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Not really, no, at least if you concentrate on Central/Western Europe, where most of the high-speed railways are located: US: http://jaymans.files.wordpress.co
by claudius 13y ago
Not really, no, at least if you concentrate on Central/Western Europe, where most of the high-speed railways are located:
US: http://jaymans.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/71789-050-459169a6.gif http://jaymans.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/71789-050-459169a...
EU: http://education.randmcnally.com/images/edpub/Europe_Population.png http://education.randmcnally.com/images/edpub/Europe_Populat... (note the very different colour schemes).
Bad tracks and diesel locomotives are more likely to be the culprit here.
- syntheticnature 13y agoMy impression is that EU passenger railways are less likely to have at-grade crossings, which also would contribute (in terms of safety at a given speed).
- gsnedders 13y agoHigh speed rail (typically considered 200km/h+, i.e., ~124mph) is almost always built with no at-grade crossings; on existing track upgraded for 200km/h line-speed it's normal to have lower speed limits around at-grade crossings.
- gsnedders 13y agoIt's perfectly feasible to have far quicker diesel trains than is common in the US (see the British High Speed Train, from the 1970s, with a top speed in service of 125mph, or the ICE-TD from a decade ago, again 125mph). Of course, you then need to have signalling for that line-speed and have pathings that allow it.