(12-21-2017 07:41 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Here is my question. The curve and bridge were areas where the train was supposed to slow to 30 mph. Exactly how does a "high speed train" have track section that requires 30 mph? WTF are they thinking. "High speed train" means you have dedicated track on which speeds of 120-150 mph are the norm. And you don't pull off to the side to let another train pass, because there are no other trains on your track. Oh yes, they were supposed to slow from 80 to 30. But 80 ain't "high speed" either.

The problem with American "high speed trains" is that they aren't high speed because the systems are run with a bureaucrat mentality that cuts corners. Get something built and call it a high speed train. The result is that comparing American high speed trains to other countries is like comparing hitchhiking to space travel.

American freight rail is run by competing private enterprises and is among the best in the world. Passenger rail is run by a quasi-government monopoly, and is awful.

They should look into Japan's Bullet Trains. The tracks in Japan don't have many turns. The turns they do have are not sharp turns like we have here. They don't have these issues.