indeed wind turbines would be correct. Windmills have been used though for different purposes in times where steam power was not availible yet. Esp in NL windmills are often used for pumping water but also powering sawmills or as energy source for the hammer in a Forge or for other uses. Wind Turbines are also meanwhile one of the cheapest form of power in europe. It took subventions to get to this point but those times are mostly over...
Only when the railway stations are part of the legacy network. If the tracks are suitable for high speed (like Montabaur or Avignon TGV) then trains will pass at high speed (300 km/h in this case).
It depends of the train station itself. Usually are the speed limits on regular stations by 160km/h. Sometimes 200km/h if there rail barriers at the edge of the platform. Trains can travel up to 300km/h through a station if theres no platform at this track itself. Like in this video there's at least another track between the high speed track and the track with a platform.
have you ever thought about turning a train around at the destination? it's hard. but having a driver stand on each end requires the driver to walk from one end to the other, and the train is magically turned around ;-)
I think we should let this American believe that the train is taken off its rails, turned around and placed back on the rails ready to go back the other way 🤣
Yep, been on that train, but going the other way, Munich to Paris. Mind blowing for me compared to UK trains. Display showed that we hit 319kmh at one point. Also, was cheaper and more convenient than flying.
@@eddieaicken5687 The German part of the route has a 300km/h maximum speed while the French part is 320km/h, so it's normal for the train to speed up a bit once it gets into France.
Not a drop of beer spilled? Means British stag parties are not allowed? Good, whenever I go from London to Lake District and happen to see a group of very rowdy young people I can guarantee you there'd be a ton of beer spilled... and not because of the train.
Inside of a TGV you don't feel the speed at all. You can drink the coffee you bought in the train, read a book at the seat's light or adjust your seat to sleep a few minutes. Oh, and they have heaters, AC and window covers, so nothing from the outside is to disturb the passengers, except a funny noise when another train passes by.
On the Japanese Shinkansen you might not even realise you are moving. The cars are air-tight so you don't feel any air pressure changes when going in and out of tunnels (and being such a mountainous country, there are a LOT of tunnels).
@@nbartlett6538That's great! TGVs are pressurized as well since 1992 (i.e. version 3 and newer) but I've travelled in version 1 a couple of times and I admit tunnels were a bit of an earful. V1 sets are in service no more, and 20 odd v2 sets are still in service; so you would be a bit unlucky travelling in one of these nowadays.
my thought wwas, this is the only way to see an actual power lane here, because the power lanes for electricity are underground here. (would be good for the US infrastructure aswell especially because of such Taifuns,Huricanes, Cyclones which they have /3 words the same thing per definition)
In the south east (of England), we use a third rail system. The London Underground uses four rails (usual running tracks plus a positive and negative). The future of high speed electric trains in Britain will be from overhead lines though as the old Inter City 125s were diesel (and let's not forget the wonderful Mallard, the world's steam record holder).
@@Gazer75 Also, for both high-speed and freight trains, the power requirements are in the megawatts. You *can* do it with power generated on the train (diesel, for example), but you really don't want to. Electricity is significantly cheaper, no problems with the air in tunnels ...
It's so sweet how impressed some Americans by European High-speed Trains. It isn't actually a new thing. For Example here in Germany we have High Speed Trains for at least 30 Years and France started it actually earlier 😅
@@tobe4722 And in Japan the 1st Bullet Train was 1968 with a speed of 280 km/h. A long time Europe was very arrogant and did nothing. And the existing rail system is so old that a lot of trains fall out or are delayed. Especially in Germany 🇩🇪
@@arnograbner9027 yes indeed. Our Rail System in Germany is crap. They didn't invest Money for years and now the Rails are very old and they still use technology from the 19th century. I love traveling by train but the Deutsche Bahn is really challenging 🤣 I love to travel the Shinkansen one day. It's really impressive how punctual it is.
Seeing Ryan riding his son's toy train makes this worthwhile watching and hearing his exclamations on the high speed trains in the video _he's_ amazed by, imho!!
I want one, just like that! Ryan, calling himself an American, while 345,654,997 would beg to differ ... sorry 345,654,996, some guy in Springfield, OH just choked on a hairball. American? Ryan is seeking knowledge, being open, having self awareness, humble... nope .. not an American, (FBI, CIA, NSA - perking up?!)
@@thomasfranz6467 you can go to Limburg Süd or Montabaur to see ICE's at full speed going through the station. Sure there a many places around Europe like this
Trains doesn't slow down in high speed train station where main tracks doesnt touch platforms. Generally, you have a platforme, a track for stopping trains, two tracks for non stopping trains, a track for stopping trains in the other direction. And the second pnatform.
@@thomasfranz6467 This is BS. Trains will pass with 300 km/h in Montabaur. However: When tracks run through a city, the lines are usually older than any development around them.
About the size of the trains, keep in mind that some people use them daily for work (for example living in Lille and working in Paris. It's 130 miles and it takes one hour, where you can work quietly).
Depends on the stations, at least usually. When they have separate through-tracks good enough for high speeds, they don't slow down. Otherwise, they do.
When you try to guess how many passengers can go on one INOUI train, it's about 550 passengers full charge with their luggages. For a OUIGO TGV (cheap train), the two trains joined together to make a "rame de TGV" can accomodate up to 1.228 passengers and luggages in one trip.
Your enthusiasm is infectious, Ryan. I was once with an Australian adult when she experienced her first snowfall. It was joyous. I feel like I need to take you on a high speed train journey in Europe just to sit with you and experience you experiencing it! Like snow for an Australian.
High speed trains are replacing short distance flights in Europe. No hassle with driving to the airport, finding a parking lot, check-in, passport and security control.
This is especially relevant when you know you have reliable public transportation in departure and arrival city. If not, it loses part of its relevance.
@@noefillon1749 Yeah, the network effect. So many politicians and even railway executives, even in Europe, don't understand that part. Maybe there should be a rule, to only ever put people in these positions who actually have used trains.
@@noefillon1749 that's no different to flying in that regard though. Other than the stations are normally much closer to the city centre than the airport!
@@dasy2k1 That has some truth to it even though at this point, if you have to take your car at home, you might as well go far in the periphery than the center whereas by PT, the center is usually more accessible than the airport. Then I feel like renting a car is usually easier in an airport than in a train station but that might be because I'm European and used to the European use of train stations and airports. However, having public transport at departure and destination is a significant plus for rail facing car travel (in "intermediate" distances, like 300 to 800 km)
@dasy2k1 not quite, you can board your train up to 5-10 minutes before departure, security controls are much faster. When flying you need to be at the airport a couple of hours before departure time.
2:26 That railing is at the end of the platform, to protect pedestrians from falling out on the tracks, due to the platform end slopes down, to allow you to cross the track on the right. 6:20 Thats the French TGV Duplex, they usually cruise around 300 km/h or 186 mph, they are quite comfortable to ride, you don't really notice that they are going that fast. The TGV Duplex set the world record on April 3. 2007 at 574.8 km/h or 359.25 mph, and it's still the fastest train in the world, if you don't count any maglev trains.
0:50 “that must be a trip when you’re on it” honestly, not as wild as you might imagine. In a good way. Sure, passing a station is cool, but typically the ride is just so smooth and comfortable that you don’t notice. Often there’s a display somewhere where you can see the speed, but looking at it is more like “oh, right, we’re haulin’. I forgot”
Fun fact: the french TGV is the fastest train on wheels. Their commercial speed is, on appropriate high speed tracks, around 320 kmh or around 200 mph. Next level is maglev train technology which you can find in Japan.
The French trains are mostly TGVs (Trains à Grande Vitesse - literally translates as High Speed Trains) which regularly hit 320 kilometers per hour (199 miles per hour). The TGV record is 574.8 kilometers per hour(357.2 miles per hour) At 320 km/h, even emergency braking will take 3.4 km (2.1 miles) to bring the train to a stop; 440 tonnes at 320 km/h doesn't stop easily 😀
440t brake fairly easy. that's more the metal on metal part that makes braking hard for trans. in fact the fastest braking commercial vehicles out there are planes. those generate more braking force than cars. p.s. a a380 weights about 400t and for reference: th-cam.com/video/_yNixbQ-IfY/w-d-xo.html
Also SNCF, Societe National des Chemins de Fer - Chemins de Fer - Iron Roads There were two instances of the most hypnotic part of French railways though, the SNCF Jingle de de de der der
@@amduser86 What do you mean, "metal on metal"? 440 000 kg @ 320 km/h equals a kinetic energy of 1.75 GJ (giga joules). You definitely don't want to get rid of that through friction, esp. using components that are designed to have as little fristion as possible. Not a rail engineer, but I'm pretty sure braking is done regenerative, where the kinetic energy is converted back to electric energy and put back to the grid.
