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Caltrain's new electric trains

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Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#101

Post by narism »

genewitch wrote: post #91
tsudounym wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where? Switzerland is 100% but most of continental Europe, Japan and Korea is in the 60-70%s. Then we got USA with 0.84%

100% of us freight trains use electric motors, I don't know about every passenger rail in the US, but I assure you electric drive is well over 0.84%

> 100% of US freight trains use electric motors

I think you mean diesel-electric. They are talking about electrified miles of track which is almost exclusively limited to passenger lines in the US. Even where freight trains run on electrified track, they still use diesel-electric motors.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rail_tr...

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#102

Post by rootusrootus »

kelnos wrote: post #86
rootusrootus wrote: post #46

A few weeks ago I was visiting UK & France, and had several opportunities to experience both LNER and Eurostar trains. I have no illusions that the US is ready for actual HSR, and we'd probably subject it to TSA security as bad or worse than what the Eurostar has now. But LNER ... now that is something I'd like to see here. Not HSR, but 125 mph is still half again as fast as most Amtrak trains. No security hassle, ju…

> ... as bad or worse than what the Eurostar has now I was just on a Eurostar train from Antwerp to Paris last month (connecting from a local train from Boom), the week before the olympics, even, and security was nonexistent. Didn't even have to go through a metal detector, just walked through the fare gates and boarded. I guess maybe stations are inconsistent with their security level? What did you have to go throug…

Same as a typical airport, everything into bins, send them through the x-ray machine, and walk through a metal detector. Leaving Paris, I had to go through French passport control (a person) and then through the UK passport control (a kiosk, same as Heathrow). The passport bit I get has everything to do with border control. I figured the x-ray scan and metal detector was universal. I've seen reviews that seemed to suggest that. I have no personal experience, though, with Eurostar staying within the Schengen Area.

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#103

Post by jez »

dekhn wrote: post #50
SUDOSuperUser wrote: post #22

I live 300 Meters from a Station. IT IS SO MUCH QUIETER!

How about the horns? I heard that they are much worse in the new trains.

The one electric Caltrain I rode recently played an ear shattering tone inside the trains when the doors were about to open and close. With any luck and enough complaints, it should be easy enough to dial that back or drop it entirely. I don’t remember the old trains ever playing a noise as loud when the doors open and close.

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#104

Post by rootusrootus »

vasco wrote: post #58
rootusrootus wrote: post #46

A few weeks ago I was visiting UK & France, and had several opportunities to experience both LNER and Eurostar trains. I have no illusions that the US is ready for actual HSR, and we'd probably subject it to TSA security as bad or worse than what the Eurostar has now. But LNER ... now that is something I'd like to see here. Not HSR, but 125 mph is still half again as fast as most Amtrak trains. No security hassle, ju…

> we'd probably subject it to TSA security as bad or worse than what the Eurostar has now I take the Eurostar a few times a year for work between Amsterdam and Paris and there's literally no security whatsoever. If there's security to board the Eurostar in routes to/from the UK maybe it's because of Brexit?

Can't edit my original comment, but I guess maybe I was wrong. I went through a long security line with x-ray and metal detector, but I was going between Paris and UK. It also had passport controls for leaving France and entering UK, all done at Gare du Nord (nice because at St Pancras we were able to just walk right out without any more hassle).

I had read some reviews saying Eurostar security was airport like on all routes, but maybe I was just reading some other schmuck's experience on an international route like mine :-). Hopefully anyone reading my comment reads a little farther so they are better informed.

And so, I amend my previous comment. I'd be satisfied with an LNER equivalent, but if I can get Eurostar speeds at LNER convenience, I definitely want that!

I wonder how much the UK paid for the LNER lines, e.g. from King's Cross up to Waverley Station in Edinburgh. Not that it has any bearing on US costs, but I'm curious. Here everything is just stupidly expensive to build, and pretty much any stakeholder can derail the whole thing, even the tiny ones. I'm not a big fan of using eminent domain but there are times when it is the sensible choice.

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#105

Post by deredede »

gamblor956 wrote: post #83
pikma wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In contrast, in the metro in Paris, the doors open a few seconds before the train stops, so that the doors are fully open by the time the train is stopped - and passengers in a hurry can jump out while the train is still moving.

Is this a new feature? None of the metro trains in Paris did that a few weeks ago.

It's an old feature. You have to open the door manually, and the new trains (especially on automated lines) don't allow this.

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#106

Post by inferiorhuman »

genewitch wrote: post #90
inferiorhuman wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where's here? The UK and most of Europe, for instance, still has plenty of diesel service.

Are they diesel electric? I think that's what parent meant. Diesel engine driving electric motors (for torque and efficiency)

  I think that's what parent meant.
Doubtful. Electric in EMU or in the context of Caltrain electrifying means pure electric traction power. In the United Kingdom I think they make some differentiation between a DMU (diesel-hydraulic, like an automobile with an automatic transmission) and DEMU (diesel-electric like a locomotive). There were diesel-hydraulic locomotives along the west mainline for a bit, but in general diesel-hydraulic locomotives were fairly uncommon.

If it's being called electric it's not going to have a diesel engine of any sort.

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#107

Post by Schiendelman »

akira2501 wrote: post #75

They're better for the environment. They're better for the environment. THEY'RE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT! also.. they're less comfortable and less rider friendly than the old trains.. so if your goal is to get more people onto them you're probably going to fail.

How do you find them less comfortable or rider friendly? They're certainly easier to board, and the knee room between seats is far better.

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#108

Post by porphyra »

jwr wrote: post #13

As a European, this article is outright bizarre, and makes me appreciate what we have much more. I will complain less about trains from now on.

Funnily enough the Caltrain Modernization Program has an amazingly detailed Wikipedia article --- even before the trains entered service, the article was vastly more detailed than articles about actually existing and more advanced train systems with greater ridership.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain_Modernization_Program

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#109

Post by jonp888 »

Animats wrote: post #25

The trains are the Stadler KISS model, from Switzerland.[1] Many in use worldwide since 2012. Caltrain is using the 25KV version, which is high for a commuter line but compatible with the California high speed rail system. (BART is 1KV. Streetcars are 400-600V.) Some of the Caltrain electric trainsets are currently running, intermixed with the two generations of Diesel trains. And the occasional freight train, which…

25kV is the standard for all new mainline railroads these days. Modern electrical technology means there's no reason not to use high voltage AC unless there are issues with clearance(streetcars).

Re: Caltrain's new electric trains

#110

Post by creer »

Jalad wrote: post #33
kderbe wrote: post #23

Anyone interested in Caltrain operation should check out the Caltrain HSR blog, https://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/ . It's not just about high-speed rail. For example, last week the blog pointed out that the new trains take an extra 8-10 seconds after stopping at a station to begin opening the doors. Which chews up 12% of the trip time savings achieved by the move from diesel to electrified trains!

> For example, last week the blog pointed out that the new trains take an extra 8-10 seconds after stopping at a station to begin opening the doors Anecdotally, this is also true of the San Francisco Municipal subway. The subway cars take a long time to open and close doors because there is a mechanical bridge that closes the gap between the train and the platform. This is also a pretty big time sink for the subway s…

> because there is a mechanical bridge that closes the gap

No. It's because the whole thing is crazy slow. Fear of lawsuits? I don't know. The door warnings on Caltrain, Bart, Muni are often comically offset compared to the door motions. That is, too late to be useful as legal warnings.

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