Top High Speed Bullet Trains
High Speed Bullet Trains.
11. ETR 500 Italy
Elettro Treno Rapido 500 (ETR 500) is a high speed electric multiple unit, which has been in operation in Italy since 1993. It is manufactured by TREno Veloce Italiano (TREVI), a consortium of Alstom, Bombardier and AnsaldoBreda.Design of the train is based on the specifications of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and is currently being operated by Trenitalia on Rete Ferroviaria Italiana tracks.FS put forward the idea of building a completely new high speed rail network in Italy in 1985. The network was planned to be serviced by trains with operational speeds of around 300kmph. Tilting trains, popular during that time, were not an option as they could not be operated at such high speeds. Therefore, the idea for developing a new train was proposed. The TREVI consortium was formed under the supervision of FS.ETR 500, which was manufactured in Vado Ligure and nicknamed Remo, became the first Italian high speed train. The first prototype called ETR 500X was designed in 1988. The train reached a maximum speed of 319kmph during test runs.Another two complete trains based on the prototype were put into trial operations in 1990, they were named ETR 500Y and nicknamed Romolo. Following the successful trial operations of the two prototypes, FS placed an order for 30 mono current train sets. The trains were capable of running on traditional line voltage of 3kV DC, but were drawing large amounts of energy when running at speeds of 350kmph. The maximum speed of the trains was, therefore, fixed at 250kmph.A second generation of train sets was designed to overcome this problem. These trains run at 25kV 50Hz AC power, which allows operation at speeds up to 300kmph. The new generation trains were named Politensione and were built with the flexibility to run at 3kV DC.ETR 500 has different versions depending on the location of operation and refurbishment of the vehicle. ETR 500F is a tricurrent version that can run at 1.5kV and is used on mainstream lines in southern France.ETR 500 Y1 and Y2 were prototypes, while ETR 500P is the multicurrent variant of the second generation of the train set. The trains were employed on the RomeNaples and TorinoNovara high speed lines from 20052006. ETR 500 AV was the internally and externally refurbished train set that went into operation in 2005. They were introduced by Trenitalia on a new high speed service programme along with Eurostar Italia.The ETR 500 Frecciarossa trains, which can can travel at top speeds of 300kmph to 350kmph, were introduced in 2008 by Trenitalia.The ETR 500 was designed to become a next generation high speed train with its infrastructure and characteristics matching the comforts of a highspeed train. The train was designed by an Italian car design firm Pininfarina.
Designing the first high speed train during the time presented various challenges for Pininfarina. The design was based on extensive research carried out to build a highly technological, stylistic and aerodynamic prototype. The research mainly focused on the designing of a structure with a low drag coefficient.The outlining of the matrix was supervised in its tiniest detail limiting the aerodynamic resistance while moving at high speeds. The high pressures on the front doors and lags on the side doors were optimally minimised.Special measurement techniques were adopted for the design, including a computer controlled traversing gear and a 14 bore probe that measures speed and pressure produced due to aerodynamics. Different locomotive shapes were tested based on these results. The result was a thoroughly capable locomotive meeting all the operational requirements and a 700 passenger capacity. The trains run on a 1435mm gauge with a power output of 8,800kW.
