Zaozhuang city in Shandong province and Bengbu city in Anhui province, Xinhua said.

[Rewind: Amtrack reveals vision for high speed rail]

The line is due to open in 2012 and will halve the current travel time between the capital Beijing and Shanghai to five hours.

The project costs $32.5 billion and is part of a massive government effort to link many of China's cities by high-speed rail and reduce overcrowding on heavily used lines.

[Related: Tense fight over U.S. high speed rail]

China already has the world's longest high-speed rail network, and it plans to cover 8,125 miles (13,000 kilometers) by 2012 and 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) by 2020.

The drive to develop high-speed rail technology rivals China's space program in terms of national pride and importance. Railway officials say they want to reach speeds over 500 kph (312 mph).

[Michael]

Amazing what you can build with slave labor.

[hoborich]

Amazing what you can't build blowing all your money on defense.

[AARR]

Amazing what you can't build blowing all your money on defense.

I wouldn't call it "blowing" but I understand your point.

[TCBrent]

Amazing what you can't build blowing all your money on defense.

I gotta say, that has to be one of the smartest statements I have ever read. Why would you want to protect your citizens from enemies abroad when you could just buld them a high speed train that they will never use?

[AARR]

Amazing what you can't build blowing all your money on defense.

I gotta say, that has to be one of the smartest statements I have ever read. Why would you want to protect your citizens from enemies abroad when you could just buld them a high speed train that they will never use?

This latest action by TSA with intrusive pat-downs and full body scans will have a significant number of people desiring alternative transportation. When air lines were cheap and easy to access I would have agreed with you but they're not anymore.

For example, I have taken airlines to Chicago for years but I will not do it anymore because of the screening process. Right now I drive because Amtrak's on-time record is not acceptable to me. If they could arrive on-time 95%+ of the time I'd take them. Throw in reduced trip time and that's a bonus...I'm there.

[OwlCaboose2853]

Maglev Train - complete video presentation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weWmTldrOyo

Japanese Maglev, 581km/h http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuSrLvCV ... re=related

Two cute girls scared on Maglev train in Shanghai http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYBn0oJV ... re=related 268 mph fast next other 530 mph

High Speed MAGLEV train shock wave 430 KPH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCAz-kw6 ... re=related

MAGLEV train capable of 3,500 km/h http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIwbrZ4k ... re=related

[PerRock]

For example, I have taken airlines to Chicago for years but I will not do it anymore because of the screening process. Right now I drive because Amtrak's on-time record is not acceptable to me. If they could arrive on-time 95%+ of the time I'd take them. Throw in reduced trip time and that's a bonus...I'm there.

While not 100% on-time MI-service trains (when running late) rarely run later than half an hour. Which for passenger rail service globally (especially compared to other Amtrak services) is quite good.

peter

[Robert MacDowell]

For example, I have taken airlines to Chicago for years but I will not do it anymore because of the screening process. Right now I drive because Amtrak's on-time record is not acceptable to me.

How is the Indiana Highway Department's on-time record? Last I tried it was worse than Amtrak, and more annoying to boot.

[Typhoon]

For example, I have taken airlines to Chicago for years but I will not do it anymore because of the screening process. Right now I drive because Amtrak's on-time record is not acceptable to me.

How is the Indiana Highway Department's on-time record? Last I tried it was worse than Amtrak, and more annoying to boot.

????. I drive the Indiana highways every day to work, and have never been late . So I would say 100%, far better than Amtrak.

[sd70accsxt700]

Yea I deadhead all the time to Chicago, and never had any problems with ontime preformace.

[Robert MacDowell]

How is the Indiana Highway Department's on-time record? Last I tried it was worse than Amtrak, and more annoying to boot.

????. I drive the Indiana highways every day to work, and have never been late . So I would say 100%, far better than Amtrak.

I speak of the drive between Michigan City and Chicago on the major freeways. It has always been a choke point, a nightmare tangle of heavy trucks and stop-n-go traffic. Yes there's been massive construction, but when I was last through, I 'enjoyed' miles of stop-and-go on beautiful new road with no construction ahead. And that's pretty typical, within a year, new freeway expansions jam up again because people drive them more. So my natural expectation is that this area will never significantly improve. I could be wrong.

My point is: it's silly to declare Amtrak unusable on account of often being 45 minutes late, if you have to "pad" your driving time by an hour because of traffic.

[AARR]

While not 100% on-time MI-service trains (when running late) rarely run later than half an hour. Which for passenger rail service globally (especially compared to other Amtrak services) is quite good.

peter

Can someone verify if this is true cause I hear differently?

[AARR]

For example, I have taken airlines to Chicago for years but I will not do it anymore because of the screening process. Right now I drive because Amtrak's on-time record is not acceptable to me.

How is the Indiana Highway Department's on-time record? Last I tried it was worse than Amtrak, and more annoying to boot.

I've never had any problems with IN (now I've probably jinxed myself ...sometimes a little in Chiacago area but I expect that.

[Typhoon]

How is the Indiana Highway Department's on-time record? Last I tried it was worse than Amtrak, and more annoying to boot.

????. I drive the Indiana highways every day to work, and have never been late . So I would say 100%, far better than Amtrak.

I speak of the drive between Michigan City and Chicago on the major freeways. It has always been a choke point, a nightmare tangle of heavy trucks and stop-n-go traffic. Yes there's been massive construction, but when I was last through, I 'enjoyed' miles of stop-and-go on beautiful new road with no construction ahead. And that's pretty typical, within a year, new freeway expansions jam up again because people drive them more. So my natural expectation is that this area will never significantly improve. I could be wrong.

My point is: it's silly to declare Amtrak unusable on account of often being 45 minutes late, if you have to "pad" your driving time by an hour because of traffic.

As I stated I drive that section of road at least 5 days a week to Cal City, and have few problems. It is far from "typical."

[AARR]

My point is: it's silly to declare Amtrak unusable on account of often being 45 minutes late, if you have to "pad" your driving time by an hour because of traffic.

Speak for yourself...If my choices are all flawed I'll choose whatever gives me greatest control over my destiny. For me to take railroad they have to be better than vehicle or airline...not equal or worse. If you're happy with Amtrak then good for you. But if you think I'm alone in my thinking you haven't tested a large enough sample market.

[willardgarrett]

While not 100% on-time MI-service trains (when running late) rarely run later than half an hour. Which for passenger rail service globally (especially compared to other Amtrak services) is quite good.

peter

Can someone verify if this is true cause I hear differently?

Yes, I can. I am sure this article is not "cooked", because there is really no motive for such.
http://www.petergreenberg.com/2008/08/2 ... in-routes/

[PerRock]

While not 100% on-time MI-service trains (when running late) rarely run later than half an hour. Which for passenger rail service globally (especially compared to other Amtrak services) is quite good.

peter

Can someone verify if this is true cause I hear differently?

Yes, I can. I am sure this article is not "cooked", because there is really no motive for such.
http://www.petergreenberg.com/2008/08/2 ... in-routes/

I got my info from here:
http://www.amtrakdelays.onlineschedulingsoftware.com/

The site reports past Amtrak trains OTP to various stations up to 1 month. The numbers come straight from Amtrak, the only number crunching the site really has to do is calculating the average, which is a set formula. For my info I ran the three WB Wolv service trains reporting their time into Chicago. 355 is almost always late however, and has pretty much always been that way.