Quote: FiscallyCon wrote in post #14

---

Japan? Seems to me it's an issue of suitable geography more than economics.

---

For clarity, I love train travel in Europe so would love the same experience here. I would not pay for it nor support a government run system. Merely indulging myself. IMHO, we are far too geographically dispersed to make it a sensible solution given air travel and roads. I did learn something new just now as I had to google the origin of trains and automobiles in light of the comment re 18th century tech....which I just assumed was right. Turns out not to be. Trains were invented in the late late 18th century but not until the 19th century for human transportation. Cars were invented for human transportation in the late 18th century.

Quote: Palinista wrote in post #10

---

If America had established train transportation as the preferable mode of travel then this would not be a dream, it already would have happened.

We fell in love with cars, instead.

---

Quote: FiscallyCon wrote in post #17

---

For clarity, I love train travel in Europe so would love the same experience here. I would not pay for it nor support a government run system. Merely indulging myself. IMHO, we are far too geographically dispersed to make it a sensible solution given air travel and roads. I did learn something new just now as I had to google the origin of trains and automobiles in light of the comment re 18th century tech....which I just assumed was right. Turns out not to be. Trains were invented in the late late 18th century but not until the 19th century for human transportation. Cars were invented for human transportation in the late 18th century.

---

Quote: Weird Tolkienish Figure wrote in post #19

---

Quote: FiscallyCon wrote in post #17

---

For clarity, I love train travel in Europe so would love the same experience here. I would not pay for it nor support a government run system. Merely indulging myself. IMHO, we are far too geographically dispersed to make it a sensible solution given air travel and roads. I did learn something new just now as I had to google the origin of trains and automobiles in light of the comment re 18th century tech....which I just assumed was right. Turns out not to be. Trains were invented in the late late 18th century but not until the 19th century for human transportation. Cars were invented for human transportation in the late 18th century.

---

Sigh... I went to Europe in 2009 and asked around about the rail, I was told that it was only worth it (EuroRail) if you buy a monthly pass. This is in addition to subsidies.

Which brings me to my next untested and unverifiable hypothesis: if train riders in Europe and Japan had to pay the full cost of the mode of transportation through their ticket, instead of through subsidies, the situation would be much different.

Subsidize anything enough and it will give the appearance of being viable.

While we do subsidize airports and roads, it's not even close to how much Europe subsidizes rail.

---

Quote: FiscallyCon wrote in post #20

---

All of our public transit is also subsidized, whether it's trains or buses. They can't all lose money but I wouldn't be shocked either.

---

Zitat

---

My family loves the train though

---

This cuts down to the nitty gritty of it: high speed rail is good because it's "neat". You like the novelty of it. Which is where most of the support comes from.

But all mass transit does lose money, and they lose tons, in every county, including china. Each train ticket on amtrak cost the american taxpayer more than they charge the passenger.

I'm glad to have had the chance to experience high-speed rail in another country and not have to be concerned with it further bankrupting this country!

Back in 98 we were in Tokyo for business meetings and decided to blow off a day and take the bullet train to Nagano to catch some of the Winter Games. I can't recall how fast the train went but I understand they have even faster ones now. You really couldn't tell that it was going fast from within the cabin unless you looked out the windows when it was booking at top speed -- everything was a blur! It didn't always travel at the full speed though, it was considerably slower within the more settled areas, it opened up once it hit the countryside. It was fun for sure, but I don't recall how much it cost, all I remember that it was a bit pricey, but not out of the question. (I also found out just how much faster it was when we missed our return train later that night and had to take the proverbial "last train along the coast" which was a standard (local!) rail. I think it was around 3 hours out, and 12 hours back! Got back into Tokyo the next morning just in time to pack our bags and head to the airport, barely made the flight!)

I also had a chance to take the EuroStar from London to Paris one weekend when I was laying over in London on the way back from India. It also was pricey (and I don't think that it is considered "high speed" rail proper) but it was worth it to get from Waterloo Station to Paris (North Station) in a quick few hours with a nice meal! (I got back late Sunday night and was sick as a dog, missed my Monday meeting and almost missed my flight out Tuesday afternoon. I never figured out if I caught that bug in Paris or if it was something I picked up coming out of Bangalore that took a few days to kick in! The office manager in London kept calling to see if I wanted him to ring up a "chemist" to send something over to the apartment, I kept refusing since the thought of anything entering my stomach made me dry heave again!) Yeah, good times, for sure!

But anyway, I am glad to have had the opportunity to dally a bit overseas at some other country's expense, but no way should we be even thinking about something like that here with the state of our debt and deficits!

Quote: Mechanicos wrote in post #2

---

The pattern tells the real story. All 3 major proposed hubs are in Democrat controlled cities: LA, Chicago and NYC. Its all about milking the taxpayers to fund the democrat cronies/unions.

---

Another "trick" the liberal media plays is to act as if a train's top speed is the actual "operational speed". Just because a train reaches 300 mph doesn't mean it will operate at that speed, sometimes it's actually half the speed.

This is opposed to passenger jets, which will almost double the top speeds of high speed rail, at *cruising* speeds, not just top speeds.

Sleight of hand.

Quote: Heisenberg wrote in post #24

---

Quote: Frank Cannon wrote in post #11

---

Quote: Palinista wrote in post #10

---

If America had established train transportation as the preferable mode of travel then this would not be a dream, it already would have happened.

We fell in love with cars, instead.

---

India set up their country with train transport as the preferable mode of travel.

---

It's all about population densities.

---

Quote: nerd wrote in post #28

---

Quote: Heisenberg wrote in post #24

---

Quote: Frank Cannon wrote in post #11

---

Quote: Palinista wrote in post #10

---

If America had established train transportation as the preferable mode of travel then this would not be a dream, it already would have happened.

We fell in love with cars, instead.

---

India set up their country with train transport as the preferable mode of travel.

---

It's all about population densities.

---

I have seen them load an old steam train like that in pakistain, every place some one can sit or stand, or hang on, and traveling at a blistering speed of 35 miles an hour.
forgot to point out the train system was built by the british. When they ran the place.

---

Quote: Weird Tolkienish Figure wrote in post #21

---

Liberals and pro-rail types will often retort with this, but the truth is that not all subsidies are created equal.

---