Hyperloops in Canada

[MolsonExport]

I think it should be called what it really is: HypeLoop. Or, Pie-in-the-sky-Loop. Or, Loop-Line-and-Sinker.

Like some unmentionable forumer (forumers, as there is more than one) that poo-poos global warming as a fraud, or even if it exists, no worries, "we'll have the technology to completely reverse it" (which is a gigantic steaming pile of hypothetical horseshit).

[ssiguy]

Getting rid of all resistance via a vacuum tube makes theoretical sense but I don't see how it would be cost effective to say nothing of the obvious safety concerns.

What we also have to remember thou is that much of resistance is not only air but the track itself. This is one of the reasons why traditional HSR has such high operational costs........the wear on the wheels and the resulting wear on the carriage itself. This requires replacements and high maintenance costs.

This is where levitation shows it's strength. There are no wheels so there is no degradation resulting in much longer lifespan of the vehicles themselves, vastly lower electrical costs, a much smoother and quieter ride, and higher speeds........the trains have no moving parts.

The problem is the new track required but those costs are declining fast and especially in lightweight smaller vehicles. An excellent technology is a home grown one in Edmonton. www.magnovate.com just got a deal with the Toronto Zoo for it's new trains and it's not going to cost the Zoo a cent. This is how cheap the system is to build an yet has potential top speeds of 500km/hr.

This is to say nothing of the fact that monorails are the safest form of rail due to being grade separated and most of all, due to having a "wrap around" on one rail, derailments are almost impossible.

[milomilo]

Safety of any modern built railway is almost a non issue. There haven't been any passenger fatalities on the Shinkansen.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Getting rid of all resistance via a vacuum tube makes theoretical sense but I don't see how it would be cost effective to say nothing of the obvious safety concerns.

I agree with you, but I LOL'd when I read this knowing your views on Hydrogen.

Carry on.

[MolsonExport]

I've been on the Maglev in Shanghai many times. It gets up to an incredible 431km/hour normal cruising speed. It takes you from Pudong Int'l Airport to...Longyang Road Station, which, while not in the middle of nowhere, is still a fair distance (quite a few subway stops, on two lines) from the main city centre. It was supposed to go across the entire metro to Hongqiao Station (well, back when the latter was almost at the opposite end of the metro, but has since been engulfed), and then on to Hangzhou, but it never came to pass.

the maglev in Shanghai is mostly an attraction for the curious as it is made almost redundant by the subway connections (which are far cheaper, but then the maglev price is not very high from a foreigner's perspective used to the eye-watering cost of say, the Pearson Airport "Express").

[theman23]

I’m struggling to make sense of the Shanghai maglev. It only goes 30km, and connects the airport to a peripheral transit node. Surely that route would have been better served by more traditional rail. It’s also $10 CAD, which is actually expensive even for North American standards.

[Mister F]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I've been on the Maglev in Shanghai many times. It gets up to an incredible 431km/hour normal cruising speed. It takes you from Pudong Int'l Airport to...Longyang Road Station, which, while not in the middle of nowhere, is still a fair distance (quite a few subway stops, on two lines) from the main city centre. It was supposed to go across the entire metro to Hongqiao Station (well, back when the latter was almost at the opposite end of the metro, but has since been engulfed), and then on to Hangzhou, but it never came to pass.

the maglev in Shanghai is mostly an attraction for the curious as it is made almost redundant by the subway connections (which are far cheaper, but then the maglev price is not very high from a foreigner's perspective used to the eye-watering cost of say, the Pearson Airport "Express").

The UP Express is $9.25 one way. More expensive than it should be but hardly eye watering for an airport train.

[TorontoDrew]

$9.25 for a 24 minute trip worth it. Its better then 1.5 hours from the core on TTC on a good day. Its also better then the Skytrain from YVR to the core. The last thing you want after along fkight is getting crammed in a full subway with your luggage. Ive used the UP many times now and its never been more then a third full. Its a great way to start and end a day of travel.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

$9.25 for a 24 minute trip worth it. Its better then 1.5 hours from the core on TTC on a good day. Its also better then the Skytrain from YVR to the core. The last thing you want after along fkight is getting crammed in a full subway with your luggage. Ive used the UP many times now and its never been more then a third full. Its a great way to start and end a day of travel.

