High-speed rail transit in the Midwest

It can be done

Posted by David Roberts at 12:36 PM on 24 Apr 2007

Read more about: placemaking | public transportation

ModeShift has an intriguing post on a proposed regional high-speed rail transit system for the Midwest. Here's the wow bit:

In essence, for the same cost as building less than 120 miles of new Interstate freeway, the Midwest could design, construct, and operate a 21st Century passenger rail network that would make the region's transportation system competitive with that of western Europe. Moreover, the feasibility study predicted that the system would generate so much passenger traffic, over 10 million riders a year, that annual revenue by 2014 ($528 million) would exceed the operating and maintenance expense ($453 million).

Old-school public infrastructure investment: the new black!

For story: High-speed rail transit in the Midwest
6 Comments | Post a Comment

Maglev

I'm surprised that Grist ecologists would prefer laying was to land and bisecting so much acreage with track.

Well -- I like trains, especially if they're maglev.

by jabailo at 3:15 PM on 24 Apr 2007

Yes,trains,trains ,trains

Yes and we should use the highway right of ways to place the trains on and have the parking at the exits to put our personal vehicles. Trains are the answer to our woes of congestion and efficiency.Our highways should be freed up from mosy long distance trucking by using trains to move the freight again and stop pounding our highways to death that costs so much to maintain.Repaving frequency might be cut in half,perhaps.Its really a win,win,win as the jobs it creates for many,many years to build the system.As you might guess I am pro train system for America and everything should be designed so that one system,same parts,regardless of supplier instead of the inefficiency of many types in one system.We need interoperability.

Earth Shaman

by Earth Shaman at 5:36 PM on 24 Apr 2007

Trains Are Heavy

Trains are heavy...they have to be strong. Trucks seem to be lighter as a function of their fuel and the goods they carry. I wonder which has the higher efficiency ratio.

Also, trucks can distribute goods in a more optimal pattern, because each trailer can go its optimal route. Whereas a train constrains 10, 20, 100 trailers to go the same route.

by jabailo at 6:18 PM on 24 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

The midwest is flat as a board

I am guessing that this is what would make it so feasible. Mountain passes and the bottle necks they create are a major pain in the ass for trains.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 6:56 PM on 24 Apr 2007

Trains are 10x more efficient

Not only are trains more efficient than trucks per mile, they 10x more efficient per ton of freight per mile.

See Table 2.14:
http://cta.ornl.gov/data/tedb25/Edition25_Chapter02.pdf

by dean at 10:30 AM on 26 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

Trains can be door to door also......

Heavy rail is the most efficient way to move large cargoes or numbers of people overland. When the people get to towns or cities freight and people can be moved using pod transit.

Combining the technologies of roller coasters and elevators pod transit can move people much cheaper than cars can. Advantages to people mover/pods are that the pod can be electrically powered, made lighter than a car, and there is no parking footprint needed.

There are several pod designs that are being promoted and tested but I prefer designs that use overhead rails.

The reason is that with an overhead rail design freight pods could be lowered from any point along the track allowing for delivery of containered freight to neighborhood stores or depots. Imagine a freight capsule lowered into a safety cage and wheeled over to a store or restaurant rather than multiple trucks blocking roads while they deliver chips, paper or beer.

In one swoop a city could reduce parking hassles, pollution, automobile accidents, congestion, freight unloading backups and noise.

The entire cost of these systems is cheaper than current maintenance costs on asphalt roads they would be replacing.

It seems too good to be true.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2w3ra2
http://www.jpods.com/index.html
http://www.atsltd.co.uk/
http://www.taxi2000.com/

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 1:32 PM on 26 Apr 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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