China's 245mph train - 4 years, 664 miles

[flintysooner]

Thought this article interesting and especially the images.

China's 245mph train service is the world's fastest... and it was completed in just FOUR years

Read more: Unveiled: China's 245mph train service is the world's fastest... and it was completed in just FOUR years | Mail Online


Unveiled: China's 245mph train service is the world's fastest... and it was completed in just FOUR years | Mail Online

[Midtowner]

Easy to do when you can pay workers $0.70/hour or less and house them on cots in worse-than-prison-like conditions.

This is nothing to aspire to.

[drumsncode]

Cool article. Makes you realize that interesting things are going on in other parts of the world. Wish we had a train like that to Tulsa, and also to Denver and Phoenix.

[rcjunkie]

Why are some always so negative, why can't people look at the big picture a understand some are just showing what's available. It's not that we want everything a Country may have, but some things are worth looking at.

[venture]

Why are some always so negative, why can't people look at the big picture a understand some are just showing what's available. It's not that we want everything a Country may have, but some things are worth looking at.

Because people are too bitter for their own good and don't look at the big picture of how technology is being advanced in other areas of the world. Yes living conditions in China sucks...but Japan and other nations that have these advanced modes of transportation? It just proves that the US is too bitter amongst itself that being on the front line of innovation is no longer part of what it means to be American.

[bluedogok]

Nowhere in there does it say how much it cost to build, I have no doubt that given enough money it could be built in the US in the same time frame. The problem is no one is willing to spend the money (pretty much an unlimited budget) to build it in such a fashion, neither the gov't or private enterprise because there is no way it can pay for itself AND generate a profit quick enough to satisfy shareholders or taxpayers.

I agree the land area of China is comparable to the US but for the most part their population centers aren't spread some 3,500 miles apart. most are along the coast and the interior is mostly rural. Japan is not a fair comparison because you are talking about an island nation with less land area than California (Japan: 145,925 sq mi/California: 163,696 sq mi) but with such mass centralization (Japan-Density: 874.4 persons/sq mi/US-Density: 83 persons/sq mi) that makes it feasible. I love the Japanese rail/subway system and wish it was feasible in the US, but it just isn't unless shareholders/taxpayers are willing to invest heavily in it and pay much higher rates for riding it than they are used to paying for other modes of transport and don't expect it to pay for itself. China will end up spending billions keeping it going even. The airline lobby always fights any improvement in passenger rail outside of city systems, they had a big hand in killing the TTC 15 or so years ago.

[Turanacus]

it would be so cool if we had a train like this running between okc and tulsa.

[mugofbeer]

Nowhere in there does it say how much it cost to build, I have no doubt that given enough money it could be built in the US in the same time frame. The problem is no one is willing to spend the money (pretty much an unlimited budget) to build it in such a fashion, neither the gov't or private enterprise because there is no way it can pay for itself AND generate a profit quick enough to satisfy shareholders or taxpayers.

I agree the land area of China is comparable to the US but for the most part their population centers aren't spread some 3,500 miles apart. most are along the coast and the interior is mostly rural. Japan is not a fair comparison because you are talking about an island nation with less land area than California (Japan: 145,925 sq mi/California: 163,696 sq mi) but with such mass centralization (Japan-Density: 874.4 persons/sq mi/US-Density: 83 persons/sq mi) that makes it feasible. I love the Japanese rail/subway system and wish it was feasible in the US, but it just isn't unless shareholders/taxpayers are willing to invest heavily in it and pay much higher rates for riding it than they are used to paying for other modes of transport and don't expect it to pay for itself. China will end up spending billions keeping it going even. The airline lobby always fights any improvement in passenger rail outside of city systems, they had a big hand in killing the TTC 15 or so years ago.

Ive been trying to find an article where it listed the approximate cost. Rest assured, that because of cheap, forced labor, the cost is far less than it would be here. However, even in China, I believe the article stated the cost of this project was larger than the 3 Gorges Dam. In other words, it is China's most expensive public works project ever.

[Bunty]

it would be so cool if we had a train like this running between okc and tulsa.

Then instead of having a MAPS4 in the future, both Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties should vote on a sales tax to finance a high speed train between them. Maybe it could run down the center of I-44 or along side it.

[flintysooner]

Cost of labor notwithstanding I suspect it would take more than 4 years to get the applications completed for the various impact studies. Maybe start construction 20 years after that if no big problems. That's assuming some way to fund the ongoing operating loss could be found and the capital expense of building the thing. Those seem to be annoyingly large problems to me.

I think if none of those issues existed that the Chinese should be given a lot of credit for the accomplishment because it seems pretty significant to me.

As for traveling between Tulsa and Oklahoma City the train's average speed is 217 mph. So the time between the two cities using a 100 mile distance at average speed would be about 28 minutes. But you'd have to get to the terminal from the departing end and you'd have to get to your destination from the arriving end and that would take some time. I notice the Chinese train travels 664 miles.

Still I've thought before that it would have made some sense for Oklahoma City and Tulsa to both support one large regional airport that might also have served as a transportation hub for the state. Doesn't make much sense now though.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Why would we want high speed rail to Tulsa? Is there THAT much commuting going on between here and there?

I'd think that linking up to DFW would be a better idea.

/doesn't know much about it.

[jeffery581]

This is embarrassing. The United States has nothing like this. We are falling behind in everything but movie making.

[jeffery581]

That kind of thinking is why we don't have anything like this. You were probably one of those that said.. we don't need an interstate highway system.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

That kind of thinking is why we don't have anything like this. You were probably one of those that said.. we don't need an interstate highway system.

Who?

[mugofbeer]

Then instead of having a MAPS4 in the future, both Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties should vote on a sales tax to finance a high speed train between them. Maybe it could run down the center of I-44 or along side it.

Wasn't that Obama's proposal for high speed rail? Tulsa to OKC to DFW?

[venture]

I will say this on the subject. These high speed trains in Asia, service very high population densities and essentially replace/compliment air service on the routes. Right now the only areas we probably have that would sustain such passenger level requirements would be the east coast and maybe California. OKC-TUL wouldn't provide enough riders for *this* type of high speed raid. OKC-Dallas probably wouldn't either.

[fuzzytoad]

This is embarrassing. The United States has nothing like this. We are falling behind in everything but movie making.

Y'know what? You're right.

I hereby propose that the U.S. create a mandatory workforce made up of all males in america ages 14-60 who fail to meet a minimum score in a state-given intelligence test. We would only need to feed and house this workforce, no pay necessary; and we can use this pool of almost-free labor to build things barely dreamt of in China!

That's what you meant, right jeffery?

[MadMonk]

Visions of this happening somewhere between OKC & Tulsa, but 10x worse at those speeds.
Tornado vs Train Video

[nik4411]

yea i've seen that video before. pretty crazy. nice little ashleymadison advert there too