US20060027133A1

US20060027133A1 - Super railway for USA

Info

Publication number: US20060027133A1
Application number: US10/911,556
Authority: US
Inventors: Toshio Suematsu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-05
Filing date: 2004-08-05
Publication date: 2006-02-09

Abstract

[OBJECT]To greatly reduce the passenger and freight traffic on highways and greatly reduce the consumption of petroleum due to short-distance domestic air traffic by the use of railway, so as to contribute to energy saving and mitigation of air pollution, and reduce the transportation costs through high speed and efficient transportation of people and goods. [SOLUTION MEANS]Railroad are constructed in uninhabited areas to connect a plurality of cities, with no stations constructed on the main tracks and railway interchanges are constructed instead that are provided with side tracks branching out from the main tracks or leading to the main tracks, so that a train bound to a particular town is directed through the railway interchange to a terminal constructed outside the town.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of a new high-speed railroad system in the United States.
2. Description of the Related Art
1. The quantity of petroleum (gasoline, heavy oil, etc.) consumed as the fuel for motor vehicles that account for a large proportion of the land transportation has been growing to a tremendous level. In the meantime, exhaust emissions from motor vehicles have been aggravating the problem of air pollution.
2. Air transportation is the most vulnerable to terrorist attacks, and is often subjected to service interruption due to troubles such as bad weather conditions and aircraft troubles.
3. Railroads used in the transportation of passengers and freight today involve a number of stations located between the origin and destination, thus resulting in much time taken to reach the destination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is intended to construct a new high-speed railroad system as a new railroad system that replaces the short-distance domestic air transportation, truck transportation and long-haul bus transportation running on highways, to provide high-speed and large-capacity transportation.
1. The new high-speed railroad system adopts a wider track gage of 1,680 mm, instead of the current international standard of 1,435 mm, so as to provide high-speed and large-capacity transportation.
2. A new high-speed railroad system that operates on track lines running through uninhabited areas between terminals which are constructed in suburban areas, in order to suppress the construction costs and reduce noise and other nuisance.
3. The new high-speed railroad system comprises automobile passenger terminals that are capable of quick handling of passenger traffic and loading/unloading of the passengers' automobiles on/off railroad cars.
4. The new high-speed railroad system comprises freight handling terminals that are capable of quick handling of loading and unloading of cargoes.
5. The new high-speed railroad system comprises terminals that serve the new high-speed railroad system and are linked with existing airport terminals and facilitate transfer of transit passengers and cargoes.
6. Right-of-way 100 meters in width will be secured to construct a high-speed railroad track line at the center thereof and 2-lane freeways on either side of the railroad track. The high-speed railroad and the freeway will be operated as an integral corridor of large capacity that connects cities, in order to facilitate maintenance and terrorist attack prevention measures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of intermodal transportation terminal complex (A), showing the flow of cars and buses between a highway 80 and an automobile passenger terminal 30, the flow of trucks between the highway 80 and a freight handling terminal 40 and the flows of passengers and cargoes from an interchange 15 of the high-speed railroad system 10 to the automobile passenger terminal 30 and the freight handling terminal 40.
FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of intermodal transportation terminal complex (B), showing the flows of passengers and cargoes within a high-speed railroad passenger terminal 50 and a high-speed railroad freight handling terminal 60 that are built on the premises of an airport 70, and the flows of passengers and cargoes from the interchange 15 of the high-speed railroad system 10 to the high-speed railroad passenger terminal 50 and the high-speed railroad freight handling terminal 60.
FIG. 3 is a routing diagram showing the movements of railroad cars marshaled from the new high-speed railroad 10 to the automobile passenger terminal 30 and the freight handling terminal 40.
FIG. 4 is a layout diagram of the automobile passenger terminal 30 showing the lines of flows of passengers and automobiles.
FIG. 5 is a layout diagram of the freight handling terminal 40 showing the line of flow of trucks.
FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of the high-speed railroad passenger terminal 50 and the high-speed railroad freight handling terminal 60 built in the airport 70.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the movements of cars, buses and passengers in the automobile passenger terminal 30 and the movements of trucks and cargoes in the freight handling terminal 40.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship between a platform in the automobile passenger terminal 30 and a railroad car.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the dimensional relationship between a platform in the freight handling terminal and a railroad car.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a quadruple track section of the new high-speed railroad including double tracks and a turnout track.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

