Is the CA high speed rail line supposed to run on electrified Caltrains tracks?

[homersimpson101]

If the California high speed rail is going from San Jose to San Francisco, would it run on the same electrified tracks of Caltrains, or will there be a dedicated underground tunnel or aerial trackway?

 

[joelkfla]

Everything I've seen says the same tracks, and that was one of the justifications for the electrification. There are plans to build a tunnel from the current CalTrain terminal in SF to the Sales Force Transit Center, or whatever they're calling the East Bay Terminal these days.

 

[homersimpson101]

Everything I've seen says the same tracks, and that was one of the justifications for the electrification. There are plans to build a tunnel from the current CalTrain terminal in SF to the Sales Force Transit Center, or whatever they're calling the East Bay Terminal these days.

How would the high speed rail line avoid railroad crossings and overcrowding from Caltrains running on the same track?

 

[zephyr17]

Yes, that's the plan

 

[Tlcooper44]

How would the high speed rail line avoid railroad crossings and overcrowding from Caltrains running on the same track?

As things currently stand, I believe there is enough capacity to support more trains per hour on the double track mainline.

Grade crossings do not prohibit high speed trains, as long as they’re not over a certain speed (110mph?).

 

[MARC Rider]

As things currently stand, I believe there is enough capacity to support more trains per hour on the double track mainline.

Grade crossings do not prohibit high speed trains, as long as they’re not over a certain speed (110mph?).

The Acela runs through grade crossings on parts of the NEC in Connecticut.

 

[jis]

The Acela runs through grade crossings on parts of the NEC in Connecticut.

The speed limit at those grade crossings is 110mph or less.

 

[joelkfla]

How would the high speed rail line avoid railroad crossings and overcrowding from Caltrains running on the same track?

High Speed Rail trains can run at lower speeds, too. It's common in Europe for HSR to run on dedicated fully protected lines for parts of a trip, and on traditional lines at lower speeds for other parts.