Did they [Illinois Department of Transportation] give a reason for abandoning the 120mph goal? Is it an issue with I-ETMS?
TurningOfTheWheel wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 12:55 pm Did they give a reason for abandoning the 120mph goal? Is it an issue with I-ETMS?FRA regulations on maximum speeds have been repeated so many times on so many threads, maybe railroad.net administrators should post them here and place it at the top as the first thread to be read? That way questions like this one we would not have to rehash the existing regulations over and over again.
Keeping it simple as much as possible;
No Classification no passenger trains allowed
Class 1 allows speeds up to 15 mph
Class 2 allows speeds up to 30 mph
Class 3 allows speeds up to 60 mph. No block signaling required.
Class 4 allows speeds up to 79 mph. It requires block signaling using wayside semaphores or lights.
Class 5 allows speeds up to 90 mph. It requires block signaling with in-cab signals.
Class 6 allows speeds up to 110 mph. It requires reinforced gates at all public crossings.
Class 7 allows speeds up to 125 mph. It requires reinforced gates at all (+ private) crossings.
Class 8 allows speeds up to 160 mph. It requires complete grade separations at all crossings.
Illinois was never going to require reinforces crossings at private grade crossings, therefore the train speeds were never going to be faster than 110 mph. Why anyone thinks that the Midwest trains will be going 120-125 mph I have no idea.
Additionally, there are many more details with the track classifications by the FRA, take the time to read the appropriate regulations one night you might need help going to sleep.
I kept the limiting factors as simple as I could earlier in this thread.