(1) An object of the present invention is to provide a new high-speed railroad system that offers faster transportation of passengers in cars and buses and freight carried by trucks that run on highways, thereby to greatly reduce the automobile traffic.
(2) Another object of the present invention is to provide a new high-speed railroad system that replaces the short-distance domestic air transportation of passengers and freight, thereby to greatly reduce the short-distance air traffic within the country.
(3) Further another object of the present invention is to greatly reduce the consumption of petroleum (gasoline, heavy oil) that is currently used to run the automobiles and aircraft thereby to save energy and mitigate air pollution, and to increase the speed and efficiency of transporting people and goods thereby to reduce the cost of transportation, by means of fast transportation by the new high-speed railroad system.

2. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

(1) Means for Enabling Transportation with Higher Speed and Larger Capacity and Achieving More Efficient and Quicker Connection Between the High-Speed Railroad 10 and Terminals (30, 40, 50, 60)
A. The new high-speed railroad system 10 adopts a track gage of 1,680 mm, that is wider than the international standard, so as to provide high-speed and large-capacity transportation.
B. The high-speed railroad 10 will be constructed to run through uninhabited areas to connect cities with minimum distance possible with curved track sections designed with largest radius of curvature possible.
C. The high-speed railroad system 10 will be designed so as to eliminate the need to slow down between stops by not constructing stations (platforms) on the main tracks 11, 12.
D. Junctions of the high-speed railroad 10 are designed in loop configuration as the interchange 15 of the railway comprising inner loop tracks (12A, 13A) and outer loop tracks (11B, 13B), from which branches lead to the terminals (30, 40, 50, 60) (FIGS. 1, 2, 3).
E. Trains of the high-speed railroad run nonstop to the destination, thereby reducing the travel time.
(2) Means for Transporting Cars and the Passengers Thereof Coming Through the Highway 80 to the Destination in a Short Period of Time
A. The automobile passenger terminal 30 is constructed linking to the highway 80 (FIGS. 1, 4).
B. The terminal 30 has automobile handling platforms (31A, 31B in FIG. 4) equipped with loading facilities that can load and unload automobiles in a short period of time.
C. Automobile carrier railroad cars have double-deck construction (FIG. 8) and accordingly floor levels of the platform 31A on the first floor and the platform 31B on the second floor are aligned with the lower deck and the upper deck of the automobile carrier railroad cars, respectively, so as to make it easy to load and unload the automobiles.
D. Automobile carrier railroad cars and passenger cars are connected to form a composite train carrying automobiles and passengers, that transports the automobiles and passengers thereof at the same time.
E. In order to transport only passengers who have arrived at the terminal 30 in buses or cars to the destination in a short period of time, passenger-only trains are put into operation. Platforms (32A, 32B in FIG. 4) are constructed in the automobile passenger terminal 30.
(3) Means for Transporting Freight Carried in by Trucks Coming Through the Highway 80 to the Destination in a Short Period of Time
A. The freight handling terminal 40 is constructed linking to the highway 80 (FIGS. 1, 5).
B. Warehouses equipped with facilities that can load and unload cargoes (43, 44 in FIG. 5) are built on platforms 41, 42.
C. Floor levels of the platforms 41, 42 are aligned with the loading platforms of the trucks, so as to make it easy to load and unload the cargoes (FIG. 9).
D. Trucks that have carried the cargoes to the terminal run on exclusive roads 24, 25 and carry other cargoes on way back.
E. The railroad system provides refrigerated cars for transporting perishable foods, vegetables and fruits as well as freight cars that carry exclusively containers.
(4) Means for Transporting Passengers and Freight to the Destination in a Short Period of Time Instead of Short-Distance Domestic Air Transportation
A. A terminal 50 exclusively for the passengers of the high-speed railroad is build linking to a passenger terminal 71 of an airport 70 (FIGS. 2, 6). Platforms 51, 52 serve passenger-only trains.
B. A freight handling terminal 60 for the high-speed railroad is built underground linking to a freight handling terminal 72 of the airport 70 (FIGS. 2, 6).
C. The platforms 61, 62 are equipped with a conveyor 63 or the like for mechanically transferring, loading and unloading cargoes.
(5) Means for Transporting Cargoes, that Have Been Carried to a Wharf 90 of a Port by a Ship 92, to the Destination in a Short Period of Time
A. A freight terminal for the high-speed railroad is constructed alongside a wharf warehouse 91 (FIG. 1).
B. Freight cars are once sent to a city freight terminal 40 and combined with other freight cars to form a train.
(6) Means for Connecting the High-Speed Railroad and the Terminals (30, 40, 50, 60) Efficiently and Quickly
A. Junctions of the high-speed railroad 10 are designed in loop configuration as the interchange 15 of the railway comprising inner loop tracks (12A, 13A) and outer loop tracks (11B, 13B), from which sidetracks (16, 17, 18) lead to the terminals (30, 40, 50, 60) to be connected therewith (FIGS. 1, 3).
B. Trains running on the main tracks 11, 12 of the high-speed railroad 10 bound to the terminals (30, 40, 50, 60) must first enter the turnout tracks (11B, 12A), run on the loop tracks (11B, 13B, 12A, 12B) and the side tracks (16, 17, 18) to reach the terminals (30, 40, 50, 60)
C. Trains departing from the terminals (30, 40, 50, 60) take the side tracks (16, 17, 18) and the loop tracks (11B, 13B, 12A, 12B) and enter the turnout tracks (11B, 12A) to wait thereon, so as to enter the main tracks (11, 12) according to the signal.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(1) Tracks, Train Formation and Operating Speed
(i) Conventional railroads have been using open flat cars whereon containers and other freight are tied down. The new high-speed railroad system, in contrast, adopts boxcars for both automobile carrier car and other freight cars in order to facilitate high-speed operation and prevent troubles due to snow fall. A freight car and a passenger car makes one set.
(ii) The railroad tracks are designed with a wider track gage of 1,680 mm, that is 245 mm (approximately 17%) wider than the international standard of 1,435 mm, to provide high-speed and large-capacity transportation.
(iii) The railroad will operate all trains with electric power only, with the following three types of train constitution:
A. Train Carrying Automobiles and Passengers
Six to ten automobile carrier cars and two to six passenger cars will be connected to form a train, that is intended to transport the passengers and their automobiles to their destination in a minimum possible time, without carrying any vehicles other than automobiles. The train will run at a maximum speed of around 250 km/h.
B. Trains for Passengers Only.
Six to twelve passenger cars will be connected to form a train, that is intended to transport only passengers in a minimum possible time like the conventional high-speed railroad, but also transports mails and small cargoes up to about 60 kg in weight. The train will run at a maximum speed of around 300 km/h.
C. Freight Train
Six to twelve freight cars will be connected to form a train, that is intended to transport cargoes that would otherwise be transported by aircraft or long-haul trucks. The train will run at a maximum speed that is determined according to the number of cars connected and the type of freight transported (around 150 to 200 km/h).
(2) High-Speed Railroad as a Major Corridor that Connects Cities
In order to operate the new high-speed railroad system 10 effectively, downtime due to accidents and other causes must be minimized. For this purpose, an exclusive service motorways (21, 22, 23) will be constructed along the railroad so as to function as an emergency traffic line connecting big cities.
The track lines (11, 12) run on right of way 100 m in width that is secured in uninhabited areas, with the tracks of the new high-speed railroad system (double track) (11, 12) installed at the center and a 2- lane motorway 21, 22 in one direction on one side thereof and a 2-lane motorway in the opposite direction on the other side thereof. This composite super corridor crosses all other roads through multi-level crossovers, allowing no inflow from other roads.
(i) The new high-speed railroad system operates the above-mentioned three types of trains, namely the train comprising automobile carriers and passenger cars, the train exclusively for passengers and the train exclusively for freight, that use the tracks as shown in FIGS. 1, 3.
A. Trains running in direction X: Run on the main track 11, the turnout track 11B, and the outer loop track 13B. Thereafter, automobile passenger cars take the side track 16 (In) to reach the automobile passenger terminal 30 while freight cars take the side track 17 (In) to reach the freight terminal 40.
B. Trains running in direction Y: Run on the main track 12, the turnout track 12A, and the inner loop track 13A. Thereafter, automobile passenger trains take the side track 16 (In) to reach the automobile passenger terminal 30 while freight cars take the side track 17 (In) to reach the freight terminal 40.
C. Trains emptied at the automobile passenger terminal 30 take the side track 14 (In), and freight trains emptied at the freight terminal 40 take the side tracks 14 (R), 14 (In), both reaching the marshalling yard 19.
D. Trains departing from the automobile passenger terminal 30 take the side track 16 (Out), and freight trains departing from the freight terminal 40 take the side tracks 17 (Out), both taking outer loop track 13B and the turnout track 11B to enter the main track 11 when running in direction X, or taking inner loop track 13A and the turnout track 12A to enter the main track 12 when running in direction Y.
(ii) The service motorways (21, 22, 23) are used in the construction and maintenance of the new high-speed railroad system, and also in high speed transportation of designated freight, rescue activities in the event of disaster and military operations, with access denied to ordinary vehicle traffic. Trucks carrying designated freight over the motorway will be charged.
(iii) The terminals 30, 40 will be constructed in areas that allow easy access to vehicles, away from urban areas, where the railroad tracks are branched out from the main tracks 11, 12 for linkage with the highway 80.
A. Automobile & passenger terminal 30
B. Freight handling terminal 40: An exclusive freight handling terminal will be constructed at the wharf 90 in a port where large vessels burse.