@@stevenvanhulle7242 braking of the train is limited by the friction coefficient between the metal of train wheels and the metal of the train tracks. does not matter how the train is braking. in fact most of those high speed trains have a pneumatic brake with conventional brake pads, like a semi truck/lorry for emergency braking in combination with an induction brake (hope that is the proper english term) and a braking and to increase the friction between the wheel and the track. most of the time regenerative braking of electric engines is used. but that is just in normal operation. otherwise all system in combination are used and it is still painfully hard to get a train to stop and the wait is not the real issue.
@@amduser86 Actually not. At least not the emergency brakes on the TGV, which are magnetic (some trucks use the same magnetic braking with a flywheel) and complement the regenerative braking from electric motors and friction disk braking. It is very powerful at high speed, but provides no braking at all when stopped. A cool feature of this braking mechanism is that it slows the train down by putting the energy in the rails, so you get hot rail behind the train, and the heat does not build up within the vehicle itself
Yes, they both ways. “Slow” high speed is 186 mph! UK trains will go through platforms at 100 mph if platform adjacent, or full speed, generally maximum of 125 mph if on a central track.
I worked on the Highspeed Train Amsterdam - Paris for 15 years. Loved it. On the hispeeds lines NL, B and F the powersupply is 25.000 V. Germany, Switzerland and Germany have 15.000V. Trainsets crossing the borders like Eurostar and ICE are equipt to use safety systems and currents for the different countries.
The good thing is , that they normally end in city centers, and have not the going to and through and from the airport. No waiting time and boarding time up front. Book your ticket at home on your phone , get there 5 minutes earls and hop in. Paris London 2.5 hours, Frankfurt-Paris 3 hours, Hamburg -Zurich 6 hours
Riding the TGV is a must. This train makes up to 360 km/h. And nothing is so relaxing than to drink a beer in the bistro and taking a look on the nature.
that whistling sound is a combination of two things .. the wheelsets on the rails and the wind passing over the gap between carriages (if you blow over a sharp edge, it makes a whistle sound) .. the exact sound depends on the construction details and the speed
@@neilbarton7216 Not really, the repetition of the sound is for each carriage, the doppler effects explains why the sound is highter when the train is comming and why its lower when its going away. Its a bit hard to explain by text but its easy to undertand with a simple animation, wikipedia article is great.
If you read "Renfe" - these are spanish trains. They have some different ones. The spanish high speed railnetwork is the biggest in Europe. TGV - French: Started in the mid 80ies with Paris-Lyon Eurostar: Mostly Paris-London through the tunnel under the english channel. And all of these are around 300km fast ...
In the 'old' days, you had a loco and carriages, so you had to shunt the loco around at the end station [or bring in another loco to attach and detach the now rear loco]. Then they developed: Driving Van Trailers [DVT] where the driver just changed ends [so a driving cab on either a passenger coach or a non powered coach for baggage etc.] Saves time. Multiple units are mostly the same at both ends [like a mirror image].
All trains are reversible because sometimes they stop en route in head of the line stations. So they go in one way and come back out in the opposite direction. Firenze Santa Maria Novella (Florence's main station) is like that.
@@budapestkeletistationvoices yes. Most commonly only those originating or arriving in Milan go through Centrale. The Turin-Rome, Venice-Rome or Trieste-Rome usually go through Garibaldi, though some go through Centrale. Also the evening TGV to Paris departs from Garibaldi, while the morning one departs from Centrale.
That is not 100% correct. Some stations do have 2 extra rails in the middle which are not connected to the platform. Trains that use these 2 extra rails go at full speed through a station.
I guess the reasoning is it makes no difference being hit by a train at 100 km/h or 300 km/h. The result is your existence terminates at the point of impact in both cases.
@@retropaganda8442 I think the main reason is that the UK runs trains at 200kph on its old mainlines which means there are lots of stations. If the trains slowed down for every station they would never reach top speed.
Clearly you have the best train out of all of them Ryan! 😁 Great reaction, I'm also still impressed by all the amazing trains here in Europe. Warm greetings from the Netherlands. 🌷
As a permanent resident in Japan, I regularly take the Bullet train. So to make the comparison with taking a domestic flight; -Arrive at the station, buy a ticket, get to the right place on the platform -No check in, luggage x-ray, body check, no shoes off -Train arrives, get on the appropriate carriage, reserved or non-reserved -Find a seat, twice the space of a plane -Trains on time arriving and departing -Destination station is in the middle of town, not some remote airport -A one-hour trip by train is a three-hour road journey on the expressway. Looks like the US has a lot of catching up to do. Negative points: The last train is around 23:00 hours, first around 05:00 hours. Somewhat expensive but you can plug into senior discount. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit By the way, the abbreviation for kilometres per hour is km/hr
It's actually quite boring from the inside. No sensation of speed, hardly noise, comfortable, not much to see outside mostly. Ideal for reading a book.
French TGV trains are a very big export, we make the fastest on-rail (not magnets) trains in the world, there is a fastest world record for trains at 570km/h (a bit less than a plane) -- though they normally go at 320km/h. That's why it's a similar design all around: eurostar (UK/Eu), Spain, Italy, etc. all use our trains from Alstom (the TGV makers)
The track closest to the platform are for trains stopping at that station, or the next station. They are slow and local or regional.The tracks in the middle are for long distance trains, or freight trains that run during the night. Passenger diesel trains are almost non-existent in Europe, so no fumes-belching, horn-honking, bell-clanging ugly slow locomotives. In fact the Dutch railways run on 100% renewable energy. The lines running over the tracks are called catenaries and feed the electrical motors through so-called pantographs on the roof.
Passenger diesel train being almost non-existent is really not true. The Netherlands being the densest country in Europe (excepting micro-states) I guess you wouldn't find such trains there, but there are definitely diesel trains in Europe. In France you'll find them on the least frequented routes, mostly regional trains. Many regional trainsets can operate on both an electricity and diesel. Ofc, high speed trains, as they operate only on high speed rail or electrified classic rail, the most frequented sections of the rail network, they are only electric.
As has been said, if you are in the train, you don't feel the speed. Two trains attached together, in Germany, means that they will travel a certain distance together and then split at a pre-determined station and each half will continue to a different destination. You will normally also have high speed internet so you can work or watch Netflix/You tube if you want. In most parts of Germany, short distances are now serviced solely by train and the flights have been cancelled. Example, Hamburg to Berlin with the train 1.45 hours, city centre to city centre. If you drive 3-4 hours. Some time ago, before they built the fast tracks, you would need to get to the airport, check in for a flight 2 hours before, fly for 30 minutes and then need to get to the city centre. Train stations are central and can be accessed by public transport while airports are on the fringes so take time to get to. It's good stuff, come and try it out.
The french TGV (Train Grande Vitesse = High Speed Train) although it is operated at a maximum speed of 320 km/h this train can reach a speed of 570 km/h on the same rails.
The noise comes from the gaps between the wagons - and most of the didn't drive fast (forbidden within many train stations). And yes: powered by the "lines" - they're electric. They go up to 320 km/h - completely calm from inside, you can freely walk around in peace and calm. Usually you find Speed Indicators in the cabin. Impressive if it surpasses 300 kph
En France, pour ces ralentissements en gare, ils ont lieu en dehors des Lignes à Grande Vitesse. Les TGV peuvent pratiquement utiliser tout le réseau électrifié. Pour les gares LGV, elles comportent 4 voies : 2 centrales pour passages à grande vitesse ( pas d’arrêt ) et 2 d'arrêts pour voyageurs séparées par un muret (voir 5'55 ). Une rame fait environ 200m et suivant la nécessitée elles roulent en unité multiple, 2 , soit 400m de long.
@@cjlmoni Bonjour à la France de la Suisse: They try it here as well, but sometimes it does'nt work out - not enough lines/space. Especially if you have also a freight train running through. But... France and Spain are fabulous with trains! Chapeau!
Yep. And most of the trains that go higher speed+ area "leaning trains". Meaning, that the undercarriage actively leans the train the corners to make it more comfy.