12. THSR 700T Taiwan
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high speed rail line that runs approximately 345 km (214 mi) along the west coast of Taiwan, from the national capital Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. With construction managed by a private company, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation , which also operates the line, the total cost of the project was US$18 billion. At the time it was built, this was one of the worlds largest privately funded rail construction schemes. The system is based primarily on Japans Shinkansen technology.The line opened for service on January 5, 2007, with trains running at a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) from Taipei to Zuoying in as little as 96 minutes, reaching almost 90% of Taiwans population. Most intermediate stations on the line lie outside the cities served; however, a variety of transfer options, such as free shuttle buses, conventional rail, and metros have been constructed to facilitate transport connections.Ridership initially fell short of forecasts, but grew from fewer than 40,000 passengers per day in the first few months of operation to over 129,000 passengers per day in June 2013. The system carried its first 100 million passengers by August 2010 and over 200 million passengers had taken this system by December 2012. In the initial years of operation, THSRC accumulated debt due to high depreciation charges and interest, largely due to the financial structure set up for the private company. In 2009, THSRC negotiated with the government to change the method of depreciation form depending on concessions on rights to ridership. At the same time, the government also started to help refinance THSRCs loans to assist the company so it could remain operational and profitable.Each train consists of 1 Business Car and 11 Standard Cars (including reserved seats and nonreserved seats). Since July 2010, nonreserved seats are available in cars 10 through 12 (some trains available in cars 9 through 12). Car 7 of each train is fitted with 4 wheelchair accessible chairs and a disabled friendly restroom. Passengers can call THSRs Customer Service Hot Line at (Taiwan) 40663000 or visit any THSR station ticket window to reserve these seats. By August 2012, implementation of 4G WiMAX on board trains is expected to provide smooth wireless broadband services, making THSR the first highspeed ground transportation system equipped with this service.In 2012, THSRC rated highly in the CommonWealth Magazine
13. Eurostar UK
Eurostar stands a successful competitor of all airlines because it is the perfect train which connects London and Paris travelling under the English Channel. Eurostar makes a passengers journey more comfortable and enjoyable by providing excellent catering services and satiating the unique needs of modern traveler. The famous destination of Eurostar is St. Pancras International station which is considered to be the most happening and romantic place of London with Victorian Charm. It transports its passengers to Europes favorite cities and ensures that the journey is most comfortable and relaxed. The most amazing thing is that a Eurostar ticket holder usually receives discounts in places like famous museums, galleries etc. In a nutshell Eurostar simply make ones life heavenly.Eurostar is the highspeed passenger train from London to Paris & Brussels via the Channel Tunnel, taking as little as 2 hours 15 minutes for the 495 km (307 miles) to Paris or 1 hour 55 minutes for the 373 km (232 miles) to Brussels. Eurostar trains travel up to 186 mph, leaving London St Pancras station almost every hour for the Gare du Nord in central Paris and for Brussels Midi (also known as Brussel Zuid) every 23 hours. Eurostar trains are run by Eurostar International Limited, a company owned 55% by SNCF French Railways, 5% by SNCB Belgian Railways & 40% by London & Continental Railways, a company owned by the UK government. Eurostar carries passengers, not cars, so dont confuse Eurostar with Eurotunnel, the company which owns the Channel Tunnel whose car carrying trains shuttle road vehicles across the Channel. Eurostar first started running in 1994. This page explains all you need to know about travel by Eurostar.The arrival of the e320 trains, built by German company Siemens, could see London to Paris journey times reduced to just over two hours from the existing 2 hours and 15 minutes. But the speed limit on the UK stretch of the current line is 186mph matching the top speed of the existing trains though for much of the journey between the Channel and London they travel slower.Eurostar said there was nothing
14. KTX 2 South Korea
Manufactured by the famous Hyundai Rotem, KTX 2 came into service in 2010, the train connects Seoul Station to Busan via Daejeon and Daegunnects. This train is considered to be the first commercial high speed train in South Korea. Owing to its high speed and kilometer coverage 160,000 people approx uses KTX on daily basis. There are 935 seats per vehicle along with general compartment and special compartment. Thus this train is not meant for only luxurious people but easily accessible to all. The train gives special attention towards passengers security and thus the passengers compartments are fitted with fire detectors.The KTX Sancheon is a South Korean high speed train built by Hyundai Rotem in the second half of the 2000s and operated by Korail since March 2009. With a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph), the KTX Sancheon is the first commercial high speed train developed in South Korea.Like the HSR 350x, the KTXII consists of two traction heads, that is the power cars at both ends, and an articulated set of trailers for passengers in between but the number of intermediate cars is eight, and no intermediate car is powered. Two sets can be coupled together with automatic couplers of the Scharfenberg type. The couplers and the surrounding structure form an integral unit, the so called front ends, which were supplied by German industrial company Voith. The vehicles received a new exterior front shape, designed by French design studio MBD Design. The aerodynamic shape was inspired by the cherry salmon, an indigenous fish.Like for the HSR350x, the carbody of intermediate cars is made of aluminum. Unlike the HSR350x, the vehicle lacks bogie shrouding. Compared to the KTXI, window thickness was increased from 29 to 38 mm (1.1 to 1.5 in) by adding a fourth layer, to improve sound insulation and pressurization. The total width of passenger cars was increased from 2,904 to 2,970 mm (114.3 to 116.9 in).The KTXIIs traction motors, converters, traction control and braking system are domestic developments resulting from the HSR350x programme. The traction motors are asynchronous induction motors like those of the