Monday, June 27, 2011

Double-Decker 248 MPH Train Concept Could Connect Melbourne and Sydney

hassell australia high-speed train photo
Photo: Hassell

We Can Dream, Can't We?
The Australian Federal Government is about to release the results of a big study in the feasibility of building a national high-speed rail network. Design firm Hassell (can't they make a better website than that?) has taken up this opportunity to unveil a concept design for a very slick double-decker high-speed train that could link Melbourne and Sydney and do the trip in less than three hours. Keep reading for more photos and a video.

hassell australia high-speed train photo
Photo: Hassell

The Melbourne-Sydney air corridor is one of the busiest in the world, so there's a great opportunity to displace more polluting air travel with something that is not only greener, but also more comfortable and convenient (planes are fast, but airports are slow and a pain in the...).

hassell australia high-speed train photo
Photo: Hassell

I'm not necessarily saying that the Hassell train is the solution. It's just a concept, and likely to remain so. But it's useful because it shows us what a modern train could look like .

Linking big population centers with modern high-speed rail can make a lot of sense. There's a big investment at first to build the railway and buy the trains, which is why it probably only makes sense between larger cities (at first anyway), but once that's paid for, the system last a really long time and can becomes the backbone of the transportation infrastructure (like in Japan or in some parts of Europe).

Via Discovery News, SMH

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