If they get ‘er done within 12 years we’ll still be able to go to Hawaii!
I wouldn’t want to see what that derailment looks like.
That would make an interesting crater if it smacked the ground!
One speck of dust in the engine or one piece of bubble gum on the track and well....
I’ll bet there is a group of consumers who choose Train travel because it DOES take a longer than a plane, is more comfortable than Greyhound and lengthens the travel experience. Some may say there is a Zen aspect to enjoyment, where the preparation for and journey to your destination is as valuable as reaching that destination.
Sometimes bigger, and/or faster is not better. As far as moving merchandise, cargo or medical supplies around the continent, such blinding speed may be a real advantage.
A train that goes about twice as fast as the muzzle velocity of a pistol bullet or 2500 mph. What could go wrong? Obviously it has to be in a completely enclosed tube. What happens if there is an earth quake, a sink hole, a mud slide, a mechanic forgets a wrench next to the tracks or there is some type of sabatage. It is typical mass transit stupidity times 100.
The world record for land speed is 1,227.985 km/h .Somehow I can’t see this being routinely exceeded by some train schedule .
2485 mph/2159 nautical mph. 3+ times the speed of sound.
I guess my question is why anyone would need to go from Beijing to Wuhan, or anywhere for that matter, that fast?
Better make sure that the Muslims can’t put a penny on the track.
As a ferroequinologist, I would like to see it. If they could put one between Tampa and Buffalo, I might take it...
Elon Musk wants to make an ultra-high speed train that runs in a tunnel that is under vacuum. No air, no air resistance.
“the human body could only physiologically withstand acceleration to speeds of 4,000km/h for a very short amount of time”
That’s why we need to inject you with meds while you are strapped to a crash couch like in “The Expanse”.
First issue I can think of is how to develop those crossing gates and lights to be fast enough to go up and down properly... Unless the plan is to leave them down permanently...
(And, that doesn't even address the problems of supersonic motion through ground-level air densities.)
Fool's errand...