HSR350x, rather than synchronous motors as on the KTXI. Final drive gearboxes were supplied by Voith. The power electronics in the converters use newly available IGBTs, supplied by American semiconductor manufacturer IXYS Corporation, rather than the originally foreseen but unreliable IGCTs of the HSR350x. Each traction converter consists of two parallel switched four quadrant converters, which function as rectifier modules by converting single phase alternating current from one main transformer winding each to direct current , a 2,800 V DC intermediate circuit, and one inverter module converting the DC supply to the three phase AC supply for traction motors. Each converter supplies the motors on two axles of a bogie, providing for individual bogie control. All auxiliary power is supplied by separate 1 MW auxiliary units, one per traction head, consisting of two pairs of parallel switched IGBTbased converter modules acting as rectifiers between one main transformer winding and the 670 V DC head end power. The VVVF inverters for the motor and converter cooling fans and the air compressor, the constant voltage constant frequency inverters for the cab air conditioning, the battery charge, the on board AC supply and the oil pumps are connected to the head end power within the auxiliary unit. The pantograph, supplied by Austrian company Melecs MWW, is a standard type certified for 350 km/h and also used on Deutsche Bahns ICE S experimental and test train, the Siemens Velaro highspeed train family, and the China Railways CRH2.
The trains are essentially modified TGV sets,and can operate at up to 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph) on high speed lines, and 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) in the Channel Tunnel.It is possible to exceed the 300kilometre per hour speed limit, but only with special permission from the safety authorities in the respective country.Speed limits in the Channel Tunnel are dictated by air resistance, energy dissipation and the need to fit in with other, slower trains. The trains were designed with Channel Tunnel safety in mind, and consist of two independent half sets each with its own power car. In the event of a serious fire on board while travelling through the tunnel, passengers would be transferred into the undamaged half of the train, which would then be detached and driven out of the tunnel to safety.If the undamaged part were the rear half of the train, this would be driven by the Chef du Train, who is a fully authorised driver and occupies the rear driving cab while the train travels through the tunnel for this purpose. As 27 of the 31 Inter Capital sets are sufficient to operate the service, four are currently used by SNCF for domestic TGV services one of these regularly operates a Paris
The trains are essentially modified TGV sets,and can operate at up to 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph) on high speed lines, and 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) in the Channel Tunnel.It is possible to exceed the 300kilometre per hour speed limit, but only with special permission from the safety authorities in the respective country.Speed limits in the Channel Tunnel are dictated by air resistance, energy dissipation and the need to fit in with other, slower trains. The trains were designed with Channel Tunnel safety in mind, and consist of two independent half sets each with its own power car. In the event of a serious fire on board while travelling through the tunnel, passengers would be transferred into the undamaged half of the train, which would then be detached and driven out of the tunnel to safety.If the undamaged part were the rear half of the train, this would be driven by the Chef du Train, who is a fully authorised driver and occupies the rear driving cab while the train travels through the tunnel for this purpose. As 27 of the 31 Inter Capital sets are sufficient to operate the service, four are currently used by SNCF for domestic TGV services one of these regularly operates a Paris
15. Germans Transrapid TR 09
A monorail technically which uses maglev technology and connects Sanghai to Pudong International Airport. It is the advanced design of TR08 with huge development and luxury and a latest invention which has maximum speed with minimum power consumption and least maintenance requirement. It has implemented a special measure to reduce the interior noise level in the train. It has excellent chair coach with utmost luxury and comfort a transrapid system does not allow any direct competition. It is so very well equipped with modern technologies that it can make passenger connections even in geographically challenged surrounding.Transrapid is a German high speed monorail train using magnetic levitation based on a 1934 patent. Planning for the Transrapid system started in 1969 with a test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany completed in 1987. In 1991, technical readiness for application was approved by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in cooperation with renowned universities.The super speed Transrapid maglev system has no wheels, no axles, no gear transmissions, no steel rails, and no overhead electrical pantographs. The maglev vehicles do not roll on wheels rather, they hover above the track guideway, using the attractive magnetic force between two linear arrays of electromagnetic coils one side of the coil on the vehicle, the other side in the track guideway, which function together as a magnetic dipole. During levitation and travelling operation, the Transrapid maglev vehicle floats on a frictionless magnetic cushion with no physical contact whatsoever with the track guideway. Onboard vehicle electronic systems measure the dipole gap distance 100,000 times per second to guarantee the clearance between the coils attached to the underside of the guideway and the magnetic portion of the vehicle wrapped around the guideway edges. With this precise, constantly updated electronic control, the dipole gap remains nominally constant at 10 millimetres. When levitated, the maglev vehicle has about 15 centimetres of clearance above the guideway surface.The Transrapid maglev system uses a synchronous longstator linear motor for both propulsion and braking. It works like a rotating electric motor whose stator is unrolled along the underside of the guideway, so that instead of producing torque it produces a linear force along its length. The electromagnets in the maglev vehicle that lift it also work as the equivalent of the excitation portion of this linear electric motor. Since the magnetic travelling field only works in one direction, if there were to be several maglev trains on a given track section, they would all travel in the same direction thereby reducing the possibility of collision between moving trains.
