Many people post the meme of high-speed trains from all over the world, comparing them to the dowdy old Genesis series locomotives and 1970’s coaches in use on American passenger rail. They miss the fact that the overwhelming majority of rolling stock even in countries with well developed high speed rail networks is considerably more humble than the flagship trains. I will keep track of some links and sources to show this here.
Keep in mind also, I’m focusing on passenger trains. I’m not touching on freight rolling stock, which is the majority of rail equipment everywhere, and is decidedly some butt-ugly stuff wherever you find it.
First, some enterprising Wikipedian has compiled a list of high speed trains around the world here:
These trains are the flagships. The cream of the crop. As much as they are the bragging rights, much more humble trains do the bulk of the actual work of moving people around in their day to day lives.
United States:
People seem to forget that the United States does have a high speed train, of sorts. The Acela. It uses technology derived from the TGV, adapted to US regulations. The problem is that the Acela shares track with freight and slower commuter trains, so the sections of its route where it can go its full speed are limited.
Needless to say, the overwhelming majority of railroad rolling stock in the United States is much more humble. The problematic Genesis series locomotives come prominently to mind.
Amtrak has 20 Acela trainsets, and 321 Genesis series locomotives, so obviously the dowdy old Genesis units do the bulk of the work.
France:
First, there’s the obvious, the European high speed train that railfans everywhere love, the TGV.
What they forget, is that the TGV isn’t simply a train, but a whole family of trains in 7 classes, and I would go so far as to say a technology that has affected high speed train development worldwide. All of the current high speed rail that I am aware of is either TGV influenced or TGV derived, including the Acela in the United States.
In addition to the TGV, there are other classes of trains running all over France in more conventional categories.
An improvement to France's inter-city rail services was initiated by prime minister Mr Jean-Marc Ayrault in July when he said that the France would replace its entire inter-city train fleet by 2025, prompting a shift away from investment in high-speed to the conventional network.
The French have 550 TGV trainsets in 7 classes. But they have over 2000 trainsets in more conventional classes, notably Corail. They’re slated to be replaced by more modern trains over the next decade, but they have the same kind of dowdy looking rolling stock of the Genesis locomotives.
The Corail trains are decidedly dowdy looking. Even the new trains, behind the swoopy looking cab, will be similar conventional DEMU technology.
So far I haven’t touched trains further down the food chain, like commuter, local, tram, and subway systems, of which France has a lot. Again, much more dowdy looking than the TGV trains.
Germany:
The flagship of the German rail rolling stock is the InterCityExpress, or ICE train, which has 5 classes of rolling stock.
Some of the lines between Germany and France share assets with the TGV.
As in France, there are far more of the more humble Regional Express trains, which are actually more important to rail travel than the flashy high speed rolling stock.
Further down the food chain is the Regionalbahn.
Unlike France, in which most of the railroad is operated by a national organization, in Germany the regionals are operated by franchise holders, each of which is responsible for its own equipment.
Yet further down the food chain is the S-Bahn, which is sort of a suburban commuter train, and links in with metro services inside city centers.
And, finally, the U-Bahn, or what we would call “subway”.
Japan:
The high speed train fans just LOVE Japan, because they originated the concept with their Shinkansen trains in the 1960’s. They had a 15 year head start on anyone else building high speed trains.
A lot of current worldwide high speed train technology makes use of Hitachi A-train technology.
In 1987 the assets of the Japanese National Railways were taken over by a consortium of 7 private corporations. Each of them is responsible for operating and maintaining its own rolling stock.
Again we see that the high speed trains are the cream of the crop, but more humble trains do the bulk of the work. The Tokyo Metro System alone has 2702 EMU trainsets. The 1000 series and 5000 series are square, blocky looking things that are anything but sexy.
Of the other railways, Hanshin Electric Railway is one.
Look at their rolling stock. They have some butt-ugly equipment. Decidedly non-sexy.
Another is the Tobu Railway. They are the second largest operator after Tokyo Metro. They have 1970 EMU trainsets, and again, some squared off, chunky looking equipment
Comments
- Dana A. Snowden Compared to the dowdy Genesis units, the TGVs have proven themselves to be a bit more reliable because of the support they have gotten throughout their service lives, which says a lot about the investments put into them. The TGV and other European counterparts are all results of progressive and proactive thinking, not necessarily smart investing, but wise budgeting. I'm sure you already know the signalling on the tracks are much more simplified and advanced compared to the U.S., and this discussion alone makes me want to get my ass over to Europe and just ride the rails all over. -chuckle- :)
- Alan Petrillo The point remains the same. France has 4 times as many dowdy looking putt-putt trains as it does TGV trains. Even the TGV trains can't operate at their full speed everywhere, because in places they share conventional rail with freight lines.
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