220 MPH Trains in Spain

[DimPrawn]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/arti...251264,00.html

The Ave S103 is the kind of train that British commuters can only dream of, and forms the centrepiece of plans to make Spain a model for the rest of Europe, and the world leader in high-speed trains by 2010.
Its 200-metre aluminium chassis carries 404 passengers, whose reclining chairs - which can swivel to face the direction of travel - are fitted with video and music players.


if an Ave train arrives more than five minutes late, passengers are reimbursed the full price of their ticket. And the only problem for those hoping to get their money back is that the trains are nearly 98% reliable.



Makes the UK look 220 years out of date with train technology.

[dude69]

don't think a 220 mph train is much use for the average Briton commuting from Surbiton to Waterloo

If we extended Britain 400 miles or so south, perhaps

[DimPrawn]

don't think a 220 mph train is much use for the average Briton commuting from Surbiton to Waterloo

If we extended Britain 400 miles or so south, perhaps

What about those living in Scotland who wish to work in the City but live in the Highlands?

The only reason everyone lives 20 miles from London is the trains travel here at 20 MPH (if that).

[BoredBloke]

What about those living in Scotland who wish to work in the City but live in the Highlands?

The only reason everyone lives 20 miles from London is the trains travel here at 20 MPH (if that).

Yes Mr Prawn I totally agree. If the train from Manchester meant that I could be in London within 1 hour I too could work in the centre of London without haviong to sell my house up here and move my family into a shoe box on the outskirts of london.

What we will get in the UK is a fast train (and increased fares to pay for it) and we'll stick it on infrastructure which means it cannot run at its fastest speeds. So a fast train running at steam engine speeds whils costing 2008 prices

[ASB]

So a fast train running at steam engine speeds whils costing 2008 prices

They don't even make that on what was GWR. It now takes longer to get from Paddington to Bristol than it did about 100 years ago. Brunel would be spinning in his grave.

[AtW]

UK (like Japan, only without earthquakes) has got ideal geographical position for high speed train going through it - not sure if its feasible to travel from Scotland to London daily, but if it was taking guaranteed 30 mins to get to central London from Birmingham for reasonable money, then a lot of London problems like congestion and high prices would be solved - cars would also be uncompetitive and it would actually be beneficial (time wise) to use train.

[moorfield]

20 MPH Trains in UK

The Silverlink Metro is the kind of train that Spanish commuters can only dream of, and forms the centrepiece of plans to make UK a model for the rest of Europe, and the world leader in low-speed trains by 2010.
Its 200-metre aluminium chassis carries 2404 passengers, whose non-reclining chairs - if they can get one - are scrawled with graffiti, plastered with dry chewing gum and many a mysterious looking stain.


If a Silverlink Metro train arrives more than five minutes late, managers are reimbursed the full value of their salary as a bonus.. And the only problem for those hoping to get their bonus is that the trains are nearly 2% reliable

[VectraMan]

UK (like Japan, only without earthquakes) has got ideal geographical position for high speed train going through it - not sure if its feasible to travel from Scotland to London daily, but if it was taking guaranteed 30 mins to get to central London from Birmingham for reasonable money, then a lot of London problems like congestion and high prices would be solved - cars would also be uncompetitive and it would actually be beneficial (time wise) to use train.

All very well having Birmingham to London in 30 minutes, but unless you live next door to New Street, and work next door to Euston, it's going to take a lot longer than that.

It's not the speed of the trains that puts people off; even the biggest petrol head admits going city centre to city centre the train is probably faster. It's the waiting around in the cold and rain; having to change; having to stand like cattle in a hot sweaty carriage full of low lifes. I'd settle for a 60mph train if it went where I wanted to, when I wanted to, and was as comfortable as my car.

[AtW]

Yes, changes are bad - I once was taken by wrong train in the middle of nowhere, very cold station - wrong directions on new street

If France can have good trains, Japan even (given earthquakes), then surely UK should too? It's a question of desire (and getting good contractors to do the job) and investment - last time I heard that getting 250 mph line going through UK would cost maybe £20-30 bln (over a fair few years), not a terribly huge amount of money given how much was put into Northern Crock blackhole (in a few months).

[VectraMan]

Yes, changes are bad - I once was taken by wrong train in the middle of nowhere, very cold station - wrong directions on new street .

They like you to walk in Brum too. It even says that when you look up the timetables: they count walking from Snow Hill to New Street as one section of the journey you've paid for. Walking FFS.

I don't think France and Japan have the same population density we do. From Birmingham if the next major population centre was London, there'd be no stops and the trains would be a lot faster than they are now. But we have the airport, Coventry, Northampton, Milton Keynes... (I think that's the way they go). Is it really worth having a 220mph train when it has to stop every 20 miles or so?

And if you don't have lots of stops, then it pushes up prices and causes more congestion in the major cities as people go there to make use of the new high speed trains.