Re: Rough Tracks

[ROBERT SCHROEDER <bobschroeder@optushome.com.au>]

You should compare the corridors rather than the country wide
population base,
The population in the Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne corridoe is very
similar to the Paris-Lyon corridor, albeit the distance is greater.
Yhe eastern seaboard of Australia could easily support Very Fast
Trains!








On Fri, 16 Mar 2001 12:38:14 -0800, Mark & Roz Creely
<mcreely@pnc.com.au> wrote:

>Fellow Ausrailers,
>
>I think the points and comparisons  being made are completely unreasonable!
>
>Lets face it, the countries with which you have decided to compare Australia with
>have populations far exceeding ours :
>
>France for example has a population of around 50 million and Great Britain 60
>million all in an area less than 1 million square kilometres.
>
>Australia has a population of around 17 million in an area of 7.6 million square
>kilometres.
>
>It is much easier to build and maintain 1st class track when you have taxes and
>revenue for nearly 7 times as many people being spent in 1/7th the area.
>
>I know our tracks should be better, but without massive rationalisation of
>infrastructure(closing branch lines etc - which noone wants to see happen)you can't
>expect 1st class track.
>
>But may I add, hopefully now the 2 week sports carnival is long past more money may
>be diverted back to rail infrastructure to improve the track etc.
>
>Just some thoughts
>
>regards
>
>Mark
>
>Neil O'Connor wrote:
>
>> In UK, I have only done London to Peterborough and that seemed OK. Have done TGV
>> twice (Montpellier-Paris) and that seems to be to be the ultimate (even the low
>> speed lines are fine!). Wish VFT/Speedrail succeeded - TGV to Canberra would be
>> a superb way to travel.
>>
>> Have also been on various other lines in France, Germany and Switzerland and
>> they were all good smooth rides.
>>
>> David Bennetts wrote:
>>
>> > Can back you up on that, remember riding the line from London Victoria to
>> > Dover some years back - one of the roughest train trips I've ever
>> > experienced.  There was so much lateral movement you really had to hang on.
>> > Looked inside the drivers compartment (electric multiple unit), indicated
>> > speed 80 mph, so not over fast .
>> >
>> > The tube (deep tube with small profile cars) at 80km/h also can throw you
>> > around somewhat, don't think there's much room for springing under the cars.
>> >
>> > By contrast I've ridden the TGV at 270 km/h, you'd hardly know you're
>> > moving, there's hardly a ripple on your glass of vin ordinaire.   Quelle
>> > lignes extraordinaire, les chemins de fer grand vitesse de la republique!
>> >
>> > Regards
>> >
>> > David Bennetts