Re: Transrapid abandons Sydney-Canberra

[mdeen@xs4.xs4all.nl (Maarten Deen)]

David Bromage <dbromage@omni.com.au> writes:

>Page 1 of Wednesday's Canberra Times says that Transrapid has deemed the
[snip]

>My comments:

>By Transrapid's own estimates, a coastal line would cost $28.5 billion
>excluding trains. The inland TGV line would cost $12 billion in total,
>less the $3.7 billion for the current Sydney - Canberra project.

>I can't see how the market could support a service more than twice the
>cost of Speedrail without significant performance improvements. There is
>very little speed advantage between capitals (2h 45m coastal maglev vs 3h
>inland TGV, an 8.3% time saving for 237% of the cost), and no comfort
>factors considering Transrapid's sardine-like accomodation.

I would be interested in more details for these projects. I assume that
this Transrapid project as a magnetic levitation project like the
German Transrapid project Hamburg-Berlin? If that's the case, and
assuming some numbers, 3h of travel by TGV will probably end up in
some 450-600 km, which can be done with a proper transrapid in 1,5-2h
(assuming 150-200 km/h average for TGV and 300 average for transrapid,
which is in no way exaggerated).

I do agree that the price for Transrapid projects is high compared to
(already expensive) TGV projects.

Cheers,

Maarten