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Comment by lmm | Hacker News Reader

Train-nerd response: "Can This European High-Speed Train..." with a picture of the old-model Eurostars that weren't suitable for running to Amsterdam. There's a gallery of what the new one looks like on https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/eurostar-e320-the-new... .

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Meanwhile, in Amtrak they are channeling the vibe of the Cold War era Soviet machinery.

Seriously, who builds these American trains? And when were they built?

Blame the crazy US safety regime, which requires passenger trains to be armoured enough to survive a collision with a freight train.

Right. Because that looks a lot different from this: https://blogs-images.forbes.com/jasonrabinowitz/files/2014/0...

Well, we're talking about actual trains that are in use today, not concept art for 2050s.

Good catch - although as a non-train-nerd, I can hardly tell the difference. Do you know the key differences?

The largest single difference is that the newer trainsets can take different voltage/current combinations from overhead wires. This is important because different regions in Europe use different electrification systems, regions that can now be reached because of new trainsets.

The new trainsets ("Eurostar e320") are built by Siemens as the 'Velaro e320'. They are factory-equipped with ERTMS equipment (in-cab signalling, sensors, etc), and unlike the Alstom-built predecessors, support both the Germanic 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC electrification, and 1500 V DC used in the Netherlands.

As a passenger, they're taller (the original trainsets were built before HS1 so had to fit the traditional British loading gauge) and more spacious inside (partly due to slim seats), and I think a little sleeker on the outside. But the relevant part is that they have the right signalling and electrical equipment to run in the Netherlands.

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