Use of Jet Trains in the UK
 

As part of a high speed railway idea from the government, there has been an idea that perhaps Jet Trains will come to Britain and be used on runs such as Edinburgh to London and could reduce journey times by around 2 hours.

Im guessing that they will look similar to the Bombardier Jet Trains in the USA and Canada and they look pretty cool. I wouldnt mind them coming to the UK.

Personally however I think that since we already have electrified lines along the Edinburgh to London route it would be better to run electiried trains along this route. I don't know how energy efficient the jet trains are, but it could be better to run electic trains. This might be a good idea if they were used on non-electrified routes.

What does everyone think of this idea, and for those who have travelled on a Jet Train, what are they like?

I've never been on a jet train, but I think it would be better if the main lines were upgraded, quadrupled, or whatever to increase capacity and speeds. Given the energy situation in the world, electric traction is the way to go.

Yep, I would like to see more lines being electrified, such as Preston - Blackpool North and the North Wales Line, that would enable 390's to run all the way without the use of the 57's.
Dave

Alan Salisbury,
I see you are in France. Is there any steam activity anywhere around you. I understand that the UK's SNCF Society has an archive of French Railway photographs. 400 of which are to be released on a CD this year. Many of the photos have never been published before. Do you have any shots of French railways modern or steam that you could post?
Syd

does anyone know if the Jet Trains are any more efficient comapred to trains such as HST's?
Perhaps if they are energy efficient, the engine design could be used in ther HST2 design, I beleve thatthe HST2 will be made up of a hibrid engine, I am not sure how fast it will go.
Imagine HST's flying up the UK at 150mph ;)
Dave

My question is: to what extent are the West and East Coasts Mainlines been upgraded to? What are their projected maximum speeds?
Then we can think on what trains can run on them.
On my way of reasoning, a Jet Train would only be feasible on a non-stop run and on city-avoiding lines. That's so because a turbine's max.efficiency is at max.speed. It should not be hampered by speed restrictions at all.

apparently when the GNER Eurostar sets were used on the ECML they were only allowed a maximum speed of 125mph, this being the maximum speed for class 91's and 222's also used on the line. So I guess the maximum speed for the ECML is 125mph.
On the WCML Pendolinos and Voyagers can do up to 125mph, but there are plans for this to be upgraded to 135mph. Mk3 coaching stock can do up to 110mph on the line.
Dave

Thank you David for your valuable information.
My idea is that electric traction would have the edge as for flexibility to the various situations. Perhaps the Jet Train would be more at home on long and transcontinental routes as found in the US, Brazil, Australia and South Africa. If we consider the "Pendolino", it is a conception diametrically opposite: not very high speed, but higher speeds on all routes allowed by tilting technology (40 mph instead of 30 on tight curves, etc).
Please have your say.
Cheers from Dario

yeh the jet trains would find it more difficult on the WCML due to the corners, it might be quite a good idea for routes such as the ECML as this is quite straight, but it would be more energy efficient to run electric traisn no the line in my opinion (I suppose the same on the WCML), does anyone know why the Eurostars were only allowed a maximum speed on 125mph on this line when they were used and not any faster? (well perhaps 185mph is too demanding for these tracks but it could have been given a higher speed, perhaps 135mph, or was this becauseof the high amount of traffic using the line as at the moment Kings Cross is a full station and can't fit any more trains in, so the Eurostars would just be queing behind other trains)?
Dave

A site I came across by chance. For anyone interested in Crocodile or Swiss Steam and electric locos.
http://www.martynbane.co.uk/2003Trip.../oct042003.htm
Syd

I really enjoyed this site- Thank you Syd.
Now back to HSR in UK. Get a look at this site:
www.o-keating.com/hsr/ukrail.htm
It is professionally managed, I reckon.

Dario,
Much of the British information on this site is now incorrect. It does not appear to have been updated for quite some time. Perhaps the information given about other countries railways is also incorrect?

John.

just read the first paragraph to notice, intercity 125s are now no longer the fastest, the 390's can do a max speed of 140mph, whether they will eventually do this I don't know.

Thank you, John and Dave, for your appropriate observations on the site not being updated. Nevertheless, it gives the situation at the time of writing, which is still worthwhile to know.
Cheers from Dario

I found this site which probably keeps the most updated news on HSR:
http://www.artech.se/~sandblom/archive/hst.html

No railway news can be better told than by the Railway Gazette.
This is an update on the Italian High Speed network:
http://www.railwaygazette.com/Articl...rtunities.html

And this article is on a crucial issue:ERTMS in UK:
http://www.railwaygazette.com/Articl...+to+ERTMS.html
Any comments on this?

yep according to the railway gazzette article ATP is being used in the UK, this is true as FGW have installed it on their HST units.

While on the subject of future british railways, does anyone agree with the TGV Edinburgh-London via Manchester idea?

I think a direct high-speed link between the rest of the country and mainland Europe (via London and the CTRL) would be a great thing.
John.

Must agree, as long as the project doesn't suck investment from the rest of the network.

What might be a backdraw to this idea is that it might decrease what we currently have in the current network, which in my opinion is really great with the array of operations, would hate to see some being taken off the current network, and at the moment there is talk of many franchises ending on the network.