Why are maglevs so much slower than airplanes? We're looking at a factor of 2 difference and airports don't take over 30 years to install. Isn't the point of a maglev to reduce the friction against the ground, so aren't both planes and maglevs fighting primarily against air resistance? Or is it not that they can't go faster, just that it's too loud or they need to turn too much or something?
Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
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Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#32I can't imagine there won't be major improvements to conventional high speed rail that will be able to run on existing lines. This requires an entirely new track that can't be used for anything else and the trainset itself can't be upgraded as easily as it is tied to the track. These will be also limited by the noise they produce; even if they can go faster in theory noise pollution is going to be a major issue as is…
I think maglevs are actually quieter and have reduced rail\line wear than conventional track already.
Though i think a partially evacced tube would be amazing as well.
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#33Why are maglevs so much slower than airplanes? We're looking at a factor of 2 difference and airports don't take over 30 years to install. Isn't the point of a maglev to reduce the friction against the ground, so aren't both planes and maglevs fighting primarily against air resistance? Or is it not that they can't go faster, just that it's too loud or they need to turn too much or something?
I think g-forces from turning is a real concern, but so is the fact that there's a lot more air at sea level than 30k feet. Planes land and take off at less than 200 mph.
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#34Good thing we're building a POS here in CA...
What's a Point of Sale system have to do with this train?
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Spain has some security theater at their high speed trains but it is far less invasive than the one at airports. It is on the other hand even more useless since the security checks are not done at all stations. I have boarded AVE trains without passing a security check.
They had a high profile bombing at Madrid's Atocha train station (the day after one of my brothers was there, that one hit close to home, not that I expect security theater to make a difference). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings
There are no security checks at the commuter trains (where the bombings happened) at Atocha or other stations (I traveled by commuter train from Atocha to Chamatrín a couple of months ago). The security checks are only for long distance trains at larger stations, so a terrorist can either just again bomb commuter trains or use the commuter train or bus to get to a small station and board the AVE there.
EDIT: Correction, I took the commuter train from Sol to Chamartín, so I do not actually know if there are security checks at the commuter trains at Atocha. But I assume not since it would not scale and there were no checks at the other stations.
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then again both train use different technology. Running gear on a TGV is a massive friction generator compared to a maglev, I would think, and consequently the record is very impressive. Still I would love maglev line to be build through Europe.
Nah. Space and diminishing returns have been the main blocks for improving EU HSR investment since quite a long time. Dedicated lines take up space that could be used by local rail, are expensive to build, and while they work in an all-the-rails-lead-to-Paris mode, in a less centralized country they're significantly less effective. In fact, three countries probably most often praised for railway quality would be Swit…
Night trains are great, but only when it's an option. In France, they are basically limited to the south nowadays, when just a few years back at least some used to run up to here, in the west. Most non-HSR offers are being squeezed, seemingly to orient people towards the more lucrative HSR trains.
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#37Why are maglevs so much slower than airplanes? We're looking at a factor of 2 difference and airports don't take over 30 years to install. Isn't the point of a maglev to reduce the friction against the ground, so aren't both planes and maglevs fighting primarily against air resistance? Or is it not that they can't go faster, just that it's too loud or they need to turn too much or something?
Plotting (can't be all straight), air density (as mentioned by jessridel). Current high speed trains go at 180-200 mph due to sharply increased consumption above those speeds, even though they could go a lot faster in current setups.
In 30 years we'll probably have more efficient airplanes, and less fuel, so higher prices. Maybe it's more expensive in the short term, but it's much more sustainable to have ground-based transportation for trips under 400 or 500 miles.
In Spain, we have the Madrid-Barcelona route. It's 50 minutes by plane and 2h30 by train (620 km, 385 miles). Airports are outside cities, stations are in the center of them and very well connected by road and commuter trains from everywhere. It's gone from being one of the busiest air routes to losing more than half of its traffic to high speed train. Why? Much more comfortable and, in the end, takes the same time.
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
310 mph in 2013. As opposed to 220 mph top speed in the year 2029 for california "high speed" rail. What a bright, wondrous future we will all be living in!
From the article: The line between Tokyo and Osaka is expected to cost approximately $90 billion and it won't be completed until 2045 I think California's high speed rail project should be cancelled, but big infrastructure projects do cost a lot of money and take a long time, both in Japan and the US.
It's going to be even more expensive in 30-40 years to build a maglev between LA and SF. Much of the cost is in obtaining the land. Wouldn't it be cheaper to build the first train now then turn it into a 320 mph maglev in 40 years?
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#39Why are maglevs so much slower than airplanes? We're looking at a factor of 2 difference and airports don't take over 30 years to install. Isn't the point of a maglev to reduce the friction against the ground, so aren't both planes and maglevs fighting primarily against air resistance? Or is it not that they can't go faster, just that it's too loud or they need to turn too much or something?
Air density on the ground. Air is a lot soupier close to the surface in the troposphere vs way up high in the stratosphere.
Re: Japan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (with video)
#40It's only going to be ready by 2045? Won't better tech be developed in that timeframe making this train obsolete?
2045 is only ~30 years from now, and part of the line will be operational by 2027. It seems like a long time for people used to computer technology, but it's a typical generational cycle for industrial technology. The 787, for example, which is just trickling into fleets now, was in development since the late 1990's (15 years ago). Power technology has developed even more slowly. E.g. the efficiency of coal power pla…
Actually the 787 was officially started in 2003. But these planes are better known technology.