(iv) Terminals 50, 60 of the high-speed railroad are constructed with linkage to the existing terminals 71, 72 of the airport 70.
A. Passenger terminal 50 of the high-speed railroad
B. Freight handling terminal 60 of the high-speed railroad
(v) Right-of-way 100 m in width will be secured, bounded by ditches and wire fences that shut off trespassing. A no-forest area 100 m in width will be secured outside of the boundary on each side of the right-of-way, in order to protect the railroad from wild fires, with further 300 m of forest-free area to prevent spreading of wild fires, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 10.
(3) Automobile Passenger Terminal: FIGS. 4, 7, 8
(i) Customers who want their automobiles transported by trains shall reserve the loading space. A customer coming in an automobile into a terminal from a highway 80 shall present a reservation ticket at a gate 38, pay the fee and have the automobile inspected, mainly for the following checkpoints.
A. Automobiles carrying explosives, fire arms, hazardous chemicals, animals and the like are not allowed access.
B. Dimensions (height, width and length) of the automobile shall be notified when making the reservation.
C. Automobiles heavier than a predetermined limit are not allowed to enter.
(ii) Automobiles that have passed the inspection are moved to platform 31A on the first floor or platform 31B on the second floor of a loading area, so as to be loaded onto a train. The platform will be equipped with an automated automobile loading facility that can load and unload a number of automobiles simultaneously in a short time. Reference numeral 33 denotes a control room for the loading operation.
(iii) Passengers go to the passenger terminal 34 where they pass through ticket gates and get onto a train after having their luggage inspected. All seats are reserved. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the automobile passenger terminal 30, and FIG. 7 shows the movements of automobiles and passengers. Reference numerals 31A, 32B denote automobile loading platforms, 32A being a departure platform for passenger only trains and 32B being an arrival platform. Reference numeral 34 denotes a passenger terminal for regular passengers, 35 denotes a garage for patrol cars, 36 denotes an administration building that houses a lobby for automobile passengers and 37 denotes an automobile check-in counter.
(4) Freight Handling Terminal: FIGS. 5, 7, 9
Specialized freight cars will be provided to carry containers (including various mechanical parts, etc.) and refrigerated trailers (for perishable foods, vegetables and fruits), like the air cargoes and long-haul truck cargoes.
Freight transportation fees will be established according to the kind and weight of the freight.
A truck carrying freight shall pass through gate 1 (48) where the cargoes are inspected and the fee is paid, and the freight is transferred at the platform 41. A truck without load coming in to fetch freight passes through an access road 24, goes through freight receiving proceeding at gate 2 (48), receives the freight at the platform 42 and goes out of the terminal.
Gate 3 (48) and gate 4 (48) are exclusive for trucks carrying the designated freight.
Platform 41 is a freight delivery platforms. Cargoes carried in by trucks are once put into warehouses 43, where the cargoes are sorted according to the loading schedule and are loaded when an appropriate train arrives.
Platform 42 is a freight arrival platform. Cargoes carried in by a train are once put into a warehouse 44, where the cargoes are sorted according to the destinations and are loaded when an appropriate truck arrives. The warehouses 43, 44 will be equipped with an automated automobile loading facility that can load and unload a number of automobiles simultaneously in a short time.
Reference numeral 45 is a control room for transferring freight without using cranes.
Floor levels of the freight cars are set at the same height as those of the warehouses 43, 44, and loading platforms of trucks shall also have approximately the same height.
(5) High-Speed Railroad Terminals (50, 60) in Airport 70: FIGS. 2, 6
(i) A passenger terminal 50 for the high-speed railroad is build underground linking to a passenger terminal 71 of the airport 70, so as to exclusively serve passenger only trains. Reference numeral 51 denotes a departure platform, 52 denotes an arrival platform and 53 denotes a passengers' escalator.
Passengers arriving at the airport 70 by air exit the passenger terminal 71 and go to the departure platform 51 of the high-speed railroad passenger terminal 50 to get on trains. Baggage submitted in the airport is forwarded and loaded on the train designated by the owner.
Passengers arriving at the arrival platform 52 by the high-speed railroad 10 go to the passenger terminal 71 of the airport 70 to get through the boarding procedure.
(ii) The freight handling terminal 60 for the high-speed railroad is built underground linking to a freight handling terminal 72 of the airport 70. Reference numeral 61 denotes a departure platform, 62 denotes an arrival platform and 63 denotes a freight conveyor.
(6) Rolling Stock: FIGS. 8, 9
Rolling stock of the new high-speed railroad system for USA can be built to a maximum width of 4000 mm, due to the wide track gage of 1,680 mm.
A. Automobile Carrier Car: Approximately 25 m Long
Automobiles are classified into ordinary and wider vehicles, and ordinary automobiles can be carried in two rows on a freight car narrower than 4000 mm. Automobiles are classified into high-profile and low-profile vehicles that are loaded separately on the upper and lower decks, so that the automobile carrying car can be built to a height less than 4,400 mm except for the wheels.
B. Freight Car: Approximately 20 m Long
Freight cars will all be boxcars that carry containers of several sizes. Freight cars that carry perishable foods, vegetables and fruits will be equipped with refrigerators.
C. Passenger Car: Approximately 25 m Long
Since the passenger cars are wider than those used in European and Japanese high speed railroads, seats and passage can be made wider and kiosks can be provided in the passenger cars.
(7) Train Operation: FIG. 3
(i) Most trains run nonstop from the origin to the destination terminal.
(ii) Since trains of different speeds run on the same tracks 11, 12, turnout tracks 11 b, 12 b will be provided at intervals of 20 km or 30 km so as to divert slower trains from the main track and allow faster trains approaching behind to overtake. The turnout track will be 1 km or longer, so as to accommodate two trains.
(iii) Loop tracks (12A, 13A, 11B, 13B) provided in the interchange 15 of the high-speed railroad 10 are branched out from the main tracks 11, 12 via the turnout tracks 11 a, 12 b, rather than branched directly from the main track.
(iv) Train operations will be controlled collectively for each line, and the state of train operation will be displayed in the monitor room of every terminal in the line, as well as in the central control room.
(v) Every train that has finished its travel at an automobile passenger terminal 30 or a freight handling terminal 40 with its passengers or freight unloaded will be forwarded to the marshalling yard 19 where its cars will be inspected and reorganized according to passenger or freight reservations.
(8) Counter-Terrorism Measures
The following measures will be taken to prevent terrorist attacks to the railroad tracks, overhead wires, power distribution lines, terminals and other facilities and running trains.
(i) Track Monitoring System
Monitor cameras will be installed at 100 m intervals along the railroad track, with the image taken by the cameras being sent to the operator console of the approaching train, the central control station and the monitor room of the nearest terminal. The operator console of a train will display the images of the track ranging from 500 m to 5 km ahead.
When abnormality in the track is detected, the train is stopped to avoid hazard.
(ii) Train Operation Monitor System
Monitor cameras will be installed in the railroad cars, with the image taken by the cameras being sent to the central train dispatch station and the monitor room of the terminals. In case the image shows an emergency in a train, the central train dispatch station directs the train to stop and the doors separating the cars to close. At the same time, police will be notified to dispatch a task force to the train in question.
(iii) Baggage and Freight Inspection at Automobile Passenger Terminal 30
A. Passengers' baggage will be inspected in the same manner as in airports.
B. Automobiles are inspected to make sure that they have no explosive material carried therein, before loaded onto the railroad car. In case an explosive material is loaded undetected, passenger cars will be concentrated in the front of the train, with the automobile carrying cars connected behind, while moving of persons between the passenger cars and the automobile carrying cars will be prohibited. In the event of emergency, the automobile carrying cars will be cut off the train.
(iv) Terminal Monitoring System
The terminal, where large numbers of automobiles and people come and go, is prone to the infiltration of automobiles loaded with explosives and/or armed terrorists. To detect such dangerous automobiles and suspect persons, monitor cameras will be installed strategically in the terminal, with the image taken by the camera being sent to the monitor room of the terminal. When there is suspect automobile or person detected, security guards will be dispatched to the spot.
(9) Economical Effects of Constructing the High-Speed Railroad System
(i) Industrial products manufactured at plants located along the new high-speed railroad system can be quickly transported to other plants, consuming marketplace, airport or sea port. This not only allows it to cut down on the product costs but also streamlines the flow of people and goods between cities located along the new high-speed railroad system, thus contributing significantly to the growth of United States economy.
(ii) Construction of the new high-speed railroad system that involves a wide spectrum of works requires vast amounts of materials and man power. Thus it will create demands and jobs over a long period of time.
(iii) Since the new high-speed railroad system operates solely on electric power, it will reduce the consumption of dwindling supply of petroleum (gasoline, heavy oil, etc.) that has been used as the fuel for aircraft and long-haul trucks, thus contributing to the energy saving and prevention of air pollution.
(iv) The inventor files the present application in wish of further development of the U.S. economy.
(10) Accordingly, the inventor intends to unconditionally transfer the right of the patent to the Federal Government of the United States of America as soon as it is granted.

Claims

1. A new high-speed railroad system comprising railways constructed in uninhabited areas to connect a plurality of cities, wherein stations are not constructed on the main tracks and railway interchanges are constructed instead that are provided with side tracks branching out from the main tracks or leading to the main tracks, so that a train bound to a particular town is directed through the railway interchange to a terminal constructed outside the town.

2. The new high-speed railroad system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal is an automobile passenger terminal connecting to a highway interchange, provided with platforms where trains from the high-speed railroad and automobiles from the highway can enter.

3. The new high-speed railroad system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal is a truck terminal connecting to the highway interchange, provided with platforms where trains from the high-speed railroad and trucks from the highway can enter.

4. The new high-speed railroad system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal is a passenger terminal constructed adjacent to an airport, provided with platforms where trains from the high-speed railroad can enter, a bus terminal and a parking lot.

5. The new high-speed railroad system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal is a freight handling terminal constructed adjacent to an airport, provided with freight handling platforms where trains from the high-speed railroad can enter, a truck terminal and a parking lot for trucks.

6. The new high-speed railroad system according to claim 1, wherein said railway interchange comprises loop tracks including turnout tracks diverting from the main tracks, said loop tracks being connected with the terminal by side tracks.

7. The new high-speed railroad system according to claim 1, wherein service motorways are constructed along the railway.