Man, I love trains. Even the crappy ones we've got here in the States. I love being able to hop on a train in downtown DC and be in downtown NYC in four hours without having to deal with all the BS around flying or sitting in the awful I-95 traffic. But European trains? I'm not kidding when I say the first time I went to Europe and then came back and rode one of our trains, I felt a profound sense of embarrassment. I love that I was able to go from Lyon to Barcelona in like six hours. I love that I could go to a small town in the middle of the Swiss countryside and get back to Geneva without having to worry too much about scheduling, because I knew another train would just be along in a bit. And getting from one side of Barcelona to the other, transferring twice, while not speaking/reading a word of Spanish, and doing it in 20 or 30 minutes, because their system is just so good. I live in one of the best transit cities in the US, and it's a joke in comparison to many of the European cities I've been to. And I'm not even talking about super-star cities like Copenhagen or Berlin.
Hello from Australia. One NSW Rail Heritage weekend I went to inspect the Mortuary Station at Central Station Sydney where funeral trains used to travel to Rookwood Cemetery. Lots of trainspotters with cameras around. There is also the Indian Pacific train which crosses the Nullabor plain to Perth and the Ghan (from Afghan camel drivers who used to transport supplies) from Adelaide to Darwin. The ZigZag railway and so on. And most of our Sydney trains are double deckers. There is also the true story of all the passengers who pushed against one side of a train carriage to tilt it away so a man could get his leg out from where it had slipped down beside the carriage, in Perth. The recreation was used in an ad.
MOST trains in Europe are powered electrically via overhead lines! Locomotives with diesel engines are rather exceptions, e.g. on small branch lines without power lines, on new lines where the overhead lines have not yet been laid or when repairs are being made to the power lines!
Never got on a train? As an European that actually has been on American trains two times: Amtrak from NY to Niagara and back and to Montreal and back I say you made the right decision.
Ditto! On my first trip to the US in 1996 - I actually took the train (Amtrak) from LA to San Diego! And as far as I can remember that was a nice, good, ride too!
In Spain, high speed has been so successful that the Madrid-Barcelona air bridge has not existed for many years. The big problem with high speed in Spain at the moment is its success, it could die of success, infrastructures built less than 5 years ago have become too small, so the Chamartin station in Madrid is being renovated to extend the platforms and the tunnels that link the different stations in Madrid are being extended to allow direct passage of trains from the north to the south and from the Mediterranean coast to the Atlantic coast without having to change trains. My city on the Atlantic coast of Spain is less than three hours by train from Madrid, from the centre to the centre, without waiting, without having to check in luggage, being able to walk around the train, read, watch a film or drink a beer at the bar.
It's so lovely to see how a person gets excited of the train view like a kid. I am used to the trains but the images of the giant SUV driving through your American highways looks in the same unexpected way for me. )) Great video btw. Sounds like videogame guns
The fastest HSTs are in France. They hold the rail speed record of 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph). In normal service they travel at 300 km/h. Even here in Britain we have trains that regularly travel at 200 km/h, but our Eurostar trains (linking with the Continent via the Channel Tunnel) travel at 300 km/h.
yep.. the train at 5:12 is Eurostar. I used to travel on it regularly when it stopped in Ashford (Kent), traveling 186Mph in it feels like being in a car doing 50 on a really smooth bit of road.. amazing experience.
@@karinchristensen1838 Yes, it's the Eurostar! It was going at full speed on the French side and had to slow down on the English side because part of the tracks had not been modernized. I haven't taken it for several years, I don't know if they have been improved
@@Old_Wirehead I don’t know when you last travelled on Eurostar, however… On the UK side, since 2007 Eurostar only runs on HS1 so travels at 300kph (186mph) when out of the tunnels. Even Southeasten’s High-Speed Javelin (Class 395) service runs at 140mph (225kph) between Ashford and Ebbsfleet when in the open on HS1. The Javelin service from Ashford to St Pancras (approx. 60 miles) takes 36 minutes including stopping at Ebbsfleet and Stratford, an average speed of 100mph including 2 stops.
How come nobody's commenting about why these high-speed trains move fast and smooth? These rails don't have rail joints and the ends are welded together with thermite. And all rails have to be in perfect alignment and symmetry for smooth and fast control even at high speeds.
For me, a train fanatic, going on the Eurostar to various places in France & Belgium is the coolest thing. You can keep nausea inducing ferries! Flying is great too, but I just love getting to Paris, from London, in just over 2 hours, reaching speeds of about 240 mph! Perfect for a weekend away 😊 You would love it, your face said it all. People don't stand where a lot of those shots were taken from, that would be suicidal I suspect 😳 🙋♀️🇬🇧🤪
You can see the difference between the shots that were taken at a train station and in the open. There are usually speed limits in train stations. Here in Germany the high speed tracks are secured with fences, so that not even a deer can get on the tracks. There is also a difference in where the wheel bases are. The French seem to tend to have them between two cars. The advantage is, that this makes them more stable, the disadvantage is, that you cannot simply decouple the cars. The other option is to have two per car, it makes them a bit less stable, but you can rearrange the trains pretty easily.
The sounds are absolutely phenomenal aren't they, oh and trains usually have an engine front and back so you don't need to turn the train around which makes it more efficient.
They dont have engine front/back. Inter City Express (ICE 4) with 12 carriages has 24 electric motors driven by 15,000 Volt AC (alternate current) HIGH VOLTAGE at a frequency of 16.7 Hertz.
@@to_loww It's only a choice , not an evolution. Distributed motorization is more efficient on journeys with a lot of stopping...Concentrated motorization is more durable over long periods at high speed.
35 years in Australia and they are still debating if we can have a train to the airport in Melbourne 🙄 Meanwhile the Shinkansen opened in Japan Tokyo to Osaka in 1964. We have given our rail system over to freight. And no polly dares suggest seperate passenger lines.
I've taken a TGV multiple times over the last 10 years and you don't even notice the train hitting 320kph, it's super smooth and comfortable, even on the top deck! "coupled" for 2 trains attached to each other ;) I believe the noise comes from the air traveling between the wagons. The capacity of a double deck (called "Duplex") is 510 passengers-if it has 8 cars/wagons.
the first reaction you read in those reactions..... that in the usa they prefer more lanes than sitting in the train, they reach their destination earlier by train....and it is cheaper if you go by train. something with ''carcentric''...it is all in the mind.
2:12 the reason the back and front of the train looks the same, is because in Europe we mostly use so-called multiple unit trains that can run under their own power, so that no locomotive is needed. These trains can just reverse direction at the push of a button and run the other way, which makes turning them around at end stations much easier than turning a locomotive-hauled train around.
Seeing this type of videos where Americans react to stuff that's normal everywhere else in the world and their reaction being like "wooow, I've never seen thaaat!", reminds me so much of that series that go like "Tribal people react to electricity" kind of stuff. This isn't meant in any bad way nor as a hate comment, I just find that similarity funny :D
"It's a red light, slow down!" At that speed trains are not guided by signals along the track anymore. They communicate wirelessly with traffic controllers. The driver can see all the neccessary information on displays in the cockpit. If they weren't obligated to keep an eye out on the track for anything unusual they might as well roll down the window blind and it would work just as well.
When I started to work in Frankfurt (Germany) from Monday to Friday, living in Paris, I chosed the train instead of flights. Both german ICE (Inter City Express) high speed trains and french TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) high speed trains are used on this route. Running at 199 mph on the french part, slower in Germany. Very comfortable and easy, from city center to city center. The best option.
@Ryan: for technical reasons, most train locomotives from the past 30 years use electric (DC) motors. In most of the US, these are powered by giant diesel-fueled power generators (kinda lke the Generac behind your house). So, a "diesel" loc here is actually a "dieselectric" loc. In most of Europe, locs are powered directly from overhead power lines. If my memory didnt fail yet, those were 1500V DC between the line and ground (the rails) to directly power the motors. There is no way a "true diesel" engine could achieve these speeds, and even dieselectric's would have a seriously hard time doing so.
UK trains are twice as fast as American trains. French trains are twice as fast as UK trains. Then there are Japanese trains, they are on another level again!
And alot of deaths of people trying to cross the tracks, I have a train line behind my home in the uk I watched has a 7 yr old got hit on the tracks it took the police 2 hours to pick his body parts up. And the train wasn't going that fast.
@@tihomirrasperic Well ... I might be wrong, but Croatia is pretty mountainous and it will take a lot of money to "become Switzerland" ... and it is probably a lot more enjoyable to experience the countryside at slow speed.
I love taking the Eurostar between London and Paris (I do it several times a year). It's such a crazy stuff when you think about it. Taking a bullet train under a sea...
Eurostar e320 - Class 374 These trains have a top speed of 199 miles per hour (mph) and are the fastest trains currently operating in the UK. They are 16 cars long and can carry up to 900 passengers. The Eurostar e320s operate on the HS1 line between London and cities in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
I frequently take the TGV from Bordeaux to Luxembourg (via Paris) average nominal speed is 320km. Sometimes, I catch the German 'Ice' train from Saarbrucken to Paris, average speed 330kpm. All of these trains are electrically powered and ridiculously smooth...usually good buffet or dining cars too.
