On
a recent Acela ride to Boston I tried to explain to a seat-mate why our high
speed train was alternately crawling along at 45 miles per hour in Metro-North
territory, then screaming northward at 125 beyond New Haven. I told him (a visitor from Switzerland used
to amazing rail service) that a railroad is a great example of “gestalt”… that
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
THE TRAIN: We
focus a lot on the age and capabilities of our rail engines and passenger cars
in defining a railroad. Sure, Acela is
the fastest train in North America, running an average 125 mph in many areas
between Washington and Boston. But it is
capable of much higher speeds, recently being tested
at 165 mph in nighttime runs in New Jersey.
Even Metro-North’s old cars, let alone the new M8’s, can easily cruise
at 90 mph. I say “can” because they are
capable of those speeds. But there are too many other components of a railroad
that often make such speeds undesirable for comfort or safety.
THE TRACK: Even Acela has
a hard time in Connecticut because
of old track and a century old right-of-way. (Think of running a Lamborghini on a
pot-holed local road.)
The
track must be strong enough to support heavy trains. In most places, track is welded for a smooth
ride, avoiding the clickety-clack sound as trains ride over the joints.
The
track sits on and is attached to a base plate which in turn sits on a tie, or
sleeper. For centuries these ties have
been made of treated wood, but increasingly are built with concrete. The ties sit on a roadbed or ballast, usually
crushed stone, which distributes the weight of the train above while still
allowing drainage. All of this requires maintenance and regular replacement of
worn ties and rail to keep a smooth ride.
This
is why even Metro-North’s newest cars bounce and creak as they ride along. The rough ride isn’t the fault of the train
but the roadbed.
And
because our “right of way” follows the coastline, our tracks curve and bank as
they meander along, causing further slowdowns just for the physics of the
run. The line from NYC to Boston has so
many curves that a train makes the equivalent of six complete circles on that
route.
THE SIGNALS: Even the fastest trains in the world
running on the newest and smoothest roadbed can’t keep up speed without knowing
that the track ahead is clear. And at
125 to 250 mph (US and world-class definitions of High Speed Rail), that
requires a signal system that knows the location of every train within a matter
of inches.
Like
our century-old right-of-way, the ancient signal system on Metro-North is what’s
preventing us from running trains at faster speeds and shorter headways (the
time or distance between trains).
All
US railroads are also struggling to meet a 2015 Federal mandate of “positive
train control”, meaning that a train that runs through a red signal would be
automatically stopped.
THE POWER: Whether
Metro-North or Amtrak, our trains need power which comes in the form of
electricity pulled from overhead wire, or catenary, some of which is almost a
century old. The railroad and CDOT are
midway through a 30-year, multi-million dollar plan to update all of that
wiring while still running a full complement of trains each day. It’s like trying to change a fan-belt on a moving
car.
So
the next time you’re riding the train, give thought to the many components that
make for a smooth, comfortable, speedy and safe trip. The whole is truly more than the sum of its
parts.
