Michael Dunning/Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
With the price and inconvenience of air travel, people are undoubtedly taking a second look at the train as a method of transportation. While trains have traditionally been the airliners second ugly cousin named "Moley" over the past few decades, the introduction of the (TGV) Train A Grande Vitesse and Japanese Maglev has introduced quite the plastic surgery miracle to good old Moley.
The French Bullet train known as the TGV successfully achieved a world record run of 357 mph a few months back, proving to be one of the fastest trains in history. Japan has also been working on a new rail system called the Maglev that will be capable of transporting its travelers at speeds of up to 310 mph, although it has achieved a top speed record of 361 back in 2003.
With speeds like this, trains today are no longer all that much slower than taking a plane, especially if you consider the long security lines and delays associated with air travel. Brazil, Argentina, China, and the United States have all expressed interested in expanding on this technology, but with the initial price tag topping off at over $40 Billion, it is not exactly something that these nations can put on their Christmas list, unless taxpayers are feeling extra generous.
Such technology and speeds of these new trains are accomplished through the use of two 25,000 horsepower electric engines. Keep in mind, their diesel train forefathers are not only much heavier than electric, but also out-powered by these motors by as much as 20,000 horsepower in some cases.
Do these trains produce all that much less of a carbon footprint than a plane or road vehicle. Well, that all depends on several factors. It depends on where the train is sourcing is electricity. If it is getting it through a renewable power plant, we could be talking close to zero carbon. If it is through a coal-fire plant, we would be talking much higher.
It also depends on the number of passengers on each train. If a train was a little over half full, it might be comparable to the emissions of each passenger driving a small hybrid, and if the people were packed like sardines (as they have been known to do in Japan), you'd be looking at an extremely minimal carbon footprint per sardine.
The train is definitely making a comeback and some would say that a few of the other nations, including the US, should follow along in these low carbon footsteps. But with new technology surfacing in both the airliners and hybrids, it might be a flip of a coin as to where this money would be best spent.
This post was inspired by MEAN GREEN MACHINES.
-
- {}
