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China unveils 600 kph maglev train prototype

globaltimes.cn

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Re: China unveils 600 kph maglev train prototype

#191
post #148
post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apart from boarding experience in Airpot Terminal, I prefer flying on plane over train any day. Why is it boarding a train is 10x easier than on a plane?

Because you usually don't go through the crazy security areas and luggage areas.

And there are many doors.

Re: China unveils 600 kph maglev train prototype

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For instance the TGV has to slow down when entering cities (because of the noise) and at some point in the development of the high speed rail network, it might become more interesting to dig long tunnels under cities for these trains rather than increasing the train's maximum speed. It has to slow down anyway if it wants to stop.

You could lose a car on the back for departing passengers and pick one up on the front for embarking one’s. Only a bit of loss in kinetic energy needed (to slow down the last car and get the first car up to speed).

Interesting idea, but there are some issues:

- Many modern trains, including the TGV, are not designed to be separated during normal operation.

- If you add a car to the front, the train driver can't see anything. If you remove it, you remove their workplace. In a push-pull train, the same applies to the back.

A foldable cab like the IC3[1] has might be a solution, but it's far from aerodynamic.

- Uncoupling the last cab instead of stopping has been done in the past. But coupling one without stopping sounds very hard.

- Instead of one train, you now have three: The car being decoupled, the new one, and the rest. Generally, that means the station needs a higher capacity. Not sure if that's the case here though. Normally what limits a station's capacity is that you can't have two trains using the same track, but that doesn't really apply when you want to couple/uncouple them.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC3

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