• The fastest train in the world has officially rolled off the assembly line: China’s 380A built by Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., which can go up to 236 mph. (Inhabitat)
• In China, the massive HSR expansion isn’t just for passengers — it’s also freeing up room for freight. (WSJ)
• California’s newly-appointed HSR chief pledges to hire more staff for the agency and look to partner anew with community groups, local leaders, industry leaders, and politicians. (BizJournal)[SButtonZ button="digg"]
• Also in California, the the state HSR Authority board approved further study on three routes through Fresno, all of which adjoin the Union Pacific Railroad and would have elevated tracks up to 60 feet high. (FresnoBee)
• Setbacks? What setbacks? HSR advocates are “wasting no time launching an effort to land another round of federal funding for more trains.” (Biztimes)
• Cheap HSR? A study indicates that construction of the U.K.’s London to Birmingham line — the first stage of a national HSR network — could cost just £6 billion. (FT)
Tags: California, China
Your last bullet point is burying the lede. The study suggesting HS2 could be done for 6 billion pounds (still about 3-4 times the per-km cost of at-grade LGVs) doesn’t identify cost savings through efficiency or cheaper technology; it suggests avoiding city centers entirely, and having the line run from the London outskirts to Birmingham Airport. Such a line would actually have one less city center stop than Florida’s HSR, which is at least going to stop in Downtown Tampa. The proposal isn’t even to route the train on legacy lines near city centers, as is done in France to save money; it expects you to take connecting commuter trains to the city.
9 billion USD for a measly 100 miles of track doesn’t sound that cheap to me. And as @Alon points out, that’s an absolute minimum, avoiding the expensive business of serving city centers.
Guys – any word on the Madison – Chicago line? There’s a major political problem brewing in that the likely winner of this November’s gubernatorial race in Wisconsin (Scott Walker) is not thinking too deeply and may scuttle the project (despite it being 100% federally funded). Not smart, but entirely possible unless they get construction going NOW. Would love to hear your thoughts on this!!!
Well, to be fair, Old Oak Common isn’t exactly the outskirts of London. It’s pretty dense 19th-century.
Birmingham Airport is way out there from Birmingham.