Uzbekistan has better high speed rail than Australia

[Mattg]

I’m currently sitting on a high-speed train from Tashkent to Samarkand and I’m seriously impressed.
The 306km trip takes just over two hours aboard a comfortable, modern train built in Spain.



Admittedly, the air-conditioning could be a little better (it’s the middle of summer here) but there’s wifi and an entertainment portal for streaming to your own device.

I booked a “business class” ticket for less than AUD20 and they’ve just served everyone in this carriage a complimentary snack bag with tea or coffee. Other snacks and drinks are available for purchase.



I’m completely serious when I say that this service is light years ahead of what we have in Australia for long-distance train travel.

 

[WilsonM]

How busy was the train in business class?
And also fear not, our new High Speed Rail Authority will ensure our own high-speed rail will be studied once more. Can't wait for the upgrades to the Sydney-Newcastle link to be shelved once again.

 

[Mattg]

Holy smokes, a guy just came down the aisle with a tray of mojitos for sale. (I assume they’re non-alcoholic.)

Also, the air conditioning seems to have kicked in now and it’s a pleasant temperature on board.

How busy was the train in business class?

The train is 100% full. (There are allocated seats so it’s not sold beyond capacity.)

 

[SydneySwan]

Uzbekistan has better high speed rail than Australia​

Why are none of use surprised?

 

[Scarlett]

~35 million people in Uzbekistan and a government that is allowed to build as many vanity projects as it wants without considering the economic return… I’m not surprised either.

Also, complete speculation, but I’d suggest any EIS that was conducted wouldn’t have added an extra $5billion in cost, to route around the habitat of the lesser spotted frog…

 

[Ade]

route around the habitat of the lesser spotted frog…

I normally won't get the references like this - but I'm now watching the Netflix show "Utopia" - it's about NBA (National Building Authority) that oversees any capital projects in AU and the HSR between MEL and BNE features in a few episodes and the environment, flora & fauna assessment carried on lists some endangered grass and frogs etc which will be affected if the rail line was given the green light. Very apt.

 

[RooFlyer]

Holy smokes, a guy just came down the aisle with a tray of mojitos for sale. (I assume they’re non-alcoholic.)

Uzbekistan has a pretty liberal policy on booze - especially vodka!

 

[SydneySwan]

Also, complete speculation, but I’d suggest any EIS that was conducted wouldn’t have added an extra $5billion in cost, to route around the habitat of the lesser spotted frog…

Are there any frogs in Uzbekistan ................ or did previous vanity projects wipe them out?

 

[jb747]

So, it's about half the size of NSW, but with a population that's 50% greater than all of Oz.

 

[CaptJCool]

since when did Dave flog off Uz Coffee??

View attachment 334082

I’m completely serious when I say that this service is light years ahead of what we have in Australia for long-distance train travel.

and Buzz lightyear's ahead

Spain Train Talgo

Adelaide-Melbourne fast train service on Spanish company's wishlist - InDaily

A Spanish high-speed train manufacturer proposing a passenger rail trial between the Adelaide Hills and city is also interested in running a service between Adelaide and Melbourne, South Australia’s transport chief says.

indaily.com.au

 

[Austman]

I think it's been pretty well established that if fast trains can't link two cities in 2 hours or less then flights are a competitor.

So where are the cities in Australia that can be linked by fast trains in 2 hours or less?

Maybe there are some.

But not BNE-SYD-MEL.

The trains would need to be capable of 500 Km/h.

 

[WilsonM]

I think it's been pretty well established that if fast trains can't link two cities in 2 hours or less then flights are a competitor.

So where are the cities in Australia that can be linked by fast trains in 2 hours or less?

Maybe there are some.

But not BNE-SYD-MEL.

The trains would need to be capable of 500 Km/h.

SYD-NTL, SYD-CBR or maybe MEL-CBR seem like the only decent options. They're the only major population centres where substantial time wouldn't be lost if you caught a train. Uzbekistan also doesn't seem to have the entrenched air corridors that Aus has, although this is just speculation

 

[CaptJCool]

I think it's been pretty well established that if fast trains can't link two cities in 2 hours or less then flights are a competitor.

So where are the cities in Australia that can be linked by fast trains in 2 hours or less?

Canberra - Sydney

Sydney to Newcastle

Perth - Bunbury

Brisbane - Rockhampton

Melbourne - Bendigo (Albury?)

Adelaide to Nowhere - the Adelaide Hills have over 200 metres (660 feet) curves and 1 in 45 grades and the last upgrade in the 1920s saw the long tunnel we have today replace two shorter tunnels and two viaducts!

the current malady is most the currently used and existing rail-links were laid in another era when the main consideraation was following the geographical contours so tracks are curvy as they go from point to point to avoid building as many cuttings or bridges as is feasible.
bit of a discussion on this at The Range Railway History – DownsSteam Tourist Railway and Museum

at least WE DON'T have this problem

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/30/us/chicago-train-tracks-fire-trnd/index.html

 

[jb747]

So, you find some routes, and then presumably, it would be nice if they were economically viable. For reasons I'll never understand, no Australian governments have ever curtailed the expansions of Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane to kick start other cities. Then we might have a spread such that trains might be more viable.

As for Canberra, you'd only need trains leaving...

 

[drron]

I think it's been pretty well established that if fast trains can't link two cities in 2 hours or less then flights are a competitor.

So where are the cities in Australia that can be linked by fast trains in 2 hours or less?

Maybe there are some.

But not BNE-SYD-MEL.

The trains would need to be capable of 500 Km/h.

So it has to be the Japanese Maglev. the first line is being built now. top speed will be 505 Km/h.

Chūō Shinkansen - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Or the Chinese new maglevs that can get to 600Km/h.

World's speediest 600 km/h maglev rolls off assembly line in E.China’s Qingdao - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

Well we can always dream.

 

[Quickstatus]

The problem with a comparison like this is that:
1) Uzbekistan Govt represses public assembly, political opposition, and the media
2) It is a small country about half the size of NSW so the population density is a lot higher.

As a result of 1) there is no dissent or complaints.
A lot can be done in a country with limited civil rights - both good and bad.
Singapore is an example of the good that can be done when there was/is a functional one party government with little effective opposition

But not BNE-SYD-MEL.

Even Syd-Mel would not be 2 hrs unless it is non stop.
But every town along the way will want a train station and a stop
A non stop train only benefits the city populations and the regional towns would complain they are also paying for it but for no benefit.
And every landowner will not want the train going through their land.

no Australian governments have ever curtailed the expansions of Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane to kick start other cities

Forget about high speed rail. There is not even local rail/bus
There is large regional developments such as along the newcastle-singleton corridor. Around Greta is a building boom, Wagga as well
However, they are still allowing the urban sprawl (in this case crawl) and in the above cases, with no obvious planning for local bus rail public transportation.
Instead of upgrading the Greta-newcastle train line and putting in a spur for Sydney they built the Hunter expressway.
Wagga is a sprawling city with new developments occuring north at CSU Wagga connected only by a single lane each way bridge along the Olympic Highway. No public transportation exists along that corridor. Instead of building local rail they are now thinking of widening the bridge.

 

[stm1sydney]

Uzbekistan has a pretty liberal policy on booze - especially vodka!

And Uzbek vodka is actually pretty decent. Not to mention cheap as!