Yes, the power indeed comes from overhead wires. They are powered with up to 25000 volts (depending on the country), which the train can access through the pantograph (the arm thingy on the top of the train) sliding along the overhead wires. Also, most of these trains consist of multiple units. A multiple unit is a set of multiple railcars that belong together as one unit. Sometimes it has some power cars, sometimes the motors are distributed over the carriages. And indeed: they have a driver's cabin at both ends, to make it easy to go back (which is quite an improvement with respect to the steam days, when the locomotive had to be decoupled, turned around, driven to the other side of the train, and then coupled). And, if you need a longer train, these multiple units can easily be coupled together into one longer train with an automatic coupling (it's easy to prepare for coupling, and then one train gently bumps into the other one and the coupling is made). Finally: the sound you hear is from the wheels. The wheels on the track is the loudest part of the train (except for some trains when they are braking), and since the wheels are only at the end of each car you can hear each bogey (set of axles) or couple of bogeys whoosh by separately.
HSTs usually have dedicated tracks that are inaccessible to travellers to avoid the trains having to slow down any time the train goes through a station. The issue with fast going trains is not stones flying up, but actually that people can get pulled onto the tracks due to the air deplacement\suction the trains create at these high speeds.
That sound you hear - the pulses. IDK how or why, but they´ve got something to do with the gaps between the carts, because you can count them using those pulses. Also, the tandem trains make a different noise where there are two locomotives head to head. The engines themselves doesn´t make a lot of noise, so what you hear is from the tracks or the wind.
I used high speed trains a lot for businessmeetings: Board in the morning, have a nice breakfeast on board, scan quickly my documents a last time and arrive 600 km further in the middle of the city. Meeting with a light lunch, back on the train in the early afternoon and back home at 5 pm. Faster, cheaper and more relaxed than a plane,
Makes me think of a Robert Heinlein book, Starman Jones, in which the protagonist walks a shortcut through a high speed train tunnel. There was not a train scheduled for that time, but he kept fretting about an unscheduled special train and he kept going faster and faster until he was almost running when he exited the tunnel and ran down the mountain slope. About 30 seconds later a high speed train roared out of the tunnel where he had just been and the wind force knocked him to the ground and the noise deafened him for about an hour.
Yeah those double-deckers carry a ton of passengers! The current version carries up to 634 / 1268 (single or double length), and the new version entering service soon and called TGV M will have up to 740 / 1480 seats while offering more room to passengers. They run at 320kph (200mph) on newer lines (post 2000), and 300kph (186mph) on older high-speed lines (pre 2000). There are about 800 trains a day in France, with like 125 million passengers per year. On certain lines and during peak hours, trains can follow each other only 3 to 4 minutes apart on each track. There are 7 TGV stations in Paris, 4 in the core city and 3 in the suburbs (CDG Airport, Disneyland Paris...) and in the main ones of the core city, the noria of peak arrivals is really impressive with loads of people crowding the platforms and station. The bright blue ones are OuiGo, which is the low-cost services, and others are InOui which is the regular service. OuiGo also exist in Spain, but their trains, still double-deckers, are predominantly white. The Star Wars-y sound typical of the TGV family of trains is due to the TGV specific bogies which are derived from Jacobs bogies. They are located and shared between 2 cars. Other high-speed trains usually have 2 bogies under each car. The most striking "laser battle" sound is from the first generation Eurostar trains (named e300), which were derived from the TGV line-up.
Best thing being most of those are not even at full speed. Also two precision : in a french double TGV you can stuff up to 1600 people. And the noise is made by the displacement of the power cables while the train is moving.
7:35 yes they are. In france and germany (the two which i know of), 25 kV are running through these wires to make them go on speeds of around 300km/h or faster
Those multiple-units have cabs on both sides, so that when the train reached the end of their journey, the driver can just walk to the other cab and drive from there. It's such a good think to have, that a lot of conventional trains are equipped with a special wagon to make them a push-pull train. And yes, those multiple-units are sometimes connected up to each other. I see it quite often on my regional trains in Katowice where two 22WE (4-unit Pesa Elf class) are joined up to double it's capacity. On some occasions even 3 trains are connected like that. It also allows to split a train at some station and have one part of it go to one destination and the other part to a different one
Those aren't windmills. They're wind turbines, for wind power. Windmills are for milling grains.
Thank you! That grinds my gears every time a certain US politician calls them "windmills". They aren't "milling" anything. 🙄
@@nolaj114 They are milling the taxpayer's money !! 😜😁
Or for pumping water.....
indeed wind turbines would be correct.
Windmills have been used though for different purposes in times where steam power was not availible yet.
Esp in NL windmills are often used for pumping water but also powering sawmills or as energy source for the hammer in a Forge or for other uses.
Wind Turbines are also meanwhile one of the cheapest form of power in europe. It took subventions to get to this point but those times are mostly over...
@@josteingravvik2381And your stupid comment my brain 🤡
They do usually slow down when passing through a train station.
Yeah. Around the train stations is a "slow mode".
In Italy, in Reggio Emilia AV station, they go full speed though the platforms (300 kmh) as they are isolated from the rest
They go 220 km/h when crossing a station, instead of 250/320 km/h
Only when the railway stations are part of the legacy network.
If the tracks are suitable for high speed (like Montabaur or Avignon TGV) then trains will pass at high speed (300 km/h in this case).
It depends of the train station itself. Usually are the speed limits on regular stations by 160km/h. Sometimes 200km/h if there rail barriers at the edge of the platform. Trains can travel up to 300km/h through a station if theres no platform at this track itself. Like in this video there's at least another track between the high speed track and the track with a platform.
have you ever thought about turning a train around at the destination? it's hard.
but having a driver stand on each end requires the driver to walk from one end to the other, and the train is magically turned around ;-)
Yeah, most train drivers say the 3-point turn is hardest part of the test.
Getting train off tracks is easy. Getting it back afterwards is trickiest part! =))
I think we should let this American believe that the train is taken off its rails, turned around and placed back on the rails ready to go back the other way 🤣
@@elmurcis1 special when its foggy
Americans are not used to muliple-unit trains. They only know trains that are pulled by a dirty diesel locomotive.
300+ kmh = 190mph in France from Paris to Munich Germany and not a drop of beer spilled!
Yep, been on that train, but going the other way, Munich to Paris. Mind blowing for me compared to UK trains. Display showed that we hit 319kmh at one point. Also, was cheaper and more convenient than flying.
320 km/h on the TGV Est line from Paris to Strasbourg, duration 1h50' (it was 2h20 until 2016, before completion of the 2nd phase).
@@peter59fgand now there is no flight anymore and thats good
@@eddieaicken5687 The German part of the route has a 300km/h maximum speed while the French part is 320km/h, so it's normal for the train to speed up a bit once it gets into France.
Not a drop of beer spilled? Means British stag parties are not allowed? Good, whenever I go from London to Lake District and happen to see a group of very rowdy young people I can guarantee you there'd be a ton of beer spilled... and not because of the train.
Inside of a TGV you don't feel the speed at all. You can drink the coffee you bought in the train, read a book at the seat's light or adjust your seat to sleep a few minutes. Oh, and they have heaters, AC and window covers, so nothing from the outside is to disturb the passengers, except a funny noise when another train passes by.
In my experience, it moves a bit more when on high speed line (300-320 km/h) than on classical line (< or =160)
On the Japanese Shinkansen you might not even realise you are moving. The cars are air-tight so you don't feel any air pressure changes when going in and out of tunnels (and being such a mountainous country, there are a LOT of tunnels).
@@noefillon1749 TGV speed max 570kmh and on French roads 320 km h
@@nbartlett6538That's great! TGVs are pressurized as well since 1992 (i.e. version 3 and newer) but I've travelled in version 1 a couple of times and I admit tunnels were a bit of an earful. V1 sets are in service no more, and 20 odd v2 sets are still in service; so you would be a bit unlucky travelling in one of these nowadays.
@@nbartlett6538 TGV's are too.
I died when he asked if the trains are powered by „those lines“ 😂 but understandable if you never went on a train 😅
Electric trains are rare in the US. There is some between Boston and Washington.
Also 99% of the tracks are used for cargo, not passengers.
It's been on a train 😊
my thought wwas, this is the only way to see an actual power lane here, because the power lanes for electricity are underground here. (would be good for the US infrastructure aswell especially because of such Taifuns,Huricanes, Cyclones which they have /3 words the same thing per definition)
In the south east (of England), we use a third rail system. The London Underground uses four rails (usual running tracks plus a positive and negative).
