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Success Stories: Worldwide
France The Train à Grande Vitesse (French for "high-speed train") travels at a top speed of 190 mph, serving 200,000 passengers per day. Since its inauguration in 1981, the TGV has transported 700 million passengers. If a TGV system were constructed between Chicago and New York, non-stop trains would make the trip in less than 5 hours (equivalent to current door-to-door travel times by air). |
Japan © D A J Fossett - www2.neweb.ne.jp/wc/dolittle/byun byun/index.htm (used with permission)
Japan's high-speed rail system is the most convenient, tightly scheduled,
and punctual rail service in the world. The Tokaido Shinkansen running between
Tokyo and Shin-Osaka (the busiest of the country's seven high-speed lines)
serves over 350,000 passengers per day with nearly 300 departures. During
peak periods, as many as 11 trains per hour depart from Tokyo on this line
alone. In 1999 Tokaido Shinkansen operator JR Central reported an average
tardiness of only 22 seconds per train! |
Kazakhstan
With a Kazak locomotive and no modifications to the infrastructure, the tests proved that the 23-hour journey between Almaty, Kazakhstan’s old capital, and Astana, the new capital, could be reduced to 12 hours. This reduction could be even greater, but the Kazak locomotives were unable to operate above 100 mph.
As a result, Kazakhstan’s railway administration agreed to purchase two 135-mph 22-car passenger trainsets for US $27 million in December 2000.
The sleeping car only trains each consist of 12 tourist class cars, 3 single-double room cars, 3 grand class cars, 1 restaurant car and 1 bistro car. They will be delivered in July 2003 and will provide night service between Almaty and Astana.
Kazakhstan is also upgrading the track to allow speeds up to 135 mph. The considerable reduction in travel time, together with the increase in comfort and security of the new trains, will make the train a direct competitor of airlines and road traffic.
With a distance of 839 miles between the two cities, a 12-hour trip requires a modest average speed of 70 mph across mountainous terrain. A very comparable US trip is the Chicago, IL to Washington, DC run: a distance of 764 miles. Amtrak currently makes the trip in 17.75 hours, averaging 43 mph.
At an average speed of 70 mph, it would be possible to depart Chicago at 7:00 pm and arrive in Washington, DC at 7:00 am ready for business. A very practical 55 mph would provide a 6:00 pm departure with a 9:00 am arrival. In either case, the train would be very competitive for business travelers as far east as Cleveland.
Sleeping car patronage on overnight rail trips has increased dramatically. The Kazak experience has demonstrated that modest investment can make these runs truly competitive for business travel.