Comments on: Continued Ridership Increases; HSR in China; The Right Wants to Invest? http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2008/12/08/continued-ridership-increases-hsr-in-china-the-right-wants-to-invest/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:43:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: thetransportpolitic http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2008/12/08/continued-ridership-increases-hsr-in-china-the-right-wants-to-invest/#comment-56 thetransportpolitic Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:33:01 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.wordpress.com/?p=287#comment-56 Thanks Loren for the calculations! (Mine were done in about two minutes with no real investigation...) The numbers you figured out still look bad, though - we're talking about best-case 132 kph compared to 270. What's saddest, though, is that the Boston-NYC route was upgraded, and Acela trains can move at 150 mph for a few short segments in RI and MA... but the section in CT shared with Metro-North is so embarrassingly slow that the rest of the route is slowed down on average. Thanks Loren for the calculations! (Mine were done in about two minutes with no real investigation…)

The numbers you figured out still look bad, though – we’re talking about best-case 132 kph compared to 270.

What’s saddest, though, is that the Boston-NYC route was upgraded, and Acela trains can move at 150 mph for a few short segments in RI and MA… but the section in CT shared with Metro-North is so embarrassingly slow that the rest of the route is slowed down on average.

]]> By: Loren Petrich http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2008/12/08/continued-ridership-increases-hsr-in-china-the-right-wants-to-invest/#comment-55 Loren Petrich Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:25:53 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.wordpress.com/?p=287#comment-55 Your numbers are a bit off about Amtrak's NEC; they work out for Boston - DC, not NYC - DC. From Amtrak's schedules, I've obtained the Acela Express's best times and calculated its average speeds for those times. The Boston - DC time includes a 15-minutes layover in NYC, also part of the schedule. Boston - NYC: 231 mi / 372 km / 3h 30m / 66 mph / 106 kmh NYC - DC: 225 mi / 362 km / 2h 45m / 82 mph / 132 kmh Boston - DC 456 mi / 734 km / 6h 30m / 70 mph / 113 kmh Your numbers are a bit off about Amtrak’s NEC; they work out for Boston – DC, not NYC – DC. From Amtrak’s schedules, I’ve obtained the Acela Express’s best times and calculated its average speeds for those times. The Boston – DC time includes a 15-minutes layover in NYC, also part of the schedule.

Boston – NYC: 231 mi / 372 km / 3h 30m / 66 mph / 106 kmh
NYC – DC: 225 mi / 362 km / 2h 45m / 82 mph / 132 kmh
Boston – DC 456 mi / 734 km / 6h 30m / 70 mph / 113 kmh

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