Compared to classical railway lines, Transrapid allows higher speeds and gradients with lower wear and tear and even lower energy consumption and maintenance needs. The Transrapid track is more flexible, and therefore more easily adapted to specific geographical circumstances than a classical train system. Cargo is restricted to a maximum payload of 15 tonnes (14.8 long tons; 16.5 short tons) per car. Transrapids allows maximum speeds of 550 km/h (342 mph), placing it between conventional High Speed Trains (200
Compared to classical railway lines, Transrapid allows higher speeds and gradients with lower wear and tear and even lower energy consumption and maintenance needs. The Transrapid track is more flexible, and therefore more easily adapted to specific geographical circumstances than a classical train system. Cargo is restricted to a maximum payload of 15 tonnes (14.8 long tons; 16.5 short tons) per car. Transrapids allows maximum speeds of 550 km/h (342 mph), placing it between conventional High Speed Trains (200
16. Tashkent Samarkand Uzbekistan
The Tashkent to Samarkand high speed rail line is a 344 kilometre (214 mi) high speed rail connection between Tashkent and Samarkand the two largest Uzbek cities. The route passes through four provinces: Tashkent, Sirdaryo, Jizzakh and Samarqand in Uzbekistan. Trains operate seven days a week under the brand Afrosiyob.Construction began on the line on March 11, 2011, with completion planned for later that year at a cost of roughly $70 million.The line includes both new and rebuilt trackage, as well as adding modern signaling systems to the route.In addition to building trackage capable of supporting high speed service, some track of lower standards was built to the cities of Bukhara and Khiva as part of the project.The 344 kilometres (214 mi) high speed line is capable of speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph), with a total travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand of about two hours.The line was planned to open for commercial operation in September 2011,but suffered from delays.
Two trainsets for operation on the line were ordered in November 2009 from Talgo at a cost of38 million.The cost of the purchase was split between operator Ozbekiston Temir Yollari and a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan. The first trainset, a Talgo 250, was delivered to Tashkent on July 22, 2011, with a second following in September. Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car. The train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on August 26, 2011.Commercial service started on October 8, 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob. Initially, total travel time was still more than two and half hours but services were upgraded to five times a week in January 2012, and daily services started one month later.The passenger capacity of an electric train is 257 people. The train consists of two locomotives and 9 comfortable nonsmoking passenger carriages (2 VIP class carriages, 2 Business class carriages, 4 Economy class carriages and 1 dining carriage
Two trainsets for operation on the line were ordered in November 2009 from Talgo at a cost of38 million.The cost of the purchase was split between operator Ozbekiston Temir Yollari and a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan. The first trainset, a Talgo 250, was delivered to Tashkent on July 22, 2011, with a second following in September. Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car. The train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on August 26, 2011.Commercial service started on October 8, 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob. Initially, total travel time was still more than two and half hours but services were upgraded to five times a week in January 2012, and daily services started one month later.The passenger capacity of an electric train is 257 people. The train consists of two locomotives and 9 comfortable nonsmoking passenger carriages (2 VIP class carriages, 2 Business class carriages, 4 Economy class carriages and 1 dining carriage
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