With some 20M people in the immediate vicinity, the trains run on time because they have to. Every one is goin' somewhere fast. As our train pulled up to a station I noticed it had slid to a side track. WHAM an express blows buy on the track we were just on. After a few seconds at the stop dropping off and picking up passengers we head out back on the main track following only seconds behind the express. This happened time after time. 
The sheer number of trains is incredible. Miss your train? Likely to be another going the same way in a few minutes.
Sometimes we were running 10 tracks wide with trains going in different directions, different speeds - local, rapid and express sharing stations and the occasional track. It all seemed to me like a fine Swiss watch. In the extremely rare instance a train brakes down - and the cascade effect it can have - makes it major news here.
All the trains are powered overhead electric and quickly achieve speed. EVERY crossing is automated and gate controlled - every crossing down to a single lane rural crossing in a rice paddy. The gates leave no room to weave through a closed crossing. Everyone respects the train crossing. Cars stop and look even if the gates are not down. Bicycles and walkers do not linger on the tracks. What this allows is NO siren blowing at the crossings. Urban speeds that you hardly ever see in the states (Except east coast Amtrak?)
Yes, this is a double decker express Commuter train. 
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment