Train on train- JR Hokkaido

[ToniBabelony]

The only reservation I have about the Hokkaido Shinkansen extension is, as someone earlier in the thread suggested, is that the local services on the route, not just through the tunnel, may be rationalised into oblivion. When JR East extend the Shinkansen network they lose interest in local services or sell them off to third party operators.

 

That could well be, but there could also be the option of running locals as on the Akita and Yamagata shinkansen with passing loops. These locals would be of a different type then the usual 701-5000(?) Series as they require to keep up with higher speeds. Could be a call for a new type of high-speed local service design like in South-Germany where a local train runs at 200km/h on a 'Neubaustrecke': http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/Nurnberg/Nurnberg3.html

 

But then, they could also choose to let the local lines be cape-gauge an run rationalised services. Let's keep things in a positve sight and not try to think about that too much

[CaptOblivious]

Not much clearance in those things, is there? Not going to be running any tall containers (ISO hi-cubes) through those things. Nevermind Westfalen's watertight argument against using mainline power to load the cars on and off, there simply isn't the clearance to run anything but a midget diesel shunter through there!

[westfalen]

Not much clearance in those things, is there? Not going to be running any tall containers (ISO hi-cubes) through those things. Nevermind Westfalen's watertight argument against using mainline power to load the cars on and off, there simply isn't the clearance to run anything but a midget diesel shunter through there!

Perhaps any ISO containers or other out of gauge movements will be made at night after the last Shinkansen, I assume the track will be dual gauge through the tunnel for the sleeper trains and any transfers of rolling stock between Hokkaido and Honshu.

[CaptOblivious]

Suddenly I wonder: What is going to haul these high-speed freights? We have yet to see any kind of high-speed standard-gauge loco from JR…

[westfalen]

Suddenly I wonder: What is going to haul these high-speed freights? We have yet to see any kind of high-speed standard-gauge loco from JR…

Interesting observation. They are kind of putting the cart before the horse.

[KenS]

Could you couple them to the end of a Shinkansen?  If it's going slower than usual through the tunnel, it probably has the extra power to haul a short freight.  And it would actually help with the scheduling, as there'd be one one train instead of two.

[bikkuri bahn]

Suddenly I wonder: What is going to haul these high-speed freights? We have yet to see any kind of high-speed standard-gauge loco from JR…

 

There will be a standard gauge locomotive type built for this service.  Artist conceptions seem to indicate a two unit setup a la EH200/500.