The inspector general of AMTRAK (OIG) issued a report stating that the costs for the additional 40 ACELA cars were excessive. It was recommened that AMTRAK negoitiate for lower prices but the OIG report states AMTRAK has decided not to pursue additional ACELA-1 cars.
I’m surprised at this. Based on what I’ve read I thought the new Acela cars were a done deal. They are certainly needed. But the report is the report at best they will now be delayed.
It may be that the 165 MPH test had some unexpected results.
What i would like to see is another HSR competition from the various builders of HSR equipment. Put the various builders ( how many 5 or less ? ) equipment to a test on the NEC. That way an even handed comparsion can be made under NEC operating conditions not european japan or china conditions. The test probably would be best done once the constant tension CAT is installed over the section used for the 165 MPH test ?
It is not the right-of-way as such – it is the FRA standards.
The other thing, why the big push for 165 MPH, apart from bragging rights, when there are so many speed restrictions owing to station egress, tunnels, etc? You will never get much return for running at 165 if you are slowed down in so many other places.
That is one reason for a proposed test. can the builders take an off the shelf train set and adapt it for AMTRAK running. I am sure that a repeat of the early metroliner tests with FRA exemptions can be arranged.
If the Calif HSR Authority has any sense, getting some experience with 165 MPH running would be good practice for the planned (fantasized?) 220 MPH running.
Amtrak is following a plan to fix the track and to my surprise the Feds are taking it seriously for once. they outlined the plan in a nice document available somewhere on the Amtrak website. They are going to largely chuck the Boston-New York coastal aliignment,for one further inland to support 220 mph speeds. South of New York the slowing for stations is not much of an issue with a inner track, IMO as you can skip past some stations for express service. There is no rule that says trains HAVE to stop at city stations befween New York and Washington DC for example. Amtrak can bypass or build a HSR bypass around those terminals. The Germans have done it, no reason why we cannot. It’s only a question of money and how much the Feds are willing to spend.
Also in my view 220 mph running on the East Coast is a mobility = Economics issue more than it is a bragging rights issue. Traveling at less than half that speed has a impact on GDP along the entire corridor. The faster and more efficient you can move people the more mobile they will be and the more economic activity they will generate. Thats really how our government should view infrastructure investments. We should take the approach, does the money spent on the project have a GDP increase or ROI return that will cover the capital costs over a respectable timeline.
I would guess that going from 125/135 to 165 might make a difference. There are some really decent stretches where you could run off measurable minutes - if the trainset wasn’t too much of a pig.
You might find cheaper minutes in curve easing, though.
Where? The new high speed segments in Germany are all rural and use existing track to existing major terminals in every case. There is no city the size of Philadelphia or even Baltimore that has been by-passed.
What we CAN’T do that they do is mix light weight, high speed trainsets on the same track with our commuter (and other) trains.
Amtrak will not be running the Acelas at 165 mph in revenue service. The max speed in revenue service, if Amtrak gets approval from the FRA, will be 160 mph. The 165 mph and slightly faster speeds reached in the recent test runs were the overspeed tests. The 160 mph speed goal is stated multiple times in the Amtrak news releases and pr blurbs on the Acela.
The 150 mph segments in RI and MA might get approved for 160 mph speeds in a year or two, although the time savings of 150 vs 160 mph over 20 or 25 miles is pretty small. The upgrade of ~24 mile straightaway segment in NJ probably won’t be completed until 2017, so it will be a while before we see 150 or 160 mph regular service runs in NJ.
You mean the 55-60+ year old falling apart baggage cars? The 130 single level cars ordered from CAF are badly needed to keep the eastern :LD trains running. And the new baggage cars are needed on the western LD trains and corridor trains in the east.