2007-06-24 09:03:55 · 5 answers · asked by cmann0125 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Rail
Never! The French have proven, over and over, that steel wheels can do everything maglev can do, at a fraction of the cost. ALL of the major high-speed systems are going in with steel wheels. Shinkansen, TGV, AVE, Eurostar, ICE, X2000, Acela, etc.
Maglev track is very, very expensive compared to regular high-speed track, because of the special magnets. But here's the real killer: How do you get into cities? Maglevs can't use existing railroad track. Imagine a Boston-Washington maglev line, you'd have to spend billions just for the land to cross Manhattan and build a station! But the steel-wheel train will just use the existing Penn Station and approaches.
With steel-rail high speed, older lines can also be upgraded "incrementally" bit by bit, until they are high-speed.
2007-06-25 11:47:46 · answer #1 · answered by Wolf Harper 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO. Horribly expensive and requires a track that would not be usable except by very specialized equipment. For a mile of maglev track we could spend the same $$ and upgrade lots of current Amtrack services. Not a wise expenditure unless we have a LOT more ridership.
2007-06-24 14:35:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The quick answer is no, the service is simply too expensive to build and maintain and its economic advantages have not been proven to other forms already in service such as diesel-electrics and electrics.
2007-06-24 09:11:55 · answer #3 · answered by Alco83 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hell no, look at the state amtraks in now,
2007-06-24 10:36:44 · answer #4 · answered by 1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I should think, not in God's lifetime.
2007-06-24 12:00:12 · answer #5 · answered by Samurai Hoghead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