China signs mega east Africa rail deal

[FarCenter]

China on Sunday signed a deal to build a $3.8 billion rail link between Kenya's Indian Ocean port of Mombasa and Nairobi, the first stage of a line that will eventually link Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

Under the terms of the agreement, Exim Bank of China will provide 90 percent of the cost to replace the crumbling British colonial-era line with a 609.3 kilometre (379 mile) standard-gauge link and Kenya the remaining 10 percent.

Construction is due to start in October and take three-and-a-half years to complete, with China Communications Construction Co. as the main contractor.

Once the Mombasa-Nairobi line is completed, construction would begin to link east Africa's largest economy with Kampala, Kigali, Bujumbura and Juba.

http://www.france24.com/en/20140511-china-signs-mega-east-africa-rail-deal/

[DFW]

1. Maybe we can apply to China for foreign aid

Seeing as how the governors of New Jersey and Texas can't seem to agree to a badly needed high speed rail line in their states.

[FarCenter]

2. New Jersey is too small to need high-speed rail.

Ordinary 90 mph rail will suffice.

[DFW]

5. For how long?

The rails on which the Acela travels are woefully antiquated. The whole Boswash corridor should be redone. DC to South Station should take four hours, not seven.

[FarCenter]

8. The NE Corridor roadbed in NJ is better than most of the tracks in other states

Look at it on Google maps. From Trenton to Newark it is mostly straight and the tracks for the Acela are new ones with concrete sleepers. Between Newark and the North River Tunnel it is not as good. However, a major problem, the Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River is being addressed.

http://www.portalbridgenec.com/home.html

However, if you continue through the North River Tunnels to Manhattan, through the East River Tunnels to Sunnyside Yards, and then circuitously through Queens, across the bridges to Wards Island and then to the Bronx, and via Metro North tracks to New Haven there are a lot of tight curves. Furthermore, there are a number of slow sections in Eastern CT and Rhode Island. Major realignments to the roadbed are needed in order to increase speeds on these tracks to 200 mph.

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. Because the Boston-to-DC route doesn't go through NJ? Oh, wait.

[Brother Buzz]

3. Jerry Brown, please pick up the white courtesy telephone

SF to LA is 382 miles.

[DFW]

6. No, the RED coutesy phone.

In case you saw "Airplane" -- otherwise, never mind!

[Brother Buzz]

9. LOL, I did.

[AngryAmish]

10. Wouldn't it be more appropriate for Americans provide the manual labor?

See as how many Chinese were imported for our railroads...

[RobertEarl]

4. China

If the people of China are to ever come close to having the lifestyle we N. Americans do, China will need 3 times as many resources as we use. And we already use 25% of the world's resources.

Looks like the Chinese are near the end of the line at the limited feeding trough. Lets hope they can regulate their consumption and accept a lower standard of living, because this world just isn't big enough for everyone to live as we do, eh?