The future of high speed electric trains in Britain will be from overhead lines though as the old Inter City 125s were diesel (and let's not forget the wonderful Mallard, the world's steam record holder).
@@Gazer75 Also, for both high-speed and freight trains, the power requirements are in the megawatts. You *can* do it with power generated on the train (diesel, for example), but you really don't want to. Electricity is significantly cheaper, no problems with the air in tunnels ...
It's so sweet how impressed some Americans by European High-speed Trains. It isn't actually a new thing. For Example here in Germany we have High Speed Trains for at least 30 Years and France started it actually earlier 😅
I'm 41 years old and don't remember a time without the TGV
In Spain first line was in 1992
@@josemontilla-p5s Exact, between Madrid and Sevilla
@@tobe4722
And in Japan the 1st Bullet Train was 1968 with a speed of 280 km/h.
A long time Europe was very arrogant and did nothing. And the existing rail system is so old that a lot of trains fall out or are delayed. Especially in Germany 🇩🇪
@@arnograbner9027 yes indeed. Our Rail System in Germany is crap. They didn't invest Money for years and now the Rails are very old and they still use technology from the 19th century. I love traveling by train but the Deutsche Bahn is really challenging 🤣 I love to travel the Shinkansen one day. It's really impressive how punctual it is.
watching a grown man reacto to trains was kinda wholesome haha
Seeing Ryan riding his son's toy train makes this worthwhile watching and hearing his exclamations on the high speed trains in the video _he's_ amazed by, imho!!
@@brigidsingleton1596 Are you sure it's his sons' toy ?
@@flitsertheo
No!
I want one, just like that! Ryan, calling himself an American, while 345,654,997 would beg to differ ... sorry 345,654,996, some guy in Springfield, OH just choked on a hairball. American? Ryan is seeking knowledge, being open, having self awareness, humble... nope .. not an American, (FBI, CIA, NSA - perking up?!)
@@ZafWitness Get help.
This guy is so in touch with his inner kid. His kids are lucky to have him as their dad.
the first time see, hear and feel a train passing by with 300 km/h, just a few meters away is truly something you don't forget any time soon..
If you're not standing next to the tracks in some remote locations, that will never happen. Trains slow down is stations and city areas.
@@thomasfranz6467 you can go to Limburg Süd or Montabaur to see ICE's at full speed going through the station. Sure there a many places around Europe like this
Trains doesn't slow down in high speed train station where main tracks doesnt touch platforms.
Generally, you have a platforme, a track for stopping trains, two tracks for non stopping trains, a track for stopping trains in the other direction. And the second pnatform.
@@thomasfranz6467 This is BS.
Trains will pass with 300 km/h in Montabaur.
However: When tracks run through a city, the lines are usually older than any development around them.
5:30 This pretty much confirms that this is actually Ryan's play room.
he ants to become a Reddit-meme-celebrety indeed xD
And that it has a pretty thin wooden floor.
About the size of the trains, keep in mind that some people use them daily for work (for example living in Lille and working in Paris. It's 130 miles and it takes one hour, where you can work quietly).
Ryan my man the trains actually slow down a bit when going through the station so they actually go faster when not at the station .
Depends on the stations, at least usually. When they have separate through-tracks good enough for high speeds, they don't slow down. Otherwise, they do.
the train slowed down because there is a speed limit in the curves, so that the train does not derail
well, they still f***king HAMMER through the stations!
@@tihomirrasperic True it could in the curves.
The sparks on the wires in winter at night are brilliant
When you try to guess how many passengers can go on one INOUI train, it's about 550 passengers full charge with their luggages.
For a OUIGO TGV (cheap train), the two trains joined together to make a "rame de TGV" can accomodate up to 1.228 passengers and luggages in one trip.
Your enthusiasm is infectious, Ryan.
I was once with an Australian adult when she experienced her first snowfall. It was joyous.
I feel like I need to take you on a high speed train journey in Europe just to sit with you and experience you experiencing it! Like snow for an Australian.
We do have ski fields, you know the sort with real snow, in Australia... just so you know...
@@triarb5790 yes yes, fully aware (brother lives in Australia), but my work colleague was from QLD and hadn’t ever seen it.
(But we’re off topic)
My first time in snow was in the USA, I pulled the car over and played in it laughing like a crazy man for a good few minutes
You can get from Paris to Marseille on the Mediterranean coast , 667km (410 miles) in 3 hours & 7 minutes on the TGV train.
High speed trains are replacing short distance flights in Europe. No hassle with driving to the airport, finding a parking lot, check-in, passport and security control.
This is especially relevant when you know you have reliable public transportation in departure and arrival city. If not, it loses part of its relevance.
@@noefillon1749 Yeah, the network effect. So many politicians and even railway executives, even in Europe, don't understand that part. Maybe there should be a rule, to only ever put people in these positions who actually have used trains.
@@noefillon1749 that's no different to flying in that regard though. Other than the stations are normally much closer to the city centre than the airport!
@@dasy2k1 That has some truth to it even though at this point, if you have to take your car at home, you might as well go far in the periphery than the center whereas by PT, the center is usually more accessible than the airport. Then I feel like renting a car is usually easier in an airport than in a train station but that might be because I'm European and used to the European use of train stations and airports.
However, having public transport at departure and destination is a significant plus for rail facing car travel (in "intermediate" distances, like 300 to 800 km)
@dasy2k1 not quite, you can board your train up to 5-10 minutes before departure, security controls are much faster. When flying you need to be at the airport a couple of hours before departure time.
For mw, living in Spain (2nd country in the world for High Speed Train) - It's the best way to travel. I love it.
primero en km per capita
2:26 That railing is at the end of the platform, to protect pedestrians from falling out on the tracks, due to the platform end slopes down, to allow you to cross the track on the right.
6:20 Thats the French TGV Duplex, they usually cruise around 300 km/h or 186 mph, they are quite comfortable to ride, you don't really notice that they are going that fast.
The TGV Duplex set the world record on April 3. 2007 at 574.8 km/h or 359.25 mph, and it's still the fastest train in the world, if you don't count any maglev trains.
Ryan, I love how you get excited watching the high-speed trains go by. You remind us that there's a child in all of us!
I love traveling by train. So quiet and confortable. You can read, play with the kids, listen to music, work, ...
0:50 “that must be a trip when you’re on it” honestly, not as wild as you might imagine. In a good way. Sure, passing a station is cool, but typically the ride is just so smooth and comfortable that you don’t notice. Often there’s a display somewhere where you can see the speed, but looking at it is more like “oh, right, we’re haulin’. I forgot”
They are incredible when you see the speedometer on board and it’s smooth and quiet it tilts on the slight bends.
Fun fact: the french TGV is the fastest train on wheels. Their commercial speed is, on appropriate high speed tracks, around 320 kmh or around 200 mph. Next level is maglev train technology which you can find in Japan.
The French trains are mostly TGVs (Trains à Grande Vitesse - literally translates as High Speed Trains) which regularly hit 320 kilometers per hour (199 miles per hour). The TGV record is 574.8 kilometers per hour(357.2 miles per hour) At 320 km/h, even emergency braking will take 3.4 km (2.1 miles) to bring the train to a stop; 440 tonnes at 320 km/h doesn't stop easily 😀
440t brake fairly easy. that's more the metal on metal part that makes braking hard for trans. in fact the fastest braking commercial vehicles out there are planes. those generate more braking force than cars.
p.s.
a a380 weights about 400t and for reference:
th-cam.com/video/_yNixbQ-IfY/w-d-xo.html
Also SNCF, Societe National des Chemins de Fer - Chemins de Fer - Iron Roads
There were two instances of the most hypnotic part of French railways though, the SNCF Jingle de de de der der
@@amduser86 What do you mean, "metal on metal"?
440 000 kg @ 320 km/h equals a kinetic energy of 1.75 GJ (giga joules). You definitely don't want to get rid of that through friction, esp. using components that are designed to have as little fristion as possible. Not a rail engineer, but I'm pretty sure braking is done regenerative, where the kinetic energy is converted back to electric energy and put back to the grid.
@@stevenvanhulle7242
braking of the train is limited by the friction coefficient between the metal of train wheels and the metal of the train tracks. does not matter how the train is braking.
in fact most of those high speed trains have a pneumatic brake with conventional brake pads, like a semi truck/lorry for emergency braking in combination with an induction brake (hope that is the proper english term) and a braking and to increase the friction between the wheel and the track. most of the time regenerative braking of electric engines is used. but that is just in normal operation. otherwise all system in combination are used and it is still painfully hard to get a train to stop and the wait is not the real issue.
