Medan Airport Rail Link

A review of the train between Medan and its airport.
Medan’s new Kuala Namu International Airport opened on 25 July 2013. A new toll road between it and Medan City is still under construction, and trips of 1 to 2 hours are common.
However, a new rail link between Medan and the airport is open now. In another example of poor English skills, it is spelled Railink.

Some airlines and hotels near Medan Railway Station
are giving their clients free or discounted rides

It is hoped that Railink will fulfil the need for a reliable, comfortable and fast means of transport for visitors. (For those transiting Medan, there is also an airport bus to the Amplas bus terminal). However, some residents have baulked at the high ticket price: Rp80 000 ($US8).
But how does Railink work and is it any good? The Indonesian-only official website isn’t much help in this area to foreign visitors, so Mau Ke Mana recently sent some secret shoppers to try it out. Their comments below are in grey.

Railink Timetable

Effective 14 November 2013 – click to enlarge
Berangkat = Depart, Tiba = Arrive, Waktu = Time

GETTING THERE

The train station at the airport is conveniently located, not far from the domestic arrivals hall. It is easy to find and well signposted. The lift is a bit small; only 3 people with luggage trollies could enter it at a time.
By contrast, the train station in Medan seems inadequate. The main access is a large walkway/ramp (not stairs or escalators); the area is not covered, so would be uncomfortably hot on a sunny day, especially when bringing luggage. The waiting area near the platforms already seems cramped, despite there being few passengers at the time.

THE TRAIN

Facilities: Seats with reclining backrests, baggage racks, clean bathrooms

New Korean-built trains have arrived, so facilities are now top-notch. Wi-fi is coming soon.

The journey is usually about 40 minutes, with no other official stops in between. The Medan city part of the journey can be interrupted or delayed by other inter-city trains needing to pass.
The baggage racks were big enough for suitcases, backpacks, etc. Surfboards might be too long, though.

If you’re heading to the airport, there is also the option of checking in your bags at Medan Station, via the city check-in service. You then don’t have to carry/push them on and off the train.

Seats are similar in style and comfort to Indonesian executive-class trains, but without the footrests and cushions.

THE PRACTICALITIES
1. Ticketing

We didn’t have any difficulty purchasing tickets because we have been to Indonesia before. Perhaps the first-time visitor may be a little confused about how much to pay or which banknotes to give.

Train tickets can also be purchased on the Railink website, but only 1-7 days in advance and doing it this way incurs additional fees. So, in most cases it’s easier to just buy the tickets in cash on the day.

Tickets are cards you insert into a slot before proceeding through a gate, like on Jakarta’s Busway system.

2. Timing/When To Go

The Railink brochure recommends (in Indonesian) passengers departing Medan select a train that leaves Medan Station at least 2 hours before departure.

For example, passengers on the 11:30 Wings Air flight to Nias should select a train departing before 09:30. Looking at the timetable, the 09:10 train is suitable.
The two hour minimum would be suitable for domestic flights; three hours before would be a wise choice for those departing on international flights.

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Do not Turn Solo KA-rail line Wonogiri!

