Above a certain speed, trains don't make much sense, because of fuel efficiency. IRstuff We are speaking about electric trains aren´t we?
luis
"Advantages of Maglevs
The foremost advantage of maglev trains is the fact that it doesn’t have moving parts as conventional trains do, and therefore, the wear and tear of parts is minimal, and that reduces the maintenance cost by a significant extent.
More importantly, there is no physical contact between the train and track, so there is no rolling resistance. While electromagnetic drag and air friction do exist, that doesn’t hinder their ability to clock a speed in excess of 200 mph.
Absence of wheels also comes as a boon, as you don’t have to deal with deafening noise that is likely to come with them.
Maglevs also boast of being environment friendly, as they don’t resort to internal combustion engines.
These trains are weather proof, which means rain, snow, or severe cold don’t really hamper their performance.
Experts are of the opinion that these trains are a lot safe than their conventional counterparts as they are equipped with state-of-the-art safety systems, which can keep things in control even when the train is cruising at a high speed.
Disadvantages of Maglevs
While the advantages of Maglev Train System may seem quite promising in themselves, they are not enough to overshadow the biggest problem with the maglev trains: the high cost incurred on the initial setup. While the fast conventional trains that have been introduced of late, work fine on tracks which were meant for slow trains, maglev trains require an all new set up right from the scratch. As the present railway infrastructure is of no use for maglevs, it will either have to be replaced with the Maglev System or an entirely new set up will have to be created―both of which will cost a decent amount in terms of initial investment. Even though inexpensive as compared to EDS, it is still expensive compared to other modes.
If the advantages and disadvantages of these trains are pitted against each other, it can be a bit difficult to come to a concrete conclusion. While the high cost of initial set up is something that a developed nation like the United States won’t have to worry about, the fact that the entire infrastructure has to be replaced with a new one will be something that will have the experts in a catch-22 situation. But obviously, we will have to do away with their disadvantages if we are to invest in maglev trains. If the commercial success of the Shanghai maglev train is to be taken into consideration, these trains can be surely considered the transport system of the future."
