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Didnt Buffett just close the deal on ownership/control of almost all the rail lines in the country just a week or two back? .
BNSF Railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On November 3, 2009, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway announced that it would acquire 77.4% of BNSF for $100 per share in cash and stock, in a deal valued at $44 billion. The company is investing an estimated $34 billion in BNSF and acquiring $10 billion in debt.
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I would not be surprised if his company began to electrify the BNSF railway system.
Chinese High Speed Rail Triumph Technology Review: China's High-Speed-Rail Revolution China has begun operating what is, by several measures, the world's fastest rail line: a dedicated 968-kilometer line linking Wuhan, in the heart of central China, to Guangzhou, on the southeastern coast. In trials, the "WuGuang" line trains (locally built variants of Japan's Shinkansen and Germany's InterCity Express high-speed trains) clocked peak speeds of up to 394 kilometers per hour (or 245 miles per hour). They have also recorded an average speed of 312 kph (195 MPH) in nonstop runs four times daily since the WuGuang's December 26 launch, slashing travel time from Wuhan to Guangzhou from 10.5 hours to less than three.
A two-trillion-yuan ($293 billion) plan envisions 16,000 kilometers (9,936 miles) of dedicated high-speed rail lines connecting all of China's major cities by 2020.
High-speed rail is seen as a clean way to boost the expansion of China's transportation system, according to Dierkx. Dedicated lines will help meet rail demand, which is expected to more than triple to five billion passengers per year by 2020. And building these lines is seen as preferable to further expanding reliance on imported oil for automobiles and airplanes. Dierkx says dedicated high-speed rail should also improve freight transportation by easing congestion on conventional rail lines.
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In contrast, BHO budgeted 8 billion for America's HSR.
While America imports 70% of its 7 billion barrel per annum petroleum "fix"...
At $50 / barrel, America exports $245 billion per annum.
Previous definitions of transit mode (tram or streetcar, LRT) were based mostly on the vehicle size and weight, but with the growing popularity of the tramtrain, where one vehicle can operate as a streetcar, light rail vehicle and passenger train, the old modal definitions are now of little use. What is more, transit planners and politicians tend to call very expensive light-metro projects, light-rail, in an attempt to confuse the populace, forcing the taxpayer to fund the wrong type of transit mode needed.
The 21st century demands new definitions for streetcar/tram, LRT and light-metro – not based on the vehicle but on the quality of rights-of-ways. Zweisystem offers these definitions for ‘rail‘ transit.
Streetcar or tram: A steel-wheel on steel rail vehicle, powered by electricity (either by overhead wire or third rail), with the exception of deisel LRT, which operates on-street, in mixed traffic, with little or no signal priority at intersections.
LRT: A steel-wheel on steel rail vehicle, powered by electricity (either by overhead wire or third rail), with the exception of diesel LRT, which operates on a reserved rights-of-way with signal priority at intersections. A reserved rights-of-way is an at-grade route that is for the exclusive use of a light rail vehicle and can be as simple as a HOV lane with rails, a railway line, or as complicated as a park-like lawned boulevard.
Light-metro: A steel-wheel on steel rail vehicle, powered by electricity (either by overhead wire or third rail), which operates on a segregated rights-of way, either elevated or subway.
TramTrain: An electric or deisel vehicle that can operate as tram/streetcar, LRT or a passenger train.
It is the TramTrain which has forced a rethink on transit mode, as one vehicle can be a streetcar, a light rail vehicle and/or a commuter train, operating on one route.
In short, if there was zero political intrusion, decisions on the type of rail service would be made on a practical basis... How to make the most profit, serving the most customers at the least cost.
Well I agree some Freight / Commuter lines or systems should be Electrified. But the bulk are too low for that to happen. For Electrification to be justifiably there must be around 5-15 freight trains per day or a around 40,000+ in Passengers. Otherwise Diesel is cheaper and easier to use. But i do see alot more Commuter lines & a few systems going Electric by the end of the decade along with a few freight lines.
Well I agree some Freight / Commuter lines or systems should be Electrified. But the bulk are too low for that to happen. For Electrification to be justifiably there must be around 5-15 freight trains per day or a around 40,000+ in Passengers. Otherwise Diesel is cheaper and easier to use. But i do see alot more Commuter lines & a few systems going Electric by the end of the decade along with a few freight lines.
When petroleum becomes too expensive / scarce, diesel will not be cheaper than electric traction rail.
As far as I can see, there is no expectation that demand will go down, or supplies go up. Which means that America's transportation system is hostage to oil.
When petroleum becomes too expensive / scarce, diesel will not be cheaper than electric traction rail.
As far as I can see, there is no expectation that demand will go down, or supplies go up. Which means that America's transportation system is hostage to oil.
Electrified Rail is only good for busy lines , its not something for lightly used lines. You still need Oil to lube the parts of the trains. There is no country in the world that has a entire Electric Rail / Transit system. Even Japan only has Electric lines on busy corridors , much of its rural lines are diesel.
Electrified Rail is only good for busy lines , its not something for lightly used lines. You still need Oil to lube the parts of the trains. There is no country in the world that has a entire Electric Rail / Transit system. Even Japan only has Electric lines on busy corridors , much of its rural lines are diesel.
I think you've missed the point. The majority of consumption is happening in busy line areas. Oil will never be completely gone, but the better we live within our means, the better off we're all going to be.
Jet you haven't proven to me that private ownership vs public ownership is best. I've seen abuses happen in both versions. I think we're better off addressing the abuses and because any system we devise is subject to abuse.
Jet you haven't proven to me that private ownership vs public ownership is best.
That's a question questioning a question.
Quote:
I've seen abuses happen in both versions. I think we're better off addressing the abuses and because any system we devise is subject to abuse.
One compromise: a public authority owns the rails and land, the common carriers operate the rolling stock. Any one or company can access the rails. That should address the past abuses associated with private ownership - the wasteful competition from parallel routes.
So is electrifying the rail system more efficient than running the motors on diesel?
Electricity being generated by carbon fuels for the most part, and transmission over long distances lessens it's effectiveness.
I see that trucks use 11 times the what a train does to carry the same amount of freight.
That's an argument for rail but why for running trains on strictly on electricty?
* Disregard, I see this has been answered.
Modern Diesel locomotives are hybrides and shoud be called Diesel electric locomotives. The diesel engines drive electric generators that charge batteries which power electric motors that drive the traction wheels. Everything is optimized for the best traction and best diesel performance in generating the electric power. The British once used diesel electric locomotives that had the capability to use diesel or overhead electric power so trains could be run on electrified main trunk railways or on non-electrified branch lines without having to switch locomotives.
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