Railway. Jess ... jess ... tuuuut .... tuuut ... This secuplik scenes of our childhood when you see a train passing on the tracks. At first glance it does not look special, just a passing train them on the rails. In fact, sometimes we are often treated to views of the slums with scattered clothing and bedding in the sun on the edge of the tracks.However, the image is once again disappears when you try to take the train from station to station Solo Purwosari Winton. This train passes every day in the city of Solo, which is on the edge of Jalan Jalan Slamet Riyadi and Maj. Sunaryo Solokota to get into the station.Walking hand in hand with vehicle-four and two-wheel vehicles, these trains run at speeds of about 30 kilometers per hour. If you are lucky, you can feel mighty locomotive BB30003 light blue with a picture of four adjacency Javanese wayang figures, Petruk, Gareng, Semar and Bagong, known as Punakawan.Locomotive is that five years ago used to draw a series of KA-type Winton Solo Central Java Governor Mardiyanto inaugurated. KA inaugural trip was a guided tour three cars late Sinuhun Pakubowono XII.Currently, BB30003 locomotive is already not attractive tourist train Punakawan. Krupp locomotives, Germany has been aged approximately 40 years. Although she was quite frail with a maximum road speed of 50 kilometers per hour, these locomotives hauling passenger trains faithful Bengawan economy departing from Jakarta.Every day from 8:00 to 9:00, BB30003 locomotive with a wagon in tow waiting for passengers awaiting the arrival of the railway Bengawan Solo and citizens who will go to Winton. Exit the station Purwosari, slogan 35, locomotive horn will sound by road users Hasanudin and Slamet Riyadi.Imagine, traveling by train that cut through the center of a city. Where else you can find and experience a unique view of this kind in Indonesia if not in Solo?The existence of a rail line on the edge of the road Slamet Riyadi a railway network in Indonesia that is still in active use from before until now. Another great feature that you can be when traveling by train Solo-Wonogiri not just enjoy the scenery Jalan Slamet Riyadi. There are other peculiarities which emitted a train set, a spirit of togetherness and sincerity of the people around rail crossings through which this train.Just look at when you will enter Solokota station, a middle-aged man would stop a vehicle that would pass the rail crossing was barred door. Simply with a wave and a friendly smile from the driver and assistant driver to the middle-aged man, the train speeds away quietly. Without spending a dime, trains can swing freely. A social portrait of the rarely found in a number of intersections in the metropolis are loaded with police cepe'annya.Not just in the area Solokota station, all the way to Winton, more than a dozen crossings not barred door through this train. And still, the bond of togetherness and solidarity was never broken. Starting from plumbers tires, youth villages, helping farmers to secure the train Solo-Winton.The existence of a rail line Solo-Winton is quite unique and meaningful. According to the assistant train drivers-Wonogiri Rochmad Solo, who was serving time, the demarcation line was once the territory of the two kingdoms based in Surakarta Kraton and Kraton Surakarta Mangkunegaran.The uniqueness of the city with a touch of community togetherness Solo can not be forgotten. Moreover, the experience of crossing pass on the Bengawan Solo river is also a wonderful travel experience. Conditions iron bridge with a well-preserved tracks, not to cause anxiety to the passengers of this train every day. Unfortunately, after the rail network to the train station Sukoharjo Wonogiri, poor condition. Most of the iron is embedded pads are closed flat premises grass and wild plants, and even reply (pebbles) between the pads were not visible.The route along the 39 kilometers is still using R33 rail types that are no longer suitable to the conditions of the development of the rail network in Indonesia today. Currently, the main rail network across the island of Java has been used rail R54 type. Rail with type R54 allows passenger train diesel locomotive-drawn sort CC201, CC203 and CC204 can run smoothly with a maximum weight of 17.5 billion tons per year. While the rail network Solo-Winton only able to pass a series of trains with a maximum weight of about four billion tonnes per year. Not surprisingly, when the rail network was just passable similar locomotives BB300 and D301."The line is actually more social than profitable. Look up passengers per day on average only half filled carriages, often only a quarter be destroy cars only. Well, better rail lines remained impassable KA than left abandoned, might be nati squatter settlements, "said Djoko Moeljo BB30003 machinist.
The specificity of this route is that you can see the station after station Pasarnguter Winton, on the left rail, precisely in the area Tekaran, you can see the train stop. Wooden buildings was formerly often used the people around to wait for a passing train to Winton to Baturetno.Along the 39 kilometer rail network is not only beneficial to the citizens of Witney and surrounding areas. Solo KA-rail network has deservedly become an asset Winton PT. KA should be preserved and maintained, linked to social values ​​and history bears.

Once again, do not turn off the Solo KA-rail line Wonogiri!

TGV,France

From its first service in September 1981, the French train à grande vitesse (TGV) has set a pace in European high-speed (initially above 200km/h) rail operations.

Not only has the TGV developed with successive fleet orders, the dedicated high-speed network on which they are primarily designed to run, the lignes à grande vitesse (LGV), continue to expand within France and across borders. By mid-2008, the French government had made a new commitment to high-speed rail which, if carried through, could see the format break out from the main Paris-centred radial routes, well on the way to being a true national network.

The main endeavour of the project is to strengthen services for the towns of Bordeaux, Libourne, Angoulême, Poitiers, Tours, Chatellerault, Orleans and Paris, and cut down on commuting time.

As the current line is already congested, the new line will offer free circulation slots for TER train services and freight. The new line provides a western inter-connection between the Spanish and French rail networks.

The Tours-Bordeaux journey will be covered now in 50 minutes; Paris-Bordeaux in 2h10 (3 hours at present), Angoulême-Bayonne in 2h05 (2h30 at present), Poitiers-Dax in 2h30 (3 hours at present) and Lille-Bayonne in 6 hours (6h50 at present).

Construction of the new 302km rail line and 39km of connections between Tours and Bordeaux for TGVs operating at 300km/h will be completed in two phases. Phase 1 involves the construction of a new line section between the north of Angoulême (Villognon) and Bordeaux (La Grave d'Ambarès).Phase 2 involves the construction of a new line section between Tours and the north of Angoulême.
"The majority of TGV operate at a maximum service speed of 300km/h (186mph) or 320km/h (199mph)."
The project

The TGV/LGV system evolved from several projects aimed at cutting rail journey times, with hover and magnetic levitation systems and gas turbine propulsion being discarded along the way.

Assuming the performance available from high-power electrically driven trainsets and not having to account for mixed use, the new twin-track lines could be driven across country, following the landscape with a severity of gradients that previous trains could not handle.

As the aim was to link the largest centres only, intermediate stations, deviations for smaller communities and related track work could be kept to a minimum.

Although at the outset environmental consciousness when the first TGVs entered services was not as prevalent as it has since become, even with the power consumption of high-speed operation, in relative terms the LGV network remains perceived as environmentally sound compared to short/medium-haul air travel or mass use of private cars.

With reduced centre-to-centre journey times and attractive pricing policies, wherever the TGV network has expanded, so domestic air traffic has fallen or air routes have ceased completely.

A call for tenders for the construction phase of the project under a concession agreement was done in 2006. A public utility inquiry for the Tours-Angoulême line was conducted in 2007 and formalisation of the concession agreement by contract was carried out 2008.
Infrastructure

Unlike the Japanese Shinkansen counterpart that largely evolved due to the limitations of narrow gauge lines and thus became an entirely separate network, LGV were created and developed within the context of the wider SNCF operation. Standard LGV electrification is 25kV ac, although to allow working onto the other established SNCF system, 1,500V dc, all TGV sets are at least two-system.

Access for other types is being built into later routes such as Perpignan-Figueres due to open in 2009, however most LGV are for use by trains of the TGV 'family' only. The trains can use existing lines, notably for access to cities and established stations, with many classic routes being substantially reworked for regular TGV use. To prolong the life of track formations, strict 17t axle weight limits are imposed where TGVs run.

While many communities lobbied to be included in the LGV network, mindful of the noise and visual intrusion of high-speed rail operations, SNCF adopted a range of measures aimed at reducing noise disturbance in adjoining new lines.

In order of opening, principal domestic high-speed lines as at 2008 are:

LGV Sud-Est (Paris-Lyon) – 1981
LGV Atlantique (Paris-Le Mans and Tours) – 1990
LGV Rhône-Alpes (Lyon-Valence) – 1992
LGV Nord (Paris-Lille/Channel Tunnel) – 1993
LGV Méditerranée (Valence-Marseille) – 2001
LGV Est (Paris-Baudrecourt) – 2007

To link LGV Sud-Est and LGV Nord, the Interconnexion (Jonction) Est, effectively an eastern bypass of Paris and link to Charles de Gaulle airport and Disneyland Paris, opened in 1994.
"Construction of the new 302km rail line and 39km of connections between Tours and Bordeaux for TGVs operating at 300km/h will be completed in two phases."

It has since been connected to LGV Est. A tribute to the infrastructure as well to the capability of the rolling stock, LGV Est was the setting for the world rail speed record for a wheel-driven train of 574.8kph (356mph) in April 2007.

The network's outstanding safety record has been greatly influenced by the use of the same vehicle type, the absence of at-grade junctions and level crossings, also through lines being fully fenced and sophisticated sensors fitted to detect obstacles entering the permanent way.

LGV have been highly successful and profitable, although some stations have not shared that popularity, notably Haute Picardie on TGV Nord and the elaborate Gare de Saint-Exupéry (at Lyon airport, originally Satolas). As at Calais-Fréthun, some purpose-built TGV stations have relatively sparse services.
Rolling stock

Although the initial TGV Sud-Est batch was built for 270km/h (168mph), but most TGV have a maximum service speed of 300km/h (186mph) or 320km/h (199mph). Newer lines such as LGV Est are built for speeds up to 350km/h. The most significant change over the original format was the TGV Duplex (double deck) variant, built in several batches since 1995 and still in production.

A response to constantly rising demand on the first and busiest LGV, Paris-Lyon, the Duplex sets powered variously by Réseau or differently styled Duplex power cars can carry 545 passengers. Such is demand that the format has spread to other LGV and on LGV Sud-Est, pairs of Duplex are deployed to increase route capacity. In June 2007 Alstom won a €2.1bn contract to supply SNCF with 80 more Duplex sets for delivery from 2009 to operate services extending from LGV Est.

A notable development for the French network from 2007 was the introduction of trains from outside the Alstom-built TGV family in the form of specially modified DB ICE3 sets for working services over TGV Est from Paris into Germany.

The next generation of high-speed trains from builder Alstom is the AVG (Automotrice à Grande Vitesse) officially unveiled at their La Rochelle Aytré factory in February 2008. It features distributed power rather than separate power cars and with service speeds of 360km. The launch customer with an initial order for 25 sets is new Italian open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. In spite of this non-French debut, AVG seems destined to be the future motive power format for the LGV network.
Signalling/communications

The TGV nerve centre is in northern France, situated near the maintenance depot close to Lille Flandres station. Such is the power generated by a TGV that each has to be fitted with an interference current monitoring unit to ensure electrical interference does not exceed safe levels.
"In June 2008 a commitment was made to add 2,000km (1,250 miles) of new LGV to the present network by 2020."

Trains are fitted with automatic train protection systems which automatically apply the brakes if a signal is not responded to or passed at danger. As speeds render lineside signals ineffective, TGV sets are equipped with in-cab signalling, the TVM430 system which monitors progress and informs the driver of the maximum speed possible to maintain headways between trains.
The future

More LGV are under construction and others are in varying stages of planning by infrastructure organisation Réseau Ferré de France (RFF).

After some uncertainty about the cost-benefit aspect of completing LGV Est, the success of the first phase and the stimulus of creating a trans-Europe high-speed line indicate that the 106km section from Baudrecourt to Vendenheim near Strasbourg will be ready by 2015.

Part of the environmental measures of the new Nicholas Sarkozy government, in June 2008 a commitment was made to add 2,000km (1,250 miles) of new LGV to the present network by 2020, albeit with some already planned or under construction like LGV Est Phase 2 which should open by 2015. New lines will include Le Mans-Rennes and Tours-Bordeaux (LGV Atlantique extensions); Montpellier-Perpignan and Nimes-Montpellier by-pass (part of Paris-Barcelona-Madrid), also a second arm of the LGV Rhine-Rhône project.

In some cases dates are identified, with others awaiting detailing such as Marseilles-Nice and a Paris-Clermond-Ferrand project that will provide a second LGV route between the capital and Lyon. There is an intention to have a new programme of LGV expansion in place for beyond 2020 that will include domestic and cross-border routes.

The Angoulême-Bordeaux section is scheduled to be opened for traffic in 2013 and the Tours North-Angoulême section in 2016. The complete line will cost around €4.785bn. Public partners including the French state, European and local authorities and the RFF are funding the new line.

Double-deck TGV Duplex sets Double-deck TGV Duplex sets were a way of putting more capacity onto the LGV infrastructure.
Duplex sets To cope with growing demand between Paris and Lyon, Duplex pairs are now used to provide over 1,000 seats per train.
TGV France high speed railways Seen in 1996, the classic route south of Bordeaux towards the Spanish border may be joined by an LGV by 2020.
SNCF feeder services SNCF feeder services to LGV have benefited from stock renewal in recent years.
Gare de Saint-Exupéry TGV Gare de Saint-Exupéry TGV at Lyon Airport is one of several stations that has not enjoyed the same success as the network overall.
Eurostar traffic West of Lille, LGV Nord mainly handles Eurostar traffic for London via the Channel TFrom its first service in September 1981, the French train à grande vitesse (TGV) has set a pace in European high-speed (initially above 200km/h) rail operations.

Not only has the TGV developed with successive fleet orders, the dedicated high-speed network on which they are primarily designed to run, the lignes à grande vitesse (LGV), continue to expand within France and across borders. By mid-2008, the French government had made a new commitment to high-speed rail which, if carried through, could see the format break out from the main Paris-centred radial routes, well on the way to being a true national network.

The main endeavour of the project is to strengthen services for the towns of Bordeaux, Libourne, Angoulême, Poitiers, Tours, Chatellerault, Orleans and Paris, and cut down on commuting time.

As the current line is already congested, the new line will offer free circulation slots for TER train services and freight. The new line provides a western inter-connection between the Spanish and French rail networks.

The Tours-Bordeaux journey will be covered now in 50 minutes; Paris-Bordeaux in 2h10 (3 hours at present), Angoulême-Bayonne in 2h05 (2h30 at present), Poitiers-Dax in 2h30 (3 hours at present) and Lille-Bayonne in 6 hours (6h50 at present).

Construction of the new 302km rail line and 39km of connections between Tours and Bordeaux for TGVs operating at 300km/h will be completed in two phases. Phase 1 involves the construction of a new line section between the north of Angoulême (Villognon) and Bordeaux (La Grave d'Ambarès).Phase 2 involves the construction of a new line section between Tours and the north of Angoulême.
"The majority of TGV operate at a maximum service speed of 300km/h (186mph) or 320km/h (199mph)."
The project

The TGV/LGV system evolved from several projects aimed at cutting rail journey times, with hover and magnetic levitation systems and gas turbine propulsion being discarded along the way.

Assuming the performance available from high-power electrically driven trainsets and not having to account for mixed use, the new twin-track lines could be driven across country, following the landscape with a severity of gradients that previous trains could not handle.

As the aim was to link the largest centres only, intermediate stations, deviations for smaller communities and related track work could be kept to a minimum.

Although at the outset environmental consciousness when the first TGVs entered services was not as prevalent as it has since become, even with the power consumption of high-speed operation, in relative terms the LGV network remains perceived as environmentally sound compared to short/medium-haul air travel or mass use of private cars.

With reduced centre-to-centre journey times and attractive pricing policies, wherever the TGV network has expanded, so domestic air traffic has fallen or air routes have ceased completely.

A call for tenders for the construction phase of the project under a concession agreement was done in 2006. A public utility inquiry for the Tours-Angoulême line was conducted in 2007 and formalisation of the concession agreement by contract was carried out 2008.
Infrastructure

Unlike the Japanese Shinkansen counterpart that largely evolved due to the limitations of narrow gauge lines and thus became an entirely separate network, LGV were created and developed within the context of the wider SNCF operation. Standard LGV electrification is 25kV ac, although to allow working onto the other established SNCF system, 1,500V dc, all TGV sets are at least two-system.

Access for other types is being built into later routes such as Perpignan-Figueres due to open in 2009, however most LGV are for use by trains of the TGV 'family' only. The trains can use existing lines, notably for access to cities and established stations, with many classic routes being substantially reworked for regular TGV use. To prolong the life of track formations, strict 17t axle weight limits are imposed where TGVs run.

While many communities lobbied to be included in the LGV network, mindful of the noise and visual intrusion of high-speed rail operations, SNCF adopted a range of measures aimed at reducing noise disturbance in adjoining new lines.

In order of opening, principal domestic high-speed lines as at 2008 are:

LGV Sud-Est (Paris-Lyon) – 1981
LGV Atlantique (Paris-Le Mans and Tours) – 1990
LGV Rhône-Alpes (Lyon-Valence) – 1992
LGV Nord (Paris-Lille/Channel Tunnel) – 1993
LGV Méditerranée (Valence-Marseille) – 2001
LGV Est (Paris-Baudrecourt) – 2007

To link LGV Sud-Est and LGV Nord, the Interconnexion (Jonction) Est, effectively an eastern bypass of Paris and link to Charles de Gaulle airport and Disneyland Paris, opened in 1994.
"Construction of the new 302km rail line and 39km of connections between Tours and Bordeaux for TGVs operating at 300km/h will be completed in two phases."

It has since been connected to LGV Est. A tribute to the infrastructure as well to the capability of the rolling stock, LGV Est was the setting for the world rail speed record for a wheel-driven train of 574.8kph (356mph) in April 2007.

The network's outstanding safety record has been greatly influenced by the use of the same vehicle type, the absence of at-grade junctions and level crossings, also through lines being fully fenced and sophisticated sensors fitted to detect obstacles entering the permanent way.

LGV have been highly successful and profitable, although some stations have not shared that popularity, notably Haute Picardie on TGV Nord and the elaborate Gare de Saint-Exupéry (at Lyon airport, originally Satolas). As at Calais-Fréthun, some purpose-built TGV stations have relatively sparse services.
Rolling stock

Although the initial TGV Sud-Est batch was built for 270km/h (168mph), but most TGV have a maximum service speed of 300km/h (186mph) or 320km/h (199mph). Newer lines such as LGV Est are built for speeds up to 350km/h. The most significant change over the original format was the TGV Duplex (double deck) variant, built in several batches since 1995 and still in production.

A response to constantly rising demand on the first and busiest LGV, Paris-Lyon, the Duplex sets powered variously by Réseau or differently styled Duplex power cars can carry 545 passengers. Such is demand that the format has spread to other LGV and on LGV Sud-Est, pairs of Duplex are deployed to increase route capacity. In June 2007 Alstom won a €2.1bn contract to supply SNCF with 80 more Duplex sets for delivery from 2009 to operate services extending from LGV Est.

A notable development for the French network from 2007 was the introduction of trains from outside the Alstom-built TGV family in the form of specially modified DB ICE3 sets for working services over TGV Est from Paris into Germany.

The next generation of high-speed trains from builder Alstom is the AVG (Automotrice à Grande Vitesse) officially unveiled at their La Rochelle Aytré factory in February 2008. It features distributed power rather than separate power cars and with service speeds of 360km. The launch customer with an initial order for 25 sets is new Italian open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. In spite of this non-French debut, AVG seems destined to be the future motive power format for the LGV network.
Signalling/communications

The TGV nerve centre is in northern France, situated near the maintenance depot close to Lille Flandres station. Such is the power generated by a TGV that each has to be fitted with an interference current monitoring unit to ensure electrical interference does not exceed safe levels.
"In June 2008 a commitment was made to add 2,000km (1,250 miles) of new LGV to the present network by 2020."

Trains are fitted with automatic train protection systems which automatically apply the brakes if a signal is not responded to or passed at danger. As speeds render lineside signals ineffective, TGV sets are equipped with in-cab signalling, the TVM430 system which monitors progress and informs the driver of the maximum speed possible to maintain headways between trains.
The future

More LGV are under construction and others are in varying stages of planning by infrastructure organisation Réseau Ferré de France (RFF).

After some uncertainty about the cost-benefit aspect of completing LGV Est, the success of the first phase and the stimulus of creating a trans-Europe high-speed line indicate that the 106km section from Baudrecourt to Vendenheim near Strasbourg will be ready by 2015.

Part of the environmental measures of the new Nicholas Sarkozy government, in June 2008 a commitment was made to add 2,000km (1,250 miles) of new LGV to the present network by 2020, albeit with some already planned or under construction like LGV Est Phase 2 which should open by 2015. New lines will include Le Mans-Rennes and Tours-Bordeaux (LGV Atlantique extensions); Montpellier-Perpignan and Nimes-Montpellier by-pass (part of Paris-Barcelona-Madrid), also a second arm of the LGV Rhine-Rhône project.

In some cases dates are identified, with others awaiting detailing such as Marseilles-Nice and a Paris-Clermond-Ferrand project that will provide a second LGV route between the capital and Lyon. There is an intention to have a new programme of LGV expansion in place for beyond 2020 that will include domestic and cross-border routes.

The Angoulême-Bordeaux section is scheduled to be opened for traffic in 2013 and the Tours North-Angoulême section in 2016. The complete line will cost around €4.785bn. Public partners including the French state, European and local authorities and the RFF are funding the new line.

Double-deck TGV Duplex sets Double-deck TGV Duplex sets were a way of putting more capacity onto the LGV infrastructure.
Duplex sets To cope with growing demand between Paris and Lyon, Duplex pairs are now used to provide over 1,000 seats per train.
TGV France high speed railways Seen in 1996, the classic route south of Bordeaux towards the Spanish border may be joined by an LGV by 2020.
SNCF feeder services SNCF feeder services to LGV have benefited from stock renewal in recent years.
Gare de Saint-Exupéry TGV Gare de Saint-Exupéry TGV at Lyon Airport is one of several stations that has not enjoyed the same success as the network overall.
Eurostar traffic West of Lille, LGV Nord mainly handles Eurostar traffic for London via the Channel Tunnel.
Charles de Gaulle Airport Passing beneath runways to serve Charles de Gaulle Airport, Interconnexion Est now links three LGV around the eastern edge of Paris.
TGV Rail Network Opening Phase 1 in 2007, LGV Est attracted finance from neighbouring Luxembourg.
Trans-Europe high-speed line With TGV Duplex on order and with the eastern extension due for a 2015 completion, earlier doubts about the success of TGV Est have been banished.
French high-speed operations By the time Paris-Nice (pictured) is LGV throughout, the AGV is likely to be a mainstream part of French high-speed operations.
unnel.
Charles de Gaulle Airport Passing beneath runways to serve Charles de Gaulle Airport, Interconnexion Est now links three LGV around the eastern edge of Paris.
TGV Rail Network Opening Phase 1 in 2007, LGV Est attracted finance from neighbouring Luxembourg.
Trans-Europe high-speed line With TGV Duplex on order and with the eastern extension due for a 2015 completion, earlier doubts about the success of TGV Est have been banished.
French high-speed operations By the time Paris-Nice (pictured) is LGV throughout, the AGV is likely to be a mainstream part of French high-speed operations.

Amtrak Train

Amtrak Train Travel

Amtrak train, San Juan Islands Washington.Often considered to be strictly a transportation mode for shipping and freight, Amtrak train travel is making a comeback. It's safe, more affordable than flying, offers great scenery you can enjoy from the comfort of a reclining chair, and is truly an adventure in itself.

Amtrak train, San Juan Islands Washington.Not to mention the fact that traveling by train is SO cool! I still clearly remember taking the train for the first time when I was 5 or 6, and walking between the cars where those metal plates shift around as the train takes curves and bumps. Loved it! As an adult I got to take a train from Copenhagen into Sweden and the train tracks take you right onto a ferry. (Check out the train tracks under those ferry workers' feet!) Really exciting adventure, especially for those of us familiar with ferry travel. Trains on the ferry? Wow!

The Amtrak Cascades route travels along the northwest coast between Eugene, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia, stopping at several cities in between. There are three daily departures from Seattle to Skagit Station in Mount Vernon. From Skagit Station (which houses Skagit Transit's Customer Service counter, Greyhound's Customer Service counter, and an Amtrak ticket machine, as well as the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Center) you take a Skagit Transit bus to the Anacortes ferry terminal.

