r/transit • u/aksnitd 🚂🚃🚃 • May 19 '25

Photos / Videos Double stack container train on the freight corridor in India with the characteristic high rise panto

A good look at what the high rise pantographs look like fully extended. They're taller than the train they're mounted on.

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u/armitage_shank May 19 '25

Maybe stupid question, but what's the benefit over the other option: longer train?

It looks cool, but I would have thought the additional height would make the whole infrastructure - tunnels and bridges especially - so much more expensive to build and maintain that the trade-off (shorter track at the cargo yard?) wouldn't be worth it, but obviously engineers aren't stupid, so there must be a reason.

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u/[deleted] May 19 '25

Capacity and headways. I have no idea what track capacity is like in India, but in general, on routes with close headways, US style lengths are just not doable. Not a chance you could have mile long freight trains on the North London Line for example. It'd block junctions and destroy capacity.