The front of the train has a reptilian profile somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese Shinkansen. The inspiration for the new design is undoubtedly also of an entomological nature, as evidenced by the black headlights and the large glass surface of the cabin, reminiscent of a hornet or a wasp, except that the yellow of the insect is replaced by an immaculate white.
But aesthetic considerations were probably not the main reason. According to its manufacturer Alstom, the sharp aerodynamics of the new TGV enables it to "consume 20 per cent less energy and reduce its CO2 emissions by 32 per cent". Unlike previous incarnations of the TGV, It will be possible to adjust the size of the trains according to requirements by adding or removing cars as needed.
The same applies to the interior of the cars, where the spaces can be quickly reconfigured. The "TGV M" will be 97 per cent recyclable, compared with 90 per cent for current generations. The SNCF, which participated in its development, also estimates that its maintenance costs will be 30 per cent lower. The first trains will be operational at the end of the first quarter of Deliveries will be made until To counteract the popular misconception that the TGV would be another premium service for business travelers, SNCF started a major publicity campaign focusing on the speed, frequency, reservation policy, normal price, and broad accessibility of the service.
This commitment to a democratized TGV service was further enhanced in the Mitterrand socialist era with the promotional slogan "Progress means nothing unless it is shared by all". The trains became widely popular, the public welcoming fast and practical travel. Further LGVs have opened later.
The Eurostar service began operation in , connecting continental Europe to London via the Channel Tunnel with a version of the TGV designed for use in the tunnel and in the United Kingdom. Looking at the train itself, the most striking aspect is the aerodynamic styling of the nose. The results of the data are shown below. The results show that values ranging anywhere between 2, and 4, kilometers and possibly higher are possible for maximum K values, based on the strength of the R-squared and t-stat numbers.
However, plans by the French government plans for up to 4, km of total track in the years ahead [BBC news article]. Based on the strength of the results from the regression analysis, the future saturation limit of HSR in France is difficult to predict based in the chronology of past construction. Analyzing the future effects of privatization and investment in future HSR service in France is difficult, particularly during the current global financial crisis, and the high volatility in oil prices around the globe.
As markets open up to competition, the playing field around HSR is bound to get more interesting. The consortium of state-owned operators like Eurostar and Thalys may soon have to operate alongside other service providers, including new entrants to the market.
With the decline of short-haul air travel, airlines like Air France have considered entering the HSR market, with one ticket offering connecting service between air and rail. In this scenario, rail and air travel may become as much complementary modes as they do competitive modes. In the interest of improving the operations and management of HSR across borders, the 7 HSR providers in Europe have formed a marketing alliance called Railteam.
This alliance is similar to partnerships between airlines in terms of marketing and sales, such as KLM and Delta. High-speed rail operators sought to create a booking system that would allow travellers to purchase tickets across multiple providers, and receive a comparable level of service, regardless of which train they traveled on. These efforts were abandoned in late , when it was determined that the policies of each individual service provider were too difficult and expensive to bring together.
One of the main goals in this alliance was not necessarily to develop or expand upon the physical technology of HSR, but to develop a single Europe-wide booking system to improve efficiency. This service would make it possible to book travel anywhere across Europe with a single ticket, in place of separate transactions required for international travel with exceptions for travel on Thalys or Eurostar lines.
Due to increasing costs and complexities of creating this system, the project was scrapped in Attempting to bridge differences in pricing and service policy between individual countries has made providing joint service difficult. However, customers and workers in each country are accustomed to how their respective systems operate. Whereas France uses a demand-based pricing system with required reservations, Germany uses a fixed-price system, and reservations are not required. These differences have proven difficult for the two parties to resolve.
Additionally, labor rules differ between the two countries further complicate matters between the separate operators. While a complete agreement has yet to take shape, SNCF and DB are working to bridge these gaps incrementally over time.
As the HSR rail system grows throughout Europe, technological advances will continue to improve the quality of service provided on the rail infrastructure itself. With the HSR market being opened up to competition through privatization, innovation will further grow the network over time.
Modern Railways : October Department of Transport UK. Retrieved 7 October Chen, Xueming June Strohl, Mitchell P. Westport, CT. ISBN X. Economist : Breaking Travel News. BBC News. But he warned in an interview in Le Monde that France — often portrayed abroad as the model for modern rail travel — was in danger of going too fast in the construction of fast lines.
If it was not careful, it would shunt the TGV idea into an economic siding, he warned. As a result, standard TGV fares have soared up by per cent in the last decade, compared to around 30 per cent for car and plane travel.
We risk having longer and longer high-speed lines which are used less and less. There are lessons here for Britain's own high-speed railway plans, but not necessarily negative ones. The proposed new line to Birmingham and, eventually, the North of England and Scotland will link an even bigger series of conurbations. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?
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