Know Your Train Terms

By Jeff Jones

Albuquerque Journal

Monday, February 9, 2004

It's not light rail. It's not a "bullet train." And it darn sure isn't a maglev train.

Planners are working to bring a commuter rail service to New Mexico, and some of the various train terms are now being butchered fairly frequently. Even Gov. Bill Richardson, who is pushing for the service, has let the B-word (bullet train) slip into his statements about the project.

Here's a primer on how to sound train savvy:

Commuter rail is designed to get passengers from one city to another or from a suburban area into a city. Those services are able to operate on the same lines that freight trains are using. They usually consist of a traditional diesel engine hauling passenger cars or self-propelled rail diesel cars, which have their own engines. Stations are usually five-plus miles apart. Top speeds are usually 60 mph or 79 mph, depending on track and signal conditions.

Light rail is, literally, lighter than commuter rail— the cars aren't as beefily designed, and they are not allowed to operate on freight lines. Light rail can run alongside vehicles on city streets and is usually powered by electric lines overhanging the rails. Stations are often 1-2 miles apart, and top speeds reach up to 60 mph. Since they don't operate on existing tracks, building light rail is much more costly than commuter rail.

Heavy rail is also designed to move people inside cities, but the cars are heavier than light-rail cars and those systems are powered by an electrified third rail on the tracks. They must also have their own dedicated lines and must be completely fenced off or built above ground or underground. The New York City subway system is an example of heavy rail. Top speeds are 60-plus mph.

Bullet trains, as their name implies, go fast— top speeds for some bullet trains are touted to be 150 mph and 186 mph. Those systems also cost plenty to build: A recent story by The Associated Press reported a cost estimate of more than $91 million a mile. With that price tag, bringing a one-mile bullet train to New Mexico would cost more than initial estimates for an entire, 49-mile, Belen-to-Bernalillo commuter rail service.

Maglev (magnetic levitation) trains, which ride on magnetic cushions instead of steel wheels, are the undisputed kings in the speed and cost departments. One experimental maglev train in Japan recently hit a top speed of 361 mph, according to various reports. At that rate, a 50-mile commute from Bernalillo to Santa Fe would take a little more than 8 minutes. The Associated Press story said building a maglev train line from Tokyo to Osaka has been estimated to cost about $274 million a mile.