@@amduser86 Actually not. At least not the emergency brakes on the TGV, which are magnetic (some trucks use the same magnetic braking with a flywheel) and complement the regenerative braking from electric motors and friction disk braking. It is very powerful at high speed, but provides no braking at all when stopped.
A cool feature of this braking mechanism is that it slows the train down by putting the energy in the rails, so you get hot rail behind the train, and the heat does not build up within the vehicle itself
5:19 You gotta love it, when Ryan (out of the blue) comes up with the most random stuff to entertain us. 👍😄
He's about as entertaining as a fart in a space suit
Yes, they both ways. “Slow” high speed is 186 mph!
UK trains will go through platforms at 100 mph if platform adjacent, or full speed, generally maximum of 125 mph if on a central track.
In Germany the rules for trains passing directly adjacent to a platform are:
I worked on the Highspeed Train Amsterdam - Paris for 15 years. Loved it. On the hispeeds lines NL, B and F the powersupply is 25.000 V. Germany, Switzerland and Germany have 15.000V. Trainsets crossing the borders like Eurostar and ICE are equipt to use safety systems and currents for the different countries.
The good thing is , that they normally end in city centers, and have not the going to and through and from the airport. No waiting time and boarding time up front. Book your ticket at home on your phone , get there 5 minutes earls and hop in. Paris London 2.5 hours, Frankfurt-Paris 3 hours, Hamburg -Zurich 6 hours
Overhead lines ARE electrical for powering them.
The smile on your face says it all Ryan.
I've had a really crappy day, and watching your wholesome reaction to this simple thing was very relaxing! Thank you!
Riding the TGV is a must. This train makes up to 360 km/h. And nothing is so relaxing than to drink a beer in the bistro and taking a look on the nature.
that whistling sound is a combination of two things .. the wheelsets on the rails and the wind passing over the gap between carriages (if you blow over a sharp edge, it makes a whistle sound) .. the exact sound depends on the construction details and the speed
I might be wrong but also the repetition of the sound is known as the Doppler effect. Someone correct me if I’m wrong
@@neilbarton7216 Not really, the repetition of the sound is for each carriage, the doppler effects explains why the sound is highter when the train is comming and why its lower when its going away. Its a bit hard to explain by text but its easy to undertand with a simple animation, wikipedia article is great.
I LOVE that half of the video is Spanish High-Speed Rail😅✌
If you read "Renfe" - these are spanish trains. They have some different ones.
The spanish high speed railnetwork is the biggest in Europe.
TGV - French: Started in the mid 80ies with Paris-Lyon
Eurostar: Mostly Paris-London through the tunnel under the english channel.
And all of these are around 300km fast ...
In the 'old' days, you had a loco and carriages, so you had to shunt the loco around at the end station [or bring in another loco to attach and detach the now rear loco].
Then they developed: Driving Van Trailers [DVT] where the driver just changed ends [so a driving cab on either a passenger coach or a non powered coach for baggage etc.] Saves time.
Multiple units are mostly the same at both ends [like a mirror image].
All trains are reversible because sometimes they stop en route in head of the line stations. So they go in one way and come back out in the opposite direction. Firenze Santa Maria Novella (Florence's main station) is like that.
@@alicetwain Milano Centrale, Roma Termini, Napoli Centrale
@@budapestkeletistationvoices centrale has relatively few trains that do so, most are directed to Porta Garibaldi which has pass-through tracks.
@@alicetwain frecciarossa and Italo
@@budapestkeletistationvoices yes. Most commonly only those originating or arriving in Milan go through Centrale. The Turin-Rome, Venice-Rome or Trieste-Rome usually go through Garibaldi, though some go through Centrale. Also the evening TGV to Paris departs from Garibaldi, while the morning one departs from Centrale.
@@budapestkeletistationvoices milan Porta Garibaldi.
they are actually a bit slower in the train stations so this videos are not full speed I guess ;)
That is not necessarily correct.
That is not 100% correct. Some stations do have 2 extra rails in the middle which are not connected to the platform. Trains that use these 2 extra rails go at full speed through a station.
In the UK trains do not slow down to pass through stations
I guess the reasoning is it makes no difference being hit by a train at 100 km/h or 300 km/h. The result is your existence terminates at the point of impact in both cases.
@@retropaganda8442 I think the main reason is that the UK runs trains at 200kph on its old mainlines which means there are lots of stations.
If the trains slowed down for every station they would never reach top speed.
Clearly you have the best train out of all of them Ryan! 😁
Great reaction, I'm also still impressed by all the amazing trains here in Europe.
Warm greetings from the Netherlands. 🌷
As a permanent resident in Japan, I regularly take the Bullet train. So to make the comparison with taking a domestic flight;
-Arrive at the station, buy a ticket, get to the right place on the platform
-No check in, luggage x-ray, body check, no shoes off
-Train arrives, get on the appropriate carriage, reserved or non-reserved
-Find a seat, twice the space of a plane
-Trains on time arriving and departing
-Destination station is in the middle of town, not some remote airport
-A one-hour trip by train is a three-hour road journey on the expressway.
Looks like the US has a lot of catching up to do.
Negative points: The last train is around 23:00 hours, first around 05:00 hours.
Somewhat expensive but you can plug into senior discount.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
By the way, the abbreviation for kilometres per hour is km/hr
Don't you just use Kmh?
The Japanese have the best train system I've ever witnessed. Clean, punctual, quiet inside and fast! Just beautiful...
The actual abbreviation for HOUR is : "h" not "hr"
So for a speed : km/h or km.h^-1
@@Kollum What's the abbreviation for the word 'pedantic' ?
@@johnnyboy-f6v I believe the formula is c/un-t. if being a pedant, get it right km·h^−1
It's actually quite boring from the inside. No sensation of speed, hardly noise, comfortable, not much to see outside mostly. Ideal for reading a book.
The wonders how how speed truely is relative
French TGV trains are a very big export, we make the fastest on-rail (not magnets) trains in the world, there is a fastest world record for trains at 570km/h (a bit less than a plane) -- though they normally go at 320km/h. That's why it's a similar design all around: eurostar (UK/Eu), Spain, Italy, etc. all use our trains from Alstom (the TGV makers)
In France TER-trains drive faster than local trains in other EU-countries as well.
The track closest to the platform are for trains stopping at that station, or the next station. They are slow and local or regional.The tracks in the middle are for long distance trains, or freight trains that run during the night. Passenger diesel trains are almost non-existent in Europe, so no fumes-belching, horn-honking, bell-clanging ugly slow locomotives. In fact the Dutch railways run on 100% renewable energy. The lines running over the tracks are called catenaries and feed the electrical motors through so-called pantographs on the roof.
Passenger diesel train being almost non-existent is really not true. The Netherlands being the densest country in Europe (excepting micro-states) I guess you wouldn't find such trains there, but there are definitely diesel trains in Europe. In France you'll find them on the least frequented routes, mostly regional trains. Many regional trainsets can operate on both an electricity and diesel. Ofc, high speed trains, as they operate only on high speed rail or electrified classic rail, the most frequented sections of the rail network, they are only electric.
As has been said, if you are in the train, you don't feel the speed. Two trains attached together, in Germany, means that they will travel a certain distance together and then split at a pre-determined station and each half will continue to a different destination. You will normally also have high speed internet so you can work or watch Netflix/You tube if you want. In most parts of Germany, short distances are now serviced solely by train and the flights have been cancelled. Example, Hamburg to Berlin with the train 1.45 hours, city centre to city centre. If you drive 3-4 hours. Some time ago, before they built the fast tracks, you would need to get to the airport, check in for a flight 2 hours before, fly for 30 minutes and then need to get to the city centre. Train stations are central and can be accessed by public transport while airports are on the fringes so take time to get to. It's good stuff, come and try it out.
The french TGV (Train Grande Vitesse = High Speed Train) although it is operated at a maximum speed of 320 km/h this train can reach a speed of 570 km/h on the same rails.
I will say, travelling on the Eurostar in France and having a beer standing at the bar @ 160mph is quite cool. 😎
The noise comes from the gaps between the wagons - and most of the didn't drive fast (forbidden within many train stations).