Also cheaper and faster than taxis, Ubers and downtown shuttles people used to take.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

$9.25 for a 24 minute trip worth it. Its better then 1.5 hours from the core on TTC on a good day. Its also better then the Skytrain from YVR to the core. The last thing you want after along fkight is getting crammed in a full subway with your luggage. Ive used the UP many times now and its never been more then a third full. Its a great way to start and end a day of travel.

What were they thinking with their initial pricing, if it is still so lightly used? The new pricing is fine but it is mind boggling that professionals would get the price so far off what it should be.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by milomilo

What were they thinking with their initial pricing, if it is still so lightly used? The new pricing is fine but it is mind boggling that professionals would get the price so far off what it should be.

They compared it to what the shuttle buses and taxis used to charge at the time.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Mister F

The UP Express is $9.25 one way. More expensive than it should be but hardly eye watering for an airport train.

Not to mention the UP express does what the Shanghai maglev doesn’t: it gets you into town.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

This is what I detest most about Hyperloop. It gave governments everywhere an excuse to cut back on investments in high speed rail. "Why invest $10 billion on HSR when Hyperloop is just around the corner with a tenth the price and double the speed?" And so many gullible folks bought it, just because Elon Musk's name was attached to it. Step up from fanboys who advocate for scrapping all intercity rail investment because self-driving cars are just around the corner....

What do you mean in your last sentence there? Do you consider self-driving cars to be pie in the sky as well?

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by logan5

What do you mean in your last sentence there? Do you consider self-driving cars to be pie in the sky as well?

Driverless cars are pie in the sky. To a lesser extent than Hyperloop. Notice how no one is talking about them any more, despite everyone thinking they were just around the corner 5 years ago?

[theman23]

Originally Posted by Mister F

The UP Express is $9.25 one way. More expensive than it should be but hardly eye watering for an airport train.

That’s actually cheaper than I remember. I last took it two years ago and was pretty happy with it, although I remember paying more. I think if you’re going into town alone, the UP express is probably the best transportation option. And at 10 bucks, it’s downright cheap. The Leonardo express I took was 15 euros in Rome, and the HK express train was about 20 bucks. The sky train in YVR costs $9, but is not an express and is a miserable experience after a long flight.

[harls]

I scrolled through the entire thread and not once did I see a reference to the Simpsons Monorail episode.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Driverless cars are pie in the sky.

Driverless cars are not pie in the sky, so I'm less inclined to believe the arguments posted here against hyperloop.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by logan5

Driverless cars are not pie in the sky, so I'm less inclined to believe the arguments posted here against hyperloop.

Where are they then? 5 years ago, people all thought they were just around the corner. Yet the hype has evaporated and we are seemingly further away from them being on the road than in 2015. Driverless cars are more realistic than hyperloop, but that's not saying much.

Bullshit is easy to spot:

• Hyperloop
• Driverless cars in the near future
• Theranos
• The Boring Company
• Musk's mars colonization (though this one he seems to believe in and is interesting if he tries)
• Bitcoin
• Solar freaking roadways
• Flying cars, drone deliveries

Those are some of the most overhyped technologies we have heard in the last few years and I'm sure there's more I've forgotten. The fact I think Musk's Mars expedition is the most realistic of the bunch says a lot about the rest.

[YYCguys]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Musk's big pledge for 2020 is that they'll unveil a test track with a curve in it. Start saving up for that ticket....

So if Hyperloop works best in a straight line, and if Musk’s curved track doesn’t pan out, I wonder how the system will get from HSR stop planned near YYC airport to the planned HSR station in downtown Calgary. A straight line between the two is impossible..

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

So if Hyperloop works best in a straight line, and if Musk’s curved track doesn’t pan out, I wonder how the system will get from HSR stop planned near YYC airport to the planned HSR station in downtown Calgary. A straight line between the two is impossible..

It won't work but standard HSR also has it's challenges. They can negotiate curves but have to slow down to do. Again, this is where a HSR magnetic monorail's advantages are shown. Monorails have the best ability to negotiate not only tight curves at higher speeds and much more safely but are also better when there are steep inclines. This is why monorails are popular in very hilly cities like Chongqing and Japanese cities.......... their hilly and winding terrain makes standard metro/LRT much more problematic.