France sets a new rail speed record

[Twitch]

Well it has more to do with the US rail systems. like here in Canada our tracks were not designed for those speeds, and because our countries are so much larger it costs a lot more to build new tracks (especially when you needed to blast through mountains like the Rockies to build the originals). I know Bombardier has been working on high speed trains that run off of diesel generators so that all the electrical wires won't need to be built as well to help make costs more feasible here in North America. Don't worry you will have your high speed trains in the US soon enough. http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/amtrak/

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by Matrix

Wow that's amazing, 350mph. Wish the USA had the technology and the brains to do that.

We do. We just don't have the will, because it wouldn't provide as much profit for the oil companies and the auto manufacturers, and would probably require some hefty government subsidies.

I know we should avoid politics here, but it's exactly politics that dictates things like this. There is nothing wrong with U.S. technology, only with how we choose to use it.

[RMJ]

Originally Posted by Snatcher42

Saw that report, pretty cool. We rode one of those trains from Paris to Lyon and back. Not quite that fast, but close-ish (maybe about 200mph?). Smooth ride.

At the best we topped 200mph. The average speed was over 250kph (156mph).

From Lyon to Paris, 500km in 1 hour and 50 minutes. Including one stop in the middle of nowhere while waiting another train... So it WAS fast.

At the best, those TGV Duplex trains (the ones that goes from Paris to Lyon) can go 340kph which is little over 200mph.

And yea, it was smooth ride.

[garçoncanadien]

so why they aren't allowed to use the TGV's at their highest speed possible?

[zpa]

If I'm not mistaken, the record-breaking trains are prepped up for the attempts. Line voltages are raised and extra tension applied to them. And I'm sure they're maxing out the motors and other equipment as well.

[RMJ]

Originally Posted by garçoncanadien

so why they aren't allowed to use the TGV's at their highest speed possible?

Safety regulations. Max speed -> max damage. And it stresses the train much more at max speed, so failure in some part is more likely than at lower speeds -> lower speed -> lower running costs. "better safety" -> Lower running costs (the real reason for lower speed).

It's same everywhere. In Finland fastest trains are rated for 220km/h speed but they are never used more than 200km/h. And even that 200 they reaches at one etapé, which was finished last year. Everywhere else they goes max 160km/h (because Finnish rails are very curvy, due to lakes, lots of stations and stuff like that... In France, the rails are practically straight lines without stops other than big cities).

[garçoncanadien]

so why tell us they can drive 574 kph if passengers of SNCF can never realize these speeds?

[Matrix]

As fast as those trains go, it gives new meaning to looking both ways before you cross the tracks. Don't those train tracks intersect with highways at some point in France?

I saw a video a long time ago of some little kid and some guy walking across the tracks, the guy stopped but the little kid didn't look left and kept walking and BAM! a bullet train hit him like he was paper and he went flying

That train was a long way away it seemed but it was on the little kid in a second! Had to be one of them high speed bullet trains from Europe. Don't remember the video.. faces of death or something

[garçoncanadien]

no Matrix the LGV (special track the TGV trains runs on) is built such that everything goes around the LGV. Nothing intersects with the LGV. If something needs to intersect, they will build a bridge under or over the LGV. The LGV is continous track.

There were also police watching the track to make sure nobody walks on it

in the video you can see - there are bridges for everything

[RMJ]

Originally Posted by garçoncanadien

so why tell us they can drive 574 kph if passengers of SNCF can never realize these speeds?

Fame and money.

TGV is "officially" the fastest. Everyone knows it now.

(well, it was before too... But it was about time to remind people. They can't remember 8 years back in the past. Or can you remember what Lili did 8 years ago ? No you can't... You only remember that she had audition in December '99 but you can't remember what she did in April '99 ! )