Mercury: The Luxurious Bullet Train of the Future

[anamaniac]

I've always wanted a underground mag train, with the entire tunnel being a vacuum (no air resistance, go as fast as they want without worrying about stability and efficiency). International travel, as fast as a plain, and after the initial costs are covered, a hell of a lot cheaper than flying.

Wouldn't you like to take the subway to Europe from New York for only $100?

 

[blackened144]

[citation][nom]falchard[/nom]The US will never upgrade its rail system anytime in the near future. The mountain of regulations you must overcome is monsterous, and the further regulations will prohibit you from being profitable with a railroad business.[/citation]

Its not the regulations necessarily that make the US train system loose money. Its the fact that it sucks and no one uses it. Just like the US Mail the US train system has been running at a deficit for decades. Its not the users of the system paying for it, its the taxpayers keeping it afloat. the problem with the US sinking money into something like is that it would cost billions and still no one would ever use it.

 

[llemm]

[citation][nom]lashabane[/nom]And Superman.[/citation]

And Hancock

 

[eyemaster]

Canada doesn't have a fast train at all... I don't even think they reach 100 km/h. We suck with trains.

 

[Guest]

@Ilemm

No one uses the US Train system because it is slow. Freight has priority of AmTrak...if you don't have to wait on any of those, then you *might* get to your destination in about the same time you could have driven. If you get stuck waiting on any of them, then you may as well have driven. Tickets aren't even cheap in most cases.

Bullet trains would at least be faster than a car, and in some cases probably even flying short distances if you account for all the security mumbo jumbo these days. I've been saying the US needs to do this for years. It was during an economic downturn that the interstate system was built, and this is what we should do this time around. Instead we will do what we do best these days, nothing.

 

[zak_mckraken]

[citation][nom]darkguset[/nom]What happens if the train collides with something? If people can barely survive from a 100km/h collision, what is going to happen with a 350???[/citation]
You die faster.

 

[djab]

[citation][nom]moricon[/nom]This is a non-starter, the tracks in the uUK cannot support high speed trains without extensive re-newal[/citation]

That is the first thing that came to my mind too.
It seems that fast trains that come from France through the Channel tunnel already have to slow down when they arrive in Britain due to the old UK tracks. (it was like that few years ago and I suppose it has not change since...)

 

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]Frakstick[/nom]It was during an economic downturn that the interstate system was built, and this is what we should do this time around. Instead we will do what we do best these days, nothing.[/citation]
What about that War/Public Health/Oil Spill Cleanup? Aren't those keeping you guys busy?

 

[victomofreality]

now if only Canada had a rail system that could support this train!

 

[jeffk464]

Seems like something like this would be more useful in the US then England. After all its not exactly a huge country, when are we going to get our high speed trains?

 

[radio1981]

[citation][nom]stingstang[/nom]Blain the train is a pain...[/citation]

The Dark Tower series... Nice! I love that series.

 

[david714]

We need one of these from LA and OC to Vegas!!!

 

[shanky887614]

i say this after countless chats with step father who works for bombardier, they service and fix the trains on a weekly basis
not a day gose by when something breaks

all the so called new virgin trains are the same old ones but have just been tarted up with decals

i can tell you with almost certainty that they will not buy this train

i can also garenty that by the end of one buisness day something on one of these traisn will not work

that is 12 hours

 

[wawa sxm]

[citation][nom]darkguset[/nom]Perhaps i didn't put it right...This is what i am talking about:http/www.danwei.org/front_page_o [...] cident.php[/citation]

i cant speculate on china trains but the article seems to point to human error....

i did live in france n the tgv is very fast n almost always on time late being like 5min.....also in accidents which is extremely rare casualties are not high cuz the tgv doesn't "sandwich"....now find any other mode of transport which is as safe, as convenient (no tsa!), fast, reliable, clean (runs on electricity provided by nuclear)

so your point is still moot...dt blame the rest of the world because ur rail system is ancient in the us n you have to go trough airports

 

[theroguex]

"There are of course cabins available for multiple-day trips."

When will any train in the UK take more than a few hours to get ANYWHERE?

 

[Guest]

this is a concept and never will become reality, saw it first on the internet 3 years ago, the biggest problems is getting people ontime on the train.
A train going this fast needs a ridiculously long station, and disabled people and elderly will need to hurry to the other compartment.
Nothing is even being said about what happens if someone gets stuck in the door...
With current youth they'd probably just love to pull the emergency breaks anywhere on this train!

 

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]ProDigit80[/nom]this is a concept and never will become reality, saw it first on the internet 3 years ago, the biggest problems is getting people ontime on the train.A train going this fast needs a ridiculously long station, and disabled people and elderly will need to hurry to the other compartment.Nothing is even being said about what happens if someone gets stuck in the door...With current youth they'd probably just love to pull the emergency breaks anywhere on this train![/citation]
I don't think that these are for quick trips (like a subway), they're for somewhat longer trips that will presumably be comparatively more expensive. So there won't be teenagers just looking to cause trouble and there won't be frequent stops requiring so long wait times aren't as big of a deal.

 

[wawa sxm]

[citation][nom]ProDigit80[/nom]this is a concept and never will become reality, saw it first on the internet 3 years ago, the biggest problems is getting people ontime on the train.A train going this fast needs a ridiculously long station, and disabled people and elderly will need to hurry to the other compartment.Nothing is even being said about what happens if someone gets stuck in the door...With current youth they'd probably just love to pull the emergency breaks anywhere on this train![/citation]

Its a reality in europe and asia...its not fully automated like subways they are people at the doors that verify all is clear when the train leaving.....the lenght of the station has nuthing to do with the speed more to do with the lenght of the train (which is always modulable)
you dont have to rush to the back of the train if your seat is there and your late...hop in the first door and calmy walk to your seat (the tgv is a really smooth ride)
kids arent that dumb to pull emergency brakes on a 300km/h train ride (unless they want to go to jail)
how do the elderly and disabeled catch planes (those runways are ridiculisly long)
stuck in the door of a train is no big deal imagine a plane!..why isn't anybody talking about that...and with the current youth these days they'd probably try and open the emergency door
comon man...if you had bullet trains from ny to chicago or even las vegas...you would probably wonder how you servived going trough airports all these years

 

[wawa sxm]

[citation][nom]back_by_demand[/nom]Of course Japan and France are synonymous with high-speed trains, and they aren't exactly huge. Plus there is no way that people in the US will take a high speed train from New York to LA when they can still fly.[/citation]

You can't just say France because you can hope on a train in france and travel trough europe including england...i wont take a train from ny to la either but in between big cities for sure...plus this will be americas chance to innovate on the high speed trains....an american train at 400-500km/h would be nice...imagine not having to see a tsa agent (just like in paradise...after they screen you at the pearly gates)