Chicagoist: Chicago To Become High-Speed Amtrak Hub?

Tower18

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:19:43 -0600

Why bother with Maglev to get 250mph? That speed (or near it) is already being done with steel-wheel electric.

Chicago D

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:03:57 -0600

IMP, Yeah. Those maglev trains tend to get pretty pricey. What happened to the one that was supposed to be built from Hamburg to Berlin? I think it got scrapped when the cost got into the billions in overruns. Japan is the size of California, and doesn't really have a network of these trains. The United States is obviously much, much larger, with much, much higher cost. In other words, maglev is just not practical.

IMP

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:46:08 -0600

High Speed European Style Rail is too slow for America. Chicago needs to become the hub of an ultra-high speed (average 250 mph)surface transport system. A National Maglev Network based on the new 2nd generation superconducting Maglev system invented by Drs. James Powell and Gordon Danby. The savings in oil consumption will be much greater than the cost to develop and construct this new, very energy efficient, all-electric, all weather transport system, the first since the airplane. It is clear that the United States and the World must reduce its demand for oil and rein in our emissions of global warming gasses and toxic pollutants. U.S. leaders are aware that the very large trade deficit created by oil imports – about 500 Billion dollars per year ? cannot be sustained. Building a National Maglev Network that will transport passengers, long distance trucks, personal autos and freight on high speed magnetic levitated vehicles in combination with electric autos for local travel is the most practical and lowest cost way to reduce oil imports. The all-electric, all-weather Maglev system uses elevated guideways running along the rights-of-way of our Interstate Highways between cities; in urban and suburban areas it operates on existing RR tracks in a levitated, non-wheel mode. The National Maglev Network will create a major new export industry, greatly reduce oil imports, cut back on global warming, increase productivity, and create hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs. Electrifying transport and powering it with renewable energy will produce major environmental, health and economic benefits. The idea of the National Maglev Network originated with the late Senator Pat Moynihan, then the chairman of the Public Works Committee, who recognized the need to take a new approach to adding new energy efficient capacity to our existing railways, highways, and airways in order to overcome the high costs to national productivity from the growing congestion on our highways, and the growing dependence of the economy on imported oil. Senator Moynihan discovered Drs. James Powell and Gordon Danby, who invented Superconducting Maglev transport in the 1960’s. Their 1st generation passenger system was developed in Japan and is now successfully operating there at speeds of 300 mph and more. Japan plans to build a 300 mile Maglev line between Tokyo and Osaka. Powell & Danby’s new 2nd generation Maglev 2000 system, besides transporting passengers, is also powerful enough to carry intercity highway freight trucks, freight, and personal autos at much less cost than existing transport systems. The benefits of the National Maglev Network include: ·Greatly reduced U.S. oil usage and oil imports ·Greatly reduced trade deficit ·Greatly reduced highway and airway congestion and delays ·Much fewer highway deaths and injuries ·Much less damage to health from gaseous pollutants and diesel micro-particulates ·Much less emission of carbon dioxide and its contribution to global warming ·Shorter trip times at lower cost, with more frequent and more comfortable service ·Very large export market for Maglev systems, with many thousands of new domestic hi-tech jobs The U.S. has all the technological skills and capacity needed to build the National Network, and its benefits are clear. All that is lacking is the will and planning to move forward. If America does not grasp this opportunity, other countries will, and export Maglev to the U.S. to reap the economic benefits. Chicago's rising political clout should be used to insist on the National Maglev Network as the new Manhattan project to aid in a sustainable recovery from the economic crisis that we find ourselves.

Chicago D

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:11:43 -0600

Tower, That 300 miles may be expanding. Airport security and the hassle of it starts to eat into your day when you fly. If you really get there two hours ahead, have a one hour flight, but are 20 miles outside the city when you get there and still have to rent a car, you start to think that a 350 or 400 mile trip that leaves you downtown is not a bad idea. 300-400 miles is a pretty good distance from Chicago. Definitely St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis, etc. Certainly the Midwest would be well linked.

Tower18

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:06:50 -0600

I would assume that part of that $6.6B to be spent on infrastructure would include capacity improvements. In almost every case, the land is there...the railroad companies ripped up their rails decades ago, but still own the right of way, which is now an overgrown patch, or gravel access road. What we REALLY need are dedicated rails with VERY GRADUAL curves, banking, and grade separation in all but the most sparsely-populated areas. Then we could start talking about REAL high speed. Until then, 110mph is nice, and faster than driving, but won't attract travelers going farther than 300 miles or so (Chicago-Detroit, Chicago-STL, for instance).

jmagic

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:25:29 -0600

the words high speed, trains, transit and travel don't really mix well here in Chicago. while this would be sweet ... Mayor Daley and the like will fuck this one up quick!

E

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:38:51 -0600

Isn't Chicago a railroad choke point? Won't more rail traffic in the form of additional destinations make things worse?

RalphWiggum

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:25:51 -0600

Definitely in the 'believe it when I see it' camp.... That being said, I'd love it. It'd be great to travel somewhere on Amtrak without it ending up taking 1+ hours longer than it would have taken to drive there.

JD84

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:37:38 -0600

It puts the "loco" in "locomotion" Zing.

Navin

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:36:32 -0600

File under: Should have been done decades ago.

Chicago D

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:12:09 -0600

That is a big match from the states. Especially since this is still only 110 m.p.h. That's just over half as fast as the TGV/Eurostar trains in Europe. It's also only twice as fast as the 'El' is supposed to run in the middle of the Kennedy. Anyway, it seems like the wide open spaces from Chicago to St. Louis, for instance, should make it relatively easy to upgrade the track. Not too many curves etc. It seems like it ought to be doable.

matty

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:03:04 -0600

I am sure it will be completely mismanaged complete with massive cost over runs and delays. If it's ever finished I predict it will be up and running by 2100

Joe Blow

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:43:19 -0600

Don't forget a stop in Kansas City! If they could cut down that travel time, that would be great!

Tower18

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:18:20 -0600

This couldn't happen soon enough. Yesterday I was taking Amtrak back from Michigan, and it took us 90 minutes to get between Gary and Hammond, while we sat and waited for numerous freight trains to go ahead of us through a single-track. However, that's a pretty big required state match when we can't even pay for existing stuff. I won't hold my breath.

Ingrid

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:07:49 -0600

What about Toledo? It HAS to stop in Toledo! Toledo has one of the best art museums in the country, believe it or not. In my opinion, it's even better than the Art Institute here in Chicago!

fed up

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:56:29 -0600

I would love this if it were true but it definitley falls under I will believe it when I see it.