Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

asiatimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 503 posts

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#171

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

simion314 wrote: post #121
KoftaBob wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those tracks you reference are owned by the freight companies, not the gov. Even a good chunk of the rail lines that Amtrak uses are merely being rented from the freight companies. The Northeast regional line that connects Boston -> NYC -> DC is one of the few lines in which Amtrak themselves own it.

Thanks, I did not know this fact. So the only hope would be then that the private companies would invest into improving the tracks or the government nationalize the tracks(buy them most probably).

The problem is that the freight operators habitually defer maintenance. Most trackage and crossings are in a poor state of repair. Updates would require fixing the backlog.

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#173

Post by toephu2 »

cabaalis wrote: post #25
justinzollars wrote: post #6

And San Francisco is struggling to add 1 mile of underground track. The project is postponed (again) to open in 2022.

Be careful comparing a system which can simply take the land and labor it wants to one in which people have rights.

Not quite true, in China the government usually tries to compensate you fairly for your house and cannot "force" you to leave (although I'm sure it happens).

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/01/chinese-highwa...

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#174

Post by tyfon »

usaar333 wrote: post #163
saberience wrote: post #28

So, as someone that lived in New York for 6 years and California for 6 years, stories like this are incredibly depressing. The US is the world's largest economy and should be the shining example of amazing infrastructure, high-tech, green cities, and forward thinking policies. California is an especially egregious example in terms of infrastructure investment: If California was a country it would be the world's fifth…

The alternative to being stuck in traffic for hours is flying. A major problem with train systems in the United States (and this is both short and long haul) is that almost the entire country is sprawl - built around the automobile. In dense environments (China and the north-east coast of the US (which has Acela), it's great to take a train into the core -- you beat traffic and are near your destination. In sprawling…

Flying easily adds 1-3 hours to the trip just for bullshit and boarding and stuff so there is a certain distance where the high speed trains are faster.

It's also way more comfortable and relaxed. I prefer train over driving when I'm going somewhere too.. well until I discovered lane assist functions in modern cars that is :)

But I can't yet work while driving so I guess the train wins in overall productivity.

Flying is also a massive hit to the environment so I try to minimise it. So far I've avoided three roundtrips with planes and driven my car instead, but I've had to fly twice when going Oslo->Helsinki->Oslo.. I should probably have driven there too but for this instance time was of the essence.

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#175

Post by benj111 »

I'm skeptical.

A 2200km vacuum tube, a 1000kph capable train. Theres a lot of things to go wrong, and if something goes wrong people die.

I don't doubt it's doable, I don't think it's practical though.

Has anyone done any research on sonic boom induced stress fractures on reinforced concrete vacuum tubes, or is that too niche?

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#176

Post by GoToRO »

saberience wrote: post #28

So, as someone that lived in New York for 6 years and California for 6 years, stories like this are incredibly depressing. The US is the world's largest economy and should be the shining example of amazing infrastructure, high-tech, green cities, and forward thinking policies. California is an especially egregious example in terms of infrastructure investment: If California was a country it would be the world's fifth…

Different cultures: individualism (US) and team play (communism). Team play always wins if done properly.

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#177

Post by arcticbull »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #164
saberience wrote: post #28

So, as someone that lived in New York for 6 years and California for 6 years, stories like this are incredibly depressing. The US is the world's largest economy and should be the shining example of amazing infrastructure, high-tech, green cities, and forward thinking policies. California is an especially egregious example in terms of infrastructure investment: If California was a country it would be the world's fifth…

I think there are two factors at play here. 1) We have the curse of being first. Our cities are old so our infrastructure is old. 2) We can't just say, "Your land is ours, get the fuck out, construction begins in one week" They can also cut corners on safety and pollution. The ends always justify the means.

> 2) We can't just say, "Your land is ours, get the fuck out, construction begins in one week"

You kinda can, via eminent domain. Maybe the will isn't there, but the way is.

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#178

Post by BAReF00t »

wil421 wrote: post #34
HenryKissinger wrote: post #2

Meanwhile, in America...

Meanwhile in America we have a world class freight system between America, Canada, and Mexico that’s unrivaled anywhere else in the world. Europe uses trucking which is less environmentally friendly[1] than rail. The United States also runs the largest rail system in the world[2] vs any country (and the combined EU[3]). Europe is leading the world in electrification and they are likely getting that power from greener…

Keep telling yourself that…

Here in Europe, we actually use mostly trains. Trucking is for the smaller deliveries, like some five bathtubs from Sweden to Germany.

And we use trains for humans too.

The reason your trains are so long is because they need to go so far.

While around here, we use more local products. As we are still actually separate countries, not one big lowest common denominator culture mush. ;)

Re: China laying tracks for 1,000km/h maglev trains

#179

Post by robofanatic »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #164
saberience wrote: post #28

So, as someone that lived in New York for 6 years and California for 6 years, stories like this are incredibly depressing. The US is the world's largest economy and should be the shining example of amazing infrastructure, high-tech, green cities, and forward thinking policies. California is an especially egregious example in terms of infrastructure investment: If California was a country it would be the world's fifth…

I think there are two factors at play here. 1) We have the curse of being first. Our cities are old so our infrastructure is old. 2) We can't just say, "Your land is ours, get the fuck out, construction begins in one week" They can also cut corners on safety and pollution. The ends always justify the means.

> We can't just say, "Your land is ours, get the fuck out, construction begins in one week"

didn't they say that when they arrived 400 years ago

Post reply on HN