And yes: powered by the "lines" - they're electric. They go up to 320 km/h - completely calm from inside, you can freely walk around in peace and calm. Usually you find Speed Indicators in the cabin. Impressive if it surpasses 300 kph
En France, pour ces ralentissements en gare, ils ont lieu en dehors des Lignes à Grande Vitesse. Les TGV peuvent pratiquement utiliser tout le réseau électrifié. Pour les gares LGV, elles comportent 4 voies : 2 centrales pour passages à grande vitesse ( pas d’arrêt ) et 2 d'arrêts pour voyageurs séparées par un muret (voir 5'55 ). Une rame fait environ 200m et suivant la nécessitée elles roulent en unité multiple, 2 , soit 400m de long.
@@cjlmoni Bonjour à la France de la Suisse:
They try it here as well, but sometimes it does'nt work out - not enough lines/space. Especially if you have also a freight train running through.
But... France and Spain are fabulous with trains! Chapeau!
I've been on some of these trains. You don't feel it when you're going +300 km/h.
Yep. And most of the trains that go higher speed+ area "leaning trains". Meaning, that the undercarriage actively leans the train the corners to make it more comfy.
2 Hrs. and 16 minutes London to Paris on the Eurostar.
Or in Indiana terms it would be like going from Indianapolis to Chicago downtown in about 1.5 hours.
I love how Ryan is smiling like an excited child :3 so sweet
In steam locomotives, the high speed one is the British Pacific A4 "Mallard" with 126 MPH top speed.. (203 KMH).
Man, I love trains. Even the crappy ones we've got here in the States. I love being able to hop on a train in downtown DC and be in downtown NYC in four hours without having to deal with all the BS around flying or sitting in the awful I-95 traffic. But European trains? I'm not kidding when I say the first time I went to Europe and then came back and rode one of our trains, I felt a profound sense of embarrassment.
I love that I was able to go from Lyon to Barcelona in like six hours. I love that I could go to a small town in the middle of the Swiss countryside and get back to Geneva without having to worry too much about scheduling, because I knew another train would just be along in a bit. And getting from one side of Barcelona to the other, transferring twice, while not speaking/reading a word of Spanish, and doing it in 20 or 30 minutes, because their system is just so good. I live in one of the best transit cities in the US, and it's a joke in comparison to many of the European cities I've been to. And I'm not even talking about super-star cities like Copenhagen or Berlin.
Hello from Australia. One NSW Rail Heritage weekend I went to inspect the Mortuary Station at Central Station Sydney where funeral trains used to travel to Rookwood Cemetery. Lots of trainspotters with cameras around. There is also the Indian Pacific train which crosses the Nullabor plain to Perth and the Ghan (from Afghan camel drivers who used to transport supplies) from Adelaide to Darwin. The ZigZag railway and so on. And most of our Sydney trains are double deckers. There is also the true story of all the passengers who pushed against one side of a train carriage to tilt it away so a man could get his leg out from where it had slipped down beside the carriage, in Perth. The recreation was used in an ad.
That whistling sound you asked about comes from the gaps between the cars. And yes these trains are powered by the 25kV catenary (the overhead lines).
MOST trains in Europe are powered electrically via overhead lines! Locomotives with diesel engines are rather exceptions, e.g. on small branch lines without power lines, on new lines where the overhead lines have not yet been laid or when repairs are being made to the power lines!
Never got on a train? As an European that actually has been on American trains two times: Amtrak from NY to Niagara and back and to Montreal and back I say you made the right decision.
Ditto! On my first trip to the US in 1996 - I actually took the train (Amtrak) from LA to San Diego! And as far as I can remember that was a nice, good, ride too!
I took the train from NYC to Boston and was so surprised at how slow it was. Not even going to mention how old fashioned the NYC subway felt!
I’ve experienced high speed trains in Spain and Italy and couldn’t believe how smooth they were, despite the speed they were travelling at.
In Spain, high speed has been so successful that the Madrid-Barcelona air bridge has not existed for many years. The big problem with high speed in Spain at the moment is its success, it could die of success, infrastructures built less than 5 years ago have become too small, so the Chamartin station in Madrid is being renovated to extend the platforms and the tunnels that link the different stations in Madrid are being extended to allow direct passage of trains from the north to the south and from the Mediterranean coast to the Atlantic coast without having to change trains. My city on the Atlantic coast of Spain is less than three hours by train from Madrid, from the centre to the centre, without waiting, without having to check in luggage, being able to walk around the train, read, watch a film or drink a beer at the bar.
It's so lovely to see how a person gets excited of the train view like a kid. I am used to the trains but the images of the giant SUV driving through your American highways looks in the same unexpected way for me. )) Great video btw. Sounds like videogame guns
0:27 - The "que" in Miquel is pronounced the same way as you pronounce the "que" in antique, so it should be something like "mee-kel".
Check out TGV speed record ;) Cheers from EU!
The fastest HSTs are in France. They hold the rail speed record of 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph). In normal service they travel at 300 km/h. Even here in Britain we have trains that regularly travel at 200 km/h, but our Eurostar trains (linking with the Continent via the Channel Tunnel) travel at 300 km/h.
yep.. the train at 5:12 is Eurostar. I used to travel on it regularly when it stopped in Ashford (Kent), traveling 186Mph in it feels like being in a car doing 50 on a really smooth bit of road.. amazing experience.
Is it also a high speed train between England and France during the tunnel Are there someone who know that. 🙂 The Dane asking😊
@@karinchristensen1838 Yes, it's the Eurostar! It was going at full speed on the French side and had to slow down on the English side because part of the tracks had not been modernized. I haven't taken it for several years, I don't know if they have been improved
Now 320 km/h on some railways
@@Old_Wirehead I don’t know when you last travelled on Eurostar, however… On the UK side, since 2007 Eurostar only runs on HS1 so travels at 300kph (186mph) when out of the tunnels.
Even Southeasten’s High-Speed Javelin (Class 395) service runs at 140mph (225kph) between Ashford and Ebbsfleet when in the open on HS1. The Javelin service from Ashford to St Pancras (approx. 60 miles) takes 36 minutes including stopping at Ebbsfleet and Stratford, an average speed of 100mph including 2 stops.
How come nobody's commenting about why these high-speed trains move fast and smooth? These rails don't have rail joints and the ends are welded together with thermite. And all rails have to be in perfect alignment and symmetry for smooth and fast control even at high speeds.
Please make a part 2 with the rest of the video
For me, a train fanatic, going on the Eurostar to various places in France & Belgium is the coolest thing. You can keep nausea inducing ferries!
Flying is great too, but I just love getting to Paris, from London, in just over 2 hours, reaching speeds of about 240 mph! Perfect for a weekend away 😊 You would love it, your face said it all.
People don't stand where a lot of those shots were taken from, that would be suicidal I suspect 😳
🙋♀️🇬🇧🤪
French train sounds like laser gun from Star Wars 😂😂😂
Pew pew 😂
Thats the sound of the beautiful Eurostar TMST e300 / class 373. Unfortunately these trains are going to be scrapped soon.
You can see the difference between the shots that were taken at a train station and in the open. There are usually speed limits in train stations. Here in Germany the high speed tracks are secured with fences, so that not even a deer can get on the tracks. There is also a difference in where the wheel bases are. The French seem to tend to have them between two cars. The advantage is, that this makes them more stable, the disadvantage is, that you cannot simply decouple the cars. The other option is to have two per car, it makes them a bit less stable, but you can rearrange the trains pretty easily.
The sounds are absolutely phenomenal aren't they, oh and trains usually have an engine front and back so you don't need to turn the train around which makes it more efficient.
Modern trains have their traction motors spread over the whole lenght.
They dont have engine front/back. Inter City Express (ICE 4) with 12 carriages has 24 electric motors driven by 15,000 Volt AC (alternate current) HIGH VOLTAGE at a frequency of 16.7 Hertz.
@@to_loww It's only a choice , not an evolution. Distributed motorization is more efficient on journeys with a lot of stopping...Concentrated motorization is more durable over long periods at high speed.
@@Lodai974 It's a choice. But new orders for loco-hauled passengers trains are becoming pretty rare.
they slow down a lot when going through train stations! the top speed of a tgv (France) is about 200mph and they are a super smooth ride
Love them we need these in Australia.
Absolutely, but I have no hope
35 years in Australia and they are still debating if we can have a train to the airport in Melbourne 🙄 Meanwhile the Shinkansen opened in Japan Tokyo to Osaka in 1964.
We have given our rail system over to freight. And no polly dares suggest seperate passenger lines.
5:40 WHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAH clown :D That made me laugh harder then i should :D
Same. Caught me completely off guard.
You should a watch a Not Just Bikes and Simple Railway video about actually riding some of these trains it’s really sweet and calming
I've taken a TGV multiple times over the last 10 years and you don't even notice the train hitting 320kph, it's super smooth and comfortable, even on the top deck!
