Swedish Green Train Project Breaks Speed Barrier

I just checked some on-line maps. It looks as if Sweden is about 900 miles end to end, and counting the main islands strung together, Japan isn't much longer. Neither are even half that in width. Countries such as the U.S. and Canada that have states/provinces bigger than that don't invest in high-speed trains where they would be useful. Why is that, I wonder? Please don't tell me we are just...stupid?

Hi Enviro,

I often wonder about the same....

I don't travel all that much but if I judge by the few experiences I had in the past, the train is just too expensive (although it'd probably get cheaper with better efficiency and more users). A train ticket from Montreal to Toronto (last time I checked) was 120$/person. I can get on an economy flight for about 99$ and save a lot of time.

regards,

Rick.

Correct, if the rail system was of the quality I would expect, all these years into development (less, of course, the years it has been ignored, dismembered, and misused!) it would be a much better, cheaper, and more used mode of transportation. When time is not of the essence, the scenery alone makes it preferable!

..."When time is not of the essence, the scenery alone makes it preferable!"

Couldn't agree more. Which is why most of the time, I'd just take my car...

High speed trains in Canada would be nice but would be limited to stable ground . The existing infra structure is not suitable for those type of trains and would cost too much.

Maybe so, but if we hadn't disregarded trains and trackage so much over the past 70 years or so, we'd be up to speed (so to speak) already!

I think high speed rail in this country will have a battle on it's hands. The airlines and oil lobbies will fight it. In the densely populated areas of the country like the north east and southern California, high speed rail is a viable choice, but the high cost of infrastructure, will limit high speeds in the future. For one thing, all level grade crossings would have to be eliminated and new right-of-ways established to obtain as straight as possible rail lines. In Japan for example, millions use high speed trains mostly for commuting. In the U.S.,people live closer to their work so, the people who would use high speed rail, would be business people and tourists, not your general commuter.

That train, being green and grey in colour, is going to be very hard to see amongst the pine trees which inhabit much of Sweden's countryside.

Yes, train travel is always cheaper than plane travel, but vested interests have seen the dismantling of much of the Western World's tracks and railway infrastructure.

Kind Regards....