From: ahk@chinet.com

bob  wrote:
>Adam H. Kerman  wrote:
>>bob  wrote:
>>>Adam H. Kerman  wrote:

>>>>If the nations of the world didn't have "buy domestic" laws and the
>>>>United States didn't have excessive buff strength requirements that
>>>>effectively freeze out European train sets? What's the
>>>>point in speculating.

>>>How long have you got and how much money are you willing to pay? These
>>>trains are not a clean sheet new design, they are built on decades of
>>>experience within Alstom of both the TGV and Pendolino platforms. The cost
>>>of reproducing all of that experience in order to actually design these
>>>trains in the US would be astronomical if it can then only be used to sell
>>>a once-in-20-years NEC equipment order. There is a good reason why, if you
>>>want a 200 mph capable tilting train there are basically only three
>>>suppliers in the world who can meet the requirement. There simply isn't
>>>enough demand to support more. It's the same reason why there are only two
>>>global suppliers of 200+ seat airframes, three suppliers for their engines
>>>and so on.

>>That's very well put.

>>I disagree a little:

>>One of the reasons that the domestic market died is that, when rolling
>>stock was ordered by private transit companies and railroads, they spread
>>the business around to ensure that they'd never unintentionally create a
>>sole-supplier situation. They were also willing to place smaller orders.

>That might hold water for <100 mph regional and commuter rail, subway and
>LRV type vehicles, the case we're looking at here is high speed intercity
>railway vehicles. There has simply never been a meaningful market for this
>kind of product in the US since the 1950s. . . .

More pointless speculation: If the United States hadn't so heavily
subsidized highway and aviation post WWII, the transportation market
would have been different. Maybe the commuter market would have kept
some of the manufacturers in business between orders for higher speed
intercity equipment.

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