Reddit reviews Europe's High Speed Trains: A Study in Geo-Economics
We found 1 Reddit comments about Europe's High Speed Trains: A Study in Geo-Economics. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
HSR is a complex economic model(?). As speed increase, track forces increase equalling greater wear on the railhead. So read how the French, Japanese, and Germans for example came up with many solutions to achieve better economics.
The French for example started their HSR project in the 70's with gas turbine powered trains riding on a cushion of air. OPEC oil crisis drove them to electricity (plus some other interesting developments). They also figured out a way to make their trains run on conventional track in and out of cities and built new lines just for the TGV between city pairs. Japan started off slow with moderately HSR and overtime achieved greater speeds.
I'm smelling that you're looking to show someone or perhaps yourself that the CA HSR project is stupid or ill-advised etc because track maintenance will somehow be astronomical. Track is a sunk cost.. without it you can't do anything. Why do you think that the procurement process with Amtrak has sought to seek a European or Asian equipment vendor to supply non tier-3 compliant train-sets (light weight)? Equipment designed to our standards has been a failure (Acela) in that those train sets are too heavy, require too frequent maintenance (weight related wheel cracks), and can only achieve moderate speeds (160 mph)
You can find the similarities in highways.. the weight of freight trucks has increased damage to freeways and state arterials to the point that some states ban tandems and triples for example. Highway trust fund is broke, repairs are being made out of general funds...
Have a look at Europe’s high speed trains : a study in geo-economics / Mitchell P. Strohl ; foreword by Michel Walrave.. Its a very good book by an american in Paris who knows his stuff. You can get this book at any library. I also suggest TRB too for scholarly research on the matter as well.
Until superconductors are available for cheap and work at room temperature MagLev is a dead end. Its too expensive, too limited, and too one trick pony. You can't operate anything else on a maglev track.. Maglev track is different in its entirety