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Twin-track Train

Luxury trains twice the width of normal trains
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Trains are amazing. They are one of the few forms of transport where you can walk around, have a drink in the bar and just generally not have the restrictions of other transport.

But, what about making trains even better - by having trains that are twice the width as normal. The trains would have to be on two sets of tracks (four rails). The potential of these new trains would be enormous. Trains could have creches, large bars, restaurants, TV lounges, mini-cinemas etc.

Double-decker trains might even be a possibility.

teddy, Jul 07 2000

Linked for Jeff http://www.metrarail.com
[silverstormer, Oct 04 2004]

[link]






       Double decker (single track) trains are common in Holland. The doors to the train are at the usual height of the platform, and then there are stairs up and down to the two decks in each carriage.   

       Of course, they can only be used on tracks where overhead bridges are high enough to accomodate them, so are doubtless no use on older rail systems, such as those in the UK.
Lemon, Jul 07 2000
  

       Surely twin track trains would require a complete overhaul of the existing rail tracks? Otherwise there'd be a problem whenever you reached points, wouldn't there?
MrTheRich, Jul 13 2000
  

       Trains are amazing. They are one of the few forms of transport where you can walk around, have a drink in the bar and just generally not have the restrictions of other transport. Making trains wider, Hum I don't know trains are already pretty wide. And right now trains are going through an industrial revolution to compete with airplanes. And to compete with airplanes most train engineers are working on ways to make trains faster and more cheaper.   

       Agian I say if you want a comfort vechcle forget about the trains and airplanes an airship is the only way to fly.
wood2coal, Aug 30 2001
  

       I don't think the double-wide concept is bakable, but [wood2coal] is correct in saying that now is the time for railroad revival.   

       Of course, as with the electrical and telephone grid, the standardization which allowed the network to work in the first place would be prohibitively expensive to replace all at once. Standardizing on a new gauge and replacing certain passenger runs might be possible. I would think a wider train would be more stable and therefore able to operate at a higher average speed, though that may not be the case.
phoenix, Aug 30 2001
  

       As I figure it, "if a quarter of the seats on the train were removed", you would have to pay a third more.
FarmerJohn, Aug 05 2002
  

       Connex recently did that, jb_0..whatever - took out half the seats in some carriages for increased commuter space. If you were listening to Mark & Lard last week you'll have heard...
[MrTheRich] - UK already needs total overhaul anyway, this can be an incentive for us to do something...
NickTheGreat, Aug 05 2002
  

       Double decker trains: seen em in Australia (NSW) and we have them here in Israel.
pashute, Oct 30 2002
  

       Different tracks are rarely at fixed distance from each other, so to work this would have to have movable undercarriages that adjusted to fit the many odd shapes of the underlying tracks.   

       Maybe we should have just used broad-gague all along.
sadie, Oct 31 2002
  

       Pictures of double decker train at ---- http://www.metrarail.com
jeffman, Jul 23 2003
  

       makes getting there half the fun...in fact, you're there already!
kissing bandit, Sep 18 2003
  

       and what about the signals imbetween the tracks, you can say goodbye to them, and also you'd need a loco twice the width, or two normal loco's pulling together, which would unduly raise prices
ca55ie, Jan 07 2004
  
      
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