Re: Brief trip report MEL-CBR-MEL and thoughts on 737 vs A320 cabins.

[JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@videotron.ca>]

James C wrote:
> TGVs also uses traditional track, those traditional tracks are with level
> crossings, there have been quite a few accidents and derailments due to
> notorious lorry drivers in Europe, but in all the accidents TGV still stand
> upright after the derailments and injury are none on the train itself.

But the TGV does not (and cannot) travel at high speeds on tradictional
tracks. For one thing, a different power system is used, and the tracks are
absolutely incapable of high speed.

Note that while high speed tracks are of the same gauge as traditional tracks,
there are quite a few differences. They are built to much tighter tolerances,
switches are built very differently to allow high speed travel, and the tracks
are fenced all the way. The electric wires (caténaires in french) are build
differently on the high speed line (different voltage, different tension on
the line etc).


> SNCF also table a few freight trains on LGV at night besides maintenance,

Not freight trains in the north american sense. The whole point of having
tracks capable of high speed is to forbit freight traisn to travel on them
because heavty freight trains damage the tracks. Also, remember that
traditional electric locomotives won't work on the TGV high speed lines
because of different voltages used. And diesel would make the catenaries dirty
and that would be very bad.

One of the big accomplishements of the TGV was not the tracks, not the motors,
but the ability to transfer vast enough power from the cateraries to the
pantographs to drive the train at high speed (and make that transfer work at
high speed).


Is there the commitment and money to build a truly high speed rail line in
Australia ? 

Is there even enough money to build the Alice to Darwin (conventional) rail
line ?