"coupled" for 2 trains attached to each other ;)
I believe the noise comes from the air traveling between the wagons.
The capacity of a double deck (called "Duplex") is 510 passengers-if it has 8 cars/wagons.
The TGV speed record video from like 15 years ago is kinda crazy and probably worth checking out.
Renfe, Ouigo, Frecciarossa, Renfe, Ouigo, Renfe, Renfe Trenhotel, Renfe, Renfe Avlo, Renfe, Eurostar, InOui, Eurostar, InOui, lots of TGV, Frecciarossa
the first reaction you read in those reactions..... that in the usa they prefer more lanes than sitting in the train, they reach their destination earlier by train....and it is cheaper if you go by train. something with ''carcentric''...it is all in the mind.
Does Ryan know that we drive our cars on them too like a ferry service?
2:12 the reason the back and front of the train looks the same, is because in Europe we mostly use so-called multiple unit trains that can run under their own power, so that no locomotive is needed. These trains can just reverse direction at the push of a button and run the other way, which makes turning them around at end stations much easier than turning a locomotive-hauled train around.
Seeing this type of videos where Americans react to stuff that's normal everywhere else in the world and their reaction being like "wooow, I've never seen thaaat!", reminds me so much of that series that go like "Tribal people react to electricity" kind of stuff. This isn't meant in any bad way nor as a hate comment, I just find that similarity funny :D
It's pathetic, actually.
2:05 Yes, it can go both ways. Pretty much all European train sets have cabs on both ends of the train.
"It's a red light, slow down!"
At that speed trains are not guided by signals along the track anymore. They communicate wirelessly with traffic controllers. The driver can see all the neccessary information on displays in the cockpit. If they weren't obligated to keep an eye out on the track for anything unusual they might as well roll down the window blind and it would work just as well.
When I started to work in Frankfurt (Germany) from Monday to Friday, living in Paris, I chosed the train instead of flights. Both german ICE (Inter City Express) high speed trains and french TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) high speed trains are used on this route. Running at 199 mph on the french part, slower in Germany. Very comfortable and easy, from city center to city center. The best option.
@Ryan: for technical reasons, most train locomotives from the past 30 years use electric (DC) motors. In most of the US, these are powered by giant diesel-fueled power generators (kinda lke the Generac behind your house). So, a "diesel" loc here is actually a "dieselectric" loc. In most of Europe, locs are powered directly from overhead power lines. If my memory didnt fail yet, those were 1500V DC between the line and ground (the rails) to directly power the motors. There is no way a "true diesel" engine could achieve these speeds, and even dieselectric's would have a seriously hard time doing so.
UK trains are twice as fast as American trains. French trains are twice as fast as UK trains. Then there are Japanese trains, they are on another level again!
Japenese trains system meassure delays in seconds, the rest of the world its counted as on time if ariving within a 6-15 min margin
And alot of deaths of people trying to cross the tracks, I have a train line behind my home in the uk I watched has a 7 yr old got hit on the tracks it took the police 2 hours to pick his body parts up. And the train wasn't going that fast.
Trains in Croatia are as fast as for Austria-Hungary
they still go 40 km/h
@@tihomirrasperic Well ... I might be wrong, but Croatia is pretty mountainous and it will take a lot of money to "become Switzerland" ... and it is probably a lot more enjoyable to experience the countryside at slow speed.
@@janolafulYeah. That is why you have tunnels that go under the railroad tracks so that people and cars don’t get under the trains. Infrastructure.
I love taking the Eurostar between London and Paris (I do it several times a year). It's such a crazy stuff when you think about it. Taking a bullet train under a sea...
Eurostar e320 - Class 374
These trains have a top speed of 199 miles per hour (mph) and are the fastest trains currently operating in the UK. They are 16 cars long and can carry up to 900 passengers.
The Eurostar e320s operate on the HS1 line between London and cities in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
I frequently take the TGV from Bordeaux to Luxembourg (via Paris) average nominal speed is 320km. Sometimes, I catch the German 'Ice' train from Saarbrucken to Paris, average speed 330kpm. All of these trains are electrically powered and ridiculously smooth...usually good buffet or dining cars too.
I love the sound of the Aoustrian Railjet - it "makes music" when starting
The windshield wiper on the back of the train, Its there so the driver can do a 3 point turn, or parallel park.
😊
Yes, the power indeed comes from overhead wires. They are powered with up to 25000 volts (depending on the country), which the train can access through the pantograph (the arm thingy on the top of the train) sliding along the overhead wires.
Also, most of these trains consist of multiple units. A multiple unit is a set of multiple railcars that belong together as one unit. Sometimes it has some power cars, sometimes the motors are distributed over the carriages. And indeed: they have a driver's cabin at both ends, to make it easy to go back (which is quite an improvement with respect to the steam days, when the locomotive had to be decoupled, turned around, driven to the other side of the train, and then coupled). And, if you need a longer train, these multiple units can easily be coupled together into one longer train with an automatic coupling (it's easy to prepare for coupling, and then one train gently bumps into the other one and the coupling is made).
Finally: the sound you hear is from the wheels. The wheels on the track is the loudest part of the train (except for some trains when they are braking), and since the wheels are only at the end of each car you can hear each bogey (set of axles) or couple of bogeys whoosh by separately.
HSTs usually have dedicated tracks that are inaccessible to travellers to avoid the trains having to slow down any time the train goes through a station. The issue with fast going trains is not stones flying up, but actually that people can get pulled onto the tracks due to the air deplacement\suction the trains create at these high speeds.
That sound you hear - the pulses. IDK how or why, but they´ve got something to do with the gaps between the carts, because you can count them using those pulses. Also, the tandem trains make a different noise where there are two locomotives head to head. The engines themselves doesn´t make a lot of noise, so what you hear is from the tracks or the wind.
I used high speed trains a lot for businessmeetings:
Board in the morning, have a nice breakfeast on board, scan quickly my documents a last time and arrive 600 km further in the middle of the city. Meeting with a light lunch, back on the train in the early afternoon and back home at 5 pm.
Faster, cheaper and more relaxed than a plane,
Makes me think of a Robert Heinlein book, Starman Jones, in which the protagonist walks a shortcut through a high speed train tunnel. There was not a train scheduled for that time, but he kept fretting about an unscheduled special train and he kept going faster and faster until he was almost running when he exited the tunnel and ran down the mountain slope. About 30 seconds later a high speed train roared out of the tunnel where he had just been and the wind force knocked him to the ground and the noise deafened him for about an hour.
Yeah those double-deckers carry a ton of passengers!
The current version carries up to 634 / 1268 (single or double length), and the new version entering service soon and called TGV M will have up to 740 / 1480 seats while offering more room to passengers.
They run at 320kph (200mph) on newer lines (post 2000), and 300kph (186mph) on older high-speed lines (pre 2000).
There are about 800 trains a day in France, with like 125 million passengers per year.
On certain lines and during peak hours, trains can follow each other only 3 to 4 minutes apart on each track.
There are 7 TGV stations in Paris, 4 in the core city and 3 in the suburbs (CDG Airport, Disneyland Paris...) and in the main ones of the core city, the noria of peak arrivals is really impressive with loads of people crowding the platforms and station.
The bright blue ones are OuiGo, which is the low-cost services, and others are InOui which is the regular service.
OuiGo also exist in Spain, but their trains, still double-deckers, are predominantly white.
The Star Wars-y sound typical of the TGV family of trains is due to the TGV specific bogies which are derived from Jacobs bogies.
They are located and shared between 2 cars.
Other high-speed trains usually have 2 bogies under each car.
The most striking "laser battle" sound is from the first generation Eurostar trains (named e300), which were derived from the TGV line-up.
2:04 Yes it can go both ways, but it's also to reduce turbulence and thus drag and noise at the rear of the train.
Best thing being most of those are not even at full speed.
Also two precision : in a french double TGV you can stuff up to 1600 people. And the noise is made by the displacement of the power cables while the train is moving.
7:35 yes they are. In france and germany (the two which i know of), 25 kV are running through these wires to make them go on speeds of around 300km/h or faster
Those multiple-units have cabs on both sides, so that when the train reached the end of their journey, the driver can just walk to the other cab and drive from there. It's such a good think to have, that a lot of conventional trains are equipped with a special wagon to make them a push-pull train.
And yes, those multiple-units are sometimes connected up to each other. I see it quite often on my regional trains in Katowice where two 22WE (4-unit Pesa Elf class) are joined up to double it's capacity. On some occasions even 3 trains are connected like that. It also allows to split a train at some station and have one part of it go to one destination and the other part to a different one