The French 'Haul Ass.'

[formercia]

Who needs airplanes...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6521295.stm

French set new rail speed record


A French high-speed train (TGV) has smashed the world record for a train on rails by a big margin, reaching 574.8km/h (356mph).

The previous TGV record was 515km/h (320mph), set in 1990.

The record attempt by a modified TGV took place on a track between Paris and the eastern city of Strasbourg.

The absolute train speed record was set by a Japanese magnetic levitation train - Maglev - in 2003. It reached 581km/h (361mph).

The TGV set the new record at 1314 (1114GMT) on Tuesday. It was a modified version called V150, with larger wheels than usual and two engines driving three double-decker cars.

[lectrobyte]

1. 300 mph trains. Too bad the USA doesn't have those, it would sure

cut down a lot of time wasted in airports for me.

[AnneD]

2. The first time we were in Europe...

we took a train through France. We had no idea it was the bullet train. It was the coolest train trip I ever had. You can tell when it hits top speed. You really feel like you are floating. Forget seeing much of the countryside though. At least hubby made it to his concert on time.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

3. Incroyable!

Train Grand Vitesse is the coolest way to travel in the world. Think... Sacramento to Los Angeles in one hour!

It is also very... civilized: Passengers are not crammed into inadequate seats like sardines, and can get up to stroll around if they wish to stretch their legs, or walk up to the nicely appointed cafe-car for a sandwich or a drink. The fabled French countryside is always lovely to look at, even though it can be a bit blurry at 356 effing MPH. Funny - about a dozen times, I would point out some feature on the landscape for my mother, but by the time she turned to look, said item would be gone - Zip!

TGV gives a silky-smooth ride on continuous ribbons of rail - no "clickety clack" can be heard, and the trains have absolute right-of-way, with no cross-traffic to contend with.

Eurostar is also a fine way to travel - first-class accomodations are wonderful and one can travel over the Alps from Rome to Lyon in about 4 hours.

Two takeaways from this: 1. French engineering is top-notch and, 2. The U.S. is stupid for not developing its own fast train network.

[formercia]

4. The last thing the boys want is good US public transportation

God forbid we should sell less cars, build less superhighways and consume less oil than any other country in the World per-capita.

[TahitiNut]

5. I don't know how anyone who's traveled by rail in Europe can feel anything but frustration ...

... that we've allowed our rail system to decay in the US. I can't think of a better way to offset the crowded skies and crowded highways than by building world-class regional rail systems and metropolitan mass transit by rail a la the SF Bay area's BART (doubled in size or more).

[formercia]

6. It wasn't allowed to decay

it was willfully gutted by people who want any vestiges of public transportation (socialism) to disappear.

[TahitiNut]

7. Well, I'm somewhat familiar with how the auto industry destroyed mass transit in Detroit.

When I was a kid, we could take streetcars from the suburbs into downtown Detroit for shopping or an evening movie. They were super. I personally think the destruction of those systems was nothing short of a crime against the people - especially the working class.

[formercia]

8. John Raskob, Treasurer of General Motors

embarked on a plan to buy up trolley lines all over the US and rip them up so GM could sell busses. He was also one of the plotters in the coup that Smedley Butler wrote about.

Raskob was also known for founding GMAC which allowed automobile financing directly with GM.

[suffragette]

9. If you haven't seen it yet

Find and watch "Taken for a Ride"
It's an excellent documentary about how the dismantling was done. Then rewatch "Roger Rabbit" since the subplot in it is directly about this.

"Taken for a Ride"
http://www.newday.com/films/Taken_for_a_Ride.html

About "Taken for a Ride"
http://www.counterpunch.org/ferner06282006.html

I too appreciate and enjoy the trains and metro in Europe. It would be wonderful to have that here.