homersimpson101
Train Attendant
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?
Is the CA high speed rail line supposed to run on electrified Caltrains tracks?
- Thread starter homersimpson101
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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
Train Attendant
How would the high speed rail line avoid railroad crossings and overcrowding from Caltrains running on the same track?
Yes, that's the plan
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
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The speed limit at those grade crossings is 110mph or less.
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.
Yes CAHSR will be sharing 2-4 tracks with Caltrain from Gilroy to San Francisco. More quad track, signaling work and high level platforms will be required before CAHSR can use the corridor.
They aren't going to be avoiding grade crossings they are just going to run at 110mph top speed. CAHSR has decided to let caltrain do a bunch without them involved because they are so expensive when NIMBYs and local governments try an force a design.
Given the mixed stopping patterns there is some capacity but not a ton, and past 6 or 8tph each direction they'll need to do some major work to increase signaling capacity.
above 90mph all crossings must have quad gates and above 110mph but below 125mph a custom design is needed which can stop a truck at speed without overhanging into the loading gauge. Everyone views that as a massive pain so consider 110mph the top speed of a line with crossings.
