Fastest speed next to platform?

Chafford1 wrote:
Until I saw this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbPg2oBe ... re=related

The Japanese at least care enough about safety to put some passenger barriers up, unlike the US, where if the train hits anyone, the FRA'll just up the buff strength so the next time there won't be any dent on the train, just a blood streak to clean up.....

Nasadowsk wrote:
The Japanese at least care enough about safety to put some passenger barriers up, unlike the US, where if the train hits anyone, the FRA'll just up the buff strength so the next time there won't be any dent on the train, just a blood streak to clean up.....

Actually, pretty much the entire rest of the world thought about the subject for, oh maybe five minutes, and decided that putting the effort into accident avoidance makes more sense then trying to make accidents survivable. But we are "bashing" the FRA again, and off subject, and few in American seem to get it, so .....

It looked to me that the German solution is to create more tracks and platforms as the lightly used stations so that ICE can pass where the people have no reason to be (they are waiting for another train on another platform) and do the same thing at the larger stations (run it pass platforms were no other loading train is scheduled for awhile. Technically there is no barrier or safety mechanism, the solution is instead created from intelligent design.

<i>It looked to me that the German solution is to create more tracks and platforms as the lightly used stations so that ICE can pass where the people have no reason to be (they are waiting for another train on another platform) and do the same thing at the larger stations (run it pass platforms were no other loading train is scheduled for awhile. Technically there is no barrier or safety mechanism, the solution is instead created from intelligent design.</i>

Actually, the Japanese do that in many places, too. But, realize in Japan, there's often *no room*. Watch video of the Japanese rail system, you'll see in cities most of the stations are elevated.

Actually, I find the Shinkansen to be a bit boring. It is no doubt an amazing and world class system, but there's a LOT more to the JRs, and looking on Youtube, you'll find a lot of really interesting operations (jointed rail, single tracking, diesel...)....

Japan's rail; system is the polar opposite of the US - virtually no freight, very very very high traffic levels, and yes, crash standards that wouldn't cut it even in Europe. Yet it is arguably the safest rail system in the world.

Nasadowsk wrote: Actually, I find the Shinkansen to be a bit boring. It is no doubt an amazing and world class system, but there's a LOT more to the JRs, and looking on Youtube, you'll find a lot of really interesting operations (jointed rail, single tracking, diesel...)

I would agree, an efficient transportation machine but rather antiseptic.

I have wondered what a new ROW HSR line would look like in the US. If the infrastructure was interwoven with an existing interstate ROW would there be a stop at every exit. Imagine the politics of such a decision!

Would this mean that there would need to be a provision when the line was built for the station, maybe a platform only, with the building, parking, and transit to be provided by the town/county. Such a partial creation of the facility would mimic the Federal Aviation Fund in which runways and terminal mezzanines could be built with federal funds but not the parking or other structures.

Should a private operator be set up to run over the public infrastructure the individual towns could lobby to obtain at least (1) commuter run into the nearest large city each way.

So then the question must be asked would the platform be a simple fixed platform where the line speed would otherwise be the maximum for that segment? This probably wouldn't work above 125 mph. But all the stops every 12 miles or so would not justify a full side track and platform away from the mainline as the cost would become too great.

Could a platform in which the first 42"-60" nearest to the train rotates up and away from the track to form a fence be used to allow full speed through the station while also allowing for limited boarding? This could probably only be done at 125 to 155 mph speeds.