Back in ’07, this blog noted that a potential development in the resurgence of global rail could be a Bering Strait tunnel between Alaska and Russia for oil, gas and rail transport. Such a venture, which has been envisioned for some time, would require United States participation for the critical connection between Siberia and Alaska.
Proposition 1A is a $10 billion bond measure for high-speed rail in California. The biggest single infrastructure project ever built in the US, the 800 mile high-speed rail line would link northern and southern California.
Well, another area of cooperation between the Greenhouse Giants (Ho,ho,ho, Andy Revkin) would seem to be rail transport. Green Car Congress informs that General Electric and China’s Ministry of Railways has signed a strategic MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) to advance opportunities for development of HSR (High-Speed Rail) in the US. “This collaboration will allow GE Transportation to be the first US locomotive manufacturer to more effectively compete for high-speed rail projects against global competitors.”
By global competition with General Electric for HSR contracts in U.S., one presumes not only Japan and the European Union, already famous for their HSR, but also Canada. Canada was home to Bombadier, and, more impotantly, active participation by Canadian railway interests would be necessary to connect the Siberia-Alaska tunnel to the main U.S. West Coast route, plus Canada has the existing main route East. And, one also presumes that China is other than a global competitor, even though China is developing high-speed rail that will run at 380 kph (236 mph) along parts of the 1,318-km (819-mile) run* between Beijing and Shanghai. And, China is growing as a global competitor in renewable energy and passenger cars.
*Note: A general rule of thumb: trains beat planes in terms of speed for inter-city routes when the distance is less than 1500 km.
While GE currently is the world leader in locomotive diesel-electric and electronic control systems technology, China currently is a leader in high-speed rail technology for speeds of 220 miles per hour. Working together, both parties could develop the best solutions faster to serve America’s high-speed rail needs for many years to come.
—Tim Schweikert, President of GE Transportation China
About 90 per cent of people that travel between Paris and London go by Eurostar, the high-speed rail between the two cities.
More than $13 billion will be spent over the next five years to support higher- and high-speed rail infrastructure development in the United States. Over the next three years, China will invest about $300 billion into its railways infrastructure, expanding its network by more than 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles), including 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) of track designed for high-speed trains capable of traveling up to 220 miles per hour.
GE currently is working with China’s largest diesel locomotive manufacturing company, CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co., Ltd., to provide China’s Ministry of Railways with the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and low-emissions diesel-electric, heavy-haul locomotive available to date. More than 100 of these locomotives already have been placed in revenue service by the MOR.
See also “Chinese Railways enter a new, High-speed era (PDF)”
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- High-speed rail advocates say $8B is just a start (sfgate.com)
- High-Speed Rail (technologyreview.com)
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