AVE, Spain

Having first sanctioned a 160km/h (100mph) maximum speed as recently as 1986, Spain moved quickly to get high-speed rail into operation. It remains committed to long-term plans for the new network. A large country that is sparsely populated in much of the interior, the government intends that all provincial cities will be less than four hours travelling time from the capital, Madrid, and six and a half hours from the second city and economic giant, Barcelona.
Not an obvious terminus for the first prestigious AVE (Alta Velocidad Española – used to denote long-distance high-speed services) link with the capital, the choice was prompted by fourth-largest city Sevilla being chosen to host the 1992 Expo world fair and to stimulate the economy of the country's south in general. It was not to be until 2008 that 1992 Olympics host Barcelona would gain the AVE link with Madrid.
The 417km (259 mile) Madrid-Sevilla AVE was a great success, with high loadings on both dedicated TGV-based trains and locomotive-hauled Talgo services. The latter can operate to destinations away from the 1,435mm AVE line by using gauge changers to alter the width of the wheels to and from the Iberian standard of 1,668mm.

The project

From the outset, adopting 1,435mm gauge rather than the Iberian standard signalled intent for connection with the wider rail network, part of Spain's modern enthusiasm for European involvement. It also made possible the adoption of existing products from established suppliers in the field of high-speed rail.
In 2003 the Madrid-Zaragoza-Lleida section opened, part of two key objectives for AVE operation: connecting Madrid and Barcelona, and the onwards link to the French LGV network. Operated under the medium-distance AVANT format, a 21km branch from the Sevilla line brought Toledo onto the network in 2005.

"The Madrid-Sevilla AVE was a great success, with high loadings on both dedicated TGV-based trains and locomotive-hauled Talgo services."

The first branching towards the north-west, 180km from Madrid to Valladolid, opened in December 2007. This was immediately followed by a 55km addition in the south to Malaga, completing the Madrid connection and causing announcement in early 2008 of a scaling back of air services.
In November a breakthrough was made on the 8.2km Pertús (Perthus) tunnel workings beneath the eastern Pyrenees, part of the project for a new 44.5km line from Figueras, Spain, to Perpignan, France, that will cut two hours from current Barcelona-Toulouse timings. Resulting from a 50-year contract between the French and Spanish governments and the special-purpose vehicle company T.P. Ferro, the line is Europe's second privately financed international rail link (after the Channel Tunnel).

Infrastructure

The task of coordinating and overseeing work on the AVE network was vested in a specially created arm of state rail operator RENFE. Gestor de Infrasestructuras Ferroviarias (GIF) also awarded various construction contracts, laying down specifications identical to the Madrid-Valencia line.
In January 2005 under the Rail Sector Act, the splitting of train operation from infrastructure came into force, with Ministry of Public Works body ADIF taking on the infrastructure aspect. Spanish rail infrastructure development up to 2020, including the high-speed lines, is contained in the Government's Plan Estratégico de Infraestructuras y Transporte – PEIT.
Aside from greatly increased speeds compared to the notoriously winding 1,668mm system, the new lines have taken more direct alignments and have reduced rail distances between the major centres. As with the switch of gauge, the high-speed line project involved equipping with the more mainstream 25kV ac, as opposed to the domestic 3,000V dc.

Rolling stock

In 2001 RENFE projected that by 2007 a mixed fleet would be needed for high-speed lines: 146 with 300–350km/h capability, 86 for regional use at 250–270km/h and 50 for variable gauge operations. Unusual in European high-speed rail, Renfe's AVE deploys rolling stock derived from both major sources, the French Alstom TGV (designated S-100) being used at the outset, and subsequently Siemens Velaro ICE-based equipment (S-103) from Germany.

"Aside from greatly increased speeds, the new lines have taken more direct alignments and reduced rail distances between the major centres."

Adding to the mix is Bombardier working with domestic supplier CAF with the S-102. To match the standards of later types, the original S-100 fleet has been subject to a refurbishment programme.
Being deployed on Madrid-Barcelona services, the Siemens eight-car Velaro E S-103 seats 404 passengers and is a reworked German ICE-3. In September 2006 a Velaro-E set the record for a production series train in Spain of 404km/h (251mph). Siemens Mobility is supplying 26 trains S-103 under a contract which includes a 14-year maintenance agreement.
The Talgo 350/S-102 follow the design of the successful 2001 prototype and are in 12-car formations with 318 first class and Turista (standard) seats and a bar / buffet. The builder also secured a 14-year maintenance sharing contract.
A €655m order for 30 more S-102 330km/h high-speed trains was was announced in January 2006 for Talgo/Bombardier were delivered between 2008 and 2010, bringing the total to 46. The 'duck bill' styled power cars are being built with Bombardier's MITRAC 3000 propulsion system with traction auxiliary converter and drive system and very high-speed bogies.

Singalling and communications

German technology is at the heart of the operational control system. A cab signalling system is coupled with a continuous speed control facility. Siemens supplied an ISDN communications system which transmits speech, data, text and images. This proved a success on the Madrid-Seville route and it was adopted as standard for subsequent routes to Barcelona and Narbonne across the French border.
Because of its use of existing lines, conventional signalling was retained between Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante. In 2006 ETCS/ERTMS Level 1 system was introduced.
A signalling contract was awarded to a consortium of Alcatel, Dimetronic and Siemens for the Madrid-Segovia and Valdestillas-Valladolid sections of the Madrid-Valladolid line. Worth €151.1m, the contract includes GSM-R and a traffic control centre.
Benefiting from its total segregation from the older Spanish network, the AVE is established as Europe's most punctual rail service at very close to 100% on-time arrivals. However, problems with some newly installed signalling equipment led to delays and penalty payments being made. A sliding scale of penalties that varies by line for the operators is applicable, with a 100% refund payable if delays exceed 30 minutes.

The future

Following much delay including technical and legal challenges connected with passage through the city, Barcelona Sants became linked with Madrid Atocha with a 630km (391 mile) high-speed rail link in February 2008. With centre-to-centre timings as low as 2h 38min, and with keen prices (down to €162 return) on an initial daily schedule of 18 services each way, AVE is likely to a have a damaging effect on one the world's most intensively worked air routes.

"The first connection for Spanish AVE and French TGV high-speed brands opened in 2009. Two further lines are expected to become operational in 2012.

The first connection for Spanish AVE and French TGV high-speed brands opened in 2009. Two further lines, connecting Barcelona to Figueres and Figueres to Perpignan, are expected to become operational in 2012.
With a continuing aim to create Europe's largest high-speed rail network, other future high-speed lines include to the northern and north west Atlantic coasts, plus more direct routes to the Mediterranean as well as some non-radial routes along more populous areas of the coastlines. Comments by the Portuguese Prime Minister indicate that the long-anticipated Madrid-Lisbon line may open by 2013.
The possibility of a southern rail link to North Africa seems to be gaining substance. A joint committee is working on aspects of a project for a 39km tunnel between Punta Palomas (near the projected Spanish high-speed extension to Algeciras) to Punta Malabata in Morocco, a country which has a 1,435mm high-speed rail system under development.

The first route chosen for modernisation was that between the capital, Madrid, and Seville.

The trains comprise two power cars, with three first class and four turista (standard) class trailers, and a bar/buffet vehicle, and accommodate a total of 325 passengers.

The AVE trainsets are made in France with some Spanish components. It derives directly from the French TGV.

1st class accommodations onboard the AVE TGV.

The Ave trainset boasts modern technology including the latest doors.

German technology is at the heart of the operational control system. A cab signalling system is coupled with a continuous speed control facility.

A 25kV 50Hz traction power supply substation for the Madrid-Seville high speed line.

Talgo variable gauge power car for services running between 1,435mm and 1,668mm networks.

Korail

The Shinkansen (新幹線^?, new main line), also known as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964,^[1] the network has expanded to currently consist of 2,387.7 km (1,483.6 mi) of lines with maximum speeds of 240–300 km/h (149–186 mph), 283.5 km (176.2 mi) of Mini-shinkansen with a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) and 10.3 km (6.4 mi) of spur lines with Shinkansen services.^[2] The network presently links most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, with construction of a link to the northern island of Hokkaido underway and plans to increase speeds on the Tōhoku Shinkansen up to 320 km/h (199 mph).^[3] Test runs have reached 443 km/h (275 mph) for conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world record 581 km/h (361 mph) for maglev trainsets in 2003.
Shinkansen literally means new trunk line, referring to the tracks, but the name is widely used inside and outside Japan to refer to the trains as well as the system as a whole. The name Superexpress (超特急, chō-tokkyū^?), initially used for Hikari trains, was retired in 1972 but is still used in English-language announcements and signage.
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the world's busiest high-speed rail line. Carrying 151 million passengers a year (March 2008),^[4] it has transported more passengers (over 4 billion, network over 6 billion)^[5] than any other high speed line in the world.^[6] Between Tokyo and Osaka, the two largest metropolises in Japan, up to thirteen trains per hour with sixteen cars each (1,323 seats capacity) run in each direction with a minimum headway of three minutes between trains. Though largely a long-distance transport system, the Shinkansen also serves commuters who travel to work in metropolitan areas from outlying cities.