Re: Transrapid's latest story

[w_keller@gmx.de (Wolfgang Keller)]

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

> Wheel on rail technology has peaked. The ICE3 will be limited to 285km/h.

He should read something about the results of wheel-rail research since
the early 70's. There is no such thing as a 'speed limit' (other than
aerodynamic drag) for the wheel-rail system.

> The Hamburg - Berlin line will go ahead, starting contruction in a few
> months. 

The last thing I read about the project was that the government won't
spend any more money on it than initially planned, so unless the maglev
lobbyists put _their_ money where their mouth is, the TR is simply dead.

> A 100km section in the middle of the route will be running for
> testing in 2002, with full commercial service in 2005. Transrapid stands
> by the estimates of 12-15 million passenger journeys per year. He disputes
> that there are only 4 flights per day between the two cities, and that
> Germany's two most important cities would not have such a small aircraft
> as a Dash-8 flying between them.

Maybe he should ask the airlines about the facts?

> The guideway has a life of 80 years. The vehicles have a life of 25-30
> years. TGV track has a life of 12-25 years, 

There is no doubt that the guideway of the TR is more expensive to build
and maintain than a 'conventional' rail track. Due to the simple fact
that there's more equipment in the guideway.

BTW: It's a well-known fact that it is preferable for long-distance
transport systems to put the cost- and maintenance-intensive equipment
into the moving instead of the fixed part.

> TGV trains have a life of 8-10 years.

Wrong.

> There is interest in Transrapid all over the world.

The TR lobbyists have been parroting this for over 25 years now and they
still haven't found a single customer yet who would voluntarily invest
his money into one their toy. Nor do they want to invest their money. So
apparently even they themselves don't have too much 'interest'.

> Transrapid is the only non-US rail technology to have been considered by
> the US for passenger transport.

So the Turbotrains, the AEM7, the Acela trains and all those 'TGV'
projects which have gotten closer to realisation than any TR project are
all pure fiction...

> The Hamburg - Berlin line was always going to cost DM9 billion. Costs have
> never risen.

Yet another case of a pretty strong 'reality distortion field'.

> Transrapid holds more passengers than other trains.

There is no technical or economical reason for this claim.

> Transrapid can carry freight. 

If the density of the freight isn't much higher than foam, for example.

> They are designing a double deck version for
> passengers, the freight version of which can carry ISO shipping containers.

If the containers are empty, maybe.

> Transrapid could run Sydney to Melbourne in 3 hours.

That's nothing that a wheel-rail vehicle couldn't do.

Regards,

-- 
Wolfgang Keller               

Zu Risiken und Nebenwirkungen von Junkmail lesen Sie 
de.admin.net-abuse.mail und fragen sie Ihren Postmaster oder Provider