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    I'm referring to the actual question. OP wonders why the bus had to stop but the cars didn't have to. "Other cars didn't seem to do this". You only focus on the train. Can the train stop faster if a car approaches?
    – pipe
    Commented May 13, 2019 at 15:21
  • 2
    @pipe ok fixed. Issue is level of potential calamity. Commented May 13, 2019 at 15:30
  • 2
    @Harper Friction brakes are constant force devices (they deliver roughly the same amount of force regardless of speed, namely the friction coefficient times the normal force on the brake pad), which means they dissipate more energy per unit of time when braking at high speed. However, when braking at high speed, you also cover more distance per unit of time and as it happens, the time cancels out and the amount of energy dissipated is proportional to force multiplied by distance.
    – Sanchises
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 14:16
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    *** Yes, it can go faster than the speed of sound (in air). More and more trains, especially passenger and very large, heavy freight trains are using ECP brakes which make use of electronic control signals to actuate all brakes on the train effectively simultaneously (rather than the old vacuum/pneumatic controls which could take 10s of seconds to propagate to the rear of the train). This improves braking, preventing the rear cars from heaving forward into the front cars while the brakes are being applied.
    – J...
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 15:35
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    @JaccoAmersfoort If I reduce it to your level, it becomes a hollow finger-wag. I have already pushed most of the detail into asterisks, and at your request, I've pushed some more. The purpose of asterisks is to allow you to skip detail you don't care about. This is a technical forum and most people want details to be accessible, * is a fine compromise. Commented May 15, 2019 at 14:52