[RSAccountssy]

Yeah, just read about his too

I also read the train derailed after running into a waggon used for technical work on the line, but how exactly that could happen is not known currently....

[Loonakind]

Yikes. 15 bodies plus 6 unaccounted for.

[jimmy28]

It depends on your definition of "safe." I'm sure maglevs would have fewer disastrous incidents, but those incidents would probably kill more people.

[Avaboormavoro]

So much for trains continuing to be frequently used in the future Even in Europe, with current high speed trains, I could find no way to justify taking a train from Paris to Amsterdam. Not only does it take 6 hours, it costs more than flying. Only faster trains can seriously compete with the airlines

[TheDoctor]

At 270 mph it doesn't matter if you can see something on the line

[OwdBKKHO]

[Xavier_Spinner_Wheels]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
I don't know if the Primm-Las Vegas project is still active, but I'd guess its chances are even slimmer now. The California project(s) may weather this, though I suspect the east coast ones are likewise shakier. yep, my first thoughts on this news as well. It was a shaky project to begin with.

I had heard plans on putting an international airport out there, and having everyone get into town via high speed train. As our airport is near capacity right now.

And they still talk of a high speed train from Anaheim to Las Vegas. I just don't see it happening.

[Gakeincidoniac]

The thing here is airlines and existing rail tech companies have a vested interest in keeping the status quo: The more transportation expands, the more money they make, especially if they can't keep pace - there'll always be demand with few alternatives for supply. Transrapid (and the major competing maglev tech in Japan) are emerging techs developed independant of the existing transportation industry. An analogy would be alternative fuel sources vs. the energy industry as a whole. The energy companies have had plenty of decades to develope meaningful alternatives to their products, but instead chose to drag their heels and pinch every last penny out of fossil fuels. Now we have independant companies sprouting up developing new techs and the energy industry is resisting. The airlines and rail companies have similar resistance.

[Nidsstese]

No? Why not?

[Trotoleterm]

Erm, I believe US rail companies are privately owned.

[agiopwer]

US freight railroads are private and profitable, Amtrak is technically private but recieves big subsidies to keep it out of bankruptcy.

[bxxasxxa]

Of course,
after all there is not much in a MagLev-Train.
Everything is lightweight and as it has no engine
(as the engine for the train is for most parts in the railtracks)
the train is mostly just a lightweight shell surrounding a large passenger compartment.
The train normally isn´t meant to hit obstacles

As it is routine that the mainentance car drives along the tracks once a day IMHO there will be little doubt that the accident was caused by human failure (after all you should expect that the people who are responsible for starting the Transrapid know where the maintenance car is located). And in contrast to the Transrapid the maintenance car isn´t MagLev powered, had it been this way the accident never would have happened, but the maintenance car would have driven before the Transrapid in an short distance (for commercial Transrapid tracks there will be MagLev driven maintenance cars)

[LeaderBiz]

Looks like most of the passengers were in the front coach. The back two coaches seem pretty much intact, although a violent stop at 125mph would still cause some nasty injuries, if not worse for some people.

[UrUROFlS]

The North Eastern section isn't

that is where they have talked about making it a seperate company

it really is a decent way to travel in the north east (I have heard)

JM

[Aztegjpl]

I used one my first year of college. I think it was like $20 cheaper or something. Took 2-3 days longer.. which made my Christmas Vacation too short. So I flew from than on.

JM

[YmolafBp]

It's a huge investment. Billions of dollars. No one wants to pony up the cash.

The problem is, people like their cars. Our monorail (which is completely different, I know) in Vegas is doing poorly. though they made several bad design decisions. Locating it almost a mile off the strip was the worst decision. But they needed 30,000 riders a month to break even. They aren't doing it.

Unless they can convince people to not drive from LA to LV, then it's not going to happen. Sure the train will be faster than driving (esp with traffic the way it is), but then they will still need a car when they get here. So they either have to take a cab, or rent a car. Making the cost higher than just driving yourself. So high speed trains really can't compete with private automobiles. It has to compete with air. Which is tough. As air is so cheap, fast, and safe. And hardly no one takes a plane from LA to Las Vegas, making a high speed train between the 2 cities unfeasible.