America sure could use some of this. Rocket River China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101203/ap_on_hi_te/as_china_high_speed_rail By ANITA CHANG, Associated Press Anita Chang, Associated Press – Fri Dec 3, 4:18 am ET BEIJING – A Chinese passenger train hit a record speed of 302 miles per hour (486 kilometers per hour) Friday during a test run of a yet-to-be opened link between Beijing and Shanghai, state media said. The Xinhua News Agency said it was the fastest speed recorded by an unmodified conventional commercial train. Other types of trains in other countries have traveled faster. A specially modified French TGV train reached 357.2 mph (574.8 kph) during a 2007 test, while a Japanese magnetically levitated train sped to 361 mph (581 kph) in 2003. State television footage showed the sleek white train whipping past green farm fields in eastern China. It reached the top speed on a segment of the 824-mile (1,318-kilometer) -long line between Zaozhuang city in Shandong province and Bengbu city in Anhui province, Xinhua said. The line is due to open in 2012 and will halve the current travel time between the capital Beijing and Shanghai to five hours. The project costs $32.5 billion and is part of a massive government effort to link many of China's cities by high-speed rail and reduce overcrowding on heavily used lines. China already has the world's longest high-speed rail network, and it plans to cover 8,125 miles (13,000 kilometers) by 2012 and 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) by 2020. The drive to develop high-speed rail technology rivals China's space program in terms of national pride and importance. Railway officials say they want to reach speeds over 500 kph (312 mph).
I remember when we used to be the ones making all the advances of note. The times they are a changing.
It is though. Their train systems are much more advanced than ours. Same with Japan. If we could find a way to update ours to the electro-magnetic rail system and get people to use trains like Europe does, we could cut down on a lot of problems brought on by cars. Our infrastructure is falling behind as we try to find way to stop the bleeding of the recession. This is just one area and that's all I'm pointing out. The time of us being first has probably passed.
I really have never seen the point in rail in the US. There's just too much ground to cover. Although China is about the same size as the US, by far most of the population resides on the eastern coast. A large portion of the China's railroad system basically runs north-south covering the equivalent of Washington-Oregon-California. That, plus the fact that China's population is like 5-6 times of the US, makes high-speed rail much more useful.
No need for expensive rail. Huge maintenance costs that are based on a per mile of track basis. Plus you can't put rims on a rail. duh.
Massive highway construction allows suburbanites to still work and play in corporate and cultural centers without actually living or interacting with the natives. High-speed rail transport would probably have the opposite effect for a different set of people, so don't hold your breath.
Right, instead we should continue to drive our cars alone and be as inefficient as possible Energy is limitless!
You're right, all desk jobs should outsourced and every single American should be out there doing physical labor. Let's propose this plan to the tea party leaders and have them speak for us.
