4 ms·

HSR can use the same rails (standard gauge) if they are in a good state (i.e. fine in most of the rest of the world, not in the USA which is far behind on rail

HSR can use the same rails (standard gauge) if they are in a good state (i.e. fine in most of the rest of the world, not in the USA which is far behind on rail safety). Big differences are turning radii (HSR obviously wont go around sharp corners easily) and station distance (HSR will want stops ~50-100km apart, older railways its often more like 1-5). That generally means a new route rather than using an existing one.

mikepurvis 3y ago
Crossings and setbacks too. An HSR line is like an interchange access highway— fenced off and grade separated from everything around it.
ehnto 3y ago
HSR really wants total seperation, zero crossings, no shared traffic. That is what ultimately allows safe high speed travel. Otherwise you are slowing down everywhere and can only run as fast as other trains on the line, unless you also impact their services by having them pull off.
- realityking 3y ago
  This is how German HSR works, large part of the track are shared between freight and passenger trains with only some limited exceptions. They are however actively removing crossings and generally everything HSR is electrified.
bluGill 3y ago
If the track is built to HSR in the first place. You can't have crossings on HSR track because someone who carefully looks both ways before crossing will be kill by a train they didn't see. Even then while it is possible it doesn't work well, as HSR will catch up to whatever else is on the track and then must slow down.. the cost to build HSR track is so high (even at world leading low prices) that you have to run several trains per hour on those tracks to pay for it, and so there isn't free space for lower speed trains in between. Nobody makes a switch that can be crossed at high speeds so the slower train cannot just get out of the way no matter how much you might wish for that to wosk.

mikepurvis 3y ago

Crossings and setbacks too. An HSR line is like an interchange access highway— fenced off and grade separated from everything around it.

ehnto 3y ago

HSR really wants total seperation, zero crossings, no shared traffic. That is what ultimately allows safe high speed travel. Otherwise you are slowing down everywhere and can only run as fast as other trains on the line, unless you also impact their services by having them pull off.

realityking 3y ago
This is how German HSR works, large part of the track are shared between freight and passenger trains with only some limited exceptions. They are however actively removing crossings and generally everything HSR is electrified.

bluGill 3y ago

If the track is built to HSR in the first place. You can't have crossings on HSR track because someone who carefully looks both ways before crossing will be kill by a train they didn't see. Even then while it is possible it doesn't work well, as HSR will catch up to whatever else is on the track and then must slow down.. the cost to build HSR track is so high (even at world leading low prices) that you have to run several trains per hour on those tracks to pay for it, and so there isn't free space for lower speed trains in between. Nobody makes a switch that can be crossed at high speeds so the slower train cannot just get out of the way no matter how much you might wish for that to wosk.