4 ms·

How realistic is it that existing train lines get upgraded to super speed trains like they have in Japan?

• isbvhodnvemrwvn 5y ago
  Not realistic.
• baq 5y ago
  utter fantasy in the near term (10 years or so), a far fetched idea long term unless serious EU-wide legislation is introduced, which will surely be opposed by every single nation.
• johnchristopher 5y ago
  With Brussels and Belgium in the middle of the grid? Unlikely. (belgian here)
  • bregma 5y ago
    Belgium, as much a wonderland for trains as it is for beer? Brussels, which is a stop on several bullet-train-equivalent high-speed lines (Thalys, Eurostar, ICE, TGV)? If anything, putting Brussels in the centre of the high speed rail net is a good reason for it to succeed.
    • johnchristopher 5y ago
      > Brussels, which is a stop on several bullet-train-equivalent high-speed lines (Thalys, Eurostar, ICE, TGV)? Yep, that one with such tight schedules you have to systematically compensate for delays happening 3 out of 5 times by booking a train earlier than your planned connection. It cost me many hours and stress for three years when I was regularly going from East belgium to Paris/Lille. Getting to Brussels or going from Brussels should be okay but may god help you if you want to make a connection in Brussels. > If anything, putting Brussels in the centre of the high speed rail net is a good reason for it to succeed. I doubt it. It's often said of the Brussels railways hub that it is totally saturated: not enough lanes and it's impossible to add more. Among commuters it's said as a fact but I don't know if it could be improved and if it's an urban legend rehashed to ramble on late trains. My personal experience reflects that though.
• pmyteh 5y ago
  It's hard to upgrade existing routes that far - the normal maximum for upgraded 'classic' railways will be <225kph, while new high-speed railways (like the Japanese shinkansen) can go over 300kph. That said, Europe already has quite an extensive high-speed network - especially in its Western parts. The French TGV, for instance, has comparable speeds to the Japanese high speed services, and there are similar (if less complete) networks in Spain, Germany, and other countries. So a high-speed network between major centres is entirely feasible and, in fact, currently being built.
• goodpoint 5y ago
  Not necessary.
• HPsquared 5y ago
  I thought Japan's bullet trains were built from the ground up as high speed passenger rail on dedicated lines. Not really "upgrading".
• kergonath 5y ago
  Completely unrealistic. Older lines are built to older standards, with shorter-radius curves, and steeper inclines. It is more practical to just build high-speed lines separately.