The recent earthquake off the coast of Japan derailed a high-speed train and forced East Japan Railway to shut down the rail line. Fixing the line, the company admitted, may take “a considerable amount of time.”
Highways are generally more resilient than trains. They usually provide alternate routes if one route is damaged and roads are easier to fix than railroads, especially high-speed rail lines that must be built to high-precision standards. Fortunately, no one in the United States would build a high-speed rail line in an earthquake zone, right?
Only 96 passengers were on board? What’s the capacity of one of those trains?
By your logic we shouldn’t build bridges and highway overpasses in Earthquake zones…..
When the 1989 Loma Prieta quake hit; 63 people died.
42 of which died on the Cypress Street Viaduct collapsed. But hey at least we can drive around it.
https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/5624680_101619-kgo-buckhelms-bridge-collapse-img_Image_00-00-00,03.jpg?w=1600
Due to cost overruns, the costs of the replacement freeway doubled from initial estimates of $650 million to $1.2 billion ($250 million per mile) making the five-mile freeway replacement the most expensive project in the state’s history at the time.
Japan’s infrastructure is a testament to remarkable engineering and steadfast dedication to perfection. In a country as heavily populated and with densities like Japan, accidents and natural disasters can kill thousands.
Over the Shinkansen’s 55 years history, carrying nearly 11 billion passengers, there has been not a single passenger fatality or injury on board due to derailments or collisions.
To operate at 140, 180, 220MPH requires absolute spot-on engineering and maintenance. The littlest of mistakes can be deadly at those speeds. To do that is very, very, very, very, very, very expensive.
The Japanese built excellent trains and subways….not just labor costs… but work ethic.
To quote Tom Cruises charactervin The Last Samurai….
“They are an intriguing people. From the moment they wake, they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline.”
In US it takes weeks just to repair a pothole the size of a skillet….if its repaired at all.
In Japan I witness them fill and repair a Sinkhole…..in a week.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t2KtwdGhkqw
“Only 96 passengers were on board? What’s the capacity of one of those trains?
” ~Henry Porter
From video of the train, looks like there are 5-6 passenger cars. The rule of thumb I’m aware of is 100